PC Alpha 21 Dev Diary

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Roland said:
I would agree IF we had permanent item degradation but since we don't and TFP is not interested in putting it in, we cannot have best stuff showing up early game that lasts forever and makes looting irrelevant for the rest of the game. Someone just was talking about how underwhelming a T5 quest can be when the loot rewards are items of lower quality than you already have. 

No, loot progression is a must in a game design that eschews entropy. Think of it like this: what if you found a lucky cargo drop that had 20 stacks of 64 meat stews in the very first drop? Great right? Not if you like farming because now farming is irrelevant. See a deer? So what? When you get something that will last the whole playthrough and invalidates part of the game so early, it isn't good.
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I was thinking about that and.... what if you had best gun in game but... no ammo? this would make this guns in this same time "diamond" and "garbage". Right?  So let's say - LBD for "body" - faster running , jumping higher etc. LBL for crafting and "scavenging + traders tips books".  This would make not every weapon equal - you have steel machete? cool - but better to keep this in storage for military base and use bone knife if you go for food.  So while lucky cargo drop would be just but that 20 stacks of 64 meat... good and bad for you - for example - in meat factory you will find only meat and some stews. Cool right? but no chance to find even shotgun.  so if you have 20 stacks of meat this mean  you have with friend or you were killed 2000 times - why? you don't have weapons. Ok so let's say you want to find pistol - you have to look for gun cabinet, police car or corpse. You found a gun? cool just don't expect that you will find more 10 per bullets per day but at least it's almost 1 hit kill against normal zombie. So you have to use low tier melee weapons to save better eq. Ofc some things could be reapaird like guns - but it would need rare and expensive gun reapair kit but no chance to fix low tier tools or melee weapons while fixed high tier tools and weapons will "downgrade" them everytime when you repaird . So easy to get good weapons but hard to be able to use it.  You know - in past people take shoes with them but go barefoot  then  clean feet in river /lake near church and put them only to go to church and take off after go outside church.  Why? to save shoes. Here just instead using machete (shoes) you will use bone knife too save machete  ( go barefoot)

 
Outlaw_187 said:
Or it could mean the barbie, aka "skeletons" need to wear deodorant before going up stairs and mingling with a group of people.....I just solved it!!!

Skeletons are finally coming!!!!

But I wonder if they'll be wearing both shoes.....🤔

Roland, we need more hints 🕺

I agree, I wouldn't miss the secret stash being done away with either. 

I never really got the point of it. It was just another column to click on to see if they had that beaker, crucible, or whatever other item was desperately being hunted for. 
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And the only column to check for Solar Cells and Solar Banks.

 
Old Crow said:
And the only column to check for Solar Cells and Solar Banks.
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True but they could just splice this in with the "regular" stash. The secret stash category is simply another click, nothing more. 

Either way, I'm fine. If it stays, cool, if it's gone, cool too. 

I just want A21 to drop baby!!!!

 
Outlaw_187 said:
True but they could just splice this in with the "regular" stash. The secret stash category is simply another click, nothing more. 

Either way, I'm fine. If it stays, cool, if it's gone, cool too. 

I just want A21 to drop baby!!!!
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For me, secret stash should be hidden behind your trader level once you unlock the next trader do you get access to the SS but it's also tied to your gamestage and or LBR level, so you don't get purple gear at day 10.

Currently it's just button click to get access to it and nothing secret about it

 
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Annihilatorza said:
For me, secret stash should be hidden behind your trader level once you unlock the next trader do you get access to the SS but it's also tied to your gamestage and or LBR level.

Currently it's just button click to get access to it and nothing secret about it
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That's actually a great idea, IMO!  :nod:

The Secret Stash should only be available after you complete at least Tier 1 of the trader quests.

I would even go as far as to say the level of Secret Stash you can access should go hand in hand with the level of job tiers you've completed for the trader!

 
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@faatal, what have you guys decided about nerd poling? Will you impede the placing of frames while jumping/falling or something related to the LCB like Rick mentioned in the last interview?

As a veteran, I use it a lot, and I must say that I seldom die and it's mostly because of the wood frame gods, so maybe it's not that fun to not struggle as intended.

Thanks in advance.

 
Jost Amman said:
That's actually a great idea, IMO!  :nod:

The Secret Stash should only be available after you complete at least Tier 1 of the trader quests.

I would even go as far as to say the level of Secret Stash you can access should go hand in hand with the level of job tiers you've completed for the trader!
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Exactly what I was thinking and when move to the new trader. You don't get access to the SS since the trader does not know you and you have to build that level of trust again.

Blake_ said:
@faatal, what have you guys decided about nerd poling? Will you impede the placing of frames while jumping/falling or something related to the LCB like Rick mentioned in the last interview?

As a veteran, I use it a lot, and I must say that I seldom die and it's mostly because of the wood frame gods, so maybe it's not that fun to not struggle as intended.

Thanks in advance.
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In the interview that did mentioned that and I would not surprised if they block nerd polling in and around POI.

 
Outlaw_187 said:
True but they could just splice this in with the "regular" stash. The secret stash category is simply another click, nothing more. 
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Well, in terms of code, it's a little different. While the regular stash is independent of Better Barter, the secret stash changes with Better Barter.

If they want to splice the goods from the secret stash into the regular stash, they would have to define it as additional goods that are only visible if you have the corresponding level in Better Barter.

Jost Amman said:
That's actually a great idea, IMO!  :nod:

The Secret Stash should only be available after you complete at least Tier 1 of the trader quests.

I would even go as far as to say the level of Secret Stash you can access should go hand in hand with the level of job tiers you've completed for the trader!
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Sounds like a lot of grind to me. You would have to complete 7 jobs per level at every trader. If the traders are far away from each other then you either have to build an outpost in each city or travel long distances.

 
RipClaw said:
Sounds like a lot of grind to me. You would have to complete 7 jobs per level at every trader. If the traders are far away from each other then you either have to build an outpost in each city or travel long distances.
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Yeah, I get that, but haven't we been complaining about traders being OP all the time?

Well, IMO, this goes in that direction (making traders less OP).

 
Annihilatorza said:
In the interview that did mentioned that and I would not surprised if they block nerd polling in and around POI.
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I don't see the point. We now have ladders that can be picked up again.

Nerdpoling is not even necessary at the larger POIs to get to the main loot. Most of the time there is an elevator shaft or stairwell that leads up to the top that is meant as a quick way out. You just have to replace missing stairs or ladder rungs.

 
Jost Amman said:
Yeah, I get that, but haven't we been complaining about traders being OP all the time?

Well, IMO, this goes in that direction (making traders less OP).
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Traders are OP because they sell items that are much better than what you can find or craft. This is supposed to change in A21 anyway. According to what was said in the interview, they should only sell items that are a bit better than what you can craft or find.

I would rather see your suggestion in the context of the factions that are also mentioned in the interview. Each trader could belong to a different faction and you have to complete tasks to earn their trust.

 
RipClaw said:
Traders are OP because they sell items that are much better than what you can find or craft. This is supposed to change in A21 anyway. According to what was said in the interview, they should only sell items that are a bit better than what you can craft or find.

I would rather see your suggestion in the context of the factions that are also mentioned in the interview. Each trader could belong to a different faction and you have to complete tasks to earn their trust.
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Well since bandits are not coming in A21, I don't know if they will do the factions for the traders but maybe @Roland or @faatal will give us a tidbit.

I don't mind either way for nerd polling nearly impossible to control in free building game, what could happen is the loot rooms are locked behind powered doors/environmental hazards and moved deep inside the POI.

LIke water works had the steel door added that is powered.

 
Annihilatorza said:
In the interview that did mentioned that and I would not surprised if they block nerd polling in and around POI.
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It might be nice to have nerdpoling blocked during active quests, AND have POI's only with normal loot until a quest starts at which point the "quest" loot is generated ... so while there might be some normal crates, there won't be any quest loot unless you're actually doing a quest. Since there are already provisions for the courier satchel, this should be a possibility to extend. And likewise, if the quest fails for all involved due to dying (or exceeding x hours/days in game) the quest loot also vanishes. I think tying the quest loot chest to individual also stops the current problem where a party of 5 goes into a POI, and 4 go through the dungeon crawl and the 5th nerdpoles up and "steals" all the end loot making for much less fun experience by the party.

 
Vedui said:
It might be nice to have nerdpoling blocked during active quests, AND have POI's only with normal loot until a quest starts at which point the "quest" loot is generated ... so while there might be some normal crates, there won't be any quest loot unless you're actually doing a quest. Since there are already provisions for the courier satchel, this should be a possibility to extend. And likewise, if the quest fails for all involved due to dying (or exceeding x hours/days in game) the quest loot also vanishes. I think tying the quest loot chest to individual also stops the current problem where a party of 5 goes into a POI, and 4 go through the dungeon crawl and the 5th nerdpoles up and "steals" all the end loot making for much less fun experience by the party.
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For People who play without Trader this would be horrible so only as an on/off option :o

I never used Nerpoling anyway so I don't mind it's existence :D

 
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Vedui said:
It might be nice to have nerdpoling blocked during active quests, AND have POI's only with normal loot until a quest starts at which point the "quest" loot is generated ... so while there might be some normal crates, there won't be any quest loot unless you're actually doing a quest.
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I like this idea. It would make the double-dip "exploit" less impactful. I have mostly broken myself from defensive nerdpoling by carrying ladder shapes instead of frames, but I do still shortcut to the loot regularly.

In my perfect world, quests would be proximity-based, with the Beacon appearing when I enter the grounds. There would always be the normal cabinet stuff inside, but there would be no "Loot" unless I accept the quest. Quests would be "one-and-done" by default. I would advance by clearing the quest POIs in the area, which I would have to discover by actually exploring. Traders would just be the place to trade found items for goods and services. Our choice of trader could play into the Reputation system, with different traders working for the various bosses...but now I have fallen down the rabbit hole again, sorry. Join me, it is fun in here. Bunnies. 

 
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Vedui said:
It might be nice to have nerdpoling blocked during active quests, AND have POI's only with normal loot until a quest starts at which point the "quest" loot is generated ... so while there might be some normal crates, there won't be any quest loot unless you're actually doing a quest. Since there are already provisions for the courier satchel, this should be a possibility to extend. And likewise, if the quest fails for all involved due to dying (or exceeding x hours/days in game) the quest loot also vanishes.
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I don't see much difference between nerdpoling and putting a ladder on the outside of the building. Besides, when you're in the wasteland, you like to have a way out when a zombie bear gets the idea to say hello. Happend to me yesterday in a Bob's Boars.

As for the quest loot, the items would have to be tagged so that they disappear from the inventory if the quest fails.

 
Vedui said:
It might be nice to have nerdpoling blocked during active quests, AND have POI's only with normal loot until a quest starts at which point the "quest" loot is generated ... so while there might be some normal crates, there won't be any quest loot unless you're actually doing a quest. Since there are already provisions for the courier satchel, this should be a possibility to extend. And likewise, if the quest fails for all involved due to dying (or exceeding x hours/days in game) the quest loot also vanishes. I think tying the quest loot chest to individual also stops the current problem where a party of 5 goes into a POI, and 4 go through the dungeon crawl and the 5th nerdpoles up and "steals" all the end loot making for much less fun experience by the party.
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After that the 5th player should never get an invitation to join another quest until he says sorry 4 times and promises to never do it again. Anyway. the big giveaway lottery is when everyone get the quest reward from the trader and this already makes co-op groups OP compared to SP.

 
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