Apples, whiskey, etc. When you have them in your inventory, you have to option to consume them, but as far as I can tell, it has no effect on restoring health or mana. What exactly does eating do in the game?

Jude

These go back to a big food/water requirement that was removed from Book I. Book II will have food/water requirements for your character.

I thought I saw an increase in Mana or Health when I consumed some. Or was it just good timing with my regen rates? Also you can always sell them at any inn.

You are correct- food does give you a little bump of health. It's just not required that you eat or drink in Book I.

Yes, every time I eat an apple my mana goes up (+2). Everything else it just says your not hungary anymore or something like that.

I'm curious, why was the food and water requirement removed from Book I?

Popular demand.

Somewhere buried in the forums is a poll asking people's preference. "No food or water requirements" led the poll after 4 months and so we went that direction (although, after the code was altered, I believe the poll swung back the other way!).

It's already in Book II and I enjoy it. It makes "heading out into the wild" a more meaningful experience....your fill your water skins, stock up on food and potions, make sure your equipment is in good condition. But the biggest way food/water alters the gameplay is that people can't camp non-stop. Fleeing, camping, and returning to battle only works for a short while because you have a finite amount of food/water on you, and when you run low you have to retreat.

Are we to assume that equipment (armour, weapons and such) degrade with usage?

That's the plan. More on this when the game is officially announced in May.

I hope that now with food requirement there wont be random encounters during camping.Its really anoying.

Why should the food requirement exclude random encounters? If you camp and light a camp fire it may attract something. But, I believe the random encounter should be either beneficial or deterimental.

For example, a wizard sees your camp fire and interrupts your slumber to share your food or water The wizard teaches you a spell as a reward for your kindness. Or it could be deterimental as it is in Book I.

OMG thank god, heheh you know how hard I pushed for this before Basilisk.

Well, if food has a similar sort of relevance to the game as darkness does in Book 1 -- torch supplies, ToHit penalties, and dark enough that night time in the forest really is dark enough that resting really is the most sensible thing to do if you don't want to miss something important -- then I think food could be a really interesting addition to the game.

My only problem with food in games in general is that it's usually either completely trivial, or its benefits/necessity are outweighed by the annoyances of having to feed everyone every so often. "Realism" is all well and good, I suppose, but there's got to be a point to it in the game, too, otherwise it ends up being more of a hindrance than an aid.

Thankfully, Book 2 sounds like it's heading in the right direction in this regard, IMO.

I'm just hoping they have a change of heart and leave out the eating requirement. I love book I, but eating requirements have always been a deal killer for me.

My list of deal killers in games is below. If I read any of these in a game description, I put the box back on the shelf.:

1. Eating requirement
2. Gathering resources (in many RTS games)
3. Card battling
4. Escort mission

I know it's more realistic, but so are bathroom breaks. I don't want to have either in a game.
When realism doesn't add to the fun, it just becomes annoying.

I absolutely love book 1 and hope book 2 isn't ruined by this.
Personally, this would ruin it for me.

Maybe there could be a config file somewhere and I could change the requirement line from a 1 to a 0. That'd be fine.

Jhorto1,

The best any game designer can do is to try and please most of the people most of the time.

Whereas a food requirement is a deal breaker for you it adds to the game for me. I have to decide whether a trek across a desert is worth the risk of dying from thirst or stavation if I run out of food and water.

The game could also allow me to hunt for food and water instead of just buying it. When I rest food and water would be consumed.

I like being able to walk into a gambling hall and play a game within a game. Like some of the Might and Magic RPGs.

Neverwinter Nights II had you roleplaying as the Captain of the Keep, part of the fun was finding ore during quests so the armor amd weapon makers could make their wares.

You had to raise an army to defend the keep, equip and train them. If it is woven into the story properly it can be quite enjoyable.

But, I have been playing RPGs since the days when the only automap was the one you drew.