PC Developer Discussions: Alpha 17

[faatal]

Thanks for your answer and for pasting your post I've missed about PC spec etc.I'm sorry for my anger last day. I love the game and I will play it, but it hurts me that I can't play this game even on a good PC.

I mean I can... Sometimes I play 20 mins without any freezes, sometimes I get 4-5 freezes in 3 minutes time. I have less than 60 FPS all the time dropping to 15-20 FPS. Video setting doesn't matter. When I play on high I sometimes get less FPS than if I would play on lowest settings possible. It's just random.

No problem.

I also don't like the performance. That I average 30 FPS and frequently dropping to less than 20 FPS or stuttering. I have profiled the game many times, but there is not one big thing that needs fixing. It seems to be the cumulative effect of all kinds of systems. Hopefully as we finalize the design going into gold, we can spend more time optimizing everything.

 

[faatal]

How does the system of zombies reacting to light/sound work?Do they still react to sounds/light even when you're several blocks underground?

I understand that the developers don't want everyone to just dig down to bedrock and place a base there anymore, but it seems a bit immersion breaking to have zombies be able to hear you that far down... or to have zombies be able to see/hear you while high up in a tall building with many walls/floors between you and the outside.

Some clarification on this functionality would be nice

There is no sound occlusion. There is some old code that did that, but it is disabled. Probably because it was a big performance hit. If we get performance back in other areas, we might be able to add occlusion back someday.

 

[Sam_Neill]

I get pretty decent graphics with my second system, hosting my own game on the same machine:

AMD FX 8350

AMD R9 Fury Nano

16 GB RAM

Operating System: Ubuntu Mate

Resolution 1920x1080

FPS outside 35-40 min

Ingame its less blurry - dont know what the Issue is with Attachments.





Maybe i will do some more testing with a dedicated server, but the performance is pretty the same as 16.4.

At least for myself.

 

[faatal]

AI pathing is better in A17e, but I've noticed it's not perfect. Is the AI pathing only improved for bloodmoon hordes, or should it be applied to all zombies?If it should be applied to all I might need to make a post in the bug thread as I had a zombie start hitting a wall to go through it, but there was already a doorway right next to the wall it decided needed to go.

It is the same pathing system in all circumstances. BM is not different.

Pathing depends on costs. Distance is a cost. Breaking blocks is a cost (health and downgrade health). Doors have a decreased cost, so they will prefer them, but not to the point they will bash a strong door over a weak block.

 

[faatal]

Why would a sound made 30ft from me where the arrow hits affect my stealth meter? (I haven't been following this discussion closely so sorry if this question is silly in context.)

It doesn't make sense to me either. Legacy stuff. Lots of stuff we can improve.

 

[rennn]

I am extremely sad that I had to uninstall alpha 17 because of the lack of a run-toggle option for controller users.

Please understand that it hurts to hold down that particular button--I am using an official xbox one controller. It is difficult to keep pressed down to the point where it is painful/requires shifting my hand so my palm presses it instead of my thumb (which disallows use of other buttons). Maybe this is because my hands are small because I am female, but this truly makes the game unplayable.

I play 7 Days to Die on PC. I am a PC gamer that HAS to use a controller because of disability.

I saw other people in this thread mention this same problem to no avail. Without being able to reassign the run button, or switch on a toggle option, Alpha 17 is unplayable. I can't run from zombies.

I love 7 Days to Die and want to be able to play with everyone else despite my disability. I always research what games have controller support before buying them, as mapping with external programs is not the same. To me, such a huge quality of life issue for controller users does not qualify as the "full controller support" the game lists on steam.

This may sound like whining to some, but I would not be wasting my time signing up to the forum and making this post if 1. This issue didn't truly impact me enough to make the game unplayable 2. I didn't want to continue loving and playing the game.

Thanks for reading.

 

[faatal]

I really struggled with the fps and motion sickness when I started A17. I usually do not run Vsync but had to turn it on to get rid of the motion sickness feeling. Unfortunately 15 fps was all I could get and 10 in buildings. Kinda a sucked.
However using the Geforce experience program to "optimize" my settings it recommended lowering my resolution (1920 x 1060 I think). I did so fearing I would lose quality (I play on a 70" screen). Not only did I not notice any difference in graphics (game looks amazing btw) but my fps jumped to 30 even in buildings)

On top of that I decided to turn of Vsync after changing the resolution and BAM! my fps jumped to 60 or better on average with almost all other settings on Max (Geforce 1060, i5 and 16GB Ram)

I was considering attempting to overclock but don't see the need to try it now. Hope this helps anyone struggling with fps drop.

That is standard 1080p HD res you have there. I am currently running at 1440p windowed on a 4k monitor and possibly going to 1080p would help me a lot.

Resolution could be a big issue for many people. The game does do a lot of overdraw especially indoors. We are working on an occlusion system, but in a dynamic voxel world, it ain't easy. Static world 3d games have the advantage of being able to come with precomputed culling data to not draw a lot of what you would not see.

 

[faatal]

yeah i love how are people here who think having having more fps in crysis 3 on ultra in 4k than in 7 days to die is fine just disable shadows that will do it while the game freezes everytime you step in a poi

Voxels vs static world. Apples to oranges comparison.

 

[Gnomaana]

It doesn't make sense to me either. Legacy stuff. Lots of stuff we can improve.

Ah. I can understand that. I just thought you meant that was the intention.

 

[faatal]

Zombie AI is definitely improved, but the conga line grouping still exist. If zombies spread out when going after you they would be a much bigger threat.

They are spread when spawned, but shortest distance is a straight line, so they converge as they see you and close in. Since you can easily out maneuver walkers, even if they were fanned out in a 180 in front of you, it might look nicer, but would not be harder. Hit, retreat, repeat.

 

[faatal]

That won't change until movement speeds are randomized...
No matter the spread, if they are heading to a singular place, you, they will eventually conga.

Yes, speed in something I'd like to randomize. Too many things to do!

 

[Muriel]

Pathing depends on costs. Distance is a cost. Breaking blocks is a cost (health and downgrade health). Doors have a decreased cost, so they will prefer them, but not to the point they will bash a strong door over a weak block.

Actually, there was just a doorway, not a door (just an opening in a wall where a door could normally fit, but there was no door there).

So there was basically this:

- - - - - -


- - Z - - -


x x X - x x


- - - - - -


- - - - P -




Where the Z was hitting the wall (X) between me (P) and him, where he could have just walked through the opening to the left of him. After he destroyed one of the wall blocks I could get a clear shot at him, and when it hit he proceeded to walk through the doorway.

 

[Gnomaana]

I am extremely sad that I had to uninstall alpha 17 because of the lack of a run-toggle option for controller users.
Please understand that it hurts to hold down that particular button--I am using an official xbox one controller. It is difficult to keep pressed down to the point where it is painful/requires shifting my hand so my palm presses it instead of my thumb (which disallows use of other buttons). Maybe this is because my hands are small because I am female, but this truly makes the game unplayable.

I play 7 Days to Die on PC. I am a PC gamer that HAS to use a controller because of disability.

I saw other people in this thread mention this same problem to no avail. Without being able to reassign the run button, or switch on a toggle option, Alpha 17 is unplayable. I can't run from zombies.

I love 7 Days to Die and want to be able to play with everyone else despite my disability. I always research what games have controller support before buying them, as mapping with external programs is not the same. To me, such a huge quality of life issue for controller users does not qualify as the "full controller support" the game lists on steam.

This may sound like whining to some, but I would not be wasting my time signing up to the forum and making this post if 1. This issue didn't truly impact me enough to make the game unplayable 2. I didn't want to continue loving and playing the game.

Thanks for reading.

So, you uninstalled because they haven't fixed an issue before they put out the first patch to experimental? Did you expect them to wiggle their ears and the current build everyone already has installed just magically starts playing differently?

 

[faatal]

Which is why all of these posts complaining about FPS without providing complete hardware specs and video settings are mostly useless. You got one guy running a 1080 complaining about performance but fails to mention he's running the game at 4k. You got another guy running the game on a laptop that's not plugged in. And another guy running the game on a 5400rpm hard drive. Based on the amount of posts there are obviously some FPS issues but it may be hard for the devs to isolate those problems without complete information.

Indeed. The varieties of PC hardware and software combined with game settings is....a lot.

 

[Captnrex]

gotta say I rather hate that HOUR long debuff when you die

also gotta say the runners in the basements have a lot of health specially for someone just starting a game, even when I put down some wood blocks to block them a bit and had a shotgun they still tore through the barrier and killed me in like 4 hits while stunned.

 

[faatal]

With 120 minute days and some lucky finds at Working Stiff and a trader, by Day 3: I was at bedrock,

had 50 corn growing in my garden (Navazgane, of course)

Reinforced concrete starting to share the walls with the concrete and original stuff!

My best game of A17 so far. I died goofing around at night, so I'm playing another Navazgane but 60 minute days as 120 is way too easy.

Yeah, but did you spawn a blimp?

 

[canadianbluebeer]

Not sure if asked, but is the 4x4 supposed to damage the ramps on the bridges in Navezgane? Cause it does.

If supposed to, then yeah, this is really gonna limit the usage of the jeep, or we're going to have to repair the bridges.

(I'm gonna have to put in toll booths to raise revenue) heh.

 

[themirror]

Not sure if asked, but is the 4x4 supposed to damage the ramps on the bridges in Navezgane? Cause it does.
If supposed to, then yeah, this is really gonna limit the usage of the jeep, or we're going to have to repair the bridges.

(I'm gonna have to put in toll booths to raise revenue) heh.

try to slow down the 4x4 on the bridges, maybe it does not damage the bridge, maybe....

 

[rivle]

Do you know why i cant sell pistols at trader? I have like 10 pistols but i couldnt sell any to trader. My trader had now 3 restocks, but still cant sell it.

 

[sisco]

well done

Just here to say thank you fun pimps.

I love how hard the first days are again. Definitely missed that in the last few alphas.

Graphics are nice, performance is OK, i hope you can fix the random micro freezes.