PC Alpha 18 Dev Diary!!

[madmole]

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.

Oh well we'll have some sort of frame/scaffold block you can pick up for sure. Most likely we aren't getting into the weeds on this shape overhaul right away either because it wasn't a planned feature.

 

[madmole]

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.

Frames aren't needed, a grace period of changing your structure is. Under a land claim we could be pretty generous as to what that is.

 

[madmole]

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.

True, there is a bit of a survival element to it. Maybe we could preview it as an opaque block so you can tell what it is and what rotation you want.

 

[KingSlayerGM]

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.

Madmole, regarding scaffolding, may I suggest to try out Minecraft's scaffolding? It works great and has lots of cool features. If you haven't already, of course.

 

[KingSlayerGM]

What do you mean?

I think he is referring to nerdpoling

 

[madmole]

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".

There is still crafting time of the blocks to consider. I don't want to stare at a craft timer after I place a block.

 

[madmole]

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.

There are wood railings most people use, you don't accidentally pick them up and fall into the horde either.

 

[KingSlayerGM]

Any news on the dirt blocks not connecting to other full blocks?

 

[madmole]

Madmole. I wanted to know if we will have missions that allow us to upgrade the trading post.
I

No but we're planning some quests where you might repair or upgrade a settlement, defend etc.

 

[madmole]

Hmm, maybe instead of a spread pattern how about the ability to shoot through multiple targets like the revolver?

Auto aim bots that shoot through walls? Seems like a bad idea for SP and PVP.

 

[Dimpy]

There is still crafting time of the blocks to consider. I don't want to stare at a craft timer after I place a block.

There already is the time to craft the building materials themselves (e.g. cobblestone rocks, rebar). A second timer isn't necessary.

True, there is a bit of a survival element to it. Maybe we could preview it as an opaque block so you can tell what it is and what rotation you want.

Personally I think the delay adds to the survival elements. I currently use wood frames instead of cobblestone because it requires me to plan ahead more and not throw up a solid wall of stone fortnite-style if I get into a tight spot.

 

[Hamburglar]

Zed Rework? + Bunch of ideas

Hey, I'm not the usual forum dweller but I loved this game for so long and I had to come and ask!

Is there going to be a rework on zombies? I know there have been in the past and in comparison, now they look really good but still.. To be honnest their kinda clunky, rigid and not very spooky looking... I know this is a different game, and yet some games manage to make their zeds alot more fluid, take l4d2 for example, or dead rising, or any of the modern realistic zombie games for that matter.

On that subject, how about hits on zeds now showed bullet holes or at least some blood on the zombie itself. Now that would be a huge novelty, and definitely would make the interaction with zombies more immersive.

This is a big deal breaker for me, as the only aspect of the game I reckon that's still a bit behind imho are zombies.

Would any of this be possible?

(~؛^؛)~ Keep up the amazing work! ~(؛^؛~)

forever a fan

 

[vedrit]

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.

My complaint is that I use frames to plan out new base construction projects, which can take hours just for planning. If frames are removed then it throws a wrench into my, and likely many others, plans. Scaffolding might work as a stand-in, but where with the frames, if we liked the layout then we could just immediately start construction. Scaffolding would have to be replaced with whatever block we want to put in. You can understand how this could get very tedious very quickly, right?

 

[NukemDed]

we also get xp for upgrading. also theres a semse of achievement making your base stronger and stronger as you get more resource

 

[Roland]

My complaint is that I use frames to plan out new base construction projects, which can take hours just for planning. If frames are removed then it throws a wrench into my, and likely many others, plans. Scaffolding might work as a stand-in, but where with the frames, if we liked the layout then we could just immediately start construction. Scaffolding would have to be replaced with whatever block we want to put in. You can understand how this could get very tedious very quickly, right?

Frames aren’t going to removed. This is all brainstorming at this point so nothing is set in stone but the current idea is that frames would work like Minecraft’s scaffolding block so you can move through and up and down them— a huge boon for building.

They would not be upgradeable anymore however so That is a downside but instead of replace as you go you place blocks to the outside of the frames and leave the frames for greater mobility as you build.

 

[Odetta]

There is still crafting time of the blocks to consider. I don't want to stare at a craft timer after I place a block.

A little quality of life thing. Can you make it so upgrading flagstone to cobblestone take just one "hit". It's the only block that takes multiple hits to upgrade and is a hugely tedious. I'd also like upgrading a block to increase heat a lot more. Think of a construction sites noise pollution in real life.

As for wood blocks usefulness I have a few Ideas, some will only work when systems are in place:

- Have them give better Insulation value than other blocks

- Give them a "splintering effect" so when they are hit they hurt the attacker a little (zombies only)

- Have them "float" to be able to place on top layer of water with no SI supports. (would have to fix water, and have zombies swim to balance)

- Make them even cheaper to make than they are. Early game wood is very important so right now a lot of players just camp in a poi or go straight to flagstone.

 

[Roland]

we also get xp for upgrading. also theres a semse of achievement making your base stronger and stronger as you get more resource

I don’t think “upgrading blocks” is going away. Only upgrading frames to a solid block is being talked about right now. You will still be able to upgrade from cobble to brick to concrete etc.

 

[Roland]

A little quality of life thing. Can you make it so upgrading flagstone to cobblestone take just one "hit". It's the only block that takes multiple hits to upgrade and is a hugely tedious. I'd also like upgrading a block to increase heat a lot more. Think of a construction sites noise pollution in real life.
As for wood blocks usefulness I have a few Ideas, some will only work when systems are in place:

- Have them give better Insulation value than other blocks

- Give them a "splintering effect" so when they are hit they hurt the attacker a little

- Have them "float" to be able to place on top layer of water with no SI supports. (would have to fix water, and have zombies swim to balance)

- Make them even cheaper to make than they are. Early game wood is very important so right now a lot of players just camp in a poi or go straight to flagstone.

Those are some good ideas. I really feel wood construction has been marginalized the last few alphas. Now that cobblestone and cement can be so easily harvested from POIs it almost feels like there is no place for wood blocks. I’d like there to be place for it and building on the water sounds really cool—someday.

 

[Odetta]

Those are some good ideas. I really feel wood construction has been marginalized the last few alphas. Now that cobblestone and cement can be so easily harvested from POIs it almost feels like there is no place for wood blocks. I’d like there to be place for it and building on the water sounds really cool—someday.

Thanks! Yes wood feels in a bad place right now. Also, if you can build on water like that then people would make some awesome bases, cities, pois, and even entire maps. I can totally see people making Water World maps or cities. Just opens up a lot more creative possibilities. :fat:

 

[Deceiver101]

Hey everyone, Been seeing that Madmole and the team are making vids of 18. Looks great and excited to try it when it's ready.

Just one question: will the crackling of electricity on the stun baton be adjusted? In Prime's stream he was looting a house with the group and had a stun baton ready, but he couldn't find a zombie, only hearing them. The crackling became more and more annoying to Prime as it was charged and was forced to put it away.

So are there plans to adjust the volume of it or change the looping noise of the electricity to make it less audibly intrusive for the first round of release of A18? Prime did make a comment how it's a placeholder sound from the electric fence, but I don't know if the change is planned for a build before the release.