Energy/Health/Food system

I have been rolling this idea around for a while and think it might go nicely into RLFME

Health: Represents your injuries/hp. It can only be restored with bandages, certain home-cooking, and the hospital.

Energy: Represents how much energy you have. It is shown as mana and can be resored by laying down on a bed or laying on the ground and using a skill called "sleep" (though laying on the ground will only restore up to 40% mana) alternately can be restored by certain drinks.

Food: Represents how much food you have eaten. It is shown by the amount of food next to the lumber (or probably vespene gas in the RLFME). So its food eaten/food you can fit in your stomach. Maybe a certain job will allow you to expand your stomach capacity. It can be restored by eating food from restraunts, home-cooking, or fast food.

Showers would do nothing other than RP and taking paint off.

Personally, we never made food and drink that big of an issue because constant upkeep could get in the way of gameplay and exploration. On the other hand, we never thought about it very deeply back when we tied some abilities and actions to mana and such, and it still ended up being an occasional annoyance with little "point" to it.

If there were a way to make eating/drinking a system of benefits rather than limitations, then I would be more optimistic about its inclusion. I don't expect players to spend time grinding out money just to feed themselves instead of spending that time exploring and buying things.

With the stacking system, bringing food with you places isn't too hard, just fill up an inv slot with food. When I first thought of it, I decided not to implement it for lack of inv space.

The reasons that I promote the idea:

1. It adds more of a reason for food to exist.

2. Who ever heard of eating a burger and instantly healing a gash in your side?

3. Who has ever heard of laying in a bed and healing a gash in your side?

4. Taking a shower and coming out revitalized; wth?



The reasons I demote the idea:

1. It can get irritating having to take up inv slots with food.
(fixed w/ stacking system)
2. It adds another system to bog players down.

Overall it adds realisticity and opens up new possibilities. But would be a cause for complaint IF it isn't properly implemented. Also healing will focus more on regeneration than anything else. It will be sped up quite a bit. The hospital will heal up to 75%, bandages will heal up to 60% max hp. Etc. Only special home-cookings can bring it to top. Or regenerating health.

Here are ideas as to high food bonuses:

- Mana degenerates much slower
- Health Regenerates faster
- Movement speed is increased a little
- Attack speed increased a little

Ideas for low food:

- Mana degenerates faster
- Health doesnt regenerate or even starts degereating at low enough food
- Movement speed is decreased
- If it hits 0 your person starts losing health FAST

Ideas for low energy(mana):

- Hero sometimes randomly goes into a "cursed" sleep for a few seconds.
- Hero obviously cant use skills
- Health loses its health regeneration at 0 energy

Rather than penalizing players for not eating, I would prefer that food bonuses could be little perks or rewards they get for keeping their character well-fed. Rather than being necessary to avoid annoying (and arbitrary) penalties, it can be another option the player can take to improve their character.

Perhaps we can also track a player's diet; eating certain types of food for a period of time will bestow a unique benefit, but only so long as they stay on that particular diet.

Hmm... I see. So instead of penalties for having low food, just keep the bonuses for having high food... Hmm... So starving to death wont be an issue, but being well fed promotes "good health" Hmm.. definitely feasible. Though I personally like penalty-bonus... Usually adding bonus ONLY is for when you are modding a map as adding penalties can cause fans to dissipate. But ok then.


Tracking food types...? Hmm... the food system would have to be MAJORLY expanded. At least over 100 foods. Otherwise variety would break down to only eating the best type.

No, you have it backwards. If there are more foods than the player could humanly keep track of, then they would default to only using the "best" foods, or their favorite foods; kind of like how you can't be bothered to read the nutrition charts at McDonald's. What's more, an "optimum strategy" is more likely to rise out of high food diversity because we, the game designers, will also have difficulty balancing out all of those potential benefits from the food combinations. We need to hit a low, magic number where there will be enough types of food to confer unique benefits, but not so many that each one won't be distinct and attractive in its own way when compared to each other.

Ahh i see. So you WANT low food diversity. Make it so that people usually eat the same thing every time they play.. Hmm... that favors RPG stuff but kind of hinders RP's. Ill make a thread about it.