Palworld not only permits but actively encourages players to engage in morally questionable actions towards the creatures within its virtual realm in the pursuit of efficiency. The primary objective involves capturing free-roaming Pals and compelling them to toil and combat without compensation.
Yet, delving into the already unsettling premise, a player embarked on an inquiry to determine if Pals could perish due to excessive labor. The outcome of this grueling eight-hour experiment revealed that while Pals do not succumb to death, they do experience severe illness and depression.
The player, known as siroidangan zawa on Twitter, shared their findings, translated by Automaton. They subjected their Pals to a ‘Super Hard Working’ setting, intensifying efficiency but leaving the creatures vulnerable to stress and disease.
働き方改革
監視台という拠点で働いているパル達を鬼畜に働かせるか普通に働かせるか設定出来るものがあります。
過労ﾀﾋするのか知りたいので超肉体労働の石削り拠点を超ハードワークにしてしばらく放置してみます🫠#パルワールド#Xbox https://t.co/YfYPn8Z916 pic.twitter.com/KNq3gcbuYL
— siroidangan zawa (箱民) (@zawa59783293) January 25, 2024
The Pals were assigned the laborious task of stone-cutting, and their reprieve was further diminished by manipulating in-game time speeds, reducing daytime and maximizing nighttime.
An hour into this harsh regimen, the Pals exhibited ailments such as weakness, stomach ulcers, colds, and acute stress. Despite these afflictions, the devoted creatures persisted in their duties. The player attempted to mitigate the conditions by providing the Pals with a substantial quantity of eggs and warm springs, yet the struggle persisted.
Around the two-hour mark, the Pals began succumbing to fractures. The player observed the drastic change in their once-cheerful expressions, noting that even as they collapsed, they would resiliently return to their assigned posts.
After five hours, a majority of the Pals became depressed, marking another distressing turn of events. Finally, after an unthinkable eight hours, the player concluded the experiment with a final update on the beleaguered Pals.
あれから約8時間
長時間SAN数値0&鬱病から特に変化が無くこれ以上継続しても無意味と判断し中止にしました。
結果
「過労ﾀﾋまではしないがパフォーマンスが著しく悪くなる」
そして、今回の被験者パル達全員の病気や怪我を治すのがめんどくさいので全員商人に売り飛ばしました。… https://t.co/ZU8kbekHy5 pic.twitter.com/rrjiy5gypt
— siroidangan zawa (箱民) (@zawa59783293) January 27, 2024
The player reported, “Sanity values remained at 0 for a long time, and depression remained unchanged, so I’ve decided that continuing the experiment would be pointless.” The verdict: Pals cannot die from overwork but experience a significant decline in performance.
To add further adversity, the mentally and emotionally shattered Pals were sold to the highest bidder for 5076 gold coins, as the player deemed it too troublesome to nurse them back to health.
While the fate of the Pals beyond the eight-hour mark remains uncertain, the prospect of witnessing another experiment of this nature is understandably daunting.
It’s worth noting that Nintendo is pursuing legal action against a Pokemon clone, though not Palworld.
