Alpha 15 unstable branch testing feedback

Started by Tynan, August 17, 2016, 03:02:20 PM

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MikeLemmer

Alright, now that the economy looks more balanced, turning my eye towards the research costs...

I think drugs require too much research.

The Drug Production prerequisite costs 1700 research and doesn't let you actually make any drugs; that requires further research.

Researching Drug Production & all its drugs requires 5100 research total. Compare this to researching everything necessary for Deep Drilling (3100) or Machining (2200). It's over twice as difficult to research drugs as it is to research assault rifles.

Vegtamr

just lost one pawn because he left my home area (he was restricted, binging on yayo) when there are like 10 manhunter wargs wandering at my doors ... this behavior is WAD?

pdxsean

Unfortunately the new update will not save my previous A15 colony so I don't expect I'll get any further on it. However I do have my feedback from playing, for what it is worth. I was trying to focus on a drug producing colony, for the video, which means I didn't quite play with my usual priorities. 

I love the changes in trading. Having more traders buy everyday items like clothing really helps and will prevent me from having giant piles of clothes waiting for a fine good trader. Also seeing the "this trader won't buy this" message is probably helpful for new players. 

I love the detailed need and health feedback from the drug affects. I never really got into alcohol - not sure if I ever built a brewery - but I feel like these extra details are new. They definitely help. 

Would be nice to be able to assign pawns to carry food in a way similar to assigning them to carry drugs. This is not unrelated, my joint-smoking pawns would often get halfway across the map then have to return for some munchies. 

I had one siege come through and the enemies attacked pointless hills far from my base. They poked around trying to attack this hill despite being able to walk around it. I brought out my snipers and got their attention and they quickly reorganized for a traditional firefight. 

Drug research is very expensive. I didn't get a chance to deal with addicition so much but I did have a few colonists join with previous addictions. My alcoholic was one of the the initial colonists and he overcame his addiction without really any problems. Somehow a colonist developed an amphetamine addiction - surely a raider dropped some? - and I didn't run into any particular issues with him either. I hate to suggest that there be additional reasons for my colonists go into rages or dazes... 

On a similar note, I love that joints in particular are very effective at battling the mood spiral. The new drug regime system looks like it will be really effective. It was great to set it up to where at 50% mood they'll smoke a joint and get a nice +20 mood boost with acceptable losses in skills.

Tynan

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Still making adjustments over here.
Tynan Sylvester - @TynanSylvester - Tynan's Blog

Tynan

#139
I've uploaded a quick fix that should solve some savegame incompatibility issues.

EDIT: Some saves will still be unloadable for now.
Tynan Sylvester - @TynanSylvester - Tynan's Blog

MikeLemmer

Quote from: Tynan on August 21, 2016, 02:12:21 PM
I've uploaded a quick fix that should solve some savegame incompatibility issues.

No actual gameplay changes in that hotfix, correct?

LilN

Not sure if intentional or not, but, now when I get the zzzrt event I lose all my battery power too - even when they are not connected to the power cable

FGsquared

I don't know if it's just my luck running out but raiders seems incredibly op. I was playing on rough  (multiple colonies) and I've had raiders with a shooting skill of 2-5 with pistols and /or shotguns of poor and shoddy quality land every single shot (medium distance) on my colonists while my colonists with high shooting skills just kept missing them over and over again. I had to resort to meleeing the raiders because shooting just didn't work and even then they kept firing away and hitting every shot.

Mihsan

Played some A15. Do not like how those drug policies work.

If I set some pawns to "no drugs" policy they should not do drugs (unless I change policy or give manual order). It is super frustrating when I want them to not take drugs and they do it anyway.
Pain, agony and mechanoids.

Tynan

Quote from: Mihsan on August 21, 2016, 02:59:30 PM
Played some A15. Do not like how those drug policies work.

If I set some pawns to "no drugs" policy they should not do drugs (unless I change policy or give manual order). It is super frustrating when I want them to not take drugs and they do it anyway.

You're looking at them as robots over whom you should have 100% control, or as RTS units from StarCraft. They're really not. They'll also insult people when you don't want, go on mental breaks, etc etc. If they were robots this game would be a lot more boring. There's not a lot of room for characterization in a robot.
Tynan Sylvester - @TynanSylvester - Tynan's Blog

LilN

Got this keep popping up on a Rhino manhunter pack.

[attachment deleted by admin - too old]

Zalzany

Quote from: FGsquared on August 21, 2016, 02:50:06 PM
I don't know if it's just my luck running out but raiders seems incredibly op. I was playing on rough  (multiple colonies) and I've had raiders with a shooting skill of 2-5 with pistols and /or shotguns of poor and shoddy quality land every single shot (medium distance) on my colonists while my colonists with high shooting skills just kept missing them over and over again. I had to resort to meleeing the raiders because shooting just didn't work and even then they kept firing away and hitting every shot.

Yeah they seem way meaner, by raid 2 I am see at least one grenade every single raid by pirates. It's getting really tough even with only 2 raiders I am not use to nades that early on, they are sapping more as well so I end up fighting indoors where that grenade is just devastating since everything is wood, had a couple runs right off that bat I had to quit because the 2nd raiders killed 3/4 of my colonists while trying to secure my dining room which they destroyed. I mean all for a challenge but I am use to the first raiders being bows and arrows, and pirates showing up with pistols and shivs, now its pistols and grenades every single raid. And I was on casual difficulty.

pdxsean

Quote from: Tynan on August 21, 2016, 03:06:46 PM
Quote from: Mihsan on August 21, 2016, 02:59:30 PM
Played some A15. Do not like how those drug policies work.

If I set some pawns to "no drugs" policy they should not do drugs (unless I change policy or give manual order). It is super frustrating when I want them to not take drugs and they do it anyway.

You're looking at them as robots over whom you should have 100% control, or as RTS units from StarCraft. They're really not. They'll also insult people when you don't want, go on mental breaks, etc etc. If they were robots this game would be a lot more boring. There's not a lot of room for characterization in a robot.

I agree with what you are saying, but is there a way we can police our colonies? For example, can we destroy drugs in the incinerator? I know we can sell them to traders. Anyway I am concerned that having some sort of drug stockpile - say loot from raiders - will endanger my colonists if I keep it around even forbidden. I'd like to be able to destroy any drugs I don't want my colonists near. Since they don't deteriorate (well the ones I researched before my save crash) it's not like I can leave them out in the rain or whatever. Perhaps there could be some social conflict when an addict/chemical fascinate sees another pawn throwing drugs in the incinerator.

MikeLemmer

Tynan: What storyteller/difficulty do you want us testing this stuff out on? I'm going with Phoebe Rough for now.

Tynan

Quote from: pdxsean on August 21, 2016, 03:38:44 PM
Quote from: Tynan on August 21, 2016, 03:06:46 PM
Quote from: Mihsan on August 21, 2016, 02:59:30 PM
Played some A15. Do not like how those drug policies work.

If I set some pawns to "no drugs" policy they should not do drugs (unless I change policy or give manual order). It is super frustrating when I want them to not take drugs and they do it anyway.

You're looking at them as robots over whom you should have 100% control, or as RTS units from StarCraft. They're really not. They'll also insult people when you don't want, go on mental breaks, etc etc. If they were robots this game would be a lot more boring. There's not a lot of room for characterization in a robot.
I am concerned that having some sort of drug stockpile - say loot from raiders - will endanger my colonists if I keep it around even forbidden.

This is actually an entirely intentional mechanic that I'm balancing around. It is the downside that balances out the profits of running a drug trading operation. Having drugs all around runs the risk that someone is going to use them.

That said, I agree a way to destroy them would be good. Thanks for the suggestion.

Quote from: MikeLemmer on August 21, 2016, 03:39:14 PM
Tynan: What storyteller/difficulty do you want us testing this stuff out on? I'm going with Phoebe Rough for now.

Whatever you want. I want info from all levels. Certainly I don't want to leave a bunch of settings untested!
Tynan Sylvester - @TynanSylvester - Tynan's Blog