Death Metal

[nasKo]

After the ‘2x tile’ Secret Mission reveal and last week’s focus on Martin’s amaze-o animations, this ‘getting on with it’ Mondoid might not hit the same ‘like’ frenzy – but hopefully we’ve still got you a few fun nuggets.

In our IWBUMS branch we continue to update and improve the current testing build, while we wait to see what other goodies might drop in. As of last Tuesday we’re currently on Build 34.13, while amongst other fixes and tweaks the next build will increase your day length from 45 minutes to an hour in an experiment to see how it impacts on player productivity and, perhaps, to cater for the amount of different systems that are now in the game compared to how the game was originally. Let us know what you think when .14 hits.

In terms of other stuff…

METALWORKING

Metalworking will come for build 34, in 2 separated skills, melting and metalworking. Melting will be used to melt metal into ingot in a stone furnace, stone furnace require to be build from stones (recipe needed!) and will run on coal or charcoal.

From there, just light up your stone furnace and put metal items such as spoon, fork, empty tin can/pop can, etc.. Wait and you have a metal ingot! Which leads to our next skill, metalworking.

First thing you’ll need to craft is an anvil (again, recipe locked, so either you find the correct magazine or you start as a metal worker or the blacksmith trait!) From there, you can start crafting useful metal items like nails, spoon and fork again.. To do this, you need a hammer, but high-end smithing will need ball peen hammer and tongs, which can be crafted as well.

Later on, the smith will be able to craft hammer, metal barricades (way more strong than the planks one, but also require a blowtorch to be put on windows/doors) and even metal furniture like locker, crate, shelves… but no sword smithing for now as it’ll require new animations and it’ll be way more difficult to do anyway!

Metalworking is currently in internal testing and it goes well, it should be in IWBUMS branch rather soon!

ANIMATION COMPATIBILITY / PERFORMANCE

Since we released the video on the animations last week, we’ve had a lot of excited people, but also a fair few low spec PC owners worried about the impact it will have on their system.

We’ve done a lot of work in optimization on the 3D models and animation system over the past year for the animation overhaul, the requirement for shaders has been completely axed, as has the requirement for FBOs to draw the 3D characters on. This means the minimum requirement to run the 3D models has dropped dramatically. There have also been significant optimizations made during development, so while the addition of the advanced animation system will have an impact on performance, we hope it will be a negligible one or even improve matters for some, and will allow most if not all people who currently cannot run the models to play with them in the animation build.

It’s honestly still too early to know for sure with performance, but as we’ve always said we’ll always take all steps we can to avoid cutting people out at the bottom end with incompatibilities. At the same time we have a responsibility to make the game as good as we can so if performance slips a few FPS and we can’t avoid it then that’s the way it has to be. Sadly those at the bottom are those hit hardest by any performance losses. All this said, we’ve had the game working at a solid 30fps on a 1.8Ghz Duo Intel HD laptop, Six Months Later, with all zombies and player using the new animations. Results have varied on other systems though, and the whole system isn’t in yet (let alone future additions to the game) but just so you know we’re on the case and take it seriously.

OTHER STUFF

Co-op fixes continue apace! (With one being quashed during the writing of this very Mondoid!) It’s still unclear how much more testing and fixes will be needed to make sure it works for all the testers router configurations, but we hope to have a wider test as soon as that time comes. We know co-op is tremendously exciting to a lot of people out there so we’re very excited to get it out there!

Also the release of Turbo’s WordZed 2.0 community translation and Radio/TV broadcast is starting to loom large. Turbo has a habit of going a bit quiet and then having a ‘tada!’ moment when his work is complete, and this week’s was probably his best ‘tada!’ yet. It’s a lovely little tool, and we hope to have a version in testing and with some of our community translators for feedback as soon as is possible.

This week’s Featured Image from Yuragon, from the tiny non-crowded hamlet known asSteam. The Centralized Block of Italicised Text would like to point earnestly in the general direction of the PZ Wiki should you feel like editing or amending something, and the PZ Mailing List that can send blogs like this and patch notes direct to your mailbox. We also live on Twitter here!

[wintermuteai1]

Cool stuff. Is the creative mode to build your own towns still coming or? haven't heard much about it anymore...

[ZombiesLoveBrainiacs]

Sword smithing? Sigh,,,

 

Am I the only one who'd like to see more core zombie survival features instead? What about actual wilderness survival, animals, hunting and better foraging? What about transportation? What about multiplayer improvements?

 

Instead, we get smithing, diets, television programs, and tools to mod the television programs. Don't get me wrong, that's nice and all. Late-late-game features like smithing could even be sold as a medieval DLC after 1.0 for all I care, I'd gladly buy it. But it's not what I'm missing in a zombie survival game like Zomboid right now...

Edited March 21, 2016 by ZombiesLoveBrainiacs

[EnigmaGrey]

14 minutes ago, ZombiesLoveBrainiacs said:

Sword smithing? Sigh,,,

 

Am I the only one who'd like to see more core zombie survival features instead? What about actual wilderness survival, animals, hunting and better foraging? What about transportation? What about multiplayer improvements?

 

Instead, we get smithing, diets, television programs, and tools to mod the television programs. Don't get me wrong, that's nice and all. Late-late-game features like smithing could even be sold as a medieval DLC after 1.0 for all I care, I'd gladly buy it. But it's not what I'm missing in a zombie survival game like Zomboid right now...

Animals and hunting depend on the NPC and animation system, so . . .

 

Foraging is probably going to be improved specifically because of the diet system (several new items have already been added), along with farming. It can no longer be ignored. Cereal grains, nuts, and beans are particularly lacking. Not to mention a method of preserving food without electricity.

 

Transportation has a technical hurdle that might not be solvable internally by TIS. It's effectively on the backburner.

 

Multiplayer just received serveral critical fixes for memory leaks, and co-op / UPnP support is mentioned in this very Mondoid.

 

Television and radio conveys lore and atmosphere. It also provides an alternative method training and boredom reduction.

 

The translation tools are pretty much mandatory for the International community at this point.

 

TIS has absolutely no intrest in DLC or microtransactions.

 

Not that I don't have things I wished they'd focus on either, or alter to be more realistic, but it's not like things nearer to release are just going to be put on hold because we might find certain things in the game plan underwhelming right now.

 

I'd rather not see swords or smelting metal (at least not as it's own skill -- maybe making arrow heads or casting bullets is appropriate, but beyond that . . .) in the game at all.

 

Hey, with smithing, maybe we can finally get steel wedges for splitting logs, rather than the magic carpentry saw.

[wintermuteai1]

6 minutes ago, EnigmaGrey said:

 

Transportation has a technical hurdle that might not be solvable internally by TIS. It's effectively on the backburner.

 

 

I always thought one way to go would be to have these scattered here and there and simply have a menu > drive to with location options (much like teleport to) and perhaps have the vehicle chosen spawn near the player on free square?

[EnigmaGrey]

Just now, wintermuteai1 said:

I always thought one way to go would be to have these scattered here and there and simply have a menu > drive to with location options (much like teleport to) and perhaps have the vehicle chosen spawn near the player on free square?

Going full phsyics system and drivable, instead.

[ZombiesLoveBrainiacs]

12 minutes ago, EnigmaGrey said:

Multiplayer just received serveral critical fixes for memory leaks, and co-op / UPnP support is mentioned in this very Mondoid.

 

 

Sure - but when coop gets released, we still won't have an alternative sleeping system for multiplayer. Not even a simple "fast-forward-when-everyone-sleeps". And it's been like that for almost 2 years now.

[Batsphinx]

We've actually got some ideas for that - I was going to write up a suggestion for RJ that I'm pretty pleased with. I really want to get back to the feeling the game used to have in terms of fearing the dark, and being woken up early by the unexpected. Hopefully it's something that we can do when RJ's done this latest crafting whatnot.

[EnigmaGrey]

15 minutes ago, ZombiesLoveBrainiacs said:

 

 

Sure - but when coop gets released, we still won't have an alternative sleeping system for multiplayer. Not even a simple "fast-forward-when-everyone-sleeps". And it's been like that for almost 2 years now.

I imagine it'd be much simpler if the onus is only on co-op sleep rather than full multiplayer support (something the game isn't really set up for, outside of split screen support). There are already placeholder functions present in teh game code for what appears to be MineCraft style sleep.

 

There are many, many things that have needed some love and only so many people to work on them.

[Batsphinx]

Yeah, I think it was Chris' idea - but having an alarm clock that could be manually set in a room with three co-op players who want to go to sleep (for example) is probably a good avenue to go down.

[EnigmaGrey]

1 minute ago, Batsphinx said:

Yeah, I think it was Chris' idea - but having an alarm clock that could be manually set in a room with three co-op players who want to go to sleep (for example) is probably a good avenue to go down.

Yes, that'd be awesome. Have wanted that for a long time, for single player (rather than the magic "sleep X hours" system.

[Batsphinx]

And what if wake up early and forget to turn off the alarm EG? What if you're sneaking past zeds and it goes off?

[makkenhoff]

12 hours ago, ZombiesLoveBrainiacs said:

Sword smithing? Sigh,,,

 

Am I the only one who'd like to see more core zombie survival features instead? What about actual wilderness survival, animals, hunting and better foraging? What about transportation? What about multiplayer improvements?

 

Instead, we get smithing, diets, television programs, and tools to mod the television programs. Don't get me wrong, that's nice and all. Late-late-game features like smithing could even be sold as a medieval DLC after 1.0 for all I care, I'd gladly buy it. But it's not what I'm missing in a zombie survival game like Zomboid right now...

 

I think your opening a can of worms saying things like core zombie survival features honestly. I doubt you could get 30 people in a room to define what the core features are, let alone what constitutes the success or failure of those features. That said, this team is small enough that a relatively short development cycle on a 'good idea' is more likely to get worked on between big system integration because big system integration requires lots of testing before it even gets into our hands.

 

I'd be willing to bet that the internal testers have saw more iterations of Project Zomboid than they care to count. I've done some similar testing for other games, and minor tweak testing is tedious at the best of times, so I'm reasonably pleased to do IWBMS testing because it is nowhere near the level of step by step reproduction that often accompanies traditional testing.

 

As to wilderness survival, right now, you can do that via farming, fishing, foraging, and trapping. Granted, I'll admit its not "fully featured wilderness survival" but its closer than a lot of games ever get, even ones that purport to be exactly that. Knowing that NPC's aren't ready, I think it would be a stretch of my imagination to think that they would add deer and possum first, as they will likely use the same routines that the NPC's themselves will use; perhaps even eventually allowing for mod based customizable "npc" bucks who will actually hunt the hunters.

 

Its also worth remembering that the features you just listed are not being worked on by the same people, in fact they are separate people working on separate features. I'm not sure of your background, so forgive me if this explanation makes you think I'm being rude; it is simply not my intent, I'm just trying to keep it fairly short, but trying to explain it in a way that applies to people who might stumble on this later.

 

The way modern programming works, you can and do have different people working on different "versions" of Project Zomboid at the same time. Everyone might start on Project Zomboid build 30's code, and begin working on their assigned (if they assign at all, I do not know with this developer team, how their process works, but some common things apply in most cases) additions to the game. One person might be working on radio broadcasts, while another works on creating a new nutrition system, while another works on the animation system, while another is working on "creative mode" and yet another person is secretly making great art bigger; that cannot be unstated either. Art is its own field and yet is just as complex as programming and in some cases (such as me) is actually more difficult than coding.

 

This is all part of the problem because we tend to tie features to build numbers when in fact build numbers don't really mean anything at all. When I said build 30 above, I was simply trying to convey the point of origin, the fact is its likely not numbered at all. When Microsoft calls an OS windows 10 (as if that number means something) what they are really saying is we feel we have added enough value since our last OS that we feel we can charge full price again for it, and people will pay for it. Regardless of if those features are something you personally will use.

 

Thus, when one person "finishes" (that is, successfully completes internally testing after coding) their part of the project, this new part is then added to the "master" code. So you might see a more simple project finish before more complicated projects (such as the animation system which itself was required for NPC's as I understand it) simply because the people behind them are able to finish them quicker. I must admit, I have oversimplified bits of my explanation, because as someone who's done more than dabble in programming and code testing, I can personally attest to the difficulty of some of the topics I've intentionally left out such as merging code bases. That topic in particular can be a real nightmare, and one that I've had the misfortune of failing at.

[Jether]

I just want aiming to be more intuitive. This current point and click mechanic irks me as i wanna select what i shoot. Something like the line that is in the debug console would be amazing(Ya ik the line doesnt work in storied buildings but it was a solid thing before) being able to use that in mp would be so much nicer.

 

Still a cool update.

Edited March 22, 2016 by Jether

[ZombiesLoveBrainiacs]

13 hours ago, makkenhoff said:

I doubt you could get 30 people in a room to define what the core features are, let alone what constitutes the success or failure of those features.

 

If something is featured in many zombie movies and post-apocalyptic movies, or if it's simply needed to make the world feel somewhat "complete", then that's what i would call a core feature. Blacksmithing is definitely not one of those core features. Arguably, it doesn't even make much sense in Zomboid's setting.

 

Wilderness survival stuff however is pretty common in those genres, and survival games like Don't Starve or The Flame in the Flood are almost entirely built around wilderness survival:

 

13 hours ago, makkenhoff said:

Granted, I'll admit its not "fully featured wilderness survival" but its closer than a lot of games ever get

 

"Not fully featured" is a bit of an understatement. Remove everything that isn't wilderness survival from Zomboid, and there's not much of a game left...

 

And yes, I understand that the dev's resources are limited. That's why I'm questioning features like blacksmithing, when players still have to use mods for rainjackets because the base game doesn't have any. It would probably take less than an hour to get a rainjacket in, but what's happening instead is blacksmithing or VHS tapes?

Edited March 22, 2016 by ZombiesLoveBrainiacs

[makkenhoff]

5 hours ago, ZombiesLoveBrainiacs said:

 

If something is featured in many zombie movies and post-apocalyptic movies, or if it's simply needed to make the world feel somewhat "complete", then that's what i would call a core feature. Blacksmithing is definitely not one of those core features. Arguably, it doesn't even make much sense in Zomboid's setting.

 

Wilderness survival stuff however is pretty common in those genres, and survival games like Don't Starve or The Flame in the Flood are almost entirely built around wilderness survival:

 

 

"Not fully featured" is a bit of an understatement. Remove everything that isn't wilderness survival from Zomboid, and there's not much of a game left...

 

And yes, I understand that the dev's resources are limited. That's why I'm questioning features like blacksmithing, when players still have to use mods for rainjackets because the base game doesn't have any. It would probably take less than an hour to get a rainjacket in, but what's happening instead is blacksmithing or VHS tapes?

 

Isn't Project Zomboid its own entity though? While they may take influences from movies and games (*edit* and books! I can't believe I forgot books!), the developers have generated a world that existed back in the 90's that has something horrible happen to it, the cause is unknown to us; they have taken great care to craft a living breathing world in steps. Perhaps these steps are not the steps you personally would have taken, but that is indeed a problem with letting other people make a game instead of yourself. Personally, I believe strongly that not only does blacksmithing make sense within Project Zomboid's world, but that it is in fact almost required in order for the game setting to be functional in multiplayer without using the magical "respawn loot" button, which I'm sure you will admit is one that is entirely immersion breaking. Without the ability to create nails, your options are quite limited, unless of course, you turn to mods. 

 

At some point without that magic button, nails are gone, tools are broken, resources to repair those tools are expended, and your left with a largely broken world that literally requires a restart. That isn't to say that you can't do some form of bare bones survival, but as you've already stated it does take away many aspects of the game when your limited to just a handful of potential ways to live. That's why I think it is important to be able to separate professionals from your unemployed "average joe" character, and they are making great effort to do exactly that. 

 

I'm sure your familiar with the plans to expand the map to include some larger cities. More cities, more people, more chances of having highly skilled professionals who get trapped. Its not unreasonable to think that someone traveling into the area might get stuck behind the barricades due to happenstance. "I just stopped in Muldraugh to stay the night and the next morning my car didn't start, with the phone lines apparently down, I couldn't call out so I just decided to stay until the local mechanic worked on our car." 

 

As for mods with raincoats and similar modifications designed to make the game easier; currently unless you take the trait outdoorsman, rain creates an additional disadvantage to the player. With the addition of "raincoats" you break the balance of the positive trait. Another one that I personally like is the powered gas pumps mod - but that is also unbalanced, because it doesn't allow for tracking how much fuel the gas station's tanks have, because you can get infinite fuel. The reasons why certain things don't get added into a game are often complicated and is typically done for game balance reasons both in the short term and the long term, but occasionally it is just a matter of being technically difficult and not worth the time/money/effort. It could be that the developers are putting a hold on things specifically like raincoats because of the moodlet redesign being planned. It is hard to say. But, I backed this project long before it was a sure thing, and I trusted them with my money, and I've not been the least bit disappointed.

Edited March 23, 2016 by makkenhoff

[RobertJohnson]

Lot of people wanted metalworking you know...

 

And, raincoat, yeah, it'll prob take me less than 1 hour to implement... But we don't have the animations yet, so people will complain about that.

 

Metalworking is aiming to be more a late-game thing and add a lot of coop in MP (some crafting require also carpentry, etc..), but trully not a "swordsmithing" feature!

[zomboid123]

I don't understand the devs anymore. They deem things like reloading ammo unrealistic despite it being a fairly simple process done by millions of the most humble country bumpkins, yet here we are about to be able to operate a smelting furnace and forge weapons and items.

And since we're seemingly going to have a more or less endless source of top tier melee weapons now can we please do an update pass on the firearms? There is a risk inherent in every trigger pull that melee weapons just don't have and the scarcity of axes is seemingly going by the wayside so the rarity argument doesn't hold water anymore. Shotguns/Rifles and ammo should spawn in normal homes. This is America, not the UK or another European country; We don't keep our guns locked up at shooting clubs. I keep a pistol in my nightstand drawer every night and there is what most europeans would consider a military grade arsenal in my closet gunsafe a few feet away, and I am not an anomaly in this country.

[EnigmaGrey]

Don't recall the devs ever deeming ammo reloading as unrelaistic. I do, however, recall the point of the proessions update being the removal of the "avearge Joe" limition.

 

No one said the melee weapons created by a player would be top tier, nor that metal working would be endless.

 

Check out everyy online server to see how easy guns make the game.

 

Guns already spawn in homes. Maybe their owners just took 'em to the grave.

[zomboid123]

You know thinking back to my post gave me an idea... Why not have locked gunsafes spawn in homes that you must find a way to open? I'm pretty sure the burglar and engineer professions could find a way... hint hint. If we're going to have blowtorches in game that could give the other jobs an option as well.

Edited March 24, 2016 by zomboid123