PC Alpha 18 Dev Diary!!

[madmole]

*logs in reads the last few pages*
The weekend really brings out the trolls huh.....

*shakes head walks away*

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They said back in A17 that the smell system would come back in A18. I'm hoping that is still a fact.

The next alpha number is a code name for some future alpha. Would is code name for hopefully. When I say 19, it might mean 20, 21 etc.

 

[madmole]

Hey, that's a good idea. Because it's promoting time spent into what feels like a different mechanic. I know clicking on a block isn't different, but because it's a different tool and result, it feels like it.
Leaving it as it is for now is okay for now, but please understand that most of us loved the more in-depth gaming style and differences the game offered. That's what impressed me about early game. Not just zombie killing and looting.

Point noted, one alpha at a time. We LBD that looting sucked in 17, thats fixed, now if lack of survival elements truly is a thing, we'll fix that next. I'm starting to feel some food crunch from pedaling my bike. Was it a huge food hog in 17 or is something broken? Does the cardio perk work with bicycles? If someone can test, let me know your results!

 

[madmole]

So... yes, a crumb system is nice... BUT...
ALL of the Devs are taking a break THIS weekend... FOR... NEXT WEEKEND!!!!!

Oh, all the signs are there, getting completely rested for the final push and the following working weekend of hotfixes!

So, Monday is it for us!!! Somebody called it first, was it Guppy? Good call whomever!

Na, some of us are grinding.

 

[madmole]

Is that enough time to test the two builds MM hasn’t played yet? I’m holding my hype for now.

Loc

I'm a little concerned about the perception and int guy being broken/unbalanced but we can patch them as we go. Thats why Im testing today. Should be pretty solid by next weekend. I fixed several bugs today I found.

 

[madmole]

My current game has high biome spawns and I gotta say, the constant harassment is preventing me from looting pois and it's a real struggle to get prepared for blood moons... 4 deaths, only three pois looted, bears and wolves (thank God for the meat!) but no forge, or any other workstation except a campfire... Found ONE pot, still no grill so living off of wasted meat (charred).
And it's a blast. Had my day 7 and it was easy, but the rest has been a challenge.

That is fine for a seasoned veteran looking for a challenge, but not a good option for the default experience. I'd like to expose it to settings at some point, because that feels like it could be interesting but you have to be careful not to exceed max alive or the POI guys won't spawn, at least not without some framework changes. Random encounters should simulate what you did more elegantly without just ♥♥♥♥ting guys everywhere. More like, ok he's going here, lets ♥♥♥♥ them here he will probably run into them, ok he's gone lets pretend they wandered off and despawn them instead of eating resources forever.

 

[unlike them]

Point noted, one alpha at a time. We LBD that looting sucked in 17, thats fixed, now if lack of survival elements truly is a thing, we'll fix that next.

Thank you! Faith restored!

 

[Moonflower]

I'm a little concerned about the perception and int guy being broken/unbalanced but we can patch them as we go. Thats why Im testing today. Should be pretty solid by NEXT weekend. I fixed several bugs today I found.

A18 next weekend confirmed!!!!!!!!(or not)

 

[madmole]

is that in the xmls or hardcoded? temp fix for the current version is why I am asking

Not sure, possibly a bit of both. We're not patching 17 again, 18 is too close.

 

[madmole]

Joking aside about that, are you still planning on supporting VR, and if so, will it be in a deep way (being able to reach down and pick up rocks) or via the controllers (press button x to pick up rock)?
I expect the latter but hope for the former. =)

Its a post gold design meeting.

 

[madmole]

There's a new vehicle?

No. Apparently my skimming needs some work.

 

[Guppycur]

That is fine for a seasoned veteran looking for a challenge, but not a good option for the default experience. I'd like to expose it to settings at some point, because that feels like it could be interesting but you have to be careful not to exceed max alive or the POI guys won't spawn, at least not without some framework changes. Random encounters should simulate what you did more elegantly without just ♥♥♥♥ting guys everywhere. More like, ok he's going here, lets ♥♥♥♥ them here he will probably run into them, ok he's gone lets pretend they wandered off and despawn them instead of eating resources forever.

The maxAlive can definitely be gamed that way, but the way I see it, if they're coming in from the outside while you're trapped inside, or if they're inside coming at you while you're surrounded, it's the same experience. Hella'fun.

I know, I know, dead horse, but at least my way you aren't bored outside.

Who's in charge of the targeted encounter code? I assume faatal? He hasn't steered us wrong yet so definitely something I'm looking forward to.

 

[madmole]

How dare you not add Guns N' Roses to that list.

I was just discussing this with my eldest brother last night as we watched UFC. One of the fighters walked out to welcome to the jungle. While they were good at the time, I bought the album, I just can't stand to listen to them any more, where all the music I listed can come on to the radio and I enjoy it every single time. I don't know why, but usually song burnout fades in 5 or 10 years, Guns n roses song burnout never fades.

To be clear, I call song burnout when you listen to your favorite cd so much that your sick of it, and stop listening because it lost the magic. THen randomly 5-10 years later its like magic again and brings back some feelings you had.

 

[madmole]

Does anyone else find it difficult to throw away small amounts of dukes that you find in loot (10 dukes, for example), but you don't give second thoughts about throwing away or scrapping something that could be worth, say, 100 dukes, even if those (10) dukes are in your inventory? Like, is there some weird psychological stuff going on, or is it just me?

I never throw away dukes because they can potentially stack with the next duke you find.

 

[Guppycur]

Its a post gold design meeting.

Makes sense, that tech is changing quicky.

 

[madmole]

@MM Hi MM, hows your current build/play through going?

Not bad 1 death a day the first 3 days, then things stabilized. No luck finding trader Joel in the pine forest yet, so I'm stuck in the snow biome dealing with Jen. I like to build next to trader Joel so I can check deals every 3 days and sell loot before nightfall or first thing in the morning.

I found a pink Ak already, no weapons but spears that I specialize in. So despite wanting to be perception guy the world says I need to be fortitude or strength based on the loot I've found. Lucky looter could be OP, It took ages to get out of the brown/orange gear zone in my fort build who had 0 lucky looter perks. I have 3 ranks because I specialized in perception which governs lucky looter.

I got a bicycle but it eats up my food like crazy, plus being in the cold. I'm going light armor and it seems like light armor drops are rare but they aren't just bad luck.

All in all I'm having fun, but the first week is always meh.

I did find a crucible schematic which unlocks steel crafting on day 1 at the trader, busted my ass to make 1600 dukes to buy it before inventory swap on day 3. Not that I can use it, I can't even craft a forge yet.

 

[madmole]

 


So you could advance the cooking abilities for food, so a farmer/cook could be able to make food that has less or no chance for food poisoning or even creates a nice buff.

 


We put it into slow metabolism because that perk kinda stunk anyway. It reduces the chance for food poisoning more per rank. Its kind of rare unless you eat sham sandwiches so the perk isn't needed, but it does use up your extra food unexpectedly if you didn't prepare much, so its kind of nice seeing food becoming an actual thing again.

 

[madmole]

So there's no other side-affects, like loss of health or stamina? If not, then that's cool. (I don't really have an opinion on it; I'm just commenting.)

No but starving kills you so if you toss your cookies and don't have more food to eat you are in trouble.

 

[madmole]

Madmole working on sunday... Get off your ass and go in your garden to enjoy the sun !

Should be. I had breakfast outdoors it was nice.

 

[Guppycur]

I wish you'd drop lucky looter... Makes no sense that you'd find *better* loot.

...maybe if it just increases chances that you'd find loot, sure. But better loot?

 

[MechanicalLens]

Not bad 1 death a day the first 3 days, then things stabilized. No luck finding trader Joel in the pine forest yet, so I'm stuck in the snow biome dealing with Jen. I like to build next to trader Joel so I can check deals every 3 days and sell loot before nightfall or first thing in the morning.
I found a pink Ak already, no weapons but spears that I specialize in. So despite wanting to be perception guy the world says I need to be fortitude or strength based on the loot I've found. Lucky looter could be OP, It took ages to get out of the brown/orange gear zone in my fort build who had 0 lucky looter perks. I have 3 ranks because I specialized in perception which governs lucky looter.

I got a bicycle but it eats up my food like crazy, plus being in the cold. I'm going light armor and it seems like light armor drops are rare but they aren't just bad luck.

All in all I'm having fun, but the first week is always meh.

I did find a crucible schematic which unlocks steel crafting on day 1 at the trader, busted my ass to make 1600 dukes to buy it before inventory swap on day 3. Not that I can use it, I can't even craft a forge yet.

I also suspect that Lucky Looter is a little too OP. I walked into a bank on day 2 (I found a level 2 steel pickaxe in a car earlier) and had no points into Lucky Looter, and all I found throughout half the bank were brown and orange items. After putting 3 points into Lucky Looter, I walked out by the morning of day 3 with 2 level 6 shotguns and a level 5 compound bow (plus a couple level 4 pistols) from the last few safes I had broken into.

I know that loot in A18 is redistributed compared to loot in A17.4, but Lucky Looter seems to be the must-have perk early on for obvious reasons.

EDIT: Basically, Lucky Looter acts like the last 3 points into Better Barter (regarding the secret stash of the traders); the changes are drastic.