In 4.11 after the first couple of games the advisor is a pain in the ass. He keeps repeating all that you already know. So you likely end up disabling it alltogether....
It will now give you a hint only once, and won't give it again unless you reset it.
You can now also read all the hints at anytime.
THREAT INDICATOR
(Feature name might change. I'm not happy with it, if you guys have a better name for it...).
Players can have a hard time predicting when that zombie with speed 0.66 will move or not, and is safe to engage in melee or not.
There is now an option that does that for you. Off by default, since it makes the melee subgame much easier.
The game will display a colored indicator next to your enemies:
- green is safe : you will move again before the enemy does (unless you loose speed obviously).
- yellow is a dangerous: the enemy can act just after you do.
So I hit him...
Most player already do that, the indicator just makes it easier (is that what you guys call "kiting"?).
As a nice side effect, I used this feature to improve civilians AI melee combat tactics. They are now much more effective at killing slow targets in melee, hitting and evading properly like you do.
FRAGILE MELEE WEAPONS
Melee weapons can now be tagged as "Fragile". They have x2 more chances to break.
ITEMS VARIANTS
Now that the basic items are working, I'm starting to add more items variations to give the player more choices in gear. Start with the existing items and create variants from them, with slight stats differences, giving other advantages and drawbacks.
4.11 had already the Kolt Revolver (more damage but less ammo than the pistol).
I've already added the Short Shovel (based on the Shovel; no STA penalty, but weaker and fragile) and the Iron Golf Club (based on the Golf Club; more damage and not fragile but STA penalty).
If you have any ideas of item variants, feel free to share!
TOTAL CONVERSION MODDING...
...Is not supported and will not be supported.
TC needs a game engine that is a completly moddable engine.
RS engine is NOT designed that way.
You can change stats and graphics, that's it.
Sorry, but that's the way this game works and was planned. It allows me to work much faster, focusing on gameplay and getting stuff done.
4.11 DOWNLOAD HOSTING
Mediafire did not work yesterday, so I added Rapidshare.
End of post.
Will look forward to see more items!
ReplyDeleteWhen I run the game I have 100% CPU usage even in the main menu. Besides making my fan noise louder, it is an unnecessary strain. Could you add an option to make the game loop sleep an adjustable amount?
ReplyDeleteIdea:
ReplyDeleteAluminum bat:
ATK: 3
DMG: 5
STA: -1
Not fragile.
Also, are you thinking about my previous idea? I'm just wondering because you haven't responded.
(the one with the zed only mode, sorry, I get paranoid that someone is ignoring me if they don't answer. :])
Excellent work on the threat indicator. One question: could you change it (or does it already?) indicate when an enemy will get 2 turns, if they're faster than you? For instance, if that mutated skeleton is going to get 2 attacks in a row, could the threat indicator mark it red?
ReplyDelete(And yes, that's what we call kiting. :D )
Random suggestion, could death by starvation create a new kind of Zombie?
ReplyDeleteSomething like a "Ghoul", a fast but weak [Lack of muscle, they'll have wasted away by the body] zombie, that's primary concern is food?
It'll track down and rot all kinds of food, possibly even food that can't rot.
By "Track down" I don't mean "Have radar senses" but, it'll be able to smell any kind of food within a certain distance.
Of course, it'll also eat humans, because they're, y'know. Meat.
Threat indicator is cool I guess but it should have a huge negative score modifier. It's really not that hard to determine when an enemy will have their next turn using simple elementary math.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of item variants. Maybe expand into brittle, one use, and sturdy items?
Brittle can be natural items like bones which have a greater chance of breaking the more they are used. Ex: kill a skeleton, pickup his femur, proceed to bash other undead with your new weapon. It could start out with 2% chance of breaking, and with each consecutive attack increase by a percent.
One use items are similar to food and medkits. Ex: search a refrigerator, grab a bottle, hit an undead over the head with it.
Sturdy items would have a very small chance of breaking and as a result are fairly uncommon.
Great work RJ, I'm looking forward to Alpha 5.
Idea:
ReplyDeletePlastic bat.
ATK:3
DAM:1
STA:0
Fragile.
AHH, I think I just had a pretty good idea, Seeing as currently the bows skill is pretty redundant, what with arrows/bolts not being reliable to show up after a while, and firearms being in so many variety's of fun destruction and abundant in ammo, you could make an actual Bow as a weapon, and have strength give it a small damage and maybe range bonus, then also to solve the lack of ammo problem, maybe make it possible to turn wooden furniture/planks into arrows with high carpentry? Just a suggestion, but yeah, I think it would then turn the 'Bows' skill tree into something more useful to oppose melee and firearms :]
ReplyDeleteNice update! I really appreciate the added civilian melee AI that you added. I used to not get followers because I'd have to tank hits if I used them as opposed to how I kite zombies with melee alone. Now maybe they'll kite with me ^.^
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised at the threat indicator idea. I think most game designers would consider kiting too easy, and insert a random element to make it more difficult.
ReplyDeleteAs for weapons: I think a small hammer, a kitchen knife, and a normal ax would all be good additions.
Yeah, I wasn't too keen on the threat indicator either. It's like breaking the 4th wall or something. Knowing when a zombie is going to swing at you should take a bit of work (Counting the couple steps :P, so difficult.) But oh well. I won't be using it.
ReplyDeleteCounting moves is not difficult, but it's not exciting either. The threat indicator saves time and makes the game less boring.
ReplyDeleteI don't think there should be a score penalty for enabling a feature that improves usability.
It's there for lazy peoples and for the .66 move speed sometimes giving you an extra free turn and messing persons up.
ReplyDeleteThe gameplay can be difficult, but using the application should ideally be as quick and easy as possible. If end users do not want to go through a clumsy UI to perform a simple task, it's not their fault.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, I think a red indicator dot could denote two or more moves.
I've always assumed 0.66 is really 2/3 instead of 66/100. Is this correct, Roguedjack?
Some weapon ideas/variants:
ReplyDelete-sawed-off shotgun (must-have!)
-chainsaw (new weapon type?)
-skeleton bone (dropped by the skeletons, but fragile)
-katana/axe/hatchet/machete/screwdriver (for fun)
-nailed plank (player-made)
100% cpu:
ReplyDeleteThat's odd, will try something about that in a5.
---
Threat indicator & Speed:
Renamed "Combat Assistant", thanks to Tom for the idea. Added the red light for fast zombies.
Speed is a % of the default speed (displayed as a normalized float, but its an int), so it is 66/100.
The CA makes the game easier as you are supposed to care about these things on your own. Its like a chess program with an option to show you what captures you can make.
---
Random effects (eg to make kiting harder)
In my view adding too much randomness destroys the tactical sides of the game. This blur the difference in skill between a good player with good tactics and a bad player with improvised tactics, which is bad.
---
Only shamblers zeds mode:
Maybe.
---
Don't worry if I don't answer everything. I read everything.
I'm suprised there is no automatics, like assault rifles.
ReplyDeleteI understand it is hard to implement one in a turn-based gameplay, but maybe have an automatic do three shots in one turn, with bad (4 or lower) accuracy or damage.
Make it so when firing you press F 3 (or more) times for each shot, to allow hitting multiple targets.
Variant suggestions:
ReplyDelete(Hunting rifle) Long Rifle "Military Black." Uses light rifle ammo, magazine 15, range 7 max /3 effective, damage 9, +25 attack
(Shotgun) Hunting Shotgun "Shh. Hunting bunnies." Uses shotgun shells, magazine 2, range 5 max /3 effective, damage 11, +30 attack
(Crossbow) Arbalest "Time to get medieval." Uses crossbow ammo, magazine 1, range 8 max /7 effective, damage 14, +25 attack
More structured automatic:
ReplyDeleteAK-47 "Well Known (Subject to change >.>)"
Attack: 5
Damage: 10
Stamina: 0
Special: 3 shots in a row.
Whether it's always on the same enemy or like my description, it doesn't matter.
First of all, RJ, i love how you made precisely the game i always wanted to play. I like the notion of having a wider range of more-or-less useful items, its a great way of making the game less predictable. Apart from that, i suppose adding a few rare, interresting items would add alot more to the immersion.
ReplyDeletefor example, i work at a (RL) hospital. if i were to loot the mysterious medication room during a zombie apocalypse, id probably take:
* Adrenaline shots (makes you faster, stronger, and pain-immune, but you will collapse after a few hours of RAGE)
* Scalpels (large ones, deadly but sucks to aim)
* Opium (pain-immune, makes sleepy and numb though)
* Ritalin (damn, you do feel awake now.. or not!)
and other drugsy stuff.
if the player could find a wide range of items that modify the game in a unique way, instead of just being variations of stuff you´d find elsewhere, each game location would be alot more interesting individually.
Also, im totally in for being able to carpenter arrows.
hey roguedjack can you email me (JRFlorenski@gmail.com) the events that trigger NPCs to enter the map? i run the wiki and this could be very useful info to players needing it.
ReplyDeletewe are anonymous, we do not forgive, we do not forget, we don't even remember.
ReplyDeleteWe get the darn Anon thing, stop it, it's annoying >.>
ReplyDeleteP.S. I revert to my Aaron persona when not posting an idea.
New melee weapon:
ReplyDeleteDagger:
ATK: 1
DMG: 6
STA: 0
Not fragile. Rare.
New door type:
ReplyDeleteAutomatic doors.
Like regular doors, but when you come within one square of them, they auto-open unless barricaded.
They may seem frivolous, but that is one turn saved, one that may save YOU! It also activates with zombies, so skeletons can get through without breaking it.
Found in shops and stuff.
Would you consider a prefix/suffix system? Obviously I'm not saying randomly generate stuff like Diablo, but maybe add random things like "Sturdy", "Well-Built", "Cheap", "Rusted", etc. etc. with minor stat differences all around?
ReplyDeleteAny plans on a pre breakout day? I.E., when you start there are only civs, unburned cars, AI doesn't grab everything lying around. Maybe some kind of quest like go to work. Start to work in news about strange events...
ReplyDeletehkwh01: I survive to day 15, then I see first black ops,god damn ,I was wearing army armor 1 shot hit me, then i try to run back, another shot still hit and I died, only finished 4 achievements, I came out from my hiding place and search for the sewer monster,but damn black ops,I never saw it b4.
ReplyDeleteThey only come on day 14 once. You see "You see a helicopter hovering over the city about X tiles to the X(This one plays if you are near the drop)
ReplyDeleteOr a helicopter has dropped something X to the X
Wrong, they come multiple times around day 14 and after. Not just once.
ReplyDeleteLrn2research. Or at least play more than once.
Great update! I'm from the bay12 community and I must say we wholly enjoy the experience you've given us. There's already a lot talk by the user Deon on creating a total conversion mod.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, about the CIV A.I., will it be any strain on the amount of resources used by RS now that they know how to kite? Than again, that's whats testing is for. Also, in the future could you make it so cars have a more decent purpose? As in Civs being able to go inside them and maybe they will have items in there too! Course, zombies could also take advantage of this ;P
On that note, I once traveled to another district in one game and I guess it must have been really bad timing, but; I walk forward, burned cars on both sides (I think, neat a good hiding spot!) midnight, zombies spawn from exit point, death.
If you read one post, he said civs WILL learn to kite.
ReplyDeleteMeat Cleaver (based off of axe):
ReplyDeleteATK: 4
DMG: 8
STA: -2
Not fragile. Rare.
It can be found in grocery store basements.
Sleuth Diplomacy (based off of pistol)
Description : A gun that is disguised as a ring of keys.
ATK: 7
DMG: 18
STA: 0
Max Ammo : 6 (takes pistol ammo)
Not fragile. Very Rare (boss battle?)
Homerun Bat:
ATK: 5
DMG: 10
STA: -4
Not Fragile. Rare.
Freeman's crowbar
Description: PHD in kickassery.
ATK:3
DMG: 6
STA: 0
Not Fragile. Very rare (from boss battle?)
Holly Water
A very rare, one use item, that will auto kill one zombie (use it wisely)
Candy (based off of canned food)
It doesn't expire, can be stacked up to 9, but it has an extremely low nutrition.
The only gripe I have is that you decreased maximum districts from 7 to 6.
ReplyDeleteWhat if we liked huge cities D:<.
:P
@aaron, For your information i have played it MULTIPLE times and i have survived to day 30. Every time i play it i see it once and no more unless i moved to a different district. So i do say YOU lrn2research
ReplyDeleteAaron, why are you being so aggressive?
ReplyDeleteI still need to try to go to every district legitimately sometime. It's getting harder too! Great game as always! Keep up the great work with this!
ReplyDeleteI'm not being aggresive, my anger was sarcastic or non-existant, and I HAVE found Black Ops twice on the same district.
ReplyDeleteSpecial Ops can appear many times. I've put in 50+ hours into this game. Trust me on this one :P
ReplyDeletehey jack, this is about the wiki, i need you to change the link for it to
ReplyDeletehttp://42d000c2.linkbucks.com
all profits go into supporting the wiki, and this will help in making sure it remains high quality and maintained.
Some more ideas.
ReplyDelete1. Fruit Bearing Trees: Random trees in the green districts that you can collect apples from it.
2. Super Skills: Pretty much a level 4 for each skill but it does completely different things but still is related to the original ability. Like if you have rank 3 light eater you can gain zombie eater (lose 20 hunger whenever you kill an undead).
Or if you get level 3 in two skills maybe it can unlock another ability that is strong.
3. Jobs, Classes and Backgrounds: Maybe have backgrounds like "Athlete or Sports Fan" +1 ATK and DMG when using golf club and baseball bat. Or other ones that would increase/decrease your starting stats.
Any way keep up the great work on this game Rougedjack!! :D
About the super skills, i doubt he would add in the that example because he said that it would take away from surviving. I mean hell i could walk around with max agile and strong with maxed le and never go hungry and only stop to sleep.
ReplyDeleteRoguedjack said...
ReplyDelete"The CA makes the game easier as you are supposed to care about these things on your own. Its like a chess program with an option to show you what captures you can make."
It's easy to find out when you lose/gain a move in relation to the enemy and the CA doesn't even say how many moves you have to make before there's a difference.
The chess thing doesn't sound very bad to me since it would just be presenting the rules, not a strategy on how to win.
How about some way to remove trees for wooden planks or the like? Or some way to turn wooden planks into crossbow ammo? Maybe with Carpentry 3 or Bows 3?
ReplyDelete