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Bullet_Magnate

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Everything posted by Bullet_Magnate

  1. Hoping so. Since the intent of the game (as I understand it) is to be as realistic as reasonably possible, I'm hoping the medical system is expanded to include more types of significant injuries that survivors would be likely to suffer. Eye injuries would be a real possibility, if having zombies claw at your face became a routine event. Okay.
  2. Well, don't underestimate the devs ... if they think it's worthwhile, I think they'd at least have decent odds of finding a way to incorporate snakes in way that works. Who knows? And, yeah, there's definitely a line to be drawn as to what's worth including. But if the devs are planning to incorporate other common and potentially dangerous wildlife (like bears), I think it would make complete sense to include snakes. Though they wouldn't be appearing all the time, I'm pretty certain a survivor traversing the Kentucky wilderness would have a *much* greater chance of encountering / getting harmed by a snake rather than a bear. That alone separates snakes from hazards that are far more rare, difficult to simulate, and/or that cross the line into a not-fun level of micromanagement (which I think covers the tornadoes / flooding / defecation examples). Not to say your points aren't good, *but* I still think there's a strong case for including snakes as a both a threat and a food source *if* the devs can find a way to make it happen.
  3. That would be really cool. Maybe as an initial stage they could just have three categories of snake: non-venomous, venomous, and rattlesnake (i.e., venomous but with an appropriate warning sound effect on approach). It'd be pretty straightforward, I'd think, to later add the variations in color, name, flavor text, etc., that would define individual species. Sheesh, can you imagine your character walking through the deep forest in PZ and suddenly hearing a loud rattlesnake sound from somewhere ahead??? :O Especially if you had some zeds after you ... Yeah, I do like the idea of antivenom / antivenin, but still think you'd need some medical training to administer / inject the proper dosage. It's not like you could just pull it out of a fridge in an ER and drink it ... : ) As for whether places would have it, I suspect in a relatively rural area like Knox County, emergency rooms would have it at least. And your point about the limited deaths being due to availability of antivenom is a good one. Obviously antivenom won't be readily available in PZ, which makes snakebite exponentially more dangerous -- and therefore much more worthy of inclusion.
  4. This would make a lot of sense -- modeling things like the fireman's carry, or dragging wounded / injured comrades.
  5. I'm not actually sure this is a good idea, but thought it was interesting enough to at least toss out for consideration ... What if, instead of spending character creation points on professions / traits, you could spend some on starting equipment? This would permit greater challenges by allowing people to play characters with severe disadvantages, and initially offsetting those problems with gear. Balance could be maintained by (1) making the gear cost a lot of points, (2) limiting the number of points that can be spent on equipment, (3) limiting it to things that wear out or get used up, etc etc etc ... This could allow for some really interesting builds. (One that springs to mind for me might be a 90-year old lady with a shotgun who's trying to defend her remote farmhouse ... ) Weapons and food are obvious possibilities, but for a lot of points maybe you could even get the key to that beat-up old Chevalier out front ... I'm aware of the sandbox option to start with some initial gear, but that doesn't perform the same function because it doesn't eat up character points you're otherwise compelled to spend. Interested to know what people think of this idea.
  6. How did you get that picture??? Do you have a camera hidden in my mom's basement or something, ya sicko??? MODS!!! I NEED A MOD OVER HERE!!! j/k XD
  7. But also not as loud! ; )
  8. Safer with a booted foot than with your hand(s), I suppose ...
  9. Occurred to me recently that good old fashioned tripwires, as simple as they are, would be *extremely* useful in a PZ-type scenario. I don't think zombies would have the sense to look for and avoid them. They'd be very useful as a quick-and-dirty measure to protect an area or cover a retreat, and in many cases would be very easy to set up. There are already several items in-game that could be used for this purpose (wire, twine, rope, sheet ropes, etc.). Two stakes or tent pegs and a length of cord, and you'd be good to go. Balance could be maintained by (1) having a chance that zombies cross without falling, and (2) having a chance the tripwire breaks each time it does work. If they're modeled to be hard to see on-screen, they could have PvP applications, as well.
  10. It'd be cool if they added it as a findable item, but I wonder if a layman could realistically administer it ... that is, would you need a high First Aid level to even use it without potentially making the problem worse?
  11. Man that is a weird looking zombie ...
  12. Yeah, literally the only reason I mention that is because the player in PZ swings / cuts with spears sometimes, which is a little odd ... : )
  13. Yeah, I can definitely see your point. I guess I was thinking more of inventory items and objects on-screen, moreso than complex activities like building. It's nice if I can right click on an item and immediately see what I can do (or potentially do) with it. The existing context menus actually do a pretty good job of that already, and it's something I've always appreciated. A context menu might be a good consistent jumping-off point into the other UI windows -- for example, if I right click on an object maybe an option would be just "Craft," which would jump me into the crafting menu with a filter showing only the recipes I can currently make with that item; or if I right click a fluid container, having a "Mix" option that does a similar jump to the fluid system UI. That could actually be a nice way to have a single, intuitive entry point into the various windows / menus. I guess my concern is that the individual UIs / systems aren't necessarily individually complex, BUT figuring out how to get to them (or that they're even available in the first place) could be daunting to new players. I can actually think of one example in this vein that kinda puzzles me: the UI for moving furniture. There's a pretty robust context menu system for interacting with the environment (for example, I can right click on a window and open / close the window or the curtains, or even smash the glass). But, if I want to pick up a chair and move it, I have to figure out that there's a separate icon on the edge of the screen for that. (It gets REALLY counter-intuitive when dealing with curtains, because you can move a curtain with either the context menu (which gives you a sheet) or the "move furniture" icon (which keeps the curtain intact).) It just seems like it would be so much more intuitive if that option was presented in a context menu -- in part because people are kinda used to context menus as a starting point when they're trying to figure out how to interact with something on a screen. PLEASE NOTE that I am sure there's a perfectly legit explanation for why those two parallel systems evolved the way they did over the course of development, so I'm not looking for an explanation -- just pointing out an example of where a consolidated context menu "jumping-off point" might make things easier for players. Please remember also that the original point of my post above was that I *REALLY LIKE* where the game is going overall (maybe I wasn't super clear on that), and I don't share the stated concerns about, e.g., unforgiving combat. Overall, I think you and your team have done an amazing job crafting a game that *feels* true-to-life in the ways that really matter. I enthusiastically recommend PZ to all my gamer friends, and none of the concerns I mentioned above change that in the least. I mention those thoughts solely in hopes that they might help make the end product even better than it's already bound to be. : )
  14. You know, it might actually be that really high levels of skill would reduce weapon breakage, since the character would have the knowledge and precision to strike in a way that plays to the structural strengths of the weapon rather than its weaknesses (like, say, trying to thrust with a staff or spear whenever possible instead of swinging it) ... interesting idea, either way.
  15. No, I am not suggesting adding Batman-themed cosplay (though I'm sure there's probably a mod for that ... : ) ). Rather, was thinking a natural consequence of "busting brush" in the Knox County wilderness (as survivors often do) would be nasty cases of exposure to poison ivy, poison sumac and/or poison oak -- all of which are found in Kentucky, and cause painful, itchy, blistering rashes that may last for weeks. Depending on the nature of the exposure and the susceptibility of the person, the consequences can be severe, and certainly can be potentially painful / debilitating. Injury could be prevented by avoiding walking through vegetation with exposed skin (e.g., while wearing sandals / shorts / short sleeves). Certain professions and skills (Park Ranger, Foraging, etc.) could also reduce likelihood / severity of exposure. Considering that exposure to poison ivy and similar harmful plants is one of the most commonly-occurring injuries during wilderness activities, it seems only natural to try to include it somehow. EDIT: Credit where credit is due ... this idea came to me because of a reference to stinging nettles in another thread by user WrittenInBlood.
  16. Devs are ahead of you on this one, at least in part ... : ) There are burn injuries in-game, but I think you can only get them from open flame (campfires, burning houses, etc.) at present. I like some of the ideas you spelled out for incidental burns from other activities, though. Here's a further thought related to the "Bruising" injury idea -- maybe severe bruising to the head should include the possibility of concussion / traumatic brain injury. Even minor concussions can cause headache, difficulty focusing, dizziness, and nausea, which could have interesting gameplay effects ...
  17. I like these ideas, but I do note that two of the venomous snakes (copperhead and cottonmouth) don't appear to be rattlers. This is probably one of those moments where a fine balance needs to be struck to create a system that "feels real" without getting bogged down in too much detail ...
  18. My understanding is that the Short Sighted negative trait can be eliminated by wearing any pair of eyeglasses you happen to find (which, if correct, superficially makes sense). However, I'm sure everyone knows different glasses have different prescriptions, and wearing the wrong glasses won't necessarily help (and can actually make vision much worse). Given the HUGE range of potential prescriptions, finding a pair of glasses that matches or is close to yours would not necessarily be easy. Ultimately I don't know how important this is, since I think the only negative vision-related trait in the game is Short Sighted and it doesn't currently have a really major effect. Maybe this isn't a good thing, though ... because I'm sure for a lot of people their poor vision (esp. if they lost their glasses or contacts) would be a major challenge in a PZ-type scenario. BUT, maybe this could be fodder for considering a vision system that feels more realistic without adding a ton of complexity or necessary data handling (for example, I think you'd pretty clearly NOT want to have to generate a Prescription value for every pair of glasses in the game during initialization / every time a zed wearing glasses spawns ... ). One possible approach: (1) Have two negative player traits: Near Sighted (NS) and Far Sighted (FS). Without corrective lenses, a NS person would have limited distance vision, decreased firearm accuracy, poor foraging, etc.; while a FS person would be unable to read, and would find it difficult or impossible to do close-up fine motor tasks like electronics assembly, etc. (2) When a character with either trait is created, they are given a randomly-determined "Prescription" value of 1-1000 (determined by averaging two numbers in order to create a bell curve, with high / low value prescriptions thus being rare). Also, they would start with a named pair of glasses (like the keyring -- e.g., "Velma Dinkley's Glasses") that is in their exact prescription. So, for example, the near-sighted Ms. Dinkley's glasses might have value of "N653" (i.e., near-sighted glasses with a prescription value of 653). (3) Negative trait effects are only reduced when wearing glasses with a prescription that matches your trait (e.g., wearing NS glasses doesn't help if you're FS), and even then only in proportion to the similarity of the prescription value (e.g., if your number is 700 and the glasses are 699 then you basically suffer no penalties; whereas if yours is 875 and the glasses' value is 50, there is very little beneficial effect). (4) Wearing glasses with the wrong prescription type (e.g., FS glasses on a NS person) -- or any prescription, for a normal-sighted character -- would increase negative effects rather than helping. (5) For eyewear discovered during gameplay, its prescription value would ONLY be determined if and when a player actually put them on. This would obviate the need to determine and create a prescription value for the vast majority of the eyewear in the game. (Though I will admit I have no idea if Lua supports this approach ... ) While regular eyeglasses would obviously have a prescription, there could also be a chance of finding, e.g., prescription sunglasses, safety glasses, etc. (6) Assuming something like the above was implemented, it might also be worth adding Condition / Cleanliness values to eyewear, and having its benefits decrease in proportion to damage and dirt (so a character who is heavily reliant on their specs has to constantly be concerned with keeping them clean and in good repair). I think the above is potentially workable (though I'm sure it is WILDLY oversimplified ... any optometrists in the crowd?). I like the idea of the additional tension potentially created for characters who are heavily reliant on rare-prescription glasses. It would add a whole new dimension of fun to those moments when your glasses fall / get knocked off ... (Note that contact lenses are, I think, maybe a bridge too far since they'd add a bunch of weird "micro-managey" stuff to the game -- finding contact lens solution, cleaning the lenses, potential severe eye infection in a poor-hygiene environment, etc.) ... though apparently disposable lenses were available by the late 80's, which might simplify things. Still, I find the idea of a character losing a contact lens and then having to Forage to find it again highly amusing ... ).
  19. What if severe injuries (particularly to limbs) carried the potential to have permanent negative effects? (So far as I know, this is not currently modeled in-game.) The chance of permanent disability could be increased if the injury was treated with low First Aid skill. This would have the twin benefit of increasing realism and adding value to that skill. This could be really interesting if paired with the possibility of eye injury ...
  20. This is a great point. I could easily see packs of hungry, wild dogs roaming Knox County in a matter of weeks (if not days) after the Event. Also, I want to say I read somewhere that wild dogs are potentially even more dangerous than wolves, because they don't have any natural aversion to contact with people ... EDIT: I want to say there is something in the lore / radio broadcasts about the military culling / shooting dogs in the area as part of their efforts to control the Knox Fever outbreak. That could justify limiting the number of wild dogs in the early game. EDIT 2: Found something, but it might be an isolated occurrence.
  21. Seems logical that injuries to the face, particularly scratches and lacerations, might injure an eye. So far as I know, this is not something that currently exists in-game. Effects could include loss of accuracy, and reduction of range / field of vision, or even blindness if both eyes are injured badly enough. This could also give added value to things like safety glasses and welder masks, which could reduce the chance of such injuries. Such injuries could also become permanent to an extent, which is a separate subject likely meriting its own thread ...
  22. Wow! Had no idea that used to be a thing. Agree it would ratchet up the tension, and hope it comes back (maybe at least as a sandbox option) ...
  23. Inspired by a comment in another wildlife-related thread. Figured this deserved its own discussion. One form of wildlife that would definitely be relevant, but that I haven't seen in future content discussion, is snakes. Snakes are definitely relevant from a realism perspective because there are four types of venomous snakes in Kentucky, which cause a significant number of bite injuries each year. In addition, even non-venomous snakes could certainly be included as a source of meat. EDIT: Apparently one of these snakes (the pigmy rattlesnake) is NOT found in the part of Kentucky where PZ takes place. So, that's 3 types of venomous snake that could appear in-game.
  24. This is GREAT input, absolutely spot on. Agree with comments above that large predators *should* factor in more as a hunting opportunity than an actual threat. There is one other dangerous form of wildlife that might be interesting to include: venomous snakes, of which there are four types in Kentucky. I can easily see survivors running afoul of poisonous snakes, especially if they are spending lots of time in the boonies to avoid zed-infested areas. They would pose a real danger, too, with no readily available modern medicine to treat bites. Seems like it might be good to have robust sandbox options for those who want action (i.e., more, and more aggressive, predators) over realism, but realism should be the default. Another thought: could the Knox Virus have some effect on certain animals, increasing their aggression (similar to rabies)? *** EDIT / CORRECTION: Apparently one of the snake types linked above (the pigmy rattlesnake) is NOT found in the part of Kentucky where PZ takes place. So, that's 3, not 4, types of venomous snake that could appear in-game.
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