PC Alpha 18 Dev Diary!!

[JCrook1028]

The thing I dont get if TFP are so welling to give streamers the code why not give people like modders/coders it? I mean especially for those who make server managers and mods that are heavily used. The faster these modders update their stuff the faster server owners can update servers too, which would mean more servers for new players to play on when they buy the game. I can think of at least 10 coders/moders on this forum alone who i would rather have access to the game before any streamer.

Because they do it for advertising. Modders aren't coming to them with viewerbases.

 

[Amaranth]

The thing I dont get if TFP are so welling to give streamers the code why not give people like modders/coders it? I mean especially for those who make server managers and mods that are heavily used. The faster these modders update their stuff the faster server owners can update servers too, which would mean more servers for new players to play on when they buy the game. I can think of at least 10 coders/moders on this forum alone who i would rather have access to the game before any streamer.

I'm not a modder so hopefully guppy or jax chime in because they will know infinitely more than me. But afaik modders wouldn't really be able to update their stuff since things are pretty much guaranteed to change as progress is made towards going from experimental to stable. I could be 100% wrong about that though

 

[MechanicalLens]

No, edit profile.

*Sigh* I'm as helpless as a fish on land... (Mudskippers don't count.) How do I enable it? (My profile pic publicly.)

 

[Roland]

I know, poor MM is having to scrounge by on foodstamps.....I can assure you, MM and company are doing JUST fine. I have a very successful business as well so I am no opposed to money. What I am opposed to is this update being about 6x longer than it was ever planned to be and then they still release it to streamers first. A17 was pretty much unplayable so most people have been really waiting since A16, almost 2.5 years ago for a real update.

You should realize that A18 builds off of A17 and improves it but if you full out hated A17 then I can't see you falling in love with A18 especially if your hatred of A17 had anything to do with a lack of LBD, spending perk points earned by doing one thing on some other totally unrelated thing, "smart" AI, slow progression, perks you want being spread across different attributes, digging zombies, and lots of dungeon POI's. Those things are still present in A18. What A18 really does well is balance the xp gains better, gives greater incentives for looting and exploring, and offers five truly asymmetrical specialized builds that have advantages and disadvantages to their gameplay. Also A18 has better RWG.

I fully expect the same people who hated A17 to whine about several aspects* of A18 and many A17 haters I suspect will whine that it still seems to be "too similar" to that version you labeled as unplayable. But I could be wrong....

Spoiler

Demolisher forces one style of gameplay!!

Still too many sleepers per POI!!

Rage zombies are unfair especially with network issues!!

My favorite perks are spread across four attributes!!

Zombies still dig! Why are you forcing people above ground?!?!

Zombies destroy hatches above ladders now! Why are you forcing people off of their perches?!?!

I can kill zombies and then learn how to craft seeds!?!?!

Where's my hoe? It was my favorite tool in the game and a core tool since Alpha 1!!

Still no LBD!!

It's day 7 and I'm only level 8! A18 just stretches out the early game again!!

Why is the FOV locked!?!?

The good news is that if you liked A17 like I did then you will absolutely adore A18. One oft written remark I read when A17 dropped was that people just wished that TFP would have taken A16 as a base and enhanced that instead of doing the overhaul of A17. Well I am pleased to say that A18 is exactly that in relation to A17. They took the A17 base gameplay and improved and enhanced and added lots of reasons for exploration and fun progression opportunities via all the new books. But A18 is definitely closer to A17 than it is dissimilar at least in my opinion. And thank goodness it is nothing like that mess called A16...

 

[Guppycur]

The thing I dont get if TFP are so welling to give streamers the code why not give people like modders/coders it? I mean especially for those who make server managers and mods that are heavily used. The faster these modders update their stuff the faster server owners can update servers too, which would mean more servers for new players to play on when they buy the game. I can think of at least 10 coders/moders on this forum alone who i would rather have access to the game before any streamer.

Advertising mods on an early access stream would be the last thing tfp would want to do... They're not in control of the product, so if someone like kage with his 200k following saw him play darkness falls, and they saw the behomeths in game, it doesn't in any way benefit tfp... It hurts the point of them partnering with streamers for this event.

 

[ecv]

I could say that about alpha 13 to 17, but 18 is legit the game I've been wanting to make all these years, minus bandits, gold polish, etc. The core experience is amazing and it has that replay ability that Skyrim and Fallout have now regarding a new character build and a whole new feeling with each build, strengths, weaknesses. I'm barely playing any Skyrim now mostly play 7 days at night in my free time.

What do you mean, free time. Got to stuff some book writing-, screen writing- and acting-lessons in there. There is gonna be a movie, right?

 

[Thecolours]

Wandering hordes now are a random encounter and they come near you. It would be that with a bunch of other modes. I would like to do mini blood moons. Like a 2 hour warning and 1 hour worth of zombies swarms to you, similar to how STALKER's PSI-emission warning gives you that oh crap moment.
Edit:

We are talking for A19.

I wouldn't even have the sky go red. Just the crackling of thunder and 15 mins to get ready.

 

[Amaranth]

Since when did it somehow become looked down upon for a small company to actually try to make money?

Well said. ♥♥♥♥♥♥ is almost a dirty word these days lol

LOL damnit Roland

 

[MechanicalLens]

Well said. Profit is almost a dirty word these days lol

Exactly. Lol. Back when I was in high school, most of the teachers and other faculty banned YouTube within school grounds because the content creators made money off of their videos. Like, am I missing something? Is this supposed to morally make sense? Lol

 

[AtomicUs5000]

Maybe the 1% is brainwashing everyone to think making money is bad, leaving more for them.

 

[JCrook1028]

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Back when I was in high school, most of the teachers and other faculty banned YouTube within school grounds

That's so sad. Should have been banning cell phone use entirely, not just a single site visited. Idk how I ever survived a day at school pre cell phone days out of contact! Oh the horror! I know - grumpy old man syndrome... drives me absolutely crazy tho seeing people walking down the street with their heads buried in their phones. Or driving down the road. Or at their child's school play/sporting event etc.

 

[Armor9]

You should realize that A18 builds off of A17 and improves it but if you full out hated A17 then I can't see you falling in love with A18 especially if your hatred of A17 had anything to do with a lack of LBD, spending perk points earned by doing one thing on some other totally unrelated thing, "smart" AI, slow progression, perks you want being spread across different attributes, digging zombies, and lots of dungeon POI's. Those things are still present in A18. What A18 really does well is balance the xp gains better, gives greater incentives for looting and exploring, and offers five truly asymmetrical specialized builds that have advantages and disadvantages to their gameplay. Also A18 has better RWG.
I fully expect the same people who hated A17 to whine about several aspects* of A18 and many A17 haters I suspect will whine that it still seems to be "too similar" to that version you labeled as unplayable. But I could be wrong....

Spoiler

Demolisher forces one style of gameplay!!

Still too many sleepers per POI!!

Rage zombies are unfair especially with network issues!!

My favorite perks are spread across four attributes!!

Zombies still dig! Why are you forcing people above ground?!?!

Zombies destroy hatches above ladders now! Why are you forcing people off of their perches?!?!

I can kill zombies and then learn how to craft seeds!?!?!

Where's my hoe? It was my favorite tool in the game and a core tool since Alpha 1!!

Still no LBD!!

It's day 7 and I'm only level 8! A18 just stretches out the early game again!!

Why is the FOV locked!?!?

The good news is that if you liked A17 like I did then you will absolutely adore A18. One oft written remark I read when A17 dropped was that people just wished that TFP would have taken A16 as a base and enhanced that instead of doing the overhaul of A17. Well I am pleased to say that A18 is exactly that in relation to A17. They took the A17 base gameplay and improved and enhanced and added lots of reasons for exploration and fun progression opportunities via all the new books. But A18 is definitely closer to A17 than it is dissimilar at least in my opinion. And thank goodness it is nothing like that mess called A16...

I wouldn't be able to tell you my opinion of A18 since I haven't played it for months like you. I can tell you that A17 was a step back, NOT because of the lack of LBD, I could care less, it was the complete meh to exploration, how EVERY building was a dungeon was complete crap loot and a waste of time. Not balanced or tested at all. As MM said, he didn't really test A17 at all. Are are throwing all the common complaints about at A17 at me thinking you know me just because I argue that streamers shouldn't get a preference to play ANY Alpha, not just A18. But then again you wouldn't know or care because you play them months in advance so it is meh to you, but those of us that have been here JUST AS LONG AS YOU but without the perks you get, it matter.

 

[MechanicalLens]

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- - - Updated - - -

That's so sad. Should have been banning cell phone use entirely, not just a single site visited. Idk how I ever survived a day at school pre cell phone days out of contact! Oh the horror! I know - grumpy old man syndrome... drives me absolutely crazy tho seeing people walking down the street with their heads buried in their phones. Or driving down the road. Or at their child's school play/sporting event etc.

My younger sister attends said school now. Cell phones are banned, they've gotten rid of the computer room in favor of textbooks that are several decades out of date. It's just sad. A lot of people today believe (particularly older generations; no offense, but people of my generation, 25-ish and below, grew up with technology, so naturally, many more of us would be accepting of it) that technology has "invaded our day to day lives" and that it "must be pushed back" and that teaching youth about our technological future/present will harm their learning. But not preparing them for this brave new world is doing just that. *Slaps forehead*

Edit: It also drives me mad seeing youth burying their heads in their phones (hence I don't own one; only a flip phone), or when families sit at a table at a fancy restaurant and never say a word to each other. Heck, I once saw this family texting to each other while they sat right next to/across from each other! But at the same time, as the saying goes, "resistance is futile". While we should not let technology govern our lives and enslave us to their will, we simply cannot ignore it either.

 

[JaxTeller718]

The thing I dont get if TFP are so welling to give streamers the code why not give people like modders/coders it? I mean especially for those who make server managers and mods that are heavily used. The faster these modders update their stuff the faster server owners can update servers too, which would mean more servers for new players to play on when they buy the game. I can think of at least 10 coders/moders on this forum alone who i would rather have access to the game before any streamer.

If modders were ever given early access it would only be a courtesy thing. There really is no benefit to giving us early access anyway. I mean most mods are written over weeks and months so 3 days doesnt really do anything.

Sure i would love to play early, and sure id love to see those xmls too and see what has changed but it is by no means a dire emergency for me nor do i NEED access. Ill be right there with all of you playing Monday morning anyway. I dont plan to work on anything until I have given Vanilla a fair shake.

 

[Roland]

I wouldn't be able to tell you my opinion of A18 since I haven't played it for months like you. I can tell you that A17 was a step back, NOT because of the lack of LBD, I could care less, it was the complete meh to exploration, how EVERY building was a dungeon was complete crap loot and a waste of time. Not balanced or tested at all. As MM said, he didn't really test A17 at all. Are are throwing all the common complaints about at A17 at me thinking you know me just because I argue that streamers shouldn't get a preference to play ANY Alpha, not just A18. But then again you wouldn't know or care because you play them months in advance so it is meh to you, but those of us that have been here JUST AS LONG AS YOU but without the perks you get, it matter.

I hope A18 brings the fun back for you.

 

[MechanicalLens]

I wouldn't be able to tell you my opinion of A18 since I haven't played it for months like you. I can tell you that A17 was a step back, NOT because of the lack of LBD, I could care less, it was the complete meh to exploration, how EVERY building was a dungeon was complete crap loot and a waste of time. Not balanced or tested at all. As MM said, he didn't really test A17 at all. Are are throwing all the common complaints about at A17 at me thinking you know me just because I argue that streamers shouldn't get a preference to play ANY Alpha, not just A18. But then again you wouldn't know or care because you play them months in advance so it is meh to you, but those of us that have been here JUST AS LONG AS YOU but without the perks you get, it matter.

A17 served as a template towards the greatness that is/will be A18. How about that?

 

[Armor9]

This climate where people seem to think that it is an evil business practice for devs and game companies to try to make as much money as they can needs to end. Just because they make games doesnt mean they arent allowed to profit. Is MM and his team supposed to limit how much money they can make?
Funniest thing is the way some people talk I really wonder what you do in your real life. You must not be successful or have any money. Since no one else is allowed to be profitable, I assume you live by this same decree? Or are devs some mythical gods beholden to work 24 hours a day for pennies on the dollar so you can host your LAN part and eat Doritos all weekend.

Since when did it somehow become looked down upon for a small company to actually try to make money?

I have no issues with streamers streaming the game, so what. The issue is the false hype they are creating. Those aren't unique people watching those streams. It is all the kids that want to play but can't that are flocking to those streams to get some crumbs of things that are new. No one can tell me that it isn't ready for mass release when streamers get it because why would you want to show game breaking bugs to the handful of streamers that are streaming it?

I get it, its the same handful of loyalist or new players that defend the practice of releasing to the streamers first. No argument will sway you. Heck I get called a child and entitled and that person doesn't get an infraction but I call streamers children and entitled and I get an infraction. Hypocritical? Yes. Will it change? It hasn't in years.

 

[MechanicalLens]

I have no issues with streamers streaming the game, so what. The issue is the false hype they are creating. Those aren't unique people watching those streams. It is all the kids that want to play but can't that are flocking to those streams to get some crumbs of things that are new. No one can tell me that it isn't ready for mass release when streamers get it because why would you want to show game breaking bugs to the handful of streamers that are streaming it?
I get it, its the same handful of loyalist or new players that defend the practice of releasing to the streamers first. No argument will sway you. Heck I get called a child and entitled and that person doesn't get an infraction but I call streamers children and entitled and I get an infraction. Hypocritical? Yes. Will it change? It hasn't in years.

Neither do I (have an issue with it). I see no one complaining that certain privileged critics get to see early screenings of movies. Why should this be any different?

 

[Amaranth]

I have no issues with streamers streaming the game, so what. The issue is the false hype they are creating. Those aren't unique people watching those streams. It is all the kids that want to play but can't that are flocking to those streams to get some crumbs of things that are new. No one can tell me that it isn't ready for mass release when streamers get it because why would you want to show game breaking bugs to the handful of streamers that are streaming it?
I get it, its the same handful of loyalist or new players that defend the practice of releasing to the streamers first. No argument will sway you. Heck I get called a child and entitled and that person doesn't get an infraction but I call streamers children and entitled and I get an infraction. Hypocritical? Yes. Will it change? It hasn't in years.

I mean from your very first post you've been sarcastic and called people who want to watch the streams "kids." The fact of the matter is this DOES generate hype, and new people join the game all the time. The options are streamers get it Friday and you get it Monday, or no one gets it Friday and you get it Monday. If you think TFP should forgo an opportunity to generate hype and help themselves because it makes your ego feel better and nothing more, that's on you.

Just try to go with the flow. It's not meant to be personal. We will all get the game and we will all be able to play it

edit: When this concept was first introduced there was a lot of push back. I think that was normal and understandable. But after all this time when the details came out and it is understood why they are doing it this way.. Cmon man

 

[Armor9]

I mean from your very first post you've been sarcastic and called people who want to watch the streams "kids." The fact of the matter is this DOES generate hype, and new people join the game all the time. The options are streamers get it Friday and you get it Monday, or no one gets it Friday and you get it Monday. If you think TFP should forgo an opportunity to generate hype and help themselves because it makes your ego feel better and nothing more, that's on you.
Just try to go with the flow. It's not meant to be personal. We will all get the game and we will all be able to play it

edit: When this concept was first introduced there was a lot of push back. I think that was normal and understandable. But after all this time when the details came out and it is understood why they are doing it this way.. Cmon man

?? What are you talking about, from my very first post I've been sarcastic and calling people who watch streams kids? Haven't you actually LOOKED at my posts? Trust me, you haven't if you made that post. That's ok, I've said my piece for this Alpha when it happened as I have in the past and I am sure I will say it again in the future when it happens again in another 18 months.

Not sure you understand the definition of ego, but that's ok. If I said I was a streamer and complained I didn't get it that would be an ego issue; but whatever.