PC Developer Discussions: Alpha 17

[Menace312]

After 5 years? yes.

I could give the answer of: "yey new game year after year". But I'll try a new one.

Well... If EA have anything to say about it, Gold release will be tomorrow. And then there will be a torrent of "new content" DLC's that fix any issues and bugs that was left in release.

At least until the game stops selling.

I prefer the TFP way.

 

[faatal]

Minecraft can handle hundreds of torches in a relatively small area, I think the devs can make 7 days work like that too.
This is a screenshot taken from one of my old worlds. The whole mountain (front and back) and the village are covered by hundreds of torches. I circled a few so you can easily see. There was no lag at all in this game.

I think there must be around 1000 torches in this area.

Different engines, with different methods of handling light. Our lighting system is more complicated and mostly being handled by Unity, so unless we do some serious render engine customization, that is not going to change.

 

[Gnomaana]

Even better? Only Roland's version of A17 has giant HP bars for the zombies...hard-coded.
We kid because we love.

That would be a vicious easter egg to hide in the code. They find Roland's steam ID and if the machine running 7 Days has that ID the bars are on EVERYTHIING. All blocks, all animals, all zombies, etc, etc. Lol

- - - Updated - - -

After 5 years? yes.

There isn't a set number. It is still in EA. Live with it and enjoy the game. Which considering you are still playing after 5 years you must enjoy it at least some. Sounds to me like you got a hell of a deal for your 20 bucks.

 

[Death2gnomes]

Once the reputation system is in it would be cool for it to be a note or radio until you’ve built up enough rep for someone from the faction to trust you enough to meet you.

reputation system sounds great only if there is clothing rewards to go with each level.

 

[eidobunny]

If regenerating bosses are the main motivation for HP bars, maybe we could start by reducing the blazing green effect as the zombie is damaged, and the fire returns to a full blaze as their HP regenerates.

 

[RavenGT]

Different engines, with different methods of handling light. Our lighting system is more complicated and mostly being handled by Unity, so unless we do some serious render engine customization, that is not going to change.

This makes me sad. I love the warm color and amount of light cast by torches. Electric lights seem too bright to me and eventually hurt my eyes so much that I almost don't bother with them. Candles are nice and less taxing than torches so I guess they're a somewhat happy medium?

 

[Prisma501]

Different engines, with different methods of handling light. Our lighting system is more complicated and mostly being handled by Unity, so unless we do some serious render engine customization, that is not going to change.

With the new update to unity 2017, did you notice any performance improvements on the lighting system? In current version the lags can get pretty bad if (over)using torches for example.

Cheers

 

[faatal]

do the zeds still spawn on top of you? clear a room turn your back and get attacked by a zed that spawns in behind you?

Sleeper zombies now spawn when you are well outside of a volume (and when they would not be visible to you in any direction). Now you may still find a zombie behind you in a room you though you cleared, but most like it will be from a guy dropping from a ceiling opening you did not notice.

 

[faatal]

With the new update to unity 2017, did you notice any performance improvements on the lighting system? In current version the lags can get pretty bad if (over)using torches for example.

Not really, but yesterday we switched to Unity 2018.1 (not too many issues so far), so we shall see.

Light radius makes a big performance difference and torches have a descent radius.

 

[eidobunny]

Sleeper zombies now spawn when you are well outside of a volume (and when they would not be visible to you in any direction). Now you may still find a zombie behind you in a room you though you cleared, but most like it will be from a guy dropping from a ceiling opening you did not notice.

Have you done stress testing on this yet?

I always find that the issues are compounded in a server with 20 or so people. I know you're not developing for those kind of numbers but I guess I was just wondering if "fixed" meant fixed for single player or actually fixed.

I feel like in my experience, I would expect there to just not be any zombies because you would enter the volume before the server had a chance to even try to populate it. It was a big problem in A16 experimental when I was playing MP.

 

[Prisma501]

Not really, but yesterday we switched to Unity 2018.1 (not too many issues so far), so we shall see.
Light radius makes a big performance difference and torches have a descent radius.

Hopes up then. Thanks for clarifying.

Cheers

 

[Death2gnomes]

Not really, but yesterday we switched to Unity 2018.1 (not too many issues so far), so we shall see.
Light radius makes a big performance difference and torches have a descent radius.

So does this mean electric light radius will be fixed? kinda dumb when a torch is better lighting than anything else.

 

[faatal]

I feel like in my experience, I would expect there to just not be any zombies because you would enter the volume before the server had a chance to even try to populate it. It was a big problem in A16 experimental when I was playing MP.

I don't think there will be server issues, since now it starts spawning 6 meters out, does way less raycasting, correctly blocks some raycasts and they spawn at a much higher rate.

 

[faatal]

So does this mean electric light radius will be fixed? kinda dumb when a torch is better lighting than anything else.

That is a settings issue, not an engine issue and while I agree that it sounds wrong, I don't think it has been changed. Hopefully that type of polish will get into A18, but lots of bugs need squishing first.

 

[Xeen]

This makes me sad. I love the warm color and amount of light cast by torches. Electric lights seem too bright to me and eventually hurt my eyes so much that I almost don't bother with them. Candles are nice and less taxing than torches so I guess they're a somewhat happy medium?

Buy a monitor with a blue light filter.

 

[eidobunny]

I don't think there will be server issues, since now it starts spawning 6 meters out, does way less raycasting, correctly blocks some raycasts and they spawn at a much higher rate.

Good to hear I hope we don't run into issues but I'll do my best to report any issues when A17E drops

- - - Updated - - -

This makes me sad. I love the warm color and amount of light cast by torches. Electric lights seem too bright to me and eventually hurt my eyes so much that I almost don't bother with them. Candles are nice and less taxing than torches so I guess they're a somewhat happy medium?

I just use NVG

Love the blues and oranges of the A16 NVG

 

[Xeen]

yesterday we switched to Unity 2018.1 (not too many issues so far), so we shall see.

Am I understanding this correctly that you have moved from developing the game with Unity 2017 to developing it with Unity 2018.1?

I was going to ask you questions about it but instead I'm watching videos right now on the new features for Unity 2018.1

Here is a 2 minute youtube video on the new features in Unity 2018.1

 

[faatal]

You can't expect a company to work on a game indefinitely or to include every idea every person ever thought up its just not plausible.

Indeed, no game ships with every idea implemented, unless the team is very unimaginative. Rock, paper, scissors...but what about fire?

 

[Roland]

Heya faatal,

Madmole mentioned in his video that he definitely wants at least one digger type zombie for A17. What are your thoughts about how best to handle a zombie or zombies that dig and will the new pathing be conducive to zombies going into tunnels and being able to move around in caves and such?

(If you say that you like swiss cheese terrain because it looks cool, is fun to explore and clear out, and who the hell wants a pretty apocalyptic landscape anyway....you'll be my hero.)

 

[KingSlayerGM]

Different engines, with different methods of handling light. Our lighting system is more complicated and mostly being handled by Unity, so unless we do some serious render engine customization, that is not going to change.

Well I kinda knew that I was hoping that at some point you guys would give up pretty lights in exchange for better performance