I must express my impartiality in regards to the inclusion or exclusion of Bank Soda, Bob Soda, or any other homogeneous beverages or items that players feel as disruptive and unfitting to the otherwise juxtaposed dark, gritty, and mature setting that the server seemingly attempts to cater to in both its audience and perception.
When Atle approached me concerning the inclusion of Bank Soda as an actual tangible entity and script that retained a unique texture, I was incredibly joyed and honoured by Atle's decision to incorporate the item into the server of his own volition. Regarding the connection to Bonk Soda (from TF2): In creating Bank Soda as an in-character brand, I looked to Bonk Soda (the company, not the TF2 item) for inspiration, and intending to produce a Chinese facsimile, I created Bank Soda, replacing the "o" with an "a".
While it was never my intention to create an imitation of an imitation of a product from a disparate franchise (as I had not been familiar with Bonk Soda from TF2 up until that point and relied predominantly on the good faith of its creators to be serious), the ensuing irony was not lost on me, as I had come to later realize, much to my chagrin, the unfortunate connection Bank Soda had to an otherwise facetious and out-of-universe game property; a connection which I view as detrimental and deleterious to the effort and roleplay in an attempting to establish an independent and distinguishable brand, separate from its facetious and silly counterpart with dubious origins, fostering an unserious reputation that is unapparent to either its lore or in-game roleplay.
Ultimately, I hold no qualms or misgivings should Bank Soda, Bob Soda, or any similar items be removed from the server. Its inclusion was an honour in the first place and is indicative of, at least in my opinion, the player's initiative in addition to one's palpable cause & effect they can produce and reflect onto the server through in-character enterprise.
The same could be said of Goodfella Cigars, centred around the titular character, Ron Goodfella, and was a product entirely of in-character ingenuity, licensing, and manufacturing. While I would ultimately prefer for Bank soda and Bob Soda to remain in the server, as I enjoy the idea of corporate competition even in the post-apocalyptic Half-Life dystopia, even if regulated by mere background exposition or babble, as it encourages both businesses and thoughts of free enterprise; if the staff or developers or managers decree either of these products unfit for the setting, then by all means.
Also, you're a fool for suggesting something as ludicrous as removing all food stats, asking to make something already redundant and seldom used even more redundant and less used. Shame on you.
