Aug 1, 2021

Dev log, 2100801 - Tutorial, Guide, Encyclopedia, Dash, Shield, Wound treatment

Nearly Dead - lagnas2000

First off, I apologize for being too late on the current schedule. I've wasted too much time on tutorials internally.

This work schedule was aimed at lowering the entry barrier for new players of ND. So, We used most time at how to learn games quickly and have fun. So we decided to make a tutorial first.

1. What happened to a tutorial?

Originally, the tutorial was supposed to take place in the underground facility as below.

It proceeds along the set route and learns the necessary information for each stage. But it was a form in which players learned information passively according to a straight line. But our game prioritizes Nonlinear level design. So It felt like They had to follow the set story, and I thought that the player who learned the tutorial would be embarrassed if they entered the main game after finish the tutorial.

So with tears in my eyes, I folded this tutorial and will use it as a base of 'fixed dungeon' that will be applied later. In the future, ND will add a dungeon with Specific terrains with static maps, such as a lab or cave. With this mechanism as the foundation, we plan to redecorate the tutorial with NPC when NPC is added later.

So, the game guide will look like a bit of tooltip-type help advice, and once the NPC is added to the game, We will make a tutorial again.

2. Language Patch

Tutorials might be looks excellent. But according to my development experience, less than 10% of the players complete tutorials unless they are forced to play it or paid a bonus for performing the tutorial. This trend may be different in figures, but it was a concern for other developers as well.

So I solved the more significant barrier than the tutorial, 'language.' So I made it possible to change most of the existing text. Currently, we have signed a contract with a translation company. We plan to translate into one other language (between Russian, Simplified Chinese, French or Japanese) based on Korean and English.

If anyone wants to add a language independently, you can add it by copy language_account and edit it in the JSON editor. (Existing content is in language_account.json. Someone could put in a Broken English, Halp!!!1)

3. game guide and pictorial book

As the language issue is solved, it becomes easier to put in systems such as game guides and Encyclopedia. So I inserted the game guide as a Dictionary form as a supplementary, and I also started to make the pictorial book of the content in the game. The primary key setting is F11 so that you can open it anytime. Also, there's a description of the stats and skills.

If you want to know what items are suitable for the tool level you lack in production, you can check them by clicking on the tool level you lack.

We will fill this pictorial book step by step with explanations of each creature, explanations of mutations, and production methods or acquisition methods for materials needed for production. Also, we will make a more detailed guide system by linking it with the tooltip guide mentioned earlier.

4. Aiming Mechanism

In fact, in the Previous Builds, the aiming system was incomplete. It was just a primitive form of recoil, and over time, the recoil naturally disappears, and the line of sight aligns. In the meantime, various plans have come out during the office meeting, but technical aspects have not been resolved, so we have been delaying the work. Now, the existing problem is almost solved and made into the form as below.

Unlike other RPG games, ND wanted to introduce a real-time game and also an FPS aspect. No matter how bad the shooting technique is, I thought it would be a problem to miss it when there's an enemy right in front of me. At the same time, I wanted to make the difference between a rifle equipped with a rifle telescope and equipped with a Holographic sight alone. If you have a rifle telescope, it isn't good compared to an iron sight when Hip-fire, but it's suitable for precise aiming. On the other hand, I wanted to make the Holographic sight beneficial only when Hip-fire. That's why I made the complex graph above.

In short, there are only three factors for Aiming in ND. 'Dispersion,' 'Aim speed,' and 'Aiming method.' Simple, right?

The dispersion is the dispersion of a bullet. Please look at the picture below.

As you can see, the implemented concept is dispersion, not accuracy, so even if the same shooter shoots the same gun, the accuracy varies depending on the distance from the target. If it's close to you, you can ignore the maximum recoil and get everything on the target. So it wouldn't make it fun to equip yourself with SMG and grinding the enemy? On the contrary, I thought that the long-distance the target gets, the harder it becomes to hit, the more appropriate a penalty for long-range shooting.

And the next factor is 'Aim speed.' The aiming speed varies depending on the gun, modification, and shooting skills, affecting recoil recovery.

And Last, the Aiming method. If you aim, time will slowly narrow the dispersion at some point. This Aiming method is called a precise aim.

So using these three factors, it became easier to give individuality to guns. Handguns are very fast at aiming. However, due to the poor precision aiming speed or precision dispersion, it will be a disadvantageous weapon for long-range shooting. This characteristic will be similar to SMG. So SMG will be used as the form of spraying bullets at close range.

On the contrary, it would be very disadvantageous in a general shooting in sniper rifles because the dispersion decreases very slowly. Instead, if you aim at the maximum, you can shoot very accurately, a good weapon for firing over long distances.

The problem was the assault rifle. The assault rifle can be like a sniper gun or used like an SMG, depending on the modification part. Also, in reality, recent Assault rifles can be modified as General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG), combat rifles, assault rifles, designated rifles, etc. Even in ND, installing the holographic sight will significantly increase the aiming speed in regular shooting to be very useful within 10 tiles. But if you want to shoot long distances, you'd better shoot with a rifle telescope instead of a holographic sight.

The devlog seems to be getting too long, and I'll continue the rest next time.

5. Dash

The dash added to this build consumes a significant amount of stamina, allowing you to move short distances at once. The essential key binding of the dash is the space bar, and you can run in 8 directions in combination with the direction key.

Depending on the dash direction, running speed will determine the rate of the dash in proportion. The dash time is fixed, so the dash distance depends on the ratio by direction.

For now, dash can be used for two purposes.

The first is using it as an evasion tactic during the escape.

Your character will automatically use parkour if you interact with a closed-door (by bashing the door) or bump into a parkour-able object. However, since the function of automatic parkour, which was in the running from the old versions, has been transferred to dash, it is no longer possible to parkour just by running.

The second is using it aggressively, use it as combat distance control. Helpful in avoiding enemy attacks or narrowing enemy distance. Also, using a dash with a shield can make an enemy stagger for a short period if you bump into an enemy. This could lead to your advantage in engagement. Currently, you can't make that effect with your bare hands.

We are also considering ways to reduce the dash's stamina consumption by adding parkour or martial arts skills or make encumbrance affects the range of the dash in the future. Just keep in mind, the current build's dash is practically the best potential that the dash can produce, and the dash will be nerfed in the future by balancing.

6. Shield

The shield, which was dummy data, is now functioning correctly. Now, while right-clicking and staying still, the defense set on the shield is added to the character. There is also an advantage that the shield can avoid damage from other parts of the body by transferring injury to the equipped hand. So if you find a shield by actions such as searching through trash cans or robbing police stations, it could significantly reduce damage from the enemy. Combining with the knockback of the blunt weapons that we added this time, you can kill enemies without much damage.

Many tasks can be linked to these contents, such as stamina consumption and maximum gauge control, but we will deal with this part separately next time.

Due to the adding dash in a game, It's time to deciding the directionality of the game as an Action or RPG is just around the corner. Focusing on an Action can give players gameplay, but there will also be additional balancing for considering. On the other hand, focusing on RPG will be almost impossible to deal with high-level enemies only by your game control. This result is caused by the characteristics of the two genres often conflict.

Of course, Nearly Dead is a sandbox-type survival game, but it also has real-time elements, which naturally makes us look forward to the action section. First of all, we plan to emphasize the RPG part so the early part can be covered to a certain extent by game control, but you can not deal with it by only game controls during the end of the gameplay. But your opinions on the play are the most important, so if you have any thoughts about this, it would be constructive to suggest them to the community!

7. Wound treatment

Injury treatment has become more detailed and professional. In fact, the existing treatment for injuries was incomplete. So the efficiency of each treatment for injuries was almost the same, and crucially, the treatment efficiency of skills or tools was not applied. And only one item was supposed to be used to treat one type of injury.

Now, injury treatment is more detailed, consuming various items at the same time, and tooling items such as suture needles are needed. And the treatment efficiency will vary depending on the skill and tool level.

Although it has been stopped due to scheduling problems now, functions such as injury treatment causing another injury with a certain probability or getting an item during treatment will also be added.

Example 1: Infection wounds need to be treated, but there is no good tool, so burning with a heated knife can cure infection wounds but cause burns.

Example 2: If you pull out an arrow to treat an arrow wound, the arrow is pulled out.

This is the end of the follow-up devlogs. Look forward to what's coming!