PoppaSmirk

So many different viewpoints. I've enjoyed reading this thread. For Myself I can only say that I use most of the perks at some time, even in a minor way. I regularly do take 1 level of pack Mule, but none beyond that. Penetrator became a 'must have' perk for Me, probably about six months ago. I also take at least 1 level of Well-Insulated. Not sure about the rest of you but puffer coats have been hard to find in My game world, so after a Winter Biome visit recently where My snowflake went red, and then the pumping heart icon came up, so I invested in well insulated. MasterChef is a favorite, and for me is worthwhile, because I can then turn all the recipes I find into coin at the traders Deep Cuts, is a fond perk, and finding it more useful now when I go into city areas and wasteland where 'silence' can be much more desired. I can carve a zomb with My machete and not attract a mini-horde from surrounding buildings. I currently have a silenced pistol and a flaming machete in My "go to" weapon slots on My toolbelt, along with My Level 4 Steel Spear. I am using My bow a LOT more in Alpha 20, whereas in previous Alphas I hardly ever used a bow after maybe, Day 6. Animal Tracker is a perk I have only used once previously and its true, in alpha 20 there is more than an abundant animal population. So I don't think I will find this perk of use much anymore.. Same for Huntsman. Normally I would have at least 2 points in this perk by the time I reached level 20. Right now I am level 45 and still haven't placed any points into Huntsman. Treasure Hunter is something I like having one point in, but using loot goggles when hunting treasures already reduces the 'shrink' of the location ring by 1, so wearing loot goggles plus 1 level of Treasure Hunter reduces the digging down to 6, which suits Me fine to be able to have a quicker getaway when digging up treasure. Lockpicking is an odd perk for me, I really seem to get more locks open without placing points into the perk. I used to regularly place at least 1 or 2 points into it, but I stopped investing in it maybe a year ago. I do like Daring Adventurer cause..."twists thumbs out in My direction" Hey....its me all over... hahahaha But seriously, especially in Alpha 20 the bonuses are very useful. Hidden Strike, I have only used once, in a playthough over a year ago. I don't see a lot of use in it now. Either the zomb dies, or starts to get up , at which point I plunk them again --- and then they die. I personally am not much into the brawling. I really prefer to not let a zomb get a chance to strike at Me. However one of My regular troupe has started getting into brawling a lot more and I am sometimes amazed at the hits she puts down on the zombs.

I saw this building POI maybe 2 weeks ago, after making a run through it, I like the general look and feel of it too. I'm hesitant to commit to trying to reinforce a large locale right now though. I'm on Day 39 and still not a hint of finding an auger, and for Me thats really needed before working on reinforcing a large structure --- AND keeping it maintained. I am really missing the "Days End" Hotel, from previous Alphas. So far I haven't seen one in A20. I've only held a temp base in an AmiGone location though, I used one in a wasteland biome back in Alpha 18 I believe. Never used the junkyard , even though I often commented that the Main brick Building was a good-looking location in space available, plus its multi-level which I like. Rooftop access is always a plus to One of My regular players as He loves to sit up on the roof at night and snipe zombs.

Would that "bee" like the new Honey Farm poi's with 6-8 apiary boxes, but empty of any bee's?

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.

At one time someone added a Mod I saw on Nexus, I think it was the Farm Life mod, with incubators and little constructed ponds (looked like salsa chip dip bowls) to raise salmon. Not exactly fishing, but you did get fish from it. No work on that Mod though since Alpha 18, I believe. In thinking about the topic though, I imagine it would be hard to implement into the "native features" of the game as it currently is. water sources are randomly generated and although some are very nice to look at; the depth and size are also very random, HD models of fish would have to be added, plus animations of their movement, in water and potentially movement when being caught (fish wiggling on a line) I think this idea, might be in the "Wish upon a Star" version of 7D2D, wherein all our immersive dreams come true. I think that version is due out in Alpha 28 *chuckle*

Much appreciated. since none of the crashes happened indoors in any specific POI, with the exception of the last one. That one happened in the small room I am using for My temporary base. I was unsure what data I could provide, but I will check into that datafile..

So, having found out that another player in My little group, was in favor of trying out 20.1 I went in and updated to the new experimental. Then I generated a new RGW. Everything looked fine, I started in the initial starter quest, and when upgrading the frame shape, sudden crash to desktop. I closed out STEAM, restarted 7D2D then went back into the new game world. It placed Me right back in the same spot. and I went on with things, then about 25 minutes later , while playing stabby stabby with a zomb. another CTD. Hmm, unusual, so I checked that I had no other programs in background running (such as updates to any business or entertainment apps) Nothing seemed out of place, so I restarted My PC, then launched STEAM, launched 7D2D, entered the new game world. Played for approx 40 minutes, and another CTD when opening a crate to drop My excess inventory into. So, the events that happened when the CTD occurred, aren't the same. I'm not big on My knowledge of creating bug reports, but a general CTD, is that something I can get enough info to fill out a Bug Report? Its simply a bit alarming that prior to today, its probably been 8-10 months since I last had a CTD on My PC, for any reason.

I think that overall, the farm plot cost doesn't enter into consideration as a concern, because most of Us have tons of clay and the nitrate is usually already around since its used in gunpowder too, gathering the rotten flesh, for My viewpoint at least is usually inconsequential. Its a one time investment of taking a few moments to gather roadkill or simply plucking the rotten flesh from the ABUNDANT loot containers its so frequently tossed into. My issues in the new farming system were from the longer time to be invested to get a 'dependable' harvest. Something that still doesn't feel quite right yet, but the system is workable, and I am able to produce enough at LoTL3. I had an issue in simply not being able to get a sustainable farm at LoTL1-2. I still wind up with some wacked harvests each time I pull in a crop. Never seems that the 50% chance to get a seed back, yields better than 50% of seeds. I tend to plant in groups of 6 of each type of produce, and I seem to have to recraft more than 50% of My seeds; fortunately the overall yield still turns in a positive number, just that its very unpredictable and winds up being a bit more of a time and thought investment to farming than I had been accustomed to doing previously. But, it works at LoTL3.

I used the prison once as a main base. LOVED it, but its not something I want to tackle early game. If the prison poi is getting the same updated treatment as other new POI's, its probably going to have a ton of surfaces that will not allow a player to "attach blocks to the existing walls" a slightly annoying side effect of the new A20 builds I have seen so far.

in 7D2D some of My usual Players chuckle at Me, because I insist on bringing back snowballs from the Winter biome to form a bottom layer of any container holding raw or cooked foods. Just My way of simulating a scenario where keeping raw and uncanned consumables cold, would be desired. Players can interpret things to make the game seem more immersive, everything doesn't have to be spelled out in game mechanics to simply have a good time in playing in the zombie apocalypse.

Just as FYI, after I went back in to play again, I checked the map. obviously some is still greyed out as I didn't "ride along the border of the RAD zone", but this last ride I did swerve every few hundred metres, (timed it at approx 40 seconds of drive time between each swerve) into where the "border might be if it existed" and I did hit Rads, so even though the grey area of the map overlay seems to extend much further, I have apparently hit the border of the East and North sides of the map. Which still leaves Me REALLY wondering now, Where the flip is the Wasteland biome on My map.

I tend to take a section of whatever building I use for My base as the Utility Area, crafting and storage all well-spelled out and functional. But then, for My own tastes and also the People I normally play together with also enjoy 'staking out' a section of the POI as if its their own personal space, and it winds up bringing a smile as you march through the base. One Man loves the 'Western look" so he decorates with lots of semi-smooth wood panels and lots of brown leather sofa pieces. then you walk into the area that one of the women that plays in My World, and she likes marble floors and turning her space into a luxury apartment with lots of potted plants, then My space leans toward using wallpaper and wainscotting, usually if the space has a bed already in it, then My bedroll hover-lays on top of the bed (really wish those bedrolls could lay flat on the ugly beds though). Our 4th Player likes being "out" a lot, so their space winds up having 3-4 secured chest attached to the ceiling, and storage for extra weapons. Foot lockers against the walls, and munition boxes high up on side walls, and usually an extra forge. I enjoy seeing the mish-mash though as everyones personality of how they "roleplay" into the post-apocalypse theme of the game.

I still have some further exploring to do, before I can say it with certainty; but the 3 Radiation areas that I have encountered, and not near the edge of the map, in one situation (the Rad Zone in the SE portion of the map, I can see lots of woodland area and hills in the distance) I was in full pedal to the metal mode on My motorcycle heading toward those mountains, when the screen went green and I started coughing up blood. I was on a personal quest at that time to locate some Wasteland biome, so I was trying to cover ground fast. I'll head back that way after My next Horde Night and "drive around the general area" where I left My marker saying "RAD ZONE-KEEP OUT" and see if I can definitively say the rad zone extends all the way down to the bottom of the map from that SE point. The other two spots that I ran into Radiation don't seem nearly at the edge of the map either. If so, then roughly 15% of this RGW Map is unusable. I'll say more after I can speak with confidence on the situation.

I'd say I have played in roughly 40 Random Generated Worlds, and when I first started playing 7D2D I built bases in the Navezgane maps, possibly 6-7 Different "world generations" In all that game play I have only built a base from "scratch" using an empty space of land, a total of 4 times. Mostly I look for something with "good bones" or an interesting location; then work on setting it up to suit My tastes. I do often build a "battle block" in an open area near to My base, and wreak havoc on the zombies from there during Horde Night. I seem to always pick something that at least has some kind of a fence, to get that protection for the first Horde Night, possibly the second as well, but By Day 20 I make it a priority to decide what building I am going to use as a long term base/home and start building it up. I've used 4 different variations of a Pass N Gas station as My bases before, 3 times used a Hotel. used the big prison once, used the classic Police HQ two times, Fire Station three times, and the rest were from taking a good looking residential home and walling it in and setting up defenses, then working on a Battle Block nearby, usually across the street. Battle Block is usually 8 x 8 blocks wide and across, 6 blocks tall, catwalk around the upper section. Small enough that I can cover all sides easily and no decor or storage, just a place to fight zombies from on Horde Night. Still close enough to My base in case something truly unexpected happens and I have to retreat and regroup.

This is confusing to me then, if just being used as an invisible Wall. then that leaves the question of why-how I was able to still go further West then more North, through the desert biome in that sector, and go further North than the spot I ran into radiation in the woodland zone.

Thats a very good point. Earlier this week I discussed that with 2 of the 3 others that come play in My world. Since its been such a long hard climb just to get where We are now, the others voted to keep the current world, at least until We have a chance to see the new drone. We didn't find our first Junk Turret until Day 51, so it might be a while before We manage to get one of the robot drones, but for now We are going to stick with A20 b238

Now this week I am currently on Day 68. Acid, I haven't found a bottle since Day 28, but I have purchased 4 bottles of acid from the 5 various traders I visit. The Sewing Kits, this has been one of those items that seem to be ready to jump into My loot. So far I have 23 sewing kits and already used 6 making pocket and Armor mods. Wheels are very rare as well, which is driving one of My usual players batty. She rants each time We play at seeing hundreds of tires across the land, but can't find a single one still usable. Its Day 68 as I mentioned and We have 4 players. One motorcycle, One Minibike, and two bicycles. I will at least be creating one other motorcycle or possibly a 4x4 this weekend, as My friends get home and ready to play some 7D2D. We discuss the argument points around the lack of an ability to create beakers as well. We think a beaker should be available much easier, since it is merely a glass container with graduated measurements for determining volume. Many of My friends that come to play with Me, argue that a carafe from a coffee machine should be an "apocalypse beaker" so they always say "Wouldn't it be great if the Coffee machine had a chance to loot a beaker", the counter-point that some of Us make, is that a coffee carafe is generally not made of sturdy enough glass to be considered a beaker. So, I am making it through, but My gosh, I agree with Others that progression has been very slow in obtaining things We had become accustomed to finding/creating much earlier in previous versions of 7D2D. We didn't get a Chem Station created until Day 52 and with none available to use from any Trader POI, or other location, kept Us in the *chuckle* Stone Age much longer than We had been accustomed to. Overall, the world in A20 has seemed much harsher, but not unsurvivable. I've only died once in 68 Days, and that was on Day 2 when I was shocked to get caught in a Police Station POI and a Fat Cop came rushing out of one of the offices trapping me in the room with no exit , with only a Stone Spear and a pipe Shotgun with 4 shells. So "surviving" is definitely do-able just more difficult.

In past versions of 7D2D, I would "see" a radiation zone on the main map by the color notice, green area was radiated. I didn't run into much radiation in My RGW's in A19, so possibly I didn't take notice, but now in My A20 RGW, I have now, literally, run into 3 different Rad zones, one in NW area of My map, another yesterday in the SE area, and then after driving just Northward on the eastern sector about 2 km north from the previous Rad Zone, I drove right into another Rad Zone. None of the three areas display any differently on My main map. I did place markers on My Main Map, "Rad Zone-Keep out" in those 3 spots, but I wondered if the map colors no longer display the areas that are irradiated, once a player encounters them? And I have never used the Rad Suit, but I have heard that wearing the Full Suit is still only a partial protection in an irradiated area, is that true?

a brilliant work up of the flamethrower has been one of the weapons included in a Mod for 7D2D over on Nexus Mods. However I haven't yet seen an update on it for A20. The last build for the mod was a version 4.5 which was updated up through A19.3 I felt the flamethrower in 'Firearms Expansion 4.5' was pretty well done. The asset for the flamethrower itself was good to look at. Movement was hampered quite a bit as the weapon is designated as clunky. Flame sounds and the damage was well thought out. Nice and effective at short ranges for early to mid level play, but really wasn't a "zombie killer" once you reach higher levels, but still a fun way to enter a poi and get everyone awake. Members of My little play group enjoyed it immensely, just for the variety it added

Of course We also have "pet names" for most of the other zombies too....theres Sheldon, Penny, Wolowitz...Amy, Bernadette, Howards Mother. 😁 But yes, I am impressed with the quality look of the new Lumberjack, I also think that maybe some pale white patches of skin on him might have better conveyed his undead nature...and given a tiny bit of throwback to those of us that remember him as the zombie version of Mr Freeze.

So I played awhile tonight, and listed everything from the harvest I pulled in. This is why I think that at LoTL3 (FARMER), the chance of getting a seed should be better than the odds from a coin flip. 8 pumpkins planted: 2 seeds returned, total produce harvested 52 pumpkin, after recrafting, yield is just 22 pumpkins. 8 corn planted: 5 seeds returned, total produce harvested 54 ears of corn. after recrafting yield is 39 ears of corn. 11 potato planted: 4 seeds returned, total produce harvested is 71, after recrafting, yield is 36 potatoes. 6 blueberries planted: 2 seeds returned, total produce harvested 41 blueberries. After recrafting, yield is 21 blueberries. 6 mushrooms planted: 3 spores returned, total produce harvested 38 mushrooms. After recrafting, yield is just 23 mushrooms. 4 aloe vera planted: 1 seed returned, total produce harvested 26 aloe leaves; after recrafting final yield is just 11 aloe vera leaves. 2 supercorn planted (isn't supercorn supposed to be genetically more hardy than normal corn anyway?): 1 seed returned, total harvest of 11 ears of supercorn. after recrafting the final yield is 6 ears of supercorn. Now, I am not saying that I didn't get a lot of benefit from that harvest; but overall it still feels not quite right, to study, try out techniques and be at the HIGHEST possible level of Farming (via investing skill points); and still have the same chance to get a seed back, as when you first stamped a seed into the ground with your thumb at LoTL1. Many of the other skills progress in advancement with an additional 10% boost when you level up those skills. I really feel that LoTL3 would benefit from having the chance to have a seed returned, placed as a 60% chance, not the 50% chance that is currently in place. I don't feel the idea is overpowering, but would simply place the "FARMER" in a very valid position of knowing more, so they reap a better harvest, and also able to bring in those harvests with better than a probability of "halfsies" on if a seed is retained. The new farming system is more challenging in the time investment it takes to get a usable point of actually having enough food to consume regularly; but its definitely workable, but still the harvesting still doesn't leave a satisfying "feeling". I hope this suggestion might help to bring more satisfaction to players.

https://imgur.com/OQO1Hhu

Well, I suppose that now I do feel like a little country farmer with a "gentlemans farm" *smile* That whole arrangement sounds like some fancy digging and construction happening to get such a grand enterprise rolling. Now I do feel a bit more like My places must wind up having that "living on the edge" of survival feeling since I do tend to plant things with an aesthetic point of view also. I might post a pic of My place after I get back home in a few hours.

Just curious, I've been wondering what POI's that players use for their base when they can plant such large amounts of Farm Plots. I know that in many cases I tend to build a "battle base" and My farming space is limited, but even in My larger bases I don't think I've ever had more than 50 farm plots.

I didn't really change My mind so much as simply not condemning the new farming, just as it does take longer to get a sustainable farm. I'm now on Day 58 and the last 4 harvests using LoTL3 have all given positive yield, just that "getting" to LoTL3 takes quite a bit of investment in leveling up stats and skills, and the A20 version is a bit more demanding, so the tendency is to be placing those stat and skill points toward increasing damage, increasing miner69'er, increasing lucky looter, etc. in past versions of 7D2D, I was able to have a successful sustaining farm by Day 12-15, this time in A20 it took until Day 38 or so until My farm was really producing dependable results to make food items and until Day 44-ish before I had enough coming in to feed more than one person without using canned food at all. I still think there should be one added tweak to the Farming system as its currently setout. Upon reaching LoTL3, its listing that the player is now... a bona fide FARMER, and I think the % chance to get back a seed should reflect that. At LoTL2 the seed chance is 50%, but I feel it would seem more an accomplishment and represent that the player has learned enough to have the chance to get back a seed, tweaked, and be a 60% chance.