PC Developer Discussions: Alpha 17

Developer Discussions: Alpha 17

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Hi Guys, I just wanted open up discussion of Alpha 17. Sorry we have been tight lipped about it, but I wanted to try something different this time where we talk about finished or work in progress features rather than stuff we simply planned. This leads to less frustration because usually once something is started we finish it, where its easy to plan a bunch of stuff and have it slip through the cracks, which is disappointing for all of us.
I will say we're ramping up the team, we've hired two new senior programmers, a concept artist, an environment artist, a designer, and we have about 5 new full time world builders. I'll begin showing stuff on youtube real soon. I have two keyboards hooked up at the same time now so I can annoy people if I want, or use the quiet keyboard if I want :)

A17 News: Use these links to skip to the parts of the A17 thread where Madmole appears!

Wallpaper and Trader Bob Images

Trader Bob Compound Concept Art

First look at bicycle

First look at THE HOG

Concept Art Video

Bathtub and Modular Pallet art assets

Dungeon Prefab Video

Player Mocap and Vehicles Video

First look at new Stag

Videos: Direct links to all of Madmole's A17 Videos!

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Good ♥♥♥♥!!! :painkiller:

 
Over zealous production of vehicles is probably a waste of time. Multiple ways to get stuck on a cinder block or the edge of a burn pile without the ability to mow down zeds doesn't seem like the best idea.
Would still like to see a digging zed. If yall can't fix the pathing, make the zeds .. scarier..

Behemoth was over the top. Could have a sapping zed, or a suicide explody zed.

Make these 100x100 base building putzes fear something.

As it is, I can make a 5x5 on day one and never worry.
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TFP have shown if traversing via vehicle is a pain due to certain items in the world getting in the way they will indeed turn those collisions off ie, Yucca plants and aloe plants. So if more needs to be done to improve quality of travel i have no doubt they will do so.

I agree with your view on bases being too safe too easily and still i'm positive TFP will come with a fair yet challenging design for us.

And that's not all their working on remember.... weapon parts/overhaul, NPC's, Zombie pathing, The new player MoCaps, Power moves for melee combat, Environmental Hazards, Zombie Closets, Climbable Trellises and/or Vines, Backstories for many of the POIs, Every biome remastered for Unity 2017.

Of course this can all be seen on the first page of this thread but it's also obvious that way more is being done than being over zealous on vehicles and to be fair the vehicles needed some love if nobody falls through the world or gets stuck in the floor on their minibike i'm so all for it. (Although i only ever had that problem on over populated servers *more than 10 players on server* and not what the game was intended to handle) SP has always worked flawlessly in that department.

 
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Over zealous production of vehicles is probably a waste of time. Multiple ways to get stuck on a cinder block or the edge of a burn pile without the ability to mow down zeds doesn't seem like the best idea.
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That’s because your best idea seems to be adding more vehicles but keeping the driving physics the same as Alpha 16. Luckily, TFP can do better than your imagination and are overhauling how driving works in addition to adding additional vehicles. Of course they did announce improved physics as well so I’m really at a loss as to why you would think they are simply adding more vehicles and not improving driving beyond what we have right now? Selective reading? Low attention span? Trolling?

....Drunkn? :)

 
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That’s because your best idea seems to be adding more vehicles but keeping the driving physics the same as Alpha 16. Luckily, TFP can do better than your imagination and are overhauling how driving works in addition to adding additional vehicles. Of course they did announce improved physics as well so I’m really at a loss as to why you would think they are simply adding more vehicles and not improving driving beyond what we have right now? Selective reading? Low attention span? Trolling?
....Drunkn? :)
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I'm excited for the new vehicle system, it will be a game changer IMO...

(Can't rep you, so you'll have to settle for a thumbs up post!)

-A

 
I'm excited for the new vehicle system, it will be a game changer IMO...
(Can't rep you, so you'll have to settle for a thumbs up post!)

-A
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<gets a stick> <stares at Aurelius' calm.> <poke poke poke> grin

 
vehicles needed some love if nobody falls through the world or gets stuck in the floor on their minibike i'm so all for it. (Although i only ever had that problem on over populated servers *more than 10 players on server* and not what the game was intended to handle) SP has always worked flawlessly in that department.
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It happens on SP also. Been there, done that. They can vanish when you're not on them on Sp too. If you've never had a problem then count your blessings.

 
Happy PostThanksgiving - who knew that what we celebrate is nothing like what really happened!?!

Do we have any more info/insight into what the Buff overhaul will look like? are we talking World of Warcraft stuff? you mentioned proct type buff so I am thinking WoW?

 
I'm excited for the new vehicle system, it will be a game changer IMO...
(Can't rep you, so you'll have to settle for a thumbs up post!)

-A
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@TFP/Roland - will A17 address the lag/chunking issues with vehicles? in A16.x we still need to (a) limit engine sizes to 250 or less or (b) ban mini bikes. a server even with super fast hardware and Enterprise SSD for the game will still lag with lots of minibikes. Can you consider admin settings in the config.xml for things like Engine size that can be applied to anything that takes an engine something like:

[Engine variables]

MinibikeMaxEngine = 250

CarMaxEngine = 300

ChainsawMaxEngine = 600

AugerMaxEngine = 600

MaxEngineDropiLevel = 450

or something like that. again going into the .xml files moves the game to the modded list (lets not argue about this)

 
Was re-watching the MoCap animations video and I notice that when you turn to look around the player "slide" to keep up with the motion (I know its still in development, but just in case). Its not better to detach the animation of the camera - like mouse only moves the camera, wasd the player?

 
It happens on SP also. Been there, done that. They can vanish when you're not on them on Sp too. If you've never had a problem then count your blessings.
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Just always park the bike on a flat surface - player made or poi - and be sure it is not having a seizure. I notice that in some layers of stone underground the bike kinda "sink" (you can see the wheels are inside the stone, not on the stone). Its 100% of the time in this layer that will happen bad stuff - the bike will go to the surface or worst. Same with the player on those layers (you get ejected to the surface on loading, and its not because of the two high ceiling, I had a twenty high ceiling in the area). Never happen again after I put concrete on the ground.

 
Was re-watching the MoCap animations video and I notice that when you turn to look around the player "slide" to keep up with the motion (I know its still in development, but just in case). Its not better to detach the animation of the camera - like mouse only moves the camera, wasd the player?
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If you do that the players avatar would never turn to face the enemy.

You can never eliminate foot-sliding, even with mecanim, not without serious amounts of work. You can minimize it until it becomes barely noticeable though. I think the standard method of dealing with turning-in-place is to have the upper-body of the avatar able to turn 45 degrees left or right. The position of the feet aren't changed until then and a suitable animation is played as the player turns further.

As you say, it's work in progress and I have little doubt the system will be far more refined by the time we get our hands on it.

 
Will we be seeing anything about Vehicle Mods (not attachments)? Like letting players create their own vehicles. Is the mod community able to make custom vehicles?

 
Will we be seeing anything about Vehicle Mods (not attachments)? Like letting players create their own vehicles.
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You mean like vehicle Blocks you can assemble to a vehicle ?

I doubt it. Vehicle Diversity is no aim or core element of the game. And it would eat over 100 of our scarce Block ID´s.

But sure , it would be nice

 
The larger servers will just lag with all these vehicles being driven at once or even on the map. #8PlayerOptimization #ButWhoCaresAboutTheLargeServers

 
You mean like vehicle Blocks you can assemble to a vehicle ?I doubt it. Vehicle Diversity is no aim or core element of the game. And it would eat over 100 of our scarce Block ID´s.

But sure , it would be nice
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Well actually if TFP do what they gonna do. The block ids will be no more or to that effect from what MM was saying

 
The larger servers will just lag with all these vehicles being driven at once or even on the map. #8PlayerOptimization #ButWhoCaresAboutTheLargeServers
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It's not about not caring for the larger servers. They built the game (so far) within the limits that they have. Have you ever tried building a voxel game to support 8+ players where every block is interactive and changeable?

You might find once they reach beta phase/optimisations that they find the extra bang they needed for higher population servers but till then.. yeah this game is meant for 8 players.

 
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