ACE Medical System update is now live !!!
As you’re no doubt aware, ACE released their new medical system at the beginning of the year. Since then we have been evaluating and tuning it to match our game-play style
This post will hopefully provide some insight into what we are trying to achieve, as well as what to expect from the new system.
The new medical system is fundamentally different from our old one, in that there are now very definite priorities in keeping the patient alive. These are
- Fluids. It’s imperative that fluid volume and thus blood pressure is maintained/restored. Loss of blood leads to unconsciousness and death, far more rapidly than previously.
- Cardiac function. If the patient goes into cardiac arrest, then they will die after a fixed period of time (approx 5 minutes), without CPR.
- Critical wounds. A shot to a critical organ ie the brain will kill the person outright.
The new system also introduces broken bones. A broken bone is treated with a splint (a new item). Broken bones are not life-threatening, just debilitating
Atropine has been removed and adenosine added (this is less important unless you’re a medic)
Drugs are no longer instantaneous and take some time to become fully effective (see below).
It is faster to treat others than yourself, medics are also faster in performing treatments. Carrying animations have been sped up.
When tuning the new system we’ve tried to find a balance between the following :
- Shake-up our game-play a little (just to keep things fresh)
- Build on the role of the medic within our sections
- Establish a role for the troop medic
- Maintain our relatively fast pace of combat
- Avoid single points of failure (the loss of a single person should not debilitate a section/troop)
- Move to one medical system across both public and private servers
- Minimise the gap between our approach and other groups e.g. Gruppe Adler
From a game-play perspective, there are a number of significant changes:
Medics:
Can use all equipment, unrestricted, with the exception of PAKs
PAKs are now restricted to use only within/near a medical facility
SL / FTLs:
Have the same ability as a medic, but lack the medical resources in their loadout (as per current settings on our private servers)
Marines:
Can use bandages, tourniquets, morphine, epinephrine, adenosine and splints, unrestricted.
IVs and sewing kits can be used only within/near a medical facility
PAKs can never be used.
Wounds:
Once bandaged, wounds will reopen until stitched (as per currently on our private servers)
Bandaging never fully clears trauma, they remain blue
Fluid replacement:
Approx volume of fluid required
"Lost some blood" -> 500 ml
"Lost a lot of blood" -> 1 - 1.5 litres
"Lost a large amount of blood" -> 2 - 2.5 litres
"Lost a fatal amount of blood" -> 3 litres
Broken bones:
Once splinted, mobility is reasonably restored. You can run but not sprint
Splinting never fully clears trauma, they remain blue
PAKs:
PAKs are now restricted to use only within/near a medical facility
PAKs fully restore a patient to 100% health.
PAKs are no longer consumed upon use.
Drugs:
Morphine, epinephrine and adenosine take time to become effective. It is therefore very easy to administer too much and to kill the patient, not through an overdose, but indirectly because of either too low/high a blood pressure/heart rate.
The recommendation is to leave the morphine for the patient to administer. Pain does not kill, whereas too much morphine will cause cardiac arrest
Morphine, time in system 30 mins, time until max effectiveness 30 secs
Epinephrine, time in system 2 mins, time until max effectiveness 10 secs
CTP:
Is now categorised as a medical facility, allowing the use of PAKs by medics and other advanced treatments by marines.
Loadouts:
With the shift in the priority given to blood volume, medics will need to carry a lot of fluid.
Splints will be added to all loadouts
To counter the increased weight, PAKs are no longer consumed upon use.
Combat:
In a prolonged or heavy engagement, we see the section medic as the person responsible for keeping the section alive.
But even after IVs and stitching, the section will begin to lose its edge as trauma builds.
After a particularly heavy firefight or prolonged engagement, it may become necessary to retire the section to the CTP and be treated with PAKs by the medics (plus SLs/FTLs)
Only extensive playtesting will reveal if this actually works and creates the right sort of experience
Medical Facilities:
These can be assigned in Eden or by Zeus, so can be customised to suit the flavour of the mission.
Any vehicle/item is a possible medical facility e.g. Tent, ambulance, Warrior, Merlin MERT, etc.
There is a private Op/Training session on Friday as familiarization.