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Alpha 18 Dev Diary!!


madmole

Alpha 18 Dev Diary!!  

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  1. 1. Alpha 18 Dev Diary!!

    • A18 Stable is Out!
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    • :)
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I don't know that I've issued out my thanks yet for this new experimental Alpha, so let me go ahead and do it.

 

First of all, I came from console. 3 years or so of it, before my wife surprised me with the birthday gift of a PC. Seriously among the best gifts I've ever received, besides my kids. Well, depending on whether or not my kids are being jerks :)

 

Anyway, it's been for lack of a better word, a culture shock. Multiple vehicle options, new zombies (dat beefy biker tho, move over Froze Bunyan), turrets, CREATING A CHARACTER. I could go on and on. But let me focus on A18.

 

I was a miner extraordinaire before this patch. Now, I still want to get into mining, but there are legitimate "classes" I can try out. Level ups feel valuable now. Earning those perk points is great. Looting is more than just finding scrap to melt down at the forge, because I need to supplement the weapons I can make now, and don't get me started on the POIs. Each one tells this little story with torches or lights where some poor soul tried to hold out before turning.

 

No more spam crafting. I know this was basically nullified in what, A16 from what I hear, but this is so nice. It's mostly gone out of Console too, but it's still viable up to Quality 200 or so.

 

The desert is dangerous. I started a new game last night to try to reproduce a potential bug, and got dropped into the Arizona special. Used to, I only headed there for shale but I think I'm going to stick around. Coyotes (while fairly unrealistic to just attack humans-edit, on the other hand, they run away almost immediately upon taking damage, so no issue here) look great. Vultures swooping in whenever I get bit by Wiley. Rattlesnakes sneaking up (unsuccessfully) on me. I haven't encountered a mountain lion yet, but the amount of fun from a single freaking day was terrific. Spears are freaking awesome, brass knuckles are teeth crackin fun, sledgehammers make me feel like a Siege Tank that's been clicked too many times in Starcraft (props to you for getting that one).

 

In conclusion, amazing experimental so far. I bought this game on PC about three months after buying it on console; 7 Days was the kick in the rump to build a computer. Excited to see what comes next, Fun Pimps.

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This is a nonstarter. It might cause someone to die. You can't have that in a survival game. Well, not this "survival" game.

Survival games don't mean they have to have cheap mechanics. But maybe this mechanic would be nice if done well. I would like it as an incentive to repair stuff.

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I don't know that I've issued out my thanks yet for this new experimental Alpha, so let me go ahead and do it.

 

First of all, I came from console. 3 years or so of it, before my wife surprised me with the birthday gift of a PC. Seriously among the best gifts I've ever received, besides my kids. Well, depending on whether or not my kids are being jerks :)

 

Anyway, it's been for lack of a better word, a culture shock. Multiple vehicle options, new zombies (dat beefy biker tho, move over Froze Bunyan), turrets, CREATING A CHARACTER. I could go on and on. But let me focus on A18.

 

I was a miner extraordinaire before this patch. Now, I still want to get into mining, but there are legitimate "classes" I can try out. Level ups feel valuable now. Earning those perk points is great. Looting is more than just finding scrap to melt down at the forge, because I need to supplement the weapons I can make now, and don't get me started on the POIs. Each one tells this little story with torches or lights where some poor soul tried to hold out before turning.

 

No more spam crafting. I know this was basically nullified in what, A16 from what I hear, but this is so nice. It's mostly gone out of Console too, but it's still viable up to Quality 200 or so.

 

The desert is dangerous. I started a new game last night to try to reproduce a potential bug, and got dropped into the Arizona special. Used to, I only headed there for shale but I think I'm going to stick around. Coyotes (while fairly unrealistic to just attack humans) look great. Vultures swooping in whenever I get bit by Wiley. Rattlesnakes sneaking up (unsuccessfully) on me. I haven't encountered a mountain lion yet, but the amount of fun from a single freaking day was terrific. Spears are freaking awesome, brass knuckles are teeth crackin fun, sledgehammers make me feel like a Siege Tank that's been clicked too many times in Starcraft (props to you for getting that one).

 

In conclusion, amazing experimental so far. I bought this game on PC about three months after buying it on console; 7 Days was the kick in the rump to build a computer. Excited to see what comes next, Fun Pimps.

 

i kinda wished that the coyote and mountain lion spawned in more biomes. cuz in real life

 

coyotes can live in nearly any climate (hell in my neighborhood we got a ton of them out at night)

 

and the mountain lion/ cougar can also live in nearly any climate. mostly deserts , forest , mountains and even wetlands.

 

 

ONE DAY I HOPE THE CHICKEN WILL BE A TURKEY!!

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I like it.

 

@Fataal:

I would not call it unrealistic, since you can stab a knife that fast. I watched 3:10 to Yuma recently and Russell Crowe stabbed a sleeping guy in the neck with a fork many times in a short period of time. Try it yourself and see, but not on an actual person. ;)

 

So.. I'm supposed to stab myself in the neck real fast? Maybe later, or I'll let my wide do it the next time I piss her off...lol!

 

I know you've been working on optimisation, and I noticed something on my day 56 horde night last night... once the sky turned red, my franerate felt like it cut in half. This was the few hours before the horde night started.

 

Could that red shader be causing that issue? I also just got the night vision goggles... on previous versions if you were wearing a headlamp, you could cycle toggle the headlamp, headlamp and night vision, and both off. In a18, you have to remove the lamp mod or headgear because there is no way to turn off the lamp and turn on the night vision only.

 

If the bloodmoon shader is causing the problem, maybe use the same shader as the night vision, but darker and red instead? It looks like it uses no post effects and its framerate is very high, plus its very clear and easy to see.

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The desert is dangerous. I started a new game last night to try to reproduce a potential bug, and got dropped into the Arizona special. Used to, I only headed there for shale but I think I'm going to stick around. Coyotes (while fairly unrealistic to just attack humans-edit, on the other hand, they run away almost immediately upon taking damage, so no issue here) look great. Vultures swooping in whenever I get bit by Wiley. Rattlesnakes sneaking up (unsuccessfully) on me. I haven't encountered a mountain lion yet, but the amount of fun from a single freaking day was terrific. Spears are freaking awesome, brass knuckles are teeth crackin fun, sledgehammers make me feel like a Siege Tank that's been clicked too many times in Starcraft (props to you for getting that one).

 

I started a new (small, 4k) RWG map to try and find a better start than my last couple (always burnt forest, for MILES). Ended up in the desert at the edge of a huge city - no small houses anywhere. Finally found a garage to bunker down in. Managed to loot a Blunderbuss with 9 rounds from a back near the road on the way through the city (awesome that we can finally find these now - I never would have crafted my own). Later on I was putzing around in my garage when I heard growling and a dog busting down my front door. Dropped a wood block, upgraded, and opened the door. Found a coyote trying to break in - must have heard me do something? Pulled out the BB and unloaded in his face (holy hell is that loud). Dead 'yote - more meat and leather for me! Took the three gunpowder I had looted and crafted up three more rounds of ammo since it's the only firearm I have. It may be "crap" compared to what's coming later, but for now it's all I got, and point blank it's damn powerful (although with a range of 2 it's a last-ditch weapon for sure). Agility (later Agi-Per) spec, so plenty of opportunity to hunt from afar with the Primitive Bow (which, honestly, isn't as bad as people think - with one point in Sneak Attack I can regularly one-shot Burning Zombies in the head from afar).

 

Definitely the best Alpha so far, and I know it will only get better.

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i think when zombies go into a rage!

they should go into a stance and roar and scream.

I wouldn't like that. It defeats the purpose. If the zombies always do that when going into rage, then you always know it's about to happen and therefore you can always be prepared for it.

I would like it if they did this randomly though, perhaps after x seconds pass without their AI receiving any inputs to change what it's currently doing. For example, if in walk mode for x + random seconds, stance and roar, then continue. Myabe the crack head zombie can twitch out in a different way. I like variety in my twitches.

 

and some attacks should be telegraph so you can tell what they will do!

They kinda do. You can tell when a zombie is about to swing at you.

You can tell when a cop is about to vomit. Maybe something is missing for some zombies? Have any specifics?

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I wouldn't like that. It defeats the purpose. If the zombies always do that when going into rage, then you always know it's about to happen and therefore you can always be prepared for it.

I would like it if they did this randomly though, perhaps after x seconds pass without their AI receiving any inputs to change what it's currently doing. For example, if in walk mode for x + random seconds, stance and roar, then continue. Myabe the crack head zombie can twitch out in a different way. I like variety in my twitches.

 

 

They kinda do. You can tell when a zombie is about to swing at you.

You can tell when a cop is about to vomit. Maybe something is missing for some zombies? Have any specifics?

 

im more talking effects wises cuz you cant tell if there going to give you bleed or infection. plus new moves

 

 

let's say you in a hospital looking for meds and then a zombie that your attacking looks like he's going to tackle you. so then you know that (well he going to stun me) and you avoid it

 

or in that same place a zombie comes out of the coroner and he going to bite you so you know that it could cause infection!

 

and the same with bleed. they would use their nails like claws rather than just hitting you

 

but the rage would be if they were in "super rage" when they run full speed at you not if you just punch them lol

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So.. I'm supposed to stab myself in the neck real fast? Maybe later, or I'll let my wide do it the next time I piss her off...lol!

 

I know you've been working on optimisation, and I noticed something on my day 56 horde night last night... once the sky turned red, my franerate felt like it cut in half. This was the few hours before the horde night started.

 

Could that red shader be causing that issue? I also just got the night vision goggles... on previous versions if you were wearing a headlamp, you could cycle toggle the headlamp, headlamp and night vision, and both off. In a18, you have to remove the lamp mod or headgear because there is no way to turn off the lamp and turn on the night vision only.

 

If the bloodmoon shader is causing the problem, maybe use the same shader as the night vision, but darker and red instead? It looks like it uses no post effects and its framerate is very high, plus its very clear and easy to see.

 

Hold F to bring up a radial menu and you can toggle your lights (helmet and weapon lights) and night vision goggles on or off as required.

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im more talking effects wises cuz you cant tell if there going to give you bleed or infection. plus new moves

let's say you in a hospital looking for meds and then a zombie that your attacking looks like he's going to tackle you. so then you know that (well he going to stun me) and you avoid it

I see. How would you avoid it though? If you are close enough to be taking hits from regular attacks, I don't see being able to react to any visuals that might indicate something worse.

I don't play a tanky build, but I know people do, so I cannot speak for them... but I try to avoid all attacks.

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I see. How would you avoid it though? If you are close enough to be taking hits from regular attacks, I don't see being able to react to any visuals that might indicate something worse.

I don't play a tanky build, but I know people do, so I cannot speak for them... but I try to avoid all attacks.

 

easy those attacks are predictable. they are kinda slow so you can back up, or attack them them to knock them out of that attack!

 

also if a zombie bites you and you have a infection already you get even more infected!

 

in my mind a zombie if he was going to stun you. he would put all this strength into it his body!

or he could try to uses what he has to infect/kill you.

 

so say if you hit a zombies leg enough to cripple he can't tackle you

 

but this doesn't apply to most zombies

 

example (any fat zombie) due to their weight its much easier for them to stun you.

 

another is zombie dogs. because they really can't do anything other then bite. so you can't tell if it can cause bleed.

 

but this is just a idea lol

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