PC Alpha 18 Dev Diary!!

[TSBX]

Here's a good question for Madmole and the gang:

What stats are randomized for A18 and are there additional stats planned for future builds?

 

[FileMachete]

ima thinkin' its safe to say yeah you will collide with them.

Spoiler

View attachment 28945

eep! at first glance the one on the right looked like somebody zapped the ♥♥♥♥ out a sheep or large poodle!

ZombieSurvivor, quick! click your heels together and say... :biggrin1:

 

[ecv]

Spoiler alert!!! ahhh man. I did not know about this. :writes self note, check out mansion next time I play:

Can you spoil a17 stuff in a discussion for a18? I doubt it. That's a bit like watching terminator 2 and calling the quick recap a spoiler for terminator 1

 

[Slingblade2040]

will the experience gain from selling to the trader be removed in future alphas?

 

[Roland]

will the experience gain from selling to the trader be removed in future alphas?

Doubtful but probably will continue to be adjusted as time goes on.

 

[Sarakatunga]

enable if possible

<entity_class name="zombieBehemoth" extends="zombieTemplateMale">

<property name="Prefab" value="NPC4m"/>

<property name="SoundRandom" value="Enemies/Base_Zombie_Male2/zombiemale2roam"/>

<property name="SoundAlert" value="Enemies/Base_Zombie_Male2/zombiemale2alert"/>

<property name="SoundAttack" value="Enemies/Base_Zombie_Male2/zombiemale2attack"/>

<property name="SoundHurt" value="Enemies/Base_Zombie_Male2/zombiemale2pain"/>

<property name="SoundDeath" value="Enemies/Base_Zombie_Male2/zombiemale2death"/>

<property name="SoundSense" value="Enemies/Base_Zombie_Male2/zombiemale2sense"/>

<property name="Mesh" value="Monsters/Behemoth/BehemothRagdoll"/>

<property name="AvatarController" value="AvatarZombie01Controller"/>

<property name="ModelType" value="Standard"/>

<property name="WalkType" value="9"/>

<property name="ExperienceGain" value="8982"/>

<property name="MaxHealth" value="5000"/>

<property name="DeadBodyHitPoints" value="700"/>

<property name="PhysicsBody" value="zombieStandardFemale"/>

<property name="RootMotion" value="true"/>

<property name="HasDeathAnim" value="true"/>

<property name="ReplaceMaterial1" value="entities/zombies/materials/Z_eye1"/>

<property name="HandItem" value="meleeHandZombieBehemoth"/>

</entity_class>

I was testing it that good model made it hurt that it is not finished.

It would be nice to hear this style of music in the horde but it's too much to ask jaja

 

[madmole]

What? I have been seeing ambient lighting in the game for a good while now. Alpha 15 (I think). I can build a blockhouse without windows and it is dark inside in the daytime. Plus go into A in-closed POI without lights and again it's really dark in the daytime. Never mind the night.

So what is different about occlusion of Alpha-18?

What does lighting have to do with geometry occlusion? Nothing.

 

[madmole]

Question regarding motions triggers (auto open) on the doors in A18? Will this apply to only the Garage door and drawbridge, or will it work on all doors/hatches?

Only top tier things can be powered, so no cheap wooden or iron powered doors, only vault tech.

 

[madmole]

Are we going to see other NPC's at the trader's? Guards, workers eta?
Maybe a cook that you can buy a meal off of?

Possibly, but what you seek sounds like a faction outpost to me not a trader.

 

[madmole]

Hello Joel!May I ask You a question.

Will "bullet tracing" effect be implemented into game? And also gun echo sounds?

I used to play at some pvp servers and i noticed, that sometimes it is hard to figure out from where you are being shot and i wonder if there any planned things regarding this direction.

Thanks in advance.

Probably no tracers unless its impossible to tell where bandits are shooting you from, but distant sounds hopefully A19.

 

[madmole]

MM, if when we meet demolisher/s attacking our base, would flee away cause them to keep them destroying the base, or will deactivate them as we go further, I really wish they live up for their name and leave us no chance of escape so easy ?

Don't know, I've never seen one in action yet. AFAIK when the chunk unloads nothing is happening there but it might remember the zeds that were there, so when you come back you probably still need to deal with them.

 

[madmole]

My thoughts/opinion on Horde Nights 'scary' level.
Feeling "Scared" implies there's a threat you fear. More 'danger' usually = more fear/scary. Less 'control', more unknown = more fear.

So certainly familiarity breeds 'contemp', or less fear (old saying, not saying 7dtd is in any way contempable).

For me A16 allowed much more granular danger management.

How much you'd upgrade the blocks the zeds were trying to get through, what kind of slow-downs to use, granular control over various traps. Whether you just had a Claw Hammer or had a Nailgun influenced choices to a meaningful degree.

There was a 'pace' to the zeds damage that allowed just enough time to recognize that you were about to lose a wall/defensive position, and react to it.

My best guess, and personal opinion, is that the zombie group block damage change is the major cause of the dramatic shift in base defense between A16 & A17.

First few Horde Nights in A16 you could both put out enough melee damage, and repair enough, that compared to the zombie damage output you were still in the race. Not so much in A17, and certainly not, imo, later on.

This led to extremes. Either your base would survive in A17 or it wouldn't. Rather than large bases for later stages in A16, it seems like A17 really encourages smaller bases. And lots of traps to overcome the significant damage output the zeds have over the player (SP here).

And while A16's zed damage & AI allowed the player to somewhat manage the damage their base took; leading zeds to a different face and being able to repair blocks during lulls, A17s version of that is much smaller/harder.

I don't have any great suggestions to offer. For me, though A16s HNs were quite a bit more fun, it was certainly possible to make impregnegatable bases, and maybe that was the problem.

I know it's not fair to compare A16 with A17; they're so different after all. And I'm 'spoiled' by memories of A16s. A Spiked Club & a Nailgun accounted for >90% of HN usage (until the body cleanup, heh). In A17 I don't even have a melee weapon on my toolbelt during horde nights.

Just my humble opinion, but I think the missing secret sauce is more granular control over the chaos of HNs. Put another way, the difference between surviving and failure is too small. And it's resulted in folks building very over powered bases, to insure survival.

I am hopeful for A18. That MadMole is getting first hand experiance with later HNs can only be a good thing. And I'm guessing he'll get some quality hands-on with Traps on HNs.

Though I'm certain I've added a few pavers on my road (to hell, heh), I hope this is taken as itended; one peeps opinion and hopefully useful thoughts on what is a very important, but highly difficult to balance part of a great game.

Peace

I just got electricity set up and was immediately underwhelmed at my lights, I think they have cookie shadow casters on them leaving an ugly black wall. I'll be improving them tomorrow and every thing else I get my hands on that doesn't feel right. Electric lights are a downgrade from torches and even candles, so I'm fixing it. Nothing beats playing the game and seeing all these little issues first hand. I'm dedicated to giving you guys an awesome mid and late game, early game is awesome for sure already.

 

[madmole]

So there are no books to learn skills, but only bookseries that give boni? I was certain you guys said that you didn't have to spend perkpoints if you find the books for it...

But that sounds like there are no books that give you +1 master chef for example. Or +1 Barter and so on...

*sad noises*

There are schematics that unlock crafting that some perks can do, but the perk typically has something else it does that the schematic won't. So if you think perk books are just a free perk point you are wrong. They aren't even anything to do with perks, they are their own thing that augment your character in over 100 ways.

The old perk books gave you a rank in a perk, they were horrible and were deleted as they were just filler content until we could do this new book system.

 

[madmole]

Maybe...maybe not?
When I'm mining with my Auger, I can't hear squat but if my motion sensor or trip plate triggers the light to go red, I know a zombie has broken my perimeter. Yes, I can do this with white lights, but doing double duty as building lighting and then switching to red due to a motion trigger, letting me know where zombies are in my land claim would be very helpful for survival.

I supposed there is some game play application there. We can always add some pre-colored lights but it would be more elegant letting you have a color picker.

 

[madmole]

They said there will be recipes books in A18 that give you the ability to craft what a perk would give you.

Yes but it is not a direct replacement for the perk. Its a poor man's version of the perk, but for most people it will be enough to get by if they don't want to specialize in that perk.

 

[madmole]

I see what your saying. But if people are having that much trouble comprehending, they really should get out more.

Its not going into the game anyway so it doesn't matter. Was just a discussion.

 

[madmole]

MM, maybe you could give me the opportunity to set up a 1-block pass in XML until you decide if this is necessary in the game?

I don't know what you are talking about but you can stop any time now. Feel free to mod your xml.

 

[madmole]

Talking about clipping issues.. Are the trees clipping through walls fixed?It's somehow funny to have waving branches with leafs inside a building with intact walls.

Nope.

 

[madmole]

Someone talked about making the horde night more scary, my ideas for that:
-Fog: limiting vision on later GS hordes would be scary. It might allow better frame rates as a bonus.

-Make Spider Zombies great again: Even if there is only one or two that can climb, it would be a bit scarier.

-Late game Super Boss's: A18 might already have one in the Demolition Zombie. We shall see.

-NPC Assault: An initial volley of 3-8 Rockets before they attack! Players who only use vehicles will probable not make it. Late Game.

Its already super foggy. You want more?

SPiders are getting over my walls just fine. Yes climbing spiders were cool but buggy. We have two AI guys now, so maybe full on climbing can make a return.

Yes bandit raids would be awesome and make the game scary at later stages for sure.

 

[madmole]

Yes, but you need to increase 5 lvls without spending any points. It feels like you are stuck for a long time until you see some progress in you character.If every lvl of attribute cost 1 point, that feeling disappear, but maybe need some adjustment or another solution, I don't know if this is the best way.

Not in 18 you won't "feel stuck" because there are hundreds of books and schematics to find, as well as random stat gear, so every day is Christmas in Navezgane, if you get off your ass and loot. I'm on day 50 something and just found a better pistol than anything I have, a pink steel fire axe and some blue steel boots that were one AR better than my exceptional T5 iron boots I had, so I know there are loads of better steel boots out there yet to be found, but having 1 AR better and one more new mod slot because its T6 is awesome.

Leveling isn't the end all be all any more, we made looting great again, and tbh, greater than ever by a very large margin.