Drugs

[Jojobobo]

So as a disclaimer, this thread should be bereft of real life opinions on drugs as that can be a touchy subject; it should only feature how much potential you think they have to make the game more interesting/fun/whatever. Drugs have always been common in the Fallout series, so would you like drugs to feature in P:E?

 

I would. I'd like them to be craftable now that a crafting system has been attained. I also think maybe becoming a drug dealer in game might be fun, with visits from regular clients whose lives you're ruining. Addiction (both for the player, his companions and NPCs) has lots of potential for good story material and also interesting mechanics to enforce withdrawal (I'd like to see one that actually shows addiction is taking an emotional toll on the character, or maybe have unique quests/dialog only open to drug addicts). Plus (that I'm aware of) no fantasy game has ever done drugs in detail, despite fantasy settings having limitless options of weird and wonderful things they could cook up. With P:E being an M rated game, they could really make a good job of featuring drugs.

 

So basically, I want drugs!

 

Edit: Shucks, I meant to post this in general discussion. If a moderator could move it that would be great.

Edited October 8, 2012 by Jojobobo

[rjshae]

Unprocessed drugs in the sense of Belladonna, Mandrake, Wormwood, and certain mushrooms? Sure, why not? Every culture has its socially acceptable and socially unacceptable mind-altering substances. The Elves probably have some really freaky herbs that provide enhanced metaphysical experiences. Dwarves maybe have a few special brews using underground fungi toxins that make their beards extra curly.

[Jojobobo]

I'd like unprocessed and processed - processed made through crafting. Also, as your player is being exposed to several cultures (some of which may not interact with each other well), they could combine unprocessed drugs from several cultures in unique and interesting ways. Or not - you know, just a thought.

Edited October 8, 2012 by Jojobobo

[Tigranes]

Why not, if it's not just a crude "addicts vs drug dealer" kind of thing.

[diablo169]

I dont really mind either way but I suppose it could make for "mature" storylines

[Lord Balgeron]

They better have Viagra as well. I am going to try and play an old guy, since in every other RPG i am 'youngster'.

[SirMonkeyMonk]

Oh can we have caffeine and alcohol as well? I think all RPGs have drugs (potions?), just not the negative side effects.

 

Too be honest I don't think drugs have the same appeal or creeping effect they have in real life. In computer games you're too aware that your character is becoming addicted, there's no denial phase. Sure you can RP it, but let's be honest it's not the same. Of course there are ways to make it more interesting, like adding side effects to every potion, without mentioning it... at first.

 

It would interesting if dialog options would become limited after drinking healing potions, because of a side effect that it makes you more aggressive. Usually it doesn't matter, but to those prisoners you released after the battle get a weird impression of you for example.

[Labadal]

If slavery is in, I'd like to see drugs. Why? Slaves are drugged to work more hours. They get to much drugs, leading to them getting addicted. They then need more drugs to keep on working. Or something like that. It would be an interesting theme.

[rjshae]

They better have Viagra as well. I am going to try and play an old guy, since in every other RPG i am 'youngster'.

 

It's a blend of troll juice with glands from that land octopus thingie, rendered into a greasy substance then imbibed with a platter of raw oysters. You'll likely also need the counteractant, or else some new armor.

[Osvir]

This post made me make this thread.

http://forums.obsidi...personal-house/

 

Would you get your own garden? Could you get a secret garden? xD

I can totally see it, but I think it all should be attained.

 

Kind of Harvest Moon-ish in a sense. You'd have to buy that Alchemy Set, it wouldn't magically be there the second you buy the house (I don't remember where I've seen it but in some game I buy a house and everything I need to craft with comes with the house free of charge).

 

EDIT: What rhymes with drugs? Hugs!

http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/61181-hugs/ <3

Edited October 8, 2012 by Osvir

[Wirdjos]

Unprocessed drugs in the sense of Belladonna, Mandrake, Wormwood, and certain mushrooms? Sure, why not? Every culture has its socially acceptable and socially unacceptable mind-altering substances. The Elves probably have some really freaky herbs that provide enhanced metaphysical experiences. Dwarves maybe have a few special brews using underground fungi toxins that make their beards extra curly.

If slavery is in, I'd like to see drugs. Why? Slaves are drugged to work more hours. They get to much drugs, leading to them getting addicted. They then need more drugs to keep on working. Or something like that. It would be an interesting theme.

 

Reasons like these are the only sort of reasons I would like to see drugs in P:E (excluding alcohol, do what ever you what with that) . I'm not interested in any emphasis on drug use, the evils or otherwise. If any sort of drug is introduced it should be to highlight a culture or add extra oomph to IMO more interesting topics like slavery. Addiction effects added to potion use is interesting, but probably a little beyond the scope of this game. I feel like you'd have to devote story around the mechanic to make it worth while and I'm just not sure P:E's the place to do that.

[Leferd]

Let's make all health potions highly addictive.

 

It makes sense...for one thing, I imagine they are effective at numbing pain...they give you bursts of renewed energy, and they make you feel good.

 

Take a page out of Fallout, like the super stimpacks.

[Jaesun]

If they could find an interesting unique way to bring them into the setting, sure. I don't really care though.

[Osvir]

Let's make all health potions highly addictive.

 

It makes sense...for one thing, I imagine they are effective at numbing pain...they give you bursts of renewed energy, and they make you feel good.

 

Take a page out of Fallout, like the super stimpacks.

 

Cool! Highly addictive and/or giving some sort of effect. A double-edged sword kind of thing, "Sure you get 5 hitpoints, BUT..."

 

EDIT: How common was/is the drugs of the Era? 1400-1500's right? Was there any drugs that we don't have today (I'm sure they were experimental too). Any drugs that had worse effects back then, compared to today? Was anything better back then? etc. etc.

Edited October 8, 2012 by Osvir

[rjshae]

Reasons like these are the only sort of reasons I would like to see drugs in P:E (excluding alcohol, do what ever you what with that) . I'm not interested in any emphasis on drug use, the evils or otherwise. If any sort of drug is introduced it should be to highlight a culture or add extra oomph to IMO more interesting topics like slavery. Addiction effects added to potion use is interesting, but probably a little beyond the scope of this game. I feel like you'd have to devote story around the mechanic to make it worth while and I'm just not sure P:E's the place to do that.

 

Yes. Something like the way that Skooma is portrayed in Oblivion would be good. Recreational drugs often do have negative consequences, and that can form an element of the in-game culture that realistically drives crime, smuggling, and societal decay. But they can also form a strong social bonding agent.

[Jojobobo]

I like Leferd's idea, it's an easy way to balance spamming health potions especially if the withdrawal symptoms are harsh.

[Amentep]

I don't really care.

 

But I also can't think of a game that had drugs in it that was benefited at all by having drugs in it*. There are somethings that I think to do *right* need a lot more time and game development than others, and drugs to me is one of them. I just don't think the amount of time it'd take to do it right is worth it over other things.

 

*Most often drugs come down to there being very little in-game reason to use them; there are usually alternative ways to get what you want without risking addiction so any "penalty" would most likely prevent the average player ever taking them, thus no reason to include them.

[Jojobobo]

I think FO:NV tackled drugs nicely, it had some quests dealing with the life destroying ramifications of addiction and plus the fact all the drugs featured in game were actually useful for one thing or another. I don't think I made a single character that didn't use drugs in that game, addiction be damned! Still I would have liked it more if they had included social ramifications to the PC becoming addicted.

 

I guess they could have addiction being a lot more severe in a fantasy setting, as there would be no easy way to get clean unless they wanted to let you use magic to do so (can't just pop a fixer or see a doctor like in FO:NV). That being said, I wouldn't want drugs in the game if they would eat up too much of the devs time to make workable or just to produce compelling storylines from.

[Amentep]

Alternatively, I've never made a character in FO:NV who used drugs (or probably more appropriately stuck with the non-addicting drugs with rare use of the necessary low-chance addiction drugs (because something in the back of my head is thinking RadAway was potentially addictive in Fallout 1 & 2 (or am I flipping Rad-X and RadAway (how many nested parenthetical comments can I make?))) There was never any *real* reason to use them, IMO, and the (potential) drawbacks far outweighed the uses (considering that there were easily available alternatives for the player). Superstimpaks are a great example, IIRC they sell more than a regular Stimpak so it makes more sense to collect and sell them and buy stimpaks and medical kits instead of using them.

 

TES games have had Skooma but other than having the bizarre approach that NPCs can see that I'm carrying it and not do business with me (ffs, am I carrying the illegal substance around my neck or something?) There was never a reason to use it, no real benefit.

 

Partially the problem with translating drugs (IMO) is that our modern perception of drugs tends to be for recreational purposes and RPG games tend to be light on gameplay that involves that (going to an inn, having dinner and some mead, going to a bar and drinking and actually talking - all these things are usually abstracted and talking with NPCs doesn't require one to imbibe). The other is that other uses of drugs - mind expansion, vision quests etc - aren't really useful when there's usually a magic spell that could do the same thing.

 

Now I do think its possible that you could create a system in which drugs could end up supported intelligently in the game in which there is a really solid utility for the player to use drugs and a defined context for what would be "good" and "bad" drugs or drug use. But I'd think it'd be resource intensive to integrate the elements in the gameplay but balance it against the player who may want to play a character who never uses those options.

Edited October 8, 2012 by Amentep

[DocDoomII]

Don't care, never used Skooma or Buffout.

[Jojobobo]

Now I do think its possible that you could create a system in which drugs could end up supported intelligently in the game in which there is a really solid utility for the player to use drugs and a defined context for what would be "good" and "bad" drugs or drug use. But I'd think it'd be resource intensive to integrate the elements in the gameplay but balance it against the player who may want to play a character who never uses those options.

That's true, but the same could probably be said for a lot of game features that some people will use fervently and others will pass over completely. I suppose determing whether enough people want a certain feature is key.

[Amentep]

True, I'm not disputing what you say; it could help flesh out the setting as well.

 

But I also see a lot of pitfalls for it as well.

[Aedelric]

Drugs are fine to include in mature games, so long as their are uses for it and visible consequences including companion opinions.

 

How about ground up fairy bones?

[Godwin]

[Haerski]

Yes, and lots of sex and prostitution, alcohol, child abuse, slavery, natural disasters, starvation, mass murder, genocide and... brr.. piracy and copyright infringements.

 

But seriously as I said in some other thread I don't think these dark fantasy clichés have any absolute value. If they think drugs add something to the game and they can deal with them in interesting ways then I'm in, but I'm not asking them to include them just for sake of it. In The Elder Scrolls for example they are basically just stamina potions, but I think they should have more substance to them like OP described, possible addictions, storylines, etc.

Edited October 8, 2012 by Haerski