PC Alpha 21 Dev Diary

[Khissi]

To go along with the mod slot discussion, I think it's a good change and adds another reason to upgrade - I was actually thinking about this change a week ago or so, but I was also thinking it doesn't really make sense that the pipe weapons have any slots at all, for example I don't get how a professionally made silencer would ever fit onto something made of glue and pipes that you put together in your hands.  So I'd probably have made this change a little more extreme if it were up to me.

Well, the suppressor on the pipe guns doesn't really look like a professionally made one, it's well done visually and fits, in my book.  And, to note, I just hit tier 4 stone tools, and they have 2 slots where the tier 3 had 1.  I purchased a tier 5 iron spear from Rekt, wonder of wonders, and it has 3.  So, it's rearranged but I'm not entirely sure of what it's going to be as we progress, so I'll hold my ire and shoot at the ferals with my primitive bow, and hope.

 

[Old Crow]

Well, the suppressor on the pipe guns doesn't really look like a professionally made one, it's well done visually and fits, in my book.  And, to note, I just hit tier 4 stone tools, and they have 2 slots where the tier 3 had 1.  I purchased a tier 5 iron spear from Rekt, wonder of wonders, and it has 3.  So, it's rearranged but I'm not entirely sure of what it's going to be as we progress, so I'll hold my ire and shoot at the ferals with my primitive bow, and hope.

Basically as you go up in material tiers, you get more slots sooner. rank 4 stone axe only has 1 mod slot, rank 4 iron fireaxe would have 2, and a rank 4 steel axe has 3,

There used to be some items you could scrap for more resources than it required to make them, so you could have infinite amounts of that resource.

Ah ok, I understand now.

 

[Outlaw_187]

Sooooo..........when does A22 come out.....

Just kidding, please Roland, don't ban me!!

Loving A21. Man this game is definitely more challenging in this new alpha. The infestation quests are a$$ kickers. 

 

[Andy Red]

Blood moon in the newest build (on dedi): We have been seeing a lot of zombies ignoring a clear path to us, going into destroy area mode and NOT ever coming out if it even when doing them damage.

Yes, same here!
I made a kill corridor for my Day 7 BM. The zombies were more interested in bashing the inner walls of it, rather than pathing to me at the end of it. Very weird behaviour.

 

[Coalthrush]

The only thing I don't really agree about in what you said is this.  Survival games do not need to be simulation games.  They can be but they don't have to be.  This game is not a survival simulation game and I'm pretty sure they never claimed it was.  That doesn't mean they can't have simulation aspects in the game and make things realistic in the game but it also doesn't mean they have to make everything realistic or a simulation.  If it was a survival simulation, you'd never be allowed to carry more than a certain weight around and never pick up and walk around with any vehicle other than a bicycle and it would take months in game to grow crops and so on.  That isn't what this is.

Gameplay trumps realism with this and many other games. 

Yes of course. I didn't mean it was a simulator completely, and I don't think it is. But the simulator aspects is basically 50% why I play. I have played several survival games and they all have their pros and cons. Non of them is the perfect experience. 7DTD is my favourite so I tend to take it more "passionately" when something changes.

And gameplay trumps realism sometimes I agree. Like the parkour skill is insane, but I love it. In no other realistic game would I think it's fair to jump off a building and be unharmed. Some changes are just preferences. 

But In simulators, survival games, base builders, and sandbox games in General, I think it's important to keep as much freedom and possibilities as possible, to allow people to play how they want to play.

 

[Thaledwyn]

Did some CM test with axes last night to get an overview of mod slots and block dmg improvement:

Stone axe (Tier 1):
Level 1-3: 1 mod slot
Level 4-5: 2 mod slots
Level 6: 3 mod slots

Iron axe (Tier 2):
Level 1-3: 2 mod slots
Level 4-5: 3 mod slots
Level 6: 4 mod slots

Steel axe (Tier 3):
Level 1-3: 3 mod slots
Level 4-5: 4 mod slots
Level 6: 4 mod slots

Block DMG per Mod:

Stone axe 2: 1 Mod slot +2,2 dmg per mod
Stone axe 5: 2 Mod slots +2,2 dmg per mod (+4,4dmg total)

Iron axe 2: 2 Mod slots +4,7 dmg per mod (+9,4 dmg total)
Iron axe 5: 3 Mod slots +4,7 dmg per mod (+14,1 dmg total)

Steel axe 2: 3 Mod slots +8,9 dmg per mod (+26,7 dmg total)
Steel axe 5: 4 Mod slots +8,9 dmg per mod (+35,6 dmg total)

 

[Khissi]

Did some CM test with axes last night to get an overview of mod slots and block dmg improvement:

*mega snip*

Thank you!  I really try not to use DM or console when testing so I appreciate the work you did.  Helps my poor brain understand a bit better.  Other than the decided dearth of magazines in this build, I can work with this.  They're getting more and more scarce... wonder why that decision was made.

 

[Shinisuryu]

Everyone's upset about the dew collector change, but this is what made me sad.

Removed "AllowSpawnNearBackpack" from serverconfig.xml as the option not used

That was super helpful when far away from home and in intense situations.

 

[Thaledwyn]

Thank you!  I really try not to use DM or console when testing so I appreciate the work you did.  Helps my poor brain understand a bit better.  Other than the decided dearth of magazines in this build, I can work with this.  They're getting more and more scarce... wonder why that decision was made.

Glad I could help.

I was just so curious about the mod slot changes that I had to do a... ahem..."quick view"...

 

[saltychipmunk]

 
let's not mix up things making sense with realism. I don't want the fact that this isn't real life to mean it's ok to craft a spaceship out of duct tape and live in orbit with all of the cows and asparagus.

This is something that always bothers me. Every time a discussion crops up people tend to misuse the term "realism" to describe a similar but still different concept. And it usually ends derailing the conversation as one side then proceeds to take the word at face value.

There is realism and there is "internal realism".  "Realism" would say there is no way a zombie could exist.   Internal realism would say , if there WERE such a thing as zombies  I would probably still  need to eat and drink. 

It is about playing by the rules set out  by the fantasy. And every good fantasy STILL has rules that need to be followed.  Especially when that fantasy is using them to ground itself as something plausible but  fanciful.

 

[Coalthrush]

There is realism and there is "internal realism".  "Realism" would say there is no way a zombie could exist.   Internal realism would say , if there WERE such a thing as zombies  I would probably still  need to eat and drink. 

It is about playing by the rules set out  by the fantasy. And every good fantasy STILL has rules that need to be followed.  Especially when that fantasy is using them to ground itself as something plausible but  fanciful.

Indeed, but when the rules keep changing its understandably potentionally upsetting. 

Imagine changing the rules to European Football. You can only use one leg first half time, to keep the game from being too easy.

 

[zztong]

I have a question about HEAT. Do zombies home in and target sources of HEAT? That is, if you leave a source of HEAT in the open, will the zombies attack it if they cannot find the player?

I've known HEAT wasn't actually heat for some time, so I don't mind the Dew Collector addition, though I wasn't expecting it. Given the response, I'm wondering if anyone has considered HEAT from Farming Plots and Writable Storage Boxes. 

 

[Aldranon]

I have a question about HEAT. Do zombies home in and target sources of HEAT? That is, if you leave a source of HEAT in the open, will the zombies attack it if they cannot find the player?

I've known HEAT wasn't actually heat for some time, so I don't mind the Dew Collector addition, though I wasn't expecting it. Given the response, I'm wondering if anyone has considered HEAT from Farming Plots and Writable Storage Boxes. 

Best to be fair and make any player made blocks generate heat...

 

[Slingblade2040]

So when is the next update where players talking to traders going to generate heat? Also that really spicy one where Rekt instant spawns a screamer due to his rage of us not buying any of his junk. 

Can't wait to see us generate heat for walking and swimming. Think I saw someone even mention rain fall would also generate heat. 7 days to die the heat edition, it's gonna be a toasty one.

 

[Mister Forgash]

I'm not really behind the addition of heat to dew collectors, but if we're going there, I think we should add it player vehicles too. My butt was recently dragging in that 4x4 and the zombies should be drawn to that stink, if they're drawn to the gentle pitter patter dew dripping into cups on the rooftop.

.. This is definitely my reasoning, and it not because I want to open a used motorcycle lot that always has crowds of zombies checking out my insane prices.

 

[meganoth]

Everyone's upset about the dew collector change, but this is what made me sad.

That was super helpful when far away from home and in intense situations.

Not sure, but this fix might only be about removing a setting in the serverconfig that wasn't USED at all. Since it is only relevant for the clients and not the server!

So just die now and tell us how it went

 

[Scarman422]

i think that one positive change to the game would be increasing vehicle speeds. 4x4 and motorcycles feel a bit slow, and this change would encourage players to explore the whole map.

 

[meganoth]

Indeed, but when the rules keep changing its understandably potentionally upsetting. 

Imagine changing the rules to European Football. You can only use one leg first half time, to keep the game from being too easy.

Imagine changing the rules to European Football ("soccer" for people from the US I think) and redefine when touching the ball with your hands and arms is a penalty or not. 

(Hint: that rule was changed a lot in recent years. And that game is not even in EA)

 

[faatal]

I have a question about HEAT. Do zombies home in and target sources of HEAT? That is, if you leave a source of HEAT in the open, will the zombies attack it if they cannot find the player?

I've known HEAT wasn't actually heat for some time, so I don't mind the Dew Collector addition, though I wasn't expecting it. Given the response, I'm wondering if anyone has considered HEAT from Farming Plots and Writable Storage Boxes. 

Individual AI does not care or know about the "heat" map. The AI heat map code spawns a zombie and says go investigate over there. The zombie goes to the point and looks around, then wanders.

Indeed, but when the rules keep changing its understandably potentionally upsetting. 

Imagine changing the rules to European Football. You can only use one leg first half time, to keep the game from being too easy.

In game development, the rules change often. Normally you don't see this, just the final released product. In early access you get to see snap shots of those changes with each release. I actually like it, as I get bored with games fairly quickly, so when something like World of Warcraft or No Man's Sky has a big update, it is fun for me to learn all the new stuff.

 

[spacepiggio]

Wasn't even looking at that, I'm only going by recent activity compared to 12 days of testing & by reading the known issues. I've seen some builds go stable pretty quickly & I think this 1 will be stable soon, just a gut feeling on problems I've had playing & reading the list.

Knew there was an update coming soon...guys never listen...still predict an early Stable Build...fingers crossed