The Wasteland Just Got a Whole Lot Deadlier

Stuff just got real here in the apocalypse. Another day of work on wounds, and we're starting to see some real visceral battles. Before I talk more, here's a screenshot of a test battle against a looter:

Wait for it...

and one turn later:

Coughing blood: for when you need an indicator things aren't going your way.

New Conditions

Remember how I said enemies were taking a long time to die, especially by blunt trauma? Not any more. Here's a quick run-down of some new injuries:

• Concussion - various penalties due to confusion and pain, plus stunned
• Pneumonia - immune system hit (which is it's own problem), plus coughing, confusion, and potentially death
• Cough - good luck hiding
• Coughing blood - Side effect of major wounds in the torso, which have their own penalties. Makes tracking you easier.
• Fractured rib - Causes pain.
• Pulmonary hemorrhage - asphyxiation through severe bleeding in the lungs. Fatal.
• Cardiac arrest - heart stops beating. Fatal.
• Severe Brain Trauma - skull smashed in or shredded. Fatal.

Each of the above is bad enough, but many work in concert, occurring as wounds escalate. For example, moderate and severe wounds in the chest may cause fractured ribs, coughing blood, and an increased chance of pneumonia. Severe trauma to the upper chest may cause cardiac arrest (heart is destroyed by a cut or smash of severe proportions). Pulmonary bleeding happens when the lower chest is severely damaged enough. Brain trauma occurs when the head has been hit hard enough or often enough.

Most of the above are untreatable, and if not fatal, must simply be waited out via resting and healing. Pneumonia can be treated by antibiotics and medical kits, and the kit will also help with coughing blood.

And what fun is it if players never see the above conditions? Attacks were taking a long time to reach some of the above thresholds, so I decided to double all weapon damages, and triple damages caused to unconscious targets. Wow, the pacing was a lot more fun.

As a whole, the system feels a lot more organic and deadly now. Creatures die in many different ways. And combatants left alive after an encounter may still succumb to their wounds hours, even days, later.

Crippling

I added a bunch of new penalties for crippled limbs today too. It's now easier to track creatures with a crippled leg, and they move slower. Running reserve is penalized for crippled creatures now (as well as burdened ones). It's also now impossible to scavenge or hide tracks when both arms are crippled.

I still have to work out some way of splinting, though. For one thing, the splint should only have an effect if the bone is actually broken. Might take a little creative problem-solving.

We're getting there. It's taken longer than expected (as usual), but the system is shaping up. I'll likely be looking into save game data next, to ensure wound status is maintained across saves. There may be another disease or two in the works, as well. But worry not: the apocalypse is soon to be restored to its deadly old self!