I've always been partial to the concept of having quasi-permanent Bad Things happen to one's character. Like what was it, Farog's Rot in Aetolia? before everyone learned the cure. So I liked the concept behind the introduction of gleam into Achaea.

I only played Achaea once, a long, long time ago so I don't know how it actually played out in the wild so my query is two-fold. Any ex-(or current) Achaea players have input on how the idea of addictive drugs worked in that game from a player's perspective, and then towards the admin is the idea of a dangerous drug culture against the direction you want the game to go?

I'll post a little more about why I think it would be a good idea after some other people speak.

Neat idea! There's a lot of potential in Lusternia for things to go horribly wrong. The inability to find the right aether strands, for example, resulting in teleporting to a completley wrong destination, or having a drug impose a cap on the amount of power a person is able to draw as a consequence.

Unlike other realms, our spectrum for processing substances like this is a lot broader. An alchemist, for instance, can already amalgamate absinthe and alcohol- why not go further and allow them to concoct dangerously imbalanced substances that increase a character's ability to concentrate, but slowly damage the character's receptiveness to the Healing skillset or normal curatives.

I like the idea of introducing drugs of addiction into Lusternia.

Iunno. The gleam situation got pretty bad. As much as it would open up RP, I wouldn't want people begging on the streets of New Celest.

My character in Achaea used gleam a few times and it was great. The effects were massively debilitating and withdrawals were quite horrible. I really had fun with it. They were little packets of sparkly white dust with a citrus flavour, how is that not enticing? They were priced at 1100gp per packet too so you had to kind of have some spending money to get 'em which leaves you in a bind when you're broke and addicted. I'd love it if something similar was introduced here.

Besides the people that were interested in drugs for roleplaying purposes, I definitely feel that there should be concrete combat benefits to being strung out on whatever. Anything from the unstrippable insomnia that Achaea talks about to something like numbness that lasts for 10 minutes but would have an addiction rate similar to crack.

I could see some of the higher combatants using drugs to get that edge in a fight, and overtime becoming unable to function without the drug. Just picture Forren as the beggar in New Celest, asking for a few gold pieces to buy some drugs.

And so ends the even slightest chance of this being even the tiiiiniest bit valid.

And thats all we need, more pre-teens here to laugh as they go around and pretend to be druglords

Because a bunch of pre-teens going around pretending to the the lord of darkness is so much better?

While I'm willing to concede that you could possibly be right, I missed exactly what you're referencing. Gleam-in-Achaea had concrete advantages while you were high, from what I understand, and the first bit wasn't disparaging roleplay. I was merely noting that something this potentially debilitating isn't going to be used by characters established since open beta unless there was a very good reason to do so.

I'm making the assumption that most people who want to incorporate drug addiction as a core part of their RP will probably have a new character designed with this in mind. I'm thinking Phred, and that other beggar guy whose name is eluding me at the moment. I just wanted some mechanic included that could possibly entice some of the rich and powerful to experiment and the eventual decline of stalwarts like Daevos.

Richter for drug lord?

A bunch of preteens pretending to be lords of darkness get told off, because they can't. While a bunch of preteens pretending to be druglords simply have to buy/make the drugs, then act like

Sorry about that, just don't really like the idea of drug-people in a game where I'm trying to get away from the people like that in the real world.

No worries, that's largely what I wanted to hear: various opinions and how people would feel if drugs were introduced into the game. That's also why I directed a question towards the administration about whether or not drugs are something they would even consider introducing into the game. Although I still think Richter would make an excellent drug lord.

I think to satisfy my craving for last effects, a disease system would be just as good as drugs. It's just that with drugs there is also a good side, but with diseases people participate because they have to do so (if you can't avoid the contagion) but no one will do it because they wanted to be involved. With drugs you can choose, with disease you can't. Either way I'd be happy, as long as the system gets used.

And, yes he would

People have made similar arguments about things ranging from politics, to having to take tests, to rampant violence, to conflict itself. The argument never holds water, sorry to say.

I never played Achaea when there was Gleam... but I'd heard of it. I thought it was a really interesting concept and I think it would be a very interesting addition to things here. I mean it'd be fun to see how orgs react to the new drug. Militaristic orgs maybe giving their soldiers the drug for the fighting benefits and once their people are truly addicted, using the withdrawls as a punishment. Other orgs would outlaw it and you'd have people using it illicitly for the benefits then getting caught when they ran out and started twitching and what-not.

Yeah but (usually) tests, and politics don't result in idiocy.
Violence is a needed, its a game for RPGers, in a fantasy realm.
Drugs, is pointless, causes problems, and attracts the immature one's who sit around and giggle about having drugs. It'll be like all those annoying people put together, with problems that the game introduced to itself. And I might be the only one, but I don't really feel like putting up with all these twitching withdrawn idiots rolling around on the floor.

Weed?

Actually the drugs would have to give benifits while on them, or why the hell would you use them. And as fro pre teen druglords, nah.... exarius would dominate the drug market.... and make those aslarans do all types o freaky crap for em. Hell I would pay just to watch his Shanthine Pride people in a donkey show


edit - oh wow only took 3 hours for this to post

What, Arix couldn't be the druglord?

There is a law stating that Arix cannot under any circumstances become a Drug Lord.

I want to see that in writing and signed in triplicate by Divine