Rethink the importance of slow wounds.

[Einlanser]

Our miner peppered food, ate ten food before realizing he was taking damage, and now has over 300 points of hhp damage.

Our miner didn't know peppering food could kill him, but he survived, so the damage is, at least, somewhat mitigated. He's alive. Fine. He'll heal.

Because I make the food and the pepper, I felt pretty bad. Got the guy a new high quality bed when he mentioned that he wasn't healing quickly, even in fast world, and couldn't mine since a single boreworm attack or slime wall could result in his death.

Healing still being incredibly slow, and feeling his interest in the game slipping, I delved into alchemy, made an alliance with a fellow at another village to exchange alchemy information, and got to work. Not one to rely on only one avenue to a solution, I also sent out multiple requests to merchants to see about buying a remedy with no downsides, as his 20 remaining hhp would probably not survive it.

After some doing, I found one. Perfect remedy. Great. Heals 27 bum burn, says so right on the tin.

Enthusiasm returned, my miner got back on to take his meds, relieved to have something that can help after two days of minimal engagement.

Only to find that he's still going to be getting back something on the order of 4hhp a day and is still as locked out of normal play as he was before.

This confused the hell right out of me. I skipped a few worlds, but I remembered that alchemy was a terrible system with dogshit user interface that had apparently not seen a QoL looking over since its inception (all of which was substantively accurate) but that it was the way you cured hard-to-cure problems without other solutions.

Alas, I discovered that some years ago this was addressed as a bug. Apparently, alchemy having any use at all was "busted."

I realize that miners used to eat spicy food due to their work conditions rendering most food tasteless and odorless, and not-infrequently shit themselves to death over it, but such a commitment to realism does eventually become a flaw.

There is no adequate design purpose to prevent a player of the game from meaningfully engaging with the game for weeks with no avenue or effort available to remedy the condition. Any game-breaking mechanic which must be safeguarded in such a way can be more adequately addressed by "You can't stomach any more spicy food!" and a cooldown.

[Karede]

Bum burn is kind of silly, and honestly your miner friend is better off dying and inheriting at this point, he'll be back to normal play faster

[Hasta]

Can't you feed him some beef steak or bread to get 30-40 CON?

I remember taking a ~280 hhp bum burn few worlds back, didn't stop me from mining, but then again I was already a seasoned veteran...

[jorb]

There is no adequate design purpose to prevent a player of the game from meaningfully engaging with the game for weeks with no avenue or effort available to remedy the condition.

Good point!

[springyb]

seasoned veteran...