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Apothecary Mod changes

<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/hi.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":gday" border="0" alt="hi.gif" /> Rad!

Why change the names of the tinctures? I think, it would be ok to have the apothecary letting the captain find "complete bullshit" <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheeky" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" /> . It would be quite typical:

The apothecary, who might have some education, tells the capitan to find some none existing tinctures and the capitan, whose education doesn't go above reading skills with moving the fingers along the letters and counting his gold, believes anything told from such an impressive educated fellow <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheeky" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" /> .

The brew nevertheless works, because of placebo effect.

<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />
 
Hi, Swindler. It is for the reason we both look at it differently. This apothecary is really real copy of Setven Maturin from M&C. And this man was very famous and skiled doctor and surgeon. For that reason I considered all this mod rather more seriously and I think people could found the real and reliable ingredients because after using them their health should be improve somehow. This way I am feeling it. And with those non-exited ingredients all the figure of apothecary seems to me somehow discredited and as though fake. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mybad.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":facepalm" border="0" alt="mybad.gif" />
 
I could make the changes when I update this; or since you've got your finger on the mod, Rad, you might.

I found something interesting though by searching Google for the medicines in question:

<a href="http://www.alia.org.au/%7Ekwebb/Maturin/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.alia.org.au/%7Ekwebb/Maturin/index.html</a>

It doesn't offer all the explanations for the terms Maturin uses, but it lists all the odd ones and cites the books they're from. My take on the dubiousness of these meds? He was often speaking with sailors when referring to them, a very superstitious lot who leaves the care of their health in the hands of experts, who will swallow any bolus prescribed or blue powdery pill and immediately feel its healing effects; so he may very well have made a lot of it up. Anyway, I got such a kick out of his dialog, his medical and pseudo-medical jargon, and even copied a few lines of dialog verbatim into the game.

But I can tell you've done your homework, and I'm always in favor of adding real period details to the game (in this case I chose my period details from fiction), so I leave it to your discretion.
 
<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/hi.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":gday" border="0" alt="hi.gif" /> Rad, you seem to be making a bigger deal of this than what it is, if you don't like it go change in in your game. The modder have more important things to do than go changing names of items in the game because someone doesn't like it. I think the rest of us probably like them the way they are, it makes them sound mysterious. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="icon_wink.gif" />
 
Hi, mates. It was only my suggestion that can be or needn´t be realised. I only wanted to say what I think about it. Alan, as I can see it now you really didn´t take this acetum saturninum and other words out of the blue. But I still think it must be some "I don´t know what name" because no such chemical substantion officially exist. So, Allan I would like to apologize to you about my doubts about using those names and don´t make any changes if you don´t want to do it. As I can see now those strange and unusual words has probably really some historical basis and was used in those times. Interesting site. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/buds.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":drunk" border="0" alt="buds.gif" />
 
I do like your suggestions though Rad, especially since they have some realistic/historical basis. Would you like to change a few of the names in the mod and keep a few of the others according to the books? It's up to you.
 
Hi, Allan. In accordance with your liking, mate, I woudln´t want to compell you to anything. I would change it but it is up to you because it is your mod.
Ony if you would want to let the words "powerful enematic" so I would let the original words "powerful enemata" which is stated on this Maturin´s medicine site, It is some strong laxativum, as it is stated here. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/hi.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":gday" border="0" alt="hi.gif" />
 
<!--QuoteBegin-Thomas the Terror+Oct 9 2005, 11:24 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Thomas the Terror @ Oct 9 2005, 11:24 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->CCC Is your in-building kit almost ready?
<div align="right">[snapback]132091[/snapback]</div><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Well, half a dozen (big) dialogs, then updating to the latest modpack codebase and the thing is ready for playtesting. Though I really can't tell you how long this will take. You never know what unforeseen problems arise, or what keeps me from modding <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/dunno.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":shrug" border="0" alt="dunno.gif" /> ( like the flu that disabled me during the last week <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/urgh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":urgh" border="0" alt="urgh.gif" /> But a dose of acetum saturninum set me to rights again. Purged my interiors of the Vapours in no time. Thanks a lot for the recipe, Alan <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/me.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":onya" border="0" alt="me.gif" /> )
 
<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/hi.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":gday" border="0" alt="hi.gif" /> there mateys.

As a big fan of the Aubrey/Maturin books, I like Alans take on this. Stephens occassional tongue-in-cheek names for his physics, intended to placate his patients, are convincing to the uninitiated sailor (as well as myself), and add a great humourous flavour to the stories, as well it can for our game. I'm all for accuracy and realism but a little humour never goes astray. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="icon_wink.gif" />

Cheers, lads <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" /> <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/buds.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":drunk" border="0" alt="buds.gif" />
 
Rad and everyone: I'm also starting to wonder about these little red bottles everywhere... they just seem too common for such an exotic, mysterious concoction. What I have in mind instead is two things: Having to buy or catch food on your own - apples, lizards, rats... It'd be nice to add some more animals to the game, then you have to catch the little guys scurrying around the forrest. (It also brings to mind the origin of pirates as 'boucaniers')
They'd have a small boost to your health, less than the bottles. As for the bottles, they should be harder to find, and maybe you could even get your own made for you at an apothecary or somewhere if you supply the ingredients - with different ingredients and mixtures doing different things, sometimes with unexpected results.

Ever play Metal Gear Solid 3? Same idea, having to catch your own food, it's a big part of the game and it's really pretty fun.
 
Oh, no!!! Not instead of those basic read healing bottles. They are really needed and must be operative and ample and easy for using. Please, Alan, there are so many various problems in these mods and issues for improverment. So, please, don´t try to change thinks that are good and work very good. Some poisonous animals, snakes, spiders and frogs could be use for preparation of anti-poison mixtures for examples. But you all modders could rather to try remove oll the bugs so as the game worked well. There is still several fatal bugs in the game which stop proceeding in the main storyline. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/modding.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":modding" border="0" alt="modding.gif" /> <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/w00t.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":woot" border="0" alt="w00t.gif" />
 
Hmmm, interesting....

In the SLiB Mod the red potions are indeed harder to come by, however this is offset by fruit which provides a much smaller hp increase.

Cheers <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />
 
I like this idea. More and various animals would certainly be an improvement, and it would be interesting if hunting them would be a means of staying alive and not only yet another killing.

Rad, if you like an easy gameplay, go ahead, nobody here forces you to use the difficult and complicated mods, they can all be tweaked and disabled. But why should those who would like to create new variations and challenges refrain from it ? I personally see no point in playing a game where resources are ample and easy to get.
 
<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/w00t.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":woot" border="0" alt="w00t.gif" /> Wow! That would be really cool! Currently I have 50+ healing potions, which does seem a bit over the top. Maybe make them buyable only instead of finding them? That would give me a bit more incentive to treat those potion traders a little nicer. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="icon_wink.gif" />
 
Charles, if it would be optional I am not against it. And I don´t like the easy game. But it doesn´t matter what this game and playing does more difficult. Do you think those shortage of crew in taverns, shortage of wheat in shops, destroyable cannons, shortage of higher classes of ships in shipayrds, exaggerated smoke, exaggerated igniting of ships, shortening of cannons range to minimum in the past and now suggested shortening of healing potions will do the game more interesting? I think not. Tell me when did you play this game from the beginning to the end last time? I would bet you even don´t remember. You modders are modding the game but I think you don´t play it overly and it isn´t good by my opinion. So, I am sorry that I am telling what I mean. Although I am not modder I am a player and I thought you do those modds for playres or am I mistaken? <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mybad.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":facepalm" border="0" alt="mybad.gif" />
 
Funny, it's true that I don't even play the game all that much anymore, though I am trying to do that more than modding since I have to catch up with a slew of recent changes. But it -has- been ages since I actually beat the game... My old games usually end up crashing so much I give up and start over; starting out a new game is the most fun for me anyway, seeing whether I get myself in horrible trouble or start prospering by chance from the outset...

Anyway I wouldn't do away with the health bottles, nothing like that. Just make it so you have to put a little more effort into staying alive.

Oh fruit, I hadn't even thought of that, awesome. And poisonous animals... ha. It's that way in MGS3, you can't know whether an animal or vegetable will be good or deadly. Of course, if you do get poisoned, you could always apply a few leeches...

So, finding fruit won't be a problem*, I mean in terms of game dynamics... just put randitems at the bases of some trees and there you've got your coconuts. Same with flowers and herbs and weeds and things for making potions... (and could poisons be slowed down, so if you get ill you have time to run into town and see an apothecary?) And prepared food could be bought at stores and taverns - 'just give me a leg of lamb and a loaf of bread to go please,' or you could eat it there. Spend a few in-game minutes regaining health instead of hours staying overnight - constraints of time are becomming a bigger pressure, I see, with the crew always eating their rations and timed quests ticking on.

But animals would have to be targetable so you could shoot/stab them. How? Or could you somehow just set little traps in the woods at night and gather the bounty the next morning? A whole hunting party would be great - there are wild boar models in Voyage Century I'd like to adapt. Or you could make your living poaching cows at ranches outside of town, with the possibility of getting caught...

* this reminds me of how I'd like to have more crew interaction - adding elements of crew health, perhaps, in addition to morale (and naturally a crew with poor morale would get sick easier), so you'd have to keep fruit in your hold to prevent scurvy, and chests of medicine... maybe get a doctor as crewmember (someone added that recently didn't they?).
 
<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/hi.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":gday" border="0" alt="hi.gif" /> there Alan,

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Anyway I wouldn't do away with the health bottles, nothing like that. Just make it so you have to put a little more effort into staying alive.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

The beginning of the SLiB mod is very hard just staying alive and making some money to buy a ship, and potions and grapes are not always available. Very hard, but very enjoyable as it makes you value your character a lot more. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/me.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":onya" border="0" alt="me.gif" />

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->* this reminds me of how I'd like to have more crew interaction - adding elements of crew health, perhaps, in addition to morale (and naturally a crew with poor morale would get sick easier), so you'd have to keep fruit in your hold to prevent scurvy, and chests of medicine... maybe get a doctor as crewmember (someone added that recently didn't they?).<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I've been meaning to suggest this for quite some time now. I've really enjoyed the food and rum consumption element of the game now (makes us responsible captains, aye) and thought that if this was possible, wouldn't it be good to have other products have effects on the crew like, as you mention fruit:scurvy. Others could be more subtle morale modifiers like e.g. tobacco, clothes, ale. In other words certain minimal levels of many products could help to maintain good levels of morale.

In a recent game I had a doctor who was the first officer that I hired and although her primary skills (mainly defence) were eventually equalled by other officers, I would employ her as my repository of medicinal potions and other liquids such as rum, laudanum, ether bottles, etc.. If nothing else, it freed me up from carrying large quantities of bottles around and gave her at least a small degree of functionality.

Anyway, many possibilities are there.

I'm all for greater depth in the game, just so long as it remains entertaining and playable. Which it still very much is for me... and I like all these new ideas.

Cheers, matey <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />
 
Jack D. : Tobacco's a good idea... I've been wondering how to put that into the game beyond just hauling it around...

Could a secondary tier be put into the cargo function, into which you place cargo meant for crew consumption? That way you drop some rum, wheat, meat (hopefully sometime), fruit, tobacco and so on into this seperate category, and your men don't consume any of the cargo outside of this - upon pain of death, mua ha ha!. (I'm tired of them drinking all the rum meant for smuggling into Douwesen.) And then when their morale gets low enough they'd break into the cargo stores - introducing another neat new needed feature, punishment/enforcing discipline.

You'd need a purser character to look after this, maybe you could handle it through a dialog with him... he'd have his own lodgings in your ship... same with a doctor, maybe a cook (though in pirate ships this was often enough a dual function).

Another crew morale booster I could try and do, if no one thinks it's too crass, is arranging the purchase of several 'jolly boats' from the QC brothel... a very real part of the seaman's sordid life after all.
 
<!--QuoteBegin-alan_smithee+Oct 20 2005, 07:16 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(alan_smithee @ Oct 20 2005, 07:16 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->- upon pain of death, mua ha ha!. (I'm tired of them drinking all the rum meant for smuggling into Douwesen.) And then when their morale gets low enough they'd break into the cargo stores - introducing another neat new needed feature, punishment/enforcing discipline.


<div align="right">[snapback]133369[/snapback]</div><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/24.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":rofl" border="0" alt="24.gif" /> Haaa, ha, ha, haaaa...... love it. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="xD:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />

Actually, all those ideas a great. Hope you can develop them to a practical working level. Good one, matey. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/me.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":onya" border="0" alt="me.gif" />

Something else I've been thinking about , that you've just reminded me of, is the actual officers positions on a ship. As it is, apart from having their starting stats weighted in the appropriate areas, officers are only officers in name only, i.e. the title doesn't do anything for us. After all anyone with at least 1 skill level in say "sailing" can be called a navigator and take command of a prize. My thinking is to have actual officers positions on the ship much like the original Sea Dogs. These job slots (some reworking of the passenger interface) would define the important skills for each officer. Now these positions can remain empty, be filled by anyone (with say negative modifiers to the related skills for that position), or by the appropriately titled officer who gets their full skills applied. Maybe out of position officers skills could be modified by -25% for First Mates as they would generally need to learn all aspects of a ships running, and -50% for all other officers who are much more job specific.

This would then make you seek out all the necessary officers for maximizing efficient running of the ship, as opposed to possibly having just three or four characters with high stats all round who can fill all the roles. Although Fred Bob is a favourite of mine, if you end up with a couple more high level characters like him it doesn't really matter what they're called.

Anyway, just a thought.

Cheers <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />
 
The skills are kind of lame, how anyone can do anything and they can all just get big beefy stats whoever they are. And I've never really noticed whether what an officer says he is is reflected at all in the distribution of his skills... though I'm made to understand it's now possible to find a doctor character with a high defence skill; I guess he's not anything special beyond that.

I just am not sure what might be done with any of that, to specialize the officers more and require you to get the whole set. I'm not sure I understand your suggestion...

An even bigger frustration of mine is when all my officers have gotten killed in a big fight while boarding a ship, so I have no one to help it... it makes me wish I could promote someone from within my own ranks, or even try and take a captured captain on as an officer.
 
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