PC Alpha 18 Dev Diary!!

Alpha 18 Dev Diary!!

  • A18 Stable is Out!

    Votes: 2 66.7%

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    Votes: 1 33.3%
  • Total voters
    3
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Unsure if this had been discussed already:

With all the mining/biome changes going on, is stone returning to the desert in lower layers?

Living in the desert can be frustrating as it is already without having any significant clay soil, stone being removed from the desert was an extra kick in the pants. In realistic terms, even the Sahara desert is only up to about 20-40 some meters deep of sand (while others are a few meters), if my google-fu serves me.

 
I'm curious... Why is this such a must?As I see it, it adds nothing at all to the game... Well ok, you get to crawl, but how is that adding to the game in a meaningful way?

I'd rather see time spent on: Gameplay, RWG, electrical, zombie types, missions, stability fixes, .............

But that's just me I guess...
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You never experienced the fear of trying to crawl out of POI with zombie dogs snapping at your heels :-)

Adding the ability to crawl is pretty trivial from a programming perspective, with the new system that prevents you raising your head underground and clipping through the terrain half the work is already done. The other half is a standard part of a lot of first person shooters. We're not exactly on the cutting edge of technical development here.

The hardest part will be animations which will be completely out of the purview of everyone except fataal and an animator unless I'm much mistaken.

 
You never experienced the fear of trying to crawl out of POI with zombie dogs snapping at your heels :-)
Adding the ability to crawl is pretty trivial from a programming perspective, with the new system that prevents you raising your head underground and clipping through the terrain half the work is already done. The other half is a standard part of a lot of first person shooters. We're not exactly on the cutting edge of technical development here.

The hardest part will be animations which will be completely out of the purview of everyone except fataal and an animator unless I'm much mistaken.
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You got me there... I caught the last bit of A14, but A15 was really where I started to play the game in earnest. So I never experienced it...

I still say, that there are better areas to spend time on. But nostalgia is powerful! Especially if it was something that worked. I'm not denying that (LBD case in point).

As for the graphical animations, I remember reading a response from faatal, which had to do with the sitting position in vehicles...

The jist of it was, that it is very hard to change this... Somthing to do with the Unity side of things...

 
I was half joking but what was the answer to kid zombies? I think it was before my time. But creepy little kids are always scarier in horror movies, like Pet Sematary, and I would think twice because it's a kid, human nature to nurture kids, rather than slaughter. Adults are fair game. Baby Zombies in zombie flicks are scary, but in a different way. That's just sad. But the Poopy Pants daycare full of zombie kids...I would be scareder than a stadium full of adult zombies. Or a semetary full of pet zombies. But a zoo full of Zoombies... that's some scary sh*t. Lions and Tigers and Bears... Zombie Serengetti... or Zombie Sharks...any ways, Chucky was scarier because he was a doll of a kid. Way scarier than a ken doll zombie. Also if you've ever had a pack of feral children attack you and cling to your legs, just imagine they are hungry little zombies next time. If you tried to attack then you could just as easily cut you own leg and cripple yourself. Not to mention they are fast and can fit through one block ingresses in real life.,
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Totally agree look at the babies in Dead Space. Small zombies are equal to the likes to the successfull demonic gremlins or critters in there day. Why were they scary and fun on screen ? There size.

Fat or thin zombies are not divers enough anymore.

Plus why do we still have the same animations tied to the same zombies ??? Can't we have random crawlers or hobbelers to spruce things up a bit now ?

 
If you have some Zombies be able to pass 1 block high passages it would change base design a lot.
The next is players demanding to also pass though 1 block high passages.

And in the end you have bases only consisting of 1 block high passages, making the game end up in being a crawling simulator.
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Why? Because kid zombies can? I would say too bad. Simple as that.
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We used to have 1-block ingress but it was removed. The main reason given was that it made POI looting too easy and the animations sucked.
Many of us would like to see it return. The balance is easy, just slow the player to a crawl (pun intended) and nobody is going to be going all "Shawshank redemption" just to get back in their base.
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I'm curious... Why is this such a must?As I see it, it adds nothing at all to the game... Well ok, you get to crawl, but how is that adding to the game in a meaningful way?

I'd rather see time spent on: Gameplay, RWG, electrical, zombie types, missions, stability fixes, .............

But that's just me I guess...
Click to expand...

You never experienced the fear of trying to crawl out of POI with zombie dogs snapping at your heels :-)
Adding the ability to crawl is pretty trivial from a programming perspective, with the new system that prevents you raising your head underground and clipping through the terrain half the work is already done. The other half is a standard part of a lot of first person shooters. We're not exactly on the cutting edge of technical development here.

The hardest part will be animations which will be completely out of the purview of everyone except fataal and an animator unless I'm much mistaken.
Click to expand...

I was under impression that it was removed because (iirc) if zombies can't do it then players shouldn't be able to do it.

 
I was under impression that it was removed because (iirc) if zombies can't do it then players shouldn't be able to do it.
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Until the latest AI revision zombie dogs could path through a single block gap.

It also begs the question why crawlers couldn't squeeze through either.

This may be a case where the game has caught up with the mechanic.

 
Until the latest AI revision zombie dogs could path through a single block gap.
It also begs the question why crawlers couldn't squeeze through either.

This may be a case where the game has caught up with the mechanic.
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Am thinking if they let crawlers do it there would be no reason a player couldn't do it. After all zombies are (were) humans and being the same size as players then logically players would be able to crawl through same hole as a zombie.

 
Am thinking if they let crawlers do it there would be no reason a player couldn't do it. After all zombies are (were) humans and being the same size as players then logically players would be able to crawl through same hole as a zombie.
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The ability to go prone would also make someone in the new Ghillie suit damn near impossible to spot. :-)

 
The ability to go prone would also make someone in the new Ghillie suit damn near impossible to spot. :-)
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"Oh, look, that must be the new bu.."

*death screen*

I wanna try it in pvp, I have to.

 
For kid zombies, I like to think that babies and children's immune systems are too weak to handle the virus and fully transform.
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Or, the virus seeks survival. Infesting a host with a tiny little body, with weak teeth, isn't very helpful to achieve said survival.

Anyways, I would like to see zombie kids... you know you'll crap your pants when they bust out of a wardrobe.

 
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You would also need to develop and debug the pathfinding for 1 block passable zombies/dogs. It adds complexity and potentially new bugs. (even if 1 block high pathfinding is simpler than 2 block high paths)

 
Everybody is thinking too hard on this one, inventing new stones and geo-conglomerates....
How about just leave it as Gravel - BUT.... make it so Picks do more block damage to it than shovels in the code??

Instead of reinvent wheel - reprogram wheel.
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We're only allowed a certain number of textures underground with the new shader and removing gravel seemed like a no brainer.

 
I am talking about the balance of the skills. If you can instantly kill a zombie 45% of the time with a head shot why would you get individual weapon class perks. I am trying to balance the skill points a little, and a stun is still a huge bonus with the added damage. It also means to get a stun chance and an instant kill chance you would need both headshot and a specific class of weapon (pistol, shotgun ect...). You would still get to blow up zombie heads but it would allow for a longer character build up in development.
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We have new decap rules, its a 50% better chance to decap, not a 50% chance. Its feeling pretty good right now in A18.

 
@madmole I've been meaning to ask. ... A17 shipped with tons of new decorative blocks used in the dungeon-crawl POIs. ... Are there plans on expanding survival's access to fancy blocks like this for the builders out there? I'd love to be able to get access to stuff like fridges, stoves, the ceiling moulding, trim blocks, etc for building in this game.
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No plans until we can decide to do the new build menu or not. You would be able to select a shape, no more crafting specific oddball shapes like left corner gable etc.

 
@MM
Do you think there will ever be an option to completely skip the tutorial missions? I kinda figured out how to make a stone axe after a 1000 hours ^-^
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Already is, but you lose the skill points I think. I've shortened it considerably, its not bad now. I think it goes bedroll, club, bow, pants shirt 1 frame, 1 upgrade, campfire trader.

 
Are there still no shadows on foliage in A18 or has that been fixed? Also tying damage to weapon quality is a good move. What about rate of fire? It would visually make the top tear weapons look bad ass. Would need some balance though.
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Trees cast shadows, grass will never cast shadows because its ugly and slow.

 
Unsure if this had been discussed already:
With all the mining/biome changes going on, is stone returning to the desert in lower layers?

Living in the desert can be frustrating as it is already without having any significant clay soil, stone being removed from the desert was an extra kick in the pants. In realistic terms, even the Sahara desert is only up to about 20-40 some meters deep of sand (while others are a few meters), if my google-fu serves me.
Click to expand...
Yes stone is in the desert now.

 
Am thinking if they let crawlers do it there would be no reason a player couldn't do it. After all zombies are (were) humans and being the same size as players then logically players would be able to crawl through same hole as a zombie.
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Level design didn't want it super easy for players to break one block and get the loot and skip the dungeon crawl, at the time.

 
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