Spice: Realism vs Playability

[Delirium]

because magick

[Riev]

All hope for the original topic has been lost.


Is spice, really, just an RP tool that happens to have coded consequences? Granted, the 75 PCs that are around at any given time are OFTEN not the norm, but what would it take for a PC to be addicted to spice? Is making the effects of warspice last longer a good move, to make more people want it? Are the effects that one gains even worth the sniff?

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

Spice has it's place. It certainly has reasons for use, even from a coded standpoint, and it has reasons for not being used.

[Suhuy]

Trying not to spoil anything but, having played a true addict, it feels to me like the part between when you become addicted and when your addiction becomes unplayable is relatively very short.

Sad, but true. And anyone trying to contest against this statement is simply in denial of the cold hard evidence.

However, when we consider that actual dosage amounts (of both spice and alcohol) are not specific, we can then allow our characters some playable wiggle room within the code. For example, some wineglasses, teacups and mugs in game only allow our characters to "drink" from them once before they are completely empty. This should not mean Zalanthan drinking containters are all the equivalent of shot glasses in real world terms. It means you can RP drinking several times and then when reality would bring it to an empty state you apply the drink command.

And the same could be said of a roll of spice. If it takes two, three, or even four puffs only before the entire thing is gone, then reality dictates you're allowed to RP it lasting a bit longer than that. Ingest spice at the same speed a real world addict ingests their own drug of choice and you'll see just how quickly it is before you need to make a new character. If this is meant to reflect the reality of the situation then the word 'addict' in Sirihish should equate to the English phrase "will die some time this week". Fortunately, taking two or three drags from a cigarette are not enough to burn the entire substance to nothing -- unless you're letting it burn untouched half the time it's lit -- so we shouldn't interpret the code in exact terms. For those biblical literalists out there who cannot think outside the box and need laws, policies, and in Arm's case the code to speak for them, they should now be expected to RP that their mugs of ale are the size of thimbles

[valeria]

I just feel the need to add on the insect thing: I was being tongue-in-cheek. 

As for roleplaying spice lasting longer, I think that's fine.  But the unplayable part I was talking about was when you start taking hits to states, as have been talked about before in this thread.  In terms of caffeine addiction, I mostly go on my merry way having a cup of coffee in the morning.  If I miss that cup of coffee, I get a headache and then usually have a soda or something in the afternoon so that I'm not shuffling through the rest of my day with a headache.  In my admittedly limited experience, my spice addict treated spice addiction like that and spiraled downward very very fast.

Yes, spice isn't like coffee.  But I've known other addicts (heroin with a friend, and a LOT of meth and cocaine through where I volunteer) who have gone into downward-spiraling addiction cycles like certain spices present.  A spice addict who treats their spice addiction like I treat my coffee addiction is not going to last years.  And that's really the only part that bothers me.

[Harmless]

War spice should have more tangible effects on your ability to fight. For example, if you smoke enough of a certain type, you become hyper-aware and don't take penalties for fighting multiple opponents. Do you know how many people would actually want to buy spice if it let you do stuff like that?

Just storing Metekillot's comment from RAT in this thread

[RogueGunslinger]

I like the idea of spices that do neat things. We have spices for stats, what about for skills?

Smoke some awareness spice and your scan skill goes up.

Smoke some precision spice and you land more hits than usual.


Seems a little bit... gamey though.

[Harmless]

Magickers have a ton of spells and abilities that are very gamey, why should spice be any different?

[RogueGunslinger]

Realism. Magick is magick. I guess spice can be magick too, but how far do you really want to push it, you know?

[MeTekillot]

I'mnnot talking +5 tohit. I'm saying actual special effects. Along withthe usual stat buffs.

[Reiloth]

Idea'd this in game, but it'd be cool to have help files on spice habits and addiction/withdrawal.

Do people typically smoke a certain type of spice in certain areas? I imagine Thodeliv is harder to come across in places like the Labyrinth of Allanak and the Warrens of Tuluk. Do they prefer unrefined spice or refined spice in poor places?

I think currently the Screaming Mantis sells refined spice -- It might make more sense for them to only distribute unrefined, crappy grains (especially if people have to smoke more of it to get high, because that will probably get them addicted ALA crack).

As posted by the OP -- You are kind of not addicted to spice, and then you are. It might be cool if there was a lead up of withdrawal symptoms, or indications that you are getting hooked -- Echoes to the PC at first, but then visible hemote ticks that follow them around (Soandso twitches faintly.)

I actually love the addiction code, but it could be a little more nuanced.

[RogueGunslinger]

When you're full blown addicted you should be getting feel echo's every in-game hour, reminding you of your craving until you smoke again. Mix them up so they don't get repetitive.

[Reiloth]

When you're full blown addicted you should be getting feel echo's every in-game hour, reminding you of your craving until you smoke again. Mix them up so they don't get repetitive.

There's definitely reminders, but they're somewhat misleading -- Similar echoes to coming down off spice, but they fire off more frequently. It'd be cool if they were a different echo entirely, really driving home that you are addicted. Something like "Your body is racked with aches and pains, as you crave <insert spice>". Something better written than that, obviously.

[MeTekillot]

Aggross making you regen hp in combat, damage is 3/4 because the pain is dulled

[nauta]

I think the spice echoes should tell you / imply that the effect endures (rather than being merely episodic).

[Fujikoma]

Aggross making you regen hp in combat, damage is 3/4 because the pain is dulled

Dong can now be etwo'd as bludgeoning weapon.

[KankWhisperer]

Spice needs to wear off when you are not logged in the same manner as alcohol.

[Barsook]

Spice needs to wear off when you are not logged in the same manner as alcohol.

+1 for the realism!

[Reiloth]

Definitely yes.

[KankWhisperer]

I think that's how low playtime players get screwed. They can take a puff weeks apart in game, and it keeps stacking up as if they are constantly smoking. Meanwhile high play time spicer uses five times as much but the time in between it has a chance to wear off and makes it much harder to get addicted. That's my theory anyway.

[BadSkeelz]

Spice needs to wear off when you are not logged in the same manner as alcohol.

[Delirium]

You could say the exact same thing about alcohol.

I'd like to be able to make that choice (whether my character is smoking while offline) and reflect it through in-game play rather than be forced into using that as an excuse for my character still being hopped on Krelez after that party three weeks ago.

[Saellyn]

[Molten Heart]

You could say the exact same thing about alcohol.

I'd like to be able to make that choice (whether my character is smoking while offline) and reflect it through in-game play rather than be forced into using that as an excuse for my character still being hopped on Krelez after that party three weeks ago.

Could say the same thing abour making a living.  I'mm okay with my characters working in their offline time as long as they don't spend it all.  I did write up the character description and background, I should at least get a cut of their profits!

But I'm with you on the spice.

[KankWhisperer]

True. But you never get pickpocketed while offline. You never get killed fighting gith/spiders/kryl offline. You never do lots of things you normally do unless you choose to say you did while offline. Why is spice different?