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Build overhaul - Suggestion. With more.


nobodyClaimedThis

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Hello! Thanks a lot for creating such an awesome game! Even though it's still unfinished it's clearly one of the best games I've played so far. That being said, I have some suggestions that I think could improve the game in the future, especally concerning the 'Build' system.

 

I apologise if you've gotten some of these suggestions already.

 

 

The 'Build' system could use major improvements

 

 

The problems with the 'build' system as it is now, is;

 

- It's hard to navigate through the list

- Most of the time, the screen crops some of the list, so you won't be able to see it all

- When building your base from scratch there's not many possibilities regarding funiture, and they usually end up looking a little dull.

- Carpentry lvl 5 is basically useless.

- It takes little to no time to build a fortress.

- Window frames are mostly useless for anything else than sheet ropes.

- After a base is built, it just stands there, defenseless, when you're not there to protect it.

- Locks on cabinets, doors, etc. isn't a thing.

 

 

 

Which is why, I'd like to suggest a few improvements, such as;

 

- The list should be replaced by a full-screen menu (or adjustable size, like the skill window etc.) with different categories. Perhaps some more advanced ones you can unlock with higher carpentry level, and eventually combined with other skills too. A menu would make it easier to navigate, the screen won't crop it, it would be easier to have an overview, and if/when new things are added to 'Build', the game wouldn't end up with a very, very long list that would definitely get cropped.

- When in high carpentry level, an 'Info' option could be cool, for seeing how much health your wall has left, like with the plants you farm.

- More funiture such as cabinets, potted plants, sofas, candle holders, weapon racks, improvised stoves, heat sources, etc.

- Being able to put something in the window frames would be nice. Maybe by using tools to take a window from a house and move it, or in some way craft one. 

- Building traps to catch/kill zombies and other survivors. There's a spade in-game and using it to do some real digging, like big holes that zombies can fall into, could be cool. Other things that'd work would be; Pointy sticks to place around your base (running into them causes damage), beartraps, some kind of creative trap with rope and a gun (like tripping wire things), more suggestions are welcome. Maybe the more advanced traps could use both carpentry and trapping skill.

- Salvageable padlocks, craftable locks, etc. When you're in multiplayer it's really annoying when some person shows up and steals everything from your base when you're not there. Of course it adds a bit of realism, but there's absolutely no way to prevent loss of items. Which is why being able to lock your stuff in would be really nice. An idea for that would be that, locking a thing would spawn a key and you won't be able to unlock certain container without the key in your inventory. To add some realism, a lockpicking skill for that would be cool too. Locks would also be nice when the NPCs come around, assumed they can run off with your things.

- Painting the wood. There's not much use for paint in the game, except for painting arrows and skulls, and the option to paint a wall or a piece of funiture could be a fun addition for the more crafty types.

- Signs in game are also a little dull. Writing on them could be cool, maybe a little bit like the notes. You right click, a 'write' option shows up below the 'paint' option and you can write on it like you write on a note, but with paint instead. To read it, you could right click and 'read sign'. Signs would be more useful, especially in multiplayer.

 

 

 

 

 

Other suggestions that could improve the games realism and possibly increase the diffuculty;

 

- Gasoline could be used for generators to temporarily get electricity in a bulding. 

- Dirty/clean water: All water in the game seems to be drinkable, and having to clean water/get a clean water source would make things a lot more interesting. 

- A hygiene moodlet could make a use for the soap, toothbrush, toothpaste and towel. Bad hygiene could make the character more prone to diseases.

- And with the previous one; More diseases such as pneumonia, sepsis, concussions, flu, etc.

- Jackets, coats, raincoats, sandals, shorts, hats, glasses. Also some sort of improvised armor, that could protect from scratches/bites. Improvised armor could be; Duct tape wrapped around wherever you want it (and maybe the option to tape stuff to yourself to protect you), helmets and the like.

- Wildlife. I know that would be a pretty huge thing to add to the game, as they'd need AI and stuff, but it could be really cool if you could do some actual hunting for deer and the like. Wolves could be an interesting addition too. 

- Someone told me it was added to the game already, but I can't seem to figure out how to use it? If it isn't then the option to use bleach and other poisons such as berries and mushrooms to poison food would be an interesting addition, both for multiplayer and when the NPCs come around. 

- Another fun addition would be if characters can trip and fall over things. Especially when drunk. The decreased aim is one thing, but someone who's completely plastered, go out and kill 50 zombies with a shutgun, without dying or tripping or anything is a little unrealistic.

 

 

I might add some more in the future, sorry for the large amount of text! I hope it's useful c:

I look so much forward to seeing what happens to this game in the future!

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Hello! Thanks a lot for creating such an awesome game! Even though it's still unfinished it's clearly one of the best games I've played so far. That being said, I have some suggestions that I think could improve the game in the future, especally concerning the 'Build' system.

 

I apologise if you've gotten some of these suggestions already.

 

 

The 'Build' system could use major improvements

 

 

The problems with the 'build' system as it is now, is;

 

- It's hard to navigate through the list

- Most of the time, the screen crops some of the list, so you won't be able to see it all

- When building your base from scratch there's not many possibilities regarding funiture, and they usually end up looking a little dull.

- Carpentry lvl 5 is basically useless.

- It takes little to no time to build a fortress.

- Window frames are mostly useless for anything else than sheet ropes.

- After a base is built, it just stands there, defenseless, when you're not there to protect it.

- Locks on cabinets, doors, etc. isn't a thing.

 

 

 

Which is why, I'd like to suggest a few improvements, such as;

 

- The list should be replaced by a full-screen menu (or adjustable size, like the skill window etc.) with different categories. Perhaps some more advanced ones you can unlock with higher carpentry level, and eventually combined with other skills too. A menu would make it easier to navigate, the screen won't crop it, it would be easier to have an overview, and if/when new things are added to 'Build', the game wouldn't end up with a very, very long list that would definitely get cropped.

- When in high carpentry level, an 'Info' option could be cool, for seeing how much health your wall has left, like with the plants you farm.

- More funiture such as cabinets, potted plants, sofas, candle holders, weapon racks, improvised stoves, heat sources, etc.

- Being able to put something in the window frames would be nice. Maybe by using tools to take a window from a house and move it, or in some way craft one. 

- Building traps to catch/kill zombies and other survivors. There's a spade in-game and using it to do some real digging, like big holes that zombies can fall into, could be cool. Other things that'd work would be; Pointy sticks to place around your base (running into them causes damage), beartraps, some kind of creative trap with rope and a gun (like tripping wire things), more suggestions are welcome. Maybe the more advanced traps could use both carpentry and trapping skill.

- Salvageable padlocks, craftable locks, etc. When you're in multiplayer it's really annoying when some person shows up and steals everything from your base when you're not there. Of course it adds a bit of realism, but there's absolutely no way to prevent loss of items. Which is why being able to lock your stuff in would be really nice. An idea for that would be that, locking a thing would spawn a key and you won't be able to unlock certain container without the key in your inventory. To add some realism, a lockpicking skill for that would be cool too. Locks would also be nice when the NPCs come around, assumed they can run off with your things.

- Painting the wood. There's not much use for paint in the game, except for painting arrows and skulls, and the option to paint a wall or a piece of funiture could be a fun addition for the more crafty types.

- Signs in game are also a little dull. Writing on them could be cool, maybe a little bit like the notes. You right click, a 'write' option shows up below the 'paint' option and you can write on it like you write on a note, but with paint instead. To read it, you could right click and 'read sign'. Signs would be more useful, especially in multiplayer.

 

 

 

 

 

Other suggestions that could improve the games realism and possibly increase the diffuculty;

 

- Gasoline could be used for generators to temporarily get electricity in a bulding. 

- Dirty/clean water: All water in the game seems to be drinkable, and having to clean water/get a clean water source would make things a lot more interesting. 

- A hygiene moodlet could make a use for the soap, toothbrush, toothpaste and towel. Bad hygiene could make the character more prone to diseases.

- And with the previous one; More diseases such as pneumonia, sepsis, concussions, flu, etc.

- Jackets, coats, raincoats, sandals, shorts, hats, glasses. Also some sort of improvised armor, that could protect from scratches/bites. Improvised armor could be; Duct tape wrapped around wherever you want it (and maybe the option to tape stuff to yourself to protect you), helmets and the like.

- Wildlife. I know that would be a pretty huge thing to add to the game, as they'd need AI and stuff, but it could be really cool if you could do some actual hunting for deer and the like. Wolves could be an interesting addition too. 

- Someone told me it was added to the game already, but I can't seem to figure out how to use it? If it isn't then the option to use bleach and other poisons to poison food would be an interesting addition, both for multiplayer and when the NPCs come around. 

 

 

I might add some more in the future, sorry for the large amount of text! I hope it's useful c:

I look so much forward to seeing what happens to this game in the future!

You can paint walls. But you need to plaster them first. Plastering is also a method of fortification you don't seem to know about. And I agree with everything you said! Also you should rename "Build" to "Carpentry" as thats what its called in the Game and "Build" makes it easy to confuse it with the updates which are called "Builds". Cabinets are in the Game too they aren't called Cabinets though they're called "Table with Drawers".

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I love these ideas and in general am for them. +1. also i think you should be able to lock doors from the inside as well as windows but then from the outside they are not able to be opened and then when leaving from inside it takes a second to unlock so you cant just run out. Also rooms like bathrooms and bedrooms may have this lock inside. When the doors are broken there is a new item called a locked doorknob which has a lock on it. Just an idea.

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I love these ideas and in general am for them. +1. also i think you should be able to lock doors from the inside as well as windows but then from the outside they are not able to be opened and then when leaving from inside it takes a second to unlock so you cant just run out. Also rooms like bathrooms and bedrooms may have this lock inside. When the doors are broken there is a new item called a locked doorknob which has a lock on it. Just an idea.

Yes, we need this!

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In that case i cant wait. I also cant wait for cars... Hope they do a lot with cars. Anyway i really cant wait for the building update.

Just to be sure. I didn't say that there will be a building update. I said that the UI will be overhauled, that has only to do with how you create the same bit of wall that is already in the game.

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In that case i cant wait. I also cant wait for cars... Hope they do a lot with cars. Anyway i really cant wait for the building update.

Just to be sure. I didn't say that there will be a building update. I said that the UI will be overhauled, that has only to do with how you create the same bit of wall that is already in the game.

 

Ye i understand and i realized that is should have said what I said differently but i understand.

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Definitely seconding the suggestion for windows especially. Besides your Info suggestion, the Carpentry skill ought to make it easier to reclaim old fixtures - already at level 0 you ought to be able to get a door off the hinges with a screwdriver, but well before you get to Level 5 you should be able to reclaim lumber, trim, and so forth as planks for your future projects. My pathetically-cursory research suggests that removing windows and installing windows is pretty straightfoward - probably Level 1 for the former and Level 2 for the latter. I think the natural window-crafting recipe would use a few Plank items for trim and two Window Sash items for the panes; a Window Sash could theoretically be made from glass and planks, but I have no idea where you would get [edit:loose glass of the right size], so the usual source would be either scavenged from hardware stores, sheds, garages, warehouses, &c. or reclaimed from existing unbroken windows.

 

(Obviously, a crowbar should also have some chance of opening a locked window without breaking the glass. How much chance I'm not sure.)

 

(And I love the Locked Door Handle suggestion.)

 

Another way to make high-level Carpentry valuable would be to add structural strength to the game. You would have to add buildable scaffolding to act as temporary support (can be climbed or walked through at low speed, can be either picked up or deconstructed without loss of materials), but if building anything larger than a shed required the use of Load-Bearing Walls that got stronger as you gained more Carpentry skill, you'd have a lot more to look forward to than more efficient Rainwater Collectors at high levels.

 

(And if rainwater collection required more than five square feet of area to gather significant amounts - i.e. a roof with gutters - that would take on even more significance for long-term survival.)

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I would like some workbenches and such to be buildable where you can store your supplies in/around them and just go next to them and get a build list of what can be done with the surrounding supplies and work from there. It does not need to give a speed bonus at all other than the fact you could build a better quality product IE: a door that looks better or a different model of chair etc...

 

Using a workbench to fabricate the item could give it durability bonus and stuff. Also building in one area while teammates take finished items to install elsewhere could be useful as the main person is building while they just install the finished sections in the correct places.

 

A way to deconstruct existing furniture in houses would be nice too.

 

I would like to see the wooden dowel mod added to base game to allow for building without nails. Basically make it 1 or 2 levels harder to build each item meaning that quality can never pass 3rd quality without real nails.

 

Screws should be useable to build with just as with nails.

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I would like to see the wooden dowel mod added to base game to allow for building without nails. Basically make it 1 or 2 levels harder to build each item meaning that quality can never pass 3rd quality without real nails.

 

I'd take a different approach to modeling that, actually. Mortise and tenon joints require more skill, materials, and time from the carpenter, but I don't think the products are inherently lower quality. Heavier, probably; weaker, possibly; lower quality, not especially.

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