The Withering

[Howlando]

IC'ly it's a horrible curse that PCs should rightly be concerned about. The ambient messages are there to remind you periodically that you're getting messed up, but by no means do you need to roleplay/respond to each one.

OOC'ly it's intended to be a fun mechanic, a survival challenge, something to make the server interesting - a challenge to be defeated, or endured, and so on. I'd also add that the rates in many areas is basically negligible, but certainly some intense areas with loads of H'bala undead are a lot more dangerous in this way.

[Pup]

That actually makes me feel quite a bit different about the Withering Curse, Howland.  I was never terribly concerned about it OOCly, but I always felt a bit bad about not RPing the effects.  Glad to know it's more for flavor than to be portrayed by my char all the time.

[The Old Hack]

I try to RP the effects when I feel it is dramatically appropriate. I actually feel it would be kind of awesome to be in the middle of some dramatic confrontation or duel only to be temporarily incapacitated by Withering, causing you to lose the fight. Admittedly that would be going fairly far as it might cost your character a lot.

Still, a better way to lose a duel than to drink a Bloodhaze potion thinking it is awesome >.<

[prestonhunt]

Bloodhaze IS awesome.  If you are alone and surrounded by enemies.

[Bearic]

I try to RP the effects when I feel it is dramatically appropriate. I actually feel it would be kind of awesome to be in the middle of some dramatic confrontation or duel only to be temporarily incapacitated by Withering, causing you to lose the fight. Admittedly that would be going fairly far as it might cost your character a lot.
 
Still, a better way to lose a duel than to drink a Bloodhaze potion thinking it is awesome >.<

 Reltching and vomiting while being asked about your faith is the best, the best I say!
 
 
 I rather enjoy the messages myself, and the reactions you get from other players once flies circle over head. The panic expressed by all characters around makes any mechnical disadvantage worth the role play.

[Vlaid]

When I was playing EFU, the withering more often felt like a penalty for exploring the more interesting, father out areas. Maybe this is one of the reasons people don't like going out on the interesting exploration treks as much as they once did. Even just standing out in the wilds RPing/talking while exploring feels like you're wasting valuable withering time....

Nobody likes going out exploring and coming back with half their supplies, a lost level, and more withering to show for their trouble.

While I was in the Order it often got to a point where a lot of the factional members couldn't/wouldn't go out of town because they were slowly trying to get their withering reduced from the charity of clerics....but it takes forever because of the steep incline of withering the more withered you are (and the fact that lower remove curses from items/lower level clerics seems to do almost nothing).

[SkillFocuspwn]

I really think people should embrace the fact that EfU is different and challenging rather than worrying about it. I mean, I know nobody came here for a survival horror game but I think it adds so much ambiance and so much more of a constant presence of H'bala that it makes EfU:M one of my favourite environments for EfU. And think of how badass it is going out and getting withered up because your character refuses to stop fighting rather than hiding in the mist until they're better!

[RuinedDesires]

And think of how badass it is going out and getting withered up because your character refuses to stop fighting rather than hiding in the mist until they're better!

And is then forced to become one of her undead minions, and fighting on the other side.

That sir, is living the dream!

[SkillFocuspwn]

Better to actually play your character than play a villager, tbh

[Bobbybrown]

i would prefer to play my character than a zombie

[Jagged]

The Withering is pretty cool and rightfully feared, but the fact that PC treatments seem so ineffective might be a large disincentive to folks.

I mean, they're 150 XP a hit. Multiple applications ought to be a tad more noticeable.

Currently, NPC treatments are far more cost effective than the player interaction based alternative.

[The Old Hack]

I rather second this, at least as far as PC attitude to PC treatments goes. I recently attempted to treat a character for Withering, one who had arrived at the stage with flies. I used two of the gnoll powder packages, feeling that it was IC to attempt to aid and taking the 300 XP hit in stride. Another PC then informed me that I was an idiot to even try and that it was a waste of effort. *sigh* So much for enjoying the roleplay anyway.

[TheBarmaid]

Better to actually play your character than play a villager, tbh

My character is a villager

[The Old Hack]

Better to actually play your character than tell other players how to play theirs, TO BE HONEST.

[Egon the Monkey]

What might help perceptions of it is if the DMs could confirm a few things that will make Remove Curse more effective, so that players wanting to deal with Withering could make PCs able to do so. I understand that there's meant to be an air of desperation and mystery with regards to full cures, but if some things are known to help a bit, a PC can focus on using them as treatments.

Does Spell School: Abjuration help? What about SF/GSF? You can't really experiment IC to see how much it removes, as Diagnose Withering is a vague tool. I think that knowing what helps Remove Curse be more effective would make game for PCs as they could focus on how they're going to get more Prayers/Spellcraft Gear/whatever else might help in this example.

As for ignoring the fact someone is heavily Withered, general NPC responses have been on the lines of treating them as pariahs from what I've seen. So if you want to be able to hang around Mistlocke, you want to keep it below the stages where there are obvious effects.

Talking to players of Watcher PCs, I've heard one who mentioned pretty much all their XP was going on Remove Curse because they were fighting on withered areas, and it still wasn't helping. As a side note to that, possibly more PCs would be willing to offer Remove Curse if the XP loss was split between caster and target. Obviously with a Do You Accept This Curse Removal dialog.