Suggestion : Radiation (Poisoning) Mechanics

SpwnX · Oct 10th 2013

Currently, radiation is a mere wither III effect, which doesnt explore the full effects of radiation poisoning effects. I propose some changes.

Radiation Points (RP): A new way to determine the amount of radiation a player has received and the effects of it.
Every second, the player can absorb RP from either "Radioactive Air" (Blocks in the world are the source) or by items in the backpack.

Lets start with RP source blocks :

All Radioactive Blocks "produces" Radioactive Air blocks.
Radioactive air has a Radiation Level (RL), depending on how close to a source it is.
Example :
Uranium ore has a RL of 3
Side view :

= Uranium ore:Empty Cell: = RL 0 (Common Air block) :Intergrated Heat Dispenser: = RL 1 (Radioactive Air 1) :Intergrated Plating: = RL 2 (Radioactive Air 2) :Iridium: = RL 3 (Radioactive Air 3)

Radioactive Air is produced/renewed by radioactive sources every 5 minutes (or by block placement/activation).
It takes the same amount of time to a radioactive air block to decay 1% or one level (if the source is missing), whichever is bigger.
That way, if you mine an uranium ore, it will take 15 minutes to the radiation around where it was to vanish completely.

Radioactive Air will try to spread through blocks, given enough radiation level :
Example :
:Nuke TNT::Compressed Plantball::Tin Ore::Tin Ore::Tin Ore: :Iridium::Intergrated Plating::Intergrated Heat Dispenser::Empty Cell:

:Nuke TNT: = Radioactive source of 7 (or an Radioactive air 8 ):Compressed Plantball:= RL 7 (Radioactive Air 7) :Tin Ore: = Any Block (different from lead as it will be used to block radiation)

Radioactive air RL lowering (farther from source) is 5% or 1 level, whichever is bigger.
Example :
:Nuke TNT::Iridium::Intergrated Plating:...

:Nuke TNT: = Detonation center of nuke with 64 Pu (RL of 13824) :Iridium: = Radioactive Air of RL 13132 (5% lower than center) :Intergrated Plating: = Radioactive Air of RL 12476 (5% lower than previous air)

Radiation Source Level of blocks:
Uranium ore : 3
Nuclear Reactor : 15 * Number of Active Cells [Therefore, Reactors with more nuclear fuel will yield more radiation]
Uranium block (GT?) : 40
Active RTG : 20
Detonated Nuke Center : RL of radioactive material * stacksize

As mentioned before, Lead blocks will completely block the spread of radioactive air by source blocks(effectively confining radiation, if the area is completely isolated with lead blocks).

Now, Item RP Sources Radiation Level:
Uranium Ore : 2
U238 : 2
Tiny U235 : 8
U235 : 72
Fuel cell (Uranium) : 30
Depleted Fuel cell (Uranium) : 40
Tiny Pu : 25
Pu : 216
Fuel cell (MOX) : 650
Depleted Fuel cell (MOX) : 750
RTG Pellet : 100

Radiation Points Absorbed every second :
Radiation Level of Air block in the head + Sum of RL of radioactive items in the backpack (stacksize does matter)
RP absorbed is reduced by 95% if a full hazmat suit is equipped.

Radiation Points dissipation :
RP naturally decreases 0,005% of total points, rounded up, or 1 point every second, whichever is bigger.
Eating Terra Wart decreases RP by 1% or 200 points, whichever is bigger. [Prussian blue]

Radiation Points Effects :
RP < 25k - No Radiation sickness, no effects.
RP > 25k - Radiation Sickness I : Mining Fatigue I
RP > 50k - Radiation Sickness II : Slowness and Mining Fatigue I
RP > 75k - Radiation Sickness III : Slowness and Mining Fatigue I , Nausea for 10s every minute
RP > 100k - Radiation Sickness IV : Slowness and Mining Fatigue II, Nausea for 20s every minute
RP > 125k - Radiation Sickness V : Slowness and Mining Fatigue III, damage equal to poison I, Nausea for 30s every minute
RP > 150k - Radiation Sickness VI : Slowness and Mining Fatigue IV, damage equal to wither I (will eventually kill the player), permanent nausea.
RP > 175k - Radiation Sickness VII : Slowness and Mining Fatigue V, Blindness I damage equal to wither II, permanent nausea.
RP > 200k - Radiation Sickness VIII : Slowness and Mining Fatigue V, Blindness II, damage equal to wither III, permanent nausea.

Radiation Points detection:
Geiger Counter, while inside inventory, will measure the air block radiation level and your current RP. It is an electric item and will use 0,1 EU/t to do so.
If possible, when a geiger counter is available, a small HUD will appear on the screen showing the info.

TSlavo · Oct 10th 2013

This is an interesting idea, though would you also consider the differences in energetic particles when applying the radiation effect?

For instance say you're standing right next to your active reactor full of uranium. Fission of Uranium emits Gamma radiation, which is on the energetic side of the spectrum and highly damaging, or in scientific terms it's considered "ionizing radiation" This is where your Lead blocks would come handy as lead does reduce the intensity well though depleted uranium would work a bit better as it's a higher atomic number and higher density.

There's also Alpha and Beta radiation.

Alpha radiation is ..well..weak. A sheet of paper could stop it for instance, as could your skin. But if you ingest it, then you're rather unfortunate.

Beta is stronger but still easily foiled by..well..foil. Aluminum foil, real aluminum foil not the stuff called aluminum foil but isnt.

just a thought, and a suggestion to your suggestion.

SpwnX · Oct 10th 2013

Ionizing radiation, gamma, was the only one taken in consideration as it is the major one, the other types would only add pointless complexity.

Epic Lulz · Oct 10th 2013

Alpha radiation we can ignore as it can be blocked easily by human skin.

We can count out beta radiation by assuming that Steve's skin can block it.

Chocohead · Oct 10th 2013

Quote from Epic Lulz

Alpha radiation we can ignore as it can be blocked easily by human skin.

We can count out beta radiation by assuming that Steve's skin can block it.

Beta radiation can only go like 15cm in air anyway. Alpha goes like 2-5:P

MatLaPatate · Oct 10th 2013

Well, Alpha is considered as the most dangerous IRL ... not directly, but when radioactive stuff spread, alpha radiations are extremly dangerous (when you inhale these stuff mostly). And Alpha rad. are also more likely to generate some others radioactive nucleus (and thus contaminating the medium).

TuxedoSteve · Oct 10th 2013

I don't agree that nukes should generate radiation by default, as they are now crafted with just thick neutron reflectors and some advanced circuits and machines casings (I think), no radioactive materials at all. Though, if possible it could generate different amounts of radiation based off how much of different types of radioactive materials are present in the GUI.

SpwnX · Oct 10th 2013

Quote from TuxedoSteve

I don't agree that nukes should generate radiation by default, as they are now crafted with just thick neutron reflectors and some advanced circuits and machines casings (I think), no radioactive materials at all. Though, if possible it could generate different amounts of radiation based off how much of different types of radioactive materials are present in the GUI.

Ops, forgot about that rework. I just think that it shouldnt generate at all, as whenever someone puts radioactive material in it, is to explode it!
Added Fuel cells values. (double and quad are just x2 and x4)

TuxedoSteve · Oct 10th 2013

Lol, holding a double/quad MOX cell would be deadlier then being at the center of a nuclear crater. Also would the radiation values of a reactor be higher if using MOX over Uranium?

Edit: For the radiation level emitted by a Nuke, I think it should be something like: Type of radioactive material used * Stacksize of radioactive material on detonation.

RawCode · Oct 11th 2013

does not matter as long as you can drop everything to chest and die near bed.

SpwnX · Oct 11th 2013

Quote from RawCode

does not matter as long as you can drop everything to chest and die near bed.

You could also make chests be a radiation source, depending on amount of items, just more trouble to code.
If that happens, a lead chest would be necessary to store all nuclear crap.

LinusPhoenix · Oct 11th 2013

Seems like a pretty interesting mechanic. I think the numbers should be that without machines or a massive storage of nuclear stuff, nothing should really happen. But once you get a reactor going or have some fuel cells you need to take some measures against the radiation. Maybe also adding reactor components which don't manage heat, but isolote against the massive radiation?

SpwnX · Oct 11th 2013

Quote from LinusPhoenix

Seems like a pretty interesting mechanic. I think the numbers should be that without machines or a massive storage of nuclear stuff, nothing should really happen. But once you get a reactor going or have some fuel cells you need to take some measures against the radiation. Maybe also adding reactor components which don't manage heat, but isolote against the massive radiation?

That what the lead blocks around the reactor are for.
Therefore you have to wear a hazmat suit to manage a working reactor (and the components), or you will get too much RP and get sick.

Edit : Added some more mechanics, regarding too high radioactive air levels. [5% lower or one level, whichever is bigger]

LinusPhoenix · Oct 11th 2013

And then reactors also generate radioactive water which you have to managa too.
Nah just kidding, industrial pollution is a whole another concept which I think would definitely prove a good challenge

But yeah, I would love to play IC² with a radiation mechanic

SpwnX · Oct 11th 2013

Quote from LinusPhoenix

And then reactors also generate radioactive water which you have to managa too.
Nah just kidding, industrial pollution is a whole another concept which I think would definitely prove a good challenge

But yeah, I would love to play IC² with a radiation mechanic

Radioactive water could be implemented together with air, with same mechanics and that water wouldn't be collectable, unless someone uses a special pump called "radioactive water treatment pump", which uses terra wart and lots of energy to collect and clean up that water.

Swimming in radioactive water would be as harmful as breathing radioactive air, therefore it will depend on RL.

LinusPhoenix · Oct 11th 2013

One could also include mechanics similar to Thaumcraft's Flux. The more pollution in an area, the more bad things happen. Let's say you put 10 Radioactive Water Source blocks in a chunk. That chunk would for example lose its ability to grow crops or something. You could do so many things with it..A new mod called PollutiCraft? And not just radioactive stuff, many processes produce a ton of waste which you'd have to manage, I guess.

SpwnX · Oct 11th 2013

For air polution (not radiation, as it is not chunk-wise, concentrated in a specific area) the thaumcraft idea would work.
The more polluted the chunk, the less crops will grow, efficiency of coal-fired generators are reduced... sight is reduced...

RawCode · Oct 11th 2013

blocks will be too resource intensive.

most efficient way:

if pollution reach value of 10 - air poisoned, if 20 - water poisoned, if 30 - everything poisoned and soo on, replacing large bodies of water or air with custom block will harm performance a lot.

LinusPhoenix · Oct 11th 2013

And in the end, one might include waste products for every machine - although that's probably somethign rather for GT since it will make it more difficult and would make more sense with large machines instead of one block machines

TuxedoSteve · Oct 11th 2013

If there would be a reactor component that stops radiation, I think the Containment Reactor Plating would do it. It is made with lead and main purpose is lowering explosion power, but lowering radiation a bit would also be reasonable.

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