Alpha 21 Dev Diary

[Syrex]

Sorry, D4 comes out beginning of june, can you wait till 3rd week of june before dropping 21? <runs and hides> lol

[Burrfly]

16 hours ago, Roland said:

And this is your and others’ big stumbling block to being able to enjoy early access. Cuts, removals, edits, and streamlining is always part of the creative process for unfinished works. Usually we don’t see those things as we only get games in their finished form. 
 

Movies are a great parallel example for this. During the editing process after all the shooting is done, there is rarely any more additional footage shot. It is almost always a process of deleting and editing out footage deemed unnecessary. 
 

The problem you have is that even though you understand that the game is not finished from an intellectual standpoint, you don’t want to believe it from an emotional standpoint. Updates during early access are not DLC expansions to a complete game. They are going to include removals that never make a return. 
 

As you say, for those who never experienced previous versions there is no disappointment or feeling of loss. That will be even truer for those who purchase the final finished product. 
 

After the game goes gold, any future updates are likely to be exactly what you want—pure content expansion. It’s very unlikely they will change or remove anything that already exists. Until that time, we are in the editing and streamlining phase and you either need to reconcile yourself to that or just put the game aside until the final product is presented. 
 

All of those negative reviews are from people who are either ignorant or don’t want to face the fact that the game isn’t finished and updates aren’t simply expansionary. They shouldn’t have participated at this stage. Early access isn’t for them. 

Thank you for your detailled answer. Of course it is difficult to comply to each and everyones wishes, I just hope that maybe some day an option or something is added whenever you create a world which you can choose from "build path: simple" or "build path: complex". The simple build path is what it is now since alpha 20, with 4 materials, and the complex build path is somewhat how it was in alpha 17 for example, with the 11 materials (including levels). Or even just an option "blocks requires frames: yes" or "blocks requires frames: no" (rebar, metal and wood frames how it was before). For sure 99% of people truly love the features like feral sense and the improved world generation in alpha 20 but as of now I think that on the other hand, quite some people, including me, are going to go to the "older version" options in steam and switch back to alpha 16, 17 or 18, (for the sake of building) it feeling more survivalish and actually like we are constructing something (rebar frames --> has to dry --> etc etc). Progression felt slower which was great (in my opinion). Thnx 4 reading 

[Doomofman]

4 hours ago, Syrex said:

Sorry, D4 comes out beginning of june, can you wait till 3rd week of june before dropping 21? <runs and hides> lol

 

I'd have thought they would avoid the D4 release week, I certainly would in their shoes. While it doesn't necessarily interfere with a Streamer Weekend, it would be taking both players and eyes off A21 the day after it releases in Exp

 

I feel similar to Memorial Day weekend, US people probably have stuff planned so again would be losing both eyes on streams and potentially streamers. But I've heard conflicting things about how much TFP take that weekend into account

[Burrfly]

~60% of the comments on a youtube video "all alpha 21 update news", look it up if you dont believe me. Just saying, still no hate

 

[Jost Amman]

7 minutes ago, Burrfly said:

~60% of the comments on a youtube video "all alpha 21 update news", look it up if you dont believe me. Just saying, still no hate

 

That only proves that players tend to judge changes before they've even had the chance to try them.

And in general, people are against change. Of any kind.

[Pineapple Killer]

Its getting harder to read through this thread with the constant back and forth but just saying the same thing over and over. The amount of nonesense topics that get discussed is mind-boggling.

With the lastest topic - The game is the way it is. Some love building, some hate it. Some loved the older version of building, some love the new version. Why constantly keep defending a point that others disgree? Accept that others can disagree with your point and move on. 

[Thaledwyn]

On 5/15/2023 at 12:05 AM, unholyjoe said:

you mean like this?

 

 

 

Exactly this!

 

Thanks a lot for the quick response 🙂

[zztong]

9 hours ago, Syrex said:

Sorry, D4 comes out beginning of june, can you wait till 3rd week of june before dropping 21? <runs and hides> lol

 

LOL, naa. I've got to use 10-15 days of vacation before the end of June, or lose them. The latest A21-Experimental can be released is 12 June. That, or I'm headed to Laz Man's house (wherever that is) to work on converting my POIs.

[Adun0608]

There is no perfect world, no perfect life, and no perfect game. I don't understand why it's not possible to give a definite release time after publishing so much content? At least it should make me clear why? I think most people only ask for these things

[YourMirror]

So its "speaking on behalf of most people" time again. Even fencing with reviews. On behalf of most people, please get a life.

[meilodasreh]

6 hours ago, Doomofman said:

I'd have thought they would avoid the D4 release week, I certainly would in their shoes

I can't really see the point of this whole "aviod this or that date because it interferes with XY".

Neither D4 nor 7D2D are games that you will be done with after one or two weeks.

These are both games with high replayability.

Especially D4 is of course an everlasting grind for the best stuff you can get...so what's the point about "let's avoid the release week"?

Wouldn't it be more like "let's wait several months or even years, then interest in the game will maybe somewhat diminished"?

 

If you're into both of them, you will get both of them, and play both of them,

if you ask me, this is completely independent from the actual date when the game is initially available.

 

Of course you can't play both games at the same time, but really, what does matter at the end?

Number of copies sold long term, or a bar on steam statictics that tells you that many people playing simultaneously especially during the first few days?

[DocRussel]

Plus what is next to release is an unstable build of an experimental release, not the initial release of a game or 7D2D going gold.

[meganoth]

35 minutes ago, meilodasreh said:

I can't really see the point of this whole "aviod this or that date because it interferes with XY".

Neither D4 nor 7D2D are games that you will be done with after one or two weeks.

These are both games with high replayability.

Especially D4 is of course an everlasting grind for the best stuff you can get...so what's the point about "let's avoid the release week"?

Wouldn't it be more like "let's wait several months or even years, then interest in the game will maybe somewhat diminished"?

 

If you're into both of them, you will get both of them, and play both of them,

if you ask me, this is completely independent from the actual date when the game is initially available.

 

Of course you can't play both games at the same time, but really, what does matter at the end?

Number of copies sold long term, or a bar on steam statictics that tells you that many people playing simultaneously especially during the first few days?

 

His point is probably about pulicity, not about playing them.

 

[Doomofman]

2 minutes ago, meganoth said:

 

His point is probably about pulicity, not about playing them.

 

 

Exactly. I think there's a decent overlap between players and streamers when it comes to 7 Days and D4 (despite them being vastly different games). 

 

Streamer weekend and I'd imagine the first week or so of Exp release are essentially big adverts to sell the game, if D4 dilutes the streaming and playing audience, then streamer weekend isn't as valuable as it could have been

 

Maybe the Fun Pimps don't care about that, I'm just speculating reasons they might avoid a particular weekend

[fragtzack]

With ziplines in good use in so many other games..

 

Bring back underroos on a zombie in A22 !!

 

[Cazmyr]

Hello all, 

 

I was doing some thing and have an idea and question to put out there into the world:

 

The question:

     Generally speaking the amount to storage in a container is related to the size of the container. The small upper cabinet has 8 or so, the large loot containers have many more. This seems to be consistent throughout the game except for the single, blue liquid barrels. They have an enormous amount of storage and it is odd every time I open one. Is this intended? If so, cool, I have no issue with it. I am just wondering.

 

The idea:

     I am sure you all have this fully under control, but I thought I would throw my two cents in for fun. The tools for the workbench could include:

 

     Calipers: Allows for more precise measurements and can add a reduction in crafting time to the workbench.

     Dremel:  Allows for manufacture of more complicated parts. Can be required for advanced crafting, i.e. Motorcycle/ 4x4, Pump Shotgun/ AK47/ etc

 

Hope everyone is having a great week!

 

Thank you for your time

    

[BFT2020]

3 hours ago, Adun0608 said:

There is no perfect world, no perfect life, and no perfect game. I don't understand why it's not possible to give a definite release time after publishing so much content? At least it should make me clear why? I think most people only ask for these things

 

The release date on A21 will depend on how many of the mf bugs (must fix) that are completed and when the team is comfortable with A21 being released in the experimental stage.

 

Since you cannot quantify how long it will take to fix the mf bugs (along with testing the changes to verify they work and check for unseen side affects from the changes), the timing cannot be given in a definite release date.

 

Rick likes to give estimates, but the actual release date of the next Alpha will always depend on where they are at with quashing the bugs that have cropped up.

[Grimlock_Arts]

Software development has a lot of unforeseens that creep up. That is why an exact date can not be produced. Please understand that and be patient people. Let them get it right. Those that understand the complexity of the process would rather wait for a superior release than a broken one with constant fixes.

[Digital_Samurai]

Looking forward to this update. Sad to see it took so long. But I do understand it. I look forward to these updates during the holidays at the end of the year and could not get out of my usual funk without it this past year and it was sorely missed. Great job so far though.

[Adun0608]

I am a web front-end programmer and I understand the complexities of programs and bugs. What puzzles me is the propaganda strategy. First show you an almost complete piece of content that grabs your attention and tells you it's coming. Then fell silent. I understand the difficulties faced with free updates for so many years. I even bought two versions, Xbox PC and Steam. I can also accept paid DLC. But I just can't understand this situation like an old friend disappointing you.I just hope TFP can do better.

[Jost Amman]

17 minutes ago, Adun0608 said:

I am a web front-end programmer and I understand the complexities of programs and bugs. What puzzles me is the propaganda strategy. First show you an almost complete piece of content that grabs your attention and tells you it's coming. Then fell silent. I understand the difficulties faced with free updates for so many years. I even bought two versions, Xbox PC and Steam. I can also accept paid DLC. But I just can't understand this situation like an old friend disappointing you.I just hope TFP can do better.

There's no propaganda strategy going on here, just normal hype building for something they've worked on for over a year.

They're doing exactly what they've announced in the Dev Streams: after a few of those (4), they said there would be no more, until they were ready for the Stream Weekend.

 

That's it.

[drunksitter]

On 5/15/2023 at 12:00 PM, Riamus said:

It's a fun song if you want to look it up.

No I don't wanna do that.

[Riamus]

2 hours ago, Adun0608 said:

I am a web front-end programmer and I understand the complexities of programs and bugs. What puzzles me is the propaganda strategy. First show you an almost complete piece of content that grabs your attention and tells you it's coming. Then fell silent. I understand the difficulties faced with free updates for so many years. I even bought two versions, Xbox PC and Steam. I can also accept paid DLC. But I just can't understand this situation like an old friend disappointing you.I just hope TFP can do better.

It's simply hype.  And that is hardly unusual for video games.  Far different from web development.  Nothing wrong with it.  They specifically stated that it would depend on bugs and they weren't going to release experimental until all of the worst bugs were fixed and you can't give any exact date on when that will happen.  Be patient.  This isn't a final release (stable) of A21 anyhow.  The stable release will probably have a much clearer date.

[canadianbluebeer]

"We fixed the bugs X, Y and Z!"

 

"great! what did you break?"

 

"Nothing!"

 

...wait for it...

 

"umm.. oh! err.."

 

😛

 

 

 

 

 

[Syphon583]

2 hours ago, Adun0608 said:

almost complete piece of content that grabs your attention and tells you it's coming

A tease of in-progress work that is slated to be released soon. What a novel concept! Seems like other entertainment companies should hop on board this fancy new trend.

 

Even movies get pushed back from time to time in order to meet a more realistic window to ensure the product is up to their satisfaction. The big difference here is the TFP are under no obligation to give an exact date, especially since this game is in EA. They prefer to give estimations and follow a format where new features are teased as a potential release gets closer. We know A21 is coming soon. Why rant and whine about the absence of exact dates? It's not going to change anything. There are previous alphas or other games you can play in the meantime. Or hell, go on a hike!