RobinHood Posted December 9, 2024 Report Posted December 9, 2024 Healing Herbs and Treacherous Illnesses (we need also thirst and other new things) Add a layer of survival realism to Vintage Story with illnesses that strike randomly or arise from untreated injuries, like gangrene. These diseases could range from mild inconveniences to life-threatening conditions. Each ailment brings unique gameplay challenges—slower movement, reduced strength, blurred vision, hallucinations of non-existent monsters, or creeping health loss. However, hope isn’t lost! Players can seek cures through rare herbs, ancient remedies found in ruins, or precious Manuka honey harvested from the tea tree. Merchants might trade these life-saving resources for high-value items, turning honey into an essential ingredient for survival. To enrich the experience, here’s a list of 8-12 illnesses and their realistic effects and remedies: 1. Common Cold (Mild) Effects: Slightly reduced stamina regeneration, occasional sneezing (interrupts sneaky actions). Heals Naturally: Within 3 in-game days. Remedy: Honey tea (crafted from honey and hot water) speeds up recovery. How to Contract: Prolonged exposure to rain or snow without proper clothing. Prevention: Stay dry and warm; use wool or leather clothing in cold climates. 2. Food Poisoning (Moderate) Effects: Gradual health loss (1 HP per 4 hours), reduced hunger regeneration. Remedy: Charcoal powder (crafted from charcoal) neutralizes toxins. How to Contract: Eating spoiled food or undercooked meat. Prevention: Cook food thoroughly and store perishables in a cold environment (cellars, iceboxes). 3. Wound Infection (Severe) Effects: Gradual health loss (1 HP per 2 hours), slowed movement. Remedy: Apply antiseptic herbs like yarrow or a poultice made from honey and bandages. How to Contract: Failing to treat open wounds caused by animal attacks or accidents. Prevention: Clean wounds immediately with water and apply herbal bandages. 4. Gangrene (Deadly) Effects: Rapid health loss (1 HP per hour) if untreated, debuffs to movement and combat. Remedy: Crafted antibiotic salve from rare herbs like golden seal and honeycomb. How to Contract: Untreated severe wounds or infections. Prevention: Always carry antiseptic herbs like yarrow and keep a first-aid kit ready. 5. Dysentery (Severe) Effects: Increased thirst, health loss (1 HP every 4 hours). Remedy: A decoction of mint and chamomile. How to Contract: Drinking untreated water from swamps, lakes, or rivers. Prevention: Always boil water or use a water filtration system. 6. Hallucinatory Fever (Severe) Effects: Hallucinations of monsters, blurred vision, erratic movement. Remedy: Brewed tea from passionflower and valerian root. How to Contract: Sleeping in areas with high humidity and without proper shelter, particularly near swamps or jungles. Prevention: Build enclosed shelters and use insect-repellent herbs like citronella. 7. Swamp Fever (Moderate) Effects: Reduced stamina and slower regeneration. Remedy: Boiled water infused with mugwort. How to Contract: Spending too much time in swampy or tropical areas without protection. Prevention: Avoid prolonged exposure to these areas; wear mosquito-repelling clothing. 8. Frostbite (Severe) Effects: Permanent health reduction until treated, slowed movement. Remedy: Warm compresses made with hot water bottles or animal fat balm. How to Contract: Staying in freezing environments without adequate protection. Prevention: Wear insulated clothing and avoid sleeping outdoors in cold biomes. 9. Scurvy (Severe) Effects: Gradual health loss (1 HP per day), reduced combat effectiveness. Remedy: Citrus fruits or brewed pine needle tea. How to Contract: Long periods without consuming fruits or vegetables. Prevention: Maintain a balanced diet and grow citrus fruits in greenhouses if necessary. 10. Malaria (Deadly) Effects: Cyclical fever waves, blurred vision, and severe stamina reduction. Remedy: Cinchona bark tea (crafted from bark found in jungle biomes). How to Contract: Bitten by mosquitoes in jungle biomes. Prevention: Sleep under protective nets or craft mosquito-repellent salves. 11. Tetanus (Deadly) Effects: Constant muscle spasms, inability to use tools properly, rapid health decline. Remedy: Antibiotic potion made from rare jungle herbs and honey. How to Contract: Stepping on rusty nails or other sharp metal objects. Prevention: Wear sturdy boots and be cautious when scavenging ruins. 12. Heatstroke (Moderate) Effects: Increased thirst, reduced stamina. Remedy: Rest in shade and drink cool water. How to Contract: Overexertion in hot climates without adequate hydration. Prevention: Stay hydrated and rest in shaded areas during peak heat. This feature could expand Vintage Story’s survival mechanics while encouraging exploration and resource management. What do you think of this idea? Gameplay Impact Random Illnesses: Diseases like the common cold or food poisoning may occasionally strike without direct player action, adding tension. Encouraging Preparedness: Players must carry clean water, first-aid supplies, and proper clothing to mitigate risks. Rewarding Exploration: Rare herbs and remedies hidden in ruins or biomes motivate players to venture out of their comfort zones. This feature encourages players to balance exploration with preparation and care, making survival in Vintage Story more immersive and rewarding.
LadyWYT Posted December 10, 2024 Report Posted December 10, 2024 7 hours ago, RobinHood said: This feature could expand Vintage Story’s survival mechanics while encouraging exploration and resource management. What do you think of this idea? Without simply repeating everything I said in the other thread, I'll just drop this here: https://mods.vintagestory.at/show/mod/11954 While you've got a nice outline here, I'd highly suggest playing with a disease mechanic installed(assuming you haven't already) before getting too excited about how fun it might be. 7 hours ago, RobinHood said: Random Illnesses: Diseases like the common cold or food poisoning may occasionally strike without direct player action, adding tension. I would argue that it would be annoyance or irritation rather than tension, if it's a random occurrence. If one strikes while you're safe at home doing chores, then it's just a nuisance that's going to slow down your gameplay, that you couldn't really prevent because it's a random chance. If it happens while you're dungeon-delving or getting otherwise mauled by nasties, then yeah, it might heighten tension that's already there, but it's certainly going to feel awful if it proves to be what turns the situation from survivable to dead, again due to circumstances outside your control. 7 hours ago, RobinHood said: Encouraging Preparedness: Players must carry clean water, first-aid supplies, and proper clothing to mitigate risks. Which the player should already be doing, really, and brings me to my next point: the game already encourages players to take decent care of their characters, and prepare for adventures. If you don't vary your diet, you miss out on health points, which you will need when fighting off enemies. If you don't take care of your clothes, you'll freeze to death faster. If you don't bring medical supplies with you on your dungeon runs, you're much more likely to die. So if taking good care of your character prevents contracting most illnesses, players aren't likely to encounter disease at all. Or on the flip side, you could do everything in your power to prevent illness, and still end up catching a disease anyway despite your efforts, due to the random illness mechanic suggested above. Not really fun. 8 hours ago, RobinHood said: Add a layer of survival realism to Vintage Story with illnesses that strike randomly or arise from untreated injuries, like gangrene. These diseases could range from mild inconveniences to life-threatening conditions. Each ailment brings unique gameplay challenges—slower movement, reduced strength, blurred vision, hallucinations of non-existent monsters, or creeping health loss. Honestly, if a mechanic like this were to be added...I would simplify it by dropping the disease mechanic entirely. Add something else like broken bones instead; while those are rather easy to avoid, it could serve as a deterrent to running around recklessly and diving off high places on a whim. Essentially, if the player takes too much fall damage, they can have a chance to break a leg, incurring a movement speed penalty until it heals. Splinting the limb could lessen this penalty, while getting a good night's rest regularly could help the injury heal faster. Broken arms could be sustained rarely in combat, probably from the higher tier monsters and have a higher chance of occurring if you're not wearing good armor. In that case, they could simply apply a penalty to damage until the injury heals. 8 hours ago, RobinHood said: Each ailment brings unique gameplay challenges—slower movement, reduced strength, blurred vision, hallucinations of non-existent monsters, or creeping health loss. I will also point out that some of these effects are already in the game. If your stability runs too low, your vision will start getting a bit wonky, though the monsters you see are certainly not illusions. Movement penalties are already applied with armor. Health penalties are applied(or rather, health bonuses are lost) if you don't eat a varied diet. So I wouldn't say these are necessarily unique gameplay challenges. In any case, I still think disease mechanics are best left to the modded realm. I don't see it being very fun for most players to deal with, in the same way that I'm skeptical a thirst mechanic would be fun for most players. But with mods, the option is still there for those who are looking for that kind of experience in their games.
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