PC Developer Discussions: Alpha 17

[Aldranon]

Obviously, some won't ever want NPC's for some odd reason, but I'm pretty sure the majority of players want NPC's to be in the game.
Mainly cause without NPC's, coming up with new quests, story missions (or story at all), objectives and late-game challenge is very hard to do.

NPC's could add a lot of meaning and fun to the game (helping them, fighting them, saving them, ect). They would give player reputation some fun things (So, your a Badass, these people need help and these people what to surrender).

They would be a good points of contact for quests and missions.

 

[Xtrakicking]

NPC's could add a lot of meaning and fun to the game (helping them, fighting them, saving them, ect). They would give player reputation some fun things (So, your a Badass, these people need help and these people what to surrender).
They would be a good points of contact for quests and missions.

One of the things that was in the KS goals was, I believe, NPC controlled POI's. Just imagine coming across a fortified gas station with armed NPC's guarding it that will tell you to stay away or get rekt. Then come back at night, stealth your way in and kill them in their sleep or plainly set their base on fire, or even get inside moments before the 7 day horde appears and watch them fight it off.

Yeah, still don't understand why anyone wouldn't want NPC's, lol.

 

[meganoth]

Obviously, some won't ever want NPC's for some odd reason,

You forgot the third category: Indifference.

Everyone has different priorities. For me NPC's is one feature among many. I can live with or without them.

 

[Xtrakicking]

You forgot the third category: Indifference.
Everyone has different priorities. For me NPC's is one feature among many. I can live with or without them.

Fair enough. In the end, NPCs will arrive sooner or later, so will bug fixes and optimization. However, people are very nitpicky and impatient, and will be very angry if the game comes out of early access with big features such as NPCs missing. Just something to be aware of.

 

[sillls]

Use the fancy words you want, but we want NPC's. One of the things the game desperately needs is something other than corpses walking; and it's alive people walking, and I feel like that's something that should be addressed before moving to gold because people will get very pissed if they see the game move to 1.0 without any NPC's, even if they will be added later.
It's basically like being at a theatre play, seeing the curtains open up and reveal an empty decorated stage, then being told the actors "will arrive later".

I agree. I don't like the idea playing like a LMOE all the time. I'd like to find other survivors. Work with them, even create a small town.

Been wanting to see that since 9.3.

 

[spud42]

meh, i can live without them.

if i want to interact with NPC's i will play a Fallout game or Skyrim...

i like to think im the last man standing. if i live or die is up to my decisions not some random bandit ...

 

[sillls]

From the newsroom. One of the many recorded gifs we've obtained to keep you fine folks informed on all innovative 7DTD news. Luckily, in this particular outcome there were no fatalities. In fact, our source was unhurt and continued with the event less than 15 minutes later (true!).
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Please also note: Your mailbox is full =)

Oh! I knew I forgot to do something, lol.

Also thanks for the source info.

 

[Roland]

Use the fancy words you want, but we want NPC's. One of the things the game desperately needs is something other than corpses walking; and it's alive people walking, and I feel like that's something that should be addressed before moving to gold because people will get very pissed if they see the game move to 1.0 without any NPC's, even if they will be added later.
It's basically like being at a theatre play, seeing the curtains open up and reveal an empty decorated stage, then being told the actors "will arrive later".

Okay, no fancy words:

Traders are NPCs.....check

Trader compounds are POIs controlled by them.....check

That’s not to say there won’t be more variety added to this Kickstarter goal (bandit and survivor NPCs are in the code and have been recently improved)

BUT I must point out that the obligations have technically been met (Your imaginations notwithstanding) and TFP could choose to settle on what we currently have. Nobody can control what will or will not make people mad. All they can do is fulfill their promises—which they have.

Happily they will go beyond simply meeting the obligation but the timetable is the only unknown factor.

 

[Menace312]

Good point.

Equally: When does the stick ever work better than encouragement?

Never.

 

[Aldranon]

One of the things that was in the KS goals was, I believe, NPC controlled POI's. Just imagine coming across a fortified gas station with armed NPC's guarding it that will tell you to stay away or get rekt. Then come back at night, stealth your way in and kill them in their sleep or plainly set their base on fire, or even get inside moments before the 7 day horde appears and watch them fight it off.
Yeah, still don't understand why anyone wouldn't want NPC's, lol.

I would hope that most NPC's would be neutral (you be nice and they'll be nice-ish).

Some would be "Defenders of the wasteland" types but the rest might chase you down, do bad things to you, kill you and eat you (not necessarily in that order!).

Now THAT will put some zing in the game, not knowing who you're dealing with! There should be some subtle clues though.

 

[Roland]

BTW...I just looked at the Kickstarter promises and NPCs including merchants and safe houses controlled by NPCs are specifically listed in those features that would come post final release. So I’m not even sure why anyone would be upset by the current status. TFP is already ahead of schedule on this promise. Where are the high fives rather than threats of backlash?

If bandits and neutral NPC survivors don’t make it in until after launch then TFP is simply fulfilling the expectations you should have had when you signed up for early access. It is literally all spelled out for you.

 

[Aldranon]

BTW...I just looked at the Kickstarter promises and NPCs including merchants and safe houses controlled by NPCs are specifically listed in those features that would come post final release. So I’m not even sure why anyone would be upset by the current status. TFP is already ahead of schedule on this promise. Where are the high fives rather than threats of backlash?
If bandits and neutral NPC survivors don’t make it in until after launch then TFP is simply fulfilling the expectations you should have had when you signed up for early access. It is literally all spelled out for you.

I'm just saying how I hope its implemented.

 

[Roland]

I’m still talking to Xtra...

 

[vitamin]

What’s so wrong with the UI?

Too much wasted space. For example map can be 8 times larger.

HUD should have more info. All mods address this in one way or the other.

Inconsistent controls. Is that [A] to assemble a gun or [D] or ...?

Not UI but directly related - just use PO files for translation. Not one file with hard-coded 3 languages.

Crafting output is inconsistent. Crafting 1 unit of gas can gives you 100?!

 

[Xtrakicking]

Okay, no fancy words:
Traders are NPCs.....check

Trader compounds are POIs controlled by them.....check

Yes, they could settle with what they've added, but you and I both know that would be pretty cheap, cause vending machines with a human model is not what people bargained for when they read NPCs and NPC controlled houses.

I'm confident they won't do that, though. They've already got the mocaped player animations, voice lines and models, so I'm sure there are big things to come with those.

- - - Updated - - -

BTW...I just looked at the Kickstarter promises and NPCs including merchants and safe houses controlled by NPCs are specifically listed in those features that would come post final release. So I’m not even sure why anyone would be upset by the current status. TFP is already ahead of schedule on this promise. Where are the high fives rather than threats of backlash?
If bandits and neutral NPC survivors don’t make it in until after launch then TFP is simply fulfilling the expectations you should have had when you signed up for early access. It is literally all spelled out for you.

Like I said, I don't care if NPCs come post gold as long as they come, but most people don't see it that way and will blame the game for being a scam if it comes out of early access with features still in progress, no matter what the KS list says.

Why? Cause internet.

 

[Guppycur]

They don't mind cheap. Customizable vehicles. Can add a basket to a minibike, check.

...and that was a while back. This close to gold they're going for the bare minimum.

 

[Xtrakicking]

They don't mind cheap. Customizable vehicles. Can add a basket to a minibike, check.
...and that was a while back. This close to gold they're going for the bare minimum.

Well, they added trucks, bikes, motorcycles and frigging minicopters in just one update when they could've just stayed with the minibike and checked the vehicles goal. To me that's pretty amazing. They also seem to have gotten the physics on those right, which is rare to see in most games with vehicles. With those in, customization should be a walk in the park to implement next.

Until then, weapon customization is already in too and looking awesome.

 

[KhaineGB]

The only thing I would like to see, regarding NPC's and Bandits, is the NRE issue fixed whenever EntityBandit or EntitySurvivor goes near the trader.

Plenty of mods already add them into the game anyways, and I have a suspicion that's a fairly easy fix.

 

[Roland]

They don't mind cheap. Customizable vehicles. Can add a basket to a minibike, check.
...and that was a while back. This close to gold they're going for the bare minimum.

The mod system being implemented in A17 is initially for weapons but will be extended to vehicles Mr Smartypants.

 

[Roland]

Yes, they could settle with what they've added, but you and I both know that would be pretty cheap, cause vending machines with a human model is not what people bargained for when they read NPCs and NPC controlled houses.
I'm confident they won't do that, though. They've already got the mocaped player animations, voice lines and models, so I'm sure there are big things to come with those.

- - - Updated - - -

Like I said, I don't care if NPCs come post gold as long as they come, but most people don't see it that way and will blame the game for being a scam if it comes out of early access with features still in progress, no matter what the KS list says.

Why? Cause internet.

Oh...okay. You’re advocating for some other group of people. I guess your use of the pronoun “we” threw me off too...