Inhaler slots

[AgentTBC]

I'm having a blast with the game so far (though I think despite the impression you'd get from reading forums it's significantly too easy even on Supernova once you're past level 4-5) but one thing keeps bugging me:  is there some advantage I'm not seeing to unlocking the inhaler slots by boosting medical skill rather than using those points elsewhere?   All that does is save you half a second of going into your inventory to use a consumable... and not even that if you don't happen to have the right consumables for the situation slotted.  Isn't it just as quick and easy to directly use the consumable you want out of your inventory rather than dragging it into the inhaler and then using that?

I feel like the multi-drug inhaler is a great idea but doesn't actually do anything so long as you can just use the stuff directly. 

Unless as I said there's some advantage I'm missing to using the inhaler rather than just popping the food/drink/pills into your mouth from your inventory?

[uuuhhii]

medical are pretty useless as skill checks go

only remember one require above 50 medical

[algroth]

My understanding is that by using the inhaler you're consuming one of each slot you're using at once. So you can mix up different buffs and properties and the likes through it, or merely make buffing faster and more efficient.

[AgentTBC]

Right, but instead of mixing buffs by dragging them to the inhaler and then using it, you can just directly use the buffs in the first place rather than drag them.  I just don't see how you gain anything... it's an extra step for no particular benefit.

[Wormerine]

Yup. Wasted points for moi.

[AgentTBC]

Seems to me the easiest way to make it worthwhile would be to allow only one food/drug buff to be active at a time and if you use another, it kinda overwrites the old one.  So the inhaler would be useful in allowing you to stack bonuses into a single buff in a way which would be impossible to achieve otherwise.

[Ommamar]

If you can just preload buffs to combine with a heal at the push of a button it is less immersive breaking then going into the inventory scrolling through the listed consumables to find a 15 second buff.  The only build I am maxing for medical is one I had pictured in my head, with the quickness of combat most will only need 2 slots to utilize it effectively which I think you get at level 40.  I like the idea of consumables but it would of been even cooler if you could use a lab item or even the work bench to combine different consumables for the different effects.  Have it tied into science to allow the max number you could mix.

[thelee]

2 hours ago, AgentTBC said:

All that does is save you half a second of going into your inventory to use a consumable... and not even that if you don't happen to have the right consumables for the situation slotted.  Is

The game seems to imply that stuff that goes into your inhaler have durations that are altered by the medicine skill. It might be the best way to make use of those extremely short Spacer's Choice 15s versions of consumables.

Also, I unlocked some slots because putting consumable types into the spare inhaler slots amounted to my version of inventory management.

Also in terms of "right consumable" the way I get a handle on it is that the only consumable I really care about the "right situation" are the +10 armor rating ones or -50% hostile effect duration ones, and I consider everything else as generalized combat buffs that improve me somehow. so I slot booze and/or cigarettes and/or food for general use and only pop open the inventory if I need the others.

[AgentTBC]

Interesting, I will test if the inhaler buff durations are longer than if you pop them directly from inventory.  That would indeed make a difference, although Adreno or whatever its called is so plentiful the extra slots would just be to save you the hassle of taking them one at a time more than an actual advantage.  I think I have like 200 at this point, without ever buying any.

[AgentTBC]

You're right, you get bonus duration to the effect on buffs you get through the inhaler!

On the other hand, we're talking a couple of seconds on the short buffs so not exactly something to throw a ton of points at.  Also, there's something wonky with the buff extension... it doesn't seem to exactly match what the skill screen says it should.  And the amount it doesn't match by is not consistent.  Like with 64 Medical the screen says it should be about a +34% extension which is nice and convenient since its almost exactly 1/3.  However the extension was only 2 seconds on the 15 second buffs which is like 13%.  It was 6 seconds on the 30 second buffs with is 20%.  And it was 30 seconds on the 2 minute buffs which is 25%.  So in all cases the extension was less than it should have been, and was negligible for the shortest buffs.  (2 seconds, really?)

Weird.

[AgentTBC]

Look at me putting 50 points into medic skill for a 2 second buff extension wheeeeeeeee

[thearmourofGod]

as a guy who despises games allowing gamers to pause the game and go into their menus during combat, i absolutely love it!

the option to go into your menu is still there, but, for immersive gamers like myself, the in-game MECHANIC is much welcomed.