I've been playing since Alpha 15, so I know what the update pace is like. I'm just pointing out that, in my opinion, it's felt even slower than usual over the past year. I’m grateful for the new direction in 2.5; I love the new 3.0 options, even though I’ve already tried a lot of them via mods. Unfortunately 2.5 and 3.0 aren’t enough to me to make me come back, at least vanilla.
What would bring me back is more endgame content, new special zombies that force me to adapt to these new threats, faction-based bandits, new melee combat mechanics, mix of learn by doing + magazines, changes to the AI so zombies aren’t so engineer-like, a story mode, random event systems. Maybe is too much for this old game. For at least a couple of those things to arrive, I’ve already accepted that it will be at least a year later than the roadmap—a long journey through the desert.
Well there is no need to be so agressive. I'm just another loyal player complaining yes, but some criticism is healty. I'm suggesting that IMHO, the pace has slowed down even more—at least when it comes to content—and I wonder what the texture artists, modelers, and others have been working on this past 12 months.
Sorry for that. But it was meant as a serious question. When we are talking about texture artist and modelers I would assume they actually moved on. It seems all bandit models are finished by now. And none of the still missing features seem to need much in that department. Story? Needs programmers mostly. Bandits, probably still needs AI programming, maybe still a POI designer? Random Event System needs programmers. LBD mode or mix needs programmers.
Slowing down depends heavily how much additional work needed to be done for all those options and how much it increased their bug list. Options are often creating edge cases where something doesn't work anymore. Some options seem to be features they could have listed seperately as a full blown feature. Repair degradation for example. Though granted, if that feature is like I think it is, there isn't that much to do to implement it. I also don't know how much balancing they did with those options. Maybe none, but maybe they really tried to polish those options in a way that sensible settings come out, for example for their presets.
Since TFP seems to do a lot of separation of workloads, it is also entirely possible or even likely that for example Faatal was still working on AI and/or RWG mostly and what you see here is just part of the whole effort these past months, some hidden as polishing, some still to be published.
About the roadmap, are you saying can we just assume that every content quoted on the roadmap will eventually be released, just a year later? Is any of the quoted content in the roadmap scrapped forever? I really hope they can clarify the game's future soon; it's about time for a new roadmap, even if it includes fewer specific dates and more details about what's to come.
I have no inside information. But I assume that all the content quoted on the roadmap will eventually be released, because
A) Nobody heard anything of a change of plans, instead TFP said after their buyout that at least up to bandits there would be no changes at all. Which at a minimum confirms bandits.
B) The delay is certainly expected as this options update was inserted into the schedule. It was also communicated that it would be happening and that it would delay all the other stuff
C) There are statements that Behaviour Interactive intends to help finishing the game and there is some indication that BI wants to continue this game as a service game (because they are looking to hire someone doing just that). This means that development will continue, before and after the base game is called finished. Obvious candidates for development are all those items already promised on the road map.
The only fact that puts a small doubt in my mind is BI, the new owner. Their intentions are unknown and despite reassuring words they could step in at any time and change plans. The only sure things are death and taxes
It's fruitless.
