Smoker Trait

[S]

does anyone else feel like since they changed the smoker trait, its just way too punishing?
my character is constantly, and i mean constantly misereable and at a breaking point if they dont have a smoke in their mouth every second of every day. As an actual IRL smoker, it aint that horrible going a day or 3 with out a cigarette. Ive been needing to scavange for smokes, and read comics and books so often just so my fella here doesnt game-end themselves while im in the bathroom. I understand. its a negative trait, but this is just a liiiiiiittle too much. Smokes are hard to findd as it is, and it takes like 4-6 smokes to take anxiety down to zero. ?? I dont need half a pack to take the edge off, but idk. As an avid PZ player, i noticed this in my current playthrough and im lowkey getting annoyed.

Thoughts?

[Your Uncle Frank]

Yeah, this was a lot more o a gimme in build 41, and I mean... It's Kentucky... everybody smokes especially before the 2000s !

[J128MM]

For awhile in b42, smoker trait seemed to function the same as b41. However, cigarettes seemed to be harder to find, but only because in b41, they were incredibly easy to find.

B42 I've tried several runs, always taking smoker, always able to find tobacco products. Not a massive surplus like b41, but a manageable amount. One b42 save does have a massive surplus though. An entire carton and three pouches of loose tobacco for rolling or pipes. This all came within the first two weeks.

The most recent save, struggling to find cigs, yet still finding enough, however I somehow lost my pack so now I don't have any. I'm 100% okay with all of this and how things are going. On average, I always find enough or struggle at times, but that's okay because it's not permanent and when I find smokes, nothing else in the game compares when it comes to feeling rewarded. So realistic. Every broke smoker knows what it feels like to rip the car apart the day before payday, looking for a cig you think is there, and finding that old dry thing under the seat. It's exhilarating. The game actually does a great job of simulating the insanity of addiction, but not when cigarettes are abundant like b41. Now that I've lost my pack, my only mission is to find cigs and I'll drive across the map if I have to! Driving ten miles for just one? So worth it! LOL meanwhile, I should probably be fishing...

But recently a new update changed something and yes, I too am reaching for more books and whatever else to help take the edge off. They seemed bugged, but I can't be sure. Would you agree they seem bugged?

[Nordil(Hun)]

Originally posted by J128MM:

For awhile in b42, smoker trait seemed to function the same as b41. However, cigarettes seemed to be harder to find, but only because in b41, they were incredibly easy to find.

B42 I've tried several runs, always taking smoker, always able to find tobacco products. Not a massive surplus like b41, but a manageable amount. One b42 save does have a massive surplus though. An entire carton and three pouches of loose tobacco for rolling or pipes. This all came within the first two weeks.

The most recent save, struggling to find cigs, yet still finding enough, however I somehow lost my pack so now I don't have any. I'm 100% okay with all of this and how things are going. On average, I always find enough or struggle at times, but that's okay because it's not permanent and when I find smokes, nothing else in the game compares when it comes to feeling rewarded. So realistic. Every broke smoker knows what it feels like to rip the car apart the day before payday, looking for a cig you think is there, and finding that old dry thing under the seat. It's exhilarating. The game actually does a great job of simulating the insanity of addiction, but not when cigarettes are abundant like b41. Now that I've lost my pack, my only mission is to find cigs and I'll drive across the map if I have to! Driving ten miles for just one? So worth it! LOL meanwhile, I should probably be fishing...

But recently a new update changed something and yes, I too am reaching for more books and whatever else to help take the edge off. They seemed bugged, but I can't be sure. Would you agree they seem bugged?

What i experienced is that if i took smoker trait.
Finding smokes was not really an option. Even finding any kind of tobacco products was barely possible. In one of my better runs went for two weeks and found like a few cigarettes (5 i think) in a bar, when i scoured the floor tables etc. Found 2 cheeroots in cars and 1 chewing tobacco. And this was all.
If i dont take smoker i will be literally swimming in cigarettes in like within the week.
I have usually around ~50 in 4 days.
But if i take the smoker traits it almost seems like the vanish from houses or stores when i spawn in. Even gas stations dont have that, or stores.

Add to it the malus to mood, making you more prone to not be able to sleep properly due to stress, then the cough(no sneaking for you!), athletic is also out, and it is basicly just so not worth it.

[J128MM]

B42, the most likely place I'll find cigarettes is in vehicles. If I'm on a special mission to hunt down smokes, I'm hunting down vehicles. Locked door? Don't care. I smash the window, which is something I never did in b41, especially if the car was in good shape I'd want to preserve it thinking I might need it someday (I never did need those vehicles).

I haven't done a run without taking smoker trait so I have no experience to compare spawns. I remember you and I had a similar discussion months ago, trying to figure out if taking smoker trait leads to fewer tobacco spawns.

I still insist though, from my experience with several runs now on b42, locating tobacco hasn't been an issue. And I prefer never knowing what to expect. If I run out I don't see that as a flaw in design. More like a feature and a challenge I must overcome. After all, it is the life I signed up for. I choose fear of blood as well. Never once complained about having to wash the blood off when I have a moment and ensure everything is clean before bed (or you'll wake up in the middle of the night feeling frightened then can't get back to sleep without pills). These two traits combined create a nasty scenario for the player when all things are going wrong. Yet I've played like this for years and always find a way.

Something changed in a recent update though. Before and forever, I'd be stressed from being covered in blood and not having a smoke for awhile. Routine was get home, wash up, have smoke, and that always cleared up all the negative moodles. Now after going through this same routine, I'm still "tense" and sometimes even "agitated". Having one more smoke removes it entirely, or reading a book. This is new and I'm not sure if it's a bug or intended. Something is different though and unique to this most recent update for b42. Still manageable.

As for the cough, I don't mind. It's a nice touch. Adds some random excitement sometimes. Most times nobody is around to hear it. Sometimes it happens while I'm already out there blowing my whistle or harmonica (when you're hunting vehicles, they're often surrounded by zombies, until you blow the whistle, wait for them to approach you, then run to the car and look for smokes without breaking a sweat).

[PK_Ultra]

smoker isnt free points anymore, sry but most of us agree it needed rebalancing. enjoy the constant stress. its still good if u only use it for when u absolutely need to be calm.

[morry]

Originally posted by S:

As an actual IRL smoker, it aint that horrible going a day or 3 with out a cigarette.

as an actual smoker, even a minute without a cig in my pocket is hell, no smoking for 2-3 hours makes me suicidal depressed ♥♥♥♥. so pz's smoking trait is a joke compared to real life.

seems like u are not addicted, so be happy and stop smoking irl untill u can
edit: oh btw, when i have stress irl i smoke every 10 mins non stop, ig in zombie world stress is all u have around xD

[[PBS] Kafka Rambo]

I've been a smoker fore decades and honestly, sometimes me and my game character happen to cough simultaneously. I'm 100% happy with the added difficulty. After all, only time you really need to smoke is just before going to sleep, as it reduces the chance for a panicky wake up in the middle of the night.

[Limp Bisquick]

Originally posted by S:

Thoughts?

I think having points tied to individual traits is an outdated system that never made much sense. It is what it is but I don't think they make the best of the situation.

Anyways, There will always be traits that give 'free points' depending on the playstyle. Maybe it's just the culmination of changes that sucked the life out of this game but I don't bother with traits at all anymore when I go to test b42. Smoker changes, was it to enhance the trait or make it more interesting? No, they just nerf to nerf.

Originally posted by Nordil(Hun):

If i dont take smoker i will be literally swimming in cigarettes in like within the week.

Devs should put a disclaimer in the traits description if it affects looting chance. That's so bizarre if any of that is true.

Originally posted by morry:

seems like u are not addicted, so be happy and stop smoking irl untill u can

True. It's never too late to quit tho.

[yzeass]

Originally posted by morry:

Originally posted by S:

As an actual IRL smoker, it aint that horrible going a day or 3 with out a cigarette.

as an actual smoker, even a minute without a cig in my pocket is hell, no smoking for 2-3 hours makes me suicidal depressed ♥♥♥♥. so pz's smoking trait is a joke compared to real life.

Well, I have been smoking for decades. I can go for half the day without a smoke and it doesn't effect me more than maybe making me a bit irritable.

[william_es]

I'm old enough to remember when they outlawed smoking on planes. People would go frigging berserk. They'd get caught disabling the smoke detectors in the bathrooms, and they'd turn the plane back around to the gate. And this was before the plane even took off. Still on the tarmac rolling out. And the entire time they were being escorted off the plane they were throwing a temper tantrum.

So, sounds about normal.

[Nordil(Hun)]

Originally posted by Limp Bisquick:

Originally posted by Nordil(Hun):

If i dont take smoker i will be literally swimming in cigarettes in like within the week.

Devs should put a disclaimer in the traits description if it affects looting chance. That's so bizarre if any of that is true.

Honestly i have no clue. Just it does not matter where i spawn.
Take smoker and i cant seem to find any. In B41, it was usually on average 3 days till you managed to get your first smokes. Here i had runs where within 2 weeks the only thing i found was a single cheroot. Because there was no event that "spawned" some. (poker night for instance.) Breaking into cars, houses, restaurants did not matter.
And the stress in relations to smoking is a lot more punishing in regards to sleep.
I would say with all the malus currently the smoker trait offers 4 points is low for it, but that is just my oppinion. (If you take a low str low fitness character then smoker is even more punishing, as muscle strain requires you to rest, however since your "sleep time" will also be extended by 2-4-6 hours, depending how many times you awaken due to stress nightmares, then your actually playtime where you could achieve something with your character will be reduced quite a lot.)

[MrMinMax]

Originally posted by morry:

as an actual smoker, even a minute without a cig in my pocket is hell, no smoking for 2-3 hours makes me suicidal depressed ♥♥♥♥. so pz's smoking trait is a joke compared to real life.

Sounds like you have a physical addiction. Try pouches. Lower dosage ones.

I quit smoking fairly easy, but my addiction was mostly psychological, stress driven. I still crave it once in a blue moon, especially after alcohol. So it never goes away. I think because it affects the same dopamine circuit as cocaine.

[Limp Bisquick]

Originally posted by Nordil(Hun):

Originally posted by Limp Bisquick:

Devs should put a disclaimer in the traits description if it affects looting chance. That's so bizarre if any of that is true.

Honestly i have no clue. Just it does not matter where i spawn.
Take smoker and i cant seem to find any.

I never did a loot comparison between smoker and no smoker. From what I remember I'd mostly find them in cars in b42. I could see how that might make a run feel quite different if not getting any luck from that. They'd still spawn in gas stations, bars, the usual places but was rare in my experience.

Frick man, swear I saw several other posts earlier. Did a mod delete the post about looting causing unhappiness??

Reminded me about smokers stressing out when looting corpse, wonder if that's still a thing.

[feeWAIVER]

Originally posted by S:

does anyone else feel like since they changed the smoker trait, its just way too punishing?
my character is constantly, and i mean constantly misereable and at a breaking point if they dont have a smoke in their mouth every second of every day. As an actual IRL smoker, it aint that horrible going a day or 3 with out a cigarette.
Thoughts?

Are you kidding? As I smoker, I can go 2 hours max.

[Nordil(Hun)]

Originally posted by Limp Bisquick:

Originally posted by Nordil(Hun):

Honestly i have no clue. Just it does not matter where i spawn.
Take smoker and i cant seem to find any.

I never did a loot comparison between smoker and no smoker. From what I remember I'd mostly find them in cars in b42. I could see how that might make a run feel quite different if not getting any luck from that. They'd still spawn in gas stations, bars, the usual places but was rare in my experience.

Frick man, swear I saw several other posts earlier. Did a mod delete the post about looting causing unhappiness??

Reminded me about smokers stressing out when looting corpse, wonder if that's still a thing.

I actually only find smokes in gas stations and even in bars if i don't take smoker.
I tried i think Mulrough bar and WP downtown bar(across the cafe) with smoker and non smoker. If i take non smoker i find cigarettes, if smoker i am lucky to find a one or two cigarettes on the tables. Gas stations i checked as smoker nada. Without smoker i sometimes find them. Interestingly as non smoker i find lighters instead of smokes:D
A ton. As non-smoker finding matches and lighter is a bit harder.

Regarding deletion, no clue.
Folks themselves can delete their reply, and the thread opener until a certain number of reply posts (i think 10? or 15?) he can also delete his own thread.

But i prolly should stop posting. As the only time i launch PZ is when i test out something that is mentioned as regarding a vanila bug, or when i misclick.
To me playing the game became so tedious and unrewarding i shifted to other stuff.