Does the insanity mechanic make the game pointless?

[Notorious]

Each game follows a cycle wherein I build up my town, develop my characters, they steadily go insane over time, they pick fights and go rogue, everyone gets slaughtered, game over. Nothing seems to reduce insanity so it's a game-over timer running alongside everything else. Putting them on R&R increases happiness but has no effect on insnaity. It's not a lot of fun this way because it feels like there is no point in developing your town if you cannot manage insanity as a factor.

[Shadow]

R&R does reduce insanity.

[dolf]

Insanity is just one of many challenges the game throws at you. For Insanity, there are some items and relics that reduces insanity, and there is a skill for clan members Therapist that reduces insanity. Also make sure you check the quests for any curses and diseases. Sometimes a clan member will catch something that will drive them insane if you don't hurry up and find the cure. If your clan members die, the rest of your clan will jump up in insanity. So make sure not to let anyone die.

[Destro*]

Town members are a luxury. You don't need them. Thus, saying that insanity makes the game pointless is simply untrue. You can play the game with the loner mode setting on and do just as well as without it on.

If you're having problems with town members, I recommend that you kick/kill them. That's my go to solution for all town member issues. The only times that this becomes problematic is when the town member that is causing problems provides a desirable buff. But, that can easily be dealt with by gearing them up properly and using some cheesy methods.

[Tiamat]

My town members slowly lose insanity over time even in normal and work mode (though Work mode isn't stated to increase insanity in the tooltip). Maybe it's because I keep a -20% insanity relic equipped at all times on one of my pedestals.

[Notorious]

I tried Rest & Relaxation, but the insanity decrease seemed to be minimal. I will look into the insanity -x% items. Are those a one-off reduction of the insanity level or a continuous decrease over time?

[Shadow]

Originally Posted by Notorious

I will look into the insanity -x% items. Are those a one-off reduction of the insanity level or a continuous decrease over time?

They are continuous, but they basically slow down further increases. If something was going to add 10 insanity and you had a -50% insanity item on them, their insanity would only go up 5.