PC Alpha 18 Dev Diary!!

Alpha 18 Dev Diary!!

  • A18 Stable is Out!

    Votes: 2 66.7%

  • <img alt=":)" data-src="" src="___base_url___/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" />

    Votes: 1 33.3%
  • Total voters
    3
Status
Not open for further replies.
Yeah, same hit points, same cost for all the shapes. It's good enough without overcomplicating the game. Realism isn't necessary here.
Click to expand...
The AI would target your half blocks and it would create a weird exploit.

 
You would have about a 30 second grace period to pick up a block then it becomes permanent. We could keep wood frames or have scaffolding blocks. Nobody is using frames any more, everyone uses cobblestone because you can clearly see the rotation it is in (frames are hard to tell), it doesn't need immediately updated to offer some protection.
Really the only thing good about frames is you can pick it up and block something out. So if we do away with frames, allow a grace period to pick it up again, and add scaffolding blocks for building high structures I think we have a better system. Then allow contextual upgrade material on a hammer so you can upgrade wood straight to reinforced concrete by setting the material to concrete. No more clunky upgrading and wasting tons of materials to reach the best material. No more accidentally upgrading a block to steel and wasting an hour tearing it out. No more breaking a 10000 hit point block only to see one with 5000 take its place.
Click to expand...
The grace period would be a fine solution to misplacing blocks, but it still would not replace the use of frames to first get a visual idea of what you're building by making it out of frames, looking at it, moving frames around, then upgrading them or replacing them with the actual blocks once you've settled down on an exact shape. If the problem you have with frames is that the rotations are hard to see (which is true), then simply change their appearance a bit to prevent that.

 
You would have about a 30 second grace period to pick up a block then it becomes permanent. We could keep wood frames or have scaffolding blocks. Nobody is using frames any more, everyone uses cobblestone because you can clearly see the rotation it is in (frames are hard to tell), it doesn't need immediately updated to offer some protection.
Really the only thing good about frames is you can pick it up and block something out. So if we do away with frames, allow a grace period to pick it up again, and add scaffolding blocks for building high structures I think we have a better system. Then allow contextual upgrade material on a hammer so you can upgrade wood straight to reinforced concrete by setting the material to concrete. No more clunky upgrading and wasting tons of materials to reach the best material. No more accidentally upgrading a block to steel and wasting an hour tearing it out. No more breaking a 10000 hit point block only to see one with 5000 take its place.
Click to expand...
so now cities will be full of towers block on public servers, that will be weird lol

 
You would have about a 30 second grace period to pick up a block then it becomes permanent. We could keep wood frames or have scaffolding blocks. Nobody is using frames any more, everyone uses cobblestone because you can clearly see the rotation it is in (frames are hard to tell), it doesn't need immediately updated to offer some protection.
Click to expand...
I liked what you guys did with the sod blocks. I think cobblestone would work well with the system you are suggesting. May I suggest that cobblestone be weaker for those thirty seconds to make it slightly less op compared to wood?

The cool thing about a deticated wood scaffolding block is that presumably every time I upgrade it, the horizontal support will increase, allowing me to min-max resource usage by playing structural engineer :) .

 
Wait, so whats the deal with brass in A18? Will it be craftable/mineable? Or will there be more brass to loot/scrap?
Click to expand...
There are some perk books that let you harvest door knobs, and more brass/lead from sinks, plus mining is viable again so all the GP and lead you can want. On top of that traders seem to fill any gaps.

 
The grace period would be a fine solution to misplacing blocks, but it still would not replace the use of frames to first get a visual idea of what you're building by making it out of frames, looking at it, moving frames around, then upgrading them or replacing them with the actual blocks once you've settled down on an exact shape. If the problem you have with frames is that the rotations are hard to see (which is true), then simply change their appearance a bit to prevent that.
Click to expand...
I don't really like to upgrade them and the extra line of defense mystery hit points to destroying a block isn't that great of a design. I'd prefer a block show various models at hitpoint thresholds rather than you kill a 5k hitpoint block only for another 3k hit point block to appear.

 
I liked what you guys did with the sod blocks. I think cobblestone would work well with the system you are suggesting. May I suggest that cobblestone be weaker for those thirty seconds to make it slightly less op compared to wood?
The cool thing about a deticated wood scaffolding block is that presumably every time I upgrade it, the horizontal support will increase, allowing me to min-max resource usage by playing structural engineer :) .
Click to expand...
Cobblestone is more involved than wood to craft, so I don't see any balance issues. You would not upgrade scaffolding, it would be like our frames are now, but it doesn't upgrade, and you could sort of swim in it or climb it.

 
What do you mean?
Click to expand...
People would leave their nerdpoles behind instead of picking them back up. But if you keep the scaffolding frames it shouldn’t be an issue as people would use those instead of any solidifying blocks.

 
I don't really like to upgrade them and the extra line of defense mystery hit points to destroying a block isn't that great of a design. I'd prefer a block show various models at hitpoint thresholds rather than you kill a 5k hitpoint block only for another 3k hit point block to appear.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I agree that the upgrading system is a little weird, both in the extra materials involved and also in the several stages that blocks go through when destroyed. My point is simply that you should both add a grace period and leave frames in the game, so people can create a skeleton of what they want to build with frames and visualize it.

Whether you want to change how those frames upgrade or not allowing them to be upgraded at all is up to you, but frames that can be placed and picked up at any point are a necessity for building.

 
Cobblestone is more involved than wood to craft, so I don't see any balance issues. You would not upgrade scaffolding, it would be like our frames are now, but it doesn't upgrade, and you could sort of swim in it or climb it.
Click to expand...
If you're in a dangeous situation, the time to upgrade becomes more of an important factor. The drying time would make it so cobblestone isn't a miracle instant blockade compared to metal or wood.

When I said scaffolding, I meant trussing/support.

 
Will you bring back the old level system where we shape our characters based on how we play and get rid of this abomination streamlined crap you gave us in Alpha 17? Oblivion (Alpha 16) &gt; Skyrim (Alpha 17).

 
Will you bring back the old level system where we shape our characters based on how we play and get rid of this abomination streamlined crap you gave us in Alpha 17? Oblivion (Alpha 16) &gt; Skyrim (Alpha 17).
Click to expand...
Mod it. There have already been enough reworks of the level system and it will never make everyone happy. Reworking it each alpha to cater to the people who dislike it is an infinite loop (besides the fact that the devs have stated multiple times that they won't bring back LBD).

 
Now that we have the shape selector menu, the idea that we even have to craft blocks seems kind of vestigial. In A19, why not rework it so you can place blocks by just holding the building resource in your hand?

If you want to place the old log cabin blocks, right click while holding wood, and if you want to build wood frames, right click while holding the composite material "boards and nails".

 
You would have about a 30 second grace period to pick up a block then it becomes permanent. We could keep wood frames or have scaffolding blocks. Nobody is using frames any more, everyone uses cobblestone because you can clearly see the rotation it is in (frames are hard to tell), it doesn't need immediately updated to offer some protection. snip...
Click to expand...

I still use frames on the sides of my base. It allows me to keep spiders from climbing and I can shoot straight down into the hoard.

Guess I will need to use something else... Hoping this scaffolding will work in the same way.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Possibly a mod that puts the junk in a spread pattern but that would eat a lot of ammo and be kind of meh IMO.
Click to expand...
Hmm, maybe instead of a spread pattern how about the ability to shoot through multiple targets like the revolver?

 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top