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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Thats just a puny sidearm. How about a real battlefield weapon like a halbert?
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Yeah, go for it. But its not for me.

I'd like to go stealth. I have always done that in games whenever it was possible. Thats whya I am really hyped for A18. The Skilltree makes much more sense now.

A17 is like going to multiple shops to get the stuff you need. Now you head to your store and get everything. Even cheaper I might say, because you already invested Points in agility for example.

 
Oh another Thing... I didn't see that it got mentioned. If anybody knows - I don't want to bother the Devs...:

Are the Solarpanels going to get fiexed in A18? The Game gets ultra laggy when you setup Solarpanels to recharge Batteries in the Daytime and use the Batteries for Lights at Night. I use a Timerrelay from 20h - 8h (8pm-8am).

 
I also think spoilage would be pretty lame, but I agree that there could be some value to having food-related challenges in the mid-to-late game.
Instead of food generically increasing heat for zombies, what about it creating a different sort of heat that attracts bears? So the more food items you have in a chunk, ESPECIALLY raw meat, the more often a bear comes wandering in to check it out. Just like the screamer mechanic.

The challenge goes from ‘don’t starve’ to ‘don’t get eaten!’ and instead of feeling like food is a non-issue after a certain point it becomes a different kind of issue, one of abundance = danger.

In fact if you had hundreds of meat and food items you could expect 2-3 bears to come sniffing around and more frequent dog pack spawns.

This way when you get to the point you’ve got tons of food and forges/cement mixers/chem stations working you have zombies AND animals frequently checking out your base.

But this wouldn’t prevent you from questing, exploring, etc. It would just mean there’s a good chance when you come home there will be a bear or two near your base.
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I too like that idea! Could have a bear cub be the screamer. He calls mama bear in and the whole pack follows. Lol.

Madmole, you were asking for recipes for the canned foods to give them more uses. I think bringing back smell is something that could also help with that, as they would be safe to carry around with you as opposed to stews and stuff. Keep the stuff you cook at home and use canned goods for exploring/questing.

Also, food could probably just use a nerf on the looting side of things. Similar to how guns are currently in A17, food is just way too common. Would also make the supply drops more useful again. Most people I see playing the game usually just check them for weapons/ammo or a beaker. I know I usually just dropped the canned food myself.

And then if you add some type of danger for farming, such as plants dying or animals attacking crops, food will have some challenge involved again. Doesn't have to make it a grind or overly tedious, just something you actually have to think about past the first 10 minutes of day 1.

TLDR: Smell would make canned food useful, nerf food loot some so it's not so easy to find, add some type of crop degradation. Profit. :)

- - - Updated - - -

Torches will not be changed at all in Alpha 18, possibly never, we are just talking about what if.
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I do like that idea. Maybe make it last one game day before needing to be "reloaded" with fat/tallow.

But I would also make it so the degradation stops when it's placed as a block. That was one annoying thing I also had to mod out of ARK with wall and standing torches for my base.

 
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I was wondering the idea behind tools using more stamina as you get better ones. (Stone&gt;Iron&gt;Steel) I would think you would use less stamina as you got better ones. Wouldn't a stone axe you made yourself at the beginning of the game tire you out more than a nice sharper iron one, and a steel one be even better again . (Keeping it's edge longer)

 
Oh another Thing... I didn't see that it got mentioned. If anybody knows - I don't want to bother the Devs...:
Are the Solarpanels going to get fiexed in A18? The Game gets ultra laggy when you setup Solarpanels to recharge Batteries in the Daytime and use the Batteries for Lights at Night. I use a Timerrelay from 20h - 8h (8pm-8am).
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We haven't been able to reproduce this. How many panels are you using?

 
I was wondering the idea behind tools using more stamina as you get better ones. (Stone&gt;Iron&gt;Steel) I would think you would use less stamina as you got better ones. Wouldn't a stone axe you made yourself at the beginning of the game tire you out more than a nice sharper iron one, and a steel one be even better again . (Keeping it's edge longer)
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It's a subtle difference. For the same amount of material obtained, yes, a stone axe should tire you more since you'd require way more effort into mining the stuff. But a stone axe is lighter and faster than a steel pickaxe, so on a swing-by-swing basis it makes sense that a stone axe takes less stamina. The numbers just have to be balanced.

 
Is it possible to turn off the "speed dampener" of vehicles in singleplayer? (It seems that the freefall-speed the reduced when going over it)

Would be more fun to jump over ramps etc, when the vehicles can go with the speed physics would allow.

 
Hey everyone, its been awhile since i posted and I have a lot of catching up to do, but i do have a question for madmole or roland, in regards to crafting are we going to get more lighting options again, or are they purchasable by the trader? I'm curious cause i miss decorating with the dome lights, using the typical store lights as well as the garage lights for over doors in my base, im just curious.

 
@madmole
I haven't finished watching the video yet but I have a question. What perks can be found as books excatly?

Can you please either put it in game, or give us a comprehensive list? Or can all perks be found as books?

Update is looking awesome btw.
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Maybe a tab showing available books and checkmarking them as discovered would be a good early quest reward? Have a quest seeking one book in a poi, return it to the trader, and he gives new players a "tip" about learning from finding books, likely spots for them, and unlocks the list somewhere in the menus?

That gives us an easy to create valuable early game quest that keeps players immersed, but also teaches new players (and old) about the new loot.

A win win for players and also for the developers.

Great idea, Kage!

 
Torches will not be changed at all in Alpha 18, possibly never, we are just talking about what if.
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As far as torches are concerned, we like not having to micromanage them.

We DO however like some of guppy's mod that allowed people to throw them for night spot lighting(they burned out after half a night, I think), and being either to craft any lighting found in the game or a book that allows us to pick them up and take them. (I liked your idea about that capability in books.

(Maybe the book title for light pickups could be "I see the light"?)

Under book titles, is there (or could there be) a space for the author's name? It would be nice/funny to see the developer's names listed as authors, or possible some of the top modders as a tip of the hat to them. Some author names could just be there for amusement.

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Oh, on solar panels.. in over 2500 game hours we've never found/bought any to even consider using.

...but I'd use the hell out of a parasail to glide down from high pois and mountaintops.

 
By Azura, Sithis is off limits until bandits. Speaking of that, It would be nice to have legendary "enchanted" weapons/tools. I would LOVE weapons with effects (non removable-non mod type ) like pistol with +1% to +5% attack against (insert entity or block here) or -5% to +5% durability loss or something.
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I am with you on the legendary thing, but +1%-+5% is too little in my opinion. A legendary weapon has to stand out and should be extremely rare to find.

 
I too like that idea! Could have a bear cub be the screamer. He calls mama bear in and the whole pack follows. Lol.
Madmole, you were asking for recipes for the canned foods to give them more uses. I think bringing back smell is something that could also help with that, as they would be safe to carry around with you as opposed to stews and stuff. Keep the stuff you cook at home and use canned goods for exploring/questing.

Also, food could probably just use a nerf on the looting side of things. Similar to how guns are currently in A17, food is just way too common. Would also make the supply drops more useful again. Most people I see playing the game usually just check them for weapons/ammo or a beaker. I know I usually just dropped the canned food myself.

And then if you add some type of danger for farming, such as plants dying or animals attacking crops, food will have some challenge involved again. Doesn't have to make it a grind or overly tedious, just something you actually have to think about past the first 10 minutes of day 1.

TLDR: Smell would make canned food useful, nerf food loot some so it's not so easy to find, add some type of crop degradation. Profit. :)

- - - Updated - - -

I do like that idea. Maybe make it last one game day before needing to be "reloaded" with fat/tallow.

But I would also make it so the degradation stops when it's placed as a block. That was one annoying thing I also had to mod out of ARK with wall and standing torches for my base.
Click to expand...
I disagree on canned food, if I had to survive on just that I'd starve to death.

 
Maybe a tab showing available books and checkmarking them as discovered would be a good early quest reward? Have a quest seeking one book in a poi, return it to the trader, and he gives new players a "tip" about learning from finding books, likely spots for them, and unlocks the list somewhere in the menus?
That gives us an easy to create valuable early game quest that keeps players immersed, but also teaches new players (and old) about the new loot.

A win win for players and also for the developers.

Great idea, Kage!
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There is a book tab in the skills menu that shows what books you've read. I'll do a video on books next.

 
@Madmole,

Are you a fan of mini-games within a game? I always thought vending machines were boring and thought about a mini-game to spice them up.

First change is have them use the Pre-war paper money in the game and not dukes, there can be two different vending machines though. Ones that are pre-war and others the Duke put out.

I haven't seen the lock picking animation but this could be the mini-game (to save resources/time). You see what you want in the vending machine and before you can buy it you have to do a little mini-game where you have to "lock pick it" (it would be different from lock picking though, maybe just in appearance) because the pre war vending machines are broken. You do the mini game and if you are successful you can buy the item, if you fail then you get a massive shock:hypnotysed:

You could have a lot of fun with this, like vending machines that do the following on fail:

- Shock you

- Light you on fire

- Cause a mini explosion that ragdolls you 15 feet away

- Alarm goes off causing zombies to go to your location

- Cause the item to shoot out at high velocity, breaking your legs

- Spray coolant on you giving you instant flu

- Etc.

Items in the vending machines can have specific pre-war items only found in them that are really cool:

(These Items would have really cool status effects attached to them or be used in high tier recipes)

- Twonkies: Ingredient to make the Rad Remover mod, their ability to soak up and nullify radiation makes them last forever

- Orwelleos: Big brother is always watching; heightens perception 5 ranks for x hours

- Chips Ahoe: Find buried treasure/supplies easier. Reduces the grid to 3x3

- Redstool: Gain 3 ranks of Furry of Blows for x hours

- Mountain Drewl: Ingredient for a vehicle mod (when they come)

Some are goofy but their just examples.

 
@Madmole,
Are you a fan of mini-games within a game? I always thought vending machines were boring and thought about a mini-game to spice them up.

First change is have them use the Pre-war paper money in the game and not dukes, there can be two different vending machines though. Ones that are pre-war and others the Duke put out.

I haven't seen the lock picking animation but this could be the mini-game (to save resources/time). You see what you want in the vending machine and before you can buy it you have to do a little mini-game where you have to "lock pick it" (it would be different from lock picking though, maybe just in appearance) because the pre war vending machines are broken. You do the mini game and if you are successful you can buy the item, if you fail then you get a massive shock:hypnotysed:

You could have a lot of fun with this, like vending machines that do the following on fail:

- Shock you

- Light you on fire

- Cause a mini explosion that ragdolls you 15 feet away

- Alarm goes off causing zombies to go to your location

- Cause the item to shoot out at high velocity, breaking your legs

- Spray coolant on you giving you instant flu

- Etc.

Items in the vending machines can have specific pre-war items only found in them that are really cool:

(These Items would have really cool status effects attached to them or be used in high tier recipes)

- Twonkies: Ingredient to make the Rad Remover mod, their ability to soak up and nullify radiation makes them last forever

- Orwelleos: Big brother is always watching; heightens perception 5 ranks for x hours

- Chips Ahoe: Find buried treasure/supplies easier. Reduces the grid to 3x3

- Redstool: Gain 3 ranks of Furry of Blows for x hours

- Mountain Drewl: Ingredient for a vehicle mod (when they come)

Some are goofy but their just examples.
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I have a bunch of candy planned for probably 19 that could be bought in vending machines. It might be easy to make locked ones you have to unlock to interact with.

 
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