PC Steam reviews - I kinda figured

I decided to go check out the steam reviews.
I found most useless, but did decide that sorting by 1 weeks "most helpful" was very damning.

Many vets saying a17 is trash, but many MORE finding their reviews "most helpful".

THAT metric is one that tfp should take seriously.
Click to expand...
Well, I also went through some of the reviews, sorted by Recent, and found very few Thumbs Down ones that were i) detailed enough to see what the player was complaining about, and ii) that I agreed with.

This is just my humble little opinion, but for example:

Melee class is♥♥♥♥♥♥early game, and I'd advise against it at any point really. Its only real helping factor is that weapon repairs for maces, etc are easy to come across early game. - absolutely not my experience so far in A17.

i mean its not bad but its not fun 2/10 - lacks any sort of detail, like this one: Alpha 17 or this one Its another sandbox survival mess. Run away for real not virtually.

This is another good example:

a year and a half update time to release an absolutely garbage patch. Sleeper zombies spawn literally right on you, daze you and kill you. No balance at all. Optimization....good luck the game looks terrible and destroys your cpu and ram. They should of just left the game like it was years ago in alpha 1 and 2 during kickstarter and kept it as a zombie minecraft clone. The game is just pathetic and its sad really as it used to be a very good game. Also seriously fun pimps can you make the combat animations any worse? Maybe I'm just spoiled from Ark and Conan Exiles as they have their issues but nothing compared to this game. - there's not a single part of this review that matches my experience in ANY build of A17 so far.

Now, I don't think A17 is perfect, far from it, and I've got a list of issues I hope will change / get fixed, but, my (cursory) read of some of the recent negative reviews (I skipped over the many positive ones), didn't yield a lot of actionable information I reckon.

 
I can think of a few ways off the top of my head to completely avoid horde night using the new AI. One example is a double layered maze using doors place horizontally and/or draw bridges. Opening and closing the doors/draw bridges as the need arises to delay the zombies the entire night without having to fight even a single one.
There will always be ways to exploit AI that can't adapt to the circumstances. The main issue is taking away more and more playing styles. Why do that? This game was originally touted as minecraft with zombies and more for adults. The reason minecraft is loved is because of the crazy high amount of ways a player can play the game. Limiting a gamer's choices in a game that's suppose to be a sandbox isn't a good idea imo.

I know it might be a pain to do but highly optimized features can only add to the attraction of the game.
Click to expand...
Actually you can outrun the horde on default settings on foot, even without rule 1 cardio. If you got a bicycle its even easier.

 
@oz I had expected to see the usual crackpot "tfp sucks" reviews like we see here, but most were just "a17 isn't as fun". If they didn't detail the reason, I didn't discount the review though.

 
@oz I had expected to see the usual crackpot "tfp sucks" reviews like we see here, but most were just "a17 isn't as fun". If they didn't detail the reason, I didn't discount the review though.
Click to expand...
Oh, definitely, I wouldn't discount it, for sure, but as feedback, its perfectly useless.

That's a real shame too, because if A17 really has diverged from a significant portion of the playerbase, then it's important that .1, .2, .3 etc get it back on track (if TFP agrees with those view points), but that can only happen if the feedback is expressive (and constructive). Most of the negative steam reviews I went through weren't any of that - though, I stress, I spent only 10 minutes or so going back through the last 50ish reviews.

 
My guess is the feedback that IS presented, is representative of the whole.
Most people are lazy. :)
Click to expand...
Agreed, which is why I do hope the Pimps consider the hot button issues that A17 has raised (LCB's for example, an option for digging zombies in the in game menu, bland RWG, very early stamina issues perhaps etc etc). It's just a shame that so many of the negative steam reviews are basically worthless as any form of feedback.

 
Sorry to shorten your original text, but I'm tired but wanted to leave you with this:If I bought red beans and opened the can, ate 30% and discovered that beneath there are green beans, I would be pretty sour.
Click to expand...
LOL, but the great thing about this grocery store is that only have to go online, click on their drop down menu, choose red beans and they will send you a can of that.

To make this easier the code for those beans is 16.4

;)

 
I tell you why.Think of Skyrim. Now think that the first shout you get is a powerful "kill every enemy you meet instantly" shout.

Now enemies are worthless, nearly every other shout is worthless and basically 1/3rd of the game is basically gone.

"You don't have to use it! Why do you want to remove that shout? People enjoy that shout! How are people that dislike that shout negatively impacted?"

This is basically underground building.

You completely ignore the main incentive of the game. Namely: hordenight.

If you dislike the hordenight, disable it.

A survival game where survival is optional is not a good game.

And no its not less of a sandbox because of this.

You can still build underground that is safe 6.5 days of the week, but then you will need a base above ground to fight off the zombies on hordenight.

That is all.

It is rare that I agree with TFPs, but this is certainly one point that I agree with them.
Click to expand...
Hiding is a survival option thought. Saying it isn't shows a complete lack of the core concept of the survival genre. Survival and sandbox go hand in hand when it comes to game mechanics. This isn't primarily a survival game anymore with the direction tfp are taking. It is an action game with light survival aspects.

 
The game isn't a pure survival game.. it has tower defense in the game description... that challenges you to survive the zombie hordes. Aka fight them, not run away and hide in a base that youll never have any danger in.

 
I can think of a few ways to make the player character even weaker, so would that make it a better game then?
Click to expand...
Possibly. It is still very easy to whack z's to death with a wooden club from D1.

- - - Updated - - -

I couldn't disagree more with this statement. If you're making a "fun game" that gives you a horribly gimped character and your job is to grind all day to gain "perks" to make him "normal", that's just horrible design right there.
Click to expand...
Yep, different people have different likes and dislikes. That's perfectly normal.

 
Hiding is a survival option thought. Saying it isn't shows a complete lack of the core concept of the survival genre.
Click to expand...
You are correct. And it is an option in A17 6.5 days in the week. But hiding in a survival game can fail. Like fighting you can improve your chances by getting better and having better equipment etc. but ultimately it never is 100% safe.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I to not feel they deserve a thumbs up. The wait has been way too long for what we got.I had much fun with previous alphas, but they were also flawed, with the promise "it will get better", so when it gets worse (if you tell me A17 overall is better I'm going to laugh. potential sure... with fixes sure... but as it is right now) this is a reflection on more than just this alpha, but on the game as a whole.

I do not know anymore if the game is recommendable, as I now doubt if the final product is recommendable.

A kid that is sat down on the chair and beeing explained what it did wrong also "listens", they just don't see their own fault in it.

I don't think they are bad or malicious people. Just that they are childishly stubborn. And their final product may be 10x better than A16, who knows.

But we bought a game that we enjoyed and they pulled it away, gave us another one and said: "this is the game you liked now!" and when we tell them "no its not" or "I liked the old one" we are just childish, kneejerking and hateful.

Okay I'll try and say this with as little emotion as I possibly can:

There are a lot of features that people liked that were removed, changed significantly or made unviable completely.

And they had a VERY clear trend that started with A16:

"Harder, not smarter! Slow it down not more content! Remove, don't fix! Gameplay is the non plus ultra, immersion is an afterthought!"

I do not feel anymore like this is a selfconsistent world. Mines on top of cranes, zombies in walls/cupboards/on top of breakable stoneroofs, gps zombies, 3 block jumps, rwg beeing scrambled and more.

All these things ruin something that players loved in favour of what TFPs love.

And if this were a new game, that might be fine. But you can not make a 180° change and expect the playerbase to still like it. Yes RPG is in the description of the game. But it also says this:

"Improve – Increase your skills in a multitude of active and passive disciplines. 7 Days to Die is the only true survival RPG with over 60 multi-tiered skill and perk groups."

but there are only 45 skills now.

Or it says "strategy". So should players expect the game to now go in a top down perspective?

It never was an rpg. And this patch DID do a complete 180° turn. And players are unhappy.

This is not an opinion.

I'm not saying making an rpg is bad, but the way they went about it was.

And the worst thing is that gazz and sometimes roland can sound EXTREMELY dismissive of criticism. This reflects badly on TFPs.

I only know that fataal takes in criticism. The rest? No idea. unholyjoe SAID they are... but I really don't feel it.

I start rambling again. This is such a complex issue.

No I don't think they should listen to everything I say. But I wish they would listen more us... no... not listen. But actually take it into account and put their own feels on the backburner.

But I'm tired, I'm just rambling. I know that they made it worse, even if some ppl like it. And they try and dismiss it.
Click to expand...
Yes it is more RPG like than it was before. Not my fave direction either but, they have said from the beginning that was part of their goal so............it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone.

 
The game isn't a pure survival game.. it has tower defense in the game description... that challenges you to survive the zombie hordes. Aka fight them, not run away and hide in a base that youll never have any danger in.
Click to expand...
Actually, in the description that all prospective buyer will see it is a survival horde crafting game. The tower defense being a primary focus is only in the original kickstarter. The steam descrition merely says it is a blending of first person shooter, survival horror, tower defense, and role-playing games. TFP either need to stop using the "its a tower defence primarily" defence or start advertising the game accurately. And change the tagline in the banner. Because if survival and crafting are no longer primary aspects of the game (they aren't) then they shouldn't be using them as their primary descriptors. Maybe the banner should say action horde tower defence game going forward.

- - - Updated - - -

You are correct. And it is an option in A17 6.5 days in the week. But hiding in a survival game can fail. Like fighting you can improve your chances by getting better and having better equipment etc. but ultimately it never is 100% safe.
Click to expand...
It's an option that denies almost all progress, making it nowhere near as viable, which is why 7DTD A17 is survival-lite, not a survival game. It's an action game now, with some survival features. Needing to eat and drink is not enough to make it a true survival game.

 
On the digging z's:

I think a 'scent trail' would be quite a bit more fun. And realistic :)

Rather than the two extremes; simple, 'can't dig' of A16, & current go to directly above player, dig straight down of A17.

Scent trail could allow you to build the old hatch out in the middle of nowhere protecting your mineshaft. Z's path to hatch and break through. Come down access shaft, at bottom, or whereever, you've built a defensive spot, or 2 or 3. The pathing would/could keep the z's on that course, providing player with the opportunity to defend, or retreat.

As it is currently you can achieve basically the same thing, but it takes a lot more work. If you're building a large underground bunker you can just dig out 3 more blocks for a 'catch basin' that the z's will fall into, then in that large 'attic' over your base, just have a spot they can path to, then defend from there.

For the mine access inside of base, a scent trail could/would lead the z's to breach the base defenses first. Consider that you may well be out of hearing range. So you'd likely need/want to rig up an alarm system so you'd know you needed to haul butt to defend.

Certainly I've no idea how feasible it is, but it seems to me like it could be more fun & more realistic at the same time.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top