idea for a new medical chem re: addiction

[DisturbHerb]

dredging up an old forum topic because i finally have a cohesive idea

yeah, introducing a new medical chem would mean one more chem to memorise for new doctors. that stinks, but i don't think that there's anything else that really fits this niche

a medication that suppresses the symptoms of addiction withdrawal (vomiting, convulsions, weakness) and all of those annoying chat messages. it should exist as an alternative to passively fixing addictions themselves (because being knocked out for three minutes in a sleeper is Not Fun) while also allowing a complete cure if people really want that

it shouldn't play nice with chems that induce vomiting, sorta like what fartonium + simethicone does

thinking it would be available at the public medical vendors as well

the one idea i have for a name would be lorazepam, it performs similar functions irl (sold under the brand name ativan)

no ideas for any other effects (positive or negative), depletion rate, or the synthesis pathway, feel free to spitball some. however, i do know that lorazepam irl has a few negative interactions with other drugs and could potentially Be Bad

[Glamurio]

Personally, I'd rather we rework something like robustissin to include that rather than make a new chem, but 100% I agree that "just go afk for 3 minutes" should NOT be a solution to a problem in a video game. It's by far the worst aspect of the whole addiction system and leads to people ignoring it 90% of the time, because I'd rather cover the whole station in vomit than to have to stop playing for 3 minutes.

[Cal]

this would make meth incredibly powerful, addiction is the downside for it being a strong combat tool

[TDHooligan]

this would make meth incredibly powerful, addiction is the downside for it being a strong combat tool

you're really overstating the effects of addiction. meth addiction really isnt that strong of a drawback effect, i play most rounds nowadays with 6+ addictions and it's like a stun every so often. it's just flavor that regularly gets in your way. meth's drawback is the brain damage and mannitol purging.

if this new drug simultaneously cancelled out all beneficial effects of the popular addictive drugs, while suppressing addiction effects and possibly ticking them down faster...
a fake-soberness drug that didn't purge all the drugs would be pretty neat so that doctors stop trying to bucklecuff me to chairs whenever i go for a burn patch

[Kotlol]

Pretty much what Hooligan says.

"im addicted oh no"
Either you:
- Sit out 2-3 mins of your game (Same as food poisoning)
- Work with it.
- Take more stuff.

I think medicine to take to detox isn't a bad idea. Especially if you take WHILE under the effects it would dissappear.
And if you feel drugs and such are gonna be buffed due to addictions not being as effective...
Then add other ways to damage to body on top of it.

[Lord_earthfire]

Why not make an all-around substitute? It doesn't remove the addiction, but it got a slow decay timer and it halts any negative from other mutations.
Maybe let it deal small amounts of kidney damage as a drawback.

[Scaltra]

I agree, addiction isn't really a big deal and it is more a bother than an actual hindrance/drawback. If it is meant to be maybe addiction needs to be buffed to be honest.

I despise waiting three minutes in a sleeper to get rid of addiction though. If I had to have a chem in my system for three minutes or something that wrecked stamina or something akin to that I would much prefer that.

[George_Manning]

I take addictive personality as a trait. I forgot that was a trait I took until I saw this post. Do I get addicted to histamine from bee stings and suffer from chronic meth addiction after 0.01 units of meth enters my bloodstream? Yes. Do I bother treating it? Basically never, except when I roll antagonist (obligatory I’m not an antag every round complaint).

Basically the only real negative side effect of addiction is the random slowdowns and stuns, which, while admittedly intense, don’t really matter to me when I’m playing mechanic and just screwing around on the computer or replacing hull breaches anyway. This is, in my view, a symptom of addiction being used to counter combat-chemist tomfoolery: Unless you’re an antagonist, security, or really busy, you’re not going to be placing yourself in situations so dangerous on a regular basis that the slowdowns/ stuns are worth treating

[Glamurio]

I take addictive personality as a trait. I forgot that was a trait I took until I saw this post. Do I get addicted to histamine from bee stings and suffer from chronic meth addiction after 0.01 units of meth enters my bloodstream? Yes. Do I bother treating it? Basically never, except when I roll antagonist (obligatory I’m not an antag every round complaint).

Basically the only real negative side effect of addiction is the random slowdowns and stuns, which, while admittedly intense, don’t really matter to me when I’m playing mechanic and just screwing around on the computer or replacing hull breaches anyway. This is, in my view, a symptom of addiction being used to counter combat-chemist tomfoolery: Unless you’re an antagonist, security, or really busy, you’re not going to be placing yourself in situations so dangerous on a regular basis that the slowdowns/ stuns are worth treating

One of my characters also has addictive personality and it's quite ludicrous how quickly stuff gets you addicted. Had one coffee? Enjoy being addicted to it.

this would make meth incredibly powerful, addiction is the downside for it being a strong combat tool

I don't know about others, I'd rather nerf meth than buff the drawbacks. Universally that seems to be a disliked and bothersome system, and there are many solutions to the problem other than what we have right now. And besides, as long as you keep taking meth you keep getting benefits with no drawbacks either.

[Cal]

Meth is a staple chemical for combat. I don't see why we should nerf it and remove the addiction

The drawback is having to manage the addiction and getting severe brain damage killing you over time

[George_Manning]

The drawback of meth is not meant to be the drawback of most chems in the game. If you’re just concerned about meth, make it immune to the treatment, or make the addiction even more harsh if it’s not treated. Also, I think you’re overestimating
1: How many people use meth, I haven’t seen somebody use meth to fight in ages
2: How powerful meth is now, the movement speed and stun reduction is great but you can and will still be stunned/shot/bashed in with a crowbar if you’re trying to solely rely on meth and a weapon in a combat situation

[Lord_earthfire]

Meth is a staple chemical for combat. I don't see why we should nerf it and remove the addiction

The drawback is having to manage the addiction and getting severe brain damage killing you over time

To be honest, meth is mostly used in combat when you get it incidentally. Like syndicate donk pockets or robust eez. It is nowadays so weak that people rarely go out of their way to make it. Especially since synaptizine+epi is stronger, without a drawback and more avaible in higher quantities. And if they make it, they go for stamina stim mixes, because meth alone doesn't cut it.

[TDHooligan]

Meth is a staple chemical for combat. I don't see why we should nerf it and remove the addiction

The drawback is having to manage the addiction and getting severe brain damage killing you over time

you fight that it has/needs these drawbacks but it really doesnt need any - nobody uses it besides scientists because your main cost is actually getting ahold of it.

the brain damage and subsequent mannitol purging was added to stop people being on meth 24/7, addiction has always been more of a flavor mechanic than a real downside.


all you gotta do is make the recipe more awkward than most of the drugs it counters (just make it require another complex medchem like salicyclic or epi) and ta-da, nobody will make it and doctors will use it if they get a couple bottles