PC Alpha 19 Dev Diary

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Praise Jeebus! I was kinda worried I'd be hating then for the rest of the game.

Hopefully they'll have different hair color from each other as well.

Also, thanks for the recent pic posts. It's nice to see something that isn't dismal news like everywhere these days.
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Now that each zombie has its own hair texture there can be a variety of hair colors.

 
Why is it taking so long for the Website to load up??? takes like a minute?? WTF?
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It's loaded when it's loaded :-)

On a more serious note, a few people have been complaining about this although many have seen no difference. Perhaps it's location based with a particular country or network having issues. Maybe the ruskies are redirecting network traffic through their own servers... again.

https://tech.slashdot.org/story/20/0...are-and-others

 
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Now that each zombie has its own hair texture there can be a variety of hair colors.
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Good afternoon. Can we get some extra screenshots aside from the friday ones? Anything landscapy would be AWESOME, like the Arlene show-off in front of that White River POI . Maybe perks?

Thank you in advance.

 
pizza anyone? new lootable storage in 7DTD Alpha 19!

looks just like my Walmart frozen food section

link: https://twitter.com/7DaystoDie/statu...78212644122624

EVG1jSTUMAAFAgk


 
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She has scratches, cuts and bruises. Cause of death was obviously head trauma. Maybe someone killed the zombie eating her face but she got infected and then turned later so its all bruised up since she didn't die instantly. I'm so confused as to why people have a hard time rationalizing things. Go watch UFC, sure sometimes they end up with a fair amount of body trauma, but typically its just their face that is wrecked after the fight and their body is usually not showing a ton of damage.
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That head band on Marlene is very peculiar and noticable fashion choice, I think people might be concerned it will get too old too fast. She might benefit being slightly more generic or common and not look too individual. The possibility to make hair/dress color change will make big difference, but too much unique details on zombies might still make them look like clone army when they spawn in big numbers. Arlene does look more generic and I do like her more. It should not look like Village People got together and everyone has different costume, they still should feel like common people turned into zombies. If I look at Dying Light (not really fair comparison I know), but they went with more generic looks for the common types, but even if they spawn sea of zombies, you never really notice or are bothered that they repeat, they just utilize the small variations like dress colors and some limbs missing. Just an example of that less is more.

 
I see lots of people complain about the zombie models not enough damaged and i can't understand why. Instead of this i would ask for a new damage system for zombies.

For example: if i shoot at an arm without dismembering it at least it could receive damage and lose some flesh or at least have some shooting decals on them. I think would add a lot to the shooting feedback and to immersion.

 
I see lots of people complain about the zombie models not enough damaged and i can't understand why. Instead of this i would ask for a new damage system for zombies.For example: if i shoot at an arm without dismembering it at least it could receive damage and lose some flesh or at least have some shooting decals on them. I think would add a lot to the shooting feedback and to immersion.
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You are right, but I think lot of people is trying to have realistic expectations and if TFP can do that they will gladly do it... I don't think TFP does not realize that features like these would be beneficial. With the details on the zombie models though, that's something currently being presented... and they do need some generic damage on them, they must have died somehow, right?

Personally, I would also say they could use some more nasty damage, or maybe randomly missing an arm, like it rotted off (if that's possible). Marlene's hanging eye is great, but the rest of the head and hair is still untouched and it does feel out of place. I would like to see whole side of that head totally scrapped off, big gash and missing hair... it would fit the damage on her face.

 
I see lots of people complain about the zombie models not enough damaged and i can't understand why. Instead of this i would ask for a new damage system for zombies.For example: if i shoot at an arm without dismembering it at least it could receive damage and lose some flesh or at least have some shooting decals on them. I think would add a lot to the shooting feedback and to immersion.
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TBH i love Almost all of them. the one i love most is Moe. the only zombie i have a pet Peeve is with the "the Departed Woman" that i she has a Headband but when playing i don't think i will see it really. but they still all look like zombies. the old ones has some parts that look like zombies but some just injured, theses new models look like if you left a Dead body out side for a Week. AKA they look Very DEAD! so keep it up. later one i can't wait to see the spider and Wight and hope they look like a Super Mutated zombie that will eat you for Dinner!

 
From Twitter:

We're upgrading the cold storage in grocery and convenience stores. Feast your eyes on this rotten pizza!
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Hey, rotten pizza is better than nothing, right? At least someone is refilling the empty shelves, right?

 
Honestly I preferred the old AI. The new AI is honestly too smart. It would work if you added the random ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ bandit horde, but the old one where they zeroed in on you was pretty cool. But that's just me I guess. It felt a hell of a lot more dangerous on horde night because there really wasn't a way to predict where or how they'd come at you.
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If spinning in circles is your thing feel free to load up the old crusty alphas. I don't know how anyone can say that with a straight face. We've randomized them and IMO its less predictable then it ever was. Did you try one build for a day and make that assumption or are you patched up to the latest version?

 
If spinning in circles is your thing feel free to load up the old crusty alphas. I don't know how anyone can say that with a straight face. We've randomized them and IMO its less predictable then it ever was. Did you try one build for a day and make that assumption or are you patched up to the latest version?
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Most people who make that comment just want stupid zombies that just make a straight line towards you wherever you are as that fits most zombie movie lore.

The problem with this mentality is that it makes zombies one dimensional and less challenging which is not good for a video games.

Maybe if the game could handle 100s of zombies attacking the player something like that could be made more interesting but it cant.

 
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Most people who make that comment just want stupid zombies that just make a straight line towards you wherever you are as that fits most zombie movie lore.

The problem with this mentality is that it makes zombies one dimensional and less challenging which is not good for a video games.

Maybe if the game could handle 100s of zombies attacking the player something like that could be made more interesting but it cant.
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personalty i love the new zombie AI (i was not around during the other alphas but my guess that console was around alpha 14 or 15 idk) but they have very Basic AI if somthing was in frount they just slapped it even if it was one block high. they could barely jump. and if you went underground you where god.

alpha 18 zombies can go into mazes , jump , they can dig etc. though IMO i would make it so some zombies had many more advantages. (like spiders able to just Hop up 15 block high walls like a zombie with a normal block, Solders able to somewhat dough you due to combat Training, Ferals being super smart and able to try to avoid traps and can hop up 5 blocks etc

but i am happy with them! the only REAL Pet peeve i have is the sounds, (mostly sensing/smelling) if you listen it sounds kinda like a gator growing. and some just sound weird. but maybe if i learn how to mod then i could change it.

 
Some tips: :)

It would be great if the "UMA" players were retextured and that they contain new animations since it is very poor. The AI that focuses on windows or doors and if they can't reach it, they are wandering. Because it consumes a lot of processor and some players make it unplayable, a zombie breaking metal walls or mmm concrete, it would be fine if it were a BOSS. Zombies should have facial gestures, it would be very good for the game.

Finally, the performance issue, this happens from 17.1 upwards, I do not know 16, I never played it well. The problem is that as you explore the map and looting prefabs etc, it is gradually consuming memory, but it is not ram, the Vram is the problem it has. So I tell the players that every 2 hours they close the game to free up memory, otherwise the fps will die. "Using vanilla".

excuse my English.

 
Most people who make that comment just want stupid zombies that just make a straight line towards you wherever you are as that fits most zombie movie lore.

The problem with this mentality is that it makes zombies one dimensional and less challenging which is not good for a video games.

Maybe if the game could handle 100s of zombies attacking the player something like that could be made more interesting but it cant.
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You are correct, but lets not pretend the 7d zombies are no longer "straight line", they still just move towards you like homing missiles, but just thanks to ability to build vertically there is a challenge in making the routing and pathfinding work three dimensionally... The fact this game is voxel/sandbox is a curse and blessing. Curse for AI programmer, blessing for us :) ... and it is getting there. Currently the bigger issue are the animations of them getting up to you. For example the funny jump they do... just let's animate them climbing blocks, the jump is awkward, right? Mocap of actor just making his way up a 1x1m block. Let's have animations of zombies interacting with world blocks, some different shapes too... that will make them fit in. Some turning animations, more attacks, let them grab players... the combat is so stiff thanks to the poor animations. I must admit I never was a fan of the mocap anims introduced in A12, to this day there are certain animations where I just dont see a zombie, but a mocap actor doing a stunt, it feels so off and over-acted, there is no proper art direction to it. But I hopefully consider all of that early iteration and hope that all of that too will get proper love like the rest of the game.

I consider the current zombies (and combat, thanks to the zombies) to be the biggest technological debt of this game. Rest of the game is getting to a acceptable forms and it is all shaping up nicely, but the zombies are not yet in that comparable state (especially animations, less so models and AI - that all has been worked on a some amount and the models presented are that work), but I would equate current zombies to the quality of early minibike and we all know and remember what a "fun" ride that was :) thank god for the current state of vehicles, even though not perfect it is already acceptable quality gameplay.

 
You are correct, but lets not pretend the 7d zombies are no longer "straight line", they still just move towards you like homing missiles, but just thanks to ability to build vertically there is a challenge in making the routing and pathfinding work three dimensionally... The fact this game is voxel/sandbox is a curse and blessing. Curse for AI programmer, blessing for us :) ... and it is getting there. Currently the bigger issue are the animations of them getting up to you. For example the funny jump they do... just let's animate them climbing blocks, the jump is awkward, right? Mocap of actor just making his way up a 1x1m block. Let's have animations of zombies interacting with world blocks, some different shapes too... that will make them fit in. Some turning animations, more attacks, let them grab players... the combat is so stiff thanks to the poor animations. I must admit I never was a fan of the mocap anims introduced in A12, to this day there are certain animations where I just dont see a zombie, but a mocap actor doing a stunt, it feels so off and over-acted, there is no proper art direction to it. But I hopefully consider all of that early iteration and hope that all of that too will get proper love like the rest of the game.

I consider the current zombies (and combat, thanks to the zombies) to be the biggest technological debt of this game. Rest of the game is getting to a acceptable forms and it is all shaping up nicely, but the zombies are not yet in that comparable state (especially animations, less so models and AI - that all has been worked on a some amount and the models presented are that work), but I would equate current zombies to the quality of early minibike and we all know and remember what a "fun" ride that was :) thank god for the current state of vehicles, even though not perfect it is already acceptable quality gameplay.
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More climbing/clawing animations would be great. Especially when they are all bundled up together. Its alittle immersion breaking when you see them standing on top of each other hehe.

@madmole, @faatal, would it be possible for the zeds to go into the kneeling animation (the one they use when they are trying to destroy the block below them) so other zombies can climb over them? It may simulate that scary feeling like in the world war Z movie. ?

YQcJysy.gif


 
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