[we need a primitive source of light in the early game.]

1 hour ago, Laz Man said:

 

Yes and no.  I think placing lights is important for base building but feel it minimizes the value of handheld and helmet lights.

 

It seems like there is room to improve the current implementation of lights more then just adding another primitive one that would just further trivialize their use.

 

i'm with you that handheld torches/flashlights are valuable to the game and are underutilized, especially the flashlight which can't be placed, but i think having your character have a decent weapon in one hand and a torch in the other is the best of both worlds. this is possible in all sorts of games, STALKER comes to mind, where you have an offhand accessory slot controlled by its own button. if you don't use it, your character uses both hands to use a pistol. put a flashlight in that slot and press its button, he will one-hand the pistol and bring out the flashlight with the other. this is a very common tactic used by police and military units.

 

you wouldn't even need to add a primitive light source to the game at all in that case, everything is already there.

[we need a primitive source of light in the early game.]

9 hours ago, Laz Man said:

 

Not so much immersion breaking as mounting a torch on something is believable but rather gameplay breaking.

 

Being able to mount a torch on anything pretty much allows players to easily circumvent the trade off with holding a torch in your hand as a light source instead of a true weapon.

 

Considering torches and flash lights can be used as weapons suggests at least some type of situational decision making opportunity.

 

For example, do I use this torch/flashlight for increased visibility at the expense at having less damage and being detected more easily?

 

This decision is made less impactful since torches can be mounted / picked up with relatively low cost.

 

 

are you saying you'd rather do away with the ability to mount torches anywhere you want? it becomes a moot point as soon as you acquire the book that allows you to craft helmet light mods, the schematic or a mod itself, and that could easily be very early. to me, needing to make that decision of whether to carry light in exchange for using a mediocre weapon isn't worth much, and i don't find whacking zombies for an unreasonable amount of time to be fun, which is why i never play on anything above Warrior.

 

[we need a primitive source of light in the early game.]

4 hours ago, PoloPoPo said:

Maybe I didn't get that correctly but why is it silly and immersion-breaking going out at night with a torch or a flashlight?

 

Personally, I always go out at night, even at day 1, if not for looting then at least for getting some wood / stone. I don't even need any kind of light source as the devs made night much more brighter with the update from A18 to A19 (if I remember correctly). Even on standard brightness settings at midnight without any source of light you can still see enough to survive. I liked the old setting much better where nighttime actually was close to complete darkness and going out without a torch was impossible.

going outside with a torch is fine. crafting 15 torches and throwing a dozen of them at the wall so they stick is silly and immersion breaking. when you're outside you definitely have enough light to get by, but going inside is a different story, hence why people craft 15 torches. this seems to be the prevailing method of seeing at night, and i just think it's crap.

[we need a primitive source of light in the early game.]

10 hours ago, PoloPoPo said:

 

Your suggestion looks nice and could fit in the overall setting, however, I don't think it is needed. You don't have to stay in your base at night. What is stopping you from taking a torch and going outside? If that is too inconvenient for you and you always want good sight I'd rather give myself a helmet light mod from creative menu instead of turning up brightness which looks ugly.

 

Being able to have good vision at night is one of the early game's struggles and part of the survival aspect. Have you ever tried to play without helmet light mod deliberately? I did and it is a worthwile experience. Only light sources that are designed inside POIs and flashlight / torch outside gives the game a completely new character. Much more scary, also more difficult and as the lighting was done very well by the devs the game looks much better as well at night /inside POIs if you as me. Only did that once with one of my savegames as the constant struggle for good vision gets also annoying eventually on the other hand.

 

well everyone has a different way of getting around not being able to see at night. as you can see in this thread, the common way is to throw sticky torches all over the place. people don't play the game in the dark in the early game, and since the prevailing way of getting around the darkness is pretty silly and immersion-breaking, i figure why not let players have a more realistic feeling way to do it.

 

4 hours ago, Laz Man said:

 

 

Early survival shouldn't be about convenience imo.  We need progression up to the helmet light mod imo.

 

I'm sure some folks would even like light sources not lasting forever.

the thing about this game is everyone sets their own difficulty. some people like very slow progression and will turn loot down and difficulty up. some people want a relaxed experience and will make it so zombies can only walk. and as i said earlier, people don't play in the dark, they throw torches everywhere. i figure, why not have the option to have a light source in the early game. people who don't like it don't have to use it, but there are players like me who will just turn the brightness up so they don't have to throw torches everywhere. maybe i'm in the minority on that, and if people don't have a problem with the way things are now, then we can just let it be. maybe i'll make a mod for myself like has been suggested.

[we need a primitive source of light in the early game.]

6 hours ago, Rince said:

If only our character would learn to dual wield. Maybe that could make the flashlights useful.

that's something i would love. torch in one hand, weapon in the other.

[The Great Ammo Nerf in Alpha 20.1 b5]

this was a very necessary change and i hope they don't raise ammo counts back up any higher. i think in 20.1 its well balanced.

[Unpopular Opinion: I Like the New Farming RNG]

I just hope Mad Mole doesn't look at people complaining about it and decide to backtrack. Investing points in farming to get a better harvest makes perfect sense.

[we need a primitive source of light in the early game.]

2 hours ago, warmer said:

what is stopping you from placing your torch down to use your hands, or are you concerned about fighting at the same time?

the latter. it would be nice to have a hands-free light source, similar to the helmet light mod.

55 minutes ago, PoppaSmirk said:

Right, I carry 4 torches on average in early game.   Before I have a helmet light,   Torches are incredibly sticky so I toss one by the doorway I am about to open,  or after entering a new shady looking area simply toss one on the wall.  

that's a cumbersome way to handle light in the early game. it would be much more convenient to have the light follow you, so you can always have a weapon in your hands.

[we need a primitive source of light in the early game.]

i don't know about other players, but i don't stay in my base at night, even when i first start. i think that's really boring. the problem being that i can't see very well without a helmet light mod. my solution is to simply turn the brightness up in the settings, and its actually a perfect solution, it lights everything up without being harsh on my eyes.

 

i'd like a solution that doesn't involve me changing settings, tho. the engine probably wouldn't allow a player to hold a torch in one hand and a weapon in the other, but maybe a torch secured to a player's back? this is a solution used by real hunter-gatherers in the past. maybe make it a mod to attach to chest armor or chest clothing?

[Vending Machines Restocking?]

i've thought about this too and i think the ones outside the trader base shouldn't restock. it would add a layer of realism to the game, especially for players who turn off loot respawns altogether.

 

i also think that the vending machines should take old cash instead of dukes. i mean, why would they be converted to dukes anyway? it would give old cash another use than just selling for dukes too.

 

i stopped using the trader in my recent run and old cash has literally no use anymore... besides scrapping for paper i guess.

[Power Tools Noise]

i agree that the power tool noise should be turned down. it's true that it's "realistic" to have the noise be extremely loud, but this is just a game at the end of the day and one that doesn't exactly go down the realistic route with anything else. a lot of people, including me, turn down the in game volume to deal with it, the devs might as well acknowledge this and turn down the power tool noise.

[Biome Lootstage bonus should seriously be tuned down]

42 minutes ago, seagas said:

Also IMHO, the tier 6 items are too common, they should be more rare to support the idea that they really are special. 

yeah i agree, i found a level 6 steel club in a school bus and i'm swimming in level 6 steel armor. it's pretty excessive.

[Biome Lootstage bonus should seriously be tuned down]

this is one of the best changes from A19 to A20 imo. in A19 loot was terribly linear, you could practically predict what you were going to get in a crate based on your gamestage. a lot of people complained that the rush of getting a random great item was lost.

 

instead of reintroducing very random progression, they allowed people to take on increased risk to get the increased reward they wanted. a perfect risk/reward situation, and i personally visit the snow biome a bunch before ever touching the wasteland.

[Changes To Farming]

the old system was very rewarding with no perk investment or effort.

 

the new system rewards additional effort and perk investment. it's better.

[Acid, wheels, sewing kits]

the chem station is such a core work station that every survivor wants to have, it shouldn't be limited by such harsh RNG. you should be able to craft bottles of acid from semi-rare items like car batteries, and you should be able to craft a beaker. you can craft a glass jar, but making a bigger glass jar is beyond you? nonsense.

 

i use mods to achieve both of those things. crafting a beaker requires level 3 of advanced engineering. this way these items are guaranteed, but still require effort or perk investment.

[My vehicles keep being teleported all over the place.]

At first it was just being teleported to random spots around my base while i was gone, but recently had an issue which ruined my game.

 

i took a motorcycle to a faaaar away quest and left my bike and minibike at my base as usual. i ended up dying out there and was like @%$#, i have to take my minibike out there and get my stuff. well my minibike and bike had both been teleported so far away from my base i couldn't see them on the map, possibly off the map. so i was stranded with no vehicles at all with a bloodmoon starting soon. i decided to delete my worlds and wait until A20 Stable is more Stable.