PC Alpha 19 Dev Diary

[Zephanyah]

Sounds very nice. I love the Book System as it is right now.

But I really wished you would consider going back to the Learning-by-Doing Perk Tree, because it feels very unnatural the way it is right now. The way it is built you can specialize the way it is designed, but not the way you'd like to. For example: I am specializing in roaming around. I hunt, gather, do quests and trade. My weapons are bow and knife. So far so good. You can specialize in that with the same perk tree. But what about the looking for animals? Its in Perception. What about the better use of knife? I skill strength for the Sexual Tyrannosaurus only. And trading is in the Intellect tree. I can't put a good skill set together. The way it was before you had to use certain tools/ weopons/ skills to further enhance them. I could barter and get the chance to get better at it. I could fight with knife and got better at that. I COULD hunt animals that way and maybe get better at finding and gutting them?!

The way it is now, you just decide which Attribute you want, which suites you best. And then go nuts within the specific perk tree. It's like every ARPG ever created. Come with me to the learning-by-doing side! We don't have cookies yet, but if I try and make them, they WILL eventually be veeery tasty!

 

[Weazelsun]

And yet I turned the XP gain down to 50% (and installed a modlet that gave me 2 perk points per level, of course), but it felt much too slow to me, to the point that I got bored and just deleted the save. Then again, I'm used to charging head-first into the levels, so maybe that's just me.
But yeah, the transition between ferals and irradiateds... Is a bit sudden, imo? Then again, gotta make sure the new players see everything.

I have to agree, but for me I handicap myself by choosing to play a on an mp server that is 5/6 difficulty.

 

[Dimpy]

well what about weapons that were specially made for the wasteland like the junk turret
granted i would rather uses a pistol then make a gun that has a high chance of blowing my hands off but some weapons that were made for different purposes

like a Dart rifle that gives other uses for darts but would also be a nice stealth weapon with nice penetration

a special shotgun that can uses both blunderbuss rounds and shotgun shells

heck even some mods for the junker/junk turret

like one to shoot arrow heads , bullet tips , glass , nails etc. one that has a chance to set enemies a blaze , a railgun like mod that has a slow firing rate but wrecks zombies! with a charged shot (much like a bow). and a air compressor that allows it to shoot faster?

idk just a idea

Yeah, the guns (except for hunting rifle and double barrel) in 7dtd have been developed for fighting humans, and a lot of the same logic that informed their design wouldn't apply to fighting zombies.

Since zombies are tougher, raw stopping power and ammo efficiency is a lot more important. On the other hand they can't engage at long range, so stuff like weapon handling, long-range accuracy, and suppressing fire ability could be sacrificed. Portability is of no concern as long as I have the ability to fit a car in my backpack.

I'm thinking once bandits come into play, the two weapon types could be balanced: modern weapons are good against bandits, and post-war weapons are good against zombies.

 

[Adam the Waster]

Yeah, the guns (except for hunting rifle and double barrel) in 7dtd have been developed for fighting humans, and a lot of the same logic that informed their design wouldn't apply to fighting zombies.
Since zombies are tougher, raw stopping power and ammo efficiency is a lot more important. On the other hand they can't engage at long range, so stuff like weapon handling, long-range accuracy, and suppressing fire ability could be sacrificed. Portability is of no concern as long as I have the ability to fit a car in my backpack.

I'm thinking once bandits come into play, the two weapon types could be balanced: modern weapons are good against bandits, and post-war weapons are good against zombies.

well i think the weapons should be both!

maybe some mods for weapons like Strip clips: gives 4 extra shoots for the hunting rifle (no more no less)

quad barrel and hunting barrel for double barrel and more i could come up with!

but each weapon can have a specially like double barrel dose more raw damage but less range!

 

[White-Gandalf]

Or have the weapons and items a larger range of quality, say from 1-600 and they degrade a bit permanently from repairing? (with added perks to reduce that penalty)

Well: They deserve that sarcasm by every inch. "They" refers to both the user community as well as the funpimps.

We had a perk system that was fun until A15/A16, and there was a good amount of people complaining about it being too grindy and too complicated. Then the funpimps scrapped it and replaced it with the current one. And for sure, you now have a good amount of players complaining about the current system being too easy, and while thinking about how to make it more difficult for the advanced players, landing at the exact same type we had in the good old times.

They all deserve it.

I need more popcorn!

Fight!

 

[Roland]

I on the contrary - it is heavy to me work/running on a full stomach. I like to lie down after a meal.Perhaps that's why i have a misunderstanding of current system.

Me easier run on an empty stomach, and it is difficult - if i have that the aching.

Hmm....strange, i not such as all?

Stop thinking of it as a literal food bar representing how much food is in your belly and instead think of it as energy from the calories. So you aren't running around full and bloated. You are running around totally energized by what you ate and you can eat enough to just barely give you the energy for full stamina or you can eat enough to remain highly energized for awhile before your stamina starts falling.

The bar doesn't represent your stomach capacity. The bar represents your energy gained from eating.

 

[madmole]

That would be terrible. If you get in a pinch and go low health you won't be able to survive just because on top of being low health your stamina is reduced to nothing. Imagine bleeding too. It's already deadly and annoying enough, if on top of that every point you bleed also bled stamina...

You are hurt bad and can't run or mine or work... that would be horrible.

 

[Adam the Waster]

The bar doesn't represent your stomach capacity. The bar represents your energy gained from eating.

Proten!

that's what that bar means!

but zombies at night have infinite i guess must be a good diet there on?!

 

[madmole]

Could this be the Alpha that we get to see bandits and other NPC's in the game?

Not unless 19 has multiple updates. I'd like 19 to drop late Q1 of 2020, and 20 in summer of 2020, which could have melee bandits if things go well. Ranged ones might be harder and come Q3 or something. This is what I'd like, not what I'm promising, for those who love to misquote "promises I made".

 

[madmole]

I on the contrary - it is heavy to me work/running on a full stomach. I like to lie down after a meal.Perhaps that's why i have a misunderstanding of current system.

Me easier run on an empty stomach, and it is difficult - if i have that the aching.

Hmm....strange, i not such as all?

That sounds like you are over eating. Of course you don't want to go for a jog right after a meal but it shouldn't be so heavy that you feel like a nap. Also high carb diets have this effect, you might consider eating less carbs and more fat and a moderate protien diet. I eat carbs for breakfast and the rest of the day hardly any. I have way more stable energy using protein and fat for energy. With carbs my energy is all over the place and cause sweating, hungry or energy crash 2 hours after a big meal etc.

 

[Adam the Waster]

That sounds like you are over eating. Of course you don't want to go for a jog right after a meal but it shouldn't be so heavy that you feel like a nap. Also high carb diets have this effect, you might consider eating less carbs and more fat and a moderate protien diet. I eat carbs for breakfast and the rest of the day hardly any. I have way more stable energy using protein and fat for energy. With carbs my energy is all over the place and cause sweating, hungry or energy crash 2 hours after a big meal etc.

huh no wonder why i feel like crap after PT or doing exercise

i guess i actually learned something today!

Thx MM

 

[madmole]

Any thoughts on decreasing the rate in which gamestage increases in the future? This isn't a request but just me speaking out of curiousity. Maybe it's because I am aggressive in leveling and thus my gamestage is usually higher than most, but imo it would be an "unnerving situation" to typically be fighting against ferals without a "decent weapon", since you're all proposing that the early game be stretched out. (My opinion of that? Yes please. ) Again, I have zero concerns and this post will probably have no weight, this is just one random thought that popped in my mind (finding decent weapons at later gamestages = possibly being unprepared until then, unless gamestage was tweaked slightly?).
(Also, just my opinion, and maybe I'm wrong, but the transition between ferals to radiateds is a bit... sudden, anyway? *Shrugs* Again, no complaints nonetheless. )

We're rebalancing the loot table. GS of zeds spawning is basically ok because IMO gear is what makes the difference in an easy game and a bad game. It is possible it is too abrupt of a switch, the zombie spawing tables probably needs some refinement yet too, but the main thing is getting the loot pushed out some more.

 

[ZombieSurvivor]

Well: They deserve that sarcasm by every inch. "They" refers to both the user community as well as the funpimps.
We had a perk system that was fun until A15/A16, and there was a good amount of people complaining about it being too grindy and too complicated. Then the funpimps scrapped it and replaced it with the current one. And for sure, you now have a good amount of players complaining about the current system being too easy, and while thinking about how to make it more difficult for the advanced players, landing at the exact same type we had in the good old times.

They all deserve it.

I need more popcorn!

Fight!

lol

Spoiler

 

[Usimian]

You are hurt bad and can't run or mine or work... that would be horrible.

I like this kind of action. The worst part of the game is the later stage where you're pretty much invincible. Surviving the first week with nothing but a stone axe is the most fun.

 

[Adam the Waster]

I like this kind of action. The worst part of the game is the later stage where you're pretty much invincible. Surviving the first week with nothing but a stone axe is the most fun.

well that would suck for early people.

but i think some special zombies would be a nice way to balance it out

Take the demolisher, he its tanky strong and he will F your day up in two ways. Beating you head in or blowing up!

maybe some zombies and do something like the effect. like a zombie with large claws that would tear you to bits?

 

[ZombieSurvivor]

That sounds like you are over eating. Of course you don't want to go for a jog right after a meal but it shouldn't be so heavy that you feel like a nap. Also high carb diets have this effect, you might consider eating less carbs and more fat and a moderate protien diet. I eat carbs for breakfast and the rest of the day hardly any. I have way more stable energy using protein and fat for energy. With carbs my energy is all over the place and cause sweating, hungry or energy crash 2 hours after a big meal etc.

hmmmm... Lately I've been noticing that some nights my body feels over heated and it happens through out the day for no reason. I also noticed that after I eat a whole pizza I bought from the store that about a half hour to an hour later I get super tired and need an hour or two nap. What you say makes a lot of sense, it would explain a lot. I think its time I finally start researching healthy diets and how food and stuff is processed by the body.

Whats weird, is now that I'm getting older, and listening to Joe Rogan, I'm starting to think about this type of stuff. I've been telling myself lately best I start taking care of my body now while I'm still in my early 30s. Something tells me if I don't I'll look back and regret not doing so.

Have any advice, for a complete noob when it comes to healthy eating and exorcising, where to start out researching? A good starting point for researching I guess is what I'm asking for dieting or exorcising.

 

[AtomicUs5000]

I on the contrary - it is heavy to me work/running on a full stomach. I like to lie down after a meal.Perhaps that's why i have a misunderstanding of current system.

Me easier run on an empty stomach, and it is difficult - if i have that the aching.

Hmm....strange, i not such as all?

True, being stuffed could slow you down. That part of it may not have been considered, but for the most part, this is a survival situation. In a survival situation, you need a constant supply of calories to keep your energy up. Letting your calories fall could mean your death as you start to struggle to complete simple tasks. In the cold, this is the most important. The game definitely has that part right.

 

[n2n1]

Stop thinking of it as a literal food bar representing how much food is in your belly and instead think of it as energy from the calories. So you aren't running around full and bloated. You are running around totally energized by what you ate and you can eat enough to just barely give you the energy for full stamina or you can eat enough to remain highly energized for awhile before your stamina starts falling.
The bar doesn't represent your stomach capacity. The bar represents your energy gained from eating.

That sounds like you are over eating. Of course you don't want to go for a jog right after a meal but it shouldn't be so heavy that you feel like a nap. Also high carb diets have this effect, you might consider eating less carbs and more fat and a moderate protien diet. I eat carbs for breakfast and the rest of the day hardly any. I have way more stable energy using protein and fat for energy. With carbs my energy is all over the place and cause sweating, hungry or energy crash 2 hours after a big meal etc.

True, being stuffed could slow you down. That part of it may not have been considered, but for the most part, this is a survival situation. In a survival situation, you need a constant supply of calories to keep your energy up. Letting your calories fall could mean your death as you start to struggle to complete simple tasks. In the cold, this is the most important. The game definitely has that part right.

Hey guys, wait...

Yes, i indeed perceived its not so as need. After your explanation, it seems logical to me now!

But unfortunately, it doesn't actually look like what you described. For those people you haven't explained yet - this is still "what it's like". It's not just my opinion. All i see is that people don't understand it. And the reason for this is not always the stupidity of these people - but the fact that this system is not clear. Unfortunately, people see this system not as something that is conceived, but a simulator of grub. Even if we think that most of those on the forum understand it correctly, anyway - there are still a lot of people who don't study the forums.

PS: No matter how little i ate, it'll all come out of me when i run... i'm talking about normal running.


Of course it needs to really experience that would understand... try it in practice, then we'll talk about it


I always eat after exercise, not before.

 

[Armor9]

Not unless 19 has multiple updates. I'd like 19 to drop late Q1 of 2020, and 20 in summer of 2020, which could have melee bandits if things go well. Ranged ones might be harder and come Q3 or something. This is what I'd like, not what I'm promising, for those who love to misquote "promises I made".

Madmole confirms that ranged bandits coming in Q3!!! Problem is, we don't know it is Q3 of 2020, 2021, or 2022

 

[Tin]

Making repair not possible on brown and orange would help with early game scrounging for sure. It would be like that one zombie game criminal something years ago monolith made where every weapon was throw away. The problem is consistency. Not spawning guns until higher levels will help. Sure they would be a chance, but low. Most the time finding broken guns or parts on low gs loot boxes will promote crafting.

Why not just have the most prevalent style of firearm found, your "blunderbuss" or "musket" type of firearm? Especially if you are contemplating still making modern guns drop, just very rarely till players reach a higher level.