Jump to content
MrMorton

New system for broken bones

Recommended Posts

First off, I think the PvE element of this game is nearing a very good "balance" as far as survival goes, and my goal is not to upset this balance and make the game harder or easier.

Personally, one of the most rewarding feelings in the game is making that "oh shit" plan of what the hell you are supposed to do at 1000 blood and no ammo and having it work, and the most gut wrenching deaths are when that plan is so close to working but you end up going under. Broken bones do not have that effect at all.

If you are low in blood, you can still function decently enough to do things that will raise your blood back up. These things are harder to do, but still entirely possible, whether you are in a group or lonewolfing.

However if you break bone, specifically a leg, you are completely unfit to do things to repair your leg, you either have morphine that you got before you broke your leg or you don't. If you don't you are pretty much screwed.

The issue is that morphine is extremely rare outside of highly contested areas, but it has to be, because if morphine was as common as bandages, it would be very overpowered.

Morphine is to broken bones what blood bags are to blood count, but there is no equivalent of bandages for your broken bones.

That is why I propose adding an easy to make "splint." that would fill the role of a lower tier tool against broken limbs.

So here is my idea for how it would work:

-arm/leg splints are made from right clicking on firewood when you have an axe in your inventory

-once a splint is used, a dotted line box appears around the broken limb

-when you have a splint on your leg, you can walk/run like normal, however you move at a far slower speed (thinking like a 0.6 multiplier)

-when your leg is splinted, it will heal SLOOOOWWWLLLYY over time (I am thinking anywhere from 3-4 hours of gameplay as a base)

-the regen rate is based on blood levels, and is extremely dependent on it. For instance if you are at 12000 blood it may take 3 hours, but if you are at 5000 blood it may take 10 hours. This gives players an incentive to continue to search for blood, (or morphine) rather than sit and farm for regen points.

-to combat people farming for regen, hunger and thirst deplete more rapidly than normal (thinking 1.4x faster)

-morphine still will instantly heal all effects of a broken limb, however I am thinking it may be better balanced to make it like blood bags, where it requires another player (I am on the fence about this, but what do you think?)

-breaks to the arm function in the same way, but will be less noticeable as the negative affect is to shooting accuracy I believe (honestly not sure as I have never had a broken arm for a long period of time)

Of course there are multiple balancing issues that would need to be considered including:

-this makes the hatchet by far the most versatile tool in the game, possibly overpowered. Maybe the hunting knife would be a better choice (or a completely new tool)

-it would require fine balancing to make to prevent broken bones from being too easily shrugged off and making morphine still be the holy grail of broken bone recovery without rendering the splint useless and unused

-the game in its current state is pretty much "balanced" imo, so is there even really a need for such a mechanic, especially when the game is gravitating towards group play rather than lonewolfing.

lastly I would like to again point out that it should not make the game "easier" but rather give a soft counter to broken bones as well as a hard counter, the same way blood loss/gain works.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I like this idea, a lot, but I think making and applying a splint should require a second healthy player to treat the injured, as with bloodbags. This would make morphine more valuable for players as they wouldn't always need a buddy, and it would encourage more team play since having a friend to help repair your leg would be a huge advantage.

I think this would perfectly counterbalance the current scarcity of morphine vs number of broken legs, without really making the game easier, the player is just penalized for the broken leg over a longer period of time instead of being put in a crawl for kilometers or wait for your friend type situation.

All in all I think it would give the game more depth.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Sounds interesting.

Also sounds WAY to complicated to code.

Default arma had broken bones so I think it's just being taken advantage of here.

To re-design the medical system may be beyond the mods abilities.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

how about this: Upon getting a broken bone, you go down as normal. Then you can apply a splint (shouldn't be hard to code in a piece of wood over your characters leg), with the splint you can move at a reduced speed of .6. Every so often (say half an hour-hour) you go down as if you broke a leg again (shouldn't be too difficult). every time you recover from this after a short time (5-10 minutes). You can then get back up at a reduced speed of .7, and so on until you get back to full speed and your leg is cured. or you find morphine.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I think just for simplicity, zombies should knock you down more common than they break your limbs right now, so they continue being a threat, but don't force you to go to a hospital and stock up on as much morphine as possible.

I think limb breaks should only be suffered from being shot, hit by a players melee weapon, or falling from a height.

How the hell is a zombie supposed to break a bone with his bare hands anyways?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

How the hell is a zombie supposed to break a bone with his bare hands anyways?

I have a theory here.

The broken bone icon isn't your bone: it's your dick.

Have you seen the zombie hit animation? Half the time they're aiming punches straight at the crotch! They break your dick.

Of course, only a hefty shot of morphine will cure such a debilitating problem.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Too complicated.

Simpler:

combine bandage + wood to create a splint that you can apply to other players.

same effect as morphine

Then I'll have a use for the hundreds of piles of wood and bandages I come across. This also encourages cooperation and keeps morphine valuable as an easier fix.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

A custom skin for a splinted leg might be to much still.

(I think? perhaps a wood piece sort of holstered might work...)

Also zombies already knock down players more easily the lower their blood level.

Setting up a splint system for it would be unnecessary detail to code I think.

Above suggestion might be a possible 2nd morphine idea...

That's about it though. =/

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Too complicated.

Simpler:

combine bandage + wood to create a splint that you can apply to other players.

same effect as morphine

Then I'll have a use for the hundreds of piles of wood and bandages I come across. This also encourages cooperation and keeps morphine valuable as an easier fix.

I like this a lot.

It encourages cooperation' date=' and for the lone wolf, check deer stands and hospitals and [i']always try to have 1 morphine on you.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I definitely think splinting your leg should require a second person, and I don't think a skin with the splint visible is entirely necessary, just change the speed at which the player moves. Lasts a couple hours.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

There's a very similar thread below. Broken bones with no morphine are obviously annoying.

Since morphine is just a very strong, fast acting painkiller. Would it not be easier (from a dev pov) and for everyone else involved if you could just consume a box of painkillers that would give you the ability to WALK ONLY for 20-25 minutes. After which time, you can't take the pain no more, and fall to a crawl. Either having to have found morphine for the Fix, or more painkillers (which are FAR easier to find - hence the WALK ONLY temp fix)

What do you think? it would require less work to implement i feel. and give a similar fix. Although not with the regen over time.


As mentioned while i was typing, the splint (without the skin) should act just the same as taking the morphine, which would as stated encourage more team play.

Only able to be administered by a fellow player.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I like the idea but i think you should be able to apply a splint to yourself maybe it takes longer to apply and is only say 25% as effective

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now

×