So, like, is this new Deadened Morale thing just a massive penalty to anyone playing melee, causing them to just gradually hate life with no recovery?
Living through the apocalypse sucks.
Gameplay wise, consider zombie children a hazard to be avoided, an early game threat that deals permanent damage to your psyche instead of temporary damage to your body. Avoid them, lead them elsewhere, divorce yourself from their death such that it doesn’t affect you (traps, significant distance, get someone else to bear the brunt of it.)
Admittedly I feel “Permanent Damage” is a not great design space, and there should be some way to recover
when you say “Significant distance” how far away is it? I’ve had kills that do not trigger the mood alteration, but still ticks down the “deadened” percentage