Greetings,
after having the time to test A17 quite a while I want to talk about some aspects that felt important to me and keep things as short as possible yet detailed enough. Still, wall of text incoming. I hope it's the right place, if not please let me know Roland.
1. - NEGATIVE
1.1 - level gating
While the skill based system per se is not bad, the gating behind player levels on the other hand limits/narrows the playstyle in an imho worrying way. Was it introduced to stretch out the playtime? I can just say more grind isn't a replacement for more content. Especially if it means a lot of said content is a mere jump-pad before the actual fully facettet gameplay can start.
The worst part of this is it creates a "too good to use" trope kind of situation. When you need something you are not allowed to get it, and once you can it's mostly obsolete because you need to find ways to deal with the problem way before.
For example: What is the truck good for when, if I can finally craft it, the map is already cleared, or at least most parts of it, several BMs done, etc...? And it's similar with defenses and other things.
Nothing is worse than getting something that was needed but isn't anymore.
Please reconsider these dynamics and allow players do decide for themselves of when and what to do!
1.2 - perk balance
I really like a perk system where perk choices matter and influence the gameplay. But most perks are crazily strong. Please consider to even out the odds between with and without. For example "boom, headshot!"...
0% bonus damage unskilled but 150% full perk feels way to heavy. 50% bonusdamage unskilled to 125% fullyskilled (5x 15%) would feel more reasonable. Maybe 50%/0 -> 150%/5.
Similar situation for similar perks like "run n gun", etc.
In additon some perks like archery have no special mechanics while others like heavy melee and pistols/rifles have immense advantages. Feels off too.
Also... a perk for cooking eggs...? C'mon...
1.3 - XP distribution
As of A17 pretty much all XP comes from killing zeds. While I would agree that this gives the most/fastest XP (slightly), it should not be the only way. And right now everything else is not worth it anymore, especially as selling and quest XP is also bound to zed kills. Played with some pals and one stayed in our base to build. While we almost made 8 levels he barely made 1.
This feels horribly off, especially in a game that is partially meant to be a kind of tower defense.
1.4 - clownlike zombie amounts and situations
Even in the tightest of spaces, like a single cabinet suddenly 3-4 zeds pop out... every ceiling, every crossbeam, they sit on like pigeons...
Add in the still existing sleeper spawn bugs and it's beyond hilarious. Finest atmo killer. Well, in a different setting it could be hilarious... maybe.
Also this actually PREVENTS jumpscare moments. Because you simply KNOW it will happen, and all the time so actually...
It totally fries the element of surprise.
One of the worst additions in A17 for me, tbh. Now and then would be ok, like the floor break situations, but please get rid of those clownish "out of the box"-zed spawners and those clowncar-like amount in every room...
You know... it's zombies... ZOMBIES... zombies still to dumb to find the door 2 foot away from their location... and then they try to ambush you from the ceilings all the time... Really?
1.5 - quest design
I hoped for at least slightly meaningful quests, instead it's MMO kind of stuff, if not worse.
I really, REALLY hope this is just the humble start of what's to come.
How about adding in more characteristic ones, for example to unlock some of the perks. Similar to the master quests in Skyrim? They weren't too complex yet characteristingly diversive.
1.6 - harvesting zeds
No idea why that was removed and instead roadkill was added...
Why not simply toning it down to fit the needs? It feels awkward that the player can't make use of at least the bones laying right in front of you... Please enable that again!
It could also offer a great way to make zeds more different: tone down bones and give fat only to, well, the fat zeds.
1.7 - misc. aspects
- AI is still not able to find their way, bulldozing even small obstacles like trees instead of running around it...
- sneak attack seems to work just once, even if the zeds can't find you, feels wrong
- "pogo-zeds"... Nothing to add, looks crappy and is useless. spider-zed leap jumps have a purpose and are fine!
- NVG was reverted back to it's useless old self? Why? Got the properly green look again, that's a plus, but is a waste of a gearslot now
- armor value need tweaking: armor offers heavy downsides but barely any protection
- enemy despawn after death, as if the reason of the death never existed, kind of dev joke/mockery? gets old fast...
- also... bears/wolves in bathrooms n whatever? Yeah... nuff said.
2. - POSITIVE - Everything is bad..? Well, no. Some of the new stuff is imho quite nice!
2.1 - vehicles
Loving the new ones so far! Especially the gyrocopter is great! Whoever decided to go for it the way it is... kudos!
It imho offers a great mix between limitation and possibilities. Also that it is slightly harder to control is actually GREAT! It makes flying less boring. An aspect that for example highly affects ARK's aerial dinos, sadly. Great job!
2.2 - item mod system
Lovin it large! Almost plain ripped from FO, but heck with that! Gives a way better form of customization. Sadly way to late... as already said.
Also quite some recipes feel needlessly complicated... for example: the weapon flashlight. Electrics? Metal ingots? What?
A flashlight... a duct tape... and done!
If there is just one reasonable recipe in this game it would probably be that one!
And don't gate it behind a perk, again...
2.3 - POI design
There are some neat ones, no question. While many are too maze-like since A17, some are imho really great, like the church in Perishton for example. That thing is awesome! The factory near gravestowne looks also good, and was so before already, imho.
Sadly the biggest problem of POIs remain... THE IN BETWEEN!
Most of the time they are sprayed randomly over the map, no reasonable placement. "What?" and "Where?" has rarely any meaning...
The only slight exception is imho the canyon with the burial grounds and mine connected by what is pretty much a POI in itself: the canyon. The ruined highway near departure is the second example.
Add more of that please!
3. - CONCLUSION
Well, I'm torn about A17. The title describes quite nicely how I feel about A17. There's is quite a bit of interesting new stuff, but also a lot that hampers it. Also a lot of changes feel like an end in itself. For example the perpetual change of menu/music/sounds/UI etc., often detoriating the functionality.
But of all... the game doesn't feel like a survial game anymore, more like a shoot em up with zeds chain spawning all the time. No survival like deciding of what to do and how.
A zombie horde? Yay! Takeaway XP! By any means... gameplay that creates these thoughts for players is absolutely anticlimactic for any survival game.
Then there is this abysmal level gating... "Hey, I should learn how to assemble a bike... but nahhh, let me risk my life a few more times by killing another 100 enemies before just to be shure..." Anti climactic again.
(Mist Survival handles on of these aspects in an imho really nice way, by letting you restore found cars for example)
All the latest changes for me make the game feel less in tune. Instead of fighting the zombies ist just feels like battling the mechanics per se instead. Imho, that's a horrible feeling.
This includes the characteristics. From environmental design, to loot, most things feel disposable. With every alpha new POIs are added, something that's actually great, but so many of them work the same way... no difference in mechanic or dynamic/pace. (but there are good looking ones, as said)
A good bunch of them actually looks quite special, but in the end almost all of them are desecrated with the ever-same boring maze-design. Why reducing them ALL to the SAME thing...?
Maybe special quest related ones that do not just offer the ever same random spawn in gameplay, but also more tactical approach. Something that would really make the use of mines as an offensive preparation usefull, or a well place turret as support. Something that breaks the monotony, a fresh breeze now and then.
Also I really hope to see the level gating gone, or at least reduced to less grindy values. Let the player decide how to build their characters! If they want to build a super smart survivor that can't lift his/her own arms... let them!
Also a lot of gated aspects are relevant well before the set levels, for example defenses/traps or vehicles like the truck.
At least introduce a lower tier of those earlier on (if it's only a direct upgrade, and nothing new in itself), for example "pneumatic bolt turret" or whatever.
Until blade traps are available building a defendable base is not really viable, with how easily zeds chew through walls/blocks now, and the old spikes gone.
So yeah, the game lost a lot of appeal for me I can just say, but not all, so I still hope that with some reasonable tweaks in AI-detection (zeds shouldn't always sense the player through half a dozen block thick walls), spawns, level gating and environment/quest layout/interaction more of the potential of this still very promosing game is awakened (and to some degree revived).
PS:
Even with the new AI as said zeds chew down anything the walk towards... Why not giving their AI-attack-routine a "cooldown" that stops them from attacking and destroying stuff causelessly, unless they get roused again?
after having the time to test A17 quite a while I want to talk about some aspects that felt important to me and keep things as short as possible yet detailed enough. Still, wall of text incoming. I hope it's the right place, if not please let me know Roland.
1. - NEGATIVE
1.1 - level gating
While the skill based system per se is not bad, the gating behind player levels on the other hand limits/narrows the playstyle in an imho worrying way. Was it introduced to stretch out the playtime? I can just say more grind isn't a replacement for more content. Especially if it means a lot of said content is a mere jump-pad before the actual fully facettet gameplay can start.
The worst part of this is it creates a "too good to use" trope kind of situation. When you need something you are not allowed to get it, and once you can it's mostly obsolete because you need to find ways to deal with the problem way before.
For example: What is the truck good for when, if I can finally craft it, the map is already cleared, or at least most parts of it, several BMs done, etc...? And it's similar with defenses and other things.
Nothing is worse than getting something that was needed but isn't anymore.
Please reconsider these dynamics and allow players do decide for themselves of when and what to do!
1.2 - perk balance
I really like a perk system where perk choices matter and influence the gameplay. But most perks are crazily strong. Please consider to even out the odds between with and without. For example "boom, headshot!"...
0% bonus damage unskilled but 150% full perk feels way to heavy. 50% bonusdamage unskilled to 125% fullyskilled (5x 15%) would feel more reasonable. Maybe 50%/0 -> 150%/5.
Similar situation for similar perks like "run n gun", etc.
In additon some perks like archery have no special mechanics while others like heavy melee and pistols/rifles have immense advantages. Feels off too.
Also... a perk for cooking eggs...? C'mon...
1.3 - XP distribution
As of A17 pretty much all XP comes from killing zeds. While I would agree that this gives the most/fastest XP (slightly), it should not be the only way. And right now everything else is not worth it anymore, especially as selling and quest XP is also bound to zed kills. Played with some pals and one stayed in our base to build. While we almost made 8 levels he barely made 1.
This feels horribly off, especially in a game that is partially meant to be a kind of tower defense.
1.4 - clownlike zombie amounts and situations
Even in the tightest of spaces, like a single cabinet suddenly 3-4 zeds pop out... every ceiling, every crossbeam, they sit on like pigeons...
Add in the still existing sleeper spawn bugs and it's beyond hilarious. Finest atmo killer. Well, in a different setting it could be hilarious... maybe.
Also this actually PREVENTS jumpscare moments. Because you simply KNOW it will happen, and all the time so actually...
It totally fries the element of surprise.
One of the worst additions in A17 for me, tbh. Now and then would be ok, like the floor break situations, but please get rid of those clownish "out of the box"-zed spawners and those clowncar-like amount in every room...
You know... it's zombies... ZOMBIES... zombies still to dumb to find the door 2 foot away from their location... and then they try to ambush you from the ceilings all the time... Really?
1.5 - quest design
I hoped for at least slightly meaningful quests, instead it's MMO kind of stuff, if not worse.
I really, REALLY hope this is just the humble start of what's to come.
How about adding in more characteristic ones, for example to unlock some of the perks. Similar to the master quests in Skyrim? They weren't too complex yet characteristingly diversive.
1.6 - harvesting zeds
No idea why that was removed and instead roadkill was added...
Why not simply toning it down to fit the needs? It feels awkward that the player can't make use of at least the bones laying right in front of you... Please enable that again!
It could also offer a great way to make zeds more different: tone down bones and give fat only to, well, the fat zeds.
1.7 - misc. aspects
- AI is still not able to find their way, bulldozing even small obstacles like trees instead of running around it...
- sneak attack seems to work just once, even if the zeds can't find you, feels wrong
- "pogo-zeds"... Nothing to add, looks crappy and is useless. spider-zed leap jumps have a purpose and are fine!
- NVG was reverted back to it's useless old self? Why? Got the properly green look again, that's a plus, but is a waste of a gearslot now
- armor value need tweaking: armor offers heavy downsides but barely any protection
- enemy despawn after death, as if the reason of the death never existed, kind of dev joke/mockery? gets old fast...
- also... bears/wolves in bathrooms n whatever? Yeah... nuff said.
2. - POSITIVE - Everything is bad..? Well, no. Some of the new stuff is imho quite nice!
2.1 - vehicles
Loving the new ones so far! Especially the gyrocopter is great! Whoever decided to go for it the way it is... kudos!
It imho offers a great mix between limitation and possibilities. Also that it is slightly harder to control is actually GREAT! It makes flying less boring. An aspect that for example highly affects ARK's aerial dinos, sadly. Great job!
2.2 - item mod system
Lovin it large! Almost plain ripped from FO, but heck with that! Gives a way better form of customization. Sadly way to late... as already said.
Also quite some recipes feel needlessly complicated... for example: the weapon flashlight. Electrics? Metal ingots? What?
A flashlight... a duct tape... and done!
If there is just one reasonable recipe in this game it would probably be that one!
And don't gate it behind a perk, again...
2.3 - POI design
There are some neat ones, no question. While many are too maze-like since A17, some are imho really great, like the church in Perishton for example. That thing is awesome! The factory near gravestowne looks also good, and was so before already, imho.
Sadly the biggest problem of POIs remain... THE IN BETWEEN!
Most of the time they are sprayed randomly over the map, no reasonable placement. "What?" and "Where?" has rarely any meaning...
The only slight exception is imho the canyon with the burial grounds and mine connected by what is pretty much a POI in itself: the canyon. The ruined highway near departure is the second example.
Add more of that please!
3. - CONCLUSION
Well, I'm torn about A17. The title describes quite nicely how I feel about A17. There's is quite a bit of interesting new stuff, but also a lot that hampers it. Also a lot of changes feel like an end in itself. For example the perpetual change of menu/music/sounds/UI etc., often detoriating the functionality.
But of all... the game doesn't feel like a survial game anymore, more like a shoot em up with zeds chain spawning all the time. No survival like deciding of what to do and how.
A zombie horde? Yay! Takeaway XP! By any means... gameplay that creates these thoughts for players is absolutely anticlimactic for any survival game.
Then there is this abysmal level gating... "Hey, I should learn how to assemble a bike... but nahhh, let me risk my life a few more times by killing another 100 enemies before just to be shure..." Anti climactic again.
(Mist Survival handles on of these aspects in an imho really nice way, by letting you restore found cars for example)
All the latest changes for me make the game feel less in tune. Instead of fighting the zombies ist just feels like battling the mechanics per se instead. Imho, that's a horrible feeling.
This includes the characteristics. From environmental design, to loot, most things feel disposable. With every alpha new POIs are added, something that's actually great, but so many of them work the same way... no difference in mechanic or dynamic/pace. (but there are good looking ones, as said)
A good bunch of them actually looks quite special, but in the end almost all of them are desecrated with the ever-same boring maze-design. Why reducing them ALL to the SAME thing...?
Maybe special quest related ones that do not just offer the ever same random spawn in gameplay, but also more tactical approach. Something that would really make the use of mines as an offensive preparation usefull, or a well place turret as support. Something that breaks the monotony, a fresh breeze now and then.
Also I really hope to see the level gating gone, or at least reduced to less grindy values. Let the player decide how to build their characters! If they want to build a super smart survivor that can't lift his/her own arms... let them!
Also a lot of gated aspects are relevant well before the set levels, for example defenses/traps or vehicles like the truck.
At least introduce a lower tier of those earlier on (if it's only a direct upgrade, and nothing new in itself), for example "pneumatic bolt turret" or whatever.
Until blade traps are available building a defendable base is not really viable, with how easily zeds chew through walls/blocks now, and the old spikes gone.
So yeah, the game lost a lot of appeal for me I can just say, but not all, so I still hope that with some reasonable tweaks in AI-detection (zeds shouldn't always sense the player through half a dozen block thick walls), spawns, level gating and environment/quest layout/interaction more of the potential of this still very promosing game is awakened (and to some degree revived).
PS:
Even with the new AI as said zeds chew down anything the walk towards... Why not giving their AI-attack-routine a "cooldown" that stops them from attacking and destroying stuff causelessly, unless they get roused again?
