RestInPieces
New member
Overall: Considering it is an experimental build and fine-tuning/bugs still need to be sorted out, changes were great.
Note: Always talking about PvE.
Suggestions for players:
-Play on creative to learn the new mechanics and items (especially mods).
-Don't play A17 like it was A16, treat it as a new game. Anyone gotten used to many meaningless/asinine A16 mechanics, like Week/Day 1 end-game items, will have to re-adapt.
1)Death penalty
Gone are the days when death was a free teleport and a status reset. Death has now a real consequence that you can actually not ignore like you did with wellness. As a result, it is now necessary to actually take care of yourself and basic items like medicine became valuable. The nature of the penalty is something that affects players in a fundamental way - if it didn't, it would be inconsequential.
I can see how gamestage and spawn fine-tuning or ninja zombies may seem to make the game seem unfair, but the problem is just that, not the penalty itself. Also can see how losing Intelligence perks is the harshest thing about the death penalty. Personally enjoy it because it is the bulk of the consequence for dying. Players can circumvent it by planning ahead and having a large supply of items though, so that they keep doing what they did while penalized.
2)Basic needs & stamina
The new basic needs system seems good. Satiation and hydration matter more now, as they should in a survival game (Roland had said that but I didn't believe him
).
Stamina is now something you have to pay attention to, instead of being a nearly infinite pool and a decorative UI element at level 1. Worry not, it still becomes infinite with that regen at higher levels.
Even if now a lot of food sources can cause food poisoning, food still gets easily stockpiled eventually. Spoilage mitigated (not eliminated) by electricity (fridges) would be a great addition, ensuring that the player still has to work a little bit for basic needs towards the end-game.
3)Level gating
I love the fact that progression is slower, because it now actually feels like progression.
The "primitive" stage may be lacking the comforts of end-game items, but to me these comforts only have value because some effort needs to be made.
However, I don't like much the fact that the player is encouraged to grind zombies (as a way to get fast xp), in order to achieve that (tech) progression. Hope that fine-tuning of xp sources takes care of that in the future.
Also, after making a few character builds, it seems that one is forced to spread points in many perk trees at a time. Result is specialization being weak and the player being left with many extra points which he can't spend on the locked perks he wants and has to spread them out. Consequently, the level locked gating feels more annoying.
Raising the rate at which you get levels slightly, while adding incremental costs as a point sink to perk levels might solve this.
In general I'd prefer the Subnautica way (exploration mostly, could be in combination with quests) of getting schematics and essential recipes than them being tied to leveling.
That shouldn't mean faster progression - just progression that is slightly more controllable by the player.
4)Item quality
Item quality may not feel impactful at first, but that changes when you get your hands on some mods.
From my experience though, it's easier to get high quality items first, so quality upgrades before you get mods naturally don't feel like they matter much with the durability factor alone. The mod system itself is great and the game desperately needed "chase" items. Hope more are introduced to the game in the future.
5)Inventory system
Always wanted an inventory system and I am glad one was added. However I can see how the implementation of the current one can be seen as more "micromanagement". Looting one more item by mistake or because one doesn't know how many free slots he has left, will make the player open his inventory just to check it or drop a single item. If there is a way to make it more intuitive in the future, I'd welcome that.
6)AI & Enemies
Not much needs to be said here, except that the new AI has breathed new life into the game. A lot of things need to be fine-tuned though, like sleeper spawns/detection range (already changed a bit in the latest build, haven't had time to test).
Now enemies themselves have to be addressed so that they feel more organic - less like clones (not talking about visuals).
-random chance to "trip/short dash/hug attempt" towards you when they get close (like it happens in movies/tv for that extra surprise factor).
-slightly randomized standing-up time/chance.
-chance to use the bite attack animation, which already exists, with a different spherecast/whatever.
-chance to stumble a bit while walking - making their movement rate more varied.
-more attack animations like grabbing again with a random chance.
-a very slight movement/attack speed variation.
Better and more sound cues are needed for vultures/dogs and sometimes zombies, so that the player has the chance to defend himself. Dogs should also bark and give players a chance to get away before turning into a pack of frame-skipping homing missiles. Vultures should make their presence known with distinct sounds. Both animations need dire improvement.
I really hope that the AI and zombie unpredictability/better special zombie mechanics in the future, will reduce the need for cartoony bullet sponge monsters.
Finally, I dug underground and to my dismay, it still seems perfectly safe. Zombie detection range should be toned down both horizontally and vertically above ground, but at the same time zombies should be able to find you anywhere below ground.
Never too late to abandon the digging zombies thing and use the best suggestion ever made which is the awesome earth maggot infestation concept. Your loss
Note: Always talking about PvE.
Suggestions for players:
-Play on creative to learn the new mechanics and items (especially mods).
-Don't play A17 like it was A16, treat it as a new game. Anyone gotten used to many meaningless/asinine A16 mechanics, like Week/Day 1 end-game items, will have to re-adapt.
1)Death penalty
Gone are the days when death was a free teleport and a status reset. Death has now a real consequence that you can actually not ignore like you did with wellness. As a result, it is now necessary to actually take care of yourself and basic items like medicine became valuable. The nature of the penalty is something that affects players in a fundamental way - if it didn't, it would be inconsequential.
I can see how gamestage and spawn fine-tuning or ninja zombies may seem to make the game seem unfair, but the problem is just that, not the penalty itself. Also can see how losing Intelligence perks is the harshest thing about the death penalty. Personally enjoy it because it is the bulk of the consequence for dying. Players can circumvent it by planning ahead and having a large supply of items though, so that they keep doing what they did while penalized.
2)Basic needs & stamina
The new basic needs system seems good. Satiation and hydration matter more now, as they should in a survival game (Roland had said that but I didn't believe him
).Stamina is now something you have to pay attention to, instead of being a nearly infinite pool and a decorative UI element at level 1. Worry not, it still becomes infinite with that regen at higher levels.
Even if now a lot of food sources can cause food poisoning, food still gets easily stockpiled eventually. Spoilage mitigated (not eliminated) by electricity (fridges) would be a great addition, ensuring that the player still has to work a little bit for basic needs towards the end-game.
3)Level gating
I love the fact that progression is slower, because it now actually feels like progression.
The "primitive" stage may be lacking the comforts of end-game items, but to me these comforts only have value because some effort needs to be made.
However, I don't like much the fact that the player is encouraged to grind zombies (as a way to get fast xp), in order to achieve that (tech) progression. Hope that fine-tuning of xp sources takes care of that in the future.
Also, after making a few character builds, it seems that one is forced to spread points in many perk trees at a time. Result is specialization being weak and the player being left with many extra points which he can't spend on the locked perks he wants and has to spread them out. Consequently, the level locked gating feels more annoying.
Raising the rate at which you get levels slightly, while adding incremental costs as a point sink to perk levels might solve this.
In general I'd prefer the Subnautica way (exploration mostly, could be in combination with quests) of getting schematics and essential recipes than them being tied to leveling.
That shouldn't mean faster progression - just progression that is slightly more controllable by the player.
4)Item quality
Item quality may not feel impactful at first, but that changes when you get your hands on some mods.
From my experience though, it's easier to get high quality items first, so quality upgrades before you get mods naturally don't feel like they matter much with the durability factor alone. The mod system itself is great and the game desperately needed "chase" items. Hope more are introduced to the game in the future.
5)Inventory system
Always wanted an inventory system and I am glad one was added. However I can see how the implementation of the current one can be seen as more "micromanagement". Looting one more item by mistake or because one doesn't know how many free slots he has left, will make the player open his inventory just to check it or drop a single item. If there is a way to make it more intuitive in the future, I'd welcome that.
6)AI & Enemies
Not much needs to be said here, except that the new AI has breathed new life into the game. A lot of things need to be fine-tuned though, like sleeper spawns/detection range (already changed a bit in the latest build, haven't had time to test).
Now enemies themselves have to be addressed so that they feel more organic - less like clones (not talking about visuals).
-random chance to "trip/short dash/hug attempt" towards you when they get close (like it happens in movies/tv for that extra surprise factor).
-slightly randomized standing-up time/chance.
-chance to use the bite attack animation, which already exists, with a different spherecast/whatever.
-chance to stumble a bit while walking - making their movement rate more varied.
-more attack animations like grabbing again with a random chance.
-a very slight movement/attack speed variation.
Better and more sound cues are needed for vultures/dogs and sometimes zombies, so that the player has the chance to defend himself. Dogs should also bark and give players a chance to get away before turning into a pack of frame-skipping homing missiles. Vultures should make their presence known with distinct sounds. Both animations need dire improvement.
I really hope that the AI and zombie unpredictability/better special zombie mechanics in the future, will reduce the need for cartoony bullet sponge monsters.
Finally, I dug underground and to my dismay, it still seems perfectly safe. Zombie detection range should be toned down both horizontally and vertically above ground, but at the same time zombies should be able to find you anywhere below ground.
Never too late to abandon the digging zombies thing and use the best suggestion ever made which is the awesome earth maggot infestation concept. Your loss
Last edited by a moderator:
