PC Developer Discussions: Alpha 17

[Maharin]

Coming to a mod near you.
...although probably be horses or emu's.

It would be a lot more fun to watch if it were on bicycles and players would ragdoll when hit.

 

[Jacoviz]

What new weapon are you hoping for?
Firearm? The new system will make it possible.

Spear? Still no.

I mean maybe a compound crossbow or maybe a new firearm, i would like a combat shotgun. Even new different type of ammo would be awesome..

 

[eidobunny]

I mean maybe a compound crossbow or maybe a new firearm, i would like a combat shotgun. Even new different type of ammo would be awesome..

Combat shotgun sounds great, honestly I tend to use melee weapons more because they don't use ammo so a wider variety of styles (chivalry: medieval warfare is a great example of having a variety of melee options) would be really fun IMO

 

[Scyris]

I mean maybe a compound crossbow or maybe a new firearm, i would like a combat shotgun. Even new different type of ammo would be awesome..

Scope mod for crossbow? Clip mod for crossbow, laser sight for crossbow (and guns). I can dream. the crossbow is pretty much my goto ranged weapon in 7 days to die, as most guns are either too loud or too weak (smg, pistol, shotgun). This prob won't change even with silencer mods in a17, as the crossbows ammo is easy to make compared to bullets, and it can be made on the fly.

 

[dhlmaster]

You mean that pointless weapon no one really ever uses because its weaker than the crossbow, yet much more of a pain to upgrade the quality of it? Due to in A16 it being parts insted of just a completly made item. Not to mention I suck at headshoting with it for some reason, guess I am to used to the old wooden bow.

I use the compund bow if I loot one in the early game. It is definitely a pain to assemble one, but in my current game I found 3 decent compound bows around days 9 to 12. I will build my crossbow when they are used up. I hated them at first, but when you get used to the feel of it, it can be a stronger weapon than the wooden bow. I get one headshot to kill on a lot of the standard zombies. Or one chest shot that knocks them down and one killing blow once they are down. Definitely not a late game weapon, though.

 

[Jacoviz]

Combat shotgun sounds great, honestly I tend to use melee weapons more because they don't use ammo so a wider variety of styles (chivalry: medieval warfare is a great example of having a variety of melee options) would be really fun IMO

It's better to not talk about melee weapons. They are just a few and it's a very horrible thing in a zombie game like this. Why to not add different type of machete? Of clubs? Baseball bat, metal baseball bat, kukri machete, military machete, ecc. There are a lot of them...

 

[Katitof]

It's better to not talk about melee weapons. They are just a few and it's a very horrible thing in a zombie game like this. Why to not add different type of machete? Of clubs? Baseball bat, metal baseball bat, kukri machete, military machete, ecc. There are a lot of them...

Because as long as melee system is as shallow as it is, its pointless to provide more weapons then there are.

 

[eidobunny]

Right now we have:

Club (fast swing)

Sledge (slow swing)

Knife (fast swing but slightly different hitboxes and effects)

There's very little play in terms of range and area of effect or other uses like swinging vertically versus horizontally, and there's no blocking mechanic either which should be interesting in theory, having a shield to knock a zombie back or down for example, or deflecting a single attack (think chivalry or left 4 dead)

It's a horrible thing in a zombie game? Well maybe in theory but have you played with melee in 7 Days? The sledgehammer is arguably the best weapon in the game, capable of one-shotting almost any zombie if you have the right perks and it uses no ammo other than the occasional repair. I've even felled cops with a sledgehammer. It's my weapon of choice for zombies 95% of the time. Only on really nasty 7th nights do I start resorting to crossbow/guns. Usually I reserve my ranged weapon use for zombie bears and that's about it.

 

[Armstrrong]

Right now we have:
Club (fast swing)

Sledge (slow swing)

Knife (fast swing but slightly different hitboxes and effects)

There's very little play in terms of range and area of effect or other uses like swinging vertically versus horizontally, and there's no blocking mechanic either which should be interesting in theory, having a shield to knock a zombie back or down for example, or deflecting a single attack (think chivalry or left 4 dead)

It's a horrible thing in a zombie game? Well maybe in theory but have you played with melee in 7 Days? The sledgehammer is arguably the best weapon in the game, capable of one-shotting almost any zombie if you have the right perks and it uses no ammo other than the occasional repair. I've even felled cops with a sledgehammer. It's my weapon of choice for zombies 95% of the time. Only on really nasty 7th nights do I start resorting to crossbow/guns. Usually I reserve my ranged weapon use for zombie bears and that's about it.

Blocking mechanic is useless. It's better to add ability to push away zombies or dodge, especially when players using hit and run tactic in melee fight anyway.
In my opinion, sledgehammer is only take 2nd place, but machete take 1st place as the best melee weapon in the game.

It can cut off arms, legs and heads very easy, use less stamina, and you can harvest animals and zombies(can you harvest with sledgehammer, no).

 

[Lonestarcanuck]

Blocking mechanic is useless. It's better to add ability to push away zombies or dodge, especially when players using hit and run tactic in melee fight anyway.
In my opinion, sledgehammer is only take 2nd place, but machete take 1st place as the best melee weapon in the game.

It can cut off arms, legs and heads very easy, use less stamina, and you can harvest animals and zombies(can you harvest with sledgehammer, no).

I would agree blocking is not useful. I would like to see a spear or pike.

 

[NukemDed]

well I reckon the pistol is the best gun. easy to find, low resource on ammo crafting. good control - doesn't leap about, heaps of bullets in a clip, one trigger pull one bullet used - not a burst. can also let rip if in a tight spot ...or get a fright. good for taking down dogs. spray and prey and all that.

best is 9 headshots kills in a row. yes I am trying for 15... done 6 with the magnum heaps of times but that's not hard as it has quite a bit of stopping power.

 

[Demonoid74]

I still melee kill almost everything...even in late game...that and flaming arrows when I do use a ranged weapon during hordes to pick a few off...always have chests full of guns and ammo that I never ever use...even though the melee system IS shallow...still works for me 90% of the time!

 

[Odetta]

I think it's low priority for them right now. The live action trailer shows a spear being crafted and Madmole has said he would like there to be spears so I think there will eventually be spears but before another melee weapon gets added there are other things that are taking up development time and focus.

Serious question; Do the Fun Pimps offer any kind of Intern program? Not asking for me but I was thinking that it would be a win win situation.

1. The Fun Pimps can test talent out with no obligation or commitment

2. Students get to work with the leaders in Open World Voxel games

3. The Fun Pimps can delegate lower level priorities to these interns

4. They could even help with bug squashing, a staple in their careers to be sure

5. The Fun Pimps can keep the cream of the crop if they want and add them to the team for current/next project

6. Students will come out with a new and healthy respect for voxel based games, who knows what that could snowball into

7. Free workers for the Fun Pimps, Amazing experience for the students

I'm talking out of my butt here but who knows! :caked:

 

[eidobunny]

I would agree blocking is not useful. I would like to see a spear or pike.

I don't know what you guys are thinking or how you play but I definitely find myself in situations where blocking and/or shoving would be extremely useful. Especially now with sleepers and skyscrapers where you more often find yourself in close quarters battles and sometimes with many zombies potentially surprising and cornering you depending on the circumstances. Maybe it's just because I've played a lot of L4D and Chivalry and I'm just used to more blocking/parrying/shoving mechanics that add a lot to melee combat and I can more easily imagine 7 Days using a similar system. I would also like to see a spear/pike/halberd but those aren't close quarters melee weapons so I can see the difficulty in implementing a weapon of that type. You can't stab or slash if the enemy is too close so new mechanics would have to be developed.

 

[Kalex]

You never saw my wife try to drive a mini bike. It's like watching a hamster trying to assemble IKEA furniture without the instructions. She is going to permanent passenger, shooting at Zombies while I drag her uncoordinated butt from one POI to the next.
I can't wait.

I'm not your wife, but I certainly do resemble that remark.

 

[konrax]

Blocking mechanic is useless. It's better to add ability to push away zombies or dodge, especially when players using hit and run tactic in melee fight anyway.
In my opinion, sledgehammer is only take 2nd place, but machete take 1st place as the best melee weapon in the game.

It can cut off arms, legs and heads very easy, use less stamina, and you can harvest animals and zombies(can you harvest with sledgehammer, no).

Blunt weapons should provide some crowd control when they knock zombies back. It would be a great way to make them appealing without just giving them damage penetration or a knock down. Maybe have minor knocks with basic attacks and a higher chance for a large one with a power strike.

When you hit a zombie with a sledgehammer it would be great if it could get knocked into other zombies and maybe knock a couple over. Even with lighter knocks you could have the hit zombie bump another one nearby slowing them both down, this would really make weapon variety in a group feel more meaningful.

EDIT: and a way you can utilize all those fancy zombie physics you've already programmed into the game

I think blocking would be more meaningful in a pvp situation instead of regular zombie fighting, however I would be really careful about how effective you make it if you were to add it. Making it cost endurance would be one way to help limit the effectiveness.

 

[Armstrrong]

I don't know what you guys are thinking or how you play but I definitely find myself in situations where blocking and/or shoving would be extremely useful. Especially now with sleepers and skyscrapers where you more often find yourself in close quarters battles and sometimes with many zombies potentially surprising and cornering you depending on the circumstances.
Maybe it's just because I've played a lot of L4D and Chivalry and I'm just used to more blocking/parrying/shoving mechanics that add a lot to melee combat and I can more easily imagine 7 Days using a similar system.

You have already answered why the blocking/parrying is useless - "many zombies potentially surprising and cornering you depending on the circumstances". How are you going to block all these zombies in the corner?Zombies don't use melee weapons, what do you want to block/parry.... hands? Why they need to hit your club.... when they can just grab you and bite.

I see only shoving and dodging mechanics, which can fit in 7d2d, and other games with zombies use them. "Dying Light" uses dodging mechanic, which will help you in the fight against zombies or humans. "No more room in hell" that uses shoving mechanic and is very important part of the game.

 

[eidobunny]

You have already answered why the blocking/parrying is useless - "many zombies potentially surprising and cornering you depending on the circumstances". How are you going to block all these zombies in the corner?Zombies don't use melee weapons, what do you want to block/parry.... hands? Why they need to hit your club.... when they can just grab you and bite.

I don't know if you noticed, but the zombies in 7 Days hit you by flailing their arms at you

Also I've referenced l4d several times already and you've ignored that. The zombies act very similar to the zombies in 7 Days at night, and there are many scenarios where you are reloading or out of ammo and you get cornered and need to shove them away. So yeah blocking, parrying, and shoving could be great gameplay mechanics for 7 Days. It could be easily balanced through the stamina system, let's say a block or shove uses 50-100 stamina which is a massive chunk and prevents the mechanic from being abused or exploited.

 

[konrax]

You have already answered why the blocking/parrying is useless - "many zombies potentially surprising and cornering you depending on the circumstances". How are you going to block all these zombies in the corner?Zombies don't use melee weapons, what do you want to block/parry.... hands? Why they need to hit your club.... when they can just grab you and bite.

I see only shoving and dodging mechanics, which can fit in 7d2d, and other games with zombies use them. "Dying Light" uses dodging mechanic, which will help you in the fight against zombies or humans. "No more room in hell" that uses shoving mechanic and is very important part of the game.

You could make a quick light shove act like a block and a shove at the same time. It would interrupt an attack but also be able to stop a swinging weapon as well if timed correctly. That would solve both situations without over complicating it.

 

[Armstrrong]

You could make a quick light shove act like a block and a shove at the same time. It would interrupt an attack but also be able to stop a swinging weapon as well if timed correctly. That would solve both situations without over complicating it.

Not a bad idea, I would say.