Monday, September 13, 2010

Alpha 5.0 - Minor additions for the greater good

Minor stuff that improves the game.

IMPROVISED WEAPONS
In addition to dropping planks breaking wooden objects might allows you to scavange a couple of improvised weapons. They are inefficient and fragile but you'll find plenty of them.

PUSHING CARS
You can. But its very tiring as they are very heavy things. You can't push burning cars. And yes, fire is not handled yet but it will come sooner and later.

STA RULES CHANGE
STA can now go below 0, it has no lower bound.
This makes vomitting more annoying and pushing cars risky, as you will be tired for several turns.

RAPID FIRE
Fire twice in a turn but with horrid accuracy : 50% for the first shot, 30% for the second.
Yep, total is not 100% so potential damage is lower than a standard shot.
Careful not to waste ammunitions with that, use your brain while you still have it.
You'll have to look at tactical factors to make your decision.

COWARD FOLLOWERS
As if being dumb wasn't enough you can now turn your followers into cowards too.
The coward directive means they will always run away from the enemy.
So the directive can now be set to Coward, Cautious or Courageous.

ITEM MANAGEMENT WITH KEYBOARD
You don't need the mouse anymore to perform common items management actions : use/equip/unequip, take and drop.

End of post.

59 comments:

  1. I'm looking very forward to the cowardly followers and pushing cars. I have to wonder how game balance will be affected by that ability.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nice. I'm looking forward to these new things. Is there an ETA for Alpha 5.0?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great, thanks. I would also like to see old people and children who would be weaker than the current civilians. Right now every one of them seems to have the same stats (without skill bonuses, of course) and they are conceptually homogeneous. In fact, I'm interested in hearing whether there will be more ways to customize the character both at the beginning and during play.

    Additionally, almost every NPC is more or less human. Consequently, I think dogs and their zombie form would add more diversity. Their powerful jaws, high speed and stamina might make combat more interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  4. changes introduced in 4.11 where very good, grenades saved my life more than once. And i'm looking forward to next release, according to the changelog it looks great too.

    By the way, I really do like the idea of dogs proposed by Nezur as long as they can't destroy barricades. In addition they could work both way, as a pet which could (or not) be linked to a new skill and as zombies.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great to see item commands bound to the keyboard! Thanks Roguedjack!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Not sure if you already added this in but +1 FoV when standing on top of a car, furniture, or fence would be nice. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. New mode: Quick Thinking mode.
    Simply, a mode where if you take to long to make a move (say 5 seconds) it auto-waits. This might need a pause button though...

    ReplyDelete
  8. Well having no limit to stamina is going to piss me off, might just kill the game for me if i ever run into a situation where i have low stam, about to go starving and have a zombie prince on me. man all i got is 2 spoiled groc's wel better eat them *they both throw up*

    ReplyDelete
  9. How about a feature to wait longer then 1 hour? This comes up for me often, and I have to push W over and over again.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Feature request: traps. Build out of materials or simply set bear traps, etc.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Great updated as usual, Rogued. I like the stamina one as the normal drop in it wasn't as much of a hindrance as actual food poisoning would be. A couple extra turns of waiting will really make you have to think about your strategy more careful along with the double shot.

    The random weapon drops from windows seems a little unnecessary to me but it won't subtract anything from the game so it's not a big deal.

    Being able to move cars should be a nice addition to barricading, I hope the stamina cost is nice and balanced.

    I can't wait for 5.0 to be released :) Hopefully no bugs like last time that prevented me from playing for like a week x.x

    ReplyDelete
  12. @WhinyAnon: If you have a zombie prince on you, you should not be eating. If you've gotten into a situation that bad, you've probably already lost; losing all your stamina and more to being attacked and starving and vomiting is merely a symptom of your imminent defeat.

    That said, sickness due to food poisoning SHOULD be a serious issue. People can and do die from that alone; so eating actually rotten food while in the midst of a serious epidemic should be a very risky action taken only out of desperation.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I like the updates rapid fire sounds great, good job!

    Two things that has been bothering me tho:

    1)You can safely sleep in basements if you sleep on the stairs, the z's can't get you.

    2)Game crashes when you start the task manager in vista

    ReplyDelete
  14. The basement comment from Lex reminds me...

    1) Some maps spawn with basements that have an object pushed on to the stairs before you even enter them. If there are no people downstairs odds are pretty low a zombie will ever break the item so you're effectively locked out forever.
    Maybe add the ability to push or attack barricades/furniture between 2 different zones so you don't get stuck?
    Even more interesting would be to put in the ability to push objects from zone to zone so you could stock extra shelves or extra beds into your safehouse zone.

    2) The wiki pointed out that if Jason Myers dies and turns into a zombie that he has no proper icon. I assume that is a graphics glitch.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I have a suggestion that I think suits a game like this very well:

    Sanity Checks, a la Call of Cthulhu pen and paper RPG. You should have to make a check when you see another civilian dying, when you make the first non-zombie kill, when you see many zombies, etc...

    And new skills like Strong Will could be added to counter the effects of temporary insanity, and civilians could become permanent insane, a new kind of agressive NPC. If it happens with the player character, it would be another form of gameover.

    ReplyDelete
  16. The insane game over thing sounds unfair.
    Imagine that you see a black ops and you have no way around him, so you have to shoot him, so you get this message:
    "You kill a black ops, GAME OVER"
    Not very fair, but it was a good idea in retrospect.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I'm also for modeling insanity. Not sure how to realize it, though...

    ReplyDelete
  18. I think insanity would be very good if any NPC could be killed, and even more if cannibalism were added, making the player character become each time more inhuman when he did something like this.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Cannibalism? That would make new refugee's a benidiction then. >.>
    :P
    Joking, but assorted psychopaths would be fun.
    (imagine having one as a follower ^_^)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Possible sanity reductors that could be implemented:

    sleep deprivation
    extreme hunger
    too much drugs consumed
    killing a civillian
    seeing a zombie kill a civillian
    cannibalism
    loneliness (not talking with anyone for a certain period of time)

    There can probably be more...

    ReplyDelete
  21. Green pills will be more useful, breaking furniture will mean more survivors have weapons, and the middle of the street can be opened up for care-free movement! Hurrah!

    RE: Different survivor ages - Grenade a group of zombie children being led around by a birthday clown graphic'd zombie master for the lulz? Or find an old folks' home with lots of medication /canned food around with (even slower /tougher) old people zombies? Yes please!

    RE: Sanity - Losing control of your character "for no reason" sucks, always. Obviously % influence option like district simulation (0% to 300% in 10% increments) but the rules should be VERY clear and have NO RANDOM CHANCES. If you're at # value, X will always happen. (% influence makes # value higher /lower)
    Tough, but could have a wonderful effect on gameplay:
    " SO LONELY. ;_; "

    ReplyDelete
  22. Pushing car is ambiguous, in a realism point of view.

    You should be able to push a car if:
    -you're really strong (link the skill with the ability to push a car, with or without STA penalty);
    -you can swith off the parking brake (no or just a little STA needed, or just maybe to brake the car glass);
    -you have one or more followers.

    ReplyDelete
  23. A skill to push cars or followers shouldn't be required, but they could reduce the stamina burden in some way. Also, lets presume these are cars with a modern design and materials, and not some over designed 50's gas guzzling steel immovable-object.

    ReplyDelete
  24. great game dude,i have some ideas to improve the gameplay:

    -make more different NPC like childrens or older people
    -add other places like a big mall or a city center
    -more types of food items
    -More NPCs that can barricade into a house at night,and go get items when there is light outside.
    -Keep improving the AI

    ReplyDelete
  25. i found one guy its name was Jesus Black,i laughed a lot

    ReplyDelete
  26. @Anon above the one directly above me:

    I'm pretty sure most of that will be added, as it is only halfway done to being in pre-release, except for the AI.
    If the AI is as good as you than the fun will be lost with a bunch of uber peoples.

    ReplyDelete
  27. How about a new building type: Warehouse

    Full of random bullshit, on steel shelves (Unbreakable/Super hard to break, movable at high stamina cost)

    Bank: Guarded by Security, nothing in it except awesome vault you can hole up in.

    If you implement children, a school is a must.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Nah, this is a purely kid-free city.
    (If only they existed in real life... I wouldn't be in it.)

    ReplyDelete
  29. A reduce stamina to move objects skill would be pretty fun. It wouldn't be completely necessary
    but it'd make sense. Something like:

    Strongman:
    1: -1 stamina requirement to move obstacles.
    2: -2 stamina requirement to move obstacles.
    3: -3 stamina requirement to move obstacles.

    ReplyDelete
  30. "Weight Lifter" sounds better then strongman. Less chance to be confused with the "strong" skill.

    ReplyDelete
  31. How about a new kind of medicine like steroids, that increases your melee/strength damage for a few hours.

    ReplyDelete
  32. I would also like to see multiple psychopaths later on. Perhaps have them all be major NPCs scattered about the map when you have more buildings or something. You can have killing them all be an achievement.

    Or you can just eventually start having them occasionally stream in with the survivors on some mornings, that could be fun.

    ReplyDelete
  33. I think RogueDJack is getting a bit swamped with all the ideas. O.o
    >.>

    ReplyDelete
  34. Excellent addition. Excellent work. One of the most fun, easiest to play (difficult to master) and best interfaces I've seen in a roguelike.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Aaron (forget the idea man thing, it was to big >.>)September 21, 2010 at 2:51 AM

    Did like, everyone just die or something?
    Or did we already suggest everything possible?

    ReplyDelete
  36. Longest I've seen without an update, wonder what's up.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Well to me it seems that maybe real life has gotten a hold of RoguedJack, as he hasn't responded to comments or updated the site. however hes put so much work into this game, I doubt he'd just abandon it :)

    ReplyDelete
  38. It's official:
    School.

    DARN YOU EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM!

    ReplyDelete
  39. This game's quite good but i think that when zombies (not skeleton) die, they must have their own image and not just getting that pile of blood and the skull and bones.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Observe my base!

    http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss284/Yolan3/base.png

    ReplyDelete
  41. Great work, I'm not a rougelike fanatic, but I think your work is good (at least for an alpha).

    Full keyboard interaction with game is good, but why not full mouse support for every possibile action? for example using right mouse button->attack, dismantle and so on ?

    I'll look to it :D

    When a new post on programming Rogue Survivor?

    ReplyDelete
  42. @Daniel

    Lol, as much as i liked the jailcell bases, but I quite enjoy making a sewer tunnel system from sewer station to sewer station, takes alot of time, but in the end, it looks... pretty :D

    I like the ability to make bases, there isnt alot of games out there that do that. For example, HL2/Garrys Mod zombie npcs walk away when there is a prop blocking you from them, or games like Dead Rising, when you block off the enterence to a store, zbies dont care apperiently, ANYWAYS,

    GREAT JOB ON THIS AWESOME GAME! (so far)

    ReplyDelete
  43. CURSE MY IMPATIENCE!

    ReplyDelete
  44. I really hope it´s not dead...

    ReplyDelete
  45. ... i hope so too. It's a great game and i can't wait to see more of it.

    ReplyDelete
  46. It is not dead. I just have less time to work on it.

    ReplyDelete
  47. @Roguedjack
    I think people expect about the same momentum from over the summer, Maybe a post explaining what has changed since then would quell the masses.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Ish be all school's fault!

    ReplyDelete
  49. @Roguedjack
    @Everyone else

    Its the same with any other gamer that plays any Alpha/Beta that is out there, and I wont name them (COUGHCOUGHMINECRAFT), is that gamers think that the devs are BOUND to their game as if it is their life duty and that it HAS to abide by the gamer's every will. Seeing as when this game is complete, it will STILL be free, its not like WE the gamers are actually GIVING "Roguedjack" any compensation (other than donations, views, and comments), therefore, he needs to work/go to school/whatever to make his living. Just consider yourself lucky that devs like him actually give us an Alpha to play with, and to help him further progress what would already be an amazing game. Coding is a b**ch to work with, and depending on what it is, can take quite a long time. Roguedjack, as far as I know, is a one man army. Give him the time and space he deserves! :D

    Keep up the good work Roguedjack, and take all the time you need.

    ReplyDelete
  50. It is all still blamed on school...
    ...
    ...
    Take your time though, RogueDJack.
    I'm used to waiting on games...

    ReplyDelete
  51. No, drop out of school and put ads in your game instead

    ReplyDelete
  52. @Roguedjack

    this is one of the most fun games I've ever played, I've played dozens of lives since I got the game last month. I hope this game brings you success, all the ideas you've already implemented make the game tense, exciting, and more desperate than most games ever get to be. My only question would be is there going to be different starting characters, which I based on the ending screen where is says you were a civilian. It seems like it would be neat to start as a biker or soldier who gets separated, or even a super easy mode as a spec ops. Great work again, as it stand now it's still an amazingly fun game!

    ReplyDelete
  53. We must not let this game die!!!!
    (Darn, everyone here IS dead it seems...)
    (FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-)

    ReplyDelete
  54. I am not dead! The first thing I do in the morning and before I go to bed is check this page.

    Roguedjack, you are bro tier!

    Believe in me who believes in you!

    ReplyDelete
  55. First off this game is fantastic, and I've lost the last couple of days to it.

    Secondly, if the controls are remapped so that item drops and equips are done with the keyboard, I would still like to have the option of using the mouse. The controls as they currently are, right now, in 4.11 are the most fluid and intuitive I've ever found in a roguelike.

    Anyway, nice work! Not even finished yet and already the most fun I've ever had playing a roguelike :)

    ReplyDelete
  56. Thnaks and yes you will still be able to use the mouse.

    ReplyDelete