Insidiousness

Boats...? Going to Islands...? 

Oh man, so many great thoughts and possibilities...

But I want animations first xD!

Boats...? Going to Islands...? 

Oh man, so many great thoughts and possibilities...

But I want animations first xD!

Now all we need is a modder to add in a realistic digestion system so that we'll finally have pooping, peeing and showering - fully animated! It's what everyone wants, right? Is your bladder full and you fight zombies and get extreme panic? Unfortunately you just peed yourself.

Neat idea to add survival-style upgrades, but if you want some consistency with the realism in the game there are changes you immediately need to make to those designs.
 
Yeah, sure, if this was a blanket no-realism game, if you are willing to throw realism out of the window or at the very least heavily penalize the driving ability for the vehicles, those are fine.
 
Let's get the immediate objective issues out of the way first, followed by what I think would work very well.
 
-Cow catchers and other "plow" modifications on cars - good way to make sure you bend your frame as soon as you hit something. None of these are designed to hit anything above a low speed either. Not an efficient survival option. This is often why most real attempts at actual waste land machines aim for ground clearance, not decreasing it. I don't think you guys will be implementing full body-on-chassis rebuilds to make this work, but it should be pointed out.
 
Oh, and let's not forget that you will clip that (and bend your frame) and tear it off on any bump where the ground clearance of the car would already be challenged. Running over a corpse is especially inefficient with that, even worse off than the car would have already been. This would only really affect things positively on heavy, high-torque vehicles (big rigs, where these upgrades can actually be seen used in a real context) and implemented for moving larger objects at lower speed (and not running through zed).
 
-You can't cover the wheel that turns with a flat piece of metal as that prevents your wheels from turning outward. This is why you would only see those half-fender covers on older cars on the rear wheels exclusively.
 
-Window coverings: Yeah, with what you showed for the 'high end' modification, reduce visibility to roughly 10% overall. Too over the top otherwise. You should consider an alternative that is much more sparse, that still has visibility issues overall.
 
-Making the body heavy should make your handling noteably more sluggish and your vehicle slower over all. A variant of that upgrade that uses metal bars could also work well.
 
-Welding a mask onto your car? Never open your hood again. If you are looking to reinforce those by welding sheets onto it, you should consider localizing it to the individual parts and make maintenance take longer for having to navigate that.
 
-Roof rack is fine (but should add weight as a fair trade-off)
 
-Brush guards are fine, but that design could apply more to reduce the loss of speed when driving through smaller trees and zed than negating damage.
 
-With all of the auto parts and aftermarkets in the US, you should really consider upgrades for the interior of the vehicle as well as under the hood. You should acknowledge that performance aftermarket exhausts often do no such thing for reducing noise. Appropriate aftermarket parts (i.e. brush gaurds for trucks) should also be rare finds that look much more professional than shoddy weld-work.
 
-Consider roof lights
 
Other than that, really happy to see this coming in!

I'm answering the call on the post to over-think it, so this is the feedback that I have to offer. I was also consulted on the original implementation of vehicles and maintenance by RJ, so I'll happily provide this again for vehicle upgrades with suggestions and work-arounds. I and others are not part of the development team. While I am grateful for having participated and called upon for a second opinion, I don't know that this is a conclusion that the developers have already reached. This is the design and model we were showed and asked to comment on, and I happen to have worked on a lot of car projects and enjoy enthusing about this (car upgrades !) Sorry if this is annoying to you.
 
I have additional notes should you like to hear them if you are still accepting feedback. I understand that criticism may not be what we all want to hear, but it's what has lead to some of the better changes to the game in the past.  Hopefully we can all work together to make a system that can make this the change to cars that the game has been begging for.

That doesn't actually fix the core, objective flaw with the design that makes it counter-intuitive. Even if it's not "pressing against it", the wheel turning outward whenever the car needs to maneuver requires space outside of the vehicle.
 

(Often the wheel turns out farther than that)
 
As I described in my lengthy post about the objective issues with these upgrades, it's the reason why you see in older cars with fender covers as a design that they only occur on the rear wheels, which do not turn and do not need that space.
 
 
This is also why in plenty of attempts to model real apocalypse-ready vehicles, the turning wheel is left uncovered, as it's not something you want to hamper in your vehicle.
 
You also need to consider that with body roll (inevitable, and already implemented anyways, amplified by the fact that these are older vehicles that have softer suspensions) that any coverage to the wheel won't further dig into the wheel when the body twists side to side as the weight on the car shifts with every turn.
 
There are plenty of usable stuff in the concept pictures, but a lot there needs heavy reconsidering or needs to heavily penalize the player. A lot of these things wouldn't easily be considered upgrades that won't heavily penalize you in other places. These designs are influenced by show cars and movie props that may not actually benefit how you expect them in real world application. There are a bunch of cool and useful upgrades that could make this fun for gameplay that could work, just needs a lot of tweaking.  

This would give the water dispenser a good use in my base
Boil the water in a cooking put, fill up the water dispenser = Drink from it and fill water bottles from it for expeditions.
 

This would give the water dispenser a good use in my base
Boil the water in a cooking put, fill up the water dispenser = Drink from it and fill water bottles from it for expeditions.
 

key Icon above player (who mean I have got the car key): shouldn't appear when car is hirewired
Or a different icon, but i think shouldn't be displayed because before you see ignition you can't know that the car is hirewired and drivable Icon appear even floor above or behind the car, so if I build living floor above garage,  the key appear all the time, in kitchen, bedroom, etc... "No mechanic action" are displayed in mechanic progress bar (if i saw logs, that appear as I install/remove part of car, with "flash succes" of the saw !) "flash succes" don't stop. By foot, "flat sidewalk" aren't disturbing, but a car who don't react to sidewalk step give a heavy only drawing effect. 6 seat Van with lateral door ( still door / seat problems) : Car parts : The difference between shock damages and usury from driving is no enough high. I damage the car with  shock as far as driving. I'am very surprise that there is no radiator part ! who is more sensitive and aftereffect than muffler ! Muffler : With all cars I have got (and around me), I never change or repare muffler, but radiator breakdown was encounter many times ! I think this too highly damaging part is an error by confound muffler and catalytic converter. Brakes : I think separate disk/shoe and pads could be a good things. separate breakdown and driving wear. Pad need less skill and really less weight/space, usury by driving, few by shock. disk/shoe may little more weight. Damage with shock, few by usury. suspension are really lightweight ! wieght more close to wheel than brake ! When you drive on screw, nails or sharp weapons you should have chance to burst wheel. So you can do a block road with line of nails on the road When you remove more than 1 wheel : remove 2 wheel and the car seems "in air". Vehcles should tilt on axle when 2 adjacent wheel are removed. changing tilt direction when a 3rd wheel is removed, and totally fall on axle when the 4 are missing. should use object to prop car when removing more than 1 wheel. Put logs for wedges for exemple ! remove 2 wheel or more should damage parts in contact with the ground : brake, suspension if car is leaved on ground. Remove 4 wheel withtout wedges should damage muffler ! ( but not when we drive ! lol ) Should find striped car, without wheels, standing on logs, missing parts and doors I comeback to camera : Could camera move forward at lower speed ? Not really distrurbing for heavy PC, because unzoom max, and you see in front. Think to light PC, I'am playing in relatively +zoom to not to lag.
Accident with unseen objects or turns are common. Read and see that others too ! In cloth shop : one tile cloth stand have a capacity of 65. that's too much Food (and spawn balance) : There is no milk, flour, eggs, vinegar, yeast yet to the Mall and grocery while are a really the most common food ! it seems that there is only fruits, vegetables and chips in food market yet ? In PZ no humans knows arrange cupboards and etalages ? I know the process of random spawning, but this give a same container effect when many on a raw. ( kitchen, bathroom, market, etc.. ) I don't kown how shops are declared in map edition but in a room (or market if possible) instead of : should better (I pseudo write in code, It seems more easy to explain) some sorts items by room in containers : Thus we will not find a spoon, a buter knif and a chili can in each container of a kitchen but 2/3 spoon in one, 3/4 knif in other, etc.... for Market some container will get 4 banana and 3 tomates, other 8 pickles and 5 peaches. Really more realistic !
The following step is to categorizing a little mor than food, weapons, etc... then kitchen tools could be in a container, household products in other one, food in other with same kind of simple script....
On food : fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, drink, cans, dry food, cookable. "Useless items" : care, cleaning, dishes, furniture, etc.. etc.. etc.. Proportions of fruits, vegetables, chips, canned food // flour, yeast, vinegar, etc.. aren't representing at all of a evacuation or precipitated departure as you want to feel. People will leave with easy eating food ! not with cooking food : flour vinegar etc.... seems thats inverted ! thereby increase cooking become necessary to use cookable food that people don't bring with them ! I was cooker for a while, taught to friends, and I think there should be skill lvl min for some recips. if should have an add by lvl : microwave=0 (lol), pot/slice=1, pie/salads=2, stove=3, jars=4, bread=5/6, . But that with many more spawning jars, vinegar, yeast, flour,etc...  punch line : should be very more not directly eatable food and many less fast foods ! eat a part of a stove or pot don't reduce weight In the same way, (it seems that population was warned and more evacuated than encounter zombies). There is too much houses/ rooms with TV, radio, light on . that's more a panic departure effect ! Should be random panic departure houses as random fortified houses. with a notable effect in house (many objects in container, objects on ground, all doors open, lights and TV on) but not in almost houses !  
I'am sad, I waited 38, was thinking that barbed wire increase spawn was to prepare the barbed wire fence implement !
 
No, it's not a simple "are you indoors?" check, that's an other "a maybe one day that'll change" too !
actually it is only a  : are you in a tile declared room. because :
Some buildings parts have wrong (or none) room settings, so there is no indoors panic in it or on somes tiles Playermade room (8 sides closed space) > no panic Remove almost walls or/and roof, floor of a rooms keep panic.  
 
totally agree, the W difference : its a french double V, should be an English double U
 
 
fiouuuu, I'am at quarter of my list... lunch break !

I love this idea! Would add difficulty as you said and make logical sense.

I love this idea! Would add difficulty as you said and make logical sense.

I love this idea! Would add difficulty as you said and make logical sense.

I love this idea! Would add difficulty as you said and make logical sense.

With IWSMB and vehicles test branch, don't know where post this bus or an other. hope they will be read by concerned dev.
 
can hotwire at 2mecha and 1 elec, is it normal ? when there is a zombie around, I hear always many zombie, idle state and attack state : when a zombie attack me i hear many zombies attacking me. I hear sometimes car doors slam while I'm alone on server. when hear one time, there is many door slam after. When refuel generator, if I stop refuel by go away, no fuel is transfered (seems a all or nothing action) sometimes i don't hear generator or car engine (out of car). doors, seat, tanks,batteries, brakes, suspensions respawn but no muffler, engine parts, and the most destructed : windows winshield and hoods ! painting a wall don't remove blood sprite. decreased weight is not apply sometimes in container (weight of full, but not full), have to transfert it in inventory to refresh weight. Paint bucket weight don't decrease when partially emptied as others painting seems very restrictive in addition to an only nice-looking effect ! amount of painting with a bucket : painting yield is 10/15 m² by liter, if I concider 2 layers : with a 5L you should paint at least 10 wall. A draw seems ~1/4 of wall painting use. wood is not really a good support for plaster, so can we plaster metal wall too ? ( health point become a surprise for attackant) plastering have no real references :  5kg bag are mostly for interior use and small jobs, 25kg are the more common for walls and exterieur : the yield is ~8kg/m² , 3yield, so a bag by m².
May set weight to 25, spawn more plaster to adjust one bag by wall, and give an other interest than nice-looking effect :
plaster could give shield points to wall, who crumble/disappear when attacked : can't give a visual info on shield statut (no need to give a number of health point) if ability to plaster metal wall : hide to attackant what is made wall until attacking enough. no visual effect of the destruction state of a wall, can't repair wall (just give the posibility to "upgrade to lvlx" if not maxHealthpoint and not plastered ) the radial menu is very big ! an option to reduce size of round and icons as text in windows.  
always don't see any pump.
a post remind that : for 7years player can read, make wall, cook,etc... in totally dark !
As player say "i don't understand" etc.. when reading a too difficult level book, he should say "I don't see anything !" when perform a cook, build, read, farm, forage, in totally dark. Add a real good challenges. ( so, I imagine already to put my car face to a wall with light on to manage to end my wall after sunset ! )

I'm not a weapons expert but I don't see anyone getting 4 headshots with one shotgun shot

Sure, I can do that for you.  Like this?
 
"JM_Forest_64, your mind is like a high-powered generator, humming with energy.  This idea is.... words can't do it justice.  It's amazing, like seeing the pale glow of the Milky Way for the first time.  What surprises me the most, truly, is that the game developers didn't start with this idea in the first place.  Right?  Start with a road construction game, add zombies.  Done.  Now, I shall "Like this" for thee!"
 
Is that what you were looking for?
 

*Insert positive feedback and mandatory upvote here*

Road Construction!

If England is anything like the United States (and there are a few similarities), then I assume that you Indie Stoners know about road construction.  All those roads in Knox county, and not a single construction site?  COMPLETELY unbelievable.  There should be a construction site on some point of the highway, with a lllooooooonnnnnggggg line of cars waiting on either side.
 
In truth, there's a lot of interesting things that could be found at the site.  A maintenance truck with metal bars, shovels, gravel bags, axes, etc.  Ditches that could be used to throw zombie bodies into.  A big dump truck for mowing down zombies.  I'm smiling just thinking about it!
 
Oooh  oooh, it would super cool if the construction site varied it's location on the highway!  It could be south of Muldraugh in one map, and up by Valley Station on another map.  That would be sweet.

456. Vision behind buildings is very problematic and annoying.
The default way vision works is that every wall which is facing the opposite side of the camera is black, and when player steps behind it, there is a limited globe around the player in which he can see... why? It makes no sense, it's unrealistic and a poor gameplay choice. It means that the player can only see very little in front of him and only because the camera is set that way.
 
The character should have a clear vision as if it's supposed to be his POV, not the camera's that matters. Just like everything that's behind the character usually fades darker and you can't see zombies where character isn't facing.
 
Examples:



 
In the first image, very little can be seen, all though the character should be able to see down that whole wall.
In the second image, the player is a bit too far away from the walls, so his globe doesn't reach them and thus he is blind for that part of the walls.
The third image is the best example. The player shouldn't be able to see behind him, but he should be able to see all the way in front along those walls. Yet, that isn't the case.
 
Please, fix it ASAP. I haven't been noticing it that much, but as I began to play better and do riskier stuff, go into town/city more and got better feel of mechanics, this just feels broken.
 
My solution would be to have this portion of the wall about 75%-85% transparent, and the color either gray, dark blue-gray or the color of the wall itself (other walls that the camera can see).
 
EDIT: Sorry if this reply is too long and/or if the suggestion is not a "small" one, I just didn't want to make another thread just for this, but I will do it if you feel like I should.

That was a good test, thanks for the help.. lots of stats and what not gathered.

There was an error in the previous my post so I will resend it.
 
Starting from July 9 AM 09:00 at 
  Schenario mode:Initial Infection, FirstWeek, Survival
    Sandbox mode:Initial Infection, FirstWeek, Survival
"Sixmonth" operate correctly at Scenario mode and Sandbox mode.
 

As I mentioned, Some TV/Radio data doesn't broadcast. I put things right.
 
I suggest time or date start earlier than now.

Calm down.
I think it's fine that we start in different scenarios, randomly.
It gives the player quick short term goals to solve.
 
If you don't like it, I think this is the wrong game.

I don't regret for one second getting a copy of this game and buying it for muh friends. 

Ahhh... NPC's.. ;d NPC's are great! And you should have fun developing them.  Just knowing there are NPC's out there, doing *something* does add a lot to the solo experience, and I personally enjoy keeping NPC's alive as long as possible, back in Half-Life I would reload instantly if a guard or scientiest died while I could've somehow saved him. Always was sad to leave them behind when they couldn't pass certain corridors..  Going to a military base and hanging there, watching it get attacked, and do everything I can to keep it alive would be great in Zomboid, men den som väntar på något gott..! ^,^
 
Also, Swedish proverb:  He who waits for something good never waits too long.
 
Here's a motivational poster