PC Underground Threats & More

Underground Threats & More

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When I build underground, I always put in ventilation - towers to the surface will iron bars or poles at intervals to keep things from falling down. Right now, it is part of my role play, just like not keeping more meat than I can use until I have a fridge and power source. I store things underground in one location and have my crafting in another. My bedroll and emergency supplies are elsewhere. I spend most of my time above ground, and do not put my farms underground because I understand the diffusion of sunlight over distance and it just seems wrong. And, in the end, I spend most of my time above ground.

I like many of the ideas expressed that extend the game in a meaningful way. My concern is this: how will some of the ideas effect build a pillbox that is not underground? I see a lot of base designs that basically boil down to giant steel and/or concrete boxes, maybe on stilts, maybe on ground level or in the side of a cliff. No windows, or minimal windows. From the inside view, you might as well be underground. If the Pimps go with some type of environment hazard involving lack of air flow or lack of sunlight, will that apply to above ground structures as well?

 
Since not everyone will notice that the top post was updated, there's now a survey everyone can take as an outgrowth of this discussion. Follow the link at the top of the page, or simply click here.

 
My comment is that breadcrumbs shouldn't work alone. It MUST be supplemented by digging if the "scent" leads into a rock vertically below the zombie.

A survey is nice. As for ranking questions, I guess, less score - is better?

 
Yes; put the most desirable option at the top and the least desirable option at the bottom. It's a little confusing in retrospect when you see the results as a bar graph, since the shortest bar is better.

 
I strongly dislike the idea of worms, I definitely want to be able to be in a room and not be at risk of suddenly dying if I step away from my computer to go to the bathroom or get a bite to eat. With digger zombies or breadcrumb zombies, at least I can hear them coming to attack me and have my walls to buffer said attack until I get back in the game.

I do really like the idea of ventilation being required. I really really think that's a phenomenal idea and it would be really good for PvP as well, forcing players to give a tell that they have an underground base in the area. Also the management of such a base and the technology and effort required would be an adequate challenge to establish.

Flooding sounds awful. Insanity sounds awful as well. Sometimes I like walking away from my computer for a bit and I don't want to be punished for just existing underground. Breadcrumbs is a good alternative because I would be able to pre-emptively build defenses as I tunnel so if I walk away the threat doesn't actively harm me. Sentry zombies are also great because getting out is half the battle sometimes.

 
Yes; put the most desirable option at the top and the least desirable option at the bottom. It's a little confusing in retrospect when you see the results as a bar graph, since the shortest bar is better.
Also a small disadvantage of the poll: In the polls where you have to sort the options from most to least desirable, if you like no option or find just one option acceptable and don't like everything else, what do you do? I just put that one option as most desirable (even though I only was lukewarm about the idea) and set nothing for the rest. Which didn't do what I hoped.

 
Along with diggers and regarding this subject I must approve and say that...:

Worms, slimes, radiated zombie cockroaches, I dont care exactly what, but that is a very good idea along with hazardous environmental conditions (rad, poison, lava, etc). Of course a worm needs to SPAM in at least 1 hollow block and only next to terrain blocks underground with poor light conditions ( said blocks are for example: ores,stone,dirt, grass dirt , superduperclowndirt, cowboydirt ... etc); also, It should only go through said terrain blocks to avoid extra surprises. I can see it boys. I can feel it. Worms, cockroaches, slimy faatalistic radiated AI ants coming to get us. Cool. :02.47-tranquillity:

 
Have everything below -10 blocks from surface have radiated ground + bad air flow.

--> Building lower than -10 would require radiation gear + large rooms would require air vents.

In the end game you can think of other stuff to bother the player. But like Roland said. Once you build that bunker below ground. It should be pretty safe. However a giant base underground with crops and what not should face some difficulties.

 
Yes; put the most desirable option at the top and the least desirable option at the bottom. It's a little confusing in retrospect when you see the results as a bar graph, since the shortest bar is better.
Could the results be tainted by "skipping" the longer ranking parts of the poll and submitting the initial order?

 
The first question really had no answer for me.

I'm underground during blood moon now, but, at the bottom of a drop pit.

So, they come fall in the hole, and get blasted. Yes, it's a TRAP! :p

Too much fun to be had during that time to just hide from it.

(If I wanted that, I'd just play in creative mode with no zombies and be done with it)

Otherwise, good poll.

 
Could the results be tainted by "skipping" the longer ranking parts of the poll and submitting the initial order?
It’s a pretty smart system. It recognizes if a question is skipped. Even partially completed answers are unlikely to skew the results in one direction more than others, because the answers are presented in a random order.

 
Also a small disadvantage of the poll: In the polls where you have to sort the options from most to least desirable, if you like no option or find just one option acceptable and don't like everything else, what do you do? I just put that one option as most desirable (even though I only was lukewarm about the idea) and set nothing for the rest. Which didn't do what I hoped.
Well, I’ll level with you... a free account has its limits, including a limit of 10 questions per survey. So this was designed the way it was in part to stuff a lot of ideas into a few questions.

 
Have everything below -10 blocks from surface have radiated ground + bad air flow.
--> Building lower than -10 would require radiation gear + large rooms would require air vents.

In the end game you can think of other stuff to bother the player. But like Roland said. Once you build that bunker below ground. It should be pretty safe. However a giant base underground with crops and what not should face some difficulties.
Ok, I still don't get what the draw behind environmental dangers is. Could you explain where you see the fun in this? This really sounds like "bother", i.e. things to annoy the player, not to entertain him. What is your reason to want this?

Well, I’ll level with you... a free account has its limits, including a limit of 10 questions per survey. So this was designed the way it was in part to stuff a lot of ideas into a few questions.
Fair enough.

 
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Ok, I still don't get what the draw behind environmental dangers is. Could you explain where you see the fun in this? This really sounds like "bother", i.e. things to annoy the player, not to entertain him. What is your reason to want this?
IDK seems like a basic tenet in survival games..

Overcoming the odds even if they're in harsh conditions and are still able to thrive.

Much like some ppl think the diggers will be annoying, it's just preference on what they would like too see.

Entertainment/ Annoyance, Challenge/ Tedium, varies from person to person like with anything.

Probably the same reason ppl want to have the underground biomes = the above biomes in terms of a challenge to overcome.

Is it so different than ppl wanting to stay in the desert or snow biome or wasteland?

Edit: Not being confrontational. Just stating why I would like it as well and the reason why.

 
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Honestly I would like to see the Environmental hazards if nothing else. Even Minecraft had it right when it says don't dig straight down! Plus visions of mining Iron ore right next to a gas pocket.... tink... tink... tin..BOOM!!!

Other than that I would love to see gate crashers, sleepers, and auger bandits!!

.......in a sense we already have the sleeper system set up in the graveyard.......

Oh and don't forget the other crazy people who built bunkers to survive the fallout

....maybe even a vault or two...? (please don't get sued......)

Finally thanks to Crater for the fantastic recap as Roland said!!!

 
Well, I filled in the survey, but I suppose I'd better re-iterate my position as I have on previous threads. I'll keep it short and bullet-pointed, this time.

  • There are basically three types of zombies: (a) random wandering ones, (b) random hordes aimed at your location, © blood moon hordes that home in on you wherever you go.
  • Type (a) zombies are no problem - they'll go for you if they see you, but they're not likely to damage your base.
  • Type © zombies are no problem either - you can leave your normal base on a blood moon night and go to a separate "horde defense base" that you've prepared.
  • It's the type (b) zombies that are the problem - they're the reason I build underground.
  • I play the "normal" cycle of being out and about (looting, scavenging, exploring) during the day, and retreating back to the base at night for crafting and cooking.
  • During the day, the type (b) zombies are fine. You're moving around, and they may or may not encounter you - and if they do you can fight them or avoid them as you please.
  • But during the night, type (b) zombies head straight for your base because that's where you are. Unfortunately, the AI is such that even if they don't detect you they'll still start smashing your base up when it blocks their path and destroying your defenses.
  • Therefore, even though you're not in any real danger from type (b) zombies at night, they are a pain in the arse because they make you have to spend time doing tedious resource gathering and repair work every day.
  • I'd rather spend time doing fun things than tedious repair work, so I build an underground base that type (b) zombies will walk straight over/past during the night and they won't damage it because it doesn't get in their way.


So that's my reason for building underground, and any "solution" to the non-existent "problem" of people building underground that stops me from doing that isn't going to be one I'd support.

 
IDK seems like a basic tenet in survival games.. Overcoming the odds even if they're in harsh conditions and are still able to thrive.

Much like some ppl think the diggers will be annoying, it's just preference on what they would like too see.

Entertainment/ Annoyance, Challenge/ Tedium, varies from person to person like with anything.

Probably the same reason ppl want to have the underground biomes = the above biomes in terms of a challenge to overcome.

Is it so different than ppl wanting to stay in the desert or snow biome or wasteland?

Edit: Not being confrontational. Just stating why I would like it as well and the reason why.
I don't see any confrontation. I asked, you answered. In very general terms though.

If you think you would like to play "Building lower than -10 would require radiation gear + large rooms would require air vents", why? Concretely. I can explain why I would like sleeper zombies underground, should you ask. I can tell you the situations I assume will happen and what the "fun" is in these situations. Such reasoning should be possible for you or The Batman too. I probably will not share the sentiment but still "get it".

Just so you understand my problem, I haven't heard anyone here in the forum say that he likes switching between leather poncho and puffer coat as a fun or fullfilling or interesting activity. Isn't it universally hated? Now, changing into radiation gear every time you go deeper than -10 sounds like exactly the same. Is there anything appealing about that idea that the weather system is missing?

 
I think requiring ventilation is a great environmental hazard. It serves as a progression gate to creating a perfect safe base with just a shovel and a few minutes. It serves as a potential base-building and design challenge that builders and planners would find exciting. It's realistic - look at all the problems miners had for hundreds of years with noxious gases and lack of oxygen and cave-ins. Yes it's important that we don't confuse "interesting" with "fun" by making a bunch of "interesting" features that aren't fun, but I see ventilation technology as both interesting AND fun as well as practical to encourage a variety of playstyles other than the default "just hide underground and you're 100% safe." It also gives players more reason to go to the cities to loot for parts to create ventilation. It could be a whole new facet of electronics even!

It's like a natural progression of base-building, like a drawbridge over your moat instead of a landbridge. It would gate every shmuck from immediately building deep underground, and it would incidentally make PvP more interesting as designers would have to plan how to hide the telltale signs of ventilation. Expert sleuths would have fun trying to locate such bases, compared to how the game is now where detective work is less feasible. (It used to be more feasible when the sound radii was much larger).

I only see bonuses from requiring ventilation for deep bases. Now radiation suits I could do without. I agree with meganoth that micromanaging my clothes is not fun.

 
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