Rob said:
If it's going to be done, it'll have to be very well thought out, so that it's useful/fun and most importantly relevant to the game. Otherwise, it's better leaving it out.
Its fine with me if its just a fun mechanic, something silly you can do that adds fun elements into the game. It doesnt have to be useful.
But maybe you mean something like, being at a tavern and drinking with a buddy to get information? Or something like that?
Hey, I don't disagree with you guys!!!
By "relevant to the game", I didn't mean necessarily that is has to be "useful", or built into the storyline, etc.
Rather, I just meant that if it is implemented, they'll have to be careful to make sure that it doesn't feel like it's just been put in as an unnecessary add-on as an afterthought, for the sake of it, like a mini-game. That would be an immersion-breaker. Ultimately, if it is put into the game then it should feel natural in it's place, like it fits in well with the overall theme of the game... which is realism and immersion. However, to comply with this doesn't mean you can't have fun!!!
For example, in the Witcher you got drunk on various occasions. Arguably, there were two states: intoxicated and sober. That's not really realistic. When intoxicated, you moved ridiculously slowly, in a very deterministic manner. That's not really realistic. I'll let the Witcher off, since that was innovation back in 2007. However, to repeat similar-fashioned mechanics in 2014's Sui Generis would be a fail.
Perhaps a more realistic implementation of drunkenness might be:
- gradual affect of drinking alcohol - drinking more than some predefined amount (a few pints?) affects movement, slightly, using physics (e.g. top-heavy centre of mass to put you off balance, add stochastic elements to make you wobble), with increased effect stacking as you drink more and more, until becoming paralytic if you force your character to drink more and more. Eventually they might be sick and pass out.
- Drinking alcohol affects the way people see you - for example, other drinkers might see you more favourably, whilst some religious people or teetotallers might treat you with disdain.
- Drinking alcohol affects the way you interact with other people. Drinking a relatively small amount might relax you, make you more charismatic, and generally have a positive affect on people. However, drinking too much might overly reduce your inhibitions, make you incapable of coming across well, and generally have a negative affect on people. This should be on a gradual scale.
- Drinking more and more, on a regular basis, should naturally increase your tolerance to alcohol. This will change the gradient of the affects I describe above. Raising your tolerance might make you able to stay coherent, whilst cunningly getting information out of someone you wanted to question, who you decided to get drunk to loosen their tongue. Also, increased tolerance would help you to stand more chance of winning any drinking competitions that you may become involved in.
But that's just a few ideas. Basically, by "relevant to the game", I meant "thought out well and comprehensively".