Ahh . . . well I don't remember seeing any dialogue boxes appear immediately above my hot bar like that. Must be a problem from my ancient config file. I'll scour out all that old felgerkarb and redo! ADDIT: Okay, I got Robinson Protocol to play through Alien Tower. Deleting cache folder, etc., and verifying install seems to have 'fixed' it.
Here is my first batch of "feedback" on Alpha 8. Doesn't go very deep into the new game with all its changes (which sound fantastic overall). My goal was to start as if I was a brand new player and experience the beginner tutorial on a starter random procgen world. Obviously, having my external files cause those tutorials to not work properly was a problem that I needed to fix as described above. But with that fixed here is what I jotted down while I was playing. Some of it is just comments, not intended to be requests/demands/complaints, so take it as it is. Overall, this 8.0 update seems to be the best update yet! Looking forward to forging ahead and experience everything all the way up to galactic domination! -=-=-=- Empyrion Galactic Survival 8.0 Comments 16 June 2018 Alpha 8.02 1719 1. Game is slower than I recall from ~7 ish build 2. Game experiences periodic intermittent, brief freezes on the order to 1 to 4 seconds: ADDIT: given Unity's atrocious reputation with garbage collection though, and having played for probably 12 or 15 hours in Alpha 8.0 I'd have to temper this comment with "but it ain't really so bad." Whatever voodoo you guys are doing with your data to get these massive worlds work is pretty impressive. Course the fact that drops decay so rapidly is likely a big part of your voodoo, eh? 3. Survival tool has a permanent light on it which cannot be turned off. 4. Lack of "auto-pickup ore" functionality is tedious. ADDIT2: by which I mean the ores yielded with the "Survival Tool" from the surface rocks. I suppose this is a 'tolerable' feature, though in truth I don't see what it adds to game play. The Survival Tool is STILL not as good as either of the drills for various mineral extraction tasks so I don't see how it lacking auto-ore pickup is necessary . . . 5. Fact that the survival tool is (apparently) only a stun gun is _mildly_ irritating ADDIT: this was based on me trying to kill one of those grasshopper critters in the meadow near the pod crash site . . . It deserves to be noted: the weapon/chainsaw mode of the device DID work to kill the alien critter at the Alien Tower so . . . not sure what is up with that. ADDIT2: I think what this really amounts to is that the "hit boxes" on the NPC/critters are quite small. 6. No jetpack to start off with? My random 0.55 g planet makes it difficult for me to tell if I have a functioning jetpack or not and the UI looks like it is just not there at all. ADDIT: My bad! Jetpack is part of the "armor!" 7. I like the beginning of the default random SSG. A bit more hints in PDA/popup messages that the tool can be used to extract all sorts of resources which generate XP and provide better chances to survive might be good. Related to (7): some sort of preliminary splash message when a new game launches that gives totally brand new players a bit more "orienting" information would probably be good: "EGS is a game about survival, building, and <galactic conquest?>. In the Default random solar system generation mode you will start out with limited gear and low level of technological capacity . . ." etc. I'm not gonna write your text for you unless you want to pay me, but that may give you an idea 8. The bigger planets and new procgen landscapes are breathtaking! WELL DONE! 9. The new wildlife/NPC behavior algorithms are GREAT! WELL DONE! 10. Running/jumping does not generate body heat 11. Game badly needs a "Auto-Forward" feature that can be hotkeyed. By which I mean an "Auto Move Forward" toggle. Just copy the code for the "Auto Run" feature, and change it to "Auto Move Forward!" expand your Settings/Controls pane to include one more line and type in "Auto Move Forward!" 12. Fact that game doesn't pause (in singleplayer mode) when options, save screen, PDA, etc. are open is a deficienciy IMHO 13. WOW! These landscapes ARE REALLY AWESOME! 14. Okay, made it past the Alien Tower which seemed bug prior to me deleting my cache / verifying installation. ADDIT: did I mention that I LOATHE administrator mode POIs in singleplayer mode. Why on Earth would any of you think it was a good idea to make ANYTHING in a game like this "nondestructble" in singleplayer mode!?
11. Why would this be needed? It isn't usable in MP and would be rather pointless to have it only in SP when you have the tent you can use for that. The only draw back being you can only use the tent at night. 12. This I agree wholeheartedly with for SP. I don't think it would be doable for MP though. Which reminds me of wanting to ask why there is a keybind for Pause set to a pause key when there isn't one? None of the keyboards I've had over the past 20 years have ever had a pause key. If this is something only gaming keyboards have they need to rethink it because not all of us use a gaming keyboard, much less can afford one, just as we don't all use those fancy gaming mice either.
Why would "auto forward" not work in multiplayer? You type a key, your player/space ship vehicle starts moving forward and stays that till either (a) user inputs a 'stop' command; (b) vehicle/player are incapacitated; (c) app is turned off. Not sure how or why that would be a problem in multiplayer. The idea is simply: if your player/vehicle need to go on a longish journey, you don't have to hold down the "W" key constantly. You tap one key and you move forward continuously.
Because then ALL players on that server would .... oh. Sorry. I thought you meant auto forward as in advancing time, not moving a ship through space. Sustained movement like the sustained jetpack flight for building use I've asked for.
Most keyboards I've owned have the Pause/break key alongside the prtscn and scrlk keys after the function keys. That's pretty standard on keyboards unless it's a laptop keyboard or some kind of international keyboard. Anyways, you can just rebind it to something else if you don't have the above layout.
Hm. I was under the impression this was a specific key separate from the Pause/Break key. I have tried using the Pause/Break key but it has never worked for me, on any game, including Empyrion. I ended up binding it to my right shift key a long time ago.
No, it isn't broken. On any of my keyboards. I've had this keyboard for a couple of years but only recently started using it so it's still brand new. I have another exactly like it on my other pc (was on this one) and had the same problem. Same problem with my old keyboard (yes a third one but NOT the same as the other two). It's only in Empyrion that it doesn't work just as it is only in Empyrion my mouse will just up and stop working when trying to select a block and I have to disengage battery to get it working again. Happens with a brand new mouse as well.
That's really odd. Is this all hardware being used on the same PC? Maybe you have a setting or OS problem?
No. If it were I would have problems with other programs, not just Empyrion. Neither issue occurs with any other program. Only with Empyrion. Mouse issue has occurred on 2 different laptops (one HP, one Dell) and one desktop (Asus). I do not have Empyrion installed on my other desktop. It's something with Empyrion, no question of that. And since I had my game open I reset to defaults and tried the Pause again. This time it worked. Hopefully it will continue to work and I don't forget which key it is now that I'm in the habit of hitting right shift. Now if I could just get the mouse issue solved. lol
Well, the point of the Link was the Keyboard itself, not the Shopping Site it's on. May be Bug Report worthy...
@WolfEyes I figured you probably just didn't get what I was saying. I really REALLY hope they get around to this, as it is probably the single biggest bang for buck quality of life feature. I know C++ not so much C#, but I would think the basic code to make this run would like . . . 50 lines or less? Depends of course how it is all put together, but it shouldn't be hard. They already have a "Toggle Run" hot key configured in the Settings/Controls pane so doing it for "Toggle Move" or "Toggle Move Forward" shouldn't be too complicated. I mean com'n you guys! You've managed to produce these enormous amazing beautiful planets and whole galaxies, I think a fricking auto-move key is within your capacity! -=-=-more "General feedback"-=-=-=- on Alpha 8-=-=-=- 15. The landscapes and scale is fantastic! Really enhances the survival aspect of the game. Really, this stuff is stellar you guys! *APPLAUDS!* 16. Not sure what is wrong with the T1 sniper rifle, but it performs like a BB gun now, i.e., I put easily two full magazines into an Alien Bug and it was still fine. Same with a Triceratops, & a Minigun drone. Weapon is basically useless. ADDIT: I just made some more exact observations: T1 sniper rifle, firing at 55m at a Triceratops me positioned on his rear left side (so looking slightly behind his skull "frill" armor plate). Me firing at his eyeball area (which in some cases meant behind the frill): took six shots to kill him. I'm not sure if that is working as intended or not. Given the game doesn't have a "bleeding" mechanic for wounded enemies, I'm not sure I like the idea of six shots to the head/neck/face area from a 11 or 12 mm high velocity round being required to kill a triceratops. Also, this brings up a separate issue with your "A.I." overhaul. In general, these enhancements to your computer opponent algorithms have been terrific. But there seem to be some gaps still. For example: when I fired at this Triceratops from ~55m (which is apparently in early night/dusk beyond his detection cone) he just stood there! Same with an "Alien bug at like 120m. Given there is no "go prone" or "take cover" mechanic for either player or NPC/critters, and the only viable "survival" actions for critters who are being attacked is to either counterattack or run, I would suggest you add a conditional for whenever ANY critter takes damage. Small chance that they just stand there, moderate chance that the run behind something (which may or may not be blocking players line of sight) small chance that they initiate their "flee to safe distance" module. I did notice that, if I hit the drone in "just the right" spot, he konked out immediately so maybe this has something to do with how "soft" vs hard zones in the animals collision are being done now? Now that I think about it, that would also account for the "less than awesome" performance of the shotgun too . . . If this is in fact what is going on, then the only problem with it is that (a) the enemy anims are so twitchy that being able to hit a specific spot with the sniper is going to be relegated to only the finest twitch players. Now I am getting on in years, but I was fairly famous in my Arma 2 Coop group for my sniping skills 5 or 6 years ago, and I find sniping in this game to be not very easy. (b) lack of any shooting skill or other in-game mechanism to assist the player with getting one shot kills as they level up. The typical mechanism would be a time slowing "hold breath" key stroke that players can unlock with sufficient XP. ADDIT: It seems fairly obvious that gun play and "infantry" combat is not one of your priorities, and that is fine. The infantry combat as is stands is "good enough" for a game as sweeping and malleable as this one. But some suggestions IF you wanted to enhance your infantry combat mechanics. I. Add melee weapons! II. Add bows! III. Expand on your "hit the drone in the red nose spot to kill it" mechanic and expand that to other critters. Maybe even have one "soft spot" to represent the heart, one for the brain? IV. I'm hesitant to suggest this as I know it would be a LOT but: add crouched and prone stance!! 17. Fact that drones shoot through rock is lame (not sure if they can actually hit though. Not sure if rock has collision or not and this makes an underground base questionable. They have always done this, and I have commented on it multiple times. Back in the day, there were more than one incidents where I dug a cave for my HV, covered it up with the fake rock from the T2 drill thing, then came back and found it had been destroyed by obvious drone fire and there were no holes in the rock. I realize that adding collision to all the rock in the game might be a challenge, but . . . well, shouldn't being UNDERGROUND provide cover just as well as being "INSIDE" a building!? 18. The scarcity of resources and balanced complications of the devices/tech seems really good now! Nothing that stands out as glaringly bad. It actually FEELS LIKE A SURVIVAL GAME NOW!! The fact I'm level 12 and still having to scrounge for some basic food and the grain to make plastic is a nice dynamic. The game is harder now than it used to be I think, which is a very good thing. 19. Absolutely BRILLIANT! that resources like crushed rock can now yield ores at low yield rates; also fantastic that wood can be used to make plant fibers -> fuel ! However, I think you have overlooked plastic. I may have missed it, but it seems the only way to make plastic is grain? Any carbohydrate-based organic resources honestly should be convertible. 20 Re: on the issue of XP: I know that the "pick plants to learn how to build a starship simulator" criticism is likely one you take seriously, and I understand you have struggled a bit to conceive of a good mechanism to regulate the flow the XP for players. I have an alternative model for you to consider: (a) assign reasonable XP generation rates to nearly ALL player activities (walking, running, shooting, placing blocks, open inventories, open new techs, killing, harvesting resources, interacting with objects, etc., etc., etc.); (b) setup the data structures to tally the counts for these player actions; (c) assign depreciation rates. The basic premise here is: when a character is new nearly everything he/she/it does should yield some XP. But after the 10th, or 100th of 1000th time a player engages in a particular action, it should yield very little. I belive this would synergize with your obvious interest to design the game to promote exploration and progressively expanding risk-taking/expansionism. I have no idea how many times a player does X, Y or Z action by the time they get to level 2, 3, 5, 9, etc. But you guys should be able to judge that pretty well. I mean basically, the system you have in place right now is the exact same structure as what I'm suggesting, except that there is no depreciation of XP value for repeated trials of the player action, and only a more narrow range of player actions generate XP (picking flowers, killing some [all?] critters). Two important points: (d) different actions would conceivably depreciate in XP value at different rates; (e) the baseline (initial) XP value for an action would conceivably vary a lot. Picking mushrooms might yield 50 XP the first time, but might get down to the 0.0001 XP per action level after only 10 or 20 actions. Opening an inventory might yield 10 XP on the first trial but be depreciated to zero by only 10 trials? Revealing Fog of War chunks might never actually depreciate, but yield relatively low-medium rates of XP? Stuff that is "high level" (like placing a base block or killing a high-tier mob) might yield a lot (500 XP?) and depreciate only a bit for each trial? The obvious caveat to all of this is: it may be that some actions you need to either "turn off" after a single trial or just not value as an XP source at all for the simple reason that the player would eventually be able to stand there and repeat the action ad infinitum (e.g., placing blocks then using the multi-tool to retrieve then placing again . . .).
I've held off because I have only seen one other person post about a mouse issue and while it was similar it wasn't the same thing. If I'm the only one having the issue it's probably not worth the devs spending time on until just before beta. If it makes any difference, I use a Logitech M325 wireless mouse. I've never had any issues with them until Empyrion, except, of course, when my old one started dying on me. Anything much larger than this is way too big for my hand. Afterall, I'm only 5' 4". ETA: This is the keyboard I use. I have the newest one on the pc I'm using and the older one on the other desktop. http://www.sears.com/azio-prism-usb-keyboard-with-7-backlight-colors/p-00359985000P
Interesting dudes... Maybe Empyrion & your Keyboard & Mouse Drivers are choking at Cooperating with each other...? Maybe include their Driver Versions in the Bug Report... can find this info in the OS Device Manager. Among the rarest most elusive Bugs to find & squash can be Bugs affecting only a tiny subset of Drivers serving a tiny subset of particular Hardware.
Keyboard is fine now. Whatever happened must have been due to a glitch or perhaps something I forgot. Honestly, on the mouse, I think it's a Windows thing and not something the Empyrion devs can do anything about. I'll keep an eye out for others having similar issues though and report it then. It's not a showstopper, just a bit frustrating at times. Let the devs concentrate on more important things like a decent terrain tool, more colors, textures properly mapped to cut blocks. You know, all the little things that make building a pleasure and lets the creative juices flow.
I like all your suggestions, I found it a bit strange that picking flowers leveled me to 5 easily, but mining ore which is what is needed to survive and advance didn't really give any experience. I had to go pick plants even when I didnt need food just to level up, i ended up with nearly 200 spoiled food. Once I got a gun i just found some talon to kill letting them keep spawning at the village as i stood on a roof and shot them to level up. I would love a better system for leveling and advantage to leveling other than just unlocked plans. I found the shotgun worked fine at point blank range it is quite strong now. I will have to try out the sniper rifle when I get home but 6 shots on a trike sounds really weak, I 2 shot a trike with the shotgun at point blank range. The alien bugs also have a really weird hit box.
Killing stuff give XP (by far the best way to level mid to late game. Gathering herbs/fruit/mushroom give 50 xp each Salvaging give 50 xp per block How about giving mining some love and adding some XP everytime we gather some? Mining with a big @$$ drill should be at least as rewarding as picking up a flower
