PC Alpha 19 Dev Diary

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fragtzack said:
My wife watching Twilight hundreds of times inspired in me disgust and despised for that story. 

Shame on you for dredging up memories!
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I couldn't get past the second chapter of that insipid book. My husband made me watch the movies. I literally slept thru the last two with my hubby just waking me up to watch the werewolf fights and the death of a certain annoying character.

madmole said:
True blood was fantastic for about 3-4 seasons and then decayed into strange crap. The werewolves vs vampires was interesting, throw in fairies and witches and shapeshifters and it gets a little too crazy to where it feels diluted.
 
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Only the first two seasons even remotely followed the books, after that it completely jumped the shark.

 
Not sure if there's confirmed Lore that covers the following, if so and I'm way off then apologies in advance.

Been noticing a couple things in a19exp.

Where are the townsfolks bases?

And as much as I really like the Traders bases, only Jen has a Brick+ building to retreat to when those flimsy tin metal walls get breached. And she's been a lazy survivor and hasn't removed/blocked the stairs on the inside. Hope she has a zipline off the roof, heh.

(ok, they might be running home to a bunker everynight. And there've been rumors of quests to defend Traders forever. But we all know those walls won't survive a wandering horde)

Couple reasons I'm mentioning these bits.

One, new 'failed base_01' POIs could offer a nice immersive way to show new players a glimpse of what it's going to take to survive. By more realistically portraying a couple few common base ideas. Leave just enough standing so the design can be figured out. And deco these "bases" with enough gore blocks and remains so it really looks like a big fight went wrong for the good guys.

Two, to me the towns just don't look like the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse. Maybe the townies all ran off when spikes at the door were no longer enough. But where did they run to? Based on the interior barricades (and landmines, the crazy f-ers) and all the cobble and cement pallets, some thought they were staying.

But if the others ran off you'd think they were likely heading to government bases, yet the small military outposts are almost pristine. The laid landmines around the camps also seem to indicate the intention of holding the camps. But it looks a lot more like they left than they were overrun.

Kinda dancing around the core point so as to not piss anyone off, but here it is.

There's not much in the way of fortified POIs where it looks like survivors made a stand, and the fortifications would stand a chance against the zombies as they are now.

Consider the partially collapsed Brick/Concrete buildings. Could just be condemed and fell in. There's no rickety outside walkways to shoot down on the zeds. No murder holes in the floor with makeshift grates over them. Stairways aren't blocked. Nothing that indicates these might have once been bases. Yet a mostly cosmetic overhaul could make one of these look like there were a number of survivors desperately trying to fend off the zeds.

(I'm guessing most of us have taken over one of these for an early base so can visualize what I'm getting at)

Funny thought. The designers really wouldn't need to do much. Just snag a couple few early game bases from the testers and run a horde against them until they fail, then copy the POI and 'decorate' some.

Hopefully this will be taken as intended, constructive criticism.

 
madmole said:
Thanks to no more stun locked aggressive animals :) Well and we buffed their HP a bit.

At no point should a survivor have coffee pot manufacturer on his resume. Even a skilled carpenter can only go so far with crooked planks, a hand saw, etc. Just because it is a crafting game, doesn't mean players should be able to craft everything, especially things which serve no purpose in tower defense. I do think it would be cool if you could collect these items but because of all the restraints there has to be it should be a mod and not something we add. Even if you were only allowed 1 per chunk or claim it feels like a half finished feature. Why limit me? It is an endless rabbit hole of bugs, feature requests and problems that gains nothing a mod cannot do better  if we open that can of worms.

 
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Thanks for that response, its good to hear what your stance is.

Honestly its not a big issue for me personally and if you want me to drop the topic im fine with that, im just here for the banter afterall. Personally i hardly ever get to that stage in games where im looking to make finishing touches as is.

Its my personal opinion, but i dont think putting hi res models on some vanity tier and restricting them to land claim blocks as 'trophies' would actually feel like its half finished at all. I get that feeling more from having items i can see but not craft, it feels more like they were forgotten when creating the item lists, like when wedge tips were only craftable in that table saw, for the longest time i thought it was a bug.

If its explicitly stated that they are limited items, then i know that i cant be stupid and make a building out of them and i know the devs have them accounted for, and that if i want them i need to dedicate a land claim to them.

If it really is that much work though then im fine with it being benched or forgotten, id rather bandits and higher tier zombies to kill (or die to), though i think further down the line there might be some merit to tying certain behaviours strictly to land claims and fleshing out the idea of having player bases being better defined. 

All that aside im loving A19 so far and im looking forward to the 'blunderbuss stage' getting expanded on.

 
@Faatal

I have a question about the inside weather check.

It would not be perfect but can it work if the weather passthrough is tied to light?

What I mean is I have always played with 0 gamma, because it allows the true colors
of the game for me, plus it enhances the lighting subtle changes.

I tested and realized that certain blocks and objects caused light clipping or
passthrough when attached to solid blocks. Examples: air conditioner on roofs,
certain containers on roofs also, and wedge slants on the vertical walls.  

My simple goal was, if I was in a solid cube I wanted pitch black, no light seams,
or god rays and the necessity for manual lighting.

What I did was adjust the ambient-sun, gradients. Removed the wedged areas, junk and
ac from the roof. This left the white for the trash and the counter tops with the small
squares.  These have a passive luminosity of their own, so i had to make an off-white
and more grungy texture for them. The last part was I adjusted light opacity for blocks,
doors, cutouts. Result: the reduction of the gradients, and the opacity changes not only
got me to near pitch black, with no reflective surfaces, but also made my character hands
shaded. With god rays on, If i destroyed a block or opened an external door the light
in the room changed in a more constant fashion.

My thought/question is can weather be tied to the light level of a room, similar to the way altitude
controlled temperature before?

 
STyK_ said:
Question!? How does a zombie swinging at my torso break my leg?
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It's the dead version of me and has very poor aim?

(If you don't believe me, ask my hunting partners who have to pull arrows out of their butt after a group hunting trip.)

faatal said:
Vertical blocks should matter, since an opening is letting in cold air. Temperature would matter as much as rain in a survival situation where we determine if you are freezing or burning up.

It is not as simple as can the block above me stop rain, because blocks can be rotated. A plate or half block can or can't fill a vertical or horizontal hole depending on the rotation.

We will probably fix heat/cold survival before gold, which would include checking if enclosed, but not until A21+.
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You're talking about how they should matter for heat/cold ... and you're right, they should.  They already do, and I'm sure y'all have nifty things up your sleeve for the future to make them matter more.

I'm talking specifically about rain and snow.  Solid blocks, like wood blocks and concrete blocks, already stop rain and snow.  It's windows (which actually say, right in their description, that they keep the elements out) and hatches which do not stop rain and snow.  There's something with those particular blocks, whether placed vertically or horizontally, which do not stop rain and snow.

I can put in a skylight of bulletproof glass between stretches of concrete blocks ... and stand under the glass in a rainstorm and my "you are wet" indicator goes up.  I move literally one block to the right, so I'm standing under the concrete ... and I'm magically dry again.

I can stand under a solid steel vault hatch ... and i'm soaked to the skin 52 meters underground ... take one step back, so I'm under concrete and solid rock ... and I'm dry again.  I can understand it if the wood hatches leak... I mean come on, I built it with a couple of flatish pieces of wood that I carved with a stone axe ... i'm surprised it doesn't fall on my head every time I open it.  But a vault hatch shouldn't leak.  And neither should bulletproof glass windows ... or any other windows for that matter.

 
Kalex said:
I couldn't get past the second chapter of that insipid book. My husband made me watch the movies. I literally slept thru the last two with my hubby just waking me up to watch the werewolf fights and the death of a certain annoying character.
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You don't actually have to watch with the sound on ... if you turn the sound off and fast forward through the parts with the whiny ninny girl, you can just get to the good parts of the guys with their shirts off.  :D

FileMachete said:
Not sure if there's confirmed Lore that covers the following, if so and I'm way off then apologies in advance.

Been noticing a couple things in a19exp.

Where are the townsfolks bases?

And as much as I really like the Traders bases, only Jen has a Brick+ building to retreat to when those flimsy tin metal walls get breached. And she's been a lazy survivor and hasn't removed/blocked the stairs on the inside. Hope she has a zipline off the roof, heh.

(ok, they might be running home to a bunker everynight. And there've been rumors of quests to defend Traders forever. But we all know those walls won't survive a wandering horde)

Couple reasons I'm mentioning these bits.

One, new 'failed base_01' POIs could offer a nice immersive way to show new players a glimpse of what it's going to take to survive. By more realistically portraying a couple few common base ideas. Leave just enough standing so the design can be figured out. And deco these "bases" with enough gore blocks and remains so it really looks like a big fight went wrong for the good guys.

Two, to me the towns just don't look like the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse. Maybe the townies all ran off when spikes at the door were no longer enough. But where did they run to? Based on the interior barricades (and landmines, the crazy f-ers) and all the cobble and cement pallets, some thought they were staying.

But if the others ran off you'd think they were likely heading to government bases, yet the small military outposts are almost pristine. The laid landmines around the camps also seem to indicate the intention of holding the camps. But it looks a lot more like they left than they were overrun.

Kinda dancing around the core point so as to not piss anyone off, but here it is.

There's not much in the way of fortified POIs where it looks like survivors made a stand, and the fortifications would stand a chance against the zombies as they are now.

Consider the partially collapsed Brick/Concrete buildings. Could just be condemed and fell in. There's no rickety outside walkways to shoot down on the zeds. No murder holes in the floor with makeshift grates over them. Stairways aren't blocked. Nothing that indicates these might have once been bases. Yet a mostly cosmetic overhaul could make one of these look like there were a number of survivors desperately trying to fend off the zeds.

(I'm guessing most of us have taken over one of these for an early base so can visualize what I'm getting at)

Funny thought. The designers really wouldn't need to do much. Just snag a couple few early game bases from the testers and run a horde against them until they fail, then copy the POI and 'decorate' some.

Hopefully this will be taken as intended, constructive criticism.
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They ran to wherever the government is hiding the people who send supply drones to drop crates.  

It's not really a zombie apocalypse that affected the entire world, just our part of it.  We are part of a secret government experiment to see what people do in situations like this.

At least that's my thought on it ... probably not the gospel ... but it works for me.

 
Xtrakicking said:
Honestly, I didn't even intend to get into a Twilight debate. It was just an example of many other movies that were successful, yet negatively received (another example: Star Wars prequels); but anyways, like I said, Twilight's general response was negative. Some people liked it, yes, but it was endlessly mocked and ridiculed.

In regards to this game: It is considered one of the best survivals to date, and there's no other zombie game like it. Even back in A1, when you only had "boring walkers", that was the general consensus of this game. Obviously, the fact that there are more things than that is cool, but my point is that the game will still be awesome even if we don't have convoluted and bizarre enemies left and right.
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Rule 1: Critics often review movies where they are not the intended audience. And often they fail to understand that.

Corollary to Rule 1: Critics can't handle simple enterntainment.

I never have watched Twilight, except maybe a trailer, but that already made my brain boil in agony. But that generally happens if I watch a romance movie intended for 14 year old girls. If a movie intended to simply entertain its target audience succeeds in entertaining its target audience then it is a good movie for its target audience.

FileMachete said:
Not sure if there's confirmed Lore that covers the following, if so and I'm way off then apologies in advance.

Been noticing a couple things in a19exp.

Where are the townsfolks bases?

And as much as I really like the Traders bases, only Jen has a Brick+ building to retreat to when those flimsy tin metal walls get breached. And she's been a lazy survivor and hasn't removed/blocked the stairs on the inside. Hope she has a zipline off the roof, heh.

(ok, they might be running home to a bunker everynight. And there've been rumors of quests to defend Traders forever. But we all know those walls won't survive a wandering horde)

Couple reasons I'm mentioning these bits.

One, new 'failed base_01' POIs could offer a nice immersive way to show new players a glimpse of what it's going to take to survive. By more realistically portraying a couple few common base ideas. Leave just enough standing so the design can be figured out. And deco these "bases" with enough gore blocks and remains so it really looks like a big fight went wrong for the good guys.

Two, to me the towns just don't look like the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse. Maybe the townies all ran off when spikes at the door were no longer enough. But where did they run to? Based on the interior barricades (and landmines, the crazy f-ers) and all the cobble and cement pallets, some thought they were staying.

But if the others ran off you'd think they were likely heading to government bases, yet the small military outposts are almost pristine. The laid landmines around the camps also seem to indicate the intention of holding the camps. But it looks a lot more like they left than they were overrun.

Kinda dancing around the core point so as to not piss anyone off, but here it is.

There's not much in the way of fortified POIs where it looks like survivors made a stand, and the fortifications would stand a chance against the zombies as they are now.

Consider the partially collapsed Brick/Concrete buildings. Could just be condemed and fell in. There's no rickety outside walkways to shoot down on the zeds. No murder holes in the floor with makeshift grates over them. Stairways aren't blocked. Nothing that indicates these might have once been bases. Yet a mostly cosmetic overhaul could make one of these look like there were a number of survivors desperately trying to fend off the zeds.

(I'm guessing most of us have taken over one of these for an early base so can visualize what I'm getting at)

Funny thought. The designers really wouldn't need to do much. Just snag a couple few early game bases from the testers and run a horde against them until they fail, then copy the POI and 'decorate' some.

Hopefully this will be taken as intended, constructive criticism.
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Interesting idea about the trader. Would be a nice way to give a hint about removing the two lower rungs of ladders.

But adding horde bases, even failed ones, is a bad idea. You practically invite players to take over those bases that just need a little repair and be finished for the first horde nights without any creative contribution.

 
@madmole or anyone else at TFP:

As a minor feature request, for the loading screen tips - can you add one that explains to new players how to use the forge? I mean something idiot-proof like "Put resources in the Smelting slots, fuel in the Fuel slots, turn the forge on, and wait for the resources to smelt into the forge. Once the forge contains enough smelted resources, select the item you want to craft in the crafting menu on the left."

Every time I watch a group of streamers play the game for the first time, they are always confused about how it works.

 
Saw it asked already but not answered so I'll ask again.

Why did the 'lock the first (select number) slots from being transferred' option not make it in with the new Inventory Transfer buttons? And will it eventually make it in?

 
khzmusik said:
@madmole or anyone else at TFP:

As a minor feature request, for the loading screen tips - can you add one that explains to new players how to use the forge? I mean something idiot-proof like "Put resources in the Smelting slots, fuel in the Fuel slots, turn the forge on, and wait for the resources to smelt into the forge. Once the forge contains enough smelted resources, select the item you want to craft in the crafting menu on the left."

Every time I watch a group of streamers play the game for the first time, they are always confused about how it works.
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Are the recipes helping, they are describing pretty well what resources and items you need, and how to make stuff from them. I re-learn my brother now and make him use them. He is on the spot that no more needs my help and is doing great. 

 
beHypE said:
On the subject of pack mule, have you guys thought about adding backpacks to the game ? Thinking about having a 6x9 grid instead of the current 5x9, but with only 4x9 available at start, and adding a backpack that unlocks 1 row, and also a military backpack that unlocks both rows. Could solve the problem of the uselessness of the Pack Mule perk, while also providing another area of progression.
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No but that modded UI looks really good and he just threw away regard for 4x3 and allows a boatload of space. We were thinking of hiring him if possible.

STyK_ said:
I'd rather you limit the size of the tool belt if anything. Right now you can just over stack it with weapons and scroll though their magazines. Eight is overkill.

Sorry had to make that quote cause I couldn't find the actual one.
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No way, minecraft has what, 10? I need every slot as is on my belt for efficient harvest. melee weapon, ranged weapon, axe, pickaxe, healing item, shovel, wrench, knife. I'm forgetting something but I need it :)

 

 
Hedge said:
You won't make it back with all that stuff because there will be campers at the traders. Real life is pvp. 
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Nope. If anything this virus has taught me is that people are stupid AF and run around with no mask or regard for it. They would be killed by zombies for sure, the remaining would pvp kill each other or run out of ammo killing each other, then die from zombies. Then the proper survivors who were able to show restraint during covid would be all that remains, and they would certainly be playing coop because they were smart and realize working together with smart people is the only way to succeed, just like in business.

 
Not sure if this has already been mentioned, but is there any way to add a slider or something to allow X number of slots in your backpack to be held when putting things away in boxes using the buttons?  We had a mod that this essentially replaces, but it had some arrows that allowed you to select the number of backpack slots that would not be included in the sort to container function.  I have ammo or food/water in my inventory that I want to keep, but I'm quickly trying to stack items into my boxes and my food and water goes into the box with no way to keep it in my backpack.  I've been out looting or to our horde base a few times only to realize the ammo or food I thought I had was sorted into a box when I dumped my loot quickly at home.  I'm incredibly happy you guys added these buttons, but please consider adding the slot lock option.

 
Good work on Bears. Those things are force to be reckoned with - fast, tanky and deadly. The other day I encountered one on day 13. I had a hunting rifle and double barrel shotgun and was feeling confident I can take it.  I scored one sneak headshot from afar and managed to pull of 2 more before it cought up with me. I switched to shotty and emptied both chambers. Bear is alive. @%$*#!. At that point I have like 50HP, so I start running. Oh good I can still outrun him. I took a breather poped painkillers and reloaded my weapons. Hunting rifle, shotgun...Bear is still alive?! I completely panicked as I was mauled to death and quickly tried to switch to melee to at least die swinging. I missclicked and equiped timed charge. Suddenly the bear has C4 atached to his head and is beeping. He looks as suprised as me. Second later he does not look anything as his head is blown off. Oh ok, there is another bear over yonder....I wonder.  Yep, it is confirmed, timed charges bear hunting is a thing. Now I combine it with my stun baton for maximal safety.

 
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