Posts by Vandoide

Hello, everyone!

With the dungeons slowly aproaching their re-introduction to the game, guess it's a good time to provide some feedback on the model used in the Java Version, and how it can be better done in Unity Version, to keep up with the high standards the new version is providing us:

Starting with the "classic" underground ones, the key word is balance. In the old game, the main issue with these dungeons is that things were too randomly distributed, and therefore completely unfair for several times. There is a memorable case I witnessed: In my last playthrough of the Java Version, I found one of these dungeons in a cave not far from my starting point, and not very deep in it either. That dungeon was not a big one, just a few rooms and corridors, with few skeletons. And yet... I found almost every rare item of the game in that place! Game-breaking, to say the least. Also, found others much bigger, that were completely devoided of unique loot or something more rewarding.

So, what is proposed to fix this issue is the following: Force dungeons to only appear at a deeper depth, encouraging exploration of caves (the upcoming cave revamp will probably make this less of a burden); Make the dungeon generation more detailed and oriented, such as creating "special loot rooms", distinct from the common loot rooms, where the former are only generated at the deepest rooms of the dungeon, only one per structure, maybe also guarded by a powerful "boss" mob, and will hold the valuable treasures of the game (the unique weapons, clothes, armour, etc...), while the latter will act like the ones we have in Java, appearing in more quantities and anywhere in the dungeon, but now holding only basic items, such as materials and supplies (like POIs usually do). There could also be a restriction to only create the major loot room in bigger dungeons, preventing "easy catches".

The surface temples could also use a revamp: The pyramids were a great addition to the barren deserts of the legacy game. However, after exploring their chambers, we found out they were more pretty than challenging: A short maze, than free valuable loot, and nothing more. No foes, no traps.

With this in mind, it's also suggested to apply to these estructures a tweak similar to the one of the dungeons: Make the treasure chest (or similar) to be protected by a powerful mob, and introduce enemies and traps to the rest of the place, so then there will be a good feeling of challenge and reward when venturing there. If possible, also make the maze to be procedural and random at each pyramid. And of course, what was said here is also valid for every other temple or surface ruin that may be introduced eventually, such as mesoamerican, hindu, ruined bastions, etc...

And naturally, the said master mobs and their "minions" should all be removable in the game world settings, so then the less adventurous players can also enjoy dungeons and temples in their own way.

That's all I had to say on the topic. If you have more ideas on how to make dungeons better in the new Unity Version, feel free to contribute!

And before you ask, the abandoned shacks and underwater ruins are more fit for POIs in the new version, so we should not discuss them here.

Yes, Red should have already done a Patreon-like optional support for the game by now. Some other games did this and the result was positive.

The interesting part is that he said, a while ago, that he would release one of these services as soon as the Unity Version became the main branch. But it never happened.

Maybe he is afraid it may backfire by rising controversies, who knows...

Quote from Man With a Plan

And changing their size is fun.I believe its enough testing for today for me...Time to actually play the game with these new functions. Now where do I find a pig

OH SNAP! People just turned Rising World into a studio for hentai/furry art...

Be proud of your work, Red, you just created monsters!!! *drama music plays*

This explains the delay: Scope creep.

AND THIS IS AWESOME!!! Talk about a patch that killed not two birds, but a whole flock with a single stone!

Quote from Petrel76

I would be glad if we had strawberries back. I remember that finding them was a challenge in that high grass, but sometimes they can be spotted through binoculars outside the grass visibility area. Of course, the fruits and vegs we already have is enough to be stuffed, but strawberries would be useful if we have an option to prepare drinks in the future.

Also, modern rifle and kevlar armor - I remember night hunting in the Java version - bandits stood no chance.

Well remembered! I Had even forgot there were strawberries. This and broccoli, whitch were great for healing.

The good part is there are plans for juice and brewing, as well as more fruits, so probably they will come back eventually

The rifle is confirmed, and the modern armour is also on the plans, if I am not mistaken.

Quote from Elfradhr

It would only be mandatory if you didn't visit the place in a long time. But a lot of servers delete claims after a month (or 3) absence (unless prior notice vacation/sickness/...) because it gives to much lag or is to intensive for the working of the server; mostly small servers managed and paid by one or few players. The maintenance of the build could signal activity.

I believe there are more direct tools to find out about players inactivity.

Either way, this ideia may not be suitable for the official game, but surely would give a good mod. And it could be done, considering the plug-in API the game has is quite powerful.

Quote from Elfradhr

The maintenance to be done in this abandoned cabins was minimal, i found. It took not more then 5 or 10 minutes. If you have the time to build for hours, a few minutes maintenance like you had to be done on the previous version of the game would not to much. Do one not clean his house every week ?

Repairing and cleaning them once was not a big deal, sure, but keep doing this all the time would become a nuisance in the long run.

The game offers a lot with the explorarion, survival and building parts, and mandatory maintance would only get in the way.

Quote from Elfradhr

Would also be good to get back : unmaintained houses. If you have a place that you didn't visit in a while, grass started to grow out of the floor, walls start to break, etc ...

You mean the abandoned cabins? These are for sure! Are even on the list above.

However, the second part you said is a little hard to be done in practice. You know, many players would hate to be forced to provide maintence on their houses and bases, so this will have to be optional. And even then, these will give quite an chore to be coded, and who knows how much value such feature will gring to this game. Not a bad idea, but maybe more suitable for a more hardcore game, such as Project Zomboid.

Quote from Petrel76

I believe we will have all these features in the Unity version. And, of course, something that will make desert islands worth visiting - pyramids with undergeound treasure chambers!

May you are right! Skipping these features would be a mistake!

And the pyramids with mazes would be good to have back too. Just hope the devs put something more challenging in those tombs this time, such as traps and mummy enemies lurking around.

Quote from Xantequia

I haven't seen any dungeons either on Unity

Sure, these ones are must-haves too.

But they are confirmed to be on the way, so I skipped them on the list.

Said before, and I do again: The Unity Version is incomparably better than the old version. Easily mops the ground with its Java face!

However, there are a few great features from the old game that are yet to come back to the new one, and would surely make it even greater. There is the list:

- With the many more cooking options we have now, two great items to have back are the grill and the smoker. They are must-haves for the perfect barbecue! The latter being a top gear. One of the few high points of the Java Version was using the smoker, completed with an interactable lid that we could close and see the smoke coming from the pipe. We could almost smell the sweet cooking meat!

- On combat, Java Version also topped. We already got almost every sword and one morningstar, but with the many beasts, enemies and monsters we already have, there is more than enough reasons for all the weapons of the previous game to come back. For this, I mean from the wooden club to the many axes, battle axes, maces, and battle hammers we had! They are just too epic to skip! And let's not forget the other two bows. Naturally, the uncraftable ones should be kept this way, so then we would have even more reasons to hunt for POIs, as well as venturing into the upcoming dungeons. Maybe this all have already been confirmed to come back in a Combat Update of sorts, but just in case...

- When it comes to exploring, the flare from the old game would be extremely useful! Imagine how easier it would be to check unexplored caves, in special those deep, water-flooded ones, with this tool at hand!

- Java Version used to have some nice clothing as well. We already have some nice armour options, but getting the military set back would be good for some modern fashion option. Other item that would help a lot now is the Heat Protection suit, once we now have have reasons to explore the underworld, and its heat is a pain to endure. Other vests that could return are the Hazmat, cool by itself and useful in case we eventually get nuclear power (or some sort of radioactive biomes or ruins one day, which would not be a bad idea), as well as the "camuflage" vest, aka the plant suit, that was fun to wear, but could be turned into something useful in Unity Version, such as providing concealment against animals and enemies.

- At the subject of decoring, Java Version yet has some advantages. But one of the most notable aspects is the presence of indoor lamp options. There were many nice lights available, such as long ceiling lamps, hanging bulbs, table lamps of many kinds, even a golden chandeleir! At the new version, on the other hand, we have mostly flame-based light sources, with only two or three Electric light around. So, re-introducing these items is a welcome even of options.

- Speaking of light, the torch holders, both wood and metal, were a great tool for ilumination and cave mapping at the old game. The garden torches work fine, but those holders were a lot more practical to use, as any surface held them. As of now, we only have a "pre-made" holder, that even forces us to spend a torch permanently on it, preventing further reuse, and can only be made of metal, instead of both metal or wood. So, it would be very helpful if such items were brought back, just like they used to be.

- A small feature, but the traffic cones, boom barriers and road delineadora would be great items to have again in the game. At least, when cars get introduced, so then we would have a more meaningful use for these.

- Now, on mobs. The Unity Version already beats Java Version when it comes to wildlife, in both especies and behavior. However, there are some good mobs that are still missing: Giraffes, tigers and leopards. I know the hot region already has its fair share of mobs, and more work should be put into the cold region instead, as it's the "deadest" we have so far. But still, these were nice touches to the scenery of the legacy game, and would bring even more life and excitement to the savannas of the new version. Or, in the tigers case, maybe to the jungles of it, as these are the most common habitat for these animals.

- For last, despite of all the many POIs we have now, something I still miss a lot are the abandoned cabins of the Java Version. The devs should bring these back at a later patch as a new POI (not as a dungeon), as such constructions fit perfectly with the somewhat post-apocalyptic game world we now have. Moreover, they had a whole charm of their own, with the decaying furniture we could only find in them, featuring even a still playable piano! So please, bring these back! Excluding them from the new game would be a crime.

Note: This is not an exhaustive list. There are surely some other features, mostly furniture, that would also be nice to get back, but I am not going after each one. If you feel there is something else missing, feel free to list on the comments.

I also skipped features whose return has already been confirmed by the devs, such as the other firearms.

That's all I can tell by now. Hope this reminder helps making the game even better. And as was said, if you miss something else from the old game that has not been listed, please contribute.

Quote from red51

The next update will definitely add bandits, barbarians and wolves, as mentioned by james1bow and Vandoide Skeletons and 2 other enemies will probably also be ready in time, but there is no final decision about their spawn location yet. The 2 enemies I've mentioned will most likely spawn in hell.

For skeletons, we want to add an option to let them spawn at the surface at night (they will then disappear at daybreak). This is a controversial feature, so feedback for that will be quite important

If there will be an option for skeletons at night, this should be a thing with no doubt.

After all, if it is to be optional, those who don't like it should simply turn the feature off. Issue solved!

Quote from james1bow

We are for sure getting bandit skeletons and wolves with the next update. Last o knew anyway

Bandits, wolves and BARBARIANS are guaranteed. Skeletons... Would be a great addition, but the devs did not promise those. At least, not in an oficial note, so better not bet.

I am almost sure these won't be in.

Regarding Mobs, their focus was on human NPCs and wolves. I think that skeletons, being monsters, will have some peculiarities of their own, and that would take an extra labor JIW Games preferred to save for later. Specially because their Trello Board tag it as "In progress", rather than "done".

But even if these get introduced as a surprise feature, rest assured: Mobs do not spawn close to the parts of the world you modified, so your cave will not get unintended visitors.

Quote from joni909

one possible fix on the bear issue without making them more rare is to make three different bears with different behavior depending on biome

like in real life, thick forests up north has grizzlies which would be the most aggressive once, and regular forests has the common brown bear that, in real life you play dead until it goes away, similar in-game mechanic could be stand still, and grasslands could have black bears that runs away rather than confronts the player

Great idea!

Quote from RunAndHideGamer

Red........ bears appearing in grass fields is realistic...... they do not appear in just forests alone........instead of removing the bears from the grassfield maybe the way to do this is to reduce the chance of bears generating there.

Theoretically, they are already rare there. But even still, they can be a hard time for newcomers. Not sure making the even rarer would help...

Quote from Deirdre

This feedback is only interesting for survival mode. I wonder why people always assume that Rising World is a survival game, it's offered as Sandbox game, so for every player.

Well, as the game has a dedicated survival mode, I don't know why we should not take this a backbone of the game. Also, I don't play creative, so I am not giving feedback over something I don't know.

Quote from Yaromid

I totally agree with LittleBoBleat

All gameplay mechanics should exist with a purpose, I can't stand it if games have "features" that are only mediocre at best and give you no good reason to interact with them. For example the game starts in a classic survival/stone age setting but it doesn't' feel like survival ... resources are plenty, animals are easy to hunt, you can outrun everything like a cheetah and climb a whole mountain in seconds.

(And yes, of course I know that the game is still in development and many things will change in the future :D)

Technological progress in planned for the long run, either as a leveling system or some sort of research. But we won't have all recipes at hand right from the start.

This is for later, however, as the developers have other priorities right now.

Quote from LittleBoBleat

Building off of og’s post, some other feedback:

Animals:

While wild animals do a lot of damage, I’m all for it. Reason being the player can currently outrun any animal in-game, and can take down even neutral/aggressive animals with primitive stone tools without taking damage by staying behind them (turn is slow). Some animals that could defend themselves don’t (or don’t defend babies/herdmates), and willingly let players get close enough to attack. However, some food for thought:

1. Untamed (non-aggressive) animals should be skittish around players, moving away if the player gets too close. This also means that wild sheep cannot be shorn and wild cows/goats/sheep cannot be milked (which is more realistic if we have taming).

2. Adult animals should be faster than the player. Not only does it add a sense of danger for larger animals (although you can use terrain advantages to escape), but it encourages the realistic use of ranged weapons for hunting. Animals, with the exception of babies and maybe chickens, should be able to outrun any melee combat.

3. Animals turn speed should be adjusted and/or faster to prevent cheesing.

4. Most animals should defend themselves, their baby, and/or a herdmate if attacked (cows and pigs are very dangerous irl).

(Red already responded to this)

5. Add visual gender differences for animals missing them, like chickens (rooster vs hen), pigs (boar vs sow), and horses (stallion vs mare). Will really benefit from this in future breeding.

Can’t wait for the taming update!

Food:

Food is too easy to obtain. Between easy hunting, frequent (and very filling) apples, and crops found practically everywhere, my character doesn’t need to put in any effort to find / obtain food.

1. More challenging hunting. Animals move away from the player if too close, requiring ranged weapons and crouching to get within range of a hit. Currently swimming in meat due to easy hunting.

2. Wild crops should be harder to come by, so harvesting by hand could give you a seed, a crop, or a rotten crop, rather than guaranteed food. Certain crops can’t be eaten uncooked anyways (ex: potatoes).

3. Reduce number of fruit trees. Apples fill up way too much food/water, and should be greatly reduced in value to encourage other sources of nourishment (ex: 1 food, 2 water). However, the value is better when in recipes such as apple pie (when cooking update comes out).

4. Add seasons that certain crops (or trees) can grow in, so apples and wild crops aren’t available (or found in the wild) year round.

5. Increased food/water drain, especially in hot/cold climates, when low health (uses to recover health), or when recovering stamina after being completely used up.

Gameplay Extension:

Currently the gamplay is very quick, going from primitive stone to metal tier as soon as you find an ore node.

1. Extend primitive tier. Start with no tools, tiers being more so wood —> stone —> copper / iron —> steel (not iron), etc. Bone and antler tools could also be a possibility before iron tier. Each tier can only harvest the materials for the tiers below it (if any) and the one directly above it.

2. Tools can only harvest particular resources. The beginning tool (if kept) could be a primitive axe that only harvests wood, but shouldn’t be an all-in-one. Loose stone is found on the ground as is (possibly sticks too if added) and can be used to obtain stone tools.

3. Use stamina when using tools, and reduce stamina usage while running. Chopping trees and mining ore take no stamina, but running takes a lot.

4. Other ways to extend the game length between tiers. Hoping to make the beginning more challenging and increase length of play. 😄

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There is a point I commented as a flaw at another talk: The one-hit-kills we can do with any weapon of the game, even the stone ones, are quite overpowered. They should do a 2X or 2.5X more damage, but not instant kill.

Quote from red51

Thanks a lot for your feedback! Sorry that I've missed your post on Steam... IDK why this happened

Yeah, this was indeed an oversight, but we will change it with the next update

Currently the rifle comes with 5 bullets by default, but probably it's better to remove the gunpowder requirement We'll change that with the next update, too.

Unfortunately the game cannot get the attack speed from the database (because it solely depends on the animations), that's why no DPS is exposed yet... adding this is still on our to-do list and probably will be available with one of the next updates. But maybe we could at least expose the "damage per hit" in the meantime until more information are available

Good point! I'll put this on our to-do list

Yes, animals are indeed too strong... we will reduce the damage with the next update, but probably we'll also add a "hit damage factor" setting (but only available through the config file for now).

This was mentioned a few times, so maybe it's better if we remove bears for now from the grass field

Defensive animals currently ignore if you attack one of their mates... previously they already got angry if one of their mates just got the "alert" state (which was already triggered by a gunshot or when cutting down a tree, for example), but players were confused by this behaviour. So right now they just ignore it.

But some changes to this handling are still on our to-do list

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No problem! We are all awared of how busy you are developing the game, is it okay to miss some topics.

And good to know my post was useful to improve the game.