PC Alpha 20 Dev Diary

[Roland]

Any updates on this? I'm not sure a new gas station is even worth mentioning, so I assume there's more stuff in the works.

The new gas station is the first poi revealed that makes use of the new "Restore Power" quest. That is why it was singled out and mentioned. There are many new POI's coming in A20 with Wasteland POI's getting a lot of attention in particular. There should be a lot of new exploration in store for players once they are strong enough to enter the Wasteland biome...

 

[Ripflex]

In my Solo game I always picked the Fire Station because of the second floor and 2 Garages where I place garage doors there for my Vehicles.  I wonder if you can power up the Fire Station to ?

 

[Blake_]

@faatal , any words about special infected behaviour or if some of them will make it to a20 ? There seems to be a lot of work and time put in a facewash for the old 3d models, I was just wondering if Mr Spider & Co are getting any weirder AI-wise.

 

[Matt115]

The new gas station is the first poi revealed that makes use of the new "Restore Power" quest. That is why it was singled out and mentioned. There are many new POI's coming in A20 with Wasteland POI's getting a lot of attention in particular. There should be a lot of new exploration in store for players once they are strong enough to enter the Wasteland biome...

It will works like in old zombie cods? Like go there, destroy a doors , find it somewhere  and put switch on?

 

[faatal]

@faatal , any words about special infected behaviour or if some of them will make it to a20 ? There seems to be a lot of work and time put in a facewash for the old 3d models, I was just wondering if Mr Spider & Co are getting any weirder AI-wise.

I don't plan on doing any changes for AI in A20 other than bug fixes.

Well, besides feral sense.

 

[Blake_]

I'm don't plan on doing any changes for AI in A20 other than bug fixes.

I'm thank you for your answer sir. Great job with the ported optimizations btw. Early testing shows up to 100% MIN fps improvement on my potato . That is a bit crazy. And also the truth. Finally able to play a19 8kX8k (edit: meaning 1080p and not 720p)  maps smoothly on low no problem. THANK YOU very much. To hell with Twitch integration xD.

 

[bachgaman]

It provides an incentive for people to interact with the stream (which benefits the streamer). Like, spawning zombies on top of the streamer, or sending him a health crate. That said, it was not a priority for TFP, but one of the devs has been doing it as a personal project and TFP decided to incorporate it. Gaming streams have a big impact on a game's popularity.

I understand that streams make the game more popular, but the quality and depth of the game also makes it more popular. But the mechanics you voiced are interesting, I didn't think about it. Apparently the task is to create a casual game to attract the audience, I didn't think so before. Flying robots and streamers

 

[faatal]

I understand that streams make the game more popular, but the quality and depth of the game also makes it more popular. But the mechanics you voiced are interesting, I didn't think about it. Apparently the task is to create a casual game to attract the audience, I didn't think so before. Flying robots and streamers

Watching someone else play a game is about as casual as it gets. Now they can get a bit less casual by interacting with it.

 

[bachgaman]

Watching someone else play a game is about as casual as it gets. Now they can get a bit less casual by interacting with it.

Now people who are always happy with everything (especially free) will throw me dislikes again 

By casual I mean targeting the general public by simplifying mechanics and creating wow content. It's not bad when it doesn't clash with the overall concept (this is why I attached a trailer). As far as I understand, the simplification of the mechanic is also coming with the A20 (e.g. clothing and armor slots). Streamers, flying drones. Therefore, I draw conclusions that the game is deliberately becoming attractive to the widest circle of people (twitch users). Obviously, the goal is to attract more players. But be careful, these people can throw stones at you for the fact that your game does not have dealer replics for females or something like that.  And also game risk losing its charm.

 

[faatal]

Clothing and armor slots are not changing for A20. Streamers stream all types of games, simple or complex. The Robotic Drone is not simplifying anything, since it is an addition to the game.

 

[bachgaman]

Clothing and armor slots are not changing for A20. Streamers stream all types of games, simple or complex. The Robotic Drone is not simplifying anything, since it is an addition to the game.

But is this in the plans? I read something like this from some developer

Streamers stream all types of games, simple or complex.

Apparently you do not understand what I mean. Or deliberately distorted. I did not write that you simplify the game for streams. I said you do the integration for streamers. And they will lead a Twitch audience of 16-24 y.o. who needs to be retained

The Robotic Drone is not simplifying anything, since it is an addition to the game.

Also, I did not write that the flying robot is a simplification (although it may be so), but I mentioned wow content for the aforementioned audience.

They already Lightly simplified the game and guest what!

It turns out that you confirm my words

Skills

That's it. And it need work

also back then guns where a thing you kinda had to earn. now they throw them at you at times.

Game throws loot, merchant rewards are too generous. Casual.

also no the Armor system is not coming to A20, and thats because most clothing is useless! Like who wears biker boots? 

Nobody said that clothes don't take work. The fact of the matter is that instead of polishing what is available, they create content for Twitch. Solving the problem of "useless" clothes is a game design task. But it looks like no one will bother. It possible, for example, to remove the craft Cloth Fragment from cotton (who can make a cloth from cotton using only one hand) and then all "unnecessary" clothes will be the most valuable source of Cloth Fragment. In addition, it would be possible to make all clothes useful by making special bonuses for them. 

Well, and why you not call a weapon useless, because you don't use a double-barreled gun when you have automatic shotgun? But you can find it. It's the same with armor and clothing. You find the best option and use it by throwing / selling / breaking everything else.

 

[faatal]

But is this in the plans? I read something like this from some developer

Apparently you do not understand what I mean. Or deliberately distorted. I did not write that you simplify the game for streams. I said you do the integration for streamers. And they will lead a Twitch audience of 16-24 y.o. who needs to be retained

Also, I did not write that the flying robot is a simplification (although it may be so), but I mentioned wow content for the aforementioned audience.

It was a plan that some of us liked, but that does not mean it is going to happen. It will take a good amount of time.

Deliberately distorted would be lying and I don't lie unless I'm making a joke. It was not a joke. We are not changing normal game play for anything to do with streamers. We make changes because we think it will make the game better and to fit into release timelines.

Twitch has a wide demographic. Over half are 25+. Granted they don't show <16, so there are probably quite a few of those.

"According to GlobalWebIndex in Q2 2019, this is an approximation of the age demographic on Twitch, ranging in age from 16-64 years in age:

• 16 to 24 year olds: 41%
  
• 25 to 34 year olds: 32%
  
• 35 to 44 year olds: 17%
  
• 45 to 54 year olds: 7%
  
• 55 to 64 year olds: 3%"
  

The drone was added because some of us thought is was cool. Not to appeal to certain people.

Game devs frequently do things because they think it is cool or fun or different and not some master plan to suck people in. Business/Marketing people, well that is often a different story.

 

[bachgaman]

It was a plan that some of us liked, but that does not mean it is going to happen. It will take a good amount of time.

Deliberately distorted would be lying and I don't lie unless I'm making a joke. It was not a joke. We are not changing normal game play for anything to do with streamers. We make changes because we think it will make the game better and to fit into release timelines.

Twitch has a wide demographic. Over half are 25+. Granted they don't show <16, so there are probably quite a few of those.

"According to GlobalWebIndex in Q2 2019, this is an approximation of the age demographic on Twitch, ranging in age from 16-64 years in age:

• 16 to 24 year olds: 41%
  
• 25 to 34 year olds: 32%
  
• 35 to 44 year olds: 17%
  
• 45 to 54 year olds: 7%
  
• 55 to 64 year olds: 3%"
  

The drone was added because some of us thought is was cool. Not to appeal to certain people.

Game devs frequently do things because they think it is cool or fun or different and not some master plan to suck people in. Business/Marketing people, well that is often a different story.

I think I am exaggerating. Anyway, thanks for what you are doing. Believe in you. And thanks for the answers

 

[adrew1231]

Not sure if this has been asked. But, I am wondering if Dukes integration into hotbar of inventory will be in an update? that way money doesnt take up space in inventory? I know that Dukes can be smelted...but the yield is too low to be of significance in materials and also dukes are generally more needed for traders.

 

[Orville Tootenbacher]

I don't plan on doing any changes for AI in A20 other than bug fixes.

Well, besides feral sense.

I’m positive anything I put here you guys have already thought of but here goes anyways… I think a little more randomness would do wonders during blood moons. It’s currently way too easy to game the AI because their behavior is so predictable. Having some zombies that don’t just follow the same defined path to the user in an endless loop would really increase the intensity.  

Instead of how they will single file jump up block stairs in a really slow animation that gives you plenty of time to shoot them, maybe some just destroy the blocks underneath you? Like less prioritization of getting to your height and more bringing you down to their height. 
 

 

[Morloc]

Clothing and armor slots are not changing for A20.

I am however cautiously excited about feral sense, and VERY excited about: "Changes to the world and player built forts are represented in distant terrain".

-Morloc

 

[Mr Lucky]

Is there any plans on adding more optics/reticle options to the weapons anytime soon? Ex: Holo Scope, variations of Red Dot Sights/Reticle selections etc and better Iron Sights? such an AMAZING FPS/Survival game, and these additions would be AMAZING in vanilla 7DTD. I prefer not to use any mods. Great job on the game so far, keep up the superb work!

 

[Guest]

@faatal, @madmole, will there be an update to Unity and DX12/Vulkan for the current version of the game? For example, in A19.6. Or will it all be only in A20?

 

[meganoth]

I’m positive anything I put here you guys have already thought of but here goes anyways… I think a little more randomness would do wonders during blood moons. It’s currently way too easy to game the AI because their behavior is so predictable. Having some zombies that don’t just follow the same defined path to the user in an endless loop would really increase the intensity.  

Instead of how they will single file jump up block stairs in a really slow animation that gives you plenty of time to shoot them, maybe some just destroy the blocks underneath you? Like less prioritization of getting to your height and more bringing you down to their height. 
 

Not only thought of, TFP already has that implemented. This variation is in the game since A18, a certain percentage of the zombies on horde night go into destroy aka rage mode and just attack a random block even if they have a path to you.

The only small  problem with this "rage mode" is that it often attacks random blocks in the area that might have no useful function at all. The AI should probably prioritize blocks near the player to be a bit more effective.

I'm not sure if the AI wasn't that way in A17 (i.e. the priorization), because at that time lots of complains by users about zombies with an engineering degree came up in the forum. It may have been toned down. But probably it was just the effect of A17 zombies having a bigger buff to group damage which made them destroy buildings quite fast if you let them.

 

[Matt115]

Not only thought of, TFP already has that implemented. This variation is in the game since A18, a certain percentage of the zombies on horde night go into destroy aka rage mode and just attack a random block even if they have a path to you.

The only small  problem with this "rage mode" is that it often attacks random blocks in the area that might have no useful function at all. The AI should probably prioritize blocks near the player to be a bit more effective.

I'm not sure if the AI wasn't that way in A17 (i.e. the priorization), because at that time lots of complains by users about zombies with an engineering degree came up in the forum. It may have been toned down. But probably it was just the effect of A17 zombies having a bigger buff to group damage which made them destroy buildings quite fast if you let them.

Yeah this is a big problem : i can understand why dogs do holes in dirt under a walls but zombies attacking everything is rly stupid. It Should work like : First destroing doors, If they can't ( doors are blocked) they try to destoy the player putted hard blocks first - stone , iron walls , etc just change their piority because they sometime just fall into lakes ( they easy could go away from it but nope) and their just destroyed a lot of dirt . Well i hope they will fix problems with they AI soon