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canepazzo
May 29, 2006



Seems this thread died a month ago - I'll resurrect it with Alpha 3 being released:

Ludeon posted:


Changelog

The big new thing is the faction system. Now we have generated factions like pirate bands, outlander towns, and tribes. They even generate names for themselves! This leads to hilarity with three-way battles, buying off factions to get their allegiance so they’ll send fighters to help you, and getting raided by a dude’s friends after you capture him and beat him up. The video shows this in detail.

Alistair Lindsay’s music is in this build! Al is obviously still refining and expanding the music, but I think this is a great start. Listen to the dulcet tones of the mixed sci-fi/Western theme he’s been cooking up for the past 3 months.

There’s now a planning tool, so you can put down inert designations that don’t do anything. This helps you plan your colony visually, on the map. (I recommend you don’t put thousands of them, though; they’re not rendered in a super-efficient way right now.)

The map generates in a more varied way now, using a data-driven algorithm which you can mod (from the MapGeneratorDefs folder).

Tons more stuff is moddable now. And you can write proper code mods that link DLLs into the game, easily, and in a way that’s compatible with other code mods.

There is a proper hunting system which allows you to mark animals for hunting and let your colonists handle the details. Beware sending unarmed colonists to hunt boomrats by kicking them to death. The rats go boom.

The game has partial support for localization now. This was a last-minute addition, so it’s not all locked in yet and not everything can be translated. But lots of stuff can be. Now the Russian hackers can stop hacking the DLL to make the game display in Cyrillic. A rough German fan translation from TheEisbaer is included with Alpha 3.
The bill interface has been redesigned and smartened. You can now set colonists to maintain a certain stockpile of a certain kind of item. No more repeatedly ordering them to cook 4 meals every day. Just set it to “make until you have 10 meals” and it’ll run forever.

Finally, and very important, is the many small AI improvements. The AI in Alpha 2 was a little bit derpy. This was a consequence of the game increasing in complexity but the AI not becoming smarter fast enough to handle the new situations it was trying to deal with. Now, you won’t see colonists eat raw potatoes out of the stockpile when there is a dispenser ready. They will put food in the dispenser, then use it. And colonists who make something at a table will actually put it in storage now. And there are many other improvements.

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Deadmeat5150
Nov 21, 2005

OLD MAN YELLS AT CLAN
Oh hell yes. Time to play around with this again.

Jet Jaguar
Feb 12, 2006

Don't touch my bags if you please, Mr Customs Man.



Deadmeat5150 posted:

Oh hell yes. Time to play around with this again.

Just a wee thing like "build meals until have have this many" helps quite a ton.

Tribes come over for a visit, but right now there's not much I can do for them. Maybe I have to build a communications station? Perhaps later builds will include a giant space TV where we can all sit and watch The Soup together...

Zigmidge
May 12, 2002

Exsqueeze me, why the sour face? I'm here to lemon aid you. Let's juice it.
dll modding is the best thing he did for this game. I can't wait to see how expansive some of these mods get. They're already pretty awesome!

OwlFancier
Aug 22, 2013

Thankyou for updating, I've been wiped out with a chest infection so I didn't get around to it.

I'm also curious what DLL modding will do for the game, also looking forward to trying out the new faction system, could make the raider mechanics a lot more interesting if you don't have to fight everything yourself.

Zigmidge
May 12, 2002

Exsqueeze me, why the sour face? I'm here to lemon aid you. Let's juice it.

OwlFancier posted:

I'm also curious what DLL modding will do for the game

He had to do a lot of work to open up the game for modding but a lot of variables for moddable things were still locked away and would have required an absurd amount of work to manually open them up. For example, one mod right now adds medical beds that have increased healing rate, he wants to make them powered for balance but in Alpha 2 he couldn't change the accelerated healing state so even if the bed was unpowered you'd receive the full benefits.

Tiny things that will add up to a big difference.

Roadie
Jun 30, 2013
I love the soundtrack, even as limited as it is so far. Best real time base management strategy game background music of the year.

canepazzo
May 29, 2006



Roadie posted:

I love the soundtrack, even as limited as it is so far. Best real time base management strategy game background music of the year.

It's very Fireflyesque, blending western and sci-fi. Owns, I agree.

OwlFancier
Aug 22, 2013

I was thinking borderlands, actually, which isn't a bad thing I guess.

V for Vegas
Sep 1, 2004

THUNDERDOME LOSER
How do you move bodies into graves? I have all these dead raiders in my camp depressing everyone, but when I click on them it says 'cannot haul body, forbidden'.

OwlFancier
Aug 22, 2013

V for Vegas posted:

How do you move bodies into graves? I have all these dead raiders in my camp depressing everyone, but when I click on them it says 'cannot haul body, forbidden'.

Make sure the body isn't forbidden, they are by default (they have a little cross next to them if so)

I tried a couple of the modpacks just now and they add some pretty neat things, just having a bunch more stuff in the game massively enhances the gameplay by giving you more reason to build big bases, and more stuff to put in them, as well as more research to do.

I really am looking forward to when this gets more filled out.

Roadie
Jun 30, 2013

OwlFancier posted:

Make sure the body isn't forbidden, they are by default (they have a little cross next to them if so)
The whole "everything is forbidden by default" thing is really annoying. It feels like a weird, clunky way to try and solve the 'my dwarves keep running into a burning room to pick up the stuff of the last dwarf who ran into a burning room and died' problem.

Generation Internet
Jan 18, 2009

Where angels and generals fear to tread.
It's especially egregious when it applies to animals you've tagged to hunt.

OwlFancier
Aug 22, 2013

Roadie posted:

The whole "everything is forbidden by default" thing is really annoying. It feels like a weird, clunky way to try and solve the 'my dwarves keep running into a burning room to pick up the stuff of the last dwarf who ran into a burning room and died' problem.

I admit I've never had reason not to immediately untag everything.

A better solution would be some sort of lockdown mode which you can activate to keep non-drafted colonists inside.

Roadie
Jun 30, 2013

OwlFancier posted:

I admit I've never had reason not to immediately untag everything.

A better solution would be some sort of lockdown mode which you can activate to keep non-drafted colonists inside.

I'd rather see a 'red alert' button that tells your colonists without combat skill to hide somewhere and tells your colonists with combat skills to defend the home area you have marked (rather than any manual drafting/undrafting at all).

OwlFancier
Aug 22, 2013

Roadie posted:

I'd rather see a 'red alert' button that tells your colonists without combat skill to hide somewhere and tells your colonists with combat skills to defend the home area you have marked (rather than any manual drafting/undrafting at all).

I'd like to keep the manual control, the combat is one of the best parts of the game and it benefits from playing like a real time tactics game.

So if you were to have that I'd like it to maybe work a bit like the old XCom games, where you can assign soldiers a set of equipment and when you launch a mission (or hit the red button in this case) they all get into their gear and head to a rally point.

I wouldn't trust the game to pick the right loadout and figure out who you want to fight. Sometimes even skilled soldiers are good enough at other things or injured enough that I don't field them.

A button to quickly put the colony into a preset combat mode would be nice though, so I'd agree with that, so long as I get to control the specifics.

OwlFancier fucked around with this message at 16:45 on Apr 14, 2014

USMC_Karl
Nov 17, 2003

SUPPORTER OF THE REINSTATED LAWFUL HAWAIIAN GOVERNMENT. HAOLES GET OFF DA `AINA.
Just got an email about an update, but I'm at work. Anyone played around with the new version yet? Sounds like a lot might have changed.

quote:

Major improvements in this build:

Wood economy. Logs, sawing, planks, flooring, tree growing, and more.
More stuff to research.
Crematorium.
Slag refinery.
More map variation.
Mechanoids raids.
Tension music for combat situations.
More songs for normal gameplay.
Smarter AI storytellers that focus on wealth and let you recover from serious damage.
Region system for better performance.
Tons of AI and usability improvements to hunting AI, player tutor, alerts, etc.

I can post the full work log later if people want to see it, this is just what was in the kickstarter update.

I'm particularly interested in the tweaked storytellers. Supposedly you will have a chance of recovery now, unlike previous versions where a slip up = colony crushed. The storytellers are supposed to focus more on your colony's overall value, so getting your colony wrecked up will lower the value which will trigger less severe raids/etc. Might be nice?

OwlFancier
Aug 22, 2013

USMC_Karl posted:

Just got an email about an update, but I'm at work. Anyone played around with the new version yet? Sounds like a lot might have changed.


I can post the full work log later if people want to see it, this is just what was in the kickstarter update.

Huh, that was fast, Ty's been on holiday for two weeks and only got back a few days ago, wasn't expecting a release that soon after.

I'll give it a download and have a look.

Midrena
May 2, 2009

OwlFancier posted:

Huh, that was fast, Ty's been on holiday for two weeks and only got back a few days ago, wasn't expecting a release that soon after.

Maybe it was done before he went on vacation and he didn't want to release it when he wasn't around to deal with people's issues. At least that's what I thought when I, too, realized he'd been off on holiday!

OwlFancier
Aug 22, 2013

Midrena posted:

Maybe it was done before he went on vacation and he didn't want to release it when he wasn't around to deal with people's issues. At least that's what I thought when I, too, realized he'd been off on holiday!

Maybe, actually thinking about it I think that was mentioned before he went.

So far I've seen the new wood economy, it's kinda nice, I guess? I admit it's not... quite what I'd call necessary. Wood stuff isn't a significant change from metal stuff I don't think. Personally I'd change it so that metal walls have, like, 700HP and aren't flammable, but make them cost more metal to produce. Also maybe make metal more scarce, at the moment I'm not really having much reason to use wood as a material.

The menu has more categories and is ordered better, also there are some new graphics in for doors and for the new wood stuff. It's a bit more detailed than the existing stuff so there may be a graphical upgrade in the works?

Jet Jaguar
Feb 12, 2006

Don't touch my bags if you please, Mr Customs Man.



OwlFancier posted:

Maybe, actually thinking about it I think that was mentioned before he went.

So far I've seen the new wood economy, it's kinda nice, I guess? I admit it's not... quite what I'd call necessary. Wood stuff isn't a significant change from metal stuff I don't think. Personally I'd change it so that metal walls have, like, 700HP and aren't flammable, but make them cost more metal to produce. Also maybe make metal more scarce, at the moment I'm not really having much reason to use wood as a material.

The menu has more categories and is ordered better, also there are some new graphics in for doors and for the new wood stuff. It's a bit more detailed than the existing stuff so there may be a graphical upgrade in the works?

Yeah, the wood walls are OK, and I like the change-up on wood/plank requirements for beds and the like. The crafting menu on meals is a bit more humane--"do until I have X many" is way better than "make 30, of which 10 will spoil."

I have noticed a bit more ruins than in the previous builds. So far I haven't encountered the mechanoids but they sound kind of menacing. Plus, there's a whole technology just to rip them apart to get metal?

Huge improvement to hunting interface--draw a box, it will flag every creature for colonists to hunt.

OwlFancier
Aug 22, 2013

:stare:

You know when you heard 'mechanoids' and thought it was just going to be cylons or something? Basically the same as raiders only made of metal?

Well... It's not like that.

USMC_Karl
Nov 17, 2003

SUPPORTER OF THE REINSTATED LAWFUL HAWAIIAN GOVERNMENT. HAOLES GET OFF DA `AINA.

OwlFancier posted:

:stare:

You know when you heard 'mechanoids' and thought it was just going to be cylons or something? Basically the same as raiders only made of metal?

Well... It's not like that.

Haha, don't leave us hanging man. What's it like?

Lprsti99
Apr 7, 2011

Everything's coming up explodey!

Pillbug
Please say they're like megabeasts from DF.

OwlFancier
Aug 22, 2013

I'm not going to give details because it would sort of spoil the effect.

Suffice to say they are most definitely not just normal raiders, and your conventional approach of hiding behind cover and plinking at them will not go well for you.

I've only encountered one so far, I don't know if there are different varieties or different weapons for them to use, but the one I had came at a very lucky time and had a rather funny weakness, but if it had attacked with backup I would have been pretty hosed I think.

They aren't quite DF megabeasts but they're definitely going to require a different approach to deal with them. If I had a single mechanoid weapon, it would completely trivialise all raider encounters for the rest of the game.

OwlFancier fucked around with this message at 03:45 on Jun 2, 2014

Jet Jaguar
Feb 12, 2006

Don't touch my bags if you please, Mr Customs Man.



Included in the most recent backer update is a 20-minute video on the behind-the-scenes data manipulation the game does to run. It's pretty fascinating, really, lots about optimization for larger maps, the dev tools built into the game, and so forth.

The first video includes a bit on the new units, which I still haven't encountered.

Jet Jaguar
Feb 12, 2006

Don't touch my bags if you please, Mr Customs Man.



Alpha 4f is now out, looks like it rebalances stuff and simplifies the wood economy--now I think it's just logs instead of logs and planks as two separate items.

Generation Internet
Jan 18, 2009

Where angels and generals fear to tread.
Aw, I kinda liked having them separate. It really gave me more of a sense of starting up a new colony and having work your way up to a fancy outpost, even if you could technically just skip straight to metal poo poo. But this may be because I'm working at a Woodworking museum this summer and currently have a great appreciation for carpentry in general.

e: Also, holy poo poo, he's been implementing sieges and they sound awesome.

changelog posted:

June 3:

-Started creating sieges: enemies can now choose and take siege positions, receive supplies from orbit, place sandbag blueprints.

June 4:

- Created basic incendiary mortar structure.
- Siege AI places mortar blueprints and drops construction supplies.

June 5:

- Sieging enemies can actually build their fortifications and artillery.
- Smarter siege sandbag placement.
- Added artillery warmup time and minimum range.
- Made mortar graphics.

June 6:

- Turrets can now require manning to work. This is the case for artillery.
- Raiders who drop into your base get less points to spend.
- Sieging raiders will eat and sleep.
- Siege AI now properly spends points to create emplacements.
- Sieging enemies now fight fires around their emplacements.
- Siege AI now properly splits sieging enemies between construction and defense duties.


:catstare:

Generation Internet fucked around with this message at 05:03 on Jun 8, 2014

Jet Jaguar
Feb 12, 2006

Don't touch my bags if you please, Mr Customs Man.



Generation Internet posted:

Aw, I kinda liked having them separate. It really gave me more of a sense of starting up a new colony and having work your way up to a fancy outpost, even if you could technically just skip straight to metal poo poo. But this may be because I'm working at a Woodworking museum this summer and currently have a great appreciation for carpentry in general.

I suspect it will come back to that. He'll need to find a way to differentiate wood/stone/metal as something other than mostly cosmetic options. (I think stone walls are slightly tougher than metal/wood, and the raw logs couldn't carry a current, but that was about it.)

OwlFancier
Aug 22, 2013

According to the thread on the forums he posted for feedback on whether to merge planks and logs, he may be returning to it with some sort of material system in the future.

Feel free to register and add your feedback, most of the changes in the alpha 4 subversions were due to feedback on the forums.

Also sieges sound pretty radical, I hope turrets get some balance changes to compensate for the manning requirement. Make them a bit more like emplaced machineguns.

Leif.
Mar 27, 2005

Son of the Defender
Formerly Diplomaticus/SWATJester

OwlFancier posted:

Also sieges sound pretty radical, I hope turrets get some balance changes to compensate for the manning requirement. Make them a bit more like emplaced machineguns.

quote:

- Turrets can now require manning to work. This is the case for artillery.

I read this to mean that SOME turrets will require manning (including artillery) but some turrets may not (essentially like existing gun turrets at present)

Lprsti99
Apr 7, 2011

Everything's coming up explodey!

Pillbug
^^ :argh:

OwlFancier posted:

According to the thread on the forums he posted for feedback on whether to merge planks and logs, he may be returning to it with some sort of material system in the future.

Feel free to register and add your feedback, most of the changes in the alpha 4 subversions were due to feedback on the forums.

Also sieges sound pretty radical, I hope turrets get some balance changes to compensate for the manning requirement. Make them a bit more like emplaced machineguns.

quote:

- Turrets can now require manning to work. This is the case for artillery.
Doesn't say anything about making regular defense turrets manned.

Roadie
Jun 30, 2013
Jeez, mechanoids.

At this point the only way I can see of really beating them even semi-reliably is to make an infinitely long maze corridor entrance dug into a mountain that curves around and around with turrets absolutely everywhere.

Phrosphor
Feb 25, 2007

Urbanisation

Roadie posted:

Jeez, mechanoids.

At this point the only way I can see of really beating them even semi-reliably is to make an infinitely long maze corridor entrance dug into a mountain that curves around and around with turrets absolutely everywhere.

Serious Dungeon Keeper vibe from what you just wrote.

Eddy-Baby
Mar 8, 2006

₤₤LOADSA MONAY₤₤
I made it to Day 175. The raiders were throwing themselves at me in giant human waves for a long time but defence in depth and minefields kept my guys just about alive. This time, Cleopatra decided that I needed 20+ mechanoids knocking on my front door. I had to kite them with sniper rifles to keep them away from the base because conventional bunkers hold up very poorly against inferno cannon and blasting charges hardly hurt mechs at all.

I formed firing lines on the edge of their range with m24s, take one or two shots and then retreat because they're gonna be shooting fireballs all up in your face... Effective at wearing them down, but it takes 20 hits to kill a single mech and I only had 6 rifles in storage. I had to keep rotating out my shooters as they all got too tired and hungry to fight very quickly.

Two days (and three shift changes) later, I had worn them down to about 5 remaining on poor health. Going great, until about eighty raiders showed up to see what all the noise was about.



Pictured: The last few, highly weakened centipedes against a fresh wave of raiders. My base is to the north behind the bunkers with my colonists firing indiscriminately into the scrum. You can see Engie frantically trying to extinguish a burning mine right in front of my gate before it explodes and takes half the bunker with it. Somewhere in the mess are a couple of allied outlanders who picked the wrong gate to leave the base by.

The raiders beat the mechs handily, but there were only a few left by then. At full strength they would have wiped the floor with them; the centipede wave had something like 17000hp in total. I just can't think of any stationary defensive measure that could possibly stop an attack like that. Picture the scene when ten of those guys cluster up on a door and all break through at once.

lolasaurusrex
Feb 8, 2013

Gonna resurrect this thread with a question.

Does anyone have any mods they are particularly fond of? I've played alpha 4 to death, but I still have an itch to play this game, it just needs more stuff.

Zigmidge
May 12, 2002

Exsqueeze me, why the sour face? I'm here to lemon aid you. Let's juice it.
Industrial is my favourite. I also loved the clutter mods too. There's one guy who coded in a bunch of really fantastic quality-of-life improvements like saving combat formations. It sounded like those were going to be folded into the base game but for now that mod is the one to get.

I haven't played in a few weeks but the few active modders there are REALLY active so I'm bound to be swamped by how much new content there is in all my favourite mods.

Jet Jaguar
Feb 12, 2006

Don't touch my bags if you please, Mr Customs Man.



Alpha 5 is now out, with sieges, an escape ship, new obstacles, and clothing with effects.

The escape ship makes for an interesting win condition, I wonder if building it will cause more attacks like it did in the first Civilization game.

Generation Internet
Jan 18, 2009

Where angels and generals fear to tread.
Oh man, just as I was starting to get an itch for more of this, too. I can't wait to try it after work, the siege additions sounded awesome in the change log.

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Pornographic Memory
Dec 17, 2008
Haven't played since the first version, but all the new changes are pretty nice. I'm gonna have to try a gimmick run of playing as a tribe of cannibalistic cave dwellers or something.

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