Paul Cunningham and I were recently "discussing" being drunk ("Pictures of YOU", GDNet Lounge). Paul mentioned something about going down to a tavern and getting hammered (in RPGs, but who knows what he does in real life? ). That got me thinking. How come, when you go to a tavern and drink, you don't suffer side effects? I mean, when you fight and use magic while you're hammered it probably should either not work or you cast a fireball on yourself ("confuse" spell in Final Fantasy). Or how about drugs in games? I remember a game called Exile III, where there was a drug that would give you increased strength, but when you got addicted to it, not having it would weaken you. Anyway, I know you guys will maul my ideas, so go ahead and post responses... () - DarkMage139 ++++++++++++++++ "Shut up and give me the freakin code" -unknown "Ask and you will be shot" -snes16bit "Not again!" -SHilbert (upon being assimilated) "Nazrix is cool." - Nazrix "You've only seen the beginning" -The Dark Lord of RPGs "I'm gonna go get high on Squaresoft games" - ILoveNataliePortman Edited by - DarkMage139 on 9/22/00 7:29:23 AM

Actually as i recall, there was a time when alcohol was used as currency. So it makes sence to have most characters in a medieval themed rpg keen on the ole ale and spirits. You could build quite a unique money system around this where the characters consume their own money from time to time and the player has to deal with it.

You''ve got to remember that alcohol wasn''t seen as a bad thing in these days and if the game was to promote this feel it would give a lot to the medieval theme of the game. It''s really quite surprising that this hasn''t become a standard part of rpg''s.

I love Game Design and it loves me back.

Our Goal is "Fun"!

In most heroic-fantasy books I have read, taverns and inns were important place. You can hear stories, gather news and meet eventual employers. Most characters are travellers and are looking for an inn to avoid spending more nights on the trail. Perhaps you could use moral. Whenever the character spend some time in an inn, the hot meal and drinks could lift its spirit, whereas camping in the wilderness would depress him... This moral thing would play whenever the character meet someone.
eg. "You look really low, you should rest here some time"

Sorry, that post was from me ...

quote:
Or how about drugs in games? I remember a game called Exile III, where there was a drug that would give you increased strength, but when you got addicted to it, not having it would weaken you.

I don''t know about Exile, but remember Fallout 1 & 2? There was something very much like that. Instead of those standard +1 Str temporary, no risk stuff you find in most RPGs they had many different drugs. Some raised your int, others your dex or strength or your speed. But they could make you addicted in which case they decreased some attributes for some time (or in case of Jet in Fallout 2, vor quite a LONG time). Not only that, but in your character design you could choose between normal, longer drug effect but increased chance to get addicted and shorter drug effect but much less likely to get addicted.

It''s nice to know that i''m not the only drunk in the crowd I guess this is where we start to make games for a more mature audience At last!!!!!

I love Game Design and it loves me back.

Our Goal is "Fun"!

in a fantasy setting, though, you must keep in mind that their techniques for making alcahol probably aren''t as efficient as nowadays, so it would probably be harder to get hammered. (unless, of course, they hire mages to do it for them)

yeah i remember fallout. that was a fun game until i started cheating, then it got monotonous. anyhow...

I think if you really want to understand the problem, you''d need to have a bit more experience with pubs in general. Pubs are not a place where you come to become alcoholic, there are a place where you "socialize" with others. I am talking from experience here, since I have been living in the north of Ireland for the last two years, and believe me, when it''s raining and winding all *year* long, when there are no real place to go to play, walk, or do anything constructive, it''s always nice to go out and meet people, get a life if you will ... and in Ireland (and probably in the past as well ), all this happen to the pub.

It''s funny to see that one of the oldest way I know to start a scenario in an RPG is "You are sitting at your usual table, drinking with your friends, when ..."
It''s already there, and yet, it doesnt really seem to be used in games that much ?
The problem of alcoholism, and drugs in general, is not the point here, it''s about socializing, having an excuse to talk to your neighbour, to someone you don''t know.
It''s funny when you think of all those chatrooms, of the IRC, of all those people who play games together, chat and all, but wouldn''t be able to start a conversation with someone while sitting in a waiting room
I mean, do you really see people talking to each other that easily when they don''t know each other ? I think by forgetting those basic difficulties encountered in RealLife(tm), online players don''t understand the role of the Tavern (or any other social place).

This is probably the reason that all the devices we use to ease the social contacts in RealLife become meaningless online...

It''s quite funny to see that the basic roleplaying, that would be to actually not talk that easily to any stranger, is totally non existent.

Well, some thoughts based on my experience
Personally, I love going to the pub, for a pint with the lads, or 5, more realistically And I wouldn''t exchange that with meeting people online ... there is something about physical presence that we''ll just never get in games

youpla :-P

If you had to many beers in Ultima 6 you couldn''t walk straight and the character went *hick* *hick* all the bloody time

"Paranoia is the belief in a hidden order behind the visible." - Anonymous

In Everquest, the screen gets all messed up and swirling when you get druink. You sway back and forth and cast cast spells at all. You can''t really fight well either.


"'Nazrix is cool' -- Nazrix" --Darkmage