Some Perk and System Suggestions

[LazerOfDensity]

Skull Crusher: Faster Attacks 
Increases sledgehammer attack speed per tier:
5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%

 

Pack Mule: Backpacks 
Includes Backpacks:
Armor slot for a backpacks

 

Can interact with the backpack from the character equipment screen to open it up and access some additional storage

2 additional slots and encumbrance slots for every backpack per tier

Any extra encumbrance slots from pocket mods goes directly to the backpack

Can use ammo from your backpack, any resources for repairing are pulled from the backpack, and food/drink/medicine/bandages can be used from the backpack.

 

Construction Perk: Building / Repairing
10% reduced frame/upgrade cost, free repairs under 5% frame health
20% reduced frame/upgrade cost, free repairs under 10% frame health
30% reduced frame/upgrade cost, free repairs under 15% frame health
40% reduced frame/upgrade cost, free repairs under 20% frame health
50% reduced frame/upgrade cost, free repairs under 25% frame health

 

Fortitude Combat Perk: Shields
Armor slot for shields

Extra piece of equipment that can be used with 1 handed melee and firearm weapons.
Toggles with reload for melee weapons, and toggles in the ammo select with firearms.
Longer reloads and less hip fire accuracy 1 handed firearms.

 

Could be used with:
Clubs,
Batons,
Double Barrel Shotguns,
Pistoles, 
Revolvers,
Magnums,
Knives, 
Machetes

 

Gives some extra armor/explosive/crit resistance when in use.
Instead of power attacking/ADS blocks with the shield instead.
Damage is taken directly to stamina and shield durability while blocking, blocks non hitscan projectiles.
Attacking while blocking will bash with the shield, push all nearby enemies, chance to knockdown close enemies, and a chance to cripple on direct hits.

Increases shield durability per tier, reduces stamina costs (blocking/bashing), increases crafted shield quality.

 

Shields:
Wooden Shield: repairs with wood
Scrap Shield: repairs with iron
Heavy Shield: repairs with forged iron
Steel Shield: repairs with repair kits, can block hitscan
Riot Shield: repairs with repair kits, can block hitscan

 

Shield Mods:
Add some return damage and damage on bashing w/ electricity or bleeding
Increase push and knockdown area
Increase cripple and knockdown chance
Increase the shield durability
Increase shield armor resistance
Reduce stamina costs

 

Deep Cuts: Swords 
Includes swords
Two handed cutting weapons

 

Swords:

Scrap Sword: repairs with iron, bumper sword
Iron Sword: repairs with forged iron, claymore
Steel Sword: repairs with repair kits, zweihander

 

Shares mods with machetes 

 

Stealth Perk: Fishing
Can craft higher tier fishing rods.
Higher levels increase the chances for a bite and chances of catching larger fish.

Different biomes have different fish for different amounts of raw meat

Different rods have different pull strengths, interactions are similar to lockpicking with fishing rod pull strength vs the fish strength for determining the time to catch, with the fish having a chance to escape during the timer.
Varying sizes, larger fish are harder to pull in and give more meat.

 

Intelligence Combat Perk: Flamethrowers
Mid ranged weapon that uses fuel as ammunition for cooking zombies.
Deals low damage while stacking damage over time. No block damage.

Can craft higher tier flamethrowers.
Flamethrower types have different ranges, cone AoEs, fuel consumption rates, and damages.

Can craft ammunition types for acid solutions, napalm solutions, electrical solutions.
Can eventually craft a flamethrower turret.

 

Flamethrowers:

Homemade Flamethrower: repairs with iron pipes
Iron Flamethrower: repairs with forged iron
Steel Flamethrower: repairs with repair kits
Military Flamethrower: repairs with repair kits

 

Mods can affect: range, fuel use rate, cone AoE, and status effects on hit 

 

Influence Perk: Township
Can recruit up to 4 followers.

 

1-4 Follower NPCs will show up at a trader location during open hours.
Refreshes daily.

Can do a small request or mission for a follower.
Completing the request they’ll give you a land claim block to start working under the player.
The follower land claim block will clear out and level land in a 15 block radius and prevent spawns in a 20 block radius and start a POI. Can't clip into other POIs.
Some followers can have a larger land claim depending on their profession.

The follower will start setting up shop in the area

Will start out as a shack surrounded with a palisade wall and wooden gate.
Similar to the trader, they will be open during daytime hours and close for the night.

Can give your follower requested materials for increasing the tier of their home, unlocking some more features from their profession and changing the look of their home.
Can run quests for a follower to increase their level, this will increase yields, improve their services, or decrease service times depending on their profession.
They will need one upgrade to their home before they can start working their profession.
Tier levels of their home would be 0 - 5.
At level 4 a vending machine is put in for some additional trading.

 

You can always talk to a follower and tell them to leave, their land claim block will be removed and their old home will become lootable and destructible.
If they are a profession that gathers they will pop out of existence while gathering.
If the profession gathers or makes items, they will deposit the items to an unlocked container but the player can lock or keypad it.

These followers would be randomly generated player models.
The player can change their apparel.

 

Follower professions:
Miner:
Leaves to slowly gather cobblestone and clay during the morning and returns in the evening.
Can eventually gather coal, iron, and nitrate.
Can eventually gather nuggets and gems.
Deposits in an unlocked container.

 

Scrapper:
30 block claim radius.
Slowly scavenges parts from their junkyard.
Will gather a higher variety of parts at higher levels.
Deposits in an unlocked container.

 

Forester:
Leaves to gather wood tree seeds during the morning and returns in the evening.
Can gather honey at higher levels.
Deposits in an unlocked container.

 

Hunter:
Leaves to hunt during the morning and returns with leather, bones, fat, and meat. 
Deposited in an unlocked container.

 

Farmer:
30 block claim radius.
Will slowly gather crops and seeds for the player
Plants a higher variety of seeds at higher levels.
Deposits in an unlocked container. 

 

Beekeeper:
30 block claim radius.
Will slowly gather honey.
Deposits in an unlocked container.

 

Rancher:
30 block claim radius.
Will slowly gather eggs and feathers from chicken coops.
Can upgrade for more coops.
Can upgrade for pig pens, slowly harvests leather, meat and fat.
Deposits in an unlocked container.

 

Builder:
Will take work orders from the player.
They will give the player a duffle bag of tools. 
They will slowly repair blocks within a 15 block radius wherever the player places their duffle bag.
Their level will improve their repair range, repair speed, and number of points they can work on (number of duffle bags).
This would be a passive block health regen during the day.

 

Fisher:
Will leave to go fishing in the morning and return in the evening.
Gathers raw meat.
Deposits in an unlocked container.

 

Mechanic:
30 block claim radius.
Will slowly repair a vehicle parked in their garage.
Can eventually hold more vehicles.
Can eventually repair gyrocopters.

Will eventually fill vehicles with fuel.

 

Metalworker:
Can be given any melee, heavy armor, or tool for repairing.
Much longer repair queue times.
Will slowly craft varying arrows and bolts depending on their level.
Deposits in an unlocked container in their shop.

 

Gunsmith:
Can be given any gun for repairing.
Much longer repair queue times.
Will slowly craft varying ammunition depending on their level.
Deposits in an unlocked container in their shop.

 

Taylor:
Can be given any light armor for repairing
Much longer repair queue times.
Slowly makes cloth scraps.
Deposits in an unlocked container in their shop.
Can buy clothing from them.
More clothing at higher levels.

 

Chemist:
Slowly makes fuel.
Can make other chemicals like acid and gunpowder at higher levels.
Deposits in an unlocked container in their shop.

 

Doctor:
Can treat minor infections up to 5% infection.
Can bandage wounds for players.
Longer heal times for bandages wounds.
Can treat more injuries at higher levels. 

 

Brewer:
Slowly makes drinks and alcohols from resources deposited to them
Can make higher tier drinks at higher levels.
Their land plot is open at night. (will kick players out on 7th day nights)
Spawn beds available inside their land plot.

 

Chef:
Can slowly cook meals from food deposited to them.
Can cook higher tier recipes.
Their land plot is open at night. (will kick players out on 7th day nights)
Spawn beds available inside their land plot.

 

Combat Followers:
Ranger:
10 block claim radius.
Will slowly turn their plot into a tower that they will pick off zombies from.
Covers larger areas at higher levels.
They can be recruited to follow the player.
Follower levels increase their effectiveness with ranged weapons.

 

Soldier:
10 block claim radius.
Will slowly turn their plot into a combat bunker with defenses that fight back.
Only covers a set range but increases their firepower at higher levels.
They can be recruited to follow the player.
Follower levels increase their effectiveness to a lesser degree  for ranged and melee weapons.

 

Brawler:
10 block claim radius.
Will slowly turn their plot into a gym.
Will patrol around their plot and engage zombies in melee.
They can be recruited to follow the player.
Follower levels increase their effectiveness with melee weapons.

 

Combat Followers can be given armor, a ranged weapon, and a melee weapon. Along with an inventory for holding items.
They maintain their gear, it won't degrade past what condition it was given to them in.
They will only use normal ammunition types.
They will only use ammunition when following the player.
If they go down or accumulate too many injuries they’ll pop back into their land plot.
Depending on how injured they are, they will need longer to recover before following the player again.
Can talk to them and tell them to go home.

 

Rangers will keep a distance and prioritize range weapons.
Soldiers will stay behind the player and use a mix of ranged and melee
Brawlers will stay ahead of the player and prioritize melee weapons.

 

No friendly fire between players and followers.
Only 1 follower can be recruited at a time.
If they can't path or are too far away from the player, teleport to them.
They can be given a bicycle or motorcycle for keeping up with players in vehicles

 

Township perk increases the follower cap:
6 followers, 8 followers, 10 followers, 12 followers

 

Quality of life:

Quick stack option for storing items from your inventory to nearby unlocked containers.

 

Building from a workbench, forge, chemistry station, or campfire can pull resources from nearby containers (5-10 blocks).

 

When choosing frame shapes, have an option to hide advanced shapes to work with a smaller set, or set favorite shapes to bring them to the front of the list.
 

Edited May 30, 2023 by LazerOfDensity (see edit history)

[Riamus]

1 hour ago, LazerOfDensity said:

When choosing frame shapes, have an option to hide advanced shapes to work with a smaller set, or set favorite shapes to bring them to the front of the list.

You'll be happy to know there is a favorite option for shapes in A21.  It'll work similarly to the one for crafting.  I believe it was shown in the last dev stream, though it might have been the one before that.

 

I like some of the rest, while others not so much.  But most of them are things they have either already stated they aren't going to do (e.g. fishing) and others are things that simply would be more than they're going to want to do when they are in the last stage of development and getting ready for gold.  Most would work well as mods and some are already in mods in one form or another.

 

As far as followers, I think having the game gather resources for you isn't a good thing.  It makes the game far too easy.  Not to mention that any area where you aren't in (and no other players are in) isn't loaded and so nothing can happen there.

 

I also am not a fan of free repairs regardless of damage.

[LazerOfDensity]

I'll have to look into mods some more, I'm a pretty new player and am still stumbling through my first playthrough. I just had to get the the ideas out so I stop thinking about them.

 

For the followers I was more brainstorming a way that a follower system could work, it's a little lonely out there. It could easily be paid services or completely different, this was just some rough ideas.

 

The only two things I'd really want would be more blade weapons so its not just a machete, I'd never try to use a knife in combat, and shields so my offhand can be useful.

[Riamus]

17 minutes ago, LazerOfDensity said:

I'll have to look into mods some more, I'm a pretty new player and am still stumbling through my first playthrough. I just had to get the the ideas out so I stop thinking about them.

 

For the followers I was more brainstorming a way that a follower system could work, it's a little lonely out there. It could easily be paid services or completely different, this was just some rough ideas.

 

The only two things I'd really want would be more blade weapons so its not just a machete, I'd never try to use a knife in combat, and shields so my offhand can be useful.

It is unlikely they'll add more than 3 tiers to a weapon group and there are already 3 tiers for knives - bone, hunting, machete.  Perhaps as a DLC or expansion after gold, they'll add another tier to everything but it's not likely before then.  And adding a new weapon group would mean the group would need to be unique enough to other groups to make it worth adding and would likely mean needing to rebalance the perk trees.  So not too likely that they'll do that before gold either.  That's really something for mods to do right now as they don't need to balance anything and can just add as many weapons, tools, vehicles, NPCs, etc. that they want.

 

Not trying to be negative about it as it is always useful to give suggestions to them that they might consider either for this game or an expansion or DLC or for their next game(s).  Just giving a heads up that as we come closer to gold, few new additions will be added and most changes will be things like optimizations, network improvements, UI and art, more POIs, etc.  New features that haven't already been mentioned by them are not likely to happen before gold.  I have also posted ideas even knowing they aren't likely to happen before gold, so as I said, it's still worth doing.  Just don't put your hopes in it happening is all. 

Edited June 1, 2023 by Riamus (see edit history)

[cos_iek]

Perk system need completely remake to be more clear.