Madness - How do I know

[Ariander]

I got a pop up window saying that I had gained some madness (a help file on the topic is what popped up basically) and I'm hearing voices occasionally...

I did read the thread on the topic and can't quite figure out what I did that caused it - but either way HOW do I know how much insanity I've acquired and how many levels or what level of madness I'm at or to see if/when I'm reducing it?

(Using a 3rd party client)

[KruskDaMangled]

I got a pop up window saying that I had gained some madness (a help file on the topic is what popped up basically) and I'm hearing voices occasionally...

I did read the thread on the topic and can't quite figure out what I did that caused it - but either way HOW do I know how much insanity I've acquired and how many levels or what level of madness I'm at or to see if/when I'm reducing it?

(Using a 3rd party client)

http://salemwiki.info/index.php/Insanity

Specifically, smoking tobacco, sleeping a full 8 hours with a teddy bear (a cursed one will INCREASE it, of course) reduce it. Smoking the hookah at events or in the Den (basically, 5 pieces of clothing with Geodes lets you in) will reduce insanity, but the cost is high. Otherwise the page lists ways of avoiding/reducing it. Of interest are "whittle stuff" and "cook". So making frikadels is good. (have to whittle for spit, cook the food.) Also studying inspirationals periodically is good, as is playing music. (costs mats for the instrument, or coin for the instrument of course.)

Some clients might have some numerical thing, although it's my understanding generally on all clients, as illustrated by the gif or whatever on that page, your humor bar gradually changes, and the steps relate with madness. You also hear more voices and get more obnoxious psychotic episodes the crazier you are. Some of them are bad. Some of them ruin pickaxes. Probably avoid mining while Mad.

[ShadowTani]

Insanity accumulates over time, so if you think you didn't do anything to cause the madness then the answer is probably that you didn't do enough to prevent it.

[Ariander]

Thanks for the responses - and I'm assuming then that you can't see "insanity" as it builds per se until you have at least one lvl of Madness? (I did find the stat for that up by the humor meters/bars)

I logged off my character in a bed so hopefully that will help for now -can't afford a Teddybear just yet

[ShadowTani]

Yes, you're correct. JC believes displaying the insanity would defeat the mechanic. So you can only see the madness level.

But sadly a bed isn't much help at all without a teddy. It only boosts inspiration gain now, doesn't reduce insanity.

It's soap season atm, so with a cotton field and some beaver hunting you should be able to make all the stuffings for the teddy yourself. The problem is that people don't sell nearly enough bear pelts in the stalls. :/

[KruskDaMangled]

Yes, you're correct. JC believes displaying the insanity would defeat the mechanic. So you can only see the madness level.

But sadly a bed isn't much help at all without a teddy. It only boosts inspiration gain now, doesn't reduce insanity.

It's soap season atm, so with a cotton field and some beaver hunting you should be able to make all the stuffings for the teddy yourself. The problem is that people don't sell nearly enough bear pelts in the stalls. :/

You can also get your own Bear pelt. Truly, a worthy endeavor.

[Radiance]

But sadly a bed isn't much help at all without a teddy. It only boosts inspiration gain now, doesn't reduce insanity.

A bit wrong. 8 hours of bed sleep reduce INSANITY to 0, but do not reduce current MADNESS level.
Hookah and teddy reduce madness, but do not reduce insanity

[Ariander]

I actually ended up buying a pipe and tobacco and that did it (had only 1 lvl of madness) - and now I'm being careful to wait between studying inspirationals and hopefully that and whittling and picking flowers (whee! - lol) will keep it at bay for the near future. Though I imagine it has to be a real issue for players who have no need to study much anymore.... I think now, too, that I know what caused it. I shook one of those rotten logs and got a little gnome that made me drop all my stuff and it was shortly after that I started "hearing voices".

Thanks again to all for the friendly advice, appreciated!!!

[theMGMT]

According to the wiki simply being online during a Blood Moon will cause your character to raise 2 Madness levels. My character reached level 4 Madness after playing during a Blood Moon. I then understood one should not play when there's a red skull faced moon about. Unless you're insane.

[ShadowTani]

A bit wrong. 8 hours of bed sleep reduce INSANITY to 0, but do not reduce current MADNESS level.
Hookah and teddy reduce madness, but do not reduce insanity

Well, that explains why 5 hours of sleep did nothing for me at one occasions. In the beginning it seemed like beds reduced sleep over any period of time. And that might been true too... Would explain why tMeow thought they had been patched to no longer reduce insanity at all, when the actual change was probably to reset insanity after 8 hours (as opposed to not at all). D: