Alpha 18 Dev Diary!!

[faatal]

so bow/crossbow may not be a viable long term build then unless we avoid horde nights. doesn't sound promising. I know people were complaining about things like brass being against gun bunnies, but this may slant things too far the other direction. but I will have to reserve my opinion until I give it a good run.

 

 

crossbow is covered by agility?

 

is archery perks getting love or a book series? like quick draw, rapid reload, or multishot? using old d&d terms

 

In my current game I am playing agility. You start with bows and knifes. Knife power attacks add multiple bleeds, so a lot of my damage is from them bleeding. Agility also covers 9mm pistols and SMGs, stealth and parkour.

[Roland]

You can already change that. Demo's have:

 

<property name="Explosion.RadiusBlocks" value="5"/>

<property name="Explosion.RadiusEntities" value="6"/>

<property name="Explosion.BlockDamage" value="5000"/>

<property name="Explosion.EntityDamage" value="800"/>

<property name="Explosion.DamageBonus.earth" value=".1"/>

<property name="StompsSpikes" value="true"/>

<property name="ExplodeDelay" value="2"/>

<property name="ExplodeHealthThreshold" value="0"/> <!-- Disable Health explosion -->

<property name="SoundExplodeWarn" value="demolitionzexplodewarning"/>

<property name="SoundTick" value="demolitionz_beep,.5,.9"/>

 

I’m curious what kind of craters would result from changing the .1 to a 1.1 for Explosion.DamageBonus.Earth....

[Guppycur]

Big. These settings are similar to the cop. What's stompspikes?

[Laz Man]

I drink it like a man. In a jar. With the lid still on.

 

What, you dont drink it straight from the utter? I thought that was how real men do it. 😅

[Roland]

Big. These settings are similar to the cop. What's stompspikes?

 

Immunity to spikes. They go through them like matchsticks.

 

#nextgate

[MechanicalLens]

Welp, I was going to do a Fetch quest at the Shotgun Messiah Factory. Turns out, the Satchel was ten steps into the place. XD

 

Edit: Easiest quest ever. I completed it in under 15 seconds.

[Laz Man]

41. I predict streamer weekend on the 20th.

 

If this comes true, 1st thing I do is go out and buy a lottery ticket...😅

[faatal]

Hen MM,

I don't see any mention of AI changes on the first post and have not seen any discussion on it. Has there been any significant changes in zed pathing and behavior in 18?

 

There are many little changes, but the major ones that come to mind are the zombie speed boost randomly when taking damage, sleeper volume trigger improvements and player breadcrumbs that AI now use to follow.

[Dark_Corvid]

That just doesn't add up. If you have to go to a dangerous place to find the rare thing that lets you craft better, you might as well just find the nice ____ and be done with it.

 

I'm open to grandpa's crafting elixer that randomizes player crafting stats while your on it, so you might craft a dud or a nice one.

 

I should have finished my thought. It could look like a perk that once had, the player could craft a special part that when used provides a chance to "crit" when crafting an item.

 

However, the Grandpa's elixir route makes more sense for 7 Days and has the same function. I wasn't exactly sure how "gamey" (not intended as a negative) your vision for crafting allowed. It sounds like an enjoyable addition for crafting while leaving room for the best stuff (like the legendaries) to be found only through looting.

[CannedSmeef]

There are many little changes, but the major ones that come to mind are the zombie speed boost randomly when taking damage, sleeper volume trigger improvements and player breadcrumbs that AI now use to follow.

 

Breadcrumbs? They're in? Any more details on how it works?

[Aldranon]

OMG! Well paint me green and call me Kermit!

 

I was just about to turn my back on an INT build... until MM said something and then I started thinking...

I'll have to play the game to get the details and the play style would be completely different than any other...

 

BUT there is something powerful there. I don't want to spoil it if I'm right.

[Amaitaro]

Hadn't seen that.

 

I'll try it in my game and see if I can make a video.

 

Thanks MM, hope TFP working smoothly on A18, can't wait for the update:smile-new:

 

Looking forward on your new looting system, must beat the late-game experience in A17.

[madmole]

ММ, have you thought about making air drops more useful and unique?

 

Here are some ideas:

- super loot, which can only be in an air drop and which cannot be created (super antibiotics or unique enhancing drinks, unique schemes or books, special super cartridges or grenades ...)

- limited time until the box with loot disappears (did not manage to pick up during the day, the box self-destructs)

- maybe the plane drops different boxes with different markings, which need to be opened for a long time, like safes (fortified military boxes with ammunition, fortified medical boxes, fortified box with tools and diagrams, and so on)

- the danger of getting an air drop: zombies, wolves, zombie dogs, zombie bears or bandits at the place where the box falls, which constantly arrive at the point until you pick up the loot, and you have to fight back and try to destroy the box and so on ...

 

We already changed it out so they have a chance to drop every major loot group in the game instead of mainly useless food and semi useless drugs.

 

On the list for someday is to make npcs/zeds attracted to them so its not just free amazing loot. It works fine for pvp but for sp coop there needs to be bandits/zeds attracted to the drops.

[madmole]

Madmole, who is hotter?

 

Arianny Celeste or Brittany Palmer?

 

I think I'd go with Arianny.

[madmole]

Madmole are the random stats independent of each other? ie high gun damage doesn’t affect the accuracy? Like no teeter totter stats?

 

100% random, so you might find a high damage weapon but it has a small mag, etc.

[madmole]

MM or anyone who knows: Is there a file/screenshot of all the overhauled perks that we can use to decide early what play through we would be interested in. I know there is a video where you covered them, but I would like to look at them in detail. Thanks.

 

The video would clearly be the best way, as you can pause it and read the descriptions of each rank when I moused over them.

[madmole]

Great minds think alike...

 

I feel like I just found the car keys only to find out you had the master set. I'll keep pondering. At some point, I hope to be able to help contribute to your game just to show thanks for all the hard work you've already put in. I'll keep trying.

 

No worries, keep trying.

[madmole]

I just noticed in the day 88 horde video that there is a gear icon beside each piece of gear that I presume contains mods in it. I was just going to request that very feature for a future release (it's so annoying selling your own gear by mistake), but it seems it has already been covered. Good change.

 

Yes, you'll notice my pink goggles in the video, these I dyed pink so I know they are "the good ones". The modded gear icon is a great addition.

[madmole]

I generally hate writing them but I like this game a lot. No, More loot the better especially if it is a material you can't craft. As for A18 I don't want to come off as I hated everything I have seen. I stand by my statements about A16 but yes it had A ton of jank and needed to be changed. All things being said I can't wait for A18.

 

Good deal, I'm sure you will enjoy it the looting never ends, or at least has a long long lifespan now.

[faatal]

Breadcrumbs? They're in? Any more details on how it works?

 

It is just a circular array (32 entries) of player positions updated every 1m the player moves. Zombies when they hear you, pick a random value from the current breadcrumb location up to AINoiseSeekDist back in the array and investigate that position.

 

The typical zombie uses:

<property name="AINoiseSeekDist" value="8"/>

[madmole]

I’m curious what kind of craters would result from changing the .1 to a 1.1 for Explosion.DamageBonus.Earth....

 

5 meters. I never liked the swiss cheese of alpha 11 ish zombies that burrowed under your fort, and imagine using explosives that tore teh ground up the whole world would be compromised.

[madmole]

Big. These settings are similar to the cop. What's stompspikes?

 

I think it means spikes don't slow him down, he just flattens that crap like a freight train.

[madmole]

It is just a circular array (32 entries) of player positions updated every 1m the player moves. Zombies when they hear you, pick a random value from the current breadcrumb location up to AINoiseSeekDist back in the array and investigate that position.

 

The typical zombie uses:

<property name="AINoiseSeekDist" value="8"/>

 

Now now, a chef never reveals his secrets.

[RestInPieces]

Some things we will try but not committed to are:

 

Head and eye tracking

[...]

 

Awesome - I think head/eye tracking and a couple of animations, like some minor stumbling/losing balance, to make their (already great) walking animation less monotonous, will improve the zombie experience dramatically. Here's to hoping that you manage/decide to implement them.