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Author Topic: Why need high Medical skill?  (Read 4763 times)

Mrhappyface

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Why need high Medical skill?
« on: January 27, 2012, 09:23:03 pm »

I have all the medical labors turned on for everyone, since dwarves are known to be notoriously incomptetent and stupid when their attention is desperately needed. This has worked out pretty well for me, since my hospital is well stocked and always has soap and water, and everyone gets patched up real quick. Medical disasters have yet to happen, so I'm asking you guys: Why have specialized healthcare staff?
Oh, and why do dwarves think that leaving the patient strapped to an operating table for several years straight, even though they've completely healed is alright? Not that the patient is complaining or anything, they seem unusually happy.
« Last Edit: January 27, 2012, 09:25:49 pm by Mrhappyface »
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Urist Da Vinci

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Re: Why need high Medical skill?
« Reply #1 on: January 27, 2012, 09:32:46 pm »

Skilled doctors are faster, once they actually start working. There isn't really a benefit/drawback otherwise, as far as I know.

Nan

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Re: Why need high Medical skill?
« Reply #2 on: January 27, 2012, 09:33:53 pm »

I think that high medical skill would be very useful because it would allow patients to be treated faster, it's unfortunately impractical to get it (barring extreme immigrantion luck), since training medical skills is ludicrously slow. As it is, the best solution is certainly as you're doing - just turn medical labors on for everyone to ensure prompt attention for any casualties.

The traction bench thing is a bug, once they are healed, deconstruct the traction bench to set them free.

And I've also noticed that dwarves like being in the hospital. This seems to be because dwarves generally enjoy social interaction, and being in the hospital does involve a bunch of social interaction, such as being fed, watered and treated.
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Deus Machina

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Re: Why need high Medical skill?
« Reply #3 on: January 27, 2012, 09:43:42 pm »

My method is to find the immigrants with any medical skills, then turn on all their medic skills and turn just about everything else off.

I prefer to have half a dozen good doctors (or at least one or two good diagnosticians, the rest are just bonuses) than a hundred idiots.

If I have the space, I even make a short hall of bedrooms against the hospital, so they have to pass through on their way too and from bed and, with the dining hall just across or one Z-level up or down, they're always on hand.

Having a bunch of dumb medics is better than a handful of mediocre ones, but every now and then you'll end up with a great diagnostician, teamed with a few dwarves that are master suturers/bone setters/ surgeons, and suddenly sieges don't worry you at all any more.  :D
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Poindexterity

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Re: Why need high Medical skill?
« Reply #4 on: January 27, 2012, 10:21:31 pm »

ive gotten in the habit of replacing my chief medical dwarf as soon as he gains any notable skill in diagnosis.
It's really funny watching them do unnecessary surgery because of a wrong diagnosis.
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Argonnek

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Re: Why need high Medical skill?
« Reply #5 on: January 27, 2012, 10:47:41 pm »

Surgery, as far as I know, is the only skill you really want to be high. A skilled surgeon can remove rotten tissue, and the faster they operate the less blood the patient loses.

Mitchewawa

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Re: Why need high Medical skill?
« Reply #6 on: January 27, 2012, 11:54:04 pm »

Some of the doctor skills, such as surgery, suturing and wound cleaning reduce the chance of infection.
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Ifeno

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Re: Why need high Medical skill?
« Reply #7 on: January 28, 2012, 01:33:00 am »

ive gotten in the habit of replacing my chief medical dwarf as soon as he gains any notable skill in diagnosis.
It's really funny watching them do unnecessary surgery because of a wrong diagnosis.

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ive gotten in the habit of replacing my chief medical dwarf as soon as he gains any notable skill in diagnosis.
It's really funny watching them do unnecessary surgery because of a wrong diagnosis.
the conditions were bad enough to turn a dwarf who didn't care about anything mad, that's pretty hardcore.

Urist Da Vinci

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Re: Why need high Medical skill?
« Reply #8 on: January 28, 2012, 02:34:55 am »

ive gotten in the habit of replacing my chief medical dwarf as soon as he gains any notable skill in diagnosis.
It's really funny watching them do unnecessary surgery because of a wrong diagnosis.

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Except that they can't make a wrong diagnosis. I did science on this here: http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=89877.msg2505364#msg2505364

See also regarding amputation of body parts:
http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/dev_2009.html#2009-09-05

Poindexterity

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Re: Why need high Medical skill?
« Reply #9 on: January 28, 2012, 03:36:46 am »

dangit! you and your science.
well, there goes that.

i was wondering when it was REALLY going to start paying off. I spose it never was
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Life (in dwarf fortress) is a cocophany of flavours, each more succulent than the last - why not sample them all?!