geengaween
Refugee
I think I've solved the directionless endgame issue. We've all gotten to the point where we've built a base, we can survive indefinitely, we're now building the endgame stuff like turrets and blade traps, and the game gets boring.
Dungeons like the gun factory are an awesome idea. But they need to be sources of endgame loot and building materials which aren't obtainable elsewhere. Loot needs to make sense. For example, the gun factory should have an item that lets you make high level guns or turrets. A concrete factory should have the recipe for reinforced concrete. The hospital should have the recipe for medkits. You shouldn't be able to create endgame recipes without completing endgame objectives.
Random loot in this game needs to be categorized more strictly so you can't find high level stuff in low level residential houses, and you have to strategize your runs. This already was implemented somewhat in A19 with the electronics stores, etc, but it needs to go further. If you want something, you should be able to plan for it.
In a good survival game the fun of endgame is tackling high-level areas and enemies but there has to be a proper REASON to do this. Knowing that you'll be looting the same types of randomized containers that appear in other lower-level dungeons is just not a great incentive. I don't know about anyone else but for me it causes burnout and turns it into a chore more than an objective. You have to know that you'll get something good, from a pool of items that you can only get in those areas. The Lucky Looter perk and your % to find stuff is great and all, but it ends up ruining the game's sense of progression.
This could also lead into high-level trader quests to find essential civilization items such as "find a crate of baby formula" in an infested half-collapsed milk factory. Or finding jackpots like luxuries, like a crate of shampoo in a cosmetics factory which you can sell for 3000 dukes.
TL;DR: The randomized loot is too random and hurts the endgame. The loot system needs to be categorized more strictly, forcing players to plan their loot runs and travel to specific buildings in order to progress their gear and base.
Dungeons like the gun factory are an awesome idea. But they need to be sources of endgame loot and building materials which aren't obtainable elsewhere. Loot needs to make sense. For example, the gun factory should have an item that lets you make high level guns or turrets. A concrete factory should have the recipe for reinforced concrete. The hospital should have the recipe for medkits. You shouldn't be able to create endgame recipes without completing endgame objectives.
Random loot in this game needs to be categorized more strictly so you can't find high level stuff in low level residential houses, and you have to strategize your runs. This already was implemented somewhat in A19 with the electronics stores, etc, but it needs to go further. If you want something, you should be able to plan for it.
In a good survival game the fun of endgame is tackling high-level areas and enemies but there has to be a proper REASON to do this. Knowing that you'll be looting the same types of randomized containers that appear in other lower-level dungeons is just not a great incentive. I don't know about anyone else but for me it causes burnout and turns it into a chore more than an objective. You have to know that you'll get something good, from a pool of items that you can only get in those areas. The Lucky Looter perk and your % to find stuff is great and all, but it ends up ruining the game's sense of progression.
This could also lead into high-level trader quests to find essential civilization items such as "find a crate of baby formula" in an infested half-collapsed milk factory. Or finding jackpots like luxuries, like a crate of shampoo in a cosmetics factory which you can sell for 3000 dukes.
TL;DR: The randomized loot is too random and hurts the endgame. The loot system needs to be categorized more strictly, forcing players to plan their loot runs and travel to specific buildings in order to progress their gear and base.