Alpha 18 Dev Diary!!

[KingSlayerGM]

I'll take fewer zombies with voxel terrain. There are dozens of games that have lots of content but static terrain.

 

If that's where the game needs to go... so be it. /shrug

 

One of us!

[Aldranon]

Sounds great, but I presume you are exaggerating. I doubt removing destroyable terrain only, keeping all the destroyable pois would allow you to have 500 on screen. Jeez even AAA games don't have that many on screen. In a multiplayer game also? Lol

 

Arma 2 has a zombie mod with... well, 500 is about right.

 

Edit: My bad, Arma 3 (Zombies and demons):

[Odetta]

Recommended max velocity: 87 miles per hour. Some weird ♥♥♥♥ begins to happen once you reach or breach the 88 miles per hour mark.

 

The game reverts to Alpha 1

[Odetta]

 

Ok, from what I can tell from watching the videos and now this is that the punching seems a tad slow. Can't really make a full judgment on this until I play it but Butter Bean punches faster then the character. Maybe add a speed bonus to the perks or a separate perk. I wan't to be throwing combos like (insert favorite fighter here) but it looks like I'm the drunk guy at the party. Hopefully I'm wrong about this.

[Aldranon]

I'll take fewer zombies with voxel terrain. There are dozens of games that have lots of content but static terrain.

 

If that's where the game needs to go... so be it. /shrug

 

I'm with you Gazz.

 

If 7D2D II was based in or around New York City, most people wouldn't care less as long as most above ground was destroy-able (at least mod-able).

 

It could potentially be the largest game in the world, I believe (including mod-ers that could fill in and populate individual buildings).

-mods would need to be building based so a player could have 100's of mods that would not conflict with each other.

 

-TFP would need an address system so when a player tries to open the door on say, The Empire State building, if its address is populated with a mod then the player can open the door and see what adventure awaits them!

 

Truly a potentially endless game as you could load different versions of The Empire state building for example!

[mr.natural]

The problem is level 200 dude drives through on his motorcycle and some guy on foot behind him gets to deal with the high level enemies that spawned in his wake.

 

Same problem reversed, in MP the player with the lowest GS goes in the POI first. Easy peasy.

Still don't see a problem it being implemented as you still run faster then the zombies/animals.

[Aldranon]

I'm with you Gazz.

 

If 7D2D II was based in or around New York City, most people wouldn't care less as long as most above ground was destroy-able (at least mod-able).

 

It could potentially be the largest game in the world, I believe (including mod-ers that could fill in and populate individual buildings).

-mods would need to be building based so a player could have 100's of mods that would not conflict with each other.

 

-TFP would need an address system so when a player tries to open the door on say, The Empire State building, if its address is populated with a mod then the player can open the door and see what adventure awaits them!

 

Truly a potentially endless game as you could load different versions of The Empire state building for example!

 

You could also have addresses for Neighborhoods and even entire Burroughs!

 

So one mod could have something unique for the entire Hell's Kitchen Neighborhood for example.

So the index of mods would be similar to an database key, with the key being: [Region][borough][Neighborhood][buildingAddress]

 

I added Region because someone would want to mod the JFK airport or maybe parts of New Jersey.

[DaVegaNL]

Tower defense, crafting, looting and questing are the bread and butter to this game. Digging is not a core pillar and mining could easily be done without it as well. You could still use foundation blocks to level out a nice place to live or even flatten vertices of static terrain some and have 95% of the game, without 95% of the trouble.

 

Anyhow we might add it as an option at some point, and use telemetry to see how many people run that version and base our decisions on facts not emotional responses.

 

IMO a year after its release, 80% would be playing static terrain version because of better visuals, better FPS and they don't give a crap about mining. We could still plop down "earth blocks" to fill in spots etc and make trenches your just building it up instead of digging down its the same net base, just elevated higher. There could be craters from nukes you fill in and have a "basement" or "bunker".

 

Again we might not even bother we've solved everything except water already. A18 uses UNity's static terrain in the distance, with just voxels where you are in loaded chunks. So there aren't as much gains to make now as there would have been some years ago.

 

I think you are were you are, with a decently successful game, precisely because the game is a voxel-game. Seeing you don't actually like the voxels is a little.. disheartening.

[DaVegaNL]

We patched 17 on 5.30.19. You've been a whole 3 months and a week without an update not a year.

 

He stated that we're coming up to a year between A17 and A18, which is correct. Yes, the game got a patch in late May. But no, these patches are not the same as an Alpha update. Those are the ones people count, unless it's forum moderators trying to cherry pick the data.

[Aldranon]

I think you are were you are, with a decently successful game, precisely because the game is a voxel-game. Seeing you don't actually like the voxels is a little.. disheartening.

 

I think everyone liked voxels, I just think MM no longer likes the cost of voxels.

[DaVegaNL]

Again why is everyone taking the black and white on this? I said if we made the terrain static, and had voxel buildings we'd have saved tons of time and had 60 fps on potatoes and 500 zeds on screen. Yeah lets cling to mining instead of take the game where it needed to go.

 

'Where it needed to go' is somewhere else besides the moderately successful place you are right now?

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

I think everyone liked voxels, I just think MM no longer likes the cost of voxels.

 

True, but it's what made the game (IMHO of course).

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

If u could remove underground mining as an option and get anything near 500 zeds on screen id be very happy, but without being vulgar about it.

 

No! I would be totally put off and I would fake a headache.

[MechanicalLens]

He stated that we're coming up to a year between A17 and A18, which is correct. Yes, the game got a patch in late May. But no, these patches are not the same as an Alpha update. Those are the ones people count, unless it's forum moderators trying to cherry pick the data.

 

Yeah, but unless I'm incorrect, TFP didn't start working on A18 right after A17 released, or even for a few months after. Again, I could be wrong, but if I'm not, then a year isn't correct, but rather only several months.

[agrastiOs]

I think I would probably play the static terrain version, if the aboveground stayed the same (same building, destructible POIs), but that's just because there's nothing really to do with the underground (Though in the newbie days I used to hide from zombies by digging up a hole).

IMO if caves would be added and there could be like some mutated mudcrabs in these (and minecarts), then the voxel version would definitely be more enjoyable than the static, and would add a whole new aspect to an already a great game.

 

(Also, I really doubt if 500 zombies would be possible, if not because of Unity, then for balancing)

[KingSlayerGM]

Arma 2 has a zombie mod with... well, 500 is about right.

 

Edit: My bad, Arma 3 (Zombies and demons):

 

They don't look like 500 to me.. also it's a cinematic

[archergod]

Yeah, but unless I'm incorrect, TFP didn't start working on A18 right after A17 released, or even for a few months after. Again, I could be wrong, but if I'm not, then a year isn't correct, but rather only several months.

 

Actually their designer start working on A18 changes before a17 release [maybe I am wrong], but i remember that they say it that since programmer work was left then and designer are free they are working on some graphics back then which might be used for A18 [some concept art and POIs].

 

Also development is so complex that they leave some easter egg code that might be part of A25 someday... so when did it actually start is hard to tell.

 

But the changes they are bring to A18, I think I am okay with if it takes a year. And it looks like it is not very far now ..

[Goldman_dk]

While waiting for A18, I can’t stop thinking about something that’s been nagging me for some time.

At the vendor, its possible to buy a few items that’s normally only available in the creative menu, like book cases, sinks and alike – for a few dukes.

We can also wrench the items at POI’s and get a few resources, but why not also let us be able to dismantle the items and bring them back to the base. If we want to pimp the base – let us risk our butts at POI’s to the give the base the right look, instead of selling them at vendors. We can pick up our workbench – though it takes 10-15 sec, why not giving up the ability to pick up medicine cabinets, bookcases, different types of sinks, doors and like – and let it take time – eg. 30 sec or more – where we are woundable to attack – Also set the retail price to 0 dukes at vendors.

There might be an entire player market here- players selling the stuff in the vending machines to other players that don’t like to climb tough POI’s to get a specific item.

And please let us have access to more blocks like the different door types, sinks and alike – items that’s only available in creative today.

 

Just a few thoughts – here while waiting..

[MechanicalLens]

Really? In my No Crafting Challenge world, the game gives me 2 Bob's Boars POI's right next to each other? Smh. -_-

[beHypE]

I think implementing this static terrain, as you are describing it, is going to be a ton of work. Also, of course a lot of people would play it, because your underground world is boring, make it more interesting, more threats and bring back the caves first. Digging is not part of the sauce (yet), because you don't make it so.

 

 

Also I would argue that the same thing wouldn't be popular in Minecraft, where the underground is actually fun and part of the core gameplay.

 

This. As there currently is no underworld gameplay, it obviously wouldn't be THAT big of a bummer not to be able to pickup dirt blocks with a shovel. It's like spending 3 years engineering a car and over time slowly changing its core feature to flight, and then state that removing the wheels wouldn't be a big deal. Duh ?!

 

I still think one of the best memories I (and my group) have within the game was scaffolding in those worm holes back in A12 or so to reach the ore and the next part of the cave. There's so much unused potential that obviously, right now, making static terrain wouldn't remove a big chunk of the game. Still think the game would be better with a full-on below-ground gameplay rather than static terrain.

I honestly think you could engineer stuff properly enough given time in order to fully separate above ground and below ground; it would probably help with performance a lot, and let's be honest, static terrain won't let you run 500 zombies on 200 fps on a potato rig either, that's just an obvious hyperbole.

[RipClaw]

Really? In my No Crafting Challenge world, the game gives me 2 Bob's Boars POI's right next to each other? Smh. -_-

 

I'd still be happy if I were you. The POI contains a lot of concrete. If you can buy or find rebar frames then you can build a reinforced concrete base.

 

You may not be able to use the meat from the POI but the fat and the super corn. You can't grow super corn but you can eat what you find.

[RipClaw]

"What if" is a question that is not so easy to answer. It depends on many circumstances whether e.g. a game is successful or not. You can't just assume that the game would have been just as successful or more successful if you left out a certain detail. The dynamic underground may not be part of the magic sauce for you, but for me it is.

 

I became aware of the game via Youtube videos. The first thing I saw was how players built a base on top of a mountain and adapted the terrain to their needs. They also dug a basement and an emergency exit. This kind of freedom was the reason I bought the game.

 

Also many of my base designs would not have been possible without the possibility to modify the terrain.

 

The ideas of explosion craters or that the player could fill up unevenness with blocks of earth could only arise because you think about a replacement of something that shaped the game. If the game would have had a static ground from the beginning, the necessity for such considerations would not have been given at all because everyone would have built only there where there is a flat surface. Nobody would have built a base in the flank of a mountain or a network of underground bunkers.

[MechanicalLens]

I'd still be happy if I were you. The POI contains a lot of concrete. If you can buy or find rebar frames then you can build a reinforced concrete base.

 

The no crafting challenge means I have to find the trader myself. If I ever find one.

 

True, true.

[falloutcloud]

Madmole, any chance we can get another video on an a18 book series?

[RipClaw]

The no crafting challenge means I have to find the trader myself. If I ever find one.

 

True, true.

 

There are also some working stiff crates in the POI. If you are lucky you will find some rebar frames.

Finding the trader on the map will certainly take a while, but if you search the map methodically you will find them.

[Aldranon]

They don't look like 500 to me.. also it's a cinematic

 

Here's a guy playing with the mod. At the end here he cranked up the zombie numbers (not sure what the max is) enough to scare most people! IF his computer was strong enough that is LOL.

 

 

Edit: Looks like his computer might have been able to handle about 200 zombies, give or take a few.

[MechanicalLens]

I'd still be happy if I were you. The POI contains a lot of concrete. If you can buy or find rebar frames then you can build a reinforced concrete base.

 

You may not be able to use the meat from the POI but the fat and the super corn. You can't grow super corn but you can eat what you find.

 

Welp, I can make a 4x4 on day 3.

 

(Crafting/assembling vehicles is the officially recognized exception to the No Crafting Challenge in A17, since you cannot acquire complete vehicles in survival. However, you have to find the parts first.)