DayZ & Drugs - Possibilities, Pro's & Contra's

[ponc 100]

In the Rezzed video Rocket talked about all the different kinds of antibiotics that will be in the game, each for an other kind of disease. It made me think of meds & drugs in general.

I think Pharmaceutics should have a big place in game. Not only to deepen the medic aspect, but also to resemble real life situations. Today there maybe is not one single house that ain't got different kinds of pharma stuff lying around.

So maybe for one kind of disease there would be multiple options of pills to cure it. But each with it's own possible side effects.

Also: heavy side effects if you overuse a drug.

How could that look like? Well. I lthink of the Drugs mods for Fallout3, with their kind of impact:

[1]

[2]

Also: Why not become addicted if you use some of them too much? Meaning a drain on attributes if you don't get your dosis on time. Shaking hands. Fading view. coughing.

what would that bring to the game? A deepening aspect on healthcare. But also: Junkies.

People that are on drug because of whatever reason. Maybe they had to fight a disease too much, took the wrong pills because they are no skilled medics. maybe just because out of fun for drug effects.

Now these guys would bring a complete new type of characters into the game.

Can you trust that guy begging you for meds? Can you take him with you or will he try to kill u and rob you on the first occasion? maybe u've heard warnings of some completely crazy junkie bandits roaming berenzino.

Or maybe you want yourself to have some little funny trip from time to time. Go out into the woods with ur friend, put the guns aside, take some LSD. Or just alcohol.

Man, am I the only one who thinks that would be fantastic?

edit: regarding concerns that this would make the game illegal in australia:

No need to worry!

Rocket said on Reddit something just about that issue

Steam doesn't requires us to rate or age-restrict our game. It would only be if we went for a retail release, which we won't until consoles, that it would be an issue.

Edited June 26, 2013 by ponc

[mzltv 2281]

I've always wanted to smoke a fat one at the top of Green Mountain, now you mention it...

what a bad place to go for potential paranoia, 'eh?

[joe_mcentire 2074]

please for the love of god!! i want poppies!!

[Muncywolverine 236]

Great idea that i hope is added to the game.

Infact i hope its complicated and based on real life. Medics will have a new way to play and bandits will have something to abuse (Liquid adrenaline for combat?).

[LancerG2 369]

I support. Now I want to be pinmp

[mdmonnik@deakin.edu.au 139]

No I say NO to all of these as the australian classification board would not allow it. Being an MMO, they couldn't simply just take them out for aussies. These will not be added to the game

[ponc 100]

Nope, no need to worry for australian classification board!

Rocket said on Reddit something just about that issue

Steam doesn't requires us to rate or age-restrict our game. It would only be if we went for a retail release, which we won't until consoles, that it would be an issue.

[Farkinob 19]

I would say no. It would make the game too silly if you decided to add in cannabis, LSD, heroine, etc. Just too unrealistic as the effects would be nothing really extravigant, not to mention the legal issues.

I would, however, support the idea of mild stimulants. Caffeine for more energy (but you crash), Nicotine for stress-relief (but you have less stamina), as they would be plentiful after the apocolypse. I don't reckon that you'd come across much illegal narcotics, and even if you did it would be so stupid to just have your screen by hazy.

[Zuulass 45]

i like this idea just not so much illegal stuff. i would like to see a bunch of meds that are legal but would normally need a prescription because some can have the same effect if abused

[DemonGroover 8836]

When did Australia become the land of the pussies?

The ACB is an absolute joke.

[WBK 176]

If the ability to shelve an 8 ball of coke or inject heroin straight into my eyeball is added, I will buy 20 copies of the SA.

But seriously folks, I think with the planned complexity of the food and medicine system in the SA - what with calories and multiple antibiotics for multiple diseases - side effects would be a nice addition. If you're the sort of careless player getting hit by zeds all the time and contracting something, withdrawal symptoms and diluted effects for excessive usage would be a great way to further immersion and also teach people - I don't want to say the 'right' way - how to play sensibly.

Edited June 26, 2013 by WBK

[WBK 176]

When did Australia become the land of the pussies?

The ACB is an absolute joke.

Hey! At least we've always had an 'R' rating. Wait...

[SalamanderAnder (DayZ) 1747]

I think cigarettes, coffee, adrenaline needles, alcohol, (which can be useful mind you) and painkillers especially, are all legitimate drugs that should be in the game. All the way from tylenol to hydrocodone. And I think taking things like hydrocodoe, morphine, adrenaline, and the like, should have an addiction possibility, if you over use them. Of course these items are going to be extremely rare which means abusing them would be hard to do and honestly pretty pointless. But if players choose to do it, they should suffer consequences.

I like the idea of making cigarettes do something like making your aim slightly steadier, at the cost of lowering your stamina, and of course risking addiction.

Coffee should be something like the opposite, it would increase your stamina for a period of time, but make your aim shake a bit.

Alcohol could be used as a painkiller, or as a disenfectant, but of course more than one drink and you'll probably get a little tipsy. (let's not forget that your character is generally malnourished and dehydrated, meaning the effects of alcohol would be pretty strong)

Furthermore, all of these items should tie in to some kind of "comfort" value. Comfort would govern things like, the rate at which you recuperate blood and stamina. A higher Comfort value would cause your characters hunger and thirst to increase more slowly than it generally would. Things like sleeping, eating, drinking, being near a fire, or being indoors, would add to your comfort value, which would sort of naturally degrade at a certain rate. And obviously things like being injured, shot, running for a long time, fighting zombies, being sick, over-eating, under-eating, ect. would decrease your comfort value. This value should not be "known" in any way to players, other than the effects and maybe subtle sound cues or something. (Say you sit down next to a fire and your character kind of *sighs,* just like you probably do when you sit down after a long day in reality) Players would just have to learn different ways to take good care of their character. Say you haven't had a soda in a long time, and you drink one. That would add to your comfort value. Naturally, if you drink like 3 or 4 sodas in a row, that will decrease your character's comfort level beyond the comfort you gained from the first soda. Interacting with other survivors (for example, in the trade menu) and just being around another survivor for an extended period of time >30mins should increase your comfort level significantly, with that (or those) particular player(s).

I think adding fundamental limitations like this to the actual character is really important to changing the PvP dynamic that we all currently sort of float down stream with. If you are forced to take good care of your health and comfort, then trading and teamwork will become much more significant.

Let's take for example a sniper, who smokes tons of cigarettes so that his aim will be steady. Getting addicted to them means that if he stops smoking cigarettes, his comfort level will go way down, as he experiences withdrawals. And of course, withdrawals would be similar to being sick. Your aim would be shaky, your character might move more slowly, your head would be pounding, ect. These effects would make your long-term survival much more difficult.

Edited June 26, 2013 by SalamanderAnder

[liquidcactus 719]

we need drugs in the game man

[TheDesigner 1197]

Kamenka's suicide bridge will turn into the dedicated drum circle for all the damn hippies!

[-Gews- 7443]

Oxycontin!

[ponc 100]

from reddit:

I think it would be a great idea, think about the possibilities: about to go to NWAF? Pump some Methamphetamine to gain stronger peripheral dots or a larger fov, maybe boost the volume of footsteps and gunshots, so simulate meth's awareness boost.

Take PCP to temporarily ignore all body damage, the risk factor being the extremely quick onset of addiction and withdrawal symptoms, having blurred vision, character stumbling, reduced running speed, mumbling to himself...

Maybe Weed or the psychadelics like LSD could increase color saturation, perhaps to compensate for the graying effect you have when you lose blood, in exchange for reduced FOV or the "breathing" type visuals people on LSD get.

Ideally, simulate the drugs as realistically as possible, have the effects come on gradually as they do in real life, not instantly. Have a realistic high length, and realistic pros and cons while on the high, and after it. Make the addiction a serious enough issue that all players don't start using meth and PCP every time they engage by default.

[ponc 100]

-edit-

Edited June 28, 2013 by ponc

[LancerG2 369]

When did Australia become the land of the pussies?

The ACB is an absolute joke.

1. Ever since Steve Irwin died.

2. ACB? You mean ABC for Australian Broadcasting Commission right?

[badluckburt 974]

I think the only drugs we'll be seeing are meds. That Reddit-quote you posted is funny, anyone taking LSD during a zombie apocalypse is almost sure to die and I've yet to smoke weed that will add saturation to colours (I don't think it's just weed he smoked).

As for Rocket's quote from Reddit, I believe Steam restricts the availability of certain (uncensored) titles based on your locale because they still have to adhere to local laws when it comes to that.

[dayz standalone 33]

Magic mushrooms growing in the woods would be cool, or maybe if you drank a load of dirty water and started getting sick(seeing things).Would be funny to see other people running/shooting things that just are not there.

[ponc 100]

yeah, diverse kind of mushrooms, of which some are edible, and some are poisonous o r hallucinogenic.

[10bag 22]

Ganja should be in. Chance of making the user either more relaxed OR more paranoid/anxious.

[SalamanderAnder (DayZ) 1747]

Ganja should be in. Chance of making the user either more relaxed OR more paranoid/anxious.

While I would never diss the holy plant, I just don't think it has any business in the apocalypse. Nobody would have time to grow it, since they'd all be busy surviving the zombies that want to eat their flesh. And anyone who did have some would do the sensible thing and smoke up when shit hit the fan.

[Davy Von Beer 3]

While I would never diss the holy plant, I just don't think it has any business in the apocalypse. Nobody would have time to grow it, since they'd all be busy surviving the zombies that want to eat their flesh. And anyone who did have some would do the sensible thing and smoke up when shit hit the fan.

 

I would grow it...tobacco too, and making my own alcohol :) Zombies,,,dont give a shit :D