Sleep vs. Rest

[warrenchmobile]

To gain the Rested buff, one may either sleep or sit down and rest in proximity to a fire. Either one gives the player the basic Rested buff. The length of the Rested buff may be extended by increasing the comfort level but it doesn't matter whether one sleeps or rests.

As near as I can tell, the only differences between sleeping and resting are:

1) sleeping requires a bed the player has claimed, setting it as the current respawn point;

2) sleeping fast forwards the player in time to daybreak the following morning;

3) a player may rest at any time of day but only sleep in the afternoon, evening, or night;

4) a player may dream while sleeping but not while resting.

A player may choose to sleep rather than rest in order to change the respawn point or because he/she can't pass the time productively at night. A player may choose to rest rather than sleep to keep from changing the respawn point or because he/she doesn't have the Rested buff and it is morning in the game, precluding sleep. Aside from adding atmosphere to the game, dreaming seems to do nothing at present.

In the real world, of course, one cannot act at full efficiency without sleep except in the short term. This should be reflected in the game. Some ideas are:

a) requiring a player to sleep in a bed to add the bed's increase to the comfort level;

b) having skill levels deteriorate for each 24 hour period a player goes without sleep to be fully restored upon sleeping;

c) reducing the player's field of vision for each 24 hour period he/she goes without sleeping;

d) increasing the length of the Rested buff the morning after those nights in which a player dreams.

Note: I can hear the cursing of the Northmen already.

[warrenchmobile]

Update: I started a new game with a new viking to test sleep vs. rest. After 26 in-game days I beat Eikthyr, the first boss, I also built three shacks, two of which have beds. I only claimed one of the two because the house it graces is close to a Eikthyr spawn altar.

I have not yet slept preferring to rest by the fire at night. If a bed is present, the length of the Rested buff is the same whether one sleeps or rests. The only differences I see are that I don't dream and I don't fast forward in time to daybreak.

I see no benefit to dreaming. Sitting all night in the house gives me plenty of time to gear up and plan for the next day. Or dash to the fridge for a beer.

Finally, if I need to break away to do something in real life, the best time to do it is while resting at night. So far, any Rest buff lost by logging out is regained by daybreak anyway.

[Pantstron]

I agree it would be nice to get some benefit from sleep but if it's too much of a benefit people may see it as being forced to sleep. Right now it leans more to the side of there's no real point to sleep except wait the night out in safety and fast-forward time, which also fast-forwards smelting/milling/thread etc. I think a small buff to a dream and changes which dream you get. Vision being obscured slightly is an interesting idea you have.