Alpha 18 Dev Diary!!

[TSBX]

Speaking of car mods, will dye work eventually work on vehicles too? there is this dance we always have to do in front of the base to figure out which one is ours. assuming the vehicles wouldnt be able to go faster due to loading/performance issues?

 

 

Straight from the bearded...horse's mouth?

[AtomicUs5000]

Well it would be inefficient to stop mining one block and go mine another, even without the payout, the time spend not swinging is ore gains lost.

 

Speaking of which... and on the topic of balancing a potential destruction bonus... if the bonus ever goes back, it should be with some care. Perhaps static amounts would be best where perks and book-learned boosts do not apply. I don't know for certain, but this is probably the balance issue Gazz was thinking about. I picture people leaving trees and other surface resources on their last bits of HP, only to come back to them later when they're all perked up to get more out of them.

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

That's the one. I even built a visualizer similar to that to test with.

 

Pimp of the month!

[Crater Creator]

No [reworked water is] not on the radar [for A19].

 

But would you still agree that treading water is an unintended way to avoid zombies, and plan to address this in some way before the game goes gold?

[Thecolours]

Only if we nerf them to begin with then mods make them as fast as they are now.

 

This is what everyone hated about A17.

[Blake_]

18 is spent getting the the core gameplay great again, 19 will have opportunity to improve vehicles and make mods for them, and fort pieces.

 

More questions for Madmole/TFP/GOD itself :

 

1- Is food spoilage on the radar or is it scraped for good? It would be VERY very nice to have it and to be able to build fridges and stuff late game for preserving stuff forever. I know that putting a timer on stuff strains the bigger stuff, but stuffing stuff in the good stuff shouldn't make the whole stuff worse, but better stuff overall.

 

2- Torches. Unending torches are simple and work, but they feel unaesthetic and lame along the way for those of us who hate generators. Here's the suggestion:

 

High tech LED torch that lasts forever without input energy and is made out of a bulb light, electrical parts, iron bar,plastic and a battery? Quite difficult to obtain those ingredients but I would LOVE the luxury of having a fitting eternal lightsource, for a price.

 

Whadcha think?

[NukemDed]

hey madmole.

i cant recall if smell was coming back in a18?

 

also just faced my first 17.4 horde and they came at me from 3 sides. thats a first for me - was so used to one and a bit fronts that they nearly got in!

 

ive mentioned it before a long time ago, but with the new framework and all, any possibility of getting a hand held air horn / loud hailer so we can stand in the middle of those big derelict city blocks and call the zds out to play

[Xtrakicking]

More questions for Madmole/TFP/GOD itself :

 

1- Is food spoilage on the radar or is it scraped for good? It would be VERY very nice to have it and to be able to build fridges and stuff late game for preserving stuff forever. I know that putting a timer on stuff strains the bigger stuff, but stuffing stuff in the good stuff shouldn't make the whole stuff worse, but better stuff overall.

 

I was just thinking about this too. Would be great to know, cause if I'm not mistaken, madmole first said they weren't considering it, and then said they might add something like it in the future in another post.

[Roland]

More questions for Madmole/TFP/GOD itself :

 

Most just call me “Roland” around here.

 

1- Is food spoilage on the radar or is it scraped for good? It would be VERY very nice to have it and to be able to build fridges and stuff late game for preserving stuff forever. I know that putting a timer on stuff strains the bigger stuff, but stuffing stuff in the good stuff shouldn't make the whole stuff worse, but better stuff overall.

 

He said he felt that food surpluses could be handled with balancing and there would be no need for spoilage. So they are going with balancing for now. Definitely, no spoilage for A18.

[Blake_]

Most just call me “Roland” around here.

 

 

 

He said he felt that food surpluses could be handled with balancing and there would be no need for spoilage. So they are going with balancing for now. Definitely, no spoilage for A18.

 

Lol.

 

 

I see. Gameplay on electric stuff would be useful if they eventually do it. Let's wait and see.

[sillls]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjT_7GD7-ziAhVkUt8KHYXfDzwQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickeringmyth.com%2F2018%2F06%2Fjoel-hueninks-latest-7-days-to-die-video-provides-an-alpha-17-update%2F&psig=AOvVaw2eAj72_KGy3ZFtyBpRvaLQ&ust=1560735488373913

[FA_Q2]

The game does not promote that path. You are if you insist that you must be awesome at harvesting.

 

Yes it does when it pairs those perks with the str tree. That is an objective fact.

[Aldranon]

Yes it does when it pairs those perks with the str tree. That is an objective fact.

 

 

So make player stats modify everything that could possibly gain from that stat. Then have perks be more weapon system specific.

 

Example Str: Hi-recoil/automatic weapons are more accurate. Melee weapons/tools do a percentage more damage.

 

Also Agility could make all weapons more accurate by a percent.

 

 

Then if you upgrade the Automictic weapon Perk: Faster reload, less wear and a boost to accuracy. Maybe damage.

[Gazz]

The game does not promote that path. You are if you insist that you must be awesome at harvesting.

Yes it does when it pairs those perks with the str tree. That is an objective fact.

Only for you because you start with the assumption that you can not play the game if you do not have the maximum ability in harvesting.

That is objectively false so... problem solved. =)

 

Players can pick the strength attribute for the weapons, the easy carry capacity... and the harvesting.

No one but yourself actually forces you to do so.

[Aldranon]

So make player stats modify everything that could possibly gain from that stat. Then have perks be more weapon system specific.

 

Example Str: Hi-recoil/automatic weapons are more accurate. Melee weapons/tools do a percentage more damage.

 

Also Agility could make all weapons more accurate by a percent.

 

Then if you upgrade the Automictic weapon Perk: Faster reload, less wear and a boost to accuracy. Maybe damage.

 

 

 

So to recap:

Together, all he players Attribute's will influence everything a player does on a general level.

 

Perks are a more specific but not necessary bonus.

[Gazz]

So make player stats modify everything that could possibly gain from that stat. Then have perks be more weapon system specific.

Example Str: Hi-recoil/automatic weapons are more accurate. Melee weapons/tools do a percentage more damage.

Also Agility could make all weapons more accurate by a percent.

Then if you upgrade the Automictic weapon Perk: Faster reload, less wear and a boost to accuracy. Maybe damage.

That sounds like a mod. I expect that when you set it up that way players will complain that you are forcing them to buy all the attributes because clearly they must always be best at everything.

 

Maybe I'm just old and Generation Candy Crush can no longer imagine a reality where you play a game twice and have completely different characters with completely different strengths and weaknesses simply because you choose them.

And yes, modern AAA titles tend to not do that. It's far easier to make something flashy but shallow with only one progression path and one way to win the game.

[beHypE]

Madmole any improvements regarding Z density/difficulty in larger cities? Still feel it shouldn't be a walk in the park day 1.

 

Very excited for all the rest, specifically the urge to loot through all the new stuff, the gun crafting system and the new perk tree!

[Survager]

No plans for that. Why take away from the feeling of accomplishment getting your first helmet light?

 

Maybe because the torch is in one hand and the gun in the other hand is very logical? )))

[Ricowan]

1- Is food spoilage on the radar or is it scraped for good?

 

Food spoilage SUCKS in every game that has it. Period. Animals are almost impossible to find in populated servers, so if the 4 meat I manage to save up, simply disappears while waiting for the next boar to never spawn in to make a complete meal, I'd rage quit so fast...

 

Yeah, anyway, if you don't like chests full of food, stop filling chests up with food for ♥♥♥♥'s sake! This is a damn game, not a real life simulator. It doesn't matter if something in the game doesn't "feel right" to you, it just needs to be a fun game to play.

 

Simple things like recipe changes can be done via config (this is what XML modlets are, config changes that are applied for you).

Complex things that would require large sections of code change, performance degradation, and/or feature creep are not desirable.

[Onarr]

Maybe because the torch is in one hand and the gun in the other hand is very logical? )))

 

You could achieve both by being unable to use iron sights and swing slower while holding torch. You also cannot use two handed items, so helmet light is still a HUGE upgrade.

[Ezed]

No plans for that. Why take away from the feeling of accomplishment getting your first helmet light?

 

I wouldn't call it a sense of accomplishment. More a sense of relief. Walking along in the dark and I can't take a drink without extinguishing and unequipping my light source? It's a gameplay basic and a glaring omission IMO. Also, you can do it in Skyrim

 

Since you said a while back it was possible, you might as well go ahead and implement it...'cause you're never going to hear the end of it. Especially after gold and new people start picking up the game.

[Dark_Corvid]

In before the LBD crowd think The Second Coming has started and Madmole just announced the Rapture....

 

You could achieve both by being unable to use iron sights and swing slower while holding torch. You also cannot use two handed items, so helmet light is still a HUGE upgrade.

 

I agree and had similar thoughts.

 

Mining, farming, chopping trees down would all still be impossible to do with a torch. Also, with a slowdown, poi looting would be extremely risky.

[Onarr]

Food spoilage SUCKS in every game that has it. Period. Animals are almost impossible to find in populated servers, so if the 4 meat I manage to save up, simply disappears while waiting for the next boar to never spawn in to make a complete meal, I'd rage quit so fast...

 

Yeah, anyway, if you don't like chests full of food, stop filling chests up with food for ♥♥♥♥'s sake! This is a damn game, not a real life simulator. It doesn't matter if something in the game doesn't "feel right" to you, it just needs to be a fun game to play.

 

Simple things like recipe changes can be done via config (this is what XML modlets are, config changes that are applied for you).

Complex things that would require large sections of code change, performance degradation, and/or feature creep are not desirable.

 

Actually food spoilage is something that could become good gameplay incentive, if we will ever be able to raise lifestock. It would also increase value of perks like huntsman, living of the wild and slow metabolism, which right now are a joke. Not to mention that cans would actually be useful late game as emergency food, when yours spoil.

 

If the spoilage would increase your chance of food poisoning, there would be an actual reason to craft herbal medicine. Fridges would have actual usage to slow spoilage. Early game you could use smoker to prolong the shelf life.

 

Another thing that would increase in value would be vending machines, which up until now I used like twice. Also seeing shamway boxes would actually have value later on.

 

And Shamway recipe could be actually used as last resort, when all your meat has rotten. Fat would also increase in value because of this.

 

Higher value of food would also decrease value of mining (you have to eat more when mining) and therefore helped balance it with looting. You could not get thousands of ores in one night and be done with it. Currently you hit a vein, spend one night and are set for several weeks on resources. Suddenly, a lot of loot just lost value. This would also increase value of strength perks and better tools.

 

 

All in all I feel that spoilage would increase value of many items, perks, create new gameplay incentives and bring more challenges. After all zombie apocalypse is about scarcity and living from day to day. I currently really enjoy JaWoodles series in Dishong tower, where you really need to utilize everything to maximum, because basic resources are suddenly very valuable.

 

Just my two cents.

[The Gronk]

I wouldn't call it a sense of accomplishment. More a sense of relief. Walking along in the dark and I can't take a drink without extinguishing and unequipping my light source? It's a gameplay basic and a glaring omission IMO. Also, you can do it in Skyrim

 

Since you said a while back it was possible, you might as well go ahead and implement it...'cause you're never going to hear the end of it. Especially after gold and new people start picking up the game.

 

You can use a drink straight from your backpack. If you're unscrewing the lid off a bottle with a flaming torch in one hand you're probably better off putting the torch down unless you want to burn yourself.

 

Has anyone here ever tried to swing a fireaxe or pickaxe one-handed? It ain't easy, you'd be better off putting the torch to one side and using both hands.

 

I'm not against dual-wielding but mining and forestry are really two-handed jobs.

[Ezed]

You can use a drink straight from your backpack.

 

 

Thanks.

 

As for the rest...taking a drink was one example, which is valid enough since there is no removing the lid animation in the game, you simply raise it to your mouth and drink. I never mentioned fire axe or pickaxe or sledgehammer or rifle or any obvious two handed tools or weapons. The use of pistols, claw hammers, wrenches, stone axes, clubs, etc, is another matter though. Anyway, the point is, with any of the one handed items in game it would be logical to be able to see while using them by equipping a light source in the other hand at least until RNG deems you worthy of a helmet light...which is always going to be more desirable...at least until you decide to remove the light in favour of another mod type, which would then be viable because you'd still have the option of carrying a torch or flashlight in your off hand.

[The Gronk]

<snipped for space>

 

One major problem is that TFP, in their infinite wisdom, decided to go with the second mouse button for a power attack instead of a long press of the first button. Shields were on the table until this was introduced, there was concept art for them.

 

Unless the mechanics are fundamentally changed the secondary weapon will be unusable, whether that be a torch, club, or rubber chicken.