Developer Discussions: Alpha 17

[Piglet]

Comment is related to Hob's and to A17 so don't move pls. (added this line after typing the whole thing after noticing it got a bit longer than I planned). Out of the shadows I once more come, the silent watcher in the night who only posts every once in a while.

 

I have to agree with Hob to some extent. He is wrong about a number of things tho. The 7dtd devs are some of the most community-interacting dev's I have followed throughout the last 6 (?) years. While especially madmole was constantly communicating with players, for example the DayZ developers just sat around not listening to their community whatsoever. So after like 6 (?) years of doing that and doing nothing about the fact that DayZ pretty much has no gameplay to offer and so all players just turn on each other, DayZ is practically dead. In 7dtd that is not the case, TFP kept communicating with the players about features and adding player requested stuff, and while some decisions are and were rather dubious (oversimplifying the crafting system, adding the health bars now, getting rid of gun quality difference outside of just 6 main states the guns can have, some more), most did the game really good and always resulted in a better gameplay. I've been playing this since the very first Alpha version and I'll admit that I used a cracked version from Alpha 1 to Alpha 4, loved it so much that I bought it and have bought it for a few friends since as well and recommended it to many others. This game is unlike any other game out there and so is the community. In 7dtd there is so much to do even in MP you don't feel the need to go out and kill players. As long as you don't have a heavily fortified base, you can't even afford to. You need all those 7 days to prepare for the horde night and make sure your base will make the stand, and you need those 7 days to progress in the crafting system, to unlock perks, to grind resources.

And lots of features have been added that were requested by players.

 

I was the one who first came up with sleeper zombies back in the day when TFP still used to respond to Pimp Dreams threads every now and then. And guess what, the next version ingame while the map was loading, Sleeper zombies were announced on the "Upcoming Features" screen. It has become a core feature of the game, requested by a player and not having been mentioned by anyone on the forums before that thread.

 

7dtd is a great game with a great community but the way the updates are being released is very inconsistent. You get an update with like 30 big features nowadays, more content being added than AAA games have when they are finished, but its often so unrelated. And then sometimes they'd show stuff that wouldn't be around for years or that would even be dropped. Behemoth. Ziplines. Their first demonstration of zombie gore and chopping off heads and so on was way in the early phase, and that feature hasn't been around in the actual game for all that long.

 

I hate that I'm saying this because those developers I will mention in a second are just the most incompetent on the planet, but I think in a sense TFP can actually learn from Mojang (ugh I hate them). Mojang have been putting out themed updates for years that focused on a set of features all related to each other. That is what I think TFP should do. An update mostly focused on the zombies themselfes. An update focused mostly on guns. An update focused on the terrain gen. An update that is purely technical and focused on bugfixes and optimization. And they really need to fix the godafwul stuttering of literally everything the player does with his hands in first person. Holding an AK in front of you and it just stutters like crazy, moving it around and it keeps stuttering. Its the single most immersion breaking bug in the game apart from spinning zombies. And by doing these themed updates, they could probably release like one every month instead of just letting us wait 8 months at a time. I love this game, its awesome. I come back to it every version and having played it since the very beginning it has come so far and is still getting more content added to it. But the updates are so extremely inconsistent and unrelated. Its like they are trying to do everything at once but that results in 50% of each update being features redone that are already in the game. How many times have they redone the skill system? 3 times? How many times the world gen? 5 times? They need to stop reinventing the wheel. The gun crafting with the parts and everything right now is perfect. Its not realistic to just forge a gun out of basic materials without deep knowledge on the subject. Nobody could possibly specialize in that and all other aspects of survival at the same time. Putting parts together is something one can realistically learn. I don't like the path they are taking now with simplifying quality levels and gun crafting for the sake of having the gun part slots available for attachments. You could've easily found another way to do that.

 

Overall I am really looking forward to A17/B1, I think it is gonna be a great update. But this type of update is what loses you players in the long run, since it just seems like you don't have any outlines planned towards the full release of the game whatsoever.

 

One more thing. For a game with this much awesome content and gameplay and depth to everything I just can't over the fact how badly done the water is. Water is a core element of the game. It splits the landscape and the player needs it to survive. So would it be possible to make it behave like water? Not like some sort of alien goo that hardly moves and can't level itself again after having a block placed somewhere inside it. I can literally just split the water right now like moses with a bunch of wood frames if you give me some hours.

 

Cheers.

 

PS: That opinion is based off my experiences from my 884 hours on steam in 7dtd, and that is without the time I spent playing the first 4 alphas on cracked clients (as described above).

"I can literally just split the water right now like moses with a bunch of wood frames if you give me some hours." You made me laugh +1

[Royal Deluxe]

Happy 1 April

[Archetype]

B1 Feature List: Updated as Developers reveal them!

 

Added:

• Over 100 new mocap animations for player characters (single player only)
  
• Replaced vultures with realistically-sized zombie mosquitoes
  
• Added abundant veins of copper & zinc ore to all biomes (bullet casings are now made of aluminum)
  
• Trader settlements close at random times when trader has to take a leak
  
• New in-game options to turn off every UI element you actually like
  
• Over 20 new beard types
  
• Expanded Klingon language support
  

 

Changed:

• Damage penalty for guns equipped with less than 3 color mods
  
• Replaced all loot containers with better looking empty versions
  
• Auger & chainsaw volume increased 200%
  
• Vehicle sticker and insurance required to operate the Jeep
  
• Removed player collision from all non-terrain blocks to improve vehicle travel
  
• Torchlight reduced by 75% to match other light sources
  
• Players now hold down shift while they want to remain standing still
  
• Zombie AI improved to stop and admire new wallpaper, window trim and wainscoting
  
• Power attacks limited to characters as beefy as madmole
  
• Improved rabbit breeding algorithm (on-screen zombie count reduced 80% to compensate)
  

 

Fixed:

• Fixed jittering hands in first person, except when aiming down the sight
  
• Fixed bug where some beverages were preventing stun buff
  
• Fixed bug where some zombies weren’t irradiated and feral
  
• Fixed bug where paint was drying too fast
  
• Crosshair now accurately shifts position to where the projectile will go, after you fire
  

Dropped: Served up with total disappointment...

 

• Behemoth
  
• Ziplines
  
• Cotton
  
• Poured Reinforced Concrete Wedge Tip Corner Full Bottom
  
• Ladders
  
• Metal Sign Letter S
  
• Doors
  

 

Saving for future references

[Roland]

"I can literally just split the water right now like moses with a bunch of wood frames if you give me some hours." You made me laugh +1

 

Heh...that IS funny. Thanks for parcing it out since I would’ve missed out otherwise....

[Shado47]

People not reading my wall of text just assuming its some enraged stuff over me not getting that the 2nd post info is april fools stuff. Of course I know that it is. My wall of text has nothing to do with that. If you're too lazy to read it, fine.

[Scyris]

After 1st april day over they gona set the bar back,but pay attention,the health bar will be a little increase than before this fail prank )).

Good try to distract people with this..but i bet some had pic to the bar before this and they will start scream again here like last time ))

 

I counted about 19 or 20 characters of red left on it before it was changed. I had a feeling they were thinking of doing something with this as many people are watching this thread like a hawk watches a mouse.

[Maharin]

What if this B1 funny business brings on the REAL apocalypse?

[Aldranon]

What if this B1 funny business brings on the REAL apocalypse?

 

Yeah, a zombie apocolypse on April fools day would have 1 or 2 days to go nuts without any major television coverage! Thank God that didn't happen!

 

No BS here! Mostly because there are no S letters in the game.

[Laz Man]

Saving for future references

 

They forgot the most important Beta Change. Dog run speed increased by 100%!!!

[Shado47]

I just wish they'd bring back the hornets. With zombie dogs and direwolves around they don't really not fit in. Like, why not just have both, hornets and vultures? Vultures are perfect for the desert and savannah type biomes, but the hornets? Best for forests. They were really unsettling, having that gigantic insect flying at you. I found them way more intimidating than the vultures. The vultures are just plain annoying. I don't want them removed, but why can't we just have both?

[Clockwork Orange]

One thing I think that the game really needs is random survivor rescue missions, have a settlement POI that you have to clear out of all zombies and then you can go out into the world and find survivors trapped in houses with zombies breaking down walls and doors to get to them and you have to kill all the zombies and break into the room the survivor is in and then escort them to the settlement.

 

Allow the survivors to carry a weapon you can supply them with allow them to ride in a vehicle with you as well. Once they are at the settlement they can stay there and help defend it and you have to risk leaving them there to die when you venture out or you can bring them with provided the AI is decent.

[skullpoker]

One thing I think that the game really needs is random survivor rescue missions, have a settlement POI that you have to clear out of all zombies and then you can go out into the world and find survivors trapped in houses with zombies breaking down walls and doors to get to them and you have to kill all the zombies and break into the room the survivor is in and then escort them to the settlement.

 

Allow the survivors to carry a weapon you can supply them with allow them to ride in a vehicle with you as well. Once they are at the settlement they can stay there and help defend it and you have to risk leaving them there to die when you venture out or you can bring them with provided the AI is decent.

 

That's a great idea. Everybody loves escort missions, especially with random dog packs spawning 1m behind them.

 

+1

 

I'm sure it doesn't need saying, but

 

April Fools!

 

[Laz Man]

One thing I think that the game really needs is random survivor rescue missions, have a settlement POI that you have to clear out of all zombies and then you can go out into the world and find survivors trapped in houses with zombies breaking down walls and doors to get to them and you have to kill all the zombies and break into the room the survivor is in and then escort them to the settlement.

 

Allow the survivors to carry a weapon you can supply them with allow them to ride in a vehicle with you as well. Once they are at the settlement they can stay there and help defend it and you have to risk leaving them there to die when you venture out or you can bring them with provided the AI is decent.

 

Hopefully once they take a serious stab and NPC AI (ie. bandits), all of that will also fall into place. We definitely need more quests, and rescue operations are a staple quest in most zombie games.

[Roland]

Thanks to all the good sports out there who put up with our unprofessional ways. April Fools everyone. Everything should be getting back to normal. I want to give full credit to Crater Creator who provided the alternate change list. Lots of hilarious jokes in there for sure. I know some of you aren't feeling super jokey about the long wait but just remember that it will take the same amount of time no matter what we feel or say or do so relax a bit and at least laugh about it all instead of being upset.

 

Alpha 17 is going to be amazing and that's no joke!

 

 

Now....er.....I don't actually know where Crater copied the real change list to before he changed it. Actually, I don't really know IF he copied it first so it will be up to him to restore his own part of the joke....

 

 

But at least the HP bar is back to normal. Whew!

[danielspoa]

I'm sure it will, as I said before take ur time. People will always complain, either because of how much time it takes, or because it's unfinished. Or both.

 

Also.. looks like the alpha found a health potion

[cricket504]

A17 Feature List: Updated as Developers reveal them!

 

 

[*]Auger & chainsaw volume increased 200%

 

"Don't care who you are... that's funny."

[Scyris]

I just wish they'd bring back the hornets. With zombie dogs and direwolves around they don't really not fit in. Like, why not just have both, hornets and vultures? Vultures are perfect for the desert and savannah type biomes, but the hornets? Best for forests. They were really unsettling, having that gigantic insect flying at you. I found them way more intimidating than the vultures. The vultures are just plain annoying. I don't want them removed, but why can't we just have both?

 

I think it needs more monster type enemies in general, especally if the zombies are all copy paste clones. Before you complain about realism in A17 we'll be able to make guns out of random scrap iron we find laying around so don't try the realism line, not to mention how we can carry 1000 pieces of wood and such.

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

Thanks to all the good sports out there who put up with our unprofessional ways. April Fools everyone. Everything should be getting back to normal. I want to give full credit to Crater Creator who provided the alternate change list. Lots of hilarious jokes in there for sure. I know some of you aren't feeling super jokey about the long wait but just remember that it will take the same amount of time no matter what we feel or say or do so relax a bit and at least laugh about it all instead of being upset.

 

Alpha 17 is going to be amazing and that's no joke!

 

 

Now....er.....I don't actually know where Crater copied the real change list to before he changed it. Actually, I don't really know IF he copied it first so it will be up to him to restore his own part of the joke....

 

 

But at least the HP bar is back to normal. Whew!

 

Its not, the hp bar was almost halfway gone, now its back up to 75-80% hp.

[Roland]

 

Its not, the hp bar was almost halfway gone, now its back up to 75-80% hp.

 

Well....April 1st is only 75-80% finished where I live....

[meganoth]

Overall I am really looking forward to A17/B1, I think it is gonna be a great update. But this type of update is what loses you players in the long run, since it just seems like you don't have any outlines planned towards the full release of the game whatsoever.

 

You probably missed the info that directly after A17 a short(?) beta will lead straight to version 1.0. So the outline is planned.

[danielspoa]

Well....April 1st is only 75-80% finished where I live....

 

So the bar should be at 20%... just saying

 

EDIT: I think it sounded rude when I tried to be funny. Sorry.

[sillls]

A17 Feature List: Updated as Developers reveal them!

 

Added:

• Over 100 new mocap animations for player characters (single player only)
  
• Replaced vultures with realistically-sized zombie mosquitoes
  
• Added abundant veins of copper & zinc ore to all biomes (bullet casings are now made of aluminum)
  
• Trader settlements close at random times when trader has to take a leak
  
• New in-game options to turn off every UI element you actually like
  
• Over 20 new beard types
  
• Expanded Klingon language support
  

 

Changed:

• Damage penalty for guns equipped with less than 3 color mods
  
• Replaced all loot containers with better looking empty versions
  
• Auger & chainsaw volume increased 200%
  
• Vehicle sticker and insurance required to operate the Jeep
  
• Removed player collision from all non-terrain blocks to improve vehicle travel
  
• Torchlight reduced by 75% to match other light sources
  
• Players now hold down shift while they want to remain standing still
  
• Zombie AI improved to stop and admire new wallpaper, window trim and wainscoting
  
• Power attacks limited to characters as beefy as madmole
  
• Improved rabbit breeding algorithm (on-screen zombie count reduced 80% to compensate)
  

 

Fixed:

• Fixed jittering hands in first person, except when aiming down the sight
  
• Fixed bug where some beverages were preventing stun buff
  
• Fixed bug where some zombies weren’t irradiated and feral
  
• Fixed bug where paint was drying too fast
  
• Crosshair now accurately shifts position to where the projectile will go, after you fire
  

Dropped: Served up with total disappointment...

 

• Behemoth
  
• Ziplines
  
• Cotton
  
• Poured Reinforced Concrete Wedge Tip Corner Full Bottom
  
• Ladders
  
• Metal Sign Letter S
  
• Doors
  

 

Nice April fools joke. I'll bet Madmole is going to kill you guys for messing with his stuff. I really hope you can fix it.

[Clockwork Orange]

A17 Feature List: Updated as Developers reveal them!

 

• Vehicles Overhaul
  +New Physics
  +New Vehicle: Bicycle
  +New Vehicle: Motorcycle
  +New Vehicle: Jeep with passenger support
  +New Camera Controls
  +Shift button to increase Torque on Bicycle for uphill speed
  +Space bar to bunny hop on Bicycle
  +Jeep can damage blocks. More speed means more damage.
  +Steering using the mouse 2/12/18

• Sleepers 2.0
  +Vulture Sleepers
  

• Dungeon POI 2.0
  +Environmental Hazards
  +Zombie Closets
  +Climbable Trellises and/or Vines
  +Backstories for many of the POIs
  +"Helper Blocks" that visually show whether containers are empty or lootable
  +Random loot containers to make each POI unique for where loot may be
  

• Player(Bandit) Motion Captured Animation
  +Separate male and female movement styles
  +Players now look up and down and always appear to be breathing
  +Combat movements including power moves 2/21/18
  

• Weapon Overhaul
  +Replace gun parts with attachable modifications, compatible with buff and skill frameworks
  +Whole guns instead of parts in loot containers
  +Weapon quality determines how many mods can be attached
  +Mods won't have quality tiers. 3/21/18
  +Removing a mod may not be possible....still in development
  +Size of crosshairs accurately reflects cone of hit probability.
  +All mods use a single item id# but allow for 30,000+ variable mods possible
  +Power moves for melee weapons use the right mouse button and expend stamina 2/21/18
  +Weapon sounds tagged to animations to better maintain sounds syncing correctly 2/21/18
  +Perks and skills and buffs will affect various aspects of each weapon 2/21/18
  +Weapons can be crafted at workstation. Mods added through assembly interface 3/20/18
  +Mods won't be craftable. Obtained through scavenging, trader, and quests 3/21/18
  +Weapons can be tinted to other colors using up a mod slot 3/28/18
  

• Buff Overhaul
  +Replacing old buff system with a more robust and optimized framework
  +Designed to work and stack with blocks, items, weapons, clothing, skills, perks, and attributes
  +Can be triggered and modified by events during a buff's lifetime.
  

• Progression Overhaul
  +Replacing old skill system with a more robust and optimized framework, also designed to work with items and buffs.
  +Character attributes added to better create classes and differentiate play styles.
  

• Integrated Survival System
  +Changes to how health, stamina, fullness, and hydration will work (no details yet)
  

• Quest System
  +Cool new group quests
  +Dynamically spawns a boss to guard quest objective
  +Dialogue system that is fully moddable 3/5/18
  +Trader initiated quests 3/5/18
  

• Stealth System
  +New Stealth related display bar with as of yet unknown functions.....
  

• Terrain and World
  +Distant Trees 2/12/18
  +POI Editor accessible in main menu
  +Terrain Editor accessible in main menu 3/20/18
  +Navezgane terrain vastly improved 3/20/18
  

 

A17 Changes and Fixes List: Updated as we learn them from the developers!

 

• Maple Forest given an autumn colors palette
  
• Every biome remastered for Unity 2017
  
• Game Engine update to Unity 2017
  
• Removed player collision from yucca and aloe to improve travel
  
• Replace houses in Diersville with dungeon style POI houses
  
• XP indicator bar added to HUD directly above the tool belt
  
• Directx11 and Vulkan support added
  
• Zombies ragdoll upon impact by vehicles and no longer impede vehicle movement
  
• New art and animations for Deer
  
• Deer split into Stag and Doe versions
  
• Additional paint textures added
  
• Wainscotting Block added
  
• Current Wellness system removed
  
• Small decorative pipe set added
  
• Window trimming added
  
• Reworked the main menu navigation and appearance
  
• Increased the block id limit to....[higher than it was] 1/26/18
  
• Pause feature added to MP but only active when playing solo. 2/5/18
  
• Added Dynamic Origin Point to prevent the shakes when far away from actual (0,0). 2/11/18
  
• Map viewable while using vehicles 2/16/18
  
• Arrows stick to targets (Everdeen!) 2/21/18
  
• Quality tiers indicated by color only. Numbers will be dropped 3/20/18
  
• Gun parts removed. Guns can be crafted from same mat types as all other craftable items. 3/20/18
  
• Shift simply initiates run instead of having to hold it down. Pinkies rejoice! 3/20/18
  

 

Dropped Features: Served up with total disappointment...

 

• Behemoth
  
• Ziplines
  

[Marinxar]

Thanks for the laughs guys. Love the new list.

[Crater Creator]

Thanks to all the good sports out there who put up with our unprofessional ways. April Fools everyone. Everything should be getting back to normal. I want to give full credit to Crater Creator who provided the alternate change list. Lots of hilarious jokes in there for sure. I know some of you aren't feeling super jokey about the long wait but just remember that it will take the same amount of time no matter what we feel or say or do so relax a bit and at least laugh about it all instead of being upset.

 

Alpha 17 is going to be amazing and that's no joke!

 

 

Now....er.....I don't actually know where Crater copied the real change list to before he changed it. Actually, I don't really know IF he copied it first so it will be up to him to restore his own part of the joke....

 

 

But at least the HP bar is back to normal. Whew!

 

 

I humbly accept all accolades and nerd rage alike. I haven't had the opportunity to pull a good prank in a long time, and as soon as I saw Roland's "B1" edit, I knew it could be so much more. 🙃

[skullpoker]

 

I humbly accept all accolades and nerd rage alike. I haven't had the opportunity to pull a good prank in a long time, and as soon as I saw Roland's "B1" edit, I knew it could be so much more.

 

I haz a pist.