My view on A18 vol1

[Mc Draken]

Good day! Here i am, again, looting pois, crafting clubs and building forts in 7days. Also suggesting stuff.

 

After about 80+ hours in A18.2-3 i wish to share my toughts. Probably it will be a series of posts, this collection of thinklets being the first one. Lets start:

 

- Max health: The whole point of a system like that, is to make long-term healing a real problem, while keeping recovering in combat quick. Healing is easy but recovering max health is problematic. It keeps combat dynamic and less dire while being injured has a more terminal consequense fitting for a survival game. But if you let ppl recover max health for the price of two pieces of cloth, the entire system falls on its face.

 

Remove bandage's 15max hp recovery. Max hp should be only recovered by first aid bandages, kits, and i suggest that high tier meals recover 5 or so too.

 

- Bow accuracy: I think you should change how bows work. On left click, the player readies the bow, drawing and AIMING with it. but currently the bow doesent become more accurate doing this. Only by zooming in. So i suggest, that bows should become more accurate while drawing them, and right clicking only zooms in. This would make bows a lot more convenient and more senseful.

 

- Autoreload: pls, would you switch automaic reloading on singleshot weapons off. Or make it optional. Its annoying on ots own, due to being "forced" into a reload(you can cancel it by switching), but the fact ot returns into aimed mode makes it really bug out.

 

- Aim stamina cost: i dont even see the concept. Its not just doesent make any sense, that aiming a pistol tires me out, but its just a redundant, useless concept. The game doesent needs it. Booth melee and guns use limiting resources. Melee uses stamina, that limits its availability in fights. Guns dont need that. They already have a limitation, AMMO. Just drop this mechanic, isnt needed and leads nowhere.

 

- javelins/spears: in advance, i have to mention, that its really cool to see fundamentaly new weapons. Booth polearms and throwing weapons are welcome. But its just doesent really work mixed together. Having no power attack makes it a weak melee option and having one ammo makes it a clumsy ranged weapon. They doesent really synergies well. And players usually not fond of throwing around a precious, modded weapon. I strongly suggest, to make em separate weapons.

 

Firat, Spears (or glaives), a proper and AGILE melee weapon with a strong stabbing power attack and quick sweeps. It works like other melees but with other unique property, extra range.

 

Javelins, a stackable(16?) throwing weapon with quick melee stabs and ranged right click. Its not moddable obviously, but requires no upkeep, base weapon or repair. Just craft it and throw. Its a STR weapon, its stopping power comes from your throwing arm. There may be a glove mod(sling strap?) that gives extra range/power, or maybe a chest mod (heater quiver) that makes your javelins flaming to compensate for the lack of moddability.

 

That way we get two proper weapons, booth useful and unique instead of one half-assed.

 

- Block grouping: I obviously love the quick shape-select menu(i suggested it?), and the implementation is almost perfect. Altough, i would advise against putting entirely different objects under one category. For example, different furnitures should not be under one group. This way, stuff are hard to find, and the mutual price arent always perfect for each of them. Lets say, Its okay to put different forms of the same chain fence into one group, but other fences should be in their particular categories with additional shapes and forms.

 

So again, I would only put stuff into one group that are strictly the same thing but in different shapes(like sofas or chain fences). Also I would like to see more shapes for the secure storage box or wrought iron fences and others. Half cabinet, and a corner one would be nice too.

 

- storage crafting: well, there are 3 or 4 main base-equipment types in survival games, based on the actual game ofc. These are usually crafting stations, storage equipment, traps, and utility. Utility is cheap for a category but still. The point is, storage is a really important part in any of these games, just like in 7dtd. So lets respect this, and polish the surroundings of this aspect. I would like it if all the storages would get a flag (as "storage" or "secure storage") and make them easy to find. Every furniture that can hold stuff should be handled as something that has function, as it does have. Its not just decor. Coolers, fridges, office water coolers... barrels, desks, lockers.

 

Also i suggest, to make all the poi assets in game that is able to contain items craftable. 7dtd's base building is one of the game's strong side. A property that makes players play it solely for this. And these people are happy if you give them stuff to actually build. They love different types of themed containers. The game already has a lot of these new containers, quad-barrel stack, cobblestone/cement bag block, plastic barrel, munitions chest, reinforced metal chest, and personaly i would love to build the big, hardened metal chest. Some builders like decor, but all of them like functional stuff that they can add to their precious base with actual purpose.

 

Just polish the prices, tech lvl, etc and make them craftable(or their duplicates), the assets are there to use. Its a cheap way to make some of the player-base happy. Also rise the wooden chest's cost to lets say 20 wood and 5 scrap iron while lowering its storage capacity. Make it a bit more precious, its a proper and secure storage container, not a decor, meanwhile nerfing it a bit gives purpose for other container types. It will be still an early item craftable in a pinch, but with a bit more crafting value, and lower space than other higher tier containers.

 

- Iron ore: i see why you did what you did, but i would strongly advise against removing ores. While simplifying the material chain makes the system more practical at first glance, it obviously loses its natural complexity. And complexity can be good if its purposeful.

 

The fact, players mine ore first, separates two early stages of the game. One nomadic, where scrapping ore quickly to iron, means you can craft that scrap weapon or scrap tool that makes the first big progression of the gameplay from wooden stuff and stone hatchet. Sadly, iron club cant be made from scrap now, and there never were any scrap iron tools to begin with.

 

I advise to actually enchance that stage by giving back the ability to craft iron club from scrap iron, and make the player able to craft early scrap iron tools.

 

Also its just makes sense. Thats how it works. You mine ore, then smelt it. If you can, always keep close to reality. Not becouse a game must be realistic, but becouse reality makes the gameworld more familiar. And even a fantasy world has to be coherent. It Has to make sense.

 

- Equipment progression: 7dtd is a survival RPG not an MMO. Previously the game had a progreasion curve that was natural, enjoyable and made perfect sense(altough far from perfect). Every step felt good. From wooden club and bow trough reinforced club, finally getting your first proper firearm, being able to upkeep it. Finally, getting your precious high tier guns fully modded.

 

Currently, its about picking one type from a list of weapon categories that seemes like they are all equal, and from lvl2, using the same weapon til the end. The fact my AK47 has a higher and higher number under it till tier 6 is not gameplay progression. Its Just like a dumb mmo. "Ak47 +123456." An automatic, accurate, high dmg gun is endgame stuff. It should not be equal in infrastructure and availability to a fcking baseball bat.

 

Guys, melee is naturally not on par with ranged arms. Bows are naturally not on par with guns. They dont have to follow the same principles. They have other properties. Being Easily available or cheap to upkeep. Why does a reinforced club(metal scrap pummeled into a stick) needs repair kits? Forged iron? Why does a wooden bow needs parts? Why i have more 7.62 than feathers? Why a baseball bat needs any of these? Becouse its a Tier 3 club? Thats not a damn MMO. Pls, just turn back, and make the game a proper, quality survival RPG with well-defined progression steps in actual GAMEPLAY.

 

Yeah guns are fun. But this should not lead to the concept of "so guns for everyone on lvl3!" Guns should be something that has incredible value in a survival game. Its something to thrive for. An m60 should be an endgame goal, while a baseball bat should be one of the first stuff i craft. The game handles all high tier weapons the same, even if they are fundamentaly not.

 

The game had stages from nomad clubman to supersoldier with an AK. they played really different. It was colourful and made sense.

 

...