Durability/item uses + PSI points

[Atoning Unifex]

Love the game so far, even in the alpha state!

I played the demo loads and loved it. Bought the 'full' alpha the other day and the biggest difference i noticed was the addition of durability and limited use items.

Whilst I'm all for having the need for repair the usual duarability implementations bug me as they seem to be more limiting than realistic. Same goes for number of times an item can be used. I'm sure these will evolve in this game too but I wanted to get in there early!

So for durability of weapons; I think for firearms you need to include cleaning into the mix. A gun will last much longer if it is regularly cleaned, and a cleaning kit itself should be useable many many times. If you don't keep your gun clean then you will start to cause permanent damage the cleaning cannot fix. At this point you have to start considering new parts for it - it would be great if you had to buy the specific parts too rather than simply a repair kit.

For crossbows I would guess that the most commonly damaged part would be the string (or cable or whatever!). This would naturally degrade over time but re-stringing the bow should be a relatively simple procedure, possibly with longer term natural degradation to the bulk of the weapon.

Seems like I'm saying that each weapon needs two types of durability - a more frequent but cheaper cleaning/fix to keep the weapon going and a longer term natural degradation through continual use. Some might think this is overkill but it feels more realistic to me.

As for items like lockpicks and electronic hack devices (and other tools): lockpicks don't break after one use, they can be used multiple times. Perhaps a failed lockpick could break one? The electronic hacker should, theoretically be able to draw power from the device it's hacking but I guess it being battery powered isn't so bad. I do think that power should be available back at friendly locations though, simply plug in and charge your gear up! Even recharge some batteries.

Finally... I saw another post talking about PSI point regeneration. So I may as well add my thoughts! I see PSI points very much like stamina, you concentrate and use up some energy leaving you feeling out of breath but you slowly recover afterwards. Like a runner in training you would start out with low stamina and low recovery but as you improve soo would the amount and speed of regeneration. I also think sleeping should be included as a way of regeneration. In fact I could argue that real time PSI points aren't needed at all as, if the stamina analogy holds, then they could be included in the combat turn as an equivalent of action or movement points.

Anyway there's a few thoughts! (and a lot of waffle!)

[Styg]

Heya and thanks for the feedback.

The weapon degradation is a bit out of control right now and I'm planning to change that with the next patch. That said, I don't have any plans to add a more complex system when it comes to maintaining weapons and other items.

While your suggestions aren't unreasonable, you must understand that when designing any game mechanics, making it as close as possible to reality isn't my primary concern.

Much like ammo, I want the psi points, energy (when it comes to hacking) and lockpicks to be resources you must manage. And that's the reason they are implemented the way they are.

[Atoning Unifex]

Yeah ok that's fair enough. I know you have to balance reality with practicality!

What is the plan for when durability reaches 0? I've not tested that yet. Does the weapon simply stop working? I hope not. I feel that all weapons would retain a pretty reasonable effectiveness over a long period.

I think what I want to avoid is the need for carrying many weapons or repair kits (and the associated cost/weight of doing this) just in case you get a bit sidetracked/lost/trapped. As long as the balance is ol then I guess i don't mind

I'm not sure what the plans for repair are but rather than having a repair kit that get used up, how about a repair kit that has infinite uses but requires the use of components and the associated skill in mechanics/electronics? Or maybe both? A one shot repair kit as you have now with the ability for full repairs with the right components (only in safe territory) maybe even increasing overall durability with improved components - going off on a tangent, even the possibility of improving any aspect of an existing weapon with new components?

Whilst I'm ok with resource management I have to disagree with PSI points being handled this way. The way you have them now is like health - a fixed amount that goes down when you get injured - so you are sort of saying that using PSI permanently injures you until you take a PSI health potion. That doesn't feel right to me. It's an ability. If you were to run too much you would get tired and have to rest but then could run again. If you were to concentrate hard on a problem for a long time you would lose concentration and need a rest but could then go back again. I see PSI the same way and feel it should regenerate over time (slowly). By all means though the use of restorative items to give a boost seems reasonable.

[UnLimiTeD]

One thing about PSI points:
In most games, players can make a choice about how much effort they put into something, and how much risk they take, with corresponding rewards.
For example, save ammo by going melee / save durability by using your fists:
Both save resources, but cost more time and risk more health.
In the same sense, I think it would be nice to have something like Shroomhead, but with a much smaller percentage, either as an additional feat or for free, to allow PSI characters to have a very small resource pool to use, allowing for a single "spell", or two.
A "Blood Magic" kind of feat would obviously also allow that, with an even more direct causality.

Edit: Darn, I'm tired. I'll review this post till the end of the week to find out if it looks demanding, necros a thread or doesn't live up to basic standards of coherent speech and punctuation.