PC Developer Discussions: Alpha 17

[Gipothegip]

@Roland

I'm just going to throw in there that those are abstractions. They are there to help communicate and interface with the player.

Personally, I've considered a minimal HUD myself (since you can mod it after all), I do get the point of not having the screen cluttered or information that seems too much or unnecessary to have at all times, but I'd like it if something popped up when necessary. I think that's the best way to do it if we're talking about doing this in vanilla.

For example, if you get a buff / debuff, I think it should pop up. I think if health or stamina is low the respective bar should pull up (granted if health is low the screen gets grayed out). The quick select bar should pop up when changing items. Enough so the player is cued into what's going on for the things they can't experience themselves with their three other senses.

It's all for quality of life, and think it would be a good balance between immersion and suitable interface. It is possible have an unobtrusive HUD, rather than all or nothing.

Of course, I think it would be smart to have this as an option. I know the options thing is thrown around a lot and isn't always the best solution, but an HUD and its verbosity are quite common options and in many games.

 

[Numberz]

I think looting is already too easy with text indicators. I personally love the way H1Z1 does it, you don't know if something has been searched UNLESS you actually search it. No text to let you know. This forces you to look into everything and also increases the danger for you being in a container because you have to look at every item instead of flying by and only looting the items that have respawned.

Id never suggest it for default though because I know it would be unacceptable to 97 percent of the players playing now. It CAN be done via modding though.

Love this idea. Have you done this? Care to share the changes required?

Edit:

I think I found it. Just a matter of modifying these in the localization, no?

lootTooltipEmpty,UI,Use Prompt,KgNone,Empty {1},Vider {1},Leere {1},,{1} Sin botيn
lootTooltipNew,UI,Use Prompt,KgNone,<{0}> Search {1} (Untouched),<{0}> pour rechercher {1} (intact),<{0}> Durchsuche {1} (neu),,<{0}> Registrar {1} (Sin tocar)
lootTooltipTouched,UI,Use Prompt,KgNone,<{0}> Search {1},<{0}> pour rechercher {1},<{0}> Durchsuche {1},,<{0}> Registrar {1}

 

[Roland]

@Roland
I'm just going to throw in there that those are abstractions. They are there to help communicate and interface with the player.

Personally, I've considered a minimal HUD myself (since you can mod it after all), I do get the point of not having the screen cluttered or information that seems too much or unnecessary to have at all times, but I'd like it if something popped up when necessary. I think that's the best way to do it if we're talking about doing this in vanilla.

For example, if you get a buff / debuff, I think it should pop up. I think if health or stamina is low the respective bar should pull up (granted if health is low the screen gets grayed out). The quick select bar should pop up when changing items. Enough so the player is cued into what's going on for the things they can't experience themselves with their three other senses.

It's all for quality of life, and think it would be a good balance between immersion and suitable interface. It is possible have an unobtrusive HUD, rather than all or nothing.

Of course, I think it would be smart to have this as an option. I know the options thing is thrown around a lot and isn't always the best solution, but an HUD and its verbosity are quite common options and in many games.

Total agreement. Making every part of the HUD an option would be ideal so that people could mix and match the components they want visible

1) Compass/Time : Visible/Invisible

2) Toolbelt: Visible/Invisible

3) Status Bars: Visible/Invisible

4) Pop-up Notifications: Visible/Invisible

5) Text Notifications and HP bar with garish upgrade downgrade arrow: Visible/Invisible

6) Cross-hairs and stealth eye: Visible/Invisible

 

[Wardronex]

Good news!
Can't wait to see what comes out of these videos.

Also -as a fellow mechanical keyboard user that annoys the living hell out of my girlfriend - annoy away! XD

Edit: Forgot "user" in there. lol

I use a mechanical keyboard also but mine has different settings for how much I have to press it down minimum is 1 mm so it is very quiet.

Although I do admit sometimes I relax my fingers a bit and accidentally jump or turn etc.

 

[Jackelmyer]

Total agreement. Making every part of the HUD an option would be ideal so that people could mix and match the components they want visible
1) Compass/Time : Visible/Invisible

2) Toolbelt: Visible/Invisible

3) Status Bars: Visible/Invisible

4) Pop-up Notifications: Visible/Invisible

5) Text Notifications and HP bar with garish upgrade downgrade arrow: Visible/Invisible

6) Cross-hairs and stealth eye: Visible/Invisible

A base HUD feature should really be a "Next Horde Night" counter. It's in multiple mods, it's one of the most thought of bits of information in the game, and it's one of the most important aspects of the game.

Though yeah, optional HUD components would be great.

 

[Death2gnomes]

People are too worried about food and drink. I'll have you know I have never starved to death nor have I died of dehydration while playing without the HUD. Have I lost a wellness point before? Yes, but so what? That is a cost I'm willing to pay to be able to play with the cinematic feel that I get with this mod.
Here are some other opinions of mine:

The game is a representation of a person walking around in the world but not in a cybernetic suit or in the cockpit of a fighter jet. Your examples are exactly why the game is so much more visceral to me without artificial heads up displays feeding me stats. I don't want a bitching betty helping me to play a game that is supposed to be an un-enhanced human being walking around in the world. I want to use my eyes and my ears.

The game has audible clues that I have found are more than adequate. It is impossible to miss the groaning and hunger pain noises when you get to 10% on food and also the heavy sighs when you get to 10% on water. There is an unmistakeable heartbeat audible clue when you are bleeding out. When your stamina is gone or going your avatar starts panting and puffing. It is simple to notice when that happens "too quickly" and then you know you might be infected. A quick check to the character screen will confirm whether it is true or not. When crickets start singing you know you have about 2 hours until zombies start running. (Not a big deal with the current version of stealth though...)

Wouldn't it be nice to have a compass floating in front of us at all times? No? I don't like it either and with it gone I can use landmarks in the world to find my way and the sun itself. If necessary I can open my map and check my bearings all of which feels more natural than having a compass always in view blocking the top of the screen.

People ignore and forget the signs of hunger in real life all the time when they are stressed and feel anxiety or when they are excited and concentrating carefully on something. Who hasn't finally stopped after hours of playing this very game only to realize that they are hungry but never felt it while they were playing? This style of play mirrors that pretty well.

I like the sound of this playstyle, its certainly an option, except for one [semi-]fatal flaw, there are no real landmarks in the game or there is a lack of them. Even if any of them could be seen from a reasonable distance (not the distant terrain feature as landmarks...), the way the biomes look and change while traveling will get you lost in no time at all, unless you stay on the road the whole time. Go ahead travel for 12 hours in one direction in the forest or without using your compass or map (were ditching all the creature comforts now, right?) and then turn around and find your way back to your chest. Sure you could leave breadcrumbs but they wont be visible enough unless that are withing spitting distance and are you really gonna carry 500+ breadcrumbs just to find your way back and not stop to pick them up for reuse later? Nope. The playstyle is not the problem, its the rwg and the lack of distinguishable landmarks, god help ya if you end up in that supposed-to-be-fog biome.

If you're not gonna use a compass you can carry in your hand, dont use the map cuz you wont be able to channel your inner cartographer without one. Sure you can take notes, but what will you write down? landmarks? LOL

 

[Lonestarcanuck]

is it just me or did anyone else expect an Eastern European accent from @roland? his voice was so soft!

 

[Gipothegip]

is it just me or did anyone else expect an Eastern European accent from @roland? his voice was so soft!

I didn't expect him to sound that way either. I thought his voice would be a bit deeper, and not as soft.

 

[Roland]

I like the sound of this playstyle, its certainly an option, except for one [semi-]fatal flaw, there are no real landmarks in the game or there is a lack of them. Even if any of them could be seen from a reasonable distance (not the distant terrain feature as landmarks...), the way the biomes look and change while traveling will get you lost in no time at all, unless you stay on the road the whole time. Go ahead travel for 12 hours in one direction in the forest or without using your compass or map (were ditching all the creature comforts now, right?) and then turn around and find your way back to your chest. Sure you could leave breadcrumbs but they wont be visible enough unless that are withing spitting distance and are you really gonna carry 500+ breadcrumbs just to find your way back and not stop to pick them up for reuse later? Nope. The playstyle is not the problem, its the rwg and the lack of distinguishable landmarks, god help ya if you end up in that supposed-to-be-fog biome.
If you're not gonna use a compass you can carry in your hand, dont use the map cuz you wont be able to channel your inner cartographer without one. Sure you can take notes, but what will you write down? landmarks? LOL

I have no problem using the map. Its not about ignoring and denying myself information. Its about having a more cinematic experience while I play and interact with the world around me. Opening the map screen is like....opening a map. I don't want the crafting interface, the forge interface, or the skill lists to be invisible either. I would use the compass if it could be held in my hand as an item. I'm not against the compass at all. I just don't want it cluttering the view. That's all.

I'm not against checking my food and water bar in the character screen either. I just don't care enough to do so knowing that when my avatar starts whinging I can eat something to shut him up.

When I say all of this to you it is in my very soft and pleasant voice, btw....

 

[sillls]

Thanks Roland. It was great that you showed us that video. It gave us something to talk about and got us back on topic.

I'm glad that you liked my feedback.

About the mods. I like mods and use a lot of them on other games. I am not suggesting that we add Betty to the game either.

Also. Thanks for pointing out about the other effects like the heartbeat stuff. I did not know whether the mod took that out as well.

We each have awn own playing styles.

As for me I like watching play trough's and giving advice. I like helping people get the most out of there play. But sometimes I may write stuff that comes out wrong. I hope that I did not come off sounding like a nag of something. Not trying to be your wife here.

If you want me to stop, I will. Just say the word.

Thanks.

 

[JaxTeller718]

Love this idea. Have you done this? Care to share the changes required?
Edit:

I think I found it. Just a matter of modifying these in the localization, no?

lootTooltipEmpty,UI,Use Prompt,KgNone,Empty {1},Vider {1},Leere {1},,{1} Sin botيn
lootTooltipNew,UI,Use Prompt,KgNone,<{0}> Search {1} (Untouched),<{0}> pour rechercher {1} (intact),<{0}> Durchsuche {1} (neu),,<{0}> Registrar {1} (Sin tocar)
lootTooltipTouched,UI,Use Prompt,KgNone,<{0}> Search {1},<{0}> pour rechercher {1},<{0}> Durchsuche {1},,<{0}> Registrar {1}

Yep you can change that text to whatever you would like it to say. Make it match exact to really make it unknown.

 

[TSBX]

I <3 organic notifications.

 

[Darkfoxx117]

Always look in the right 2 windows in the M/M Cabin first. The Forge moves between the B/R & F/P so you can bust 1 window & search it without disturbing a sleeper.When you are playing T/B only you can use items around you for storage while you are crafting.

Put a C/F in the kitchen of a POI & use the cabinets to store your M/W, Snow, G/J's & eggs, etc....

Once you have enough wood you just have to put storage chests everywhere you go, I would stick to 1 key position in POI's.

What are all these T/B C/F etc?

 

[Beardedguysgaming]

Late to the party, but really excited to hear about all the new people additions to the development team. We’re all anxiously awaiting for some MM sneak peeks that for sure.

 

[JaxTeller718]

What are all these T/B C/F etc?

Backseat Gaming Lingo. Us normals wouldn't identify with them.

- - - Updated - - -

I like the sound of this playstyle, its certainly an option, except for one [semi-]fatal flaw, there are no real landmarks in the game or there is a lack of them. Even if any of them could be seen from a reasonable distance (not the distant terrain feature as landmarks...), the way the biomes look and change while traveling will get you lost in no time at all, unless you stay on the road the whole time. Go ahead travel for 12 hours in one direction in the forest or without using your compass or map (were ditching all the creature comforts now, right?) and then turn around and find your way back to your chest. Sure you could leave breadcrumbs but they wont be visible enough unless that are withing spitting distance and are you really gonna carry 500+ breadcrumbs just to find your way back and not stop to pick them up for reuse later? Nope. The playstyle is not the problem, its the rwg and the lack of distinguishable landmarks, god help ya if you end up in that supposed-to-be-fog biome.
If you're not gonna use a compass you can carry in your hand, dont use the map cuz you wont be able to channel your inner cartographer without one. Sure you can take notes, but what will you write down? landmarks? LOL

How do you think they did it in the Days of Exploration my friend. You have become pampered with todays technological comforts. People go camping and hiking without maps all the time and use hand held compasses and landmarks to mark their paths.

 

[LuckyStar]

I'm hoping A17 is all about Colonies.

NPC's and Colony building. That's going to add late-game play which means way more fun.

I want a Colony. I want to see something I made grow and thrive.

Crossing my fingers.

 

[sillls]

I'm hoping A17 is all about Colonies.
NPC's and Colony building. That's going to add late-game play which means way more fun.

I want a Colony. I want to see something I made grow and thrive.

Crossing my fingers.

Now that would be so cool to see. L

 

[rngchiefbob]

that would make me go to a million hours though i think we have a way to go first fingers crossed though

 

[Roland]

As for me I like watching play trough's and giving advice. I like helping people get the most out of there play. But sometimes I may write stuff that comes out wrong. I hope that I did not come off sounding like a nag of something. Not trying to be your wife here.

If you want me to stop, I will. Just say the word.

Thanks.

It's cool if it brings you enjoyment. I'm happy with my sloppy play though. I think making mistakes and being inefficient can bring about additional challenges. For example, I just purchased gun smithing when I meant to purchase weapon smithing...d'oh! Now I'm stuck with 25 quality bow until my next level.

I have been remembering to use the stone axe as the finishing move on zombies though

 

[Zombuild]

Advance placing a of turret would really help it not shooting the block it stand on and look more logical. Even if they just give us a upside down version it would be perfect.

Huffing and puffing at 50 of level is really strange if you have a level 250 and the noise start at 125. Could it not be a constant 50 right through ?