Changes to Spice

[Mazy]

Sooo:

04/02/2016
        Spice prices lowered, with consideration to effect and player usage
        --Nergal

Time to discuss a bit. Would our characters realize that spice suddenly costs less or is it a coded OOC shift for gameplay reasons?

I want to add that I've seen a huge increase in the number of players using spice over the past year, and I applaud this. Narcotics add a lot to roleplay. Maybe we're going to start seeing a lot more addicts now, and I can picture the War on Drugs starting in a certain southern city state.

[Barsook]

Where is this said?

[Mazy]

Where is this said?

This is mentioned in the news feed on the front page (http://www.armageddon.org/) on the right.

[Barsook]

I see and thanks.

[Nergal]

It's an IC change you can find out about IC (rumors are being posted in relevant places). It is, however, inspired by the OOC need to have the "spice economy" work in certain ways that it previously wasn't.

[fourTwenty]

Am I still not allowed to ask for a dime bag? What about a twinny-twin-twin, niggah!?

[Riev]

Am I still not allowed to ask for a dime bag? What about a twinny-twin-twin, niggah!?

I've often felt that selling "by the pinch" is kind of like selling bags. Only it comes in little packets that, in my mind, you rip up and snort.

Anything bigger than a pinch is like getting an ounce that you gotta break apart before you use.

[The Silence of the Erdlus]

There should be a helpfile in how likely the different spices are to cause addiction and such, cause I know one kind doesn't even have withdrawal echoes and a lot of people consider spice to be a last-step-to-hell kind of thing.

[nauta]

It's an IC change you can find out about IC (rumors are being posted in relevant places). It is, however, inspired by the OOC need to have the "spice economy" work in certain ways that it previously wasn't.

Awesome change.

Just FYI, there's one clan / outpost that sells spice (it's not Kurac!) for which there's no explanation for the price drop IC.

(And if you are tinkering with spice, my wishlist item is that you'd get a lot more puffs off a tube, so you can use it a little easier as an RP prop.  Going into war: snort that shit!  Relaxing at the bar: cut it with pech grass and puff away for an hour.)

[Beethoven]

(And if you are tinkering with spice, my wishlist item is that you'd get a lot more puffs off a tube, so you can use it a little easier as an RP prop.  Going into war: snort that shit!  Relaxing at the bar: cut it with pech grass and puff away for an hour.)

I often emote taking smaller drags and puffs in-between taking coded hits.

[nauta]

(And if you are tinkering with spice, my wishlist item is that you'd get a lot more puffs off a tube, so you can use it a little easier as an RP prop.  Going into war: snort that shit!  Relaxing at the bar: cut it with pech grass and puff away for an hour.)

I often emote taking smaller drags and puffs in-between taking coded hits.

Confession time: I'd sometimes just emote the whole tube because I was too poor or didn't want to interrupt an RP scene to go buy spice.

[fourTwenty]

cut it with pech grass

I hate you

[IAmJacksOpinion]

This change is good! The spice economy has always been insanely out of whack with reality. Kurac buys it for 2 sid a grain and sells it for 250? Yeah, about that...

[Evilone]

My Kuraci Agent got soooo rich just off spice, and I could laugh at my Salarri friend with how much he was earning.

[Pale Horse]

This change is good! The spice economy has always been insanely out of whack with reality. Kurac buys it for 2 sid a grain and sells it for 250? Yeah, about that...

Monopolies, baby.  They can do what they want.

Think of the price of razor blades, in real life.  Cheap as all get out to make, but seriously?  $20 for a pack of four that wear out in a week or two?

[Asmoth]

This change is good! The spice economy has always been insanely out of whack with reality. Kurac buys it for 2 sid a grain and sells it for 250? Yeah, about that...

Supposedly they "purify" it through some secret means.

[Pale Horse]

This change is good! The spice economy has always been insanely out of whack with reality. Kurac buys it for 2 sid a grain and sells it for 250? Yeah, about that...

Supposedly they "purify" it through some secret means.

Bet it's like Civet Coffee.

[Riev]

I've always found the lack-of-attraction to spice to be more about the relatively underwhelming effects and the lack of people's desire to buy what essentially is an RP prop.

Without going into what they all do, the benefits of some are pretty amazing, but they aren't going to turn the tide in a fight unless you're evenly matched already and just need a little boost.

Add in the fact that EVERYONE believes it only takes one hit to be harshly addicted like this is crack-cocaine, and it was always sort of... meh.



I mean, if you could take a hit of something, and suddenly you're legit roided out and ready to battle a mul and NOT look like the Clumsy Runner sparring a Lieutenant? That'd be worth paying for.

[IAmJacksOpinion]

Wouldn't even call it a monopoly. Last time I played in Tuluk, I found a grebber who would sift it and bring to all the way north for me for like... 25 sid a grain. (Provided I was buying in bulk. Like 20-50 grains a trip at least.) Hell, there are non-Kuraci NPC merchants in the game that sell it for even less than 25.  Granted there are types of spice that only Kurac has. Still, price has always been horrible.

[IAmJacksOpinion]

I've always found the lack-of-attraction to spice to be more about the relatively underwhelming effects and the lack of people's desire to buy what essentially is an RP prop.

Yeah, it's mostly RP prop. I've always found Thodeliv to be the most popular for that reason. I will say that the effects stack with no evident cap. So if you want to snort 20 grains of war spice and become the incredible hulk you can do that. I've had a complete junky character that rolled around on 10 grains or so at all times. Not because it was codedly advantageous so much as because when I came down I was essentially stuck to the floor for lack of strength and endurance...

Add in the fact that EVERYONE believes it only takes one hit to be harshly addicted like this is crack-cocaine, and it was always sort of... meh.

And that makes this all the more ridiculous. I've had characters consume hundreds of grains inside of like 2-3 days played and never once been addicted. Honestly, the spice addiction code should probably be more common but less devastating.

[Riev]

Grains are the seeds and stems of the spice world anyway, but yeah I agree. I've seen the addiction code run the gamut, but its almost never been a thing. Nothing stopping someone from buying a full knot of warspice, and just inhaling the whole damned thing for some Byn Spider-Outing. Just expensive, and I'd think most people don't consider the effects all that worthwhile. I've always loved the IDEA of being a Bynner that snorts up before sparring every day, but the cost was always prohibitive, the acquisition unlikely, and the effects mediocre.

I'd love, just once, for someone to sell me some spice that literally has me roflstomp the best ringfighter in my clan, just to emote going super saiyajin

[RogueGunslinger]

God I'd love to see that. Get a mild beating in the ring. Guy talks some shit or acts smug. "Know what? I'm going to have bones look at this bruise. Be right back." Run off to snort a shitload of spice and come back all jerky, hyper and angry. Smash heads. Melt into a useless puddle during the come down in middle of chores.

[Riev]

God I'd love to see that. Get a mild beating in the ring. Guy talks some shit or acts smug. "Know what? I'm going to have bones look at this bruise. Be right back." Run off to snort a shitload of spice and come back all jerky, hyper and angry. Smash heads. Melt into a useless puddle during the come down in middle of chores.

This is EXACTLY what I wish spice was like. Sure, you'd spend a few small on it or something, but you'd crush that idiot. Someone wants your crew to go fight a silt horror? Everyone passes around a pipe of spice to get pumped up.

[Delirium]

Um...just use more. Or get the really good stuff.

Then roleplay appropriately.

[MeTekillot]

I think there's a cap, I just think it's the racial cap on whatever it is you're blowing up with spice.