Fixed item life

[Surly]

I know that this is relatively simple to implement, so I'd like to gauge player opinion.

What's the idea? To have two rot values for an item, one of which can be repaired and one of which can't.
What does that mean? That items will have a fixed "life". If you don't repair an item it'll still rot before the end of it's fixed life, but you can't keep repairing that bone knife indefinitely.
What will this add?It adds value to more expensive items (the knife over the bone knife, for instance). It also means items cannot last for ever and new ones must be made, which adds an element of consumption to the game which is sorely lacking at the moment.
Will it just be tools? In the short-term, yes. However, this idea could be used on machines and buildings.
A cosmetic point - how will it look? The system would introduce a new system of naming on two scales. (Well maintained-maintained-fairly maintained-poorly maintained-crumbling & Brand new-new-standard-old-antique for example. The naming needs work. )
How will it be balanced? Obviously this idea will require a large amount of RD time to create a balance. That is a large project, this wouldn't be brought in immediately, but the idea would be to balance the complexity of a tool against it's end-life.

I'm happy to answer questions, it's always good to develop an idea. So, let the criticism commence!

[Arenti]

I do like this idea.

[Rebma]

I'm also attracted to this idea, you're right, we do need consumption.

[Piscator]

Although I see the need for consumption, this idea appears strangely unattractive to me.

First of all, a fixed item duration seems pretty artificial and having to create permanent rot rates for all items opens the door for a new level of arbitrariness. It would probably be better to reduce the maximum durability of an item by a fixed amount per hour it is repaired. Items that are easy to repair would perma-rot slower and skill would have an effect on long-term usability of an item. (Awkward repairs would damage an item more than skillful ones.)

Secondly, the dual naming seems pretty ugly and would make item descriptions sound more awkward. A better solution should be found.

[catpurr]

If you repair an item "permanent damage" should be applied. That is the maximum level of repair declines a tiny bit per repair.

That way the more used something gets the more it needs repairing until its no more use.

[Lord_Igor]

An idea about implentation is to increase the minimum deterioration of objects over time. So after some time an object can no longer be repaired to brand new and then later not new and so on.

I'm against a future fixed life time for buildings. I think buildings should always be repairable, but with a material cost.

Maybe repairing with material cost could decrease the minimum deterioration of all objects (if it is implented that way). Although that could lower the increased consumption from this suggestion and the increased consumption was a main point of it.

On one hand, I think I would see fixed life time as an improvement. On the other hand, I dislike the current repair system and think it needs to be changed more at the bottom.
Though, I can't recall what kind of changes I had thought of.

[Piscator]

Maybe repairing with material cost could decrease the minimum deterioration of all objects (if it is implented that way). Although that could lower the increased consumption from this suggestion and the increased consumption was a main point of it.

If repairs would cost materials, it would increase consumption, not decrease it. That's actually the idea I would favour most.

[Lord_Igor]

I did not claim it would decrease consumption, just that it could decrease the increase from the suggestion. But that really depends on how the numbers are done. It would decrease the increase of new tool production.

Increasing new tool production would also increase the use of the tools needed to make tools and the necessary helping machines. That would not happen if things could always be repaired.
To clarify perhaps, I dislike that everything can be repaired with bare hands.

[Doug R.]

I'm also for materials being required to repair. It's more realistic, and achieves the objectives of the suggestion.

[B.M.T.]

But repairing items must be more profitable than making new(not bone tools)

[viktor]

i'm not liking the though about limited life of items, this is cantr we should always be able to repair items always. even in rl there are items hundreds upon hundreds of years old in pretty good shape and some very old things we do restore(repair)
why do things rot to nothing in rl, for the most part it is a lack of maintenance, if you have a sword from the first dynasty in china sitting in a damp cave for a hundred years all scraped up, then yes it will rust and when you find it, it willb e shot all to beat hell, but if you had the sword with you and kept it oiled or waxed to prevent rusting, it would NEVER rust(rot) it can get a few dings from usage but hey, we can resurface(repair) it to it's top condition, just an example, another example, very common is restoration of paintings or buildings like old monastaries etc... they degrade, we upgrade, brand spanking new, so.... what's this talk about permanent rot about? i mean, even the bloody pyramids AND thier contents are in great condition regardless of the 3000 years some of them have been without 1 damn minute of maitenance!

[Arenti]

I don't agree with your view of this is cantr so we should be able to repair items forever. Cantr can also be improved. And this will be a good improvement.

[viktor]

yes but don't forget the pyramids and the booty inside! mind condition in some cases after a few thousand years, 0 maintenance
in cantr sometimes items rot away in a couple decades just from being left in a room

that being said in rl we sometimes use resources to do heavy restorations.

[B.M.T.]

I think buildings wouldn't need repairs in a very long time, the same as vehicles.

[catpurr]

yes but don't forget the pyramids and the booty inside!

That why I consider fixed daily detoration stupid. Unrepairable detoriation should come with usage. 'cause show me something that has been used for a thousand years, thats what still left has been sealed to life in peace.

Edit: Also against polls in suggestions!