Suggestion: Mental Health Gameplay

[JonathanDanger]

Suggestion: I think we should have a small expansion to the health system to make mental health and the psychiatry role more gameplay oriented.

Despite proactivity, I have never really had a super engaging time in the psychiatrist role. I'm sure many great players have made something cool out of it, but I have often thought it would be very fun to adapt new small features to it. No remaking the wheel, mind.

Ideas: Just a few improvised ideas to illustrate. Perhaps a precedent for mental health affects by witnessing something such as a murder or a death, or a terrifying creature. Perhaps the affect could be distributed via invisible mental health fields that encompass the visual area of an event when it happens. Then, give psychiatrists an ability/power that can emulate the positive impacts of verbal therapy.

I realize one of the main setbacks to integrating mental health gameplay is the possibility to take away player agency. A player may say "my character wouldn't be traumatized by that!". Then maybe we add traits associated to resiliency to certain effects, and have them automatically put on jobs like doctors and security. This could be further expanded on, like making people who witness legion for too long going insane, or other such concepts. Then, expanding on different mental health statuses, like depression and anxiety, beyond just flavor text and open up avenues for more consequential roleplay. Please let me know your thoughts and feedback on this idea, as I am a player on and off over the years and I'm sure this has been brought up before. 

[procdrone]

I feel like this would add way too much bloat only to give psychiatrist something to do. Psych is a RP role, and as such, "make your own fun" role. Adding mechanics to it IMO would hamper that aspect.

My advice to make psych more engaging - don't just wait around for things to happen. YOU cause things to happen. mental inspections of command, security, prisoners, doing psych-related events to make your time more engaging. Unleash your creativity!

[Autocephalophagy]

Alternatively make psych related thing a part of SOP. Like a psychological evaluation is required before permaing a non-EOC prisoner or demoting a head of staff.

[Sadhorizon]

I would like if psychologist was, indeed, kept as an RP role.

 

 

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Alternatively make psych related thing a part of SOP. Like a psychological evaluation is required before permaing a non-EOC prisoner or demoting a head of staff.

I do not necessarily think this being required is the way to go.

Keep in mind that, if player even wants to RP with psych to begin with, therapies take time. A lot of it even. It being required is, simply, impossible to handle by a singular psychologist.

I would much prefer if SOP mentioned NOTIFYING psychologist about the perma prisoners/demoted people instead, so that he s aware and can help them once he is free.

 

 

Or, better yet, simply give perma prisoners an option to easily schedule a meeting with psych. If they need one, they can just ask. But I guess that is just a radio.... just, map a paper into perma that says "Do you feel insecure? Schedule a meeting with your Nanotrasen-Issued Psychologist!", so that prisoners are reminded that they kinda can.

Edited June 17, 2023 by Sadhorizon

[Veterankyl]

Perhaps if there was some desire to add some form of mechanical gameplay to psych, they could have the ability to identify when someone is under the effect of a mind-control effect? I often see people who are mindslaved, wololooed, or thralled by vampires end up in permabrig half way through a round and are abandoned by their master. Since these methods of mind control aren't obvious, a person could go a whole round undiscovered, even if they do get caught, searched, and permabrigged.

A psych could perform an 'Evaluation' action on a person, and after spending some time with them, they could get an indication of what might be affecting them. Messages like "This person's movements are unnaturally rigid and forced." "This person seems unfocused despite being awake and aware." "This person twitches like they hear something that's not there." It would give the crew a means of checking for these kinds of mind controls without having to metagame or have the victim drop (sometimes quite obvious) hints that something is wrong.

[procdrone]

psych being able to confirm and undo mind control from various antagonists would be, indeed, nice mechanic to have. It should take a very long action time, but having this option would be indeed nice.

Edited June 19, 2023 by procdrone

[JonathanDanger]

The bloat argument makes a lot of sense! I appreciate the feedback. I just do mental health crisis and stuff in real life and its a bummer that there are no mental health elements to gameplay. Other players don't tend to wanna RP psych much with me (I fully understand that's a personal problem on my part.) The mind control thing is a good idea. I am going to try to think of ideas that can add more of a fun gimmick that doesn't disrupt gameplay flow with bloat.

One other idea...Mannitol just instantly solving brain damage without any treatment kinda makes brain damage as inconsequential as a bruise. Maybe a brief treatment/tool from psychiatrist that just cures brain damage? Something relatively as quick as mannitol, but a reason for someone to say "go to the psychiatrist to get help with that." I'd be satisfied with just one or two things really. Or even just have any starting mannitol at psych. The mind slave thing is also a great idea. I just want psych to at least have a niche utility like, say, Chaplain or something.

 

I like the RP elements too, I really do, but I think it can have just a bit of real utility. Like anything. For example IAA is a heavy proactivity requiring roleplay job, but it does have potentially real utility for the station by aiding productivity and adds a layer of accountability to things which is great. Even a small but practical gimmick. Do you guys get what I mean? Maybe I should have my specific ideas more straight before speaking more on the topic.

[Sirryan2002]

It would be cool to have some project zomboid esque features, with the sound effects and all. I don't particularly love how there's no consequence for being ridiculously violent as a non-antag character; it would be nice for your average greytider to be shocked/shaken-up after beating some rando into crit. 

[JonathanDanger]

Good example of a type of mechanic that can work. I think it's possible to  add a light MH mechanic without it being bloated. Maybe lighter consequences that would only actually become something bigger if unattended to for a long time.

[JonathanDanger]

Folks that would prefer it stay RP, I think you are the best peeps to get some ideas from... If there WAS a light mental health mechanic, what ideas would you have that wouldn't mess up the current gameplay flow? OR Is there anything you would add that just lends more to the RP experience without really adding any new mechanics? Thanks :)

Edited June 19, 2023 by JonathanDanger

[Landerlow]

From what I have noticed when playing psychologist .. it's really a hit-or-miss when it comes to gameplay/things to do. Even if you improvise, there are not always people who want to play along. 

I once had a Diona (Or Nian, not 100% sure) come to me (I was psychologist) because they were nervous because of their upcoming botany exam. We had some amazing  roleplay. 

There's also been an instance of someone setting up shock therapy with a shower and an electrified grille. It was amazing. :D

[JonathanDanger]

What about antags or other role types that simply have a person take on mental ill type role. Like a serial killer that has to kill people in some specific way like with a knife, but can be cured of their psychopathy ect ect. Or a crazy arsonist.

[Sadhorizon]

In my eyes, forcing psychs to deal with ANY mechanical illness, will just kill the role for current players, who just want to chill and roleplay.

Making them deal with antags would basically create chaplain 2 - an RP-focused support role, that some people would play JUST IN CASE they can deal with an antag.

 

As Lander said, it is a hit-or-miss wether people do RP with you, but I would say it is a completely different problem no mechanic can fix. If we want to make an RP-focused role more needed in a round, we would need people to RP more. Simple as.

Edited June 21, 2023 by Sadhorizon

[JonathanDanger]

Very good points on antags sadhorizon. I should remember that most people that play psych get a lot out of the low pressure RP opportunities. As for the chaplain 2 comment, you are dead on. That is exactly what I was suggesting. I think psych would do well in a RP focused role with niche support gameplay. However, if that's not what most players want with it, then it really does go back to the matter of RP in general, which I won't touch because like you said that's just a bigger issue. I think the bottom line is I'd love if we threw in some more for the psych. Maybe a new toy, more starting medications in the locker. Something. I think unless I hear others agree with me about gameplay, I'm going to step down from that argument after your point on what current players want from the role. It would be dumb to mess that up. Any current psych players have ideas about what could be thrown in the office to make some more fun? No hard angles here. I just want to keep exploring it.

[JonathanDanger]

Also still super interested to hear ideas, but I think I'll bring it to discord as well. Any fun ideas that wouldn't muck anything up for current players? :)

[Rosebrandon0]

I feel like it's already annoying enough to have to feed my character, and run to medbay for a vaccine pill every 10 minutes of gameplay. I would hate to have to manage my character's mental health and any punishing status effects. I can already imagine getting frustrated that my character is getting on their feet from slips slower because they're depressed or whatever.

Keep psychiatrist how it's always been. You're an assistant with an office and adjency to roleplay perscribing people meth.

[Rythen]

On 6/17/2023 at 4:06 PM, Sadhorizon said:

I would much prefer if SOP mentioned NOTIFYING psychologist about the perma prisoners/demoted people instead, so that he s aware and can help them once he is free.

I think this is a great idea tbh.  Not even just for perma prisoners but just for people given sentences in brig in general. 

Rather than making it SOP I think it'd be even better just as like an automatic notification type thing.  However, I dont' think we have an easy way for such notifications from both the job computer and brig to be delivered to a specific person so not sure how it would be done.  But I like the idea that if psych is looking for potential interactions they can choose to follow up on these notifications or just ignore them.

Edited June 29, 2023 by Rythen