Alpha 17 is on public unstable branch

[East]

Can anyone else comment on raid frequency?

Any hard data would also be useful. As in, exact recorded raid times. There should be a record of it in the History tab.

SaveFile : https://www.dropbox.com/s/d654ix67k574soy/eastSave.zip?dl=0
History Scr : http://i.imgur.com/vn1ubLw.png
Custom scenario : http://i.imgur.com/Z7szdSY.png

A17.1536 // Cassandra Classic Extreme Permadeath mode.
I played 16 hours over two days. I used only simple convenience mod. As the game progressed, I did not use the turrets and traps.

If you do not care about other languages, you will be able to see the raid cycle and scale through this video. Look at the quick view of the video.

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/143538475      1:14:30~end
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/144010673      start~end

[Renegrade]

I've played more games, and the raid thing seems like it might be more to do with chance (possibly a bias in the randomness, or just luck).

I played two saves for the update prior to 1539, here's the numbers:
Save A17-4 (build 1536): 7 raids in 68 days.  Only four showing on history graph (7 in stats tab) though.
Save A17-3 (build 1536): 13 raids in 98 days.
Save A17-2 (build 1535): 17 raids in 115 days.
Save A17-1 (build 1534): 23 raids in 161 days.
Save A17 (build 1532): 9 raids in 61 days.

A17-4 feels almost quiet (1 raid every 10 days on average) - the others were averaging one raid a week (6.5 to 7.5 days break in between).   They were ALL Cassandra Rough except for A17-3 which was Cassandra Extreme.

One thing I'll note is that in a recent save, there's been a couple of times with two raids in the same day, usually as a result of the "pirates chasing a fugitive" event being followed on by a spontaneous raid later that same day.  Those fugitive events also seem to be tougher than the non-fugitive ones (noticeably higher number of enemy pawns).

Also I'm not seeing quite as many fire implements as I did before, but still seems like more than A16.  Or maybe they're just more effective than before?  Oh well, door firing solved that problem.  I'm actually using a primitive kill box too for the first time ever.. it seems oddly effective though.. the enemies seemed to ignore most of my pawns and rushed the internal door..?

Anyhow, another important note is that the positives are outweighing the negatives so far in the update.   There's lots of neat things going on, and I love the little touches like UI improvements and water ripples and such.  The world feels much more alive with the additional communication with other settlements, bandit camps, etc.

NB: My highest experience so far is with build 1536 - I haven't tried the 1539 build yet.

[wyoian]

Only 1 Save. Cassandra Intense (never swapped) Crazy few raids.


Almost what, 70 days without 1 raid? Is that even possible on cassandra?

[Wanderer_joins]

Almost what, 70 days without 1 raid? Is that even possible on cassandra?

All the raids are not labelled on the history chart, you should have a look in the statistics.

A17-4 feels almost quiet (1 raid every 10 days on average) - the others were averaging one raid a week (6.5 to 7.5 days break in between).   They were ALL Cassandra Rough except for A17-3 which was Cassandra Extreme.

That's pretty it for my game, build 1536, cassandra extreme, day 171, 27 major threats, 19 raids (out of which 4 chased refugees accepted). Slightly under 1 raid / 10 days if you consider the default raids only. I had no infestation (no overhead mountain tile), a few ships, 2-3 manhunterpacks.

Regarding the population 11 colonists, chronologically:
3 crashlanded (Jupiter, Sadako, Pablo)
1 space refugee (Farley)
1 space refugee (Zeppy - case prison)
1 space refugee (Stumpy "the mule" - case prison - kidnapped during a solo caravan trip... http://imgur.com/uH5YS8R)
1 raider recruited (Toad)
1 chased refugee (Poppy)
1 chased refugee (Carter)
1 wanderer joining (Hanna)
1 chased refugee (Calvin)
1 chased refugee (Laila)

The population graph: http://imgur.com/LHV5ITT

Regarding grenadiers i didn't really notice the difference. I could see there are no longer the well equipped raiders of earlier A17 builds, i could see more incendiary launchers (compared to A16) and if you waited a bit more rocket launchers (http://imgur.com/mIcNuvj).

I'm going to give a try to the rich explorer scenario in the latest build

[roben]

One thing I'll note is that in a recent save, there's been a couple of times with two raids in the same day, usually as a result of the "pirates chasing a fugitive" event being followed on by a spontaneous raid later that same day.  Those fugitive events also seem to be tougher than the non-fugitive ones (noticeably higher number of enemy pawns).

Just wanted to report that, too. Had a fugitive event yesterday and fought down his chasers. Shortly after 5 scythers appeared and quickly wasted me due to their range and numbers (I only have 3 mediocre shooters). After rage quitting and reloading the autosave created in between those events, a siege event was spawned instead of the scythers which was way easier to defeat. I both cases, the second event was accompanied by mad animals. Wild guess: Maybe the storyteller aggressiveness score is added to instead of reducing it by the fugitive event?

Oh and btw., if those two events were meant to be equal in strength, they weren't by far. It was ways easier to snipe half of the siegers and force their attack than to kill just one scyther, as they instakilled everything coming in their range. Best but most lame way to defeat these fuckers still is a huge wall around the base with narrow tunnel like entrances (to prevent shooting from outside the wall) with their exits covered by auto turrets. But that's nothing one could afford in the first year, at least in a map without mountains.

[Rah]

I haven't played A17 that much, but raids on Cassandra Extreme feel pretty similar to A16. Some things I've noticed though:

- Setting a new default healthcare option for colonists doesn't seem to do anything.
- Wild healroot is sometimes hidden behind trees. Harvesting over the area reveals where they are.
- And it would be great if you could make deaths have their own sound. Pretty freaky hearing that sound and finding out that it was just a food poisoning or a failed construction job !

[Draconicrose]

- And it would be great if you could make deaths have their own sound. Pretty freaky hearing that sound and finding out that it was just a food poisoning or a failed construction job !

So much this! My poor heart. Maybe keep that one for deaths since we're used to it and have a different one for minor events? Kinda like the "x is fully healed" sound.

[ttgg]

-Regarding raid frequency

In version 1536, using Randy Random Intense, I was getting raided approx. every 4-5 days (9 raids over 47 days). Over those 47 days, I had 11 "Major Threats", so at least one every 4.2 days.

It does feel like major threats, including raids, happen a lot more frequently, and ramp up in difficulty a lot faster, than in A16. Randy Intense in A17.1536, as a result, actually feels more difficulty than Randy Extreme did in A16. Unfortunately, I don't see stats for total raiders killed/downed, but I'm sure I'm close to 50 downed/killed, over that 47 day period.

-Regarding enemy AI

I've had to cheese the new AI in order to survive the frequent, and big raids. They still fall for non-elaborate kill-zones, using armed colonists instead of turrets, but I'm glad that they now tunnel through perimeter walls, to attack from multiple angles (the old murder-labyrinth trick seems less useful now). It's just that they tend to stack up once again when they reach my inner base, if tempted by a small opening with all my colonists waiting inside, standing ready with a firing line.

I do believe it will be much harder to defend bigger colonies now, though, unless you manage to trick the AI by abusing their pathing and targeting priority. Like, they still seem compelled to enter killzones, getting swatted one by one, it just takes a more conscious baiting effort bait now, unlike before.

I'll play the newest build (1539) and report back.

[Dashthechinchilla]

In response to raiders.

I play Cassandra rough. I haven't noticed more or less raiders, but it does feel like I get more when I have more wealth. If I find a silver vein or I happen to get more traders early on, I get more Raiders. If I am poor, then I can go a quad (or sometimes two) without a raider. If I lack raiders, Cassandra makes up for it with mad animals and manhunter packs of bunnies. It also feels like I get fewer cargo pods, and the cargo pods contain less.

It definitely feels like I get far less pawns though. The "wanderer Joins" almost never happens anymore. Much more common is the "Chased by pirates" but it seems I keep getting bad pawns in those. Half the time they are ancient (aged 65+ and I have seen as high as 81). The one time I took a younger ish one (50's), they had a bad back and a frail torso. Their walk speed was so slow they barely made it a third of the way to my base before the raid. The pirates knocked them out, I took out a pirate, they kidnapped the newbie and left. They wanted 1500 silver as ranson, and since I just started (and the pawn sucked) I permanently declined. I can go nearly 3 Quads without a new pawn or a decent one to recruit, leaving me going into the first year with just my original 3.

As feedback on the rest, injuries from combat and infection feel about right now. I have learned to make sure my colonists have decent combat skills in addition to their work skills, which has been helping with the new combat.

[Awe]

I can go nearly 3 Quads without a new pawn or a decent one to recruit, leaving me going into the first year with just my original 3.

Recruiting also changed. Most of captives come with 99 difficulty. Didnt see numbers better than 96 yet. Even another crashlanded pawns has 80 instead of old ~40-50... Seems like accepting chased pawns is fastest way to increase colony population, but followed raids usually pretty strong.

[Renegrade]

I noticed that I can sort the colonists in the work tab by skill.. Is that new?  I'm certain that wasn't a thing in like A15 or thereabouts..  Anyhow, that's awesome, in any case!

- Setting a new default healthcare option for colonists doesn't seem to do anything.

It seems to work for me - NEW pawns arriving later end up with those default settings.  it doesn't change existing ones.

(do kinda wish there were multiple settings for the pawns though.   I tend to do surgery with glitter, disease management with standard (especially on older pawns), and wound tending with herbal)..and sometimes find a doctor running off with glitter meds to heal a fist-bruise on Sir Peglegsalot.

- And it would be great if you could make deaths have their own sound. Pretty freaky hearing that sound and finding out that it was just a food poisoning or a failed construction job !

Thirded!

[Rah]

It seems to work for me - NEW pawns arriving later end up with those default settings.  it doesn't change existing ones.

Yeah, it works for new pawns before they arrive, but I think it should act as a reset button to easily switch the healthcare for the entire colony.

- Another small potential bug: When drafting a colonist and pressing B to attack a target outside the gun range, the colonist will just freeze in place.

[Dashthechinchilla]

Recruiting also changed. Most of captives come with 99 difficulty. Didnt see numbers better than 96 yet. Even another crashlanded pawns has 80 instead of old ~40-50... Seems like accepting chased pawns is fastest way to increase colony population, but followed raids usually pretty strong.

I had scortch, marine who was only good at combat, haul, and clean at 89%. I also had an escape pod with a luciferm addiction that joined after rescue. Those are fun.

Even in A16 chased by pirates gave me lots of old pawns, but now it is a common recruiting tool.

[makkenhoff]

Normally, I'd write a bit more of a story, but this just wasn't a nice story ending, and I was actually unhappy with it. This one, I had just a long brutal early game struggle, followed by an abrupt and annoying end to all that time spent.

I had a full year under my belt before this struck, difficulty Phoebe Peaceful, Aprimay 3rd of year 2 I set it to Rough; the final event that ended my colony was 14th of Septober year 2. (2 major threats, 3 enemy raids)

On outpost opportunities: The AI have the same problems with mental breaks that I do. One person breaks, everyone starts shooting them. This of course can result in the pirates fleeing from themselves. Which was the case in my game.

I had killed 6 of them at the outpost I was sent to, with my 3 tribals. One of the 'healthy' pirates went berserk after a day or so (one of my tribals was still alive, though immobile) and his buddies shot and killed him, and they fled granting me a victory I didn't deserve. Then, before I could even get a medical team/body team recovery down to the survivor, he died and the map auto-closed because of his death, leaving me with a berserk pet that somehow knew his master had just died resulting in dead colony hares and one of the two tribals I left at the base with a missing foot. I cancelled the caravan trip and sent them back to the colony, only to have back to back breakdowns, one of psychite binging and the other berserking on a timber wolf, which set the timber wolf pack nearby into a frenzy, ending any reasonable attempts at enjoying that particular story.

[Aerial]

Recruiting also changed. Most of captives come with 99 difficulty. Didnt see numbers better than 96 yet. Even another crashlanded pawns has 80 instead of old ~40-50... Seems like accepting chased pawns is fastest way to increase colony population, but followed raids usually pretty strong.

I had scortch, marine who was only good at combat, haul, and clean at 89%. I also had an escape pod with a luciferm addiction that joined after rescue. Those are fun.

Even in A16 chased by pirates gave me lots of old pawns, but now it is a common recruiting tool.

I haven't noticed captured pawns having higher recruiting chances.  I've seen a fair number of ~86% recruits in A17.  Far more than I've had 99%-ers.

However, the recruiting opportunities seem a lot more scarce.  I have yet to see a crashed pod in A17 and I've only gotten a couple of chased refugees (playing a mix of Randy Extreme and Cassandra Rough/Intense).  Capturing raiders is kind of a crap shoot (pun intended), which is good for that game mechanic but kind of frustrating if that's my only reliable option.

On a slightly different note, I am still having visitors arrive (not just pass by) who don't have a trader with them.  Is that WAD or a bug?  It only happens maybe 1 out of 3 or 4 visits, but it does happen.