PC Alpha 21 Dev Diary

[Grimlock_Arts]

Simple Ideas to Improve the game:

Can you guys consider adding some random elements to the zombie generation?:
 

Zombie randomization ideas:
(Some of these would probably be pretty simple to add, others a bit more involved)

Clothing colors - (simplest to implement most likely)

Voice pitch adjustment - (within a range)

Voice variations - (maybe even have more silent breathing or moaning variations)

Model walking/movement animation variations

Model skin variations - (a range from fresh zombie to deeply rotted with several steps between)

Zombie damage - (Maybe some of them spawn missing an arm, or a leg, or just cosmetic damage like a twisted arm or head)

Behavioral variations - (Essentially a selection of personalities such as mindless wall bumper, standard AI, crafty/intelligent full AI)

I've been a player of 7 days to die for several years and one thing that really keeps the experience down as a veteran player are the clone zombies. I think at the very least randomizing the color of the outfits they wear would go a long way to add more realism. Even subtle color variations within a range would be fantastic. Ideally adding a full spectrum of randomization would really be next level for this game!

I hope you all consider implementing some of these ideas! 

 

[MichaelL.]

Wait, is that a thing in 7D2D?

LOL!  To be honest, I'm pretty sure something like this would be doable- a lot of overhauls have custom quests where you have to bring a trader x-number of a certain thing.  And the old vanilla side-quests/tasks usually required killing specific zombies with a specific weapon You could just modify the stopsign/mailboxes to drop a stopsign/mailbox block in your inventory when destroyed/"harvested."  Might change the 4x4 with a baseball bat to make it easier.  

So yeah, it does seem like this ought to be something that could be done. 

 

[Riamus]

New mailman quest.  Why not add a quest that has you deliver packages to other traders? 

It would change things up a bit and add something new. You get a reward of course.  Maybe a bonus to get it done if you do it within a time limit. 

You could also add a surprise or two along the way. 

A big problem with that type of quest is that they are talking about fast travel between traders, so such a quest would be too easy.  I suppose you could require not using fast travel for that quest, but that just feels wrong if you have fast travel.  Besides, with the time it takes to travel between traders without fast travel, having to do quests that are nothing but traveling long distances is not my idea of fun.  At least the special quests that send you to another trader don't require you to do them before doing other quests.  You can get to it when you get to it.  I know some people like those types of quests, but in a game like this, I'd rather quests that relate to killing zombies.

LOL!  To be honest, I'm pretty sure something like this would be doable- a lot of overhauls have custom quests where you have to bring a trader x-number of a certain thing.  And the old vanilla side-quests/tasks usually required killing specific zombies with a specific weapon You could just modify the stopsign/mailboxes to drop a stopsign/mailbox block in your inventory when destroyed/"harvested."  Might change the 4x4 with a baseball bat to make it easier.  

So yeah, it does seem like this ought to be something that could be done. 

Considering the excessive damage to your vehicle coming in A21 when you hit stuff, after 20 mailboxes, your 4x4 is probably toast.

 

[MichaelL.]

Considering the excessive damage to your vehicle coming in A21 when you hit stuff, after 20 mailboxes, your 4x4 is probably toast.

LOL!  Too true!  It's a shame you can't swing a baseball bat out of the window of your truck - that's how true rednecks bash mailboxes...  

 

[DuHast_Play]

there would also be an interesting variant of the quest with the protection of the merchant's base. One merchant ordering goods from another to sell (a logical option for other types of goods to appear other than from survivors). You need to get to the merchant and activate the radio, give a signal that you are there. Goods are delivered by helicopter and zombies run to its noise, which will need to be shot until the helicopter flies away, or stops the engines after landing. I think it would be interesting)

 

[DuHast_Play]

If I'm not mistaken, in the old versions, in the very first alphas, it was possible to make several sleeping bags and, accordingly, on any of them it was possible to be reborn after death. If I'm confused, correct me) But if not, please specify why this system was removed and is it possible to return it? it would be convenient to respawn on any comfortable sleeping bag (I like to make several shelters within the reach of merchants. I hope I'm not the only one)

 

[Jost Amman]

If I'm not mistaken, in the old versions, in the very first alphas, it was possible to make several sleeping bags and, accordingly, on any of them it was possible to be reborn after death. If I'm confused, correct me) But if not, please specify why this system was removed and is it possible to return it? it would be convenient to respawn on any comfortable sleeping bag (I like to make several shelters within the reach of merchants. I hope I'm not the only one)

No, there was never the possibility of multiple bedroll respawn choice after death.

The only option has always been to choose between spawning on the bedroll or near the bedroll.

In A21, for the first time, we will have the option to spawn at the location where we dropped the backpack after dying.

 

[DuHast_Play]

No, there was never the possibility of multiple bedroll respawn choice after death.

The only option has always been to choose between spawning on the bedroll or near the bedroll.

In A21, for the first time, we will have the option to spawn at the location where we dropped the backpack after dying.

Thank you) now I’m thinking ... from what game did I take the revival in different places ... and I definitely played it .. also a survivalist ... there are also zombies ... there are no ideas in my head at all ...

 

[Blake_]

@Gazz , I noticed in the stream that primitive weapons and tools like stone axe, bow and club have the exact number of resources needed for crafting. Shouldn't they have a bit of progression in order to not make crafting previous quality levels useless? I mean, a bow costs 8 wood and 3 fibers to craft, I expected higher quality levels to use like 12 wood and 6 plant fibers , and the poor quality one to use the intended original amount  , just to put an example.

Thoughts? Thanks in advance.

 

[Jost Amman]

@Gazz , I noticed in the stream that primitive weapons and tools like stone axe, bow and club have the exact number of resources needed for crafting. Shouldn't they have a bit of progression in order to not make crafting previous quality levels useless? I mean, a bow costs 8 wood and 3 fibers to craft, I expected higher quality levels to use like 12 wood and 6 plant fibers , and the poor quality one to use the intended original amount  , just to put an example.

Makes sense to me.

 

[zztong]

A big problem with that type of quest is that they are talking about fast travel between traders, so such a quest would be too easy.  I suppose you could require not using fast travel for that quest, but that just feels wrong if you have fast travel.

It may be that before you can use fast travel to a specific trader that you have to perform the "open trade route" quest to turn on being able to travel between those two merchants. In that case, you have a motivation to perform this quest between lots of traders. If so, opening up a complete set of trade routes between 6 traders would be something like 15 missions. I think I used the right formula for that: n * (n-1) / 2.

 

[Doomofman]

It may be that before you can use fast travel to a specific trader that you have to perform the "open trade route" quest to turn on being able to travel between those two merchants. In that case, you have a motivation to perform this quest between lots of traders. If so, opening up a complete set of trade routes between 6 traders would be something like 15 missions. I think I used the right formula for that: n * (n-1) / 2.

That would be my assumption that if there is fast travel between traders, you'll need to have visited the traders first before being allowed to fast travel there. Maybe there'll even be a new quest at the trader to find the parts to fix the radio or something before fast travel will work

 

[zztong]

That would be my assumption that if there is fast travel between traders, you'll need to have visited the traders first before being allowed to fast travel there. Maybe there'll even be a new quest at the trader to find the parts to fix the radio or something before fast travel will work

That's probably closer to what is planned... open it up trader by trader, rather than route by route.

 

[Guppycur]

No, there was never the possibility of multiple bedroll respawn choice after death.

The only option has always been to choose between spawning on the bedroll or near the bedroll.

In A21, for the first time, we will have the option to spawn at the location where we dropped the backpack after dying.

Yes there was.   Iirc you'd choose your bedroll on the map. 

 

[DuHast_Play]

Yes there was.   Iirc you'd choose your bedroll on the map. 

So I'm still not crazy !!!) Because I remember that I had a moment that I had 3 sleeping bags. Models then were angular ... and after death I mistakenly revived very far, because 2 sleeping bags were nameless ... it was 2014, it seems .. And maybe I'm definitely wrong now, but at that time the food spoiled in the game and attracted the smell of undead .. here I'm not sure.

 

[Guppycur]

So I'm still not crazy !!!) Because I remember that I had a moment that I had 3 sleeping bags. Models then were angular ... and after death I mistakenly revived very far, because 2 sleeping bags were nameless ... it was 2014, it seems .. And maybe I'm definitely wrong now, but at that time the food spoiled in the game and attracted the smell of undead .. here I'm not sure.

It didn't spoil but there was a smell mechanic.

... The system was unfortunately replaced when they decided to minimize the amount of zombies in the game by sticking them inside cupboards instead of outside in the cities. 

 

[Riamus]

@Gazz , I noticed in the stream that primitive weapons and tools like stone axe, bow and club have the exact number of resources needed for crafting. Shouldn't they have a bit of progression in order to not make crafting previous quality levels useless? I mean, a bow costs 8 wood and 3 fibers to craft, I expected higher quality levels to use like 12 wood and 6 plant fibers , and the poor quality one to use the intended original amount  , just to put an example.

Thoughts? Thanks in advance.

That was confusing Lathan, too.  Did you notice his expression when he was trying a couple different stone items?  I don't pay attention to the costs to craft stone right now, but IIRC it is the same for all levels of stone weapons and tools.  You only see a difference with iron or steel.  It seems they left that the same for A21 and he also probably hasn't looked at the costs for stone for so long that he forgot that it was different.

It may be that before you can use fast travel to a specific trader that you have to perform the "open trade route" quest to turn on being able to travel between those two merchants. In that case, you have a motivation to perform this quest between lots of traders. If so, opening up a complete set of trade routes between 6 traders would be something like 15 missions. I think I used the right formula for that: n * (n-1) / 2.

I would be fine with an expansion of the open a trade route quests, but these should only be once per quest tier as they are now.  Having a quest that has a chance to appear one or more times every day and take up a quest slot would be annoying to me if it was a "mailman" quest.

I also believe that fast travel is unlocked by visiting the traders - either through the opening trade route quest or just by talking to them once.  As you mentioned after this quote, I too believe that it is once per trader and not per route.  Per route wouldn't make much sense.  Trader: "You can travel to this trader that you have talked to for me, but even though you know that trader, you can't go there because you haven't talked to them for me yet."   Maybe from Rekt.... Lol!

 

[Trankitas]

It didn't spoil but there was a smell mechanic.

... The system was unfortunately replaced when they decided to minimize the amount of zombies in the game by sticking them inside cupboards instead of outside in the cities. 

Welp, time to revive this once again. 

BRING BACK SMELL MECHANICS!!
 

Spoiler

...in 7 days to die 2 ☺

 

[meganoth]

@Gazz , I noticed in the stream that primitive weapons and tools like stone axe, bow and club have the exact number of resources needed for crafting. Shouldn't they have a bit of progression in order to not make crafting previous quality levels useless?

What is the use of lesser quality levels being easier to be crafted when you absolutely can't because the UI has no way to select a previous quality level?

Remember the problem that in A20 you could, by simply advancing your crafting make yourself unable to craft a weapon or tool because it now needed more resources? I can think of two solutions to this without changing the UI: 1) Crafting quality also depends on the amount of resources you have in your inventory or 2) all quality levels need the same amount of resources.

I mean, a bow costs 8 wood and 3 fibers to craft, I expected higher quality levels to use like 12 wood and 6 plant fibers , and the poor quality one to use the intended original amount  , just to put an example.

Thoughts? Thanks in advance.

 

[Roland]

There is no point to making a higher tier stone weapon need more stone. Getting stone is trivial. Please devs, do not waste a moment on figuring out whether yellow tier should require 12 stones and 15 wood rather than 9 stones and 12 wood. It just isn't worth it...