Developer The Fun Pimps is finally about to release the much anticipated experimental alpha 17 of 7 Days to Die, which should be early next week.
A recent screenshot of A17, showing off new lighting.
The last update to the game was around October last year so this has been in progress for some time now. As expected, it's going to be absolutely huge. So big in fact, that to talk about most of it here would be a bit ridiculous. Honestly, even doing some simple highlights I'm utterly lost for where to start it's so long and exciting.
Here's a few interesting things coming: They've updated Unity to bring in some massively improved lighting; texture streaming; a new party system to share XP, share quests and track their location and health; the quest system is brand new, which lets you pick up quests from traders and progress through tiered quests difficulties; the Navezgane map is more than double the original size; many new locations and many improved locations from the previous alpha; multiple new vehicles; overhauled AI system, which includes some scary sounding behaviours and absolutely loads more. To say they've been busy, would be a pretty big understatement.
You can see some preliminary patch notes here.
The actual release isn't going to be the full alpha 17, they're saying it will be an experimental public beta which will be available Monday (depending on timezones).
I spoke to the developer today, who said this about the Linux version
Monday's release is the experimental version so hopefully it will be working well but it is an incomplete version that we are seeking feedback about so that it can be completed. There is an equivalent linux version built alongside the windows and mac versions so hopefully there won't be issues but can't promise anything.
Across this weekend, some livestreamers were given access to test it out, you can see a list here. Sadly we didn't get in on that, as we only have around 3.5K Twitch followers (our channel here) whereas you needed at least 5K.
As long as the Linux version runs well enough, our livestreamer Sin will be taking a look next week as soon as she can.
It's currently on sale on the Humble Store with 64% off, good time to pick it up.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Wait---what? This is a public beta of an alpha?Well, yes. You see there's a difference between the regular (static world) FPS where each time you get into the game you start clean (or at most keep some kind of skills or item selection). Not much of an issue if such games change stuff in between because you start a "new game" anyway. With games like 7dtd and the like changes required to fix issues can just as well lead to breaking saves and this is obviously very annoying for players. That's why we do an experimental first that's hopefully *primarily* opted in by people who are aware of the implications and also willing to provide feedback before the masses get the regular build.
As for the other stuff ... as I said I'm not much into gameplay features, I love to just play it myself ;)
But do you really want materials that are impenetrable by zombies? I know I wouldn't because that would make the game stale at that point as you'd just have no threat at all anymore once you got a building of such a material. Sometimes logic has to be reduced in favor of more interesting gameplay.
I'm sure you'd also not like if you couldn't carry any blocks but would need some kind of (pushed/pulled) vehicle to e.g. move a single block of stone :D
Thanks for the explanation of the betalpha thing. Like I said, I've got no problems with it; I just think its fun to say. So say it with me Alloc! "It's the beta of the alpha, the beta of the alpha, the beta beta beta of the aaaaaallpha!" XD
Re the strength of materials. Please be fair, I did say my issue wasn't about *realism*, only about my feeling of annoyance that materials they were as frail as they were, not that they were frail at all. (Maybe the word "consistency" would have been better than "logic.") So it feels a bit unnecessarily ad absurdum to for us to jump to talking about building materials being impervious to zed destruction, or having to cart around the metric tons of dirt and clay and whatnot we dig up.
Thanks for coming to GoL and taking the time to talk to us here. Your being here underscores the Pimps' obvious support and attention to Linux, please share my thanks with everyone there. :)
Last edited by Nanobang on 19 November 2018 at 2:29 pm UTC
Either way, I hope it runs well! I know what I'll be doing this weekend!
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