Potion sickness

[S'rrt]

Uh oh, here comes PO S'rrt to ruin everyone's fun again!!! I tried to look for this proposal but couldn't find it.

This would be similar to my teleportation cooldown proposal: drink X amount of potions in Y time and you won't be able to drink more for Z amount of time. The Z here should be fairly long, because potion sickness should be something that people try to be aware of in order to administer their potion intake more closely. For example, should I drink a ruby potion to enhance my attributes and then drink one or two health potion later, or plan on drinking up to three health potions when the need arises?

You may have already guessed that the major reason for this proposal is to inject some amount of sense into PvP. Ask yourselves this: who's the strongest in battle? The one with the most gems? The one with the best combination of attributes? The one with the most ingenious glyphs? All of the above? WRONG! It's the one with the most health potions in their bag.

Sure, health potions are needed in PvE events, where player characters are fighting against massive amounts of NPCs, especially the really dangerous ones. That's not where the chugging happens though, it's PvP, where it becomes not only tedious but also a sad waste of time and potions. Fight for less than a minute, chug, fight, chug, fight, chug. Whenever I get the opportunity, I try to convince another character IC to NOT use potions to show some semblance of honor, but it hardly ever works.

I sincerely believe that this proposal would simplify and shorten PvP encounters considerably. Since everyone has to worry about the same sickness, everyone would be using roughly the same amount of potions in a fight, so nothing would really change apart from the time spent in a fight. As a bonus, this could open up the possibility that characters with actual strengths (aforementioned gems, attributes, glyphs) would truly be the more capable combatants, since they could wait just that little bit longer before drinking the next potion, extending their survival in a fight.

[Jupiter]

We already have a cooldown for healing potions. I don't really like adding an other cooldown like described in this proposal. Having two versions of cooldown seems to make things more complicated than anything else. I'd rather just prolong the existing cooldown for healing potions.

HOWEVER, considering the fact that we already have a cooldown for potions, I am not convinced that potions are the actual issue in battles. There are other things which are clearly broken and need to be fixed (e.g. gems in armour). I would prefer to change those things first, and see what the results will be before putting more restrictions on potions.

[S'rrt]

This is the first I learn of a cooldown for healing potions. Ignore my proposal then I guess How does it function?

[Bidukan]

Man, you basically want your char to pwn everybody? You don't want others to run, you don't want others to heal? Pfft.

[Jupiter]

It's quite simple: If you drink a healing potion, there is a cooldown of 35 seconds before you can drink an other one.

Pink potions can have instant effects and effects over time. The over time effects last for 35 seconds, just like the potion's cooldown. So you can have constant healing if you drink an other potion with effects over time as soon as the former one's effects end.

The cooldown is mostly in place to prevent the instant effects to be useable one after the other. That's why the over time effects and the cooldown have equal length. If a change is neede here, I would simply increase the cooldown so that is longer than the 35 seconds of over time effects.

[S'rrt]

Man, you basically want your char to pwn everybody? You don't want others to run, you don't want others to heal? Pfft.

You're absolutely correct. Next I'll be making a proposal to remove effects of all armor, gems, glyphs, foods and potions on all other characters except mine. Oh, and they need to be standing still too. If they log out while targeted by me, they lose their character forever.

It's quite simple: If you drink a healing potion, there is a cooldown of 35 seconds before you can drink an other one.

That's interesting, I never noticed. When was it introduced? Perhaps chugging healing potions isn't as big a problem with that mechanic but only time will tell (i.e. I might complain about it again in the future ).

[Jupiter]

When was it introduced?

It's around since the vbu. I don't remember how it was preVBU.

[Brightrim]

When was it introduced?

It's around since the vbu. I don't remember how it was preVBU.

It does honestly feel very short, though. There are literally players who will stand still just chugging health potions, instead of applying any shape or form of tactics to their PvE gameplay. Maybe that is an effect of having a certain amount of gems, allowing their defense to be high enough to do that, but some potion sickness or extended cooldown that is at least longer than the over time effect could give them the kick in the butt they need to apply some smarts.

[Kugar]

As someone who has been involved in PvP again, lately, I say: not a bad idea. The potion cooldown could perhaps do with an extended period. I took a look at my log file for this month and, over the course of 4 battle scenarios, 7 overall of my fellow opponents, in the heat of these battles, drank a collective amount of 48 potions. I won't go into much detail about the who's who of potion drinking - this number is only to make a point. I dug a bit through last month's log files and it's obviously more (because of the Mas battles). I guess it can look a bit silly? But if they are having fun I don't see the immediate harm. If you don't want battles to look silly, though, something like this should be considered. On the plus side, people get to have fun battling each other for an extended period. I guess it should also be down to common sense by players to avoid the constant chugging of potions and flee/hold the fort when you're obviously defeated. My char has chugged a potion or 4 but I do try to flee before it gets ridiculous, these days.

[Drugar Stonesmasher]

Another way to limit things might be, that one cannot have backpack open in a fight.
Problem ist: how to define that you are in a fight.. if you target someone, if you are targeted, for any distance or only if close?

[Bidukan]

As someone who has been involved in PvP again, lately, I say: not a bad idea. The potion cooldown could perhaps do with an extended period. I took a look at my log file for this month and, over the course of 4 battle scenarios, 7 overall of my fellow opponents, in the heat of these battles, drank a collective amount of 48 potions. I won't go into much detail about the who's who of potion drinking - this number is only to make a point. I dug a bit through last month's log files and it's obviously more (because of the Mas battles). I guess it can look a bit silly? But if they are having fun I don't see the immediate harm. If you don't want battles to look silly, though, something like this should be considered. On the plus side, people get to have fun battling each other for an extended period. I guess it should also be down to common sense by players to avoid the constant chugging of potions and flee/hold the fort when you're obviously defeated. My char has chugged a potion or 4 but I do try to flee before it gets ridiculous, these days.

So only old -gemmed- chars can pvp? I know you have a point about senseless-endless battles, but a solution can't exclude players, specially the new ones.

[Kugar]

I guess it can look a bit silly? But if they are having fun I don't see the immediate harm. If you don't want battles to look silly, though, something like this should be considered. On the plus side, people get to have fun battling each other for an extended period. I guess it should also be down to common sense by players to avoid the constant chugging of potions and flee/hold the fort when you're obviously defeated. My char has chugged a potion or 4 but I do try to flee before it gets ridiculous, these days.

That's all I'm saying. This is something that has seemed to have bothered people for a while. Although, in the past, it seemed to just be outlaws flying around chugging potions that annoyed. As I expressed above I don't really care either way. Just that it is not necessarily a bad proposal, depending on your outlook. Some people like common sense pvp and others don't give a crap/just get excited and want to have fun.

So only old -gemmed- chars can pvp?.... a solution can't exclude players, specially the new ones.

The gem conversation is also a source of frustration. As it is, though, an army of 36% warriors and especially 48% warriors could slay a single highly gemmed warrior. 36% and 48% are no long stretch to achieve. Everyone can do pvp. Strength is in numbers when you don't have the old char gems. If you want my opinion on the gem system and if there should be a lower cap - I am not opposed to that either. Anyway, hardly anyone donates to the realms as it is and gem trade seems limited to certain chars - so is it any wonder why only a few are well gemmed?

Bottom line: if something takes away a person's fun to play this game - scrap it. So if doing this to potions is too unfair and bothers people, it shouldn't happen. Maybe I have become too much of a pacifist . If you play an outlaw and you have no gems, no supreme leader - you are fecked either way. If the cool down is not extended, better warriors will chug chug chug whilst you die die die. If the cool down is extended, better warriors will only have a slight advantage. Tbh if you are not a good warrior you will most likely lose in each scenario. It is just the aesthetic at this point.

[Bidukan]

GL dropping S'rrt with a 36%

[Karrock]

Chars during a fight should not enter the towns. There should be a cooldown.

[snus-mumrik]

What bugs me about drinking potions in battle, is that I cannot imagine how it happens. Option 1: a warrior sheaths his sword, takes a vial, carefully reads the prescribed dosage and expiration date, and then drinks, all this without getting his neck cut by the opponent. Option 2: the vials are attached to the helmet and he can drink through special tubes. Either way, not very atmospheric.
I know that the game is not about realism. But if we want to make potions somewhat less powerful, we can add a short time (a couple of seconds) during which the drinking char cannot attack, parry and move, and maybe also has lower defence.
Not sure though what weird tactics such addition can introduce.

[Kugar]

My own personal explanation is that Jefferson's armor has internal tubing (filled with liquid of healing properties and the salve he uses) that has direct insertion into his undead body. Tubes lead into his torso and neck etc. He's a walking pile of rot so some modifications have been made.

[Jupiter]

we can add a short time (a couple of seconds) during which the drinking char cannot attack, parry and move, and maybe also has lower defence.

The movepoints of a charachter are already reduced by 20.

[Drugar Stonesmasher]

What bugs me about drinking potions in battle, is that I cannot imagine how it happens.

Thats true, but would also apply to any other action one currently is able to do while intensly fighting.

like:
Stuffing a whole meal into your body
sorting through your inventory
Changing armor
...

[Kugar]

Hey, don't worry about it! You're talkin' 'bout a place where a single char can chop down 200 trees, fire 2000 bricks, craft 50 bows, kill 300 cows in the space of an hour - and still be home for sparring practice! Shucks, I'm sure these super-human enigmas can handle something as simple as enjoying a candle lit, char-grilled filet mignon dinner whilst fighting off a demon from the seven hells, single-handed. Just a joke but also some sense of perspective. I do agree, though. Out of all the things mentioned, changing armor and eating during battle does seem like the most ridiculous. I suppose at some point we have to remind ourselves that this is a game and the most important factor is the roleplay and storytelling - otherwise it's just any other morpg. At a push, I can imagine a character leaping back in battle and tearing a small vail of potion from a strap around their chest.

[jmclark]

Maybe an MC-like attribute that builds up with each potion use and acts as a cap on the effectiveness of each successive potion taken within a period of time?