Keeping of the infection temporary

[jianu81]

What about using medicinal drugs or pills to keep off the infection temporary?(sry for bad english)

[Dark_Author]

This could be interesting, but the pills would have to be very rare.  Maybe one pill holds off the infection for two days, after which time you have to find another pill to keep going.  I really depends on how uncommon the pills are...

[Connall]

Well I mean the devs said they wouldn't do cures, or find out the origin of the virus. While I understand it's not that, wouldn't you need to know the origin/cause to find/use an effective medication that would be able to delay the infection?

 

I mean I don't know if regular painkillers are going to cut it.

[Dark_Author]

I was kind of thinking something more along the line of antibiotics or antivirals.  If you find enough, you might be able to delay your death by a week or two, but surviving long term like this would be near impossible.  I don't think you'd have to find the origins or cause to think to try this....unless in the game world they have never seen a zombie movie (but that assumption isn't realistic).

[Connall]

I was kind of thinking something more along the line of antibiotics or antivirals.  If you find enough, you might be able to delay your death by a week or two, but surviving long term like this would be near impossible.  I don't think you'd have to find the origins or cause to think to try this....unless in the game world they have never seen a zombie movie (but that assumption isn't realistic).

 

You're kind of describing Zombrex in that regard. I'm still a bit iffy on that though. I guess it comes down to whether the lore of the game goes for the fact off the shelf medicine can be used to slow down the infection.

[Dark_Author]

I was actually thinking of Zombrex... but still, the idea would not stop you from dying and searching for the antivirals/antibiotics might be enough to spark you to keep searching instead of killing yourself (which is what I do once I get infected...just give up because there is no hope at all).

[harakka]

I was kind of thinking something more along the line of antibiotics or antivirals.

You are making assumptions about the nature of the phenomenon. As far as we know, it could have been a wizard that did it. Or even multiple wizards.

[Cyric]

I don't understand what the point of this miracle pill would even be. Basically you're asking for borrowed time so you can inevitably die a short amount of time later, for what though? 

 

No disrespect, but this suggestion seems absolutely pointless in my opinion. Especially considering you can just reload your "death save" and continue with a new character without losing much progress.

[Connall]

 

I was kind of thinking something more along the line of antibiotics or antivirals.

You are making assumptions about the nature of the phenomenon. As far as we know, it could have been a wizard that did it. Or even multiple wizards.

 

 

I thought it was established lore, that it was the dragons over yonder hills?

 

http://pzmap.crash-override.net/#0.09233770452803901,0.23395604808329012,6.430041152263376

 

[Realmkeeper]

I think this got discussed several times before, and it was concluded that food is already available to stave off death a little longer - if you can heal faster than the ever-increasing damage of the infection, then you can last a little longer... it will get you eventually though.

 

Edit: not that I'm trying to make a definite closure on the subject, just bringing up that this was discussed at length previously

Edited January 2, 2014 by Realmkeeper

[ApolloDiaspora]

Seeing as we don't know WHAT causes death and ultimate rezombification ingame (and out, though the devs have apparantly described it as a virus of some sort), finding a way to delay the inevitable would be an utter cow.

Antibiotics do sweet FA to viruses afterall. A broad-spectrum antiviral agent could do something to slow it down, assuming there is such a thing. Last I checked mamed antivral meds is difficult if not impossible without a viral sample, and if we're using World War Z style lore, that's flat out impossible due to how nasty and virulant the infection is.

That said, eating hearty, downing antibiotics and finally shooting up with adrenaline should delay the APPARANT onset of the infection, if only because you've suddenly given you body and immune system time to fight just the infection, and not the various ilks and ills you'd accumulate living off nothing but chips everyday.

In short, it would be like overstuffing your face to hold off the infected moodle as we do now, except you'd also need pills and needles to do it. Interesting idea, especially if you've got that one last thing to do before slipping into the black.

[Fj45]

Already discussed, goes against lore, realism and the basic premise of PZ. End of discussion.

[Rathlord]

I don't understand what the point of this miracle pill would even be. Basically you're asking for borrowed time so you can inevitably die a short amount of time later, for what though? 

 

No disrespect, but this suggestion seems absolutely pointless in my opinion. Especially considering you can just reload your "death save" and continue with a new character without losing much progress.

 

There are lots of good reasons not to have things like this, but this isn't one of them.

 

Some people like to actually roleplay a bit (more of us then you might think) and if I wasn't bitten I wouldn't just go "whelp, shit, gonna drink some bleach so I can become a zombie faster." Fighting it to the very end is part of what it means to be human. If you're just in it to powergame, then sure.

[Fj45]

 

I don't understand what the point of this miracle pill would even be. Basically you're asking for borrowed time so you can inevitably die a short amount of time later, for what though? 

 

No disrespect, but this suggestion seems absolutely pointless in my opinion. Especially considering you can just reload your "death save" and continue with a new character without losing much progress.

 

There are lots of good reasons not to have things like this, but this isn't one of them.

 

Some people like to actually roleplay a bit (more of us then you might think) and if I wasn't bitten I wouldn't just go "whelp, shit, gonna drink some bleach so I can become a zombie faster." Fighting it to the very end is part of what it means to be human. If you're just in it to powergame, then sure.

 

 

People using a bunch of different drugs, trying to slow the infection? Okay. 

People slowing the infection using drugs? Not okay.

[Footmuffin]

If food holds the infection off, could that mean it attacks the stomach?

[ExcentriCreation]

Getting bitten causes a tiny little footmuffin to grow inside your stomach & the only way to delay it from taking control of your body with an elaborate system of hugs & cuteness is to distract him with cake

Seeing as we don't know WHAT causes death and ultimate rezombification ingame (and out, though the devs have apparantly described it as a virus of some sort), finding a way to delay the inevitable would be an utter cow.

 

"Also, there is one golden rule of proper zombie films IMO. Satirized by Shaun of the Dead perfectly. It should never be really explained why the dead are rising. You can think it's a virus, and there's sure to be scientists working under that assumption. It can be spread from zombie to person like some infection, but we don't want to black and white state it's a virus and not, say, some supernatural apocalypse.

Even though it is very likely a virus in actuality." - Lemmy101 2011

 

Sorry but that's incorrect.... "infection" is one of those, for lack of a better word things

 

EDIT:

Not that I disagree with your point

[jianu81]

Well if it goes against the lore then this suggestion is useless BUT i'm not saying to keep the infection of days,weeks only hours it adds more realism and better roleplaying

[Fj45]

? I have no idea what you mean.

[EnigmaGrey]

I might as well drop this here, as well:

 

Back when I was a Secret Agent, it was mentioned that the devs were considering the possibility of adding some sort of medication that would make you slightly healthier, with the net effect of delaying the inevitable for a short period of time. It wouldn't make you invulnerable to zombification, preserve your life for a long period of time, or be easy to find, but it was considered seriously.

If it were generic enough, say a concoction of antibiotics and antivirals that merely improved the state of your base health without combating the zombification illness (similar to how vitamins currently give you a slight energy boost), it could well fit in the game as a minor speed-bump on the way to your inevitable and assured demise. This, of course, makes it somewhat pointless and is probably why it's never been added.

To say it'll never, ever happen . . .

[Cyric]

 

I don't understand what the point of this miracle pill would even be. Basically you're asking for borrowed time so you can inevitably die a short amount of time later, for what though? 

 

No disrespect, but this suggestion seems absolutely pointless in my opinion. Especially considering you can just reload your "death save" and continue with a new character without losing much progress.

 

There are lots of good reasons not to have things like this, but this isn't one of them.

 

Some people like to actually roleplay a bit (more of us then you might think) and if I wasn't bitten I wouldn't just go "whelp, shit, gonna drink some bleach so I can become a zombie faster." Fighting it to the very end is part of what it means to be human. If you're just in it to powergame, then sure.

 

 

Calling me out, I see. 

 

All I'm saying is I feel this sort of addition to the game would be useless and somewhat damaging to the hopeless atmosphere the game projects. I imagine most players that get bitten or scratched have a mini heart attack (I know I do) while they wait to see if the infection symptoms start to show. I think it'd be a watered down experience if I could just go "whelp, shit, starting to show symptoms... better delve into my stockpile of Zomb-Away and ride this out for the next few weeks/months!", it takes away from the gravity of the situation. I think infection should be an irreversible, untreatable, automatic death sentence... game over for you. 

 

Anyhow, rant aside, my previous post wasn't alluding to a disdain for roleplaying and/or encouraging of power gaming. To each their own, I simply don't feel like it would be a worthwhile addition to the game. 

[Rathlord]

I didn't mean to call you out personally (and apologize if it came off that way), it's just that I've seen that kind of post before and don't happen to agree with it.

 

I'd actually say it makes the game more tense rather than less. Of course it can't be something that can just put it off forever- it can't be that common or effective. If you go by my combination fanfic/take on the PZ version of zombies (located here: http://theindiestone.com/forums/index.php/topic/4359-mommy-where-do-zombies-come-from/#entry58595 ), you could say something along the lines of an entire bottle of NSAIDS can keep the infection from killing you for a day.

 

I'd even go so far as to say the symptoms continue getting worse until they're as bad as possible- just the virus won't quite kill you as long as you're shoveling pills down (to a limit, of course). The way I'd set it up would be to have it take more and more pills the longer you delay the infection.

 

This would in no way lower the tension or dread of being infected- it turns the game into an even more desperate hunt for meds to try to keep yourself alive long. That's what the whole game is about really, a dead man's desperate attempt to delay the inevitable, and I don't see delaying it (while making the game much harder and even more bleak and hopeless) detracting from that.

[Fj45]

 

 

I don't understand what the point of this miracle pill would even be. Basically you're asking for borrowed time so you can inevitably die a short amount of time later, for what though? 

 

No disrespect, but this suggestion seems absolutely pointless in my opinion. Especially considering you can just reload your "death save" and continue with a new character without losing much progress.

 

There are lots of good reasons not to have things like this, but this isn't one of them.

 

Some people like to actually roleplay a bit (more of us then you might think) and if I wasn't bitten I wouldn't just go "whelp, shit, gonna drink some bleach so I can become a zombie faster." Fighting it to the very end is part of what it means to be human. If you're just in it to powergame, then sure.

 

 

Calling me out, I see. 

 

All I'm saying is I feel this sort of addition to the game would be useless and somewhat damaging to the hopeless atmosphere the game projects. I imagine most players that get bitten or scratched have a mini heart attack (I know I do) while they wait to see if the infection symptoms start to show. I think it'd be a watered down experience if I could just go "whelp, shit, starting to show symptoms... better delve into my stockpile of Zomb-Away and ride this out for the next few weeks/months!", it takes away from the gravity of the situation. I think infection should be an irreversible, untreatable, automatic death sentence... game over for you. 

 

Anyhow, rant aside, my previous post wasn't alluding to a disdain for roleplaying and/or encouraging of power gaming. To each their own, I simply don't feel like it would be a worthwhile addition to the game. 

 

 

Agree here.

[Cyric]

I didn't mean to call you out personally (and apologize if it came off that way), it's just that I've seen that kind of post before and don't happen to agree with it.

 

I'd actually say it makes the game more tense rather than less. Of course it can't be something that can just put it off forever- it can't be that common or effective. If you go by my combination fanfic/take on the PZ version of zombies (located here: http://theindiestone.com/forums/index.php/topic/4359-mommy-where-do-zombies-come-from/#entry58595 ), you could say something along the lines of an entire bottle of NSAIDS can keep the infection from killing you for a day.

 

I'd even go so far as to say the symptoms continue getting worse until they're as bad as possible- just the virus won't quite kill you as long as you're shoveling pills down (to a limit, of course). The way I'd set it up would be to have it take more and more pills the longer you delay the infection.

 

This would in no way lower the tension or dread of being infected- it turns the game into an even more desperate hunt for meds to try to keep yourself alive long. That's what the whole game is about really, a dead man's desperate attempt to delay the inevitable, and I don't see delaying it (while making the game much harder and even more bleak and hopeless) detracting from that.

 

I've actually read that bit of fan fiction already, lol, I thought it was rather good. Kudos to you, sir.

 

As far as the debate at hand, I understand what you're saying. I just don't agree nor do I think that extra layer of desperation is really needed on top of what the game is at it's core. But as I said before, to each their own. While you find that particular extra layer of desperation entertaining and/or motivating, I do not. To me it just appears as a superfluous way to cling to a life already lost, but therein lies the difference between us and I can respect that.

 

I've really said all I have to say about the subject, so I'll be bowing out in a rather anti-climactic fashion and saying agree to disagree. 

[Rathlord]

Fair points all around, and from here it's up to the devs to decide =D

[RorekSR]

I don't think this would add anything to the game; it creates a single, static situation in regards to roleplay and general gameplay; if you don't commit suicide once infected, you take the pills. Argue about tension all you want, but it's literally a single binary scenario; red or blue pill. binary choices, especially tiny ones like this for instance, have never greatly enhanced a roleplaying experience.

And to the OP, I can't comprehend what you'd get out of this or why you'd even want it. According to you, when you're infected, you just kill yourself and move on from there. You don't try to fight in vain against the odds, you don't try to do anything crazy or interesting for your last days alive; you just kill yourself, because like you say, you already know that the game is over and there's zero point in continuing when you know you have already lost. (Despite the fact that the entire point of this game is fighting in vain against impossible odds.)

So surviving a weeks or however long once your infected is a complete and utter waste of time to you, and yet you claim you would be willing to continue an "already lost" life that you know you've already gotten a game over in if you could extend that week or however long you'd make it while infected by a just a few hours? 

It sounds to me like maybe the first time you'd try to stave off the infection, then you'd realize the X hours you spent in real life searching for the medicine in-game wasn't worth the effort to make that "doomed" life last another 30 real minutes or whatever since the end result is exactly the same, the only difference being your entire gameplay strategy has now been turned into scavenging nonstop for the medicine and spending a lot of extra time on a fruitless journey. 

And then you'd go right back to killing yourself every time you got infected because "what's the point of even trying when I know my game is over."

Since you already consider the game over once you're infected, obviously you'd STILL consider the game over once you were infected even if you could prolong the time you spent alive by a few minutes of gameplay by spending hours of gameplay doing it.