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gecko2015

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  1. After some thought, I've come to realize why 7 Days is heading in the wrong direction. Firstly, credit is due where credit is due - I was first introduced to the game around 2015 and I've been playing since. I'd come back every-time there was a "major" update. Many of these updates have been phenomenal. Everything from graphical overhauls, to new equipment, new weapons, new locations, better locations, zombie AI improvements, improved interface, etc.; I could go on. But I'm starting to see the dilemma that you face. Looking at Steam's concurrent players historical data, after major updates it seems I'm not the only one who plays for a bit and then puts it off again after giving it a play or two after a 'major update'. You're trying to increase your player-base, keep the game alive, and keep it up-to-date. For that, people truly appreciate it - as you're one of the few indie devs who have stood by their "Alpha" game. Despite the game still being in "Alpha", it's honestly a complete game by this point and I'm sure many would agree with me. However, these 'major' updates are continuously focusing on attempting to capture new players through flashy graphic updates and keeping old players by lengthening their play times by the use of RNG. Neither of these strategies are smart moves in my opinion and will only lengthen the slow death of the game if serious updates aren't implemented that add to or improve gameplay. Now before anyone has a stroke, I'm not asking for AAA updates here. Just hear me out. Take A20's update for example: After it's release, players peaked at 70, 664 on 12/23/21. However, because nothing really substantial was added, the concurrent players are already dropping off the cliff and it's projected to drop more than half to 38,000 by Jan 20. As a long-time player of 7D2D, I can tell you that changing the player's leveling ability to RNG schematics doesn't keep me in the game. Nor does prettier zombies, or slight changes in POIs, or a few new recipes. Sure, RNG schematics might increase the playtime of certain multiplayer realms or ever-so-slightly change someone's play-style due to having to find a recipe. But does it really change the overall aspect of the game? When we come back does changing the base items from skill-based to an RNG system really qualify as a major update? The answer to that is no. Sure, I could see the argument from players that it changes up their play-style where they might have to go without a specific item or recipe, but you really didn't add content. You just adjusted the manner to increase the time in which they obtained it - therefore increasing their playtime. But are you really winning new and old players over with this method? What we really want to see in major updates are many more weapons, an overhauled skill system, an overhauled loot system, more base defenses, more recipes, more variety of zombies, more vehicle variety (and faster vehicles), etc. Now, again, before someone has a stroke. I'm not asking a AAA overhaul of the game and I'm fully aware that the FP don't have unlimited resources at their disposal to just turn this into some AAA game. But that said, these past few "major updates" have been a bit lackluster that seems to be taking a "shotgun" effect on updates to capture new players whilst also trying to keep it's current players and I believe it's achieving both poorly at worst and could do much better at best. Without making this a wall of text, my main point is, as a long-time player of 7D2D, when a "major update" is released, it's a bit underwhelming when I create a game only to see that nothing substantial was added or changed. Instead, the game was made a bit prettier and roughly the same items exist, they just now require different recipes to make them. And now that this road has been further traveled, I no longer feel like I'm playing the survival base building survival game I was first introduced too. Instead, it's feeling more like an exploring game that just happens to have zombies in them.
  2. Mission Objective: Craft a sleeping bag Mission Objective: Place your sleeping bag on the ground Mission Objective: Never use the sleeping bag ever again
  3. Right. That's my main issues with the higher-quality dishes. So what the spaghetti replenishes 122 hunger? My character will need to eat again within 30 mins anyways. It make the higher-quality dishes not even worth while to invest in. I know there's a skill tree to lower the hunger gains of your character, but when compared to all the other more important skill trees, it's a waste of points to spec into.
  4. 100% agreed. I've got 721 hours. I used to have endless hours of fun trying to build up to defend my base. But the current direction has seemed to limit horde attacks and promote exploring. I remember in prior versions, zombies would absolutely TEAR through the ground to get to you. Screamers and hordes would constantly harass you. And finding good loot was a positive experience that you knew would help your goal of getting through the next day or the next hoard. But I guess too many people complained about the screamers, they then updated the zombie AI so they're not aggressive diggers anymore, and loot is more abundant than it has ever been (with the exception of RNG for schematics). It no longer feels like an apocalyptic base-building survival game. It now feels like an exploring RNG based-game that happens to have zombies.
  5. Is there an overhaul of the food system planned? It's current state is an absolute mess; with what seems to be no forethought put into mid-to-high quality food recipes. In it's current state, your character gets hungry when approx. half of your max hunger level is depleted (i.e. if your max stamina/food is 174, you'll obtain the hunger status around 86-87). This then results in a rather substantial stamina penalty on your character. However, the majority of the higher quality foods are able to cure your hunger above your character's immediate hunger level - giving you two options: 1. Continue to be hungry and suffer the stamina penalty until your hunger level drops to the dish's level it will restore or; 2. Eat lower-quality food so you don't waste your good quality food. Which this then puts you into a loop, because you'll eventually become hungry again and you'll be right back to square one of the above choices. Rinse and repeat day in and day out until you start wondering...what's even the point of going through all the trouble of making or carrying the higher quality food? I'm aware that they give additional "buffs", but these buffs are minuscule compared to the investment put in to make them. Take Spaghetti for example, it takes: 1 Large Beef Ration 1 Can of Pasta 1 Mushroom 2 Animal Fat 1 Boiled Water and the necessary skill/schematic It can cure 122 hunger, heal 61, and provide a +40 stamina bonus. I know the recipe requirements aren't extremely rare, but they also aren't something you can easily keep crafting; thus it's valuable. Yet, the 'buffs' it provides are not even worth the effort unless you're in a very specific, planned, or well-timed event. Even if you don't agree with this, you can't argue the buffs really are that impressive. "A +40 stamina buff? I better wait to get beyond hungry during a big fight!". "It'll heal me 61? I better save this for when I'm hurt and hope I'm hungry at the same time!". This isn't how the food system should work. I personally think they should just ditch the food system hi-jacking the stats of the stamina and just have it's own dedicated numerical value. That or lower the hunger stamina penalty so that all recipes can resolve your character's hunger without wasting a higher-quality dish. Even further, I personally would like to see food become significantly more important than how it's implemented now - it's an apocalyptic survival game after all. Small fruits/plants should be common, canned food should be rare, and actual dishes should be uber-rare requiring the player to acquire the ingredients cook them. The first should resolve hunger for a few hours up to a day, the next up to a day, and latter for 2 or 3 days with accompanied buffs. I believe this is sort of how the intended it to be, but with the current loot system it doesn't work this way at all.
  6. I think this hit the nail on the head. I know some of my complaints come from pre-A19 era, but A20 just shows their move to more RNG which is a significant blow to us single-player folks. I only play single-player, no mods, and it's hilarious seeing some of the first replies on this thread defend RNG and say my complaints are not valid yet have the audacity to say, in the same sentence, that they have mods that allow them to craft uncraftable items. The irony is bitter-sweet. In A19, yes you needed an AK schematic, but it's required parts were not RNG based. Now it's: AK47 -> schematic RNG "Oh cool, I can now create an AK47!" Nope...you need 10 machine gun parts that can only be found by RNG.... *Maybe I'm mis-remembing the exact version before specific item parts were added. But my point stands. Keep in mind, it isn't an issue just because a single item can't be crafted. It's an issue because almost EVERY. THING. in the game requires schematics and/or special parts now. When everything is accounted for, it's frustrating as crap being at mid-level trying to progress and it's like the game is doing everything possible to prevent you from progressing. So then you try to play by the game's own rules of what it wants you to do and you go to traders, do trader quests (and level them up), and loot specific stores. What are you rewarded with? 5 schematics, 4 of which you've already found 10 times before and one of which you didn't need or want. Like you said, I can certainly see this being fine with a multiplayer server. But the NON-MODDED game's overall further direction towards RNG has turned single-player into 7 Days of RNG.
  7. Which brings me back to my original reply which said "The only reason I can see people defending the new RNG system they have is because they found what they needed in their current play through, so therefore you should've too" I have 3 traders I've been using frequently in my play through. None have offered me a steel tool schematic to purchase or from quest rewards.
  8. You're just describing how to increase your RNG - which isn't addressing the complaint of RNG itself. The player shouldn't have to: 1. Let's see if this trader has it, nope.... 2. What about her quest? Nope 3. What about this trader? Nope 4. What about his quest? Nope.... 5. Maybe I need to level up this trader? 6. Nope.... 7. Let me try this other trader.... These are al BS RNG tactics that do not give a survival RPG feel to the game. It gives a grinding, chore-like feel that may or may not reward you with what you need.
  9. But you can't make them because you don't have the schematic. That's the whole point of what we're talking about here. Everything is RNG. The Trader MIGHT offer it to you, you MIGHT find the schematic....who knows what will happen. Leveling your character means nothing because it won't get you closer to making a Steel pickaxe. And by the way, I'm at IV on trader quest and she's never offered me a steel tool as a reward - just further proof of RNG rewarding whomever it wishes.
  10. The only reason I can see people defending the new RNG system they have is because they found what they needed in their current play through, so therefore you should've too. That's the problem with RNG. Some people get lucky and get everything they need - others are left frustrated with a level 125 character who can't even make a Steel Pickaxe because you haven't found the schematic for it yet and the traders haven't offered it yet.
  11. Exactly!!! That's by biggest gripe with them moving to an RNG system. I've been to multiple gun shops and pawn shops looking for a gun schematic I need and I don't find it. Then I go to a drug store and find one...it's @%$#ed.
  12. I've got 800hrs in game total and it's nice seeing 7 Days come such a long way. Overall I think A20 is a GOOD update - but with one MAJOR drawback. I simply don't enjoy the game anymore with the move they've made in A20 to a near complete reliance on RNG. Just go look at the overwhelming threads on these forums and you'll see people rightfully asking others about spending tens of hours (or more) looking for specific recipes or a non-crafted part that they haven't found yet and you'll see my point. You need to find a recipe to make virtually everything in the game. But even after you find the recipe, an item within that recipe can require their own special items that can't be crafted (i.e. beakers and acid) - so you're getting double RNG'd here! As you first need the recipe that can only be found and then you need the part that can only be found in loot or traders. Don't get me wrong, I understand the issue they were trying to fix - which was in prior versions, at a certain point in the game-level, there was absolutely no reason or need to venture out and search for stuff since everything could be crafted/made in-house. But A20's update of having almost everything requiring recipes has made the leveling system nearly pointless (not completely, but nearly). Why even mention the supposed ability to "craft quality 3 fair shotguns" in Boomstick if you haven't found the recipe for it yet? Because you can't "craft quality 3 fair shotguns" as it claims. It seems they tried to find a balance between crafting and looting by allowing you to create simple shotguns (like the pipe gun and double barrel) whilst making the actual pump shotgun and auto-shotgun require schematics. But once you add in ALL of the other RNG into the game, it just makes the game less rewarding by making the player to heavily rely on RNG and not time-played or the skill of your character. From beakers to acid, to guns, bullets, crafting stations, mining tools, motorized tools, I could go on; the entire game is now a hide and seek game HOPING you find a schematic for that ONE thing you need and less of it's original survival RPG feel it used to have. What do you guys think? I honestly don't know of a good way to balance what they're trying to achieve - and I'm torn. On the one hand, I see what they're doing as it's forcing me to go out and search more, but on the other hand I'm not having fun because I'm bound by RNG of what I need.
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