PC A17 ... Where are you
- Thread starter NeferPitou
- Start date
Snowydeath
New member
"Not being toxic" proceeds to say the game is ♥♥♥♥ without mods.. lol your logic tho...
Programming is much like sculpting. You first create a rough figure, then you cut out finer and finer details. In the process you will visit the same place many many times, always chipping away smaller and smaller pieces until you are finished.
The only difference is, in programming you usually add stuff, more than you remove.
This is done in all areas of programming, even when the end product is specified completely from the start. When programming games you have the additional problem of having only a perfunctory idea what the end product will look like. Only testing shows then what is fun and what not in a game.
You make it sound like there is an alternative to testing and iterating, something that has surely been done ALL 15 alphas after the first one to some extent and everywhere else in games programming.Especially when starting from the ground up. TFP needed something running first and perfection later.
Talking about perfection: Usually the iterations add a lot of capabilities, but many things hidden under the hood. For example the new weapon system is probably only on the surface a replacement but internally an expansion. As a gamer you will only see that mods replace parts, but a modder could probably recreate the old parts system to a large extent. The other way round is impossible.
The same goes for the buff system, there will be much more flexibility there, and a modder could probably simulate the old system with ease. I don't see why this isn't adding, only it adds a lot on levels that the end user (except for modders) doesn't necessarily see.
mdf25
New member
It's a good thing we're getting videos, even if they are showing new POIs. It's all relevant and if you watch and listen closely you'll see there was more than just the POI shown in this last video. New zombie ragdoll animations, talk about biomes and changes to Navezgane, quest mark points all came under discussion, among other things. You can also get more idea on what they're working on by clicking on madmole's name and viewing his post history, that's the easiest way to stay up to date.
They may be less frequent at the moment, but I think we need to just step back and say "Hey, this guy likely has a hundred other things he's working on for A17 in amongst trying to coordinate with a larger team, and still finds the time among that to give us some info on how stuff is going". That IMO is going above and beyond what I'd expect from a game developer. Most AAA titles you get a trailer and a few screenshots, maybe one single discussion video. Madmole has given us so much more than that.
Alright - the above is flawed logic.
More new hires != Faster A17 release.
Whilst the new people hired in are no doubt great at what they do, they still need to be shown the code base and learn the core functionality of the game before they can work on things. What variable changes what in game, what method can be accessed by this game object or that game object. How to make these exposed to XML, etc. Level designers who may have been hired would need to learn how to use TFPs prefabbing tools before they could work efficiently, for example, so an existing team member would need to take time out of their schedule to show them the ropes. New hires don't automatically speed up production right away and it seems this alpha TFP are working on extending existing features rather than adding lots and lots of new ones, though we still have tons of new stuff coming.
As another example they are overhauling already existing systems to be more versatile. Whilst regular players may not see much changes on the surface which indeed leads to the 'why does it take so long' scenario here, deep down in the core code base, weeks if not months of work have been undertaken to rewrite and improve systems. Often in programming if you take something and just keep adding more and more and more, things can quickly become hard to manage and sustain. So rewriting these systems will give opportunity for refinement, further streamlining and later optimisation. You don't often get the end product on your first try and the team have been learning new techniques on their journey through making this game, allowing them to look back on previous work and improve it. That's normal for a programmer or team of programmers.
Every mod? Damn. I've got over 4000 hours in 7 days since A13 and have yet to try out half the mods for any of those alphas. Honestly I'd go check those mod forums, new ones are continually popping up at the moment and there is more than likely a mod or two you haven't tried yet.
HP Bar not decreasing != No progress made
That bar is a rough indicator and a guide only. The team have always delivered no matter how long things have taken. Have a little faith
Consider coming back every couple weeks to have a look instead and focus on either enjoying A16, a mod, or move to another game to pass the time until A17E.Though a little misguided, I do see where you're coming from like so many before you. But be patient, it's done when it's done.
Minandreas
New member
Only people I can understand griping about A17s delay are people that bought the game, have not enjoyed it thusfar, and are hoping they will once A17 hits.
If you're someone that has already been playing the game and enjoying it, then you've already gotten your monies worth. So I don't know what the complaining is about. (Pretty sure the demographics on the forum are likely to be either people waiting to see the game be playable in their eyes, or people with hundreds of hours clocked in.)
I agree with whoever said A17 looks like 7 Days 2.0. It's going to be a big upgrade to the experience. I wouldn't be surprised if it feels like a new game. I'm looking forward to getting hundreds of hours more game time for free in a world where I frequently get less than a hundred from full cost AAA titles.
Obviously I would love it to come out ASAP. I'm excited to play it. And it feels like it's taking forever. But I'm not gonna complain about it.
If you're looking for another game to pass the time waiting on A17 and haven't tried it yet, give Project Zomboid a look. I'm quite hooked at the moment.
If you're someone that has already been playing the game and enjoying it, then you've already gotten your monies worth. So I don't know what the complaining is about. (Pretty sure the demographics on the forum are likely to be either people waiting to see the game be playable in their eyes, or people with hundreds of hours clocked in.)
I agree with whoever said A17 looks like 7 Days 2.0. It's going to be a big upgrade to the experience. I wouldn't be surprised if it feels like a new game. I'm looking forward to getting hundreds of hours more game time for free in a world where I frequently get less than a hundred from full cost AAA titles.
Obviously I would love it to come out ASAP. I'm excited to play it. And it feels like it's taking forever. But I'm not gonna complain about it.
If you're looking for another game to pass the time waiting on A17 and haven't tried it yet, give Project Zomboid a look. I'm quite hooked at the moment.
themirror
New member
Take a yucca juice or a red tea and chill down buddy.
We are all expecting A17, we are suffering with this progression and hp bar, BUT TFP is rewriting many things in the game, recoding the engine, changing IA, block collision, quests, POI's and many other things. This is the most significant alpha until now, one of the last things to bring the game to beta stage.
All this things take time and effort. Really much time and really much effort. TFP is working hard to take this game to a whole new level
G
Guest
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You guys secretly love these threads, don't you?
The Batman
New member
I still want my ziplines so I can cosplay my dark night fantasy more.
/grabs pitch forks
/grabs pitch forks
