PC Developer Discussions: Alpha 17

[wolffblood]

That is a great point. I had not thought of that.
Edit to add:

I looked and there are over 30 perks I plan to buy into (assuming they don't change much from videos)

so that would still leave me with plenty of choices to make of what to take when.

Lol, idk if I have that many, but it'd be good to have at least 1 in almost each just to have some kind of bonus if you are in a situation of "that's all I got". But there will probably be a few more perks before release or some changed around that I would want now but didn't before. not to mention I know modders will have a hay day with it and probably have over 40 perks for each attribute, lol.

 

[Odetta]

Anyone else have an Idea of the base build they're going for in A17? I got a couple plans. Underground for sure, and a Gyro base. Really can't tell until we get our hands on it, but it can keep you from going a little crazy during the wait.

 

[PurgatoryWolf]

Day 1000 an airplane flies over and drops a nuke...destroying the map , the player...everything...you get to see a lovely mushroom cloud and a bright flash...end credits roll with a story explaining the experiment failed , so they ended it!
Start over , play a new character...

LOL our servers are approaching day 7000

 

[Demonoid74]

then increase that date to 10,000 in the settings!

 

[Dimpy]

I think I figured out a way outsmart the new zombies. The idea is that if the zombies always choose the shortest path to the player, then you can change which path they take by opening and closing doors. My design was to have a two block high hedge-style maze with one entrance from the outside. There are two sets of stairs that allow things to get up to the second level. They are right next to each other as the crow flies, but it takes some considerable distance to get from one to the other if you go through the maze. In front of each stairwell there is a door (preferably hardmetal). Leave one door open and the other closed. If the maze is the right length, zombies will try to go through the open door and up the stairs to get to you to get to you because it doesn't require them to break "expensive" blocks. If you flip which door is open and which is closed, then the zombies will turn around because again, shorter path. This makes it theoretically possible to juggle zombies without having them hurt your base. Not as elegant as the stilt or underground method used to be, but it might work for a few alphas.

 

[The Gronk]

<snipped for space>

Theoretically that would work, you probably wouldn't even need the stairs, just have the correct setup of routes and doors. The zombies will bounce between one route and another depending on which door is open.

 

[Dimpy]

Theoretically that would work, you probably wouldn't even need the stairs, just have the correct setup of routes and doors. The zombies will bounce between one route and another depending on which door is open.

The stairs are there so you can get on top of the maze, which allows you to whack the zombies on the head as they go by.

 

[Pico]

Anyone else have an Idea of the base build they're going for in A17? I got a couple plans. Underground for sure, and a Gyro base. Really can't tell until we get our hands on it, but it can keep you from going a little crazy during the wait.

Well, it's been said that traditional rooftop bases won't be safe anymore, however, it's also been stated that if you actively defend throughout the night that your base will probably survive... which is what I do anyway, so I'm still hoping to get the advantage of a pre-existing solid structure and adding to the walls ASAP once I gain flagstone, cobblestone and concrete... which is what I do now... so I'm hoping for little change to the strategy, just a bit more (unwanted) emphasis having to be placed on downing any Z's thumping on the walls.

The biggest worry is likely to be base attacks that take place when the base is absent... a wandering horde on a beeline for the base when I leave (and fail to spot them), or a screamer banging away on a wall.

Maybe the enhanced pathing will see the wandering hordes path around the empty base. Maybe not.

I'm open to the prospect of having to maintain 2 bases. One to hold my valuables and bedroll, but be otherwise unoccupied (and hopefully ignored by the Z's, and another nearby to house my forges, campfires, lights, chem station (ie 'heat' sources), and maybe even a 3rd 'disposable' nearby base where I spend my nights and waste few resources on the building defenses, but can distract the Z's from my other structures.

But ultimatly, it's a case of wait and see, and adapt where necessary, or drop to a difficulty level that doesn't carry such a defend and rebuild curse.

 

[Roland]

Things like this will work for A17e at least. But faatal already has said he plans to introduce some randomness to behaviors and there could be some “dumb” zombies thrown in that don’t look for optimal paths so they won’t follow the others.

 

[The Gronk]

The stairs are there so you can get on top of the maze, which allows you to whack the zombies on the head as they go by.

Fair point, I'm tired and my brain is starting to fry. You could also get a kill-corridor going with some nicely lined headshots on the group if you plan it right. Stick something strong that you can shoot through at either end and wait for them to wander back and forth down the corridor.

 

[Pico]

I think I figured out a way outsmart the new zombies. The idea is that if the zombies always choose the shortest path to the player, then you can change which path they take by opening and closing doors.

Yeah, I'd considered this, but there may be a problem.

The pathing is not recalculated the moment you switch the doors. There's a lag, and not all the Z's will adapt to the new path simultaneously, so some will still be tracking left, while others are trying to switch to tracking right. Once they find themselves obstructed by other zombies they might just start taking out their frustrations on your walls.

I like the idea to keep them moving, rather than digging / climbing or bashing, but it needs to be done in a manner that allows you to headshot any rebels in the group.

 

[The Gronk]

Yeah, I'd considered this, but there may be a problem.The pathing is not recalculated the moment you switch the doors. There's a lag, and not all the Z's will adapt to the new path simultaneously, so some will still be tracking left, while others are trying to switch to tracking right. Once they find themselves obstructed by other zombies they might just start taking out their frustrations on your walls.

I like the idea to keep them moving, rather than digging / climbing or bashing, but it needs to be done in a manner that allows you to headshot any rebels in the group.

AI refresh is around three seconds if memory serves. You can cluster the fast and the slow zombies by dropping weak blocks along the route that the faster zombies have to break through, allowing the slower ones to catch up.

Enough of this theorizing, I need to sleep!

 

[Bubo]

I think they have been ringing the "food and water are a struggle early" bell pretty hard. Maybe that would severely tax your digging time and efficiency . To me digging is not fun all the time. Digging is not fun when "running " from a horde. These folks have surprised me with changes in the past(not every time). we'll see I guess. I hope I don't know what I'm getting myself into.I hope I'm scared. I hope I run out of easy options. I hope it's fun.

Same, I'm not sure what to expect this time around.. and I'm excited about it =)

 

[XCOUNTRY]

The stairs are there so you can get on top of the maze, which allows you to whack the zombies on the head as they go by.

Gotta be careful that the maze entrance isn't too far from you. Fataal has said that the path checks aren't infinitely far and if a zombie hits a side without an entrance and its too far to see one it'll just make one.

 

[Erik Louden]

Day 1000 an airplane flies over and drops a nuke...destroying the map , the player...everything...you get to see a lovely mushroom cloud and a bright flash...end credits roll with a story explaining the experiment failed , so they ended it!
Start over , play a new character...

I like this idea.

 

[Subquake]

Day 1000 an airplane flies over and drops a nuke...destroying the map , the player...everything...you get to see a lovely mushroom cloud and a bright flash...end credits roll with a story explaining the experiment failed , so they ended it!
Start over , play a new character...

I like this idea.

Terrible idea, especially if you are running a server. Not all players want to start over. If you want to, you can by yourself, don't force such stupidity to other players, it must be optional.

Or have it like Eco game did (you had a meteor impact, that you had to deal with) - have a possibility to build an anti nuclear missile defense system, that can shoot the nuke down from the sky, that's very difficult and hard to craft, but doable even if you play solo with 24 minute days. And have a scripted event happen showing that your defense system activates and blasts the nuke in the sky and show you credits screen. It would create nuclear fallout and make the game world harsher for a while, but not destroy it and you could still survive in such a world until it slowly settles down.

 

[XCOUNTRY]

I have a question for everyone that cares to answer:Recently it was thrown out there that they might level gate the attributes.

- What if they spread them out (somewhat) evenly over the 200 levels?

Character Level 1 = Attribute Level 1 Unlocks ( and it looks like we start with this)

Character Level 20 = Attribute Level 2 Unlocks

Character Level 40 = Attribute Level 3 Unlocks

Character Level 60 = Attribute Level 4 Unlocks

Character Level 80 = Attribute Level 5 Unlocks

Character Level 100 = Attribute Level 6 Unlocks

Character Level 125 = Attribute Level 7 Unlocks

Character Level 150 = Attribute Level 8 Unlocks

Character Level 175 = Attribute Level 9 Unlocks

Character Level 200 = Attribute Level 10 Unlocks

Note: For the sake of argument point values are made up, but the point (ha) is the same.

I still don't think we'll need gates at all. Sure you could put all your points (IIRC you only get one per level and each perk is one point) and get a gyrocopter (or "insert some other seemingly OP early game item" here), but you have to research all the points up to it. If you need 20 points just to get it unlocked you are at level 20, have a gyro and NOTHING else. Because you did this you now have to wait more levels just buy forge perks so you can smelt the materials to make the parts, or the tool stuff to scavenge the parts. Then perk into a workbench to craft it. At this point it starts to get harder to level up as you need more and more xp per level. So now your stuck with the ability to make something you can't get the parts or workshops for without some serious scavenging, which you also can't perk into because you have no points to do so. AND you're super weak with no way to keep stamina up, swing for any real damage, and now its day 7 and the new AI is going to wreak your day.

(Then you silently grumble to yourself and remember dark souls 101 as you restart your world: don't put everything into strength; endurance is nice too.)

 

[Erik Louden]

Terrible idea, especially if you are running a server. Not all players want to start over. If you want to, you can by yourself, don't force such stupidity to other players, it must be optional. Or have it like Eco game did - have a possibility to build an anti nuclear missile defense system, that can shoot the nuke down from the sky, that's very difficult and hard to craft, but doable even if you play solo with 24 minute days.

Optional of course.

 

[Ouch Quit It]

MM, Gazz or Roland,

maybe you could answer this:

Has there been any rebalancing of zombies?? By this i mean ..why is the stripper and the skate board kid so hard to kill compared to some of the others. Also, are there any special attacks added to zombies....like for example a burnt zombie should affect wood more than a regular zombie. Or are there any plans to add additional special "powers " to zombies? Cops have the acid spit. Will any others get something like that?

Maybe have ones that are best killed by explosives(exploding crossbow bolt, tnt, exploding oil barrels) and others best killed with fire (flaming arrows, molotovs) attacks....kinda mix it up, so its not the same 6 arrows or 6 of any bullet killing a zombie.

This would asdd a bit more difficulty after shooting at a specific zombie and see that your weapon of choice is doing little damage..might be time to switch tactics and weapons.

regards

Ouch

Cough

 

[Cazmyr]

snip

Excellent answer (that I fully expect from you) , but you could have said:

"The new system looks to be self regulating"