[1.0] Medical Supplements (2018/12/24)

[ThiIsMe007]

First, thanks for your commented reply.

My goal is to keep all 3 of your mods. To me they are an organic whole, no point in cherry-picking or removing parts. I also do not want to put more of a workload on your shoulders with a "lite" version than you already have.

Your mods come with an additional layer of complexity and challenge to the game, and I welcome that. To draw a parallel with the very popular Dubs Bad Hygiene mod, which does the same, the experience in your mods just needs to be much more streamlined IMHO. With DBH, the new needs start as soon as I enter the game, but I'm also able to build a well, a latrine and a tub right out of the box. It's not optimal, but I can run my game with that just fine till I have less pressing issues. On the other hand, your mods offer no alternatives to the "best" task. It's either that or nothing.

I'm by no means an expert in medical matters, but giving the player some basic options to counter your additional diseases and refactoring some of the researches would not seem an alien solution to me. Bushmen or explorers in RL probably have some cures or preventives for most, even some very potent diseases crafted from whatever they can find in their environment. Sure, they won't be able to cure cancers or prevent high level infections, and their "medicine" could have some nasty side-effects or only work sub-optimally over time, but I say that there is no need for an expensive chem lab, researches or whatever if you know your way around plants and need to treat some emergencies NOW.

You could very well take advantage of the plants skill of the game to simulate that. You could also look into making basic medicine last for only a day or so, with low efficiency, while additional researches could grant a better potency over time. You could tie game stats to your system, and have pawns with low "immunity gain speed" benefit less (or not at all) from basic curatives, but do so once some improvements are researched. Such an integration is perhaps already handled by your mods, I admit I didn't pay attention to it.

Going back to DBH, hiding the entirety of your mods behind researches is like giving my pawns a bladder need and not allowing them to relieve themselves before spending an inordinate time at the lab, time that I just do not have at the beginning of the game on higher difficulties, in more difficult biomes (because of other priorities, like finding food, countering raids, etc.).

As a final word about ingredients, I had the time to research "multi-vitamines" in my last game. They require neutramine and berries to produce. I thought that this was well done, since your mods take what is found in the base game and proceed from there.

Compare this to whatever other medicine that requires 1/ sulphur to be gathered through mining and then stored, 2/ sulphuric acid to be produced and then stored, 3/ sulphuric acid to be added to another time expensive vanilla component (chemfuel? or was it non vanilla "lithium salts", I can't remember) to get 1 single batch of preventive medicine that will last me for half of a day as final product. This is not to mention that all these components will deteriorate outside, will need "useless" (not immediately benefiting) researches on their own and that your workbench comes only with a paltry storage container of 1 single component stack.

After a while, all these inconveniences add up and the ROI just doesn't warrant extra attention before the very end game, while your mods should be companions to the player throughout their whole game I think.



EDIT : being able to take all medicine at the same time at the beginning of the day (as a package, as it happens in RL for vaccines, for example) would also be an improvement worth researching. Right now, my pawns waste precious time running back and forth to my infirmary to fetch whatever I prescribed them in my drug policies (even with inventory storage activated). Just an idea.

[ThiIsMe007]

The more I think about it, the more I come to the conclusion that a good compromise would be to have :

1/ Common Ailments, untouched. This part introduces the diseases. They are fine as they are.

2/ Apothecary, remove all research times on its "items" and make them dependant on resources (that can be gathered in the base game, or easily found in the appropriate environment) and production (plant and/or doctoring skill) instead. This part would allow players with 1/ to have some "basic" tools at their disposal to counter diseases as soon as they appear.

3/ Medical supplies, untouched. This would be the "upgrade" to 2/, countering more diseases, more efficiently and for longer, but requiring researches, an expensive chemlab and complex processes to produce medicine on an industrial scale.

About 2/, let's not forget that something as simple as healthy food (honey against some infections, vitamin C against flu, scurvy, etc.) and good hygiene can contribute to reduce illnesses.

About 3/, I could see "combo-injections" of preventives as ultimate goal.

To me, this design would have the advantage to respect the flow of a game on any difficulty, and match what DBH does with its own, new gameplay challenges.

I also think that eventually some kind of merge among the 3 mods would make sense, since I can't see any player picking just 1 or 2 out of these mods to play with.

It's always easier said than done, I realize that.

[Pelador]

@Update @ThisIsMe007

Mod option introduced to vary the base cost of research projects by a %.

Antihistamine use for inhaler in common ailments mod.

(Common ailments and Apothecary likewise have had updates to their mod options).

[Pelador]

@ThisIsMe007

Varying research %'s for project costs has been added for MS and Apothecary. Some additional tweaks to extend the ranges of some of the options in Common Ailments.

Further consolidation to be considered in the future.

[Pelador]

@Update

Both Social Supplements and Utility Supplements now have a mod option to vary the base research costs by a percentage factor.

[ThiIsMe007]

I look forward to playing again with your mods, and thank you very much for giving your players options.

[Pelador]

@Update

Compatibility added for the Drug cabinet to make use of storage capabilities when LWM Deep storage is loaded.

[ThiIsMe007]

Bless you for the LVM Deep Storage update. So much more pleasing to play with bases that aren't littered by stuff my pawns can't use before long.

[Pelador]

@Update

Compatibility added for Mod Diseases Overhauled. (See pdf notes for details).

[Pelador]

@Update

Medical Supplements:

Compatibility added for Electric Stone Cutting table to produce salts.

Utility Supplements:

Ammonia fertiliser can now be triggered manually from a popper. (Needs Apothecary mod).

The cleaning process has been updated to allow for the filth in this mod to be ignored when in the home area, for plant related foam this will only apply to terrain that has fertility.

[Pelador]

@Update for Social supplements:

Chilli Peppers changed to Cayenne Peppers ( a type of chilli), all connected recipes remain unaffected. And the plant now has some extra white flowers on it to help distinguish it.

Compatibility with Apothecary: can make Cayenne Pepper powders which preserves well and also has its own hot sauce recipe.

Compatibility with RC2: Chilli peppers can be used in hot sauce recipe.

[Pelador]

@Update Utility Supplements:

Tear gas recipes changed to use hot sauce for best compatibility.

[Pelador]

@Update

Introduction of plant Perrywinkle, Vinca alkaloids and Vinacol. Vinacol is a chemotherapy drug that will help with the treatment of cancer related illnesses.

The Drug mixer will now display motes for missing ingredients when relevant.

Improved some tend related processes.

Notes have been updated.

[Pelador]

@Update

MS:

VFE - Production compatibility with drug cabinet.

Addition of Hydrochloric acid precursor. (Initially will be used in the expansion mods: social supplements and utility supplements).

SS:

Glucose (made by hydrolising certain starchy vegetables with hydrochloric acid).

Powdered Milk - a way to preserve milk, used in recipes.

Animal treats - a sweetened kibble using the above. Has better nutritional benefits plus a little "extra".

Power bar - A rice based chocolate bar adding glucose, powdered milk and fruits. Satisfies joy, some nutrition and a little "extra". An all rounder when it comes to useful snacking.

US:

Use of hydrochloric acid in some recipes.

[sayheyjay]

The Utility Supplements .rar is missing on github. Any chance we could re-up?