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Jumps n' scares


MadDan

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Well, two weeks takes ages to get through right? Here we are with the first fortnightly Thursdoid which hopefully contains enough morsels to keep you satiated.

 

For details on what’s happening with MP, and why we’ve moved to blogs every two weeks for the foreseeable future, please check out our MP Status Update from last time.

IWBUMS 41.51

As we discussed last time, we have six months worth of polish, changes, additions and fixes waiting to go into the IWBUMS Build 41 Public beta that are completely unrelated to the parallel MP work.

In this past two weeks, then, we have removed/disabled its WIP multiplayer components, and are now preparing to release this as a beta update.

 

The changelist is pretty vast, and can be found here if you are interested.

 

Sometimes in the past when we have released builds with lengthy gestation times they have been buggier than we’d have otherwise liked, which is why we are putting this through a lot of testing – and are currently opening it out to an expanded pool of internal testers over the coming weekend. Please note that when we talk about holding this build back for testing, it’s not in the same league, stadium or planet as the testing for the MP overhaul, we just have to do our due diligence after all the talk of being careful about what we release not to completely break the current b41 build by hurrying to get going with the builds again.

 

This new version also includes some fairly foundational changes like updates to the Java and LWJGL we are using, that will improve a legion of compatibility issues we’ve often come up against, and many optimizations.

 

Likewise there is a big savegame file size optimization going into this version, which will mean that your current savegame will NOT be compatible. But, clearly, fret not – the current 41.50 version will remain available to you, and step-by-step savegame transfer instructions will be provided should they be required.

NOISEWORKS SOUND UPGRADE

The Noiseworks full soundscape upgrade has just gone into its first round of testing, and we’ve collated a full list of bugs and missing / wrongly wired sounds back over to them.

 

Primary issues include some rethinking of how we’re doing car noise due to some engine sound issues, lots of stuff that needs an adjustment in how its rigged, and a few sounds that don’t entirely fit the action on-screen. We’re making good headway with all this, but it’s probably best to expect its appearance in 41.52.

 

A video, and then a few tester quotes.

 

 

 

 

“The ambient sounds of the wildlife is amazing. I found myself a few times just listening to it all. hearing the zombies shuffle outside a building you are in can put you on edge, but you think you have time until that first bang on a door or window which will make you jump. And the rain sounds changing as it intensifies is amazing, you feel an urgency to immediately seek shelter, you know it’s about to get bad outside.”

 

“The game feels a lot more… full (?) with all the noises. I noticed it had tactical advantages too, as I heard the footsteps of a bunch of zombies around a corner before I got there. That was super cool.”

 

“WOW the UI makes sounds now??? Did not expect that it is awesome. Also the tweaks to the This is How You Died screen for loading into the world and all are incredible.”

 

“I haven’t felt suspense like that while playing for a long time, the jump-scares really get you as well. The new sounds give it a completely new, different experience imo, like just the eerie silence when you walk into a house all of a sudden, instantly makes you put your guard up and listen out.”

3D ITEMS

Also for likely inclusion in 41.52 are the 3D items that ‘Rockstar Mark’ has provided – which will mean that we no longer will have to use inventory icons for items left on the floor.

 

We still have to make sure these don’t dampen performance when used in extravagance, but they are already paying dividends in terms of the ‘zed stories’ we tell in abandoned houses – the frat boy zombies will have real-looking beer and chips on the floor now, while the ‘sex zombies’ we suggest were having rumpy pumpy will have real-looking clothes strewn on the floor around the bed.

 

This has also allowed for RJ to put in an extension of the world-building ‘Marie Celeste’ nature of various homes within the Knox Event – putting items on tables to suggest what was happening (or about to happen) in the build up to disaster striking.

Someone here, for example, was about to bake a cake.

image-3-768x562.png

This will be expanded on heavily in future, with our hopes that all items present on shelves will represent the actual items. This is a long term goal however.

 

In terms of gameplay the 3d items will bring, we do plan however in the more immediate future to make tables into containers, which allow items to be placed on them and be visible at a glance. This will surely be a welcome feature for those packrats looking for some extra storage space.

 

Also, Mark just sent us these, which should much better allow us and those like us to simulate our bedroom floors within the game with more accuracy.

ClothesGrounded-1024x584.jpg

MAP WORK

As discussed last week we are bumping the urban map expansion, our PZ version of Louisville, up the running order of releases – though it’s still too far off to pin down in any particular version.

 

This week Jamie (Xeonyx) has been on ‘Operation Building Heighten’ – as we have increasingly become aware that we need to reinforce how verticality in the city’s innermost districts will be a big part of the feeling of difference between it and our existing rural areas.

 

We have an upper limit of seven storeys and a rooftop in PZ, which is an unavoidable performance constraint (and also something of a balance issue even if we one day surmounted it) but it should still feel urban, new and different to what’s currently available. Here’s some of Jamie’s building heightening in action:

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Kukrapok/Ayrton meanwhile continues with his own mission to bring more realistic curved roads and road patterns to both the existing and new areas of the PZ map.

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There’ll also clearly be loads of new tiles and decorations that come with the map update and, while the blog writer doesn’t find it hugely exciting, I am reliably informed that the ability to spruce up your bases with lovely new vegetation will be of encouragement to some.

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NEXT TIME

As discussed in our last blog, when we return for our next dev update we will get the latest from Yuri and Andrei on MP, who have now an entire month to do deep dives into their work without us poking them with a stick every week for something to show the world – as well as all the SP latest similar to that discussed above.

 

In the interim we will also put up the next Mod Spotlight from Pat_Bren, who this month will be talking to none other than the elusive Snake. Thanks all for reading!

 

This week’s featured image from KPKPlays. A changelist of all IWBUMS patches since the 41 beta was released can be found here. A general list of stuff added to PZ, and vids of features being worked on, is kept here – so you don’t have to plough through endless dev blogs for info. The Centralized Block of Italicised Text would like to direct your attention to the PZ Wiki should you feel like editing or amending something, and the PZ Mailing List that can send you update notifications once builds get released. We also live on Twitter right here! Our Discord is open for chat and hijinks too! Our thanks to all bratty stepsisters out there for refusing to relinquish their gaming PC!

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3 hours ago, MadDan2013 said:
while the blog writer doesn’t find it hugely exciting, I am reliably informed that the ability to spruce up your bases with lovely new vegetation will be of encouragement to some.

My rooftop garden does find this encouraging.

 

3 hours ago, MadDan2013 said:

and step-by-step savegame transfer instructions will be provided should they be required.

I would be interested in that. Usually it's not a big deal for me, but I've got a nice long lasting character going so if there is anyway to move that character to .51 I would love it. Though if I'm understanding what this means incorrectly, then maybe he can retire with grace instead.

 

All around amazing to see, and I can't wait to have a table covered in the hundreds of Money I've found around the map!

 

edit: EnigmaGrey answered the question on reddit: Transferring means switching to the build 41.50 build in the Steam beta tab once 41.51 goes out so that people can continue their saves.

Edited by Sedgwick
Answered question
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Looking at the big changelist, everything looks golden except one particular thing...

 

Quote

Lowered fanny pack capacity from 3 to 1.

 

Won't this basically make the Fanny Pack completely useless? The FP already weights 1 lb while equipped (which is kinda dumb on its own), but at least it was a nice separate container to have some smaller items like meds and bandages for faster access. However, if its capacity got reduced to 1, (and unless its weight was also reduced) it'd be downright negative to even use it.

 

Did the weight also get tweaked?

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- Reduced number of hunting knives stuck in zombies.

 

Not sure if this is needed, they are very rare now anyway. In my latest run I think I maybe found 6 hunting knives in close to 1500 zombies killed.

 

It would be cool if the number of better weapons on zombies increased at least slightly with time passed.

 

Edited by Geras
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3 hours ago, Blake81 said:

Looking at the big changelist, everything looks golden except one particular thing...

 

 

Won't this basically make the Fanny Pack completely useless? The FP already weights 1 lb while equipped (which is kinda dumb on its own), but at least it was a nice separate container to have some smaller items like meds and bandages for faster access. However, if its capacity got reduced to 1, (and unless its weight was also reduced) it'd be downright negative to even use it.

 

Did the weight also get tweaked?

Not yet but its weight along with its weight reduction will also be changed.

 

 

39 minutes ago, HerioJohnX said:

Thanks for the update.

"Lowered fanny pack capacity from 3 to 1."

Noooo! I love fanny pack, I use to put my screw driver and bandage in it. 

It still fits those things.

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Мне очень нравится вызов «Это просто не твой день». Нехватка еды, предметов, мало рабочих машин и многого другого. Я хотел бы иметь возможность выбирать настройки в песочнице, как в задании «Just Not Your Day».

Edited by Magondivel
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A question that the answer is more obvious, you will keep the old screams of the characters in version 41.52 like the male 1 and 2 scream that are my favorites? 100% sure the answer is no, I hope the new screams of how much you're devoured by zombies is cool, I'll probably like some scream

 

kkkk i used google translate if something's wrong it's google's fault

That's what I wanted to say I just edit the cometary and it turns white I don't know how to take it off so take it there again kkk fwl

live new screams of deatheeeeeeeeee

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18 minutes ago, gabriel rodrigues brandao said:

A question that the answer is more obvious, you will keep the old screams of the characters in version 41.52 like the male 1 and 2 scream that are my favorites? 100% sure the answer is no, I hope the new screams of how much you're devoured by zombies is cool, I'll probably like some scream

 

kkkk i used google translate if something's wrong it's google's fault

That's what I wanted to say I just edit the cometary and it turns white I don't know how to take it off so take it there again kkk fwl

live new screams of deatheeeeeeeeee

No idea why it does that, but I edited this out. Translate is working good.

 

There's a few classic sounds we may keep, I'm not sure if the old screams are part of that but I would like them to be too.

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PRODUCTIVITY
 

Explain to me how the top layers can have a big impact on performance if there is almost nothing there?
 

It seems to me that performance is affected by the fact that you are loading a whole cell.

It would be better if you only download what is in the player's field of view. And if the player is in a building, do not load other buildings and the environment outside.

For what download all cell ?

Of course, this is not a couple of days, but it would be a big step towards huge productivity.

Of course, I understand that the number of objects in a cell affects performance, but, for example, 10 levels should not overload the computer.

Several tens, hundreds or two hundred tiles and objects should not load the system too much.


Finally, remove the fog when the player is inside a building.

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16 minutes ago, Nazarito22 said:

PRODUCTIVITY
 

Explain to me how the top layers can have a big impact on performance if there is almost nothing there?
 

It seems to me that performance is affected by the fact that you are loading a whole cell.

It would be better if you only download what is in the player's field of view. And if the player is in a building, do not load other buildings and the environment outside.

For what download all cell ?

Of course, this is not a couple of days, but it would be a big step towards huge productivity.

Of course, I understand that the number of objects in a cell affects performance, but, for example, 10 levels should not overload the computer.

Several tens, hundreds or two hundred tiles and objects should not load the system too much.


Finally, remove the fog when the player is inside a building.


The game already works with small 10x10 chunks of map data, loading only slightly more than is visible. The game does not load entire cells. Anything outside of the visible chunks are despawmed.

 

 This is how it’s worked since 2014.

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Regarding the change notes:

"Triple the players visibility" -does this mean we can drag our view 3x farther than is current? Or just that zombies will appear 3x farther? I'm hoping it's the former. Especially for driving. It sucks only being able to see 50 squares down-road when you're driving fast.

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17 hours ago, EnigmaGrey said:


The game already works with small 10x10 chunks of map data, loading only slightly more than is visible. The game does not load entire cells. Anything outside of the visible chunks are despawmed.

 

 This is how it’s worked since 2014.


image.thumb.png.1151513aeac53c68920a3cdbb060e5f9.png

How you explain that ? 
Why as character I should be see that objects outside if I inside at closed room without windows and with closed door.
I must see only four walls and door , why load these not needed objects ? This is kill atmospheric inside.

You can see another loaded buildings outside around while I inside. For what that needed ?
If you want to add big city you should be study delete another buildings and objects around while character inside.
You will add 10, 20 , 100 floors then and game not stopped.

I understand , it's difficult , but it's will need to do.

Without this optimization, the game will not move forward. And there will be more and more objects. Look at what cards people are making now.

 

Edited by Nazarito22
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49 minutes ago, Nazarito22 said:


image.thumb.png.1151513aeac53c68920a3cdbb060e5f9.png

How you explain that ? 
Why as character I should be see that objects outside if I inside at closed room without windows and with closed door.
I must see only four walls and door , why load these not needed objects ? This is kill atmospheric inside.

You can see another loaded buildings outside around while I inside. For what that needed ?
If you want to add big city you should be study delete another buildings and objects around while character inside.
You will add 10, 20 , 100 floors then and game not stopped.

I understand , it's difficult , but it's will need to do.

Without this optimization, the game will not move forward. And there will be more and more objects. Look at what cards people are making now.

 

 

I’d explain it the same way I just did.

 

The visible screen amounts to 50 x 50 tiles, or 5x5 chunks. A cell is 300 x 300 tiles.

 

 The area screen is what your character remembers. Nothing new and it doesn’t mean we’re rendering tons of data that’s unseen.

 

 I can’t imagine we’d save much of anything by rendering only the room you’re in, as you seen to be telling us to do. Can’t imagine that’d play well.

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