PC Alpha 18 Dev Diary!!

[Genosis]

I actually don't know how TFP have done it for so long. I've been working full time on a single project for 3 years and so I'm tired of working on it, I cringe every time I turn on my monitor at work.I can't imagine any of them having fun playing their game. It wouldn't surprise me if few of them play legit, full games at all. Building something and having it working after working out tons of bugs only to scrap it all and do it again several times makes it all even worse... and we all know that has happened throughout the alphas.

I am very surprised that they don't have (or haven't had) a couple other projects going on to prevent themselves from getting sick mentally.

I've been working on a project for over 8 years now, I definitely know how that is.

I started with a simple page pulling out work orders for technicians as a proof of concept, now I am the sole developer managing a complex system that handles payroll, accounting, project management, reports/charting, safety checks, inventory, human resources, etc.. essentially the central nexus of the company I work for. I *jump* at breaking ground of any small new project, because I am awful sick of looking at old code to fix new problems.

I often dreamt of being a game designer, because how could you be sick of making an entertainment-generator? I can imagine even a game (which is all just code in the background anyway), can wear someone down when you are looking at it for years on end.

All in all I love coding, and I gotta support my family so I stick to it. I will just get my game-design itch moderately scratched by making more POI's when A18 drops lol.

 

[Kage848]

Any ideas on your first play though on A18? Character build, strategies, forts? SP? MP?

Sp. Fortitude, int build. I'll try the spear on stream. I'm not sold on the spear, yet. Joe says I'll change my mind, we will see.

 

[Gareee]

Use a looong usb cable (16 feet is ok by the standard) for the receiving dongle to bridge most of the distance. Maybe you can even put it on the ceiling upside down.

LOL...the problem then is again, no desk space on a couch. (And half the time, our cat overlords are sitting on a lap.)

We also find couch play with a home theater and huge tv a lot more relaxing and fun than sitting at a desktop. Half the time the wife is usually half watching while she does her homework for her degree.

There are good reasons to use a m/kb, but also just as good reasons to use a controller.

 

[Piratenking]

Not half as scary as it will be.

will the random encounter feature in A18 activate even if i stay at my base? sometimes i dont feel like going to the next big town to loot 3 houses and then be forced to come back cause lack of space (i know we have the 4x4 but motorbike is more versatile) but i would love it if those ♥♥♥♥ers and their moms come and challenge me big time now and then

 

[SnowDog1942]

Oh, you just need a Madmole translator. The first statement is exactly what he was saying. In fact, I think he did make a statement almost like the first before he finally made the statement more like the second when those adorable modders ignored the first in the zeal and error of their thinking that they were colleagues.
Now I will agree that customer service speech is not Madmole's strong suit. He is blunt and is not concerned at all with bruising someone's ego. Some have a desire that he not interact directly but hire a public relations front man who can disseminate all of his talking points with a plastic smile and hearty handshake for all.

But that pool of people is small, I'm guessing.

I for one appreciate the bluntness , honesty, and ball busting. If u are lucky enough to get a response from any other developer you get one line of corporate BS after another. You don’t even need to ask questions because the politically correct stock holder answers are too predictable.

Some of you people need to grow a pair of nuts and get off your moms teet

 

[Haidrgna]

The big advantage modders have over developers is that they don't have to worry about priorities, balance, or standards to the level that the designers of the game do. They can add whatever they want as early as they wish and with questionable quality and are forgiven because people know it is a mod of a game in alpha without full mod support anyway. It isn't really an issue of TFP playing ketchup as you put it. It is an issue of TFP developing the game according to their priorities and meeting their standards of performance and playability whereas modders don't have any of those constraints.

I find it a bit odd that this is always assumed and generalized on Modders. Why do you think modders do not at all need to worry about things like balance, performance, quality standards or design constraints. Hell modders are generally more constrained because they have to work within a given design space and do not have access to the source code.

I am not sure why modders should not be able to talk about design and balance with the game's developers simply because they have not build the game or are on the development team of it. Modders, especially the more hardcore ones, have a very good understanding of the game's mechanics, systems and moving pieces and how it all works together.

But modders do not have any authority over the game or any design decisions made for it, but they can probably provide more worthwhile suggestions and insights that an average player probably can. I think modders would make very good sparring partners for the game developers, since modders may have already tried to implement a feature before and thus know it's pitfalls and the game's limitations on it.

But it seems to always cause some dedain towards the modder for giving feedback and referring to his work on the subject.

 

[Damocles]

I've been working on a project for over 8 years now, I definitely know how that is.
I started with a simple page pulling out work orders for technicians as a proof of concept, now I am the sole developer managing a complex system that handles payroll, accounting, project management, reports/charting, safety checks, inventory, human resources, etc.. essentially the central nexus of the company I work for. I *jump* at breaking ground of any small new project, because I am awful sick of looking at old code to fix new problems.

I often dreamt of being a game designer, because how could you be sick of making an entertainment-generator? I can imagine even a game (which is all just code in the background anyway), can wear someone down when you are looking at it for years on end.

All in all I love coding, and I gotta support my family so I stick to it. I will just get my game-design itch moderately scratched by making more POI's when A18 drops lol.

The early prototype phase of a game can be really fun. But after a while it will be day-to-day work, just as other types of software projects.

Fortunately you can see people enjoying the product nowadays at release (videos, discussions). That probably feels more rewarding than server software for business applications.

 

[Gazz]

All in all I love coding, and I gotta support my family so I stick to it. I will just get my game-design itch moderately scratched by making more POI's when A18 drops lol.

There are more level design tools than ever.

Just the ability to link spawn volumes lets you pull off some interesting tricks or manage basic L-shaped corridors.

The adaptive terrainfiller has barely been used, yet, and lets you seamlessly blend POI into the surrounding natural terrain.

Underground, halfway into a mountainside... whatevs!

 

[Gazz]

I for one appreciate the bluntness , honesty, and ball busting. If u are lucky enough to get a response from any other developer you get one line of corporate BS after another. You don’t even need to ask questions because the politically correct stock holder answers are too predictable.

We do not agree with all of your findings but we will continue to work with the community to... nah, I just can't.

 

[canadianbluebeer]

So it looks like it'll be time to wipe the servers this weekend and have them ready for A18 next week.

Guess I'll do that day 98 horde cranked to the max and see if the dart traps hold up.

I do want to try the new machine gun. (then of course, Ima crank the damage into stoopid numbers. No, you can't hold my beer while I do that. I gotsta drink it first.)



Powered drawbridges: yay! Some of us use double bridges for that extra wide gap (bridges end to end). Can they be chained together so both open/close at the same time?

 

[Gamida]

Streamer noticed this typo. Thought I would just do a quick mention here as I don't think it is a hard fix.

Than instead of then.

Spoiler

challenge_stagparty_offer,,Challenge Info,KgNone,"Well how do you do,\nFriend if you've reading this letter than you should know my crew has been watching you. Do this little task for us and we might let you join the Willies. If not don't let the door hit you where the good lord split you.\n\nSlick ‘as a whistle' Willie\n\nChallenge: Kill some Stags","

 

[Genosis]

There are more level design tools than ever.Just the ability to link spawn volumes lets you pull off some interesting tricks or manage basic L-shaped corridors.

The adaptive terrainfiller has barely been used, yet, and lets you seamlessly blend POI into the surrounding natural terrain.

Underground, halfway into a mountainside... whatevs!

Adaptive terrain filler? I do like the sound of that. Linked volumes sounds interesting as well, I can't wait to check it out. I will have to update my prefab tutorial series on our YT channel with A18 changes.

You said the terrain filler is barely used, was it an undocumented feature or is it new as of A18?

 

[MechanicalLens]

We do not agree with all of your findings but we will continue to work with the community to... nah, I just can't.

... find exciting, fair ways to monetize our product that brings the maximum value we can out of our game. Loot boxes-- oh, sorry. "Surprise mechanics"..." There, finished it for ya.

(Disclaimer: I'm mocking the majority of "developers" (aka guys in suits) here, not TFP.)

 

[Survager]

What'd you do?

Only MM knows this. :smile-new:

 

[meganoth]

Word! agree 100% Modders need to understand that without the CORE game being supported there would be ZERO mods.

Most Modders already know this. They see this big machinery where they can just turn some knobs to create new worlds. Even when they add some instruments and controls they always see the machinery underneath their decorations.

Most of the time it is the players and pure mod users who never have coded anything who misunderstand the situation. They download a mod and the mod has for example 3 times the items, and they think woow, that modder has done 3 times as much as the lazy developer. And at that time the mod feels much better than vanilla (no surprise, they themselves selected the mod according to their tastes) and they think woow, that modder is even a better game designer.

I hope I don't need to explain why both conclusions are big fallacies.

 

[Pille]

Maybe one of the devs or some of the attentive readers of the diary can answer my question:

Are A18 servers able to upload prefab files to clients?

It is unfortunate that the clients have to install all non-vanilla prefabs manually before joining servers that use them.

 

[Trankitas]

Ok.
1. This isnt the place to discuss my mod or any mods really.

2. I dont think my mod is awesome at all. Im actually very critical of my own work. Also I wouldn't even BE modding if it weren't for Pimps and my love for this game. As much as I may disagree on some stuff I will always respect the fact its their game, and I am thankful they allow the modding that they do. Joel has been my inspiration for modding and now he is my inspiration for developing an actual game. Without Pimps and him I dont exist in this community and thats fact.

3. The Rage Zombies were initially a Guppy Creation. I tweaked them to suit Ravenhearst needs. So I credit them to Guppy. Stompy also had ragers a long time ago. They are indeed not an original idea. I FULLY support devs embracing modder ideas. I never consider it stealing because it is their code and their game first and foremost. There have been a lot of ideas in mods past and present that crept their way into the base game and more power to this. If it strengthens the base game they can have all of it.

So please I ask not to argue using my mod as an example. I thank you for the kind words and acknowledgment, it is very much appreciated. But my mod is supposed to be seen as a compliment to the vanilla game, not a rebellion against it.

This man speaks the language of the gods

 

[Genosis]

Maybe one of the devs or some of the attentive readers of the diary can answer my question:Are A18 servers able to upload prefab files to clients?

It is unfortunate that the clients have to install all non-vanilla prefabs manually before joining servers that use them.

There is already a function to download worlds, I wonder if the devs would be willing to put in hooks to pull in prefabs bundled in world maps as well?

For example; if a client is modded to have additional builds, compare prefab manifests between vanilla and modded, make a directory for prefabs in the generated worlds directory where it can copy any non-vanilla maps included in the prefabs.xml/rngmixer, and allow it to be distributed in tandem.

Would take longer to download, sure. But removes a technical burden for players who would have had to download it anyway.

 

[SnowDog1942]

Maybe one of the devs or some of the attentive readers of the diary can answer my question:Are A18 servers able to upload prefab files to clients?

It is unfortunate that the clients have to install all non-vanilla prefabs manually before joining servers that use them.

This is a great question. I hope you get an answer.

 

[Genosis]

On the topic of A18 and prefabs for the @Devs:

Are custom prefabs going to have any compatibility issues in A18? That is, have block ID's changed for any A18 from A17, and if so is there a conversion process in place?

As soon as A18 drops, I'd like to update all our builds for general community use as well as put it on our public server, and update the mod download on Nexusmods.