PC Developer Discussions: Alpha 17

[The Gronk]

For users of all engines and platforms (including macOS and iOS if they are using the Vulk-to-Metal wrapper), Vulkan offers cross-platform standardization and performance and removes the need for driver debugging on different OSes and chipsets. It's similar to DX12, but the next version, better performance than DX12, and cross-platform.
But yes, features like these two is what I'm talking about, it could lead to great performance improvements. There could be other features too that will lead to better effects, physics, etc, so will be cool to find out!

Why guess? Any large piece of software has release notes and unity is no exception.

https://unity3d.com/unity/whats-new/unity-2018.1.0

Most of the vulkan stuff is largely handled automatically by unity's scriptable render pipeline. They've even gone so far as to try and remove the need for people to write shader code with a funky new shader graph which uses visual scripting. While I dislike shader code there's a reason visual scripting has never been very popular and that's because it sucks. It's easier for n00bs to do but anyone who can think in code suddenly has to learn an entirely new UI and workflow which obfuscates what is actually happening inside the shader.

It'll be a few months at least before I really have to dig into the new shader system so I'll reserve my opinion until I've really hammered at it, hopefully there'll be an option to create shaders directly from code as that's where a lot of us feel more comfortable.

 

[Swiftpaw]

Why guess? Any large piece of software has release notes and unity is no exception.
https://unity3d.com/unity/whats-new/unity-2018.1.0

Because I have no idea which exact version they were using and which exact version they went to in order to compare the two. You'd then have to add up the feature additions in all release notes between the old and new version.

Most of the vulkan stuff is largely handled automatically by unity's scriptable render pipeline. They've even gone so far as to try and remove the need for people to write shader code with a funky new shader graph which uses visual scripting. While I dislike shader code there's a reason visual scripting has never been very popular and that's because it sucks. It's easier for n00bs to do but anyone who can think in code suddenly has to learn an entirely new UI and workflow which obfuscates what is actually happening inside the shader.
It'll be a few months at least before I really have to dig into the new shader system so I'll reserve my opinion until I've really hammered at it, hopefully there'll be an option to create shaders directly from code as that's where a lot of us feel more comfortable.

Hopefully one of the Pimps knows how to optimize shaders!

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Well folks dont always answer you directly... But I'm sure you're read, so dont worry.
The rep system is nice... That way you can be given props or opposit, without clogging up the thread

Thanks for the star Menace, lol, have one back!

 

[stallionsden]

I hope there's some extra variation to NPC's when they do come. Kind of hoping for an NPC specific Alpha sometime after this one. Something that focuses on frameworks, speed of adding in new NPC's, Factions, etc. It would be cool to have as the game progresses, tougher NPC factions "Moving into town...". So you could start with "Mama Joe and her Little Boys" running around with clubs and axes. And later run into roving mercenary bands looking for resource stock piles and such. To keep with staging. With Duke the ever present background danger and the settlements the ever present "good guys" (maybe?).
Granted it's a very different gaming style with a lot of very different mechanics, for a pretty cool standard world map (think Nav's), try Kenshi. It's... got a lot of "7D2D" feel without it being purely zombies. though if you convert Hungry Bandits or a few other factions to "Zombies" it wouldn't be far off.

7D2D seems to me like a game that has a lot of character potential. And character as in... Things that make it stand out, unique, or in 7D2D case, edgy. NPC's, are a gold mine for building character in a game.

Yep def a big endless sess pool of possibilities when it comes to npc's bandits etc and how they will be implemented. But def hope they are the next alpha concentration.

 

[Zadwanaa]

Yep def a big endless sess pool of possibilities when it comes to npc's bandits etc and how they will be implemented. But def hope they are the next alpha concentration.

Hopefully the bandits will be able to drive. i'd love to see a group of bandits in a convoy

 

[Roland]

Hopefully the bandits will be able to drive. i'd love to see a group of bandits in a convoy

...about to drive over the dynamite I placed on the road and which I'm staring at through the scope on my Sniper Rifle.

 

[archergod]

Unity 2018 Upgrade, What difference it will it bring. I see people are request new video from Unity 2018's code upgrade. But hey, if they upgrade it 1-2 around Memorial Day, then definitely they didn't implement any new feature yet. People talking about Job Scheduler, if new Job Scheduler is any better than old scheduler if they are using it? If no scheduler is used before then using one will securely take more time to develop and debug, so does it mean July date will get shift?

I really don't understand why all are excited to new code upgrade this late in development cycle, I love to see Unity 2018 for A18 upgrade, to really make a difference. Not excited on that part yet. Maybe someone guide me through.

 

[Aldranon]

I'm more excited about the c# job system than vulkan if I'm honest, I've been using it for a month or so and I love it. If you're interested here's the speech where they go into how it actually works, I skipped the vid forward a bit so there are some pretty pictures. It's mostly just code, performance graphs, details about the compiler and the audience being told to be better programmers otherwise

Bah! Humbug!

C++ Version ISO/IEC 14882:2017, for serious game programing.

C++ Boost libraries - for Client/Server gaming and faster development.

Most experts would say C# is not for top end gaming if pressed.

Done and WIN!

 

[Roland]

Unity 2018 Upgrade, What difference it will it bring. I see people are request new video from Unity 2018's code upgrade. But hey, if they upgrade it 1-2 around Memorial Day, then definitely they didn't implement any new feature yet. People talking about Job Scheduler, if new Job Scheduler is any better than old scheduler if they are using it? If no scheduler is used before then using one will securely take more time to develop and debug, so does it mean July date will get shift?
I really don't understand why all are excited to new code upgrade this late in development cycle, I love to see Unity 2018 for A18 upgrade, to really make a difference. Not excited on that part yet. Maybe someone guide me through.

You are mostly correct. There is a bit of a hype train surrounding this. Its mostly a positioning move for A18 development. The good news is that they were able to switch over with minimal issues. For now the game is mostly going to be as if they kept it at Unity 2017.

Rain meet parade.

 

[Noctoras]

Yeah pretty much. Mods are awesome and offer lots of Varity and Complexity. But some (myself included ) just want to start their Game after a Hard Day of work, Preparing Dinner, Spending time with their Kids (or nieces) and dont wont to bother themselves with more, then to click on the "Start" Button and join their Fav SP or MP Session.

I wholeheartedly agree. Modding is superb, yet I love vanilla variety, since I, like many other people, do and will mainly play vanilla. So I am all for adding variety to the vanilla version of the game.

 

[stallionsden]

Hopefully the bandits will be able to drive. i'd love to see a group of bandits in a convoy

Lol yeh that be great. Blow it all up get crap loot or none oooorrrrrrr kill all bandits in convoy and get great loot sound so great to me haha....

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...about to drive over the dynamite I placed on the road and which I'm staring at through the scope on my Sniper Rifle.

Haha lol evil twisted nutcase you are..... I like your thinking lol

 

[The Batman]

Q: - Would the devs ever consider slowing combat down?

Q: - Are we going to see specialization classes any time soon?

 

[kamer1337]

Q: - Would the devs ever consider slowing combat down?

looking at the new melee combat it is way slower than a16

 

[Rassilon]

looking at the new melee combat it is way slower than a16

Dont forget Weapons Mods, like +Swingspeed or such.. i guess it is hard at the moment to correctly guess Balance, Speed and Gameplay of the new Weapon System

 

[petruherro]

Q: is electricity currently moddable? for example adding new filters for the motion camera (like the minibike) or opening/closing doors

 

[The Gronk]

Bah! Humbug!
C++ Version ISO/IEC 14882:2017, for serious game programing.

C++ Boost libraries - for Client/Server gaming and faster development.

Most experts would say C# is not for top end gaming if pressed.

Done and WIN!

Which is what excites about the job system... the library is written is c++ with an enforced struct-based system allowing for custom memory management in important parts of the code while retaining the ease of use and automated memory management for the less important parts.

As far as I know boost is included as part of the the compiler.

Parry and riposte!

 

[pandzior]

WAIT...The earth really IS only 6000 yrs old

finally someone with a lot of common sense here

 

[Aldranon]

Which is what excites about the job system... the library is written is c++ with an enforced struct-based system allowing for custom memory management in important parts of the code while retaining the ease of use and automated memory management for the less important parts.
As far as I know boost is included as part of the the compiler.

Parry and riposte!

You have defeated me, sir. But its a win for us all!

 

[The Gronk]

You have defeated me, sir. But its a win for us all!

You fought well and nobily sir, there is no shame in your defeat

It'll be a while before it's implemented in the game unless some devs were messing with the job system in their spare time. I doubt we'll see it implemented until a18.

 

[Lonestarcanuck]

So what is the deal with bedrock and why is -57?

 

[sillls]

...about to drive over the dynamite I placed on the road and which I'm staring at through the scope on my Sniper Rifle.

lol. I like how you think.