Alpha 18 Dev Diary!!

[madmole]

How dare you not add Guns N' Roses to that list.

 

I was just discussing this with my eldest brother last night as we watched UFC. One of the fighters walked out to welcome to the jungle. While they were good at the time, I bought the album, I just can't stand to listen to them any more, where all the music I listed can come on to the radio and I enjoy it every single time. I don't know why, but usually song burnout fades in 5 or 10 years, Guns n roses song burnout never fades.

 

To be clear, I call song burnout when you listen to your favorite cd so much that your sick of it, and stop listening because it lost the magic. THen randomly 5-10 years later its like magic again and brings back some feelings you had.

[madmole]

Does anyone else find it difficult to throw away small amounts of dukes that you find in loot (10 dukes, for example), but you don't give second thoughts about throwing away or scrapping something that could be worth, say, 100 dukes, even if those (10) dukes are in your inventory? Like, is there some weird psychological stuff going on, or is it just me?

 

I never throw away dukes because they can potentially stack with the next duke you find.

[Guppycur]

Its a post gold design meeting.

 

Makes sense, that tech is changing quicky.

[madmole]

@MM Hi MM, hows your current build/play through going?

 

Not bad 1 death a day the first 3 days, then things stabilized. No luck finding trader Joel in the pine forest yet, so I'm stuck in the snow biome dealing with Jen. I like to build next to trader Joel so I can check deals every 3 days and sell loot before nightfall or first thing in the morning.

 

I found a pink Ak already, no weapons but spears that I specialize in. So despite wanting to be perception guy the world says I need to be fortitude or strength based on the loot I've found. Lucky looter could be OP, It took ages to get out of the brown/orange gear zone in my fort build who had 0 lucky looter perks. I have 3 ranks because I specialized in perception which governs lucky looter.

 

I got a bicycle but it eats up my food like crazy, plus being in the cold. I'm going light armor and it seems like light armor drops are rare but they aren't just bad luck.

 

All in all I'm having fun, but the first week is always meh.

 

I did find a crucible schematic which unlocks steel crafting on day 1 at the trader, busted my ass to make 1600 dukes to buy it before inventory swap on day 3. Not that I can use it, I can't even craft a forge yet.

[madmole]

 

So you could advance the cooking abilities for food, so a farmer/cook could be able to make food that has less or no chance for food poisoning or even creates a nice buff.

 

We put it into slow metabolism because that perk kinda stunk anyway. It reduces the chance for food poisoning more per rank. Its kind of rare unless you eat sham sandwiches so the perk isn't needed, but it does use up your extra food unexpectedly if you didn't prepare much, so its kind of nice seeing food becoming an actual thing again.

[madmole]

So there's no other side-affects, like loss of health or stamina? If not, then that's cool. (I don't really have an opinion on it; I'm just commenting.)

 

No but starving kills you so if you toss your cookies and don't have more food to eat you are in trouble.

[madmole]

Madmole working on sunday... Get off your ass and go in your garden to enjoy the sun !

 

Should be. I had breakfast outdoors it was nice.

[Guppycur]

I wish you'd drop lucky looter... Makes no sense that you'd find *better* loot.

 

...maybe if it just increases chances that you'd find loot, sure. But better loot?

[MechanicalLens]

Not bad 1 death a day the first 3 days, then things stabilized. No luck finding trader Joel in the pine forest yet, so I'm stuck in the snow biome dealing with Jen. I like to build next to trader Joel so I can check deals every 3 days and sell loot before nightfall or first thing in the morning.

 

I found a pink Ak already, no weapons but spears that I specialize in. So despite wanting to be perception guy the world says I need to be fortitude or strength based on the loot I've found. Lucky looter could be OP, It took ages to get out of the brown/orange gear zone in my fort build who had 0 lucky looter perks. I have 3 ranks because I specialized in perception which governs lucky looter.

 

I got a bicycle but it eats up my food like crazy, plus being in the cold. I'm going light armor and it seems like light armor drops are rare but they aren't just bad luck.

 

All in all I'm having fun, but the first week is always meh.

 

I did find a crucible schematic which unlocks steel crafting on day 1 at the trader, busted my ass to make 1600 dukes to buy it before inventory swap on day 3. Not that I can use it, I can't even craft a forge yet.

 

I also suspect that Lucky Looter is a little too OP. I walked into a bank on day 2 (I found a level 2 steel pickaxe in a car earlier) and had no points into Lucky Looter, and all I found throughout half the bank were brown and orange items. After putting 3 points into Lucky Looter, I walked out by the morning of day 3 with 2 level 6 shotguns and a level 5 compound bow (plus a couple level 4 pistols) from the last few safes I had broken into.

 

I know that loot in A18 is redistributed compared to loot in A17.4, but Lucky Looter seems to be the must-have perk early on for obvious reasons.

 

EDIT: Basically, Lucky Looter acts like the last 3 points into Better Barter (regarding the secret stash of the traders); the changes are drastic.

[andrough]

Lucky looter is one perk I've been wondering about with the new specialization, but not much because it can be worked around by more looting. Seems to be the same with a number of others. I know we can grab a few from other 'classes' without diverging from specialization too much, no big deal.

 

However, secret stash has me really concerned. Has it been changed or removed in a18? Maxing this one out feels a little bit harder to live without if I ever hope to get some solar panels or other rare stuff.

 

Edit: I mean the stash bonus included in later levels of better barter, that is.

[Sigil_Thane]

Yeah make it happen

 

This one too please:

 

RE: the "Instant Genghis Khan" ... Maybe implement it as a high level mod for bows, on par with a Magazine extender for a pistol.

[Bubo]

Speaking of loot, Guppy where were you yesterday morning?

 

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/09/14/blenheim-palace-closed-amid-speculation-golden-toilet-has-stolen/

 

[CannedSmeef]

Not bad 1 death a day the first 3 days, then things stabilized. No luck finding trader Joel in the pine forest yet, so I'm stuck in the snow biome dealing with Jen. I like to build next to trader Joel so I can check deals every 3 days and sell loot before nightfall or first thing in the morning.

 

I found a pink Ak already, no weapons but spears that I specialize in. So despite wanting to be perception guy the world says I need to be fortitude or strength based on the loot I've found. Lucky looter could be OP, It took ages to get out of the brown/orange gear zone in my fort build who had 0 lucky looter perks. I have 3 ranks because I specialized in perception which governs lucky looter.

 

I got a bicycle but it eats up my food like crazy, plus being in the cold. I'm going light armor and it seems like light armor drops are rare but they aren't just bad luck.

 

All in all I'm having fun, but the first week is always meh.

 

I did find a crucible schematic which unlocks steel crafting on day 1 at the trader, busted my ass to make 1600 dukes to buy it before inventory swap on day 3. Not that I can use it, I can't even craft a forge yet.

 

Lucky Looter is pretty busted for your current design of extending early game considering it gives you better stuff much earlier in loot. I'd recommend changing it so you find more things, not better thing

[ZombieSurvivor]

I was just discussing this with my eldest brother last night as we watched UFC. One of the fighters walked out to welcome to the jungle. While they were good at the time, I bought the album, I just can't stand to listen to them any more, where all the music I listed can come on to the radio and I enjoy it every single time. I don't know why, but usually song burnout fades in 5 or 10 years, Guns n roses song burnout never fades.

 

To be clear, I call song burnout when you listen to your favorite cd so much that your sick of it, and stop listening because it lost the magic. THen randomly 5-10 years later its like magic again and brings back some feelings you had.

 

I so agree.

[MechanicalLens]

Lucky Looter is pretty busted for your current design of extending early game considering it gives you better stuff much earlier in loot. I'd recommend changing it so you find more things, not better thing

 

Yeah... I know it's probably impossible through the way of code, but if Lucky Looter only affected the quality of zombie loot drops, then that would be much better balanced, imo.

[Haidrgna]

I also suspect that Lucky Looter is a little too OP. I walked into a bank on day 2 (I found a level 2 steel pickaxe in a car earlier) and had no points into Lucky Looter, and all I found throughout half the bank were brown and orange items. After putting 3 points into Lucky Looter, I walked out by the morning of day 3 with 2 level 6 shotguns and a level 5 compound bow (plus a couple level 4 pistols) from the last few safes I had broken into.

 

I know that loot in A18 is redistributed compared to loot in A17.4, but Lucky Looter seems to be the must-have perk early on for obvious reasons.

 

EDIT: Basically, Lucky Looter acts like the last 3 points into Better Barter (regarding the secret stash of the traders); the changes are drastic.

 

It has always been OP and will stay that way, especially when leveling is slowed down. Unless they have changed the values, it sets you 50 gamestages ahead for looting every rank, which basically means you average a new quality level (judging from the A17 settings). I have always been doing it the other way around, pioneered the system in A16 and bringing it back again now for 17/18. Basically the tiers of your looting is hardly affected by gamestage/level/perks, but instead the chance a container has nothing or the default loot decreases as gamestages improve. Add in some chances for containers to drop higher counts for low chances, that become more meaningful as the default loot chance is lowering. Basically seasoned players will find MORE loot rather than better loot. Certain containers, such as gun safes, gun boxes etc will not even have tiers based on gamestage at all, instead having just the same chance for tiers. This means a level 1 noob has the same chance to find a rare gun, but the high level dude may find more stuff in those containers so get the increased chance naturally. Still not perfect as to why would a high level dude find more, but there are probably reasons to think of like being able to spot the better gear, searching better.

 

In the real world it would even be that system but then the chance to find nothing increasing over time, but that would make the early game a loot bonanza most likely and end game gimped, only would work for a challenge game mode.

[Blake_]

I wish you'd drop lucky looter... Makes no sense that you'd find *better* loot.

 

...maybe if it just increases chances that you'd find loot, sure. But better loot?

 

Finally one thing I can agree with you as of late. I expected some BS overfeatured design harsh crap talk from you and you surprised me with that well directed thought. Faith in you restored. Currently your Bad design talk vs good design talk is at about 95-5% ratio.

 

I really don't want to offend you in any way possible, so to sweeten it up let's not call it bad design talk. Let's call it D&D tabletop dung intent mixed with a suicidal LARP bunch of tips.

[andrough]

It has always been OP and will stay that way, especially when leveling is slowed down. Unless they have changed the values, it sets you 50 gamestages ahead for looting every rank, which basically means you average a new quality level (judging from the A17 settings). I have always been doing it the other way around, pioneered the system in A16 and bringing it back again now for 17/18. Basically the tiers of your looting is hardly affected by gamestage/level/perks, but instead the chance a container has nothing or the default loot decreases as gamestages improve. Add in some chances for containers to drop higher counts for low chances, that become more meaningful as the default loot chance is lowering. Basically seasoned players will find MORE loot rather than better loot. Certain containers, such as gun safes, gun boxes etc will not even have tiers based on gamestage at all, instead having just the same chance for tiers. This means a level 1 noob has the same chance to find a rare gun, but the high level dude may find more stuff in those containers so get the increased chance naturally. Still not perfect as to why would a high level dude find more, but there are probably reasons to think of like being able to spot the better gear, searching better.

 

In the real world it would even be that system but then the chance to find nothing increasing over time, but that would make the early game a loot bonanza most likely and end game gimped, only would work for a challenge game mode.

 

I like the sound of this for LL balance.

[Guppycur]

Finally one thing I can agree with you as of late. I expected some BS overfeatured design harsh crap talk from you and you surprised me with that well directed thought. Faith in you restored. Currently your Bad design talk vs good design talk is at about 95-5% ratio.

 

I really don't want to offend you in any way possible, so to sweeten it up let's not call it bad design talk. Let's call it D&D tabletop dung intent mixed with a suicidal LARP bunch of tips.

 

Lol I can't be offended online, so no worries.

[Zombiepoptard]

Yeah make it happen

 

This one too please:

 

That would be cool. I watched Joerg too.

[Odetta]

I say, "Death to Lucky Looter! Death to Leveled Loot!" It makes looting boring and predictable, and with random stats; is it even necessary anymore for what you wanted? When you put legendary items in game these two systems are gonna be beyond OP game breaking.

 

It's such an artificial system of come-up-ins in the game. It provides no satisfaction of having accomplished something and while it might give you a very immediate benefit, it kills your long game.

 

A much better solution would be to have the perk and game staged loot give additional chance to find extra loot. "Instead of finding one brass doorknob I found two!"

[TundraWolf42]

I was just discussing this with my eldest brother last night as we watched UFC. One of the fighters walked out to welcome to the jungle. While they were good at the time, I bought the album, I just can't stand to listen to them any more, where all the music I listed can come on to the radio and I enjoy it every single time. I don't know why, but usually song burnout fades in 5 or 10 years, Guns n roses song burnout never fades.

 

To be clear, I call song burnout when you listen to your favorite cd so much that your sick of it, and stop listening because it lost the magic. THen randomly 5-10 years later its like magic again and brings back some feelings you had.

 

Good ole Axl Rose. I get this as well, listen for abit, then listen to other rock, and will come back to it.

[Hek Harris]

Lol I can't be offended online, so no worries.

...and there, someone rings at your door...

 

As far as I'm concerned, I never use "lucky looter". And I find purple stuff often enough. This skill can be useful for survivors who don't explore much. I guess.

[NightRanger]

MM or anyone who knows...

 

Is there going to be an experimental/unstable early release for those willing to go through and find any bugs/glitches and report them? If so, is there a time-frame on when that might be? Thanks.

[Hek Harris]

Is there going to be an experimental/unstable early release for those willing to go through and find any bugs/glitches and report them? If so, is there a time-frame on when that might be? Thanks.

 

I can respond ! Yes, it's called alpha 18 experimental.