Questions about Surface Dwellers (Alpha Stage)

[Izual]

We'll be very happy to answer any question about our game :) You can ask by replying to this topic if you're shy, or (we encourage you to do so!) post a new topic in this subforum.

Best regards,
The developers.

[cannotspace]

Ok..
- The map / cities will be based on FO1-2 maps? like fonline?
- Will there be unguarded cities (will there be guarded cities?)
- What's the way encouraged by the game to get stuff? Loot, craft, npc
- Since this is supposed to be horror themed, are you thinking about adding some bigger risks / dangers to the night time? (assuming there will be night-day)

[Izual]

Ok..
- The map / cities will be based on FO1-2 maps? like fonline?
- Will there be unguarded cities (will there be guarded cities?)

No. Surface Dwellers will be hardly connected to Fallout Lore. The game will consist (at start) of only two maps: The Gravediggers' headquarters and the first area in which you'll be able to play the game. This first area will be much bigger than any map you saw in FOnline 2238 or TLA.

- What's the way encouraged by the game to get stuff? Loot, craft, npc

Everyday, you will receive stuff according to your skills. However, you will always need extrea healing supplies or bullets, for example, and to get them you will need to scavenge. Scavenging in SD will be exploring the map looking for supplies in its containers (wardrobes, chests, lockers, footlockers, etc, etc). The problem is that while exploring you may stumble across zombies.

- Since this is supposed to be horror themed, are you thinking about adding some bigger risks / dangers to the night time? (assuming there will be night-day)

The surface areas will always be dark, as the sun is hidden by ash clouds. So it will always be the night. This is the luminosity you can expect. It is surprising how some maps can look frightening at night :)

[Ganado]

Everyday, you will receive stuff according to your skills. However, you will always need extrea healing supplies or bullets, for example, and to get them you will need to scavenge. Scavenging in SD will be exploring the map looking for supplies in its containers (wardrobes, chests, lockers, footlockers, etc, etc). The problem is that while exploring you may stumble across zombies.

Will the only way to scavenge be to look through containers, or will there be loot on zombies?

Also, will there be secure places to store our items? Or would there be no need for that?

And another question: Will there be a variety of enemies? Or just zombies? Will you have both types of ghouls sprites (the kinds that can run, and the kinds that can't run)?

[Izual]

Will the only way to scavenge be to look through containers, or will there be loot on zombies?

I don't think there will be loot on zombies. The only place to find bullets will be to look inside containers. As you will have to explore the map anyway to kill the zombies there, it's not really a problem.

Also, will there be secure places to store our items? Or would there be no need for that?

Probably no need for that.

And another question: Will there be a variety of enemies? Or just zombies? Will you have both types of ghouls sprites (the kinds that can run, and the kinds that can't run)?

The only ghoul sprite set that I like is the green one. The glowing one doesn't fit and running one (Lenny's skin) is just awful in my opinion. So yeah, it will be the green ghoul one (unless some new ghoul sprites are released). But don't worry about their speed :D They will attack you fast enough!

[Shangalar]

Question :

Are you happy being two for development or do you need extra people to help you ?

[Izual]

Well, I'm personally fine with the maps, the general game balance and the rest of the non-too-technical stuff. Amarok, being in charge of the scripts (and of all this stuff we mortals don't understand fully) will tell you if he's fine with the scripts or if he needs some help, but as he is very fast and efficient, I doubt he needs an helping hand

[Shangalar]

Good to hear that ! When weariness comes, don't stay alone ^^

[LagMaster]

what will be the goal of the missions?
kill x critters?
secure a pozition?
save some survivors?
Find some interesting data?

[Izual]

Survive X days.

[LagMaster]

and a day in RL time will be?
1/2 hour?

[Amarok]

what will be the goal of the missions?
kill x critters?
secure a pozition?
save some survivors?
Find some interesting data?

For our 1st step, it will only be survive yes.
But we think about such missions once the core features will be operational

[Izual]

One day in game will be equal to one day in real life.
Also, yes, as Amarok said. Maybe we'll add more missions that will have some other goals than just survive. Could spice things up a bit

[LagMaster]

how about the game year whoud be arounf 2080-2100
the evects of ashes will still be felt to a perma night, also this will make the zombie-ghoul confusion a bit bigger

but anyway, what will be the game year?

[Harald]

Lately came up with a new question - will the zombies have rather low defence and they will come in huge hordes, or they will be rather strong, but will come in small groups?

[Izual]

but anyway, what will be the game year?

As said in the introduction thread, around 200 years have passed since the war happened.

Lately came up with a new question - will the zombies have rather low defence and they will come in huge hordes, or they will be rather strong, but will come in small groups?

Hah, Harald, you just have asked an interesting and difficult question, that we are currently working out. The problem is, we don't have any answer. Ammunition being rare, it would be ridiculous to spawn thousands of 10hp zombies. But there must be a lot of zombies too, because some missions will require (we hope) around 30 people to be completed, and if we have just 5 very strong ghouls for the 30 players, it won't work, and boredom will soon appear. I think eventually we'll have something between the two situations you describes.
Also, the grey and black ghouls will be normal zombies, that will spawn much more frequently than the red ghoul and the original one, that will both be "bosses" (Just stronger and maybe faster than normal zombies, not ultimate end-game bosses!).

[Amarok]

The answer is directly linked to the AI controls we will settup. As it is the more critical part to code, it would involve a lot of change with our Fonline SDK knoweldge. We will probably launch only blind-test with various zomb config at start to the weapon's balance first.

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