PC Developer Discussions: Alpha 17

[faatal]

@Faatal
Can zombies climb ladders if the bottom run is broken and they have to jump onto the ladder at the medium height node?

Well, pathing up ladders has not been added yet. They can climb them, but they don't seek them. Hopefully I will get it added soon. Until added I don't know how I'll have them handle the bottom rung. They will probably jump.

 

[Xeen]

Well, pathing up ladders has not been added yet. They can climb them, but they don't seek them. Hopefully I will get it added soon. Until added I don't know how I'll have them handle the bottom rung. They will probably jump.

Noice!

 

[faatal]

@faatal,(trying again while you're around). With the new AI, will Zombies and animals fighting do as they currently do when the player gets in notice range (i.e. suddenly stop fighting to focus on the player instead of continuing their fight with the most immediate threats)?

That just annoys me since you have to watch those fights from a distance (scoped). I want Bear versus Zombie arena fights with ringside seating not from 2 blocks away.

I decided to change this today. My test zombies kept going for the trader in my test levels if I kited them too close.

SetNearestEntityAsTarget is now very dynamic and handles multiple entity types. You could kite a bear to zombies and it may switch targets or zombies to an npc and they might switch to the npc. A zombie chasing a player might switch to you if you get in between them or closer and behind it and make a loud noise, like shooting something.

 

[Moldy Bread]

Are fences going to be fixed in this update? Because currently a waist high fence can stop an entire horde night.

 

[faatal]

Are fences going to be fixed in this update? Because currently a waist high fence can stop an entire horde night.

Last week I added some extra AI obstacle check code for the very purpose of finding partial edge blocks in the way. The AI now aggressively attacks those blocks.

 

[owl79]

Regarding the ladders, I think the zombies just pulling themselves up a rung that is in reach maybe feels more true to z-lore than jumping.

 

[faatal]

Regarding the ladders, I think the zombies just pulling themselves up a rung that is in reach maybe feels more true to z-lore than jumping.

Except that is not how the code works. Entities that move on ladders just slide on them. Jumping would simply attach the zombie to the ladder like a player does.

 

[owl79]

Ah, just as well. If it was possible that the zombie gets attached to the bottom ladder rung with his upper half instead of the feet, it would look like he's grabbing the ladder, but I'm guessing that's a no go either.

 

[saulysw]

Can we start knocking out that "spider meme" so that one goes green as soon as MM does his gameplay? I really meme it. It can't just be meme who wants this. Ok, I'll stop.

What exactly is this whole spider meme thing anyway? I think I might have missed that 10 pages in this thread somewhere.

Edit : On Z's climbing ladders with broken 1st rung-gate, I think we need some "safe" way into our bases. Otherwise we have to jump gaps or some other thing. In other words, I'm not sure "fixing" this problem would be a good thing, IMveryHO. #Fataalismakingzombiestoosmart

 

[Maharin]

A zombie chasing a player might switch to you if you get in between them or closer and behind it and make a loud noise, like shooting something.

Might be a good time to add a shout command/key so you can help get zombies off of someone trapped and the like.

 

[Roland]

They should add a loud fart noise. It’s The Fun Pimps. Eating chili and pet food could fuel it up. Put another bar on the screen. Woot!

...er...Toot!

 

[JaxTeller718]

You guys can try and lawyer this all you want but you should know that I am judge, jury, *hefts ban hammer up on shoulder*, and executioner.
The MM Gameplay milestone will turn green when I decide it has been crossed. :nono:

Please dont pull the curtain back on this.

We ALL know A17 is ready and HAS been ready for a month now. ALL we are waiting for is the spider meme and the Gameplay video. Once MM decides to do the video A17 can release.

Bring back the XP bar, it was more fun watching people script programs to watch how many pixels were left in it and trying to accurately gauge a release date

 

[saulysw]

Mmmm. Progress bars. You know there is a game called progress quest, very popular, that simply makes you watch progress bars? True story. Download it today kids! Better than a fart in a spacesuit.

 

[vedrit]

confirmed a17 new character class "chicken nailer"

Allegedly.

 

[Tilleen]

You can now spawn a prefab in places where a specific ore deposit touches the surface.

Is this new? Sounds like an exciting feature.

- - - Updated - - -

An efficient way to locate different ores would not go amiss, its sometimes soul destroying digging for like what seems hours in all directions to find ore.Are there any plans for this now or in the future?

Isn't the fact that the gravel has a trace of the mineral below a sign? This is affected by the randomness of the system of course.

 

[Scyris]

I can't wait to see them dig their way down to underground bases it is going to be so good.

WIll finally give me a reason to actually build on the surface for once. Mind you, I could just trap all around where I sit/the forges are above ground to kill anything that goes near it.

 

[Alphado-Jaki]

Feeling as I'm a little late to join discussing about RGW.

I'm sure that better generation is highly depending on one's taste.

There are bunch of RGW modification in Modding section, though all of them are very different from the others. And there are some mod users who suggest opposed opinion to each other.

Some love flatter plain, other love abrupt hlll/mountain, and some love river/lake, other hate them. :smile-new:

Also, I met those who love RGW of previous alpha.

Even if TFP `improve` RGW in next alpha, I'm sure there are somebodies who loves one of current alpha.

 

[Aldranon]

Since A17 zombies are very smart (probably a precursor to NPC's) I have made a new fortress design I am hoping will work on horde night! Thanks Roland!

.... :nono: ....

:nono: :nono:

.... :nono: ....

My smiley face feels like a famous person.

 

[archergod]

Well, pathing up ladders has not been added yet. They can climb them, but they don't seek them. Hopefully I will get it added soon. Until added I don't know how I'll have them handle the bottom rung. They will probably jump.

Well I don't think zombie should do anything that is possible for brainless entity, jumping to catch ladder is more of brainy stuff. One can argue that AI is too, but jumping to catch is more of active brain activity and finding door to enter is subconusious brain activity. So nope that seems too intelligent for zombie action.

 

[Crater Creator]

You can now spawn a prefab in places where a specific ore deposit touches the surface.

See, there are the features on the first page that entice most players, and then there's stuff like this that make the modders salivate. ray:

My test zombies kept going for the trader in my test levels if I kited them too close.

I hope it was Trader Rekt, for, um... science reasons. :spy:

On Z's climbing ladders with broken 1st rung-gate, I think we need some "safe" way into our bases. Otherwise we have to jump gaps or some other thing. In other words, I'm not sure "fixing" this problem would be a good thing, IMveryHO. #Fataalismakingzombiestoosmart

What makes the game interesting to me are methods that improve safety, without offering total safety.

There's a scene in The Walking Dead where Rick & company dash up a ladder with an urban horde of zombies hot on their tail. The zombies cluster around the base of the ladder, with a few reaching towards the first rung experimentally. One gets the sense that given enough time, some zombies would 'figure it out' and ascend the ladder, but after a momentary delay the heroes pull it up so the zombies can't even try.

That was perfect for me. Had Rick stood smugly and securely at the top of the extended ladder, not bothering to pull it up, it would've ruined the sense of danger. Had the zombies effortlessly scrabbled up the ladder or the walls, it would throw in to question why the heroes aimed for higher ground in the first place. What was best for dramatic purposes, and what I believe would be best for gameplay purposes, is for ladders (and all other tactics) to help against zombies without nullifying the threat. The consequence would be yes, players use them, but in concert with other techniques.

Similarly, zombies should be able to jump or otherwise cross a gap. But it should slow them down, or only a subset of zombies should be able to cross, so that a jumped gap type entrance like you mention isn't useless, nor is it foolproof.