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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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Yes the complaints about 17's zombie AI being bad continue to boggle my mind, when you look at how bad they were before 17.

Maybe the AI of zombies in A17 is "not bad".... but it is absolutely inadequate.

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Perhaps some praise is in order... The last few pages seems filled with doom and gloom.

 

I remember how every new Alpha is way different than the last, practically giving me a new game every few months. For better or for worse. But still new! -ish.

 

I see the developers active on the forum, staying polite, despite the players lack of manners on occasion (myself included).

 

I could go on, but I think you get the gist of it. What's the saying on here... "In the pimps we trust".

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The feeling of being not just aware, but scared for you and your stuff is one and only in this game. This is what I want to be kept in the game because it is my first memory of it probably. Stamina brings that fear to be aware of your ♥♥♥♥, and not just go forward from A to B and fill another chest with ♥♥♥♥.

 

 

The AI will get smarter btw :)

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Hehe proof you watch got. :)

 

Even cnn did an article on the darkness.

 

I had hoped they would have had a classic LOTR sunrise to put an end to the darkness and the night kings army. I mean some dark and moody is cool but not a full hour and a half.

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My complaining began when y'all started the simplification process for the console port, but I've always maintained this is still by FAR the best game out there, but it's definitely been going downhill since y'all started the rpg elements... they just don't work.

 

I truly hope that improves because y'all are a good shop and deserve kudos for what you have accomplished.

 

Fortunately y'all were so far ahead there's still some wiggle room before becoming another generic boring game, and since modding capabilities have improved I've moved onto greater things.

 

Unfortunately modding has also backslid in some areas so SOME things we could do in a16 are simply unattainable in a17. I'm optimistic that will change though.

 

I definitely won't be doing an early access game again though; I'm just not built for it. :).

 

Uh ok. A, its not like we're cloning fallout. It is good basic genre reference for a post apocalyptic universe, raiders, scavvers, settlers. I like their quest system, character system, building is even a lot of fun but won't work for a voxel game. The ability to build a character class and get replay value is great, but its not like we're going for a full on rpg, we're at heart always a survival game in a zombie apocalypse, with RPG elements. A light RPG if you will.

 

Nothing wrong with that. And uh I guarantee you will be there for the next EA, there is no way you will be able to sit on the sidelines with a new TFP game sitting there waiting to be played. I'm not saying you'll sink 1000's of hours into EA, but to ignore it completely? I don't think you are built for that either lol.

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I had hoped they would have had a classic LOTR sunrise to put an end to the darkness and the night kings army. I mean some dark and moody is cool but not a full hour and a half.

 

Did you cry when Leanne Moremont bought it? Figuratively of course... Real men don't cry. :)

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

It would be helpful as I'm starting to lose faith in the vocal minority and considering reddit for a more sound platform.

 

Turn YouTube comments on if you really want to punish yourself. :)

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You just have to much control on where and how the zombies attack. It reminds me now of one of those defence games where the enemy will just pile in one way and you can just pick them off. I just stand on a platform and have another platform in front of me that they run up and you just shoot the hell out of them and any that fall off just run back around and you do the same again. I just wish they attack more random and not some path that they will follow. Something just does not seem right with the pathing system to me. Having the zombie try and get to you and not attack what you are standing on makes it easy. Example type on youtube Shock Box Horde Base- Gain Exp and you will see what i am talking about

 

I haven't played in a while but this doesn't describe what Faatal committed.

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100% madmole there buddy. Ok maybe a touch of Lathan and Gazz, but I did all the balancing and pricing work. Its still probably OP on quests but I'll evaluate that when I test 18. I'm back, the whole game will rock again, I need a few builds to get her in ship shape. In Pimps we trust.

 

can everyone smell that? thats what swagger smells like

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will there be a way to clear sleepers from a building forever? we completely demolished the poi's around our horde base for better line of sight, but the sleepers still spawn on the flat ground where the building was.

 

speaking of sleepers, i know it's just a jump scare tactic, but i often find myself wondering, how and why would a zombie carefully and precisely open that cabinet, walk in, and shut the door behind itself without getting any blood or scratches on said cabinet? this demonstrates a level of intelligence and dexterity in zombies i am not accustomed to :)

 

Because the zombie didn't do it. A person who was wounded and hiding from a group of bandits walked into the cabinet. Unfortunately they fell unconscious due to their wounds and died while waiting for the bandits to clear the area. You were the lucky first customer to make noise and wake it up!

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Uh ok. A, its not like we're cloning fallout. It is good basic genre reference for a post apocalyptic universe, raiders, scavvers, settlers. I like their quest system, character system, building is even a lot of fun but won't work for a voxel game. The ability to build a character class and get replay value is great, but its not like we're going for a full on rpg, we're at heart always a survival game in a zombie apocalypse, with RPG elements. A light RPG if you will.

 

Nothing wrong with that. And uh I guarantee you will be there for the next EA, there is no way you will be able to sit on the sidelines with a new TFP game sitting there waiting to be played. I'm not saying you'll sink 1000's of hours into EA, but to ignore it completely? I don't think you are built for that either lol.

 

I hope your new game is voxel based also.

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I don't know, I feel like the radiated should be smarter, since they've managed to live long. The way I would implement it is:

 

* normal zombies would be dumb and just follow the path over and over and damage blocks while doing so

* feral would be somewhat smart and follow the path but would try other ways of getting to you either by digging or clawing the walls

* radiated would be the smartest and instead of following the path would instead head directly to where the player is and destroy the obstacle that would allow them the easiest way in

 

Of cousre the above would mean death for those like me who play with others that exploit the zombies. But, a player would still be able to adpat to the changing dynamics.

 

This is a very good idea and would be a decent way to both add diversity in pathlines AND actually help fine-tuning gamestage implications for bloodmoon hordes quite a bit.

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Sorry but that is bs. I don't use either of those methods and my base is just fine. I pretty much build as I always built. I suggest you try other methods besides the two you mentioned. Just because there are two methods that cheese the AI, it doesn't mean they are the only two methods. There were actually very few base designs that I a saw pre-Alpha 17. Stilt bases and column 50 bases pretty much over and over and over and over again. Also, I am seeing zombies attack my base at multiple points. I hope that you like others seem to be doing are actually referencing A17.2 and not just your memory of A17.0....

 

I think the complaints are from people wanting to defend their stilt bases on the hardest difficulty with a wooden bow before the horde brings the base down.

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What are you on about? We went from ugly photoshopped 16 to 256 pixel hack textures to proper 3d PBR textures that are 1024, and added many new ones. What was removed?

 

I think you are confusing textures with paint ... or paintable textures. Several paintable textures were removed ... and the ones that remain have been "improved" to the point they make me cry. You have also removed the ability mod in textures. If we could mod them in it'd be a non-issue.

 

I'm going to try to figure out how to do this ... I'm trying to show the difference between a16 and a17.

 

I was going to post the pictures, but then figured it'd make the post huge and unwieldy and mean to those not interested in this subject. So I'll post the links to imgur ... let me know if I didn't do this right please?

 

A16 paint menu page 1 ...vs... A17 paint menu page 1

 

evy2jAS.jpgv3W7Fsq.jpg

 

 

A16 paint menu page 2 ...vs... A17 paint menu page 2

 

C5UywHK.jpgl5tGUgR.jpg

 

 

A16 paint menu page 3 ...vs... A17 paint menu page 3

 

h5c1gse.jpglc7wau9.jpg

 

 

Okay ... now for the nitty gritty:

 

Bookshelves have been removed. The tree paintings have been removed. Stainless steel refrigerator sections have been removed. The solid paint textures now look like they have mange. The red wood is now dull brown. There are others, but those are my biggest pain points right now.

 

A16 blue paint, a pretty sky blue:

https://imgur.com/5f8cu4I

 

A17 blue paint, a nasty greyish blueish mange pit:

https://imgur.com/lSy3klt

 

A16 green paint, a lovely green:

https://imgur.com/oCMMUwq

 

A17 "green" paint ... a nasty greyish green that looks like a dead orc with mange:

https://imgur.com/oDA9wWc

 

A16 red wood ... suitable for floors and walls and looking pretty:

https://imgur.com/t4RP1NA

 

A17 red wood ... a lovely brown, suitable for a barn floor, not to be confused with, or the same color as, barn wood, which is actually a prettier red than the "red" wood:

https://imgur.com/ZneKAN1

 

 

So yes, you did add in more paint textures ... most of which no one wants to use because they are (and I'm sorry, I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings) butt ugly.

 

You "improved" existing textures, making them JUST as butt ugly, so i guess it's a theme.

 

I can post more pics if needed, can go paint texture by paint texture ... but i don't want to make this post longer than it needs to be.

 

Thank you.

 

Edit: Thank you Roland!!! You made it better!

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17.3 very very soon. 12 bugs left.

 

Very soon! Thank you. The only thing that really bothers me about the current version is the lag, especially on servers. In our last horde night, it was so bad that the zombies stopped attacking and just walked around in circles. It's a rented server that was working fine in A16. Supposedly, you focused on optimization for the 17.3 update, so I'm looking forward to that. All the other bugs can be dealt with and changed to our liking, just not that lag, it makes the game very stressful. If it goes back to running as smoothly as 16.4, that would be great.

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The AI was worse in some regards in A16, like how zombies would just spin in circles below you.

 

The main difference between A16 and A17 now though is that in A16, you could build a base surrounded by spikes and kite the zombies around though the spikes. Now if they make a hole in the spike defenses they just all flow into it bypassing the rest of the spikes.

 

Also, if you had some kind of box or cage set up, the zombies would spread out pretty evenly around your base, giving you more time to defend yourself. Now it seems they all just focus on one block.

 

Not judging if A17 is better or worse than A16 just explaining what I think is in the minds of many of those complaining.

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Who knows... We post, y'all post, neither side gives in, it's the internet. :)

 

In regards to the mining thing. It was originally a response that madmole made to me after, I complained about something repair kits blah blah blah. That's all behind us already. So w/e.

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Yes the complaints about 17's zombie AI being bad continue to boggle my mind, when you look at how bad they were before 17.

 

 

I haven't played in a while but this doesn't describe what Faatal committed.

 

It also doesn't describe A17.2. But it does describe Alpha 17.0 and 17.1 before faatal committed some of his fixes and adjustments. I've come to discover that some of the complainers have actually never played 17.2 but either quit or reverted back to A16 after deciding they didn't like Alpha 17. When they come on here to push their agenda for change it is all from their memory of giving 17.0 a try-- not realizing that changes were made in 17.2.

 

In A17.2 you do get zombies giving up on long pathways and randomly going into destroy mode. I know this is true from my own observations and I know it is true because I've read posts from players who actually have played 17.2 complaining <shocker> that the zombies aren't as predictable as they used to be and are making dumb choices and they don't like that....

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I think you are confusing textures with paint ... or paintable textures. Several paintable textures were removed ... and the ones that remain have been "improved" to the point they make me cry. You have also removed the ability mod in textures. If we could mod them in it'd be a non-issue.

 

I'm going to try to figure out how to do this ... I'm trying to show the difference between a16 and a17...

 

Thanks for the comparison :tickled_pink:

 

I liked the darker blue that was also removed.

 

16dkb.jpg.543c83196859e45c8cce2ef3079c501a.jpg

 

I hope some nice solid colors can be revisited in the future.

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