Alpha 21 Dev Diary

[BFT2020]

Eagerly waiting for A21 developer streams / release is like watching your grass grow in anticipation of mowing it again.  Better just to do something else and occasionally stop by and check it out  😉

[beerfly]

4 minutes ago, BFT2020 said:

Eagerly waiting for A21 developer streams / release is like watching your grass grow in anticipation of mowing it again.  Better just to do something else and occasionally stop by and check it out  😉

True, another blood moon and the feeling after it, of going further and better. 

[Matt115]

5 hours ago, BFT2020 said:

Eagerly waiting for A21 developer streams / release is like watching your grass grow in anticipation of mowing it again.  Better just to do something else and occasionally stop by and check it out  😉

Honestly i don't hasve nothing about because there is nothing new about A21

[Morloc]

On 9/21/2022 at 2:01 AM, FinkPloyd said:

Learn by Doing was part of vanilla 7D2D but caused issues with servers.

 

 

Yes, and alcohol affected performance in this multiplayer game...

 

 

 

 

 

-Arch Necromancer Morloc

[sillls]

On 9/20/2022 at 1:41 PM, Roland said:

I'll just say that @faatal has been busy in a very exciting way and if he cares to comment about what he has been doing lately I'd be happy to add something to front page.

Roland, we are not interested in @Faatal's relationships so please don't share. 😆 

[unholyjoe]

10 minutes ago, sillls said:

Roland, we are not interested in @Faatal's relationships so please don't share. 😆 

actually... i'll bet some inquiring gamers want to know!

[Melange]

16 hours ago, Morloc said:

Yes, and alcohol affected performance in this multiplayer game...

It probably had a big influence on the creation of Twister. And what subsequently happened after the lights went out. Just sayin'

[Cr0wst0rm]

Hi,

While i'm not the type of person that would complain about others efforts and work, i still have some concerns regarding the ART for ART team of this game, simply because i care very much about this game in particular.

It is nice to see finally some effort to add some variety of different vehicles to the game. While this is not a top 100% priority, i still think that the art team has a lot more to offer than what we got in the twitter updates...

1) The vehicle surfaces look like concrete painted with shiny paint and rust mask on top. That is simply not how car paints work -> paints are designed to protect the metal sheets from rusting away.
TL:DR not convincing enough. Make paint shiny, then peel off, then add rust. Also, add rust to areas which would be the most affected in real life (wheel fenders, sharp corners) most vunerable areas, you get the idea.

2) Lack of detail. Even as a prop, the vehicles are lacking detail. Especially the interior missing is a big dissapointment, considering the previous vehicles always had some sort of interior. TIP: copy paste old interiors from the car we got not and place it accordingly in new cars. Should look convincing enough.

3) Manage your team. I know this is a little cheeky statement, but it feels like there is not enough motivation from artists. It is simple to throw some automated materials in Substance painter, but the real magic is to make them convincing. (Which is simply not the case here)


Best of wishes to this game, I pray for it every day.

Thank you FP

Edited September 25, 2022 by Cr0wst0rm (see edit history)

[sillls]

18 hours ago, unholyjoe said:

actually... i'll bet some inquiring gamers want to know!

I'm sure you would you pervert. 😂

[Laz Man]

2 hours ago, Cr0wst0rm said:

Hi,

While i'm not the type of person that would complain about others efforts and work, i still have some concerns regarding the ART for ART team of this game, simply because i care very much about this game in particular.

It is nice to see finally some effort to add some variety of different vehicles to the game. While this is not a top 100% priority, i still think that the art team has a lot more to offer than what we got in the twitter updates...

1) The vehicle surfaces look like concrete painted with shiny paint and rust mask on top. That is simply not how car paints work -> paints are designed to protect the metal sheets from rusting away.
TL:DR not convincing enough. Make paint shiny, then peel off, then add rust. Also, add rust to areas which would be the most affected in real life (wheel fenders, sharp corners) most vunerable areas, you get the idea.

2) Lack of detail. Even as a prop, the vehicles are lacking detail. Especially the interior missing is a big dissapointment, considering the previous vehicles always had some sort of interior. TIP: copy paste old interiors from the car we got not and place it accordingly in new cars. Should look convincing enough.

3) Manage your team. I know this is a little cheeky statement, but it feels like there is not enough motivation from artists. It is simple to throw some automated materials in Substance painter, but the real magic is to make them convincing. (Which is simply not the case here)


Best of wishes to this game, I pray for it every day.

Thank you FP

 

Keep in mind the art team are given constraints how many polys their art can be so the game can run well across a wide range of PCs.

[Roland]

4 hours ago, Cr0wst0rm said:

I pray for it every day.

I tried that once and felt the answer I got was that I should go help my neighbor more instead of playing video games so much. 
 

So…I stopped praying for video games.

[Cr0wst0rm]

2 hours ago, Laz Man said:

 

Keep in mind the art team are given constraints how many polys their art can be so the game can run well across a wide range of PCs.

Few cube shaped seats are far more lowpoly than the rims these cars have, that is just a stupic excuse. You can also use LODs. And if you would've read my post, it did not revolve around just the interior but the texturing itself...

[Roland]

I may be projecting from my own experience but I’m usually oblivious of such detail and I wonder if the vast majority of players are oblivious as well. When I’m playing I’m only looking at the vehicles as I harvest or loot them and 90% of my attention is on the timer that is counting down and the nearby zombie that is approaching. I see a partially rusted vehicle in front of me and that is the extent of my awareness. It doesn’t register that there should only be rust spots where the paint peeled away. I’m not peeking in the windows to see the interior. None of that matters in the least  to me. 
 

I bring this up because if most players are more like me, then I think it would be a bad idea for TFP to go redo the car models. They are definitely good enough and visually much better than the props we had in the past. 
 

I can stand by you and say, “It’s too bad the art team didn’t create the models with the level of realism you describe in mind because that would have been even better than what we have” but the level of realism the game currently has with respect to how cars actually rust is going to be sufficient for most players I suspect.

Edited September 25, 2022 by Roland (see edit history)

[Doomofman]

1 hour ago, Roland said:

I may be projecting from my own experience but I’m usually oblivious of such detail and I wonder if the vast majority of players are oblivious as well. When I’m playing I’m only looking at the vehicles as I harvest or loot them and 90% of my attention is on the timer that is counting down and the nearby zombie that is approaching. I see a partially rusted vehicle in front of me and that is the extent of my awareness. It doesn’t register that there should only be rust spots where the paint peeled away. I’m not peeking in the windows to see the interior. None of that matters in the least  to me. 
 

I bring this up because if most players are more like me, then I think it would be a bad idea for TFP to go redo the car models. They are definitely good enough and visually much better than the props we had in the past. 
 

I can stand by you and say, “It’s too bad the art team didn’t create the models with the level of realism you describe in mind because that would have been even better than what we have” but the level of realism the game currently has with respect to how cars actually rust is going to be sufficient for most players I suspect.

 

I think context is important too. Even I thought the few cars models posted on twitter looked a little off but seeing them in context, as in the below image, I think they fit in the game world just fine

 

[XCOUNTRY]

Lanes, crosswalks, curbs, and signs were far more important to immersion for me than whether a car rusted appropriately. I'd rather have more zombie models, but if that's not feasible I think randomizing their gait would be sufficient so when you get a wandering horde it's not 6 Marlene's approaching in sync 'thriller' style.

[Cr0wst0rm]

1 hour ago, Doomofman said:

 

I think context is important too. Even I thought the few cars models posted on twitter looked a little off but seeing them in context, as in the below image, I think they fit in the game world just fine

 

See, the wrecked car is fine, there is something inside, but you immediately lose depth when you look at these cars with fake windows -> also the rims look like train rolling cart, they would be better off with some simple steels or alloys

Other than that it looks fine

2 minutes ago, Cr0wst0rm said:

See, the wrecked car is fine, there is something inside, but you immediately lose depth when you look at these cars with fake windows -> also the rims look like train rolling cart, they would be better off with some simple steels or alloys

Other than that it looks fine

Also this exact shape is used as a rim hubcap on one particular vehicle AFAIK

[Mister Forgash]

Personally, I care very little what the cars look like. They look just enough like- and yet just different enough from a loot box that I run over with my wrench do what I do and forget about it 20 seconds later.

[khzmusik]

@faatal (or anyone else with info): Regarding the bandits. Are there going to be female bandits? If so, are they getting their own vocal sounds, like female equivalents to the "malehate" sounds for the male bandits?

[Jost Amman]

5 hours ago, khzmusik said:

@faatal (or anyone else with info): Regarding the bandits. Are there going to be female bandits? If so, are they getting their own vocal sounds, like female equivalents to the "malehate" sounds for the male bandits?

No. They will all be like Trader Jen's first version.

 

(it was a joke... sorry, I should have added a smile!)

Edited September 26, 2022 by Jost Amman (see edit history)

[beerfly]

Are we gonna have new models of bandits among those added in A17 assets, by the way ? 

 

8 hours ago, Jost Amman said:

No. They will all be like Trader Jen's first version.

 

(it was a joke... sorry, I should have added a smile!)

Hope she does not have any greek roots from the amazons, because we are gonna be doomed. Or used. Gonna be fun anyway, can`t wait ! 

Edited September 26, 2022 by beerfly (see edit history)

[jorbascrumps]

 

I don't recall seeing any discussion around this here on the forums. Dude is jacked.

[Cr0wst0rm]

19 hours ago, XCOUNTRY said:

Lanes, crosswalks, curbs, and signs were far more important to immersion for me than whether a car rusted appropriately. I'd rather have more zombie models, but if that's not feasible I think randomizing their gait would be sufficient so when you get a wandering horde it's not 6 Marlene's approaching in sync 'thriller' style.

Lack of modularity in zombies is another problem of this game, they could have easily used the system that is basically already used by player and just hook on HD clothing styles, different apparel boots etc to the entire model. Don't know why they chose what they chose but whatever, diehard fans are gonna hate me for pointing this out either way...

[Kalex]

Just now, Cr0wst0rm said:

Lack of modularity in zombies is another problem of this game, they could have easily used the system that is basically already used by player and just hook on HD clothing styles, different apparel boots etc to the entire model. Don't know why they chose what they chose but whatever, diehard fans are gonna hate me for pointing this out either way...

Because it is a resource and performance pig.

[jorbascrumps]

15 minutes ago, Cr0wst0rm said:

Lack of modularity in zombies is another problem of this game, they could have easily used the system that is basically already used by player and just hook on HD clothing styles, different apparel boots etc to the entire model. Don't know why they chose what they chose but whatever, diehard fans are gonna hate me for pointing this out either way...

 

As stated by @Kalex, performance is a huge problem. TFP is actually planning on removing this system for players as well.

[Astronomical]

15 hours ago, khzmusik said:

@faatal (or anyone else with info): Regarding the bandits. Are there going to be female bandits? If so, are they getting their own vocal sounds, like female equivalents to the "malehate" sounds for the male bandits?

 

Oh no don't bring that up! That's how you get bandits cancelled again! 😃