Alpha 19 Dev Diary

[Jugginator]

33 minutes ago, Damocles said:

(...)

Again not knocking it, I used it quite frequently back in 18. It was server hosted on a provider, and I hounded him to check and see if he cleared everything (made a vid for him too). Everyone on the server started seeing it after about 4 hours. Logging out and in solved it for about 20 mins. But, it's an experimental mod on an experimental build ya know.

 

37 minutes ago, faatal said:

Indeed. The trader is an afterthought to me. I get there when I feel like it. No time is "lost" if you are doing productive activities with your time.

Trader quests feel artificial. I'd rather be limited to 1 a day. Make far ones have better rewards, so I have to weigh my options.

Being able to conveniently buy/sell stuff seems like a nerf safety net to survival just like using preexisting POIs feels too easy. I'd like to see an option where zombies do 3x damage to blocks not placed by players, so you would be encouraged to build, yet larger sturdy POIs in the beginning would be ok.

Yes to all of that at the end. And I typically delete the starter quest in my SP runs and don't go to the trader for the first week. It's a fun game of survival at that point.

[madmole]

8 minutes ago, Khalagar said:

  

You guys remember when everyone kept saying the candies were pointless and blah blah and Madmole kept saying they are extremely strong and so useful he guarantees nearly everyone would use them?

 

People who don't auto buy all candies every time you see a vending machine, why are you lying or playing life on hard mode?

 

Madmole 100% right, the candies vary from "I could see this being useful to someone" to "auto buy on sight" and are so cheap they are nearly OP

 

 

Well yeah, of course you can play without the trader. You can play without ever using melee, or play without ever using a gun, or play without ever mining, or even literally play without ever fighting a zombie, or play without X . . .

 

The point more is that traders are such an integral part of the game that they basically *are* the end game. Playing without doing quests at all or trading would be a pretty handicapped way to play. Of course it's possible as a challenge run, but eventually even a fully nomad play style would clear the entire map, and crafting builder play styles can't even craft or build end game without materials from traders or high end PoI they need traders to reset for more chances at needed loot they can't craft

 

 

 

 

Just saying, it's not really fair balance wise that every other build actually, y'know, gets a weapon that scales off their perks early game. Perception can build their spear, Strength gets both of it's weapons while also having like most of the best perks in the game at all game stages, Agility gets it's bow and knife etc.  Investing in int early game just wastes your points because the only thing int attribute it self does is buff weapons you don't get until mid game. 

 

The forge and workbench etc are "nice to have"s but are just a QoL thing early game since you can just use the traders or find schematics.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm still using the other weapons since obvsly since I have no choice, just silly that as an int build I have wasted like 60~% of my points for zero return on investment (yet).

 

Now lets all hail the best attribute, strength. Srsly, playing without investing in strength early game actually *would* be playing life on hard mode. The best early game gun (Blunderbuss), best late game gun (autoshotgun), best melee (sledge and baseball bat / steel cub), two of the best skills in the game Miner 69 and Mother Lode, plus Sex Rex and Pack mule . . . 

 

 

 

 

 

Hah, I'm glad people like the candy. I like feeding words sandwiches to people

 

Now shut up and eat your words like a good boy... there you go, now run along and play *Gives light knuckle rub and gently shoes them out the door*

Its subjective, not everyone cares about STR, and a good salvage tool can shred open a safe pretty fast AND get you parts you can sell/use. I just crafted 4k of concrete just from loot shoveling cement bags and the stone I got from those pallets, or leftover from mining real ore, no STONE mining period. That has my 7x7 solid r concrete 4 blocks high and concrete the rest of the way. Granted shoveling those bags would be hard though without miner 69r, but with an auger would be cake if you are willing to wait it out.

My still most favorite build is the fist/machinegun build.

 

In the future we might add some more primitive class weapons to round things out though.

 

 

 

1 minute ago, Jugginator said:

Again not knocking it, I used it quite frequently back in 18. It was server hosted on a provider, and I hounded him to check and see if he cleared everything (made a vid for him too). Everyone on the server started seeing it after about 4 hours. Logging out and in solved it for about 20 mins. But, it's an experimental mod on an experimental build ya know.

 

Yes to all of that at the end. And I typically delete the starter quest in my SP runs and don't go to the trader for the first week. It's a fun game of survival at that point.

I was thinking of doing a no trader build just to see how hard it is, or if there are any glaring holes in loot which would be uncovered eventually.

[MechanicalLens]

34 minutes ago, madmole said:

<snipped for space>

Once again I must restrain myself from geeking out over the fact that one of the founders/developers of their own game is having a blast playing said game. It's such a rare treat to hear about. In my opinion, game development is largely best done by people in T-shirts and pants, not suits and ties.

 

My world is still in its infancy (day 5, 90 minute days), so there is not much to share on my part, but I'll give it my best shot.

 

My initial world had me spawned next to a trader - literally only 40 meters away - but after having some minor second thoughts about the "legitimacy" of my run (I had been accepting stacks of 20 molotov and pipe bomb rewards from the trader over and over) I decided I needed a fresh start. On my current save I spawned facing the desert, which was a real blessing for me. After completing my initial starter quests and looting a few garbages and cars, I harvested as much yucca and cacti as I could before heading along a long, windy country road that was heading into the very heart of the forest biome. I found trader Bob on the outskirts of a fairly large town directly at 0,0 , who had a bicycle chassis for sale. I dumped a point into Better Barter to save a few precious dukes and proceeded to clear out a couple houses adjacent to him and depositing my gear away before accepting some buried supplies quests from Bob. By the end of the day I had saved up enough money for the chassis, and I also had a Sugar Butts candy to assist me in my endeavors.

 

I'm currently going for a Strength build (shotguns and clubs), so finding a metal spike mod on the second day was a big bonus for my level 2 wooden club. Two days of questing and resource grinding later and the trader refreshed. I already had the chassis from him from the first day, and in between then and now I had found two tires from car loot. I had not been planning on advancing my form of transportation anytime soon, but after seeing that he was selling that coveted bicycle handlebars that was within my price range, I knew I had to go for it.

 

Currently it is day 6, and I am riding around on my brand new bicycle with some level 2-4 padded and scrap iron armor and T4 iron tools. I have recently moved shop to the other side of town down into a bunker - the one with the shed out front and the colorful metal fence surrounding the back end of the property.

 

I have a temporary 7x7 cobblestone tower set up, complete with a bird cage above to assist in protecting me from buzzards. Once I lay the bottom two rows high with spikes, I will hopefully be prepared enough to face the oncoming day 7 horde. I bit the bullet a couple times once again, so I now have 20 molotovs and 20 pipe bombs to my name, but I'll be saving those for day 14 or even later. My load-out also consists of a T1 double barrel shotgun which I found in a duffel bag on day 1 and a T1 pistol which I recently found in a metal works POI. In some ways I'm still stuck in the A18 mindset, so I almost ended up immediately scrapping the thing.

 

I logged off last night mining for some clay and later for some much-needed iron. Day 7 is almost upon me, and I am nervous for what the horde shall introduce to me. It's a rediscovered feeling, and I love it.

[Jugginator]

14 minutes ago, madmole said:

Hard drive space was killing my performance, windows likes 30% free, it doesn't matter HOW big your HD is. Mine is 1 GB SSD and I had 100MB free and it ran like @%$*#! until I got 300 GB free. You could try dynamic resolution too if you already have lots of free space.

Yeah that's a thing with drives overall for the most part. 50% for HDD and... off the top of my head, 35 - 40 % is the point of exponential performance loss for SSDs. Also, SSAD/Sun shafts seem to be the biggest hits. Overall, I actually upped my graphics a little bit and get better performance, works great for me. I even collapsed a Dishong tower hosting MP with a friend in level editor and we were both smashing "Spawn 25" on tons of various things, blowing crap up with explosives and rocket launchers. Grand time and couldn't crash the game / had... reasonable (8 - 10 fps, but still considering lol). 

 

Honestly, balance feels really well... IMO shotguns seem a bit overpowered with regular shells penetrating so much, and I sorta feel pigeonholed into taking skills in Str. no matter what build I do, but I mean... from the slew of hours in 19 I've put into it so far, I love it lol. Please nerf bookstores thanks

 

 

[xiiMaRcLeoN]

Really like the look of the new wasteland biom with the many dead trees, its really nice and everything looks sharp.

[Jugginator]

6 minutes ago, madmole said:

 

I was thinking of doing a no trader build just to see how hard it is, or if there are any glaring holes in loot which would be uncovered eventually.

Lmao candy is awesome, though I tend to not abuse them because some are OP but I'll take some rock candy all the time. 

 

You should! It really is different. In some testing I did just that what you said, seeing where some loot holes are, I haven't found anything glaring obvious yet though. I started one just a little bit ago, going to never visit a trader and see what happens.

[MechanicalLens]

7 minutes ago, madmole said:

Hah, I'm glad people like the candy. I like feeding words sandwiches to people

 

Speaking of sandwiches, I saw what you did with the moldy sham sandwiches, nerfing them from 27 hunger points down to just 15. You got me there. I thought I had enough food for several days with over a dozen of them stashed away. 😜

 

8 minutes ago, madmole said:

Its subjective, not everyone cares about STR, and a good salvage tool can shred open a safe pretty fast AND get you parts you can sell/use. I just crafted 4k of concrete just from loot shoveling cement bags and the stone I got from those pallets, or leftover from mining real ore, no STONE mining period. That has my 7x7 solid r concrete 4 blocks high and concrete the rest of the way. Granted shoveling those bags would be hard though without miner 69r, but with an auger would be cake if you are willing to wait it out.

Controversial decision-making here, but I always dig up those cement pallets from as early as day 1 and I scrap them for the extra stone. Future concrete mix vs today's cobblestone?

[Roland]

11 minutes ago, Khalagar said:

Well yeah, of course you can play without the trader. You can play without ever using melee, or play without ever using a gun, or play without ever mining, or literally even play without ever fighting a zombie, or play without X . . .

 

The point more is that traders are such an integral part of the game that they basically *are* the end game. Playing without doing quests at all or trading would be a pretty handicapped way to play. Of course it's possible as a challenge run, but eventually even a fully nomad play style would clear the entire map, and crafting builder play styles can't even craft or build end game without materials from traders or high end PoI they need traders to reset for more chances at needed loot they can't craft

And my point was not to play the entire game without the trader but that there is no need to get to the trader on the very first day and people who are complaining that their trader was 1.7 km away and they had to waste a day running seem to me to be assuming that you must get that trader quest resolved ASAP. The only reason to complain about running all day for 2+ km is if you think that you must do it.

 

That's why I would like to see the trader quest come a few days later.

 

What if the only trader was 30km away? Would you spend every day of the first week just running non-stop or would you take your time over a few weeks always traveling towards the destination but stopping for adventures along the way? If the trader is always 500m or less away from your spawn point and quests are always 700m or less away from your trader then there are no en route adventures. So currently you might get a world where your trader is 2km away. Why does that need to be fixed? In that play, you might travel a km on the first day and bunk in the top of a ruined remnant of a building. The next day you could travel the last km. That allows for interesting gameplay while you travel. But I do agree with those complaining that holding down the shift button with your pinky for an entire 2km run is boring and painful. I just don't get why y'all insist on doing it....

 

Maybe there are more people than I thought who would choose the opposite of me in that alternate universe question thread in General Discussions....

[Jugginator]

You know, I was thinking the other day: What if, instead of the start quest saying "Hey good job now your next task is to go to this trader", it changes to something like "Alright you got the basics, whenever you feel up to the journey here's the location of a settlement" and end it there? Maybe have it 2 KM away or something, make the player think "Oh nice a settlement, but first I have to get my bearings and gather some supplies for the trip there"; IMO that may make the trip more special or something and not give the player a feeling of "Okay I must go here now". *shrug*

[FileMachete]

12 minutes ago, Khalagar said:

The point more is that traders are such an integral part of the game that they basically *are* the end game. Playing without doing quests at all or trading would be a pretty handicapped way to play. Of course it's possible as a challenge run, but eventually even a fully nomad play style would clear the entire map, and crafting builder play styles can't even craft or build end game without materials from traders or high end PoI they need traders to reset for more chances at needed loot they can't craft

Has A19 changed something about building that I missed?

I'm still on 18.4. Current game I haven't done a single quest. Used a couple traders frequently in early game for books. Now in end game I've got ~200k dukes just in case I need the brass (along w two+ chests full of grn or better stuff to sell if I wanted). There's nothing the traders sell that I'm interested in, except those -2- frickin shotgun books I can't find anywhere! (all other books are 7/7)

 

I recognize that this won't work as well in A19, but A18 points went into Agi(pistol, L-armor), Int(forge etc) and Mining. Later spec into Perc for rifles. I've maxed mining perks + 2 points into health regen & take a punch thing, but still haven't put a point into clubs or shotguns.

 

Sitting on 1000+ Mech & Elec parts. Would have lots of sewing kits & springs except I used a lot of those for mods to add to gear prior to selling to trader. Still have more than enough to craft & maintain whatever traps I care to use.

 

Honestly can't think of what materials builders need that are mainly found at traders or high end pois? I seriously hope that kind of change hasn't happened as I have, and expect to again, do a playthrough without using traders.

[Phoenixshade35]

Question, is the grease monkey book in the game? when i looked at the skill books i didnt see it (i could be blind) or was it not working right?

[Roland]

3 minutes ago, Jugginator said:

You know, I was thinking the other day: What if, instead of the start quest saying "Hey good job now your next task is to go to this trader", it changes to something like "Alright you got the basics, whenever you feel up to the journey here's the location of a settlement" and end it there? Maybe have it 2 KM away or something, make the player think "Oh nice a settlement, but first I have to get my bearings and gather some supplies for the trip there"; IMO that may make the trip more special or something and not give the player a feeling of "Okay I must go here now". *shrug*

Yeah, I can totally see how it being a quest with the objective floating in text in the top right of your screen adds some artifical incentive to doing it now now now!  What else is a new player going to do but exactly what "Clippy" is telling him to do and whether the number in the top right says 600m or 1.4km or 2km they are going to spend all their time reducing it to zero before doing whatever else.

 

I'm so glad I ditched Word years ago....

[Jugginator]

2 minutes ago, Roland said:

Yeah, I can totally see how it being a quest with the objective floating in text in the top right of your screen adds some artifical incentive to doing it now now now!  What else is a new player going to do but exactly what "Clippy" is telling him to do and whether the number in the top right says 600m or 1.4km or 2km they are going to spend all their time reducing it to zero before doing whatever else.

 

I'm so glad I ditched Word years ago....

Lmfao Clippy! At first, it was like "Woah!!! Look at that!". I agree with that statement entirely; it instills "must do this at all costs", then it's "oh I must do this job" "oh i must do another...". I feel  a "survival, gathering road trip supplies, journey to settlement" feels better than, "do this do that now GO TO THE TRADER NOW!".

[MechanicalLens]

1 minute ago, Jugginator said:

Lmfao Clippy! At first, it was like "Woah!!! Look at that!". I agree with that statement entirely; it instills "must do this at all costs", then it's "oh I must do this job" "oh i must do another...". I feel  a "survival, gathering road trip supplies, journey to settlement" feels better than, "do this do that now GO TO THE TRADER NOW!".

Except you must say that in an Arnold Schwarzenegger voice. "What are you doing! Leave that birds nest! Go to the trader now!" 

[Jugginator]

3 minutes ago, MechanicalLens said:

Except you must say that in an Arnold Schwarzenegger voice. "What are you doing! Leave that birds nest! Go to the trader now!" 

Come AAAHNNN! GET TO DA TRADA NAAAOOOWW! 😂 

[LeonBraun]

Madmole!!!
Oh, that flying drone ... When do you add blaster rifles? I want lightsabers and Sith !!! Just kidding. Seriously, what the hell!? Joel, my friends and I hope this is a temporary solution? These effects ... Jesus ... kill me. This does NOT fit into the world of 7 days. As a solution - make the flying drone attack from 9mm mini-machine guns? Or a drone with a sawn-off shotgun !!! It will be possible to find use for this weapon of 1 shooting range. Treatment is disgusting. What are the red effects? Let .... hmm ... a drone shoots a dart at you or a syringe with an anesthetic (or a blood coagulation drug if the character has bleeding) - a new item that will need to be crafted. You melt metal - you make needles, you melt plastic - you make a shell for a syringe, but from what these or those solutions to make syringes should be made ... One could add a couple of new objects. Which can only be found. A pack of some medications from which you can cook painkillers or hemostatic solutions. Well, you get the idea. Joel, What do you say? 

[MechanicalLens]

4 minutes ago, Jugginator said:

Come AAAHNNN! GET TO DA TRADA NAAAOOOWW! 😂 

Now I challenge you to put on an Arnold persona every time you interact with a trader. Be sure to include as many references and quotes as possible.

 

Arnold would make a great commentator for the initial starter quests though, commanding you step by step.

 

"AAAHHHHHHH! SHOW DAT GRASS WHO'S BOSS! FASTER, FASTER, THEN CRAFT DEH BEDROLLLL!!! AAAAAARRRRRRHHHH!"

[Roland]

"Hasta la vista" is what I say to every trader when I leave.

 

Except Jen.

 

To her I say, "Come with me if you want to live."

[MechanicalLens]

Just now, Roland said:

"Hasta la vista" is what I say to every trader when I leave.

 

Except Jen.

 

To her I say, "Come with me if you want to live."

I thought it was, "Dead or alive, you're coming with me."

 

Oh wait, that was Robocop, nevermind.

[Jugginator]

1 minute ago, MechanicalLens said:

Now I challenge you to put on an Arnold persona every time you interact with a trader. Be sure to include as many references and quotes as possible.

 

Arnold would make a great commentator for the initial starter quests though, commanding you step by step.

 

"AAAHHHHHHH! SHOW DAT GRASS WHOSE BOSS! FASTER, FASTER, THEN CRAFT DEH BEDROLLLL!!! AAAAAARRRRRRHHHH!"

I am known for my Arnold impersonations lol. I did an entire shift at a Pizza Hut taking every phone order doing that voice waay back when I was younger lmao, that was a grand time.

[MechanicalLens]

1 minute ago, Jugginator said:

I am known for my Arnold impersonations lol. I did an entire shift at a Pizza Hut taking every phone order doing that voice waay back when I was younger lmao, that was a grand time.

And you know what the new gyrocopter horn has to be in a future update.

 

 

Also, those do sound like good times.

[Jugginator]

5 minutes ago, MechanicalLens said:

And you know what the new gyrocopter horn has to be in a future update.

 

Also, those do sound like good times.

Lmfao. I'd pass knucklerubs all around for these great chit chats, but I'm not allowed to spread them anymore until tomorrow...

[FileMachete]

ok... don't tell anyone I told you guys this...

 

On your next conference call line up a few classic movie lines and when everyone is silent and bored, play one, then quickly mute your phone.

 

I may or may have played this particular one at some point on a team call;  https://youtu.be/ex6tVAb3cy0?t=37

 

But you get the idea

 

I had my boss and team fooled for a couple months, until my cat outted me by yowling while a clip was playing... which was pretty funny by itself

[Aldranon]

The fire station is a very good BM base with some minor modification.

The problem is, its also a major food source!

As least get rid of one of the vending machines if not both.  (or is this an Easter Egg POI?)

 

Or maybe I got some crazy luck as both vending machines are working and the POI is within 100 meters of the traders vending machine!

(Oh yeah, the traders Chem Station and Forge are working too!)

I might restart because its too easy!

 

Maybe only restock trader vending machines?

 

[MechanicalLens]

2 minutes ago, Aldranon said:

The fire station is a very good BM base with some minor modification.

The problem is, its also a major food source!

As least get rid of one of the vending machines if not both.  (or is this an Easter Egg POI?)

 

Or maybe I got some crazy luck as both vending machines are working and the POI is within 100 meters of the traders vending machine!

(Oh yeah, the traders Chem Station and Forge are working too!)

I might restart because its too easy!

Then don't use them? Pretend they are broken.