PC Alpha 21 Dev Diary

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Roland said:
ROADMAP TO GOLD AND BEYOND

  1. Bandits
  2. Armor
  3. Weather
  4. Factions & Story
  5. Steam Workshop Support


After Gold a small team will continue to support and update 7 Days to Die going forward. Bandits unlikely to be ready for A21 but should be good for A22.
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Why wasn't VR support listed for beyond gold? It was an achieved milestone from kickstarter and this now has me worried that it has been dropped.

 
Jost Amman said:
Did you ever try to add zip-lines in your mods?  :rapture2:
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Zip lines you say?

*Pictures using your drone in place of the droid in Fallen Order to go down or up (with a drone mod) zip lines in the same way as Force Unleashed.... Ooh! 😁🤤

 
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Riamus said:
Zip lines you say?

*Pictures using your drone in place of the droid in Force Unleashed to go down or up (with a drone mod) zip lines in the same way as Force Unleashed.... Ooh! 😁🤤
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an up and down zipline system would be cool. Kinda like the lines in Dying Light2 that have the hooks on them to get you up and down large structures. Could be useful to place on the top of skyscrapers for help in looting.

 
Irushian said:
Why wasn't VR support listed for beyond gold? It was an achieved milestone from kickstarter and this now has me worried that it has been dropped.
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The Hueninks said in one of their last livestreams/videos that they still plan to add it, but it sounded like they hadn't planned it out too much yet. IIRC they said it would probably be a more simple implementation (not a ton of motion control stuff) <---I might be wrong about this part, it was a while back

 
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Aldranon said:
To item #3:  The demolisher is kind of like that.   You have to shoot it carefully and explosives are not good vs it.   But some huge thing that is just a bullet sponge would be kind of fun the first time or two but after that would be annoying for me.

I like items 1 and 2.
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Huh? A contact grenade and one shot from the rocketlauncher with a frag rocket (On Survivalist difficulty with 3 points in demolition experts and using atom junkies) and they are history. Imo the fastest way to get rid of them. Since we do that we hardly ever have one exploding,

 
Roland said:
@Jugginator @unholyjoe what are your impressions from testing A21? Anything you can share that is your favorite change?
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Ah that's a fun question!  😄

Well, I don't want to spoil anything so I will generalize some.

What I've liked most is the progression change (speaking of food/water rework and the magazine system/perk rework). With RWG, loads of POI's and whatnot, balancing what we had was pretty much impossible without large changes. For the first time in years, I actually have a struggle -- the good kind: the kind that rewards your for being crafty and general good gameplay. There's no more overflowing surplus of water/duct tape/food at day 7 and certainly not the dragon's hoard worth by day 14/21. If carefully planned, there's always just enough to do crafting or for consumption, but a lot of times it's a choice: do I use this water to make duct tape/glue, or do I need to make some tea or coffee? Before it was, "go fill the 200 jars and be done for a few weeks".  Never grindy, just have to make survival/tactical decisions.

Progression is nice, I get magazines/books for what I put points into fluffed by others that I don't but would need anyway. 

Overall, the little stuff like looting trash/finding drinks/food, looting mailboxes have become exciting again; it's easier to specialize in x/y/z without a ton of points, and my usual nomad-style build-a-base after 28 days or so has been more fun than before. 

There are a lot of changes I like; but again, not going to spoil anything. :)

 
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pApA^LeGBa said:
Huh? A contact grenade and one shot from the rocketlauncher with a frag rocket (On Survivalist difficulty with 3 points in demolition experts and using atom junkies) and they are history. Imo the fastest way to get rid of them. Since we do that we hardly ever have one exploding,
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That isn't any fun. 😁 I always try to make them explode.  Obviously not next to my base, but at a little distance.  The goal being to see how big of a hole I can create before I stop playing that map. 😁

 
pApA^LeGBa said:
Huh? A contact grenade and one shot from the rocketlauncher with a frag rocket (On Survivalist difficulty with 3 points in demolition experts and using atom junkies) and they are history. Imo the fastest way to get rid of them. Since we do that we hardly ever have one exploding,
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This is brilliant!

So you say, you and your guys just throw/fire lots of grenades and frag rockets at a demo, and then they don't explode.

...I know, block damage...completely different outcome...but still this sounds so funny at first.😄

 
Roland said:
  • Learn By Reading System


    23 new skills to govern crafting (photo in gallery below)
  • 23 new magazines added to loot
  • Perks no longer unlock recipes or govern crafting at all
  • The only schematics that still unlock recipes are mod attachments. 
  • Crafting skill is increased by finding and reading magazines
  • Skill increases unlock recipes at certain points as well as increase quality of crafting for items with quality
  • Each tech level has a separate range in the skill spectrum so that you have to work up through primitive tech and then iron tech and then steel tech and being able to craft a blue stone axe no long means you automatically can also craft a blue iron axe.
  •  Some skills have 100 levels but others have less depending on how many unlocks there are for recipes and quality tiers.
  • A new skill page showing your progress has been added to the player interface (photo in gallery below)
  • Skill magazines can be found, bought, and/or received as quest rewards. The topic of the magazine matches the location you would expect to find it in the world.
  • Perks slightly affect the probability of finding like-themed magazines and parts for those recipes. Perk into shotguns and you will notice more shotgun magazines and shotgun parts appearing in the world. It isn't a significant bonus but it does prevent the player from being screwed over.
  • When you max out a skill, that slight probability bonus granted by perks for finding the corresponding magazine for that skill drops off. The magazine will still show up randomly in loot but no longer have a boost. The probability boost for finding matching parts will remain.
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Recently, I've been replaying a lot of A20 7D2D games, including mods with different mechanics... and I have come to the (personal) conclusion that this change is bad, and you should feel bad.

My hunch is that these changes will be in A21, but then abandoned immediately in A22 and will never be seen again.

Remember when you had to unlock crafting options through reading schematics, and didn't even have the option of unlocking them with skills? This change is taking that mechanic and doubling down on it.

One of the things I hated the most about alpha 16 was the "Minibikes for Dumb@%$#s" book. You couldn't craft a minibike without it (and at the time that was the only vehicle). No matter how many hours I spent looking for that book, I was not guaranteed with one, because of RWG. It was a constant pain point, and I gave up on a few game saves specifically because of it.

I still feel that annoyance now with being able to unlock weapon crafting. I want to be able to craft an M60 because I chose the ability to craft it, not because the game's RWG decided that I was "worthy" enough to give me an M60 schematic.

This change feels like a return to "Minibikes for Dumb@%$#s", except for everything. It's a return to mechanics that you guys already determined was very bad (or at least abandoned).

I'm really hoping you reconsider it.

 
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khzmusik said:
One of the things I hated the most about alpha 16 was the "Minibikes for Dumb@%$#s" book. You couldn't craft a minibike without it (and at the time that was the only vehicle). No matter how many hours I spent looking for that book, I was not guaranteed with one, because of RWG. It was a constant pain point, and I gave up on a few game saves specifically because of it.

I still feel that annoyance now with being able to unlock weapon crafting. I want to be able to craft an M60 because I chose the ability to craft it, not because the game's RWG decided that I was "worthy" enough to give me an M60 schematic.
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Actually, in A21 you are guaranteed to be able to craft an M60 or a minibike at some point. Unlike schematics, you don't have to find a specific one, just enough of a specific magazine.

For example, if you find 60 Machine Gun magazines, you should be able to make a Q1 M60 according to the screenshots. With the minibike I'm not sure how it's balanced but if it follows the same scheme as the weapons then the minibike should unlock at 11 vehicle magazines.

There is also the boost mechanism. If you invest points in Machine Gunner, for example, you will find more machinegun magazines and parts.

I'm not a big fan of the new system myself because you only progress in crafting when you loot and I'm unsure how it's balanced. But in general you should always be able to unlock everything you can make in the game. It just takes a little time.
 

 
RipClaw said:
Actually, in A21 you are guaranteed to be able to craft an M60 or a minibike at some point. Unlike schematics, you don't have to find a specific one, just enough of a specific magazine.

For example, if you find 60 Machine Gun magazines, you should be able to make a Q1 M60 according to the screenshots. With the minibike I'm not sure how it's balanced but if it follows the same scheme as the weapons then the minibike should unlock at 11 vehicle magazines.

There is also the boost mechanism. If you invest points in Machine Gunner, for example, you will find more machinegun magazines and parts.

I'm not a big fan of the new system myself because you only progress in crafting when you loot and I'm unsure how it's balanced. But in general you should always be able to unlock everything you can make in the game. It just takes a little time.
 
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You're not "guaranteed" anything, because ultimately it's all dependent upon how often you go into new POIs and open containers. If you don't do this - or don't do this as often as the game thinks you "should" - then tough luck, buster.

Compare this to what it is now. You mine a lot of resources, you get a lot of experience, so you can (optionally) invest that into skills that allow you to craft better mining tools.

That entire mechanic is no longer available in A21. You mine a lot, you get resources but nothing else. (You get XP, but it doesn't allow you to craft better tools, so who cares.) You have to abandon your mining and go out looting to be able to craft better tools so you can get better at mining.

You're forced to do something that you don't like, just because the game mechanics say you must do it, in order to do something you do enjoy, and have enjoyed in the current (A20) alpha and many more before it.

EDIT: I have to clarify that I have not seen the A21 changes and am only guessing about what they are. If the "learning by looting" system ends up avoiding the "Minibikes for Dumb@%$#s" issue, then I will be OK with it. I only wanted to bring up my concerns in the hopes that the  7D2D devs would consider them, if they haven't already.

 
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pApA^LeGBa said:
Huh? A contact grenade and one shot from the rocketlauncher with a frag rocket (On Survivalist difficulty with 3 points in demolition experts and using atom junkies) and they are history. Imo the fastest way to get rid of them. Since we do that we hardly ever have one exploding,
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Well, I stand corrected.

However for me, taking a 44 and sniping his head adds a late game thrill. 

Also I don't normally have spare points to put in explosives... although that could change. with raiders.  Then I probably will borrow your well thought out ideas.

 
khzmusik said:
You're not "guaranteed" anything, because ultimately it's all dependent upon how often you go into new POIs and open containers. If you don't do this - or don't do this as often as the game thinks you "should" - then tough luck, buster.

Compare this to what it is now. You mine a lot of resources, you get a lot of experience, so you can (optionally) invest that into skills that allow you to craft better mining tools.

That entire mechanic is no longer available in A21. You mine a lot, you get resources but nothing else. (You get XP, but it doesn't allow you to craft better tools, so who cares.) You have to abandon your mining and go out looting to be able to craft better tools so you can get better at mining.

You're forced to do something that you don't like, just because the game mechanics say you must do it, in order to do something you do enjoy, and have enjoyed in the current (A20) alpha and many more before it.

EDIT: I have to clarify that I have not seen the A21 changes and am only guessing about what they are. If the "learning by looting" system ends up avoiding the "Minibikes for Dumb@%$#s" issue, then I will be OK with it. I only wanted to bring up my concerns in the hopes that the  7D2D devs would consider them, if they haven't already.
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You can't ever craft tier 3 items like steel tools and m60s by just mining in A20.  You have to loot and count on rng to get those schematics.  

I'd hold off on judging a21 until you get to play it.

Something to consider though.  If you are playing with friends, then they will bring back the magazines you need to learn your tool/farming skills.  They aren't just going to scrap them/read them all because there is no point in having more than 1 person in the group with those specific crafting abilities.

 
khzmusik said:
You're not "guaranteed" anything, because ultimately it's all dependent upon how often you go into new POIs and open containers. If you don't do this - or don't do this as often as the game thinks you "should" - then tough luck, buster.

Compare this to what it is now. You mine a lot of resources, you get a lot of experience, so you can (optionally) invest that into skills that allow you to craft better mining tools.

That entire mechanic is no longer available in A21. You mine a lot, you get resources but nothing else. (You get XP, but it doesn't allow you to craft better tools, so who cares.) You have to abandon your mining and go out looting to be able to craft better tools so you can get better at mining.

You're forced to do something that you don't like, just because the game mechanics say you must do it, in order to do something you do enjoy, and have enjoyed in the current (A20) alpha and many more before it.

EDIT: I have to clarify that I have not seen the A21 changes and am only guessing about what they are. If the "learning by looting" system ends up avoiding the "Minibikes for Dumb@%$#s" issue, then I will be OK with it. I only wanted to bring up my concerns in the hopes that the  7D2D devs would consider them, if they haven't already.
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Can reassure you it doesnt feel as random / heavy handed as the old minibike for dummies days.

Since it's not about finding rare magazine xyz, but accumulating common magazine 123 instead.  Although there is still the fun loot scavenging for specific mod schematics I believe.

 
meilodasreh said:
This is brilliant!

So you say, you and your guys just throw/fire lots of grenades and frag rockets at a demo, and then they don't explode.

...I know, block damage...completely different outcome...but still this sounds so funny at first.😄
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Well actually it´s me who goes for the demoliton skill, so if a demo shows up, someone shouts "Demo incoming" all stop to shoot and i go contact grenade followed by a frag rocket. Frag rockets have a low block damage, never use the normal HE rocket for this. The grenades don´t have a high blockdamage aswell.

 
khzmusik said:
That entire mechanic is no longer available in A21. You mine a lot, you get resources but nothing else. (You get XP, but it doesn't allow you to craft better tools, so who cares.) You have to abandon your mining and go out looting to be able to craft better tools so you can get better at mining.
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Note this is just about crafting. By mining a lot you still get levels and the trader gets better stuff. Even with phenomenal bad luck in magazines or excuslively mining you still can buy adequate tools at the trader.

 
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