PC Developer Discussions: Alpha 17

[Jackelmyer]

I like to hear new strategies, because that is what keeps it fresh for me and hopefully most of the players. Sitting in an underground base on day 7 while zombies ran in circles above, like my son did in A15 is pointless. He was happy because he exploited the stupid AI, while I refused to join him, since I wanted to bust those zombies heads and outwit them with my decoy base. Blood moons never touched my base, because we didn't stay there. New sleeping bags placed at decoy base.

With all the underground chatter... I'm telling you guys... Fix two things:

1. Screamers - Stop the damn busy work. You can't be a builder in this game with any real conveyance if you're stuck fighting horde after horde of screamers because you have 6 forges going. Either chill out the screamers or speed up the material processing and gathering. But something needs to give there. This is the #1 reason I personally go underground with my main base.

2. If your digging zombies make me forever stuck splinted in the game, you've not really increased my enjoyment at all. Either backfill the holes a digger digs or... Get rid of broken legs and splints all together. No one wants to constantly run around with a broken and/or splinted leg 50% of the time or more. And diggers are going to make random drops. I suppose you could make it so that diggers come in at a really long and shallow slope. But something here should be done.

Get those two things sorted out, and I'm all in. I may still base underground. I'll probably be more apt to build up my base above ground. But if I'm stuck... Constantly defending... Constantly repairing... Constantly resource gathering (base resources)... to the point I can't explore... Then why... is there even... a map.

 

[Erik Louden]

@ faatal / Roland,

If you want to up the difficulty it'd be great if at night zeds run faster than the player and alcohol is not a 100% stun resistance, this is a serious chest/explot/cheese play feature.

I'd say make it 30% stun resistance.

Being out at night should be terrifying.

 

[Xeen]

Sitting in an underground base on day 7 while zombies ran in circles above, like my son did in A15 is pointless. He was happy because he exploited the stupid AI, while I refused to join him, since I wanted to bust those zombies heads and outwit them with my decoy base.

Hear Hear! If there is ever a mod made that strongly discourages under ground bases it will be on my server, in fact I may figure out how to do it myself and put it out there because there are a lot of people like me that think under ground bases ruin the apocalypse.

 

[Xeen]

Uh, right now they don't do that. It was talked about, but SI is not a variable on each block and calcing it looks slow, so it is using weakest blocks. There is also random variation, so they are not all attacking the same block. I plan on improving this more for A17.

<3 <3 <3

 

[wordwaster]

Uh, right now they don't do that. It was talked about, but SI is not a variable on each block and calcing it looks slow, so it is using weakest blocks. There is also random variation, so they are not all attacking the same block. I plan on improving this more for A17.

Have you considered giving the ability only to one special type of zombie? Wouldn’t eat up nearly the amount of resources if there were only a couple in a horde. Or maybe a special zombie that somehow marks the support blocks? Then just have the rest get attracted to the marked blocks.

Or is it just registering the blocks as weight bearing in the zombies heads at all that causes the problem?

I’m just confused by the “si is not a variable on each block” bit. I never looked to deeply into that, but if it isn’t in there somewhere...why do things fall?

 

[Gobarg]

The more I read about the almost mythical A17 the more I realise that once again going into the Xmls and changing things to suit is going to be important.

Given that I also crave the implementation of the workshop.

We are so far into development now that NOT having the workshop working is quite surprising.

I’d love to know how high on their priority list it actually is.

We’ve been told before that TFP are modders and all that but for me if that where so we would already have some form of it even if it wasn’t the end solution.

I’m looking forward to seeing all the new stuff but also a little worried that to play the game as I want to I’m going to have to get in under the hood and change a few things to make it run.

Side note. I am about to go to work again for the first time in four years today!

I’m so NOT looking forward to it tbh.

 

[Erik Louden]

Yes, I would like to super size my order

 

[faatal]

@Roland or Fataal.. or whoever.Oh! that's my question!

Will we be able to adjust their memory setting?

Like set it for 1min for the day (walkers) and 30 seconds for the night (runners)?

If not: Can we get it added please?

That is not a simple one. Investigate time happens in a bunch of places with different times and there is also attack time. These can be cleared or changed by various code.

 

[Erik Louden]

@ faatal / Roland,

If you want to up the difficulty it'd be great if at night zeds run faster than the player and alcohol is not a 100% stun resistance, this is a serious chest/explot/cheese play feature.

I'd say make it 30% stun resistance.

Being out at night should be terrifying.

 

[DUST2DEATH]

We are so far into development now that NOT having the workshop working is quite surprising.

I’d love to know how high on their priority list it actually is.

How can you have workshop when the base keeps changing?

Xpath is meant to be implemented in A17 (unless I misunderstood Alloc).

I think (dont quote me), that also some of SDX is also being integrated. How far, dunno.

 

[TheProphet]

Hiding underground in a bunker with your mates in pvp is one of the best feels ever on a videogame. Feels comfy while you are there and yet you are forced to leave for food, and you end up taking risks to attack other bases, explore other people's bunker and find hidden stuff.

Ground bases have sun to grow food, easier access to animals (u can snipe them in a tower), u can also snipe other players and loot, the con is that it's not hidden.

Hidden bases you are forced to leave everytime you want water, food, etc, but its hidden.

Everything has its pros and cons.

If we are going to have a bunch of zombies on top of us digging down and making it obvious we are there all the time then it's pretty pointless and just sucks.

 

[Tin]

That is not a simple one. Investigate time happens in a bunch of places with different times and there is also attack time. These can be cleared or changed by various code.

Gotcha.

No biggie, would have just been an extra toy to play with. Can't wait to dive in and look around at any of the new stuff we can play with. If we even need to by the time you're done with it. :evil:

 

[Janna3921]

Hear Hear! If there is ever a mod made that strongly discourages under ground bases it will be on my server, in fact I may figure out how to do it myself and put it out there because there are a lot of people like me that think under ground bases ruin the apocalypse.

Here Here ! ! ! I rest my case! Here is the "It's the underground dweller's fault".

 

[faatal]

I thought the reason why games lower gun noise is actually to protect players eardrums.That is at least the explanation that i heard once.

Well, we don't want you going deaf playing the game. I was talking about noise generated. What the zombies hear. Guns were only like 2 or 3 times louder than jumping.

 

[Xeen]

Hiding underground in a bunker with your mates in pvp is one of the best feels ever on a videogame. Feels comfy while you are there and yet you are forced to leave for food, and you end up taking risks to attack other bases, explore other people's bunker and find hidden stuff.
Ground bases have sun to grow food, easier access to animals (u can snipe them in a tower), u can also snipe other players and loot, the con is that it's not hidden.

Hidden bases you are forced to leave everytime you want water, food, etc, but its hidden.

Everything has its pros and cons.

If we are going to have a bunch of zombies on top of us digging down and making it obvious we are there all the time then it's pretty pointless and just sucks.

Here's the thing though it's super easy to defend an above ground base and make it utterly impervious to zombies you just have to use your imagination. You need to play with engineering minded people who have experience designing and building advanced bases.

 

[Roland]

Hiding underground in a bunker with your mates in pvp is one of the best feels ever on a videogame. Feels comfy while you are there and yet you are forced to leave for food, and you end up taking risks to attack other bases, explore other people's bunker and find hidden stuff.
Ground bases have sun to grow food, easier access to animals (u can snipe them in a tower), u can also snipe other players and loot, the con is that it's not hidden.

Hidden bases you are forced to leave everytime you want water, food, etc, but its hidden.

Everything has its pros and cons.

If we are going to have a bunch of zombies on top of us digging down and making it obvious we are there all the time then it's pretty pointless and just sucks.

Decoy base you only stay in for horde nights should fix that. Or you could turn off zombies so your full focus would be on other players as the threat.

 

[emarat]

Well, we don't want you going deaf playing the game. I was talking about noise generated. What the zombies hear. Guns were only like 2 or 3 times louder than jumping.

Ah okay that makes more sense.

Btw thanks for patiently answering people‘s questions. It definitely helps in getting to understand more of the ai im A17.

Can’t wait to see your changes for myself.

 

[tyaldan]

Could we get a separate volume slider for gun noises? I always thought the sounds were too loud in game. I dont want to wake people up irl just because i wanted to unload my ak, but turning down general sound makes it easier for the zombies to sneak up unexpectedly, and makes it harder to tell where sounds are coming from.

 

[Xeen]

Here Here ! ! ! I rest my case! Here is the "It's the underground dweller's fault".

As far as I am concerned an under ground base is nothing but an exploit, not only should it not be encouraged but TFP should kill it with fire.

 

[Roland]

As far as I am concerned an under ground base is nothing but an exploit, not only should it not be encouraged but TFP should kill it with fire.

Disagree with the second half of your statement. Currently it is an exploit. Maybe not digging down to bedrock since that does require a lot of work to do and the depth makes more sense that you would have safety from zombies. But being able to dig down two with a hatch above you and be safe is definitely a problem.

However, the underground is a biome like any other. To say playing in the underground should not be encouraged is like saying playing in the Forest should not be encouraged. They just need to make the biome more interesting and remove the force field around it and then do lots of encouraging to go and play there.