[Alpha 21 Dev Diary]

I still think the big, BIG picture of the game plot, is working toward a viable, believable part 2!

 

With the presupposition that the player is in a fevered dream fighting off the zombie virus, probably in a hospital (not required, but a solid wink to "The Walking Dead" series), everything makes sense!

 

-Air drops are injections of immunoglobulins and various nutrients. 

-The White River are the player's fevered view of the nurses (in white) who are helping them.

-Blood Moon hordes are when the virus tries to turn the person into a Zombie (or they just die).

-The ruined buildings are a subconscious interpretation of the players health.

-As the player progresses, they're health is becoming better. After completing tier 5 POIs for all traders on the map the player is cured and wakes up!

 

When the player wakes up there could be a whole spectrum of situations awaiting them!  The game could start as the zombie virus is still thought as a bad flu (Covid-66Z).

The player has 7 days before all hell breaks loose, and they have to prepare for what they believe might come.

Of course, Part2 could have several starting situations and/or several levels of wealth and abilities at start (a wink to Station 11?)

 

Anyway, fuel for thought.

[Alpha 21 Dev Diary]

17 hours ago, Jost Amman said:

I know it's just a small detail... but I'd rather have them add a new type of item named "ruined book/magazine" that you can scrap to paper. Lots of people complain about finding tons of paper in the bookshelves of a Crack a Book store, and don't understand the paper represents ruined books and magazines.

 

That would add a bit of "realism" IMO and ease players into understanding why so much scrap.

 

 

Thats a good suggestion!

I bet many newcomers to the game do some type of "What the heck??"

The role-player side of me would be pleased as well. 

[Alpha 21 Dev Diary]

Will the curbside newspaper stands have the critical documents we need to advance?

I'm actually hoping they don't and just have paper (maybe also a toilet pistol because I do like them!)

 

I'll be tempted just to do that for 2-3 days and then destroy them, so I don't look in them again.

I'll probably let my role-play self, win most of the time and not do that, but it will be tempting...

[Alpha 21 Dev Diary]

3 hours ago, Zombiepoptard said:

 

Tier 3 poi size but tier 5 challenge should be a thing. Having more special spawns in a medium poi should be easy to develop and a no brainer decision to make.

 

That would be interesting for any POI that is not assign from a trader.  Trader assigned (at least early game stages and at Normal difficulty setting) missions should have pretty expected difficulty.  

 

Most here probably know, tier 3 POI's eventually become a bit more of a challenge, but that is so deep into the game where any looting whatsoever is really just kill'n time.

So, to answer your idea, I think a "when you want the kid gloves to come off" should be a difficulty setting.  Maybe after one of the first 3 BM night would be three good times. 

Also, a what do you want to call it?  A "THIS!  IS!  SPARTA!!!" setting where the devs will throw hell at you from Day 1!  Bragging rights would be legitimate. 

[Alpha 21 Dev Diary]

10 minutes ago, Roland said:

 

The people for whom the game is balanced most completely are those who play a balanced game giving their attention to building, harvesting, mining, exploring, scavenging, surviving, trading, and killing. For someone who enjoys the entire game offering they will find that they progress and learn crafting and acquire good loot and build a base and see to their survival needs in an organic and pleasing arc. For those who only wish to play a fraction of the game and ignore certain aspects they will be warping that balanced experience either to the challenging side or the exploitive side.

 

Yes, looting has gotten a huge shot of adreniline with A21 so people who refuse to balance their play to include looting are definitely going to be in for a challenge. I hope they are able to adapt their playstyle and discover that with the changes looting is more enjoyable than it has been in the past and there won't be very many people who decide the game is not for them. But ultimately, if someone hates looting and can't change that feeling then it really may be that this game in its final state is not for them.

 

But, lets hope the changes are fun for all-- enough that everyone is willing to do more scavenging and actually come to enjoy it in the new design space. We will definitely find out once the game releases.

 

 

 

I didn't read if this is the case or not, but as POI tier increases, loot level should not increase linearly but almost (not quite) geometrically in comparison.

 

As things are right now, tier 3 POI are the "grinding point" where I just harvest loot from.  Zero danger.   As tier 5's and some tier 4's can be "gamed" right now, maybe it's all for the best, unless some changes to the POI's are made.

[Alpha 21 Dev Diary]

Hopefully some Devs have looked at the thought-provoking comments of the last few pages as there are some valid points made about survival. 

My take-aways from reading are:

 

-Allow for drinking of polluted water to stop from dying from thirst but there should be a good chance that some ill effects will progressively happen.  You could eventually progress so far that the person only has so many days left to live!  Possibly, you could require some amazing adventure and process/effort to live (IE drain the blood of a radiated zombie and run it through a chem station using expensive chems (1 of each of grandpa's elixirs for example).

-Allow mixing contaminated water at the chem station to make product, but it will consume more inputs.

 

I believe that making ground water unusable after many nuclear weapons were used to try and stop the spread of zombies would absolutely make drinking ground water an act of fools. For example: Europe will have 1000 additional cancer deaths related to just one nuclear incident for the next 70 years! (that's not counting the cancers that were/will be cured.)

[Alpha 21 Dev Diary]

12 minutes ago, meilodasreh said:

 

hardcore players will also be able to roleplay that water from the dew collector is contaminated too, because birds/vultures occasionally poop into its funnel,

which will add to the survival aspect even more.

 

Obviously knowing this, TFP's A23 will have Bald Eagles as pets, I'm sure.

[Alpha 21 Dev Diary]

About the water survival changes:

One could easily role-play that surface water is contaminated by cesium-137 (a byproduct of some nuclear detonations).  It desolves quickly into water and becomes cesium-hydroxide.  Drinking this will just TFU your body.  After 60-90 years, it might not be absolutely terrible if you drink ground water again...

[Alpha 21 Dev Diary]

6 hours ago, BFT2020 said:

 

Some people might think differently, or at least this player does  🙂

 

I have modded my game so you can't repair equipment.  I have found iron or steel tools in loot (before I have the resources to craft new ones) and I will use them until I break them, then go down a tier.

 

In my playthroughs, I have had instances where I was using a Q5 steel pickaxe to mine until it broke, then crafted a Q4 iron pickaxe as a replacement until I found another steel one or was able to start crafting my own steel tools.

 

But that type of playing requires a specific mindset (where the goal of the game is just to survive with what you got) rather than looting to find the best gear and using it from that point on.

 

 

 

For me, this is the answer!

Getting an Auger or especially a M60 MG is GG and the game becomes too simple for me. 

A middle ground, however, could be that you can't make repair kits!  This could allow for some tough decision making as well.  

[Alpha 21 Dev Diary]

Also I would like this wood cutter in the game to realistically make shapes.  (The user comments reminded me of some 7D2D forum users so I had to share).  

 

 

[If you were stranded on a deserted island]

It would be better still to be stranded on Nymphomania Island.

[Alpha 21 Dev Diary]

Are melee weapons viable late game as a solo use weapon? 

I love the machete as I do a small roleplay thing: "Just a little off the TOP!"   

Very fun.  Silly but fun.

 

So, how do the melee masters do it without lots of fist aid and antibiotics?

I mean I tried melee in the Tier4(5?) bookstore... Infected... twice.

[Alpha 21 Dev Diary]

8 hours ago, meilodasreh said:

Although you're specifically talking about the snow biome, where you wouldn't need a powered fridge to keep stuff cool and fresh (ambient temp would be cold enough) 

yeah I agree food spoilage would be nice.

I myself have a strong hoarding tendency, and end up every time with crates full of raw meat, veggies and other stuff all together, which is weird.

 

On the other hand, bears and other vicious animals...you're clearly talking about rather advanced weaponry.

Otherwise a bear does NOT just stand around and is downed within seconds by a few shots.

And at that point of the game, food should still be a struggle? 

 

btw ever tried combat augering those animals to save that precious ammo slot 😃

 

I have found out that once the food problem is solved then everything else usually is to, 90% of the time.  But if I never find an auger, the "Experience super train" moves slowly.  Even slower without a Nail gun (another somewhat OP item).

 

I will eventually pick a spot near a snow biome, as I don't want to wear all the super warm gear instead of my military armor.  Which IMO is the best armor with max pain tolerance.  "If they almost never hit you, then it's the best armor!"

 

I normally respec (the 57K "Forget This" drink) into Machine guns whenever I find or could make a tier 2 or better MG.  Tier 3 MG with a drum means 120+ 7.62's so it's GG, but I continue playing for the lol's

So, with that I only need between 1-5 bullets to take them down.  The cougar is the hardest for me, if I don't "one shot" it as its movements are comically jerky.

However, the first 2-3 seconds you see them, they don't move.  So, a reflex (hop off the motorcycle (best vehicle in game), crouch and shoot.  Rince and repeat).

 

I found out how terrible the auger is in combat, so I don't do that again on purpose. 

[Alpha 21 Dev Diary]

I didn't see it in A21 release notes and maybe I don't want to see it.

But...

 

The Auger is so massively overpowered it needs a serious relook.

Yes, get tons of ore, rock, ect and gain more exp than anything else by building (for example, my base's foundation alone is five meters high and covers the entire green zone!)  I can ignore hoard nights!

But this is common knowledge I believe

 

Safes, ATM and any secure chests are at least as fast with a mod'ed up auger as most lockpicking (maybe not the top tier guys).  I dont worry about a slot for lockpicks

Any buried treasure/loot is a done and done quickly with one.

 

Next is, I would like the easy meat in the snow biome to be downgraded.  Bears, wolves, cougars and dire wolves are just standing around (saw 3 bears and 2 wolves from one spot). I hop off the motorcycle, squat down and pull off a few shoots in seconds, done.  I have over three rows of full stacks of meat and with max farming and 3 points in cooking that whole challenge is over.

Maybe have food decay on as a setting?   It would encourage having a frig and power for it.  Never used electricity because it's not important to me, but I would if it meant preserving tons of food! 

 

Sorry, wall of words there.

[Alpha 21 Dev Diary]

6 minutes ago, Jost Amman said:

Weird, I would expect that an Arch Necromancer would ask about what we could find inside coffins... 

 

That was a good one.

But thinking more on it, maybe some relic that can do damage over time against zombies (not a lot of course).

[Alpha 21 Dev Diary]

• Skill magazines can be found, bought, and/or received as quest rewards. The topic of the magazine matches the location you would expect to find it in the world.

The second sentence is making believability great again!  Finally, a reason to go to a "Shotgun Messiah" again!

I'm sure I'm not the only one who likes a cup of immersion with his game. 

 

[Alpha 21 Dev Diary]

On 12/16/2022 at 1:43 AM, Roland said:

This is going to be the last puzzle. The remaining unknown features of A21 will have to remain unknown until either dev streams start or the update happens. I decided to make you actually work for this one so the nonogram is a real one I generated and the solution to it is part of the puzzle. It isn't just an image of any nonogram. 

 

I'm not completely happy with the ending but hopefully it gets the point across.  

 

 

Is the Santa minus smiles and Christmas tree mean: We will not be happy that it will not be release on or before Christmas?

 

[Alpha 21 Discussion Overflow]

22 minutes ago, Jost Amman said:

Duh? Where did you get that? 

Magazines have nothing to do with skill progression.

• Crafting skill is increased by finding and reading magazines

This is from TFP

[Alpha 21 Discussion Overflow]

11 minutes ago, meilodasreh said:

I would guess magazines will also be given as quest rewards,

maybe even with a choice (to lower the chance you get something offered that you don't need/want or already have)

 

The rest will mainly depend on how "smart" the container's loot table is balanced.

 

Everybody going out to raid book stores to boost progression is already a thing in A20.

I don't think they will make it so that the gameplay will lean even more towards that behaviour.

 

I really like the idea of a trader not giving you duplicates of manuals they already gave you!

 

When skills are only gotten by books/manuals this will make the small bookstores way too important.  The tier 5(?) bookstore has few places to get manuals but the one that's a part of a strip mall will be smashed into every time!    

[Alpha 21 Discussion Overflow]

I'm a little concerned with the Skills = Magazine's thing as just going to towns and looting all the newspaper stands and mailboxes could be the new "player progression" normal routine.

 

I was thinking that completing missions should give you the very highest chance for getting Skill Magazines.  (Everything else no more than 1 or 2 percent).

And, maybe, the tier of the POI will be the maximum tier of the magazine.  This would make Tier 5 POI's worth the threat and use of ammo required (otherwise they are mostly a waste (some tier 4's are currently a waste too IMO). 

 

Sorry if this all this has been hashed over, just my 2 cents worth.

 

 

[Going back......to fun times.....]

I do like the new farming very much as IMO, it simulates a semi-radiated environment where some seed would become sterile or germinate but subsequently die.

 

For a post apocalypse, (Zombie or Mutated Rabies variant) game, this is all the fun and little of the tedium that realistic survival would be in an apocalyptic world.

[Alpha 21 Dev Diary]

1 hour ago, falloutcloud said:

I have gotten into the habit of restarting to a new game on death. It changes how I play a bit but just makes those night missions even more fun. Except for the time I fell off a skyscraper.... I was upset about that one.

Playing "Dead-is-Dead" is the only way to play a survival game IMO.  Because, well, you're trying to survive! 

Of course, I do understand not doing that after spending 5 weeks building an epic "fortress of doom" to then hit the wrong mouse key and fall to your characters death.  (Looking at you, gyrocopter..)

[Alpha 21 Discussion Overflow]

On 8/27/2022 at 10:14 AM, Blake_ said:

What if you could tell the drone to go harvest <select a field of crops> for you? Or have some kind of electric contraption that harvests for us in the late, LATE game.

 

Farming is nice. But it gets tedious later in the game if you plant, say , just a few dozen crops. Having a way to reduce that time would give us more of that precious time to do any other thing, like enjoying emergent gameplay or watching the sunset while holding hands with Snowdog.

 

That sound interesting and doable!

Something like a  blade trap, moves on a track (trains will be a sure thing!) cutting down (and digging up?) one row on each side with the drones picking up the food.  

It could be done...

[Alpha 21 Discussion Overflow]

3 hours ago, Beelzebubs Ghost said:

 

Farming could have been altered instead of wrecked.

 

They could have kept in wild planting (which I will repeat was an outstanding and thoroughly enjoyable nomadic system; with the hoe crafting and ability to fertilise the plots for better yield) and fixed the issues but they didn't.

 

Then it became plot only garbage. This farming method; although a sad shadow of the former; which could have been added alongside not instead of, could have been balanced by simply adding a chance for some crops to mature 'failed' - something perhaps governed by an rng.

 

Then perks could have reduced the chance of dead or unproductive crops. Just a thought.

 

I believe they were trying to make everything a block to optimize the game somehow.

Anyway, the farm blocks are great for me, as I put them on the roof of my horde base (yup, living on the edge). 

To keep the plots safer from vulture vomit, I now build my fighting locations at the corners of my base, this adds interest for me as I don't "game the system", its just me, 3 meters above the ground, with a shotgun...

[Alpha 21 Discussion Overflow]

NPC's are already done in a mod.  The AI of them is not so good so far. (IMO)

I'm pretty sure NPC AI can be worked out into something more immersive. 

 

/dream on

A smart enough NPC AI could make 7D2D the "Game of the year" when it goes gold.  If it gives mod'ers a tools to use the AI, then there could be so many great mods for added replay!

/dream off