Minandreas
New member
I think the heatmap is a sub-par system. But I feel like it was a stopgap solution. One designed to help make sure that there are threats moving toward your base in a game where the AI is epic level trash tier. It being hooked to forges was a way to try and give it some kind of counterplay that the player had control of.
Now that the AI is getting some proper love and attention, hopefully they can work towards a more elegant system. Optimally, I'd like to see something like in Project Zomboid. Where meta events happening around the map can bring zombies near your base (Kinda like wandering hordes, but more announced and less pure wtf random), and from there the zombies AI takes over. If you are making a bunch of noise in your base, or it has lights on it, or they smell you, etc. That is what gets them riled up and makes them try and find you. So there's some gameplay to it. One of those meta events occurs and you can scramble to shut down the forges, turn out the lights, and keep quiet until the threat passes, or instead hit up the battle stations and prepare to meet the threat head on.
As for screamers, they are just buggy and awkward and hopefully the code they operate on can be improved. It would be far cooler if they had a distinct animation leading up to their scream, and that if you hit them, it stops them and they have to start the animation over again. Would make them feel more unique and less janky. Right now the only way to stop them seems to be to head shot them before they even sense you. It's kinda lame.
Now that the AI is getting some proper love and attention, hopefully they can work towards a more elegant system. Optimally, I'd like to see something like in Project Zomboid. Where meta events happening around the map can bring zombies near your base (Kinda like wandering hordes, but more announced and less pure wtf random), and from there the zombies AI takes over. If you are making a bunch of noise in your base, or it has lights on it, or they smell you, etc. That is what gets them riled up and makes them try and find you. So there's some gameplay to it. One of those meta events occurs and you can scramble to shut down the forges, turn out the lights, and keep quiet until the threat passes, or instead hit up the battle stations and prepare to meet the threat head on.
As for screamers, they are just buggy and awkward and hopefully the code they operate on can be improved. It would be far cooler if they had a distinct animation leading up to their scream, and that if you hit them, it stops them and they have to start the animation over again. Would make them feel more unique and less janky. Right now the only way to stop them seems to be to head shot them before they even sense you. It's kinda lame.
