PC Developer Discussions: Alpha 17

[Aldranon]

Someone new to the forums may believe your outlandish claims
P.S one order for zombie bear airship express please.

Outlandish... or precognizant?

Look at that snappy title! The nebulously low price is attractive too! (is it Dollars... or Rupee's?)

I submit to you and the world that this will in fact happen!! (If not this universe then some other)

 

[dhlmaster]

Suggestion:. Let's turn our attention to what TFP likes most. SPECULATION!
Considering what we have seen confirmed for A17, and what seems to be important to going Gold, what do we think is gonna go down in A17?

And does anyone think it's possible this is a first pass at full feature installment in prep for beta?

I am guessing one of the following 2 options will happen:

1. They want to shorten up this Alpha a little bit because A16 is getting some bad rep for being buggy. They finish the vehicles they are currently working on, do an initial implementation of the AI overhaul and NPC factions, and possibly part of the Navezgane campaign for A17. Then they make A18 all about getting to the beta phase (A18 stable would essentially be beta).

OR

2. They go for a longer development time on this one, really squash a lot of bugs, get everything fully implemented, and you'll be playing A16 until the game is in Beta.

 

[Royal Deluxe]

I am guessing one of the following 2 options will happen:
1. They want to shorten up this Alpha a little bit because A16 is getting some bad rep for being buggy. They finish the vehicles they are currently working on, do an initial implementation of the AI overhaul and NPC factions, and possibly part of the Navezgane campaign for A17. Then they make A18 all about getting to the beta phase (A18 stable would essentially be beta).

OR

2. They go for a longer development time on this one, really squash a lot of bugs, get everything fully implemented, and you'll be playing A16 until the game is in Beta.

or

3. Beta is a myth

 

[Aldranon]

or

3. Beta is a myth

Or

They get the hype train going by making up a whole new development stage:

"Folks, we are in Zeta, right now! I repeat, ZETA!!"

 

[graphite]

How is it more efficient if for every block you have to check a 3D cone with hundreds of blocks instead of a single column to bedrock?

Cool you said sing.....

Dammit i promised Roland.. mumble mumble uggh

 

[unholyjoe]

or

3. Beta is a myth

or

4. Everyone wakes up to find you have been in a bad nightmare and all this here is a conspiracy cover up to hide area 51 and the truth.... we are not alone!

 

[GAME ZARUS]

or

3. Beta is a myth

Nice one RD ! In another hand the real question: is 17 version the last one ??

 

[Royal Deluxe]

Or
They get the hype train going by making up a whole new development stage:

"Folks, we are in Zeta, right now! I repeat, ZETA!!"

(@ Roland

Finally a decent place to use the pic, and see, no more "Motherhuger" ^^)

 

[stallionsden]

I am guessing one of the following 2 options will happen:
1. They want to shorten up this Alpha a little bit because A16 is getting some bad rep for being buggy. They finish the vehicles they are currently working on, do an initial implementation of the AI overhaul and NPC factions, and possibly part of the Navezgane campaign for A17. Then they make A18 all about getting to the beta phase (A18 stable would essentially be beta).

OR

2. They go for a longer development time on this one, really squash a lot of bugs, get everything fully implemented, and you'll be playing A16 until the game is in Beta.

they wont squash the bugs in alpha lol. thats what beta is for. YEs they will hit the major bugs. but a16 hasnt had many issues for myself. its played really well.

But i be happy if a17 took a year and they implemented a heap of stuff like pretty much a majority of the stuff that they are gonna put it. like more content. more quests and story mode. npcs bandits, survivors colonies etc etc. and more content. blocks textures etc

 

[graphite]

OH no Zeta

Zmbies

E:ventually

T:urn

A:lien

 

[dhlmaster]

they wont squash the bugs in alpha lol. thats what beta is for. YEs they will hit the major bugs. but a16 hasnt had many issues for myself. its played really well.
But i be happy if a17 took a year and they implemented a heap of stuff like pretty much a majority of the stuff that they are gonna put it. like more content. more quests and story mode. npcs bandits, survivors colonies etc etc. and more content. blocks textures etc

I didn't think they would squash all of the bugs. Just most of the ones that are already there that people whine about. A16 has treated me pretty well too. I would like to see smell come back, and a lock picking system would really give some more meaning to the stealth system. It feels kind of silly smashing through doors when trying to be stealthy...

Other than that, my only big issue has been the way solar panels can cause lag. And I think that only bothered me so much because they are so expensive. I really had to work to earn them, just to have them cause my game to dip from 60 fps to about 7 fps. On my next play through I probably won't bother with them at all.

No matter what, I can't see them doing more than a couple more alphas at this point. They are feeling the pressure to make it to gold.

Edit: I also would be happy to see a 1 year dev cycle. Waiting is hard, but I like to play around in the xml files, create custom recipes, tweak character progression, etc. Short dev cycles make it harder to do that. I have a set of tweaks that I'm pretty happy with at the moment, and I'd like to keep playing with and improving them for a while.

 

[graphite]

I dont know to me its a moving target knowing if bugs will appear and if features work out as planned so until you hit that consecutively your in alpha.

Beta should be final tweaks and catching any bugs that got though.

 

[Jackelmyer]

they wont squash the bugs in alpha lol. thats what beta is for. YEs they will hit the major bugs. but a16 hasnt had many issues for myself. its played really well.
But i be happy if a17 took a year and they implemented a heap of stuff like pretty much a majority of the stuff that they are gonna put it. like more content. more quests and story mode. npcs bandits, survivors colonies etc etc. and more content. blocks textures etc

I'd rather see the new physics and get that tested in alpha as long as possible. Good physics an important one.

Personally, I'd like to see them get all the mechanics in the game with just enough content to begin testing what the real end game features are gonna look like. THEN bring in the content with some tweaks to those mechanics.

Then hit beta with pretty much the full Gold game.

Gives TFP two more opportunities to completely revamp a game mechanic that isn't functioning well. I don't see an A19 in how things are being discussed at this point.

 

[ozzysfang]

MM, rig up that mocap and let's see some 3rd person animation! I hope a swimming mocap was in the mix! Blow us away with new improved zombie and bandit AI! C'mon you got this! Go Go Go!

 

[graphite]

I was thinking about bandit AI and how much interaction the player is going to have ?

Is it going to be a state of max involvement where wandering a pack of bandit's will get between you and your base when on a return trip or is it going to much less where you have to search for them ?

 

[Darkfoxx117]

All i ask for is "This Time" dont add them without a option to turn them off. Or many "non modders" will feel offended, and i think for a good reason.
If they would be like i imagine them there is no way to have them activated on a server that want to have architect players.

I'm a non modder and i won't be offended.

 

[Darkfoxx117]

Nice one RD ! In another hand the real question: is 17 version the last one ??

I've heard MM say a lot of things in my time here but.....

He did mention an alpha 18 in one of his videos.

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they wont squash the bugs in alpha lol. thats what beta is for. YEs they will hit the major bugs. but a16 hasnt had many issues for myself. its played really well.
But i be happy if a17 took a year and they implemented a heap of stuff like pretty much a majority of the stuff that they are gonna put it. like more content. more quests and story mode. npcs bandits, survivors colonies etc etc. and more content. blocks textures etc

I just want zombies to 'Sense','Smell' and 'Search for me' again

 

[graphite]

All i ask for is "This Time" dont add them without a option to turn them off. Or many "non modders" will feel offended, and i think for a good reason.
If they would be like i imagine them there is no way to have them activated on a server that want to have architect players.

I am not sure about turning a single zombie type off as i have seen requested to turn dogs off before and i think a lot of people who would normally deal with them would turn them off.

Architects have to deal with the elements and if they choose to have zombies on then it is just another event.

Saying this though i could see having an option which just gave you standard walking zombies with no dogs,ferals,policeman or diggers etc for that.

Would not make it very exciting and i doubt the numbers could be increased to compansate but if your an architect and just want something to test the structures and shoot now and again then it may or may not fit the purpose.

I can understand you want the ability to turn them of but would players who would normally deal with them turn them off also and does this make digger zombies a enemy that only players who want the difficulty ramped up will use ?

 

[Royal Deluxe]

I'm a non modder and i won't be offended.

Do you have a screen of the largest Buidling you ever made ?

(I dont ask like "You never made one so you cant participate", i want you to imagine what you would feel if a Random Digger destroy your base you worked on for 4-12 Real weeks)

- - - Updated - - -

I am not sure about turning a single zombie type off as i have seen requested to turn dogs off before and i think a lot of people who would normally deal with them would turn them off.

Dogs kill you = Respawn

Diggers (as i imagine them) kill your base = The work of many, many, many, real hours screwed

 

[Darkfoxx117]

Do you have a screen of the largest Buidling you ever made ?
- - - Updated - - -

Dogs kill you = Respawn

Diggers (as i imagine them) kill your base = 500 Real hours screwed

View attachment 23088

Sorry it's not a big picture but the image thing isn't working properly but that's around half the length of the building you can see right there behind the guy doing the thriller dance lol

I think you're over dramatising what the diggers could potentially be