Alpha 18 Dev Diary!!

[Guppycur]

Bandit ai is in; the zombies are using it. The whole ai revamp was so that ai could be tailored to specific uses.

 

...this info is extrapolated from posts faatal has made over the past few months and is not official golden circle info. =)

[Roland]

Pewter Circle

[Damocles]

Bandit ai is in; the zombies are using it. The whole ai revamp was so that ai could be tailored to specific uses.

 

...this info is extrapolated from posts faatal has made over the past few months and is not official golden circle info. =)

 

Ok, the pathfinding / pathtraversal is in (a very important part) and works pretty well. But there are several other core systems for human-like ai that should be needed for bandits (different from zombies).

 

Things like finding cover / leaving cover, finding suitable locations for distant attacks, melee attacks (humanlike), throwing grenades, patrol actions, manipulating doors / containers, idle actions, retreating, flanking maneuvers, group signalling.

 

And then also triggers for various situation specific audio-callouts.

 

Getting all fancy with a a GOAP system, and then reverting back to a simple state machine etc..

[Drithyl]

Ok, the pathfinding / pathtraversal is in (a very important part) and works pretty well. But there are several other core systems for human-like ai that should be needed for bandits (different from zombies).

 

Things like finding cover / leaving cover, finding suitable locations for distant attacks, melee attacks (humanlike), throwing grenades, patrol actions, manipulating doors / containers, idle actions, retreating, flanking maneuvers, group signalling.

 

And then also triggers for various situation specific audio-callouts.

 

Getting all fancy with a a GOAP system, and then reverting back to a simple state machine etc..

 

I don't expect bandit AI on the level of a tactical shooter game. Faatal might surprise us but the amount of work for that to work well is pretty insane.

[canadianbluebeer]

Fallout 4's bandit combat is really good IMO. If we can come semi close to that I'd be really happy.

 

It is, and if you can do that, it would be fantastic.

 

Just make sure we can dismember them as well as the zeds.

[The Gronk]

I don't expect bandit AI on the level of a tactical shooter game. Faatal might surprise us but the amount of work for that to work well is pretty insane.

 

A few well placed behaviour trees can work wonders :-)

[Odetta]

Fallout 4's bandit combat is really good IMO. If we can come semi close to that I'd be really happy.

 

Then we can implement taking out bandit POIs into quests.

[madmole]

Rail gun on track for A18?

 

We put the idea on hold as the Intellect player is probably not good with guns. So he is a junk turret:

 

Junk Turrets: Junk turrets can be placed like an auto turret. When deployed in the world (RMB) the player needs to be in close proximity to the turret for it to work. The turret would light up when active, play a low volume humming sound and behave like a regular auto turret when deployed with an (optional) animated barrel that rotates like it is scanning the area. When the player gets too far away they deactivate and aim downward, the lights would shut off and play a shut down sound. Players receive XP for junk turret kills. Each rank of "turrets syndrome" allows the player to have more turrets, do more damage and have a longer leash before they deactivate.

 

Placement would be the same as a vehicle by using RMB its rendered green in placement mode just like a vehicle entity. Press RMB to activate placement mode, press again to place. Left clicking once cancels placement mode and left clicking again will fire it. Reloading is done like all firearms, pressing R. There will be no GUI when placed or a way to reload it or repair it when placed.

 

radial to pick up and reload. press e to take. Last one placed is active and based on proximity.

 

LMB would allow you to shoot it like a firearm with no iron sight. It shoots scrap iron for ammunition.

[madmole]

I think the turret will be interesting and allow for players who cannot aim and shoot very well to play as a support role. This combined with the taser for melee should make this player fairly adequate at combat.

 

Combined with all the other intellect perks it should be the ultimate support role.

[madmole]

Then we can implement taking out bandit POIs into quests.

 

Yes, already planned.

[Odetta]

We put the idea on hold as the Intellect player is probably not good with guns. So he is a junk turret:

 

Junk Turrets: Junk turrets can be placed like an auto turret. When deployed in the world (RMB) the player needs to be in close proximity to the turret for it to work. The turret would light up when active, play a low volume humming sound and behave like a regular auto turret when deployed with an (optional) animated barrel that rotates like it is scanning the area. When the player gets too far away they deactivate and aim downward, the lights would shut off and play a shut down sound. Players receive XP for junk turret kills. Each rank of "turrets syndrome" allows the player to have more turrets, do more damage and have a longer leash before they deactivate.

 

Placement would be the same as a vehicle by using RMB its rendered green in placement mode just like a vehicle entity. Press RMB to activate placement mode, press again to place. Left clicking once cancels placement mode and left clicking again will fire it. Reloading is done like all firearms, pressing R. There will be no GUI when placed or a way to reload it or repair it when placed.

 

radial to pick up and reload. press e to take. Last one placed is active and based on proximity.

 

LMB would allow you to shoot it like a firearm with no iron sight. It shoots scrap iron for ammunition.

 

Nice, have guys experimented with throwing them out like a pipe bomb? Maybe each rank you can be further and further away. So on horde night you can toss one down from your catwalk or throw it through a window to clear out some sleepers. Just a thought.

 

Also would be cool to make a proper Nail Gun weapon, like the nail gun now but through the intellect perk you can make a converted version that is automatic with a very high rate of fire. Can use a special nail made from a plant and iron to make slowing ammo. Since the Intellect seems to be focused on crowd control and support.

 

Rail gun should use railroad ties lol

[madmole]

Clothing will support 1 mod slot in A18. Right now if you find the right needle and thread book you can install pocket mods to reduce encumbrance. One step closer to not needing strength/pack mule.

[Odetta]

very nice.

[khzmusik]

We're starting on some bandit visual design and a system that can procedurally build their inventory and armor visuals based on GS rather than hand coding all of that and making specific prefabs.

 

This really sounds awesome. I know it's not going to be in A18, but can you give us any indication of when they might appear? A19 possibly, or A20 if there is one?

 

Also, a long-term request: please restore the ability to hook into their AI using XML. This would allow modders to easily add other types of NPCs like "white river" friendly NPCs, or possibly even military personnel that only show up late game (and want to retake the world). A16 had this, even restoring that would be great. Obviously we couldn't expect it until bandits show up, or the alpha (or beta) after that.

[madmole]

Nice, have guys experimented with throwing them out like a pipe bomb? Maybe each rank you can be further and further away. So on horde night you can toss one down from your catwalk or throw it through a window to clear out some sleepers. Just a thought.

 

Also would be cool to make a proper Nail Gun weapon, like the nail gun now but through the intellect perk you can make a converted version that is automatic with a very high rate of fire. Can use a special nail made from a plant and iron to make slowing ammo. Since the Intellect seems to be focused on crowd control and support.

 

Rail gun should use railroad ties lol

 

Someone mentioned a soft deploy, that could work since it is an entity and not a block.

[The Gronk]

We put the idea on hold as the Intellect player is probably not good with guns. So he is a junk turret:

 

Junk Turrets: Junk turrets can be placed like an auto turret. When deployed in the world (RMB) the player needs to be in close proximity to the turret for it to work. The turret would light up when active, play a low volume humming sound and behave like a regular auto turret when deployed with an (optional) animated barrel that rotates like it is scanning the area. When the player gets too far away they deactivate and aim downward, the lights would shut off and play a shut down sound. Players receive XP for junk turret kills. Each rank of "turrets syndrome" allows the player to have more turrets, do more damage and have a longer leash before they deactivate.

 

Placement would be the same as a vehicle by using RMB its rendered green in placement mode just like a vehicle entity. Press RMB to activate placement mode, press again to place. Left clicking once cancels placement mode and left clicking again will fire it. Reloading is done like all firearms, pressing R. There will be no GUI when placed or a way to reload it or repair it when placed.

 

radial to pick up and reload. press e to take. Last one placed is active and based on proximity.

 

LMB would allow you to shoot it like a firearm with no iron sight. It shoots scrap iron for ammunition.

 

How about tiered/variations of turret? This would allow the player to improve their arsenal with the tech tree.

 

Roman scorpio - throws spears, no electricity required, slow rate of fire.

 

Blunderbuss turret - Uses blunderbuss ammo, no electricity required, medium rate of fire.

 

Rail gun - shoots steel ingots, electricity required, high rate of fire.

[madmole]

very nice.

 

I could take a step further and ungate the 1 encumbrance removing items, and make the book unlock bigger pockets that reduce 2, so players could start crafting up pockets on day 1 as soon as they find clothes to put the pocket mods in. I'm thinking of adding a loot only sewing kit to reduce spam crafting of clothing so economy isn't abused. The sewing kit can be used to make all armor that way you can't spam craft high value armor.

[madmole]

How about tiered/variations of turret? This would allow the player to improve their arsenal with the tech tree.

 

Roman scorpio - throws spears, no electricity required, slow rate of fire.

 

Blunderbuss turret - Uses blunderbuss ammo, no electricity required, medium rate of fire.

 

Rail gun - shoots steel ingots, electricity required, high rate of fire.

 

Each rank of every weapon perk on every attribute increases damage 10% and the attribute raises head shot damage per rank. So when you perk up you craft better gear, and do more damage etc. The turret perk might only affect these special junk turrets. We already have dart traps and shotty and smg turrets, and now junk turrets. Spears, is teh same as darts, blunderbuss is poor mans shotgun turret and rail gun is just shooting metal shards, same as the junk turret so I don't see any reason to add fluff here.

[Odetta]

I could take a step further and ungate the 1 encumbrance removing items, and make the book unlock bigger pockets that reduce 2, so players could start crafting up pockets on day 1 as soon as they find clothes to put the pocket mods in. I'm thinking of adding a loot only sewing kit to reduce spam crafting of clothing so economy isn't abused. The sewing kit can be used to make all armor that way you can't spam craft high value armor.

 

Yes, I think it's a good plan to have early game Mods. Something the player can craft early on that's beneficial but fairly weak. This would get new players familiar with the mod system early on too. Can even add it to the starter quests.

 

As for the armor Idea; yes. This would not only improve the looting game it would also make armor something special, instead of an afterthought since right now it's so easy to make and find.

[madmole]

This really sounds awesome. I know it's not going to be in A18, but can you give us any indication of when they might appear? A19 possibly, or A20 if there is one?

 

Also, a long-term request: please restore the ability to hook into their AI using XML. This would allow modders to easily add other types of NPCs like "white river" friendly NPCs, or possibly even military personnel that only show up late game (and want to retake the world). A16 had this, even restoring that would be great. Obviously we couldn't expect it until bandits show up, or the alpha (or beta) after that.

 

Who says white river is friendly? Depends how you treat them and what factions you earn rapport in. But yeah we're adding white river so I don't see any reason for modders to. As always all our stuff is xml driven so you would be able to add your own npcs if you wanted.

[madmole]

Yes, I think it's a good plan to have early game Mods. Something the player can craft that early on that's beneficial but fairly weak. This would get new players familiar with the mod system early on too. Can even add it to the starter quests.

 

As for the armor Idea; yes. This would make not only improve the looting game it would also make armor something special, instead of an afterthought since right now it's so easy to make and find.

 

My thoughts exactly.

 

I'm really excited to have all these things to do early game. Find books, craft clothing and pocket mods, craft crude weaponry and get going in your specialization, then find parts and better gear, start crafting better firearms by scrapping others, then the best weapons need schematics you learn forever that are found in loot. I feel like the whole game loop here will make 7 Days feel special again, restoring that need to find a lot of things.

 

And did I mention quality will influence damage again? So orange will do more damage than brown, etc? Always an upgrade when you find a better quality no matter the mods.

[khzmusik]

Who says white river is friendly? Depends how you treat them and what factions you earn rapport in. But yeah we're adding white river so I don't see any reason for modders to. As always all our stuff is xml driven so you would be able to add your own npcs if you wanted.

 

This response makes me even happier than I thought, especially the notion of shifting alliances. Sounds awesome!

[Thecolours]

Someone mentioned a soft deploy, that could work since it is an entity and not a block.

Yeah, we need to spam out the turrets fast in case we get overwhelmed in a poi. It would suck dying because you couldn't deploy the junk turrets in time because you were trying to place each one down like a block.

[madmole]

This response makes me even happier than I thought, especially the notion of shifting alliances. Sounds awesome!

 

IMO character progression and factions and alliances are the heart of an RPG. Edit: Like the ability to act different towards npcs and get a completely different outcome or game.

[madmole]

Yeah, we need to spam out the turrets fast in case we get overwhelmed in a poi. It would suck dying because you couldn't deploy the junk turrets in time because you were trying to place each one down like a block.

 

Yeah its the better way to go, but probably more problematic to code.