Re: Stalker Sandbox#2 - Chernarus version
Posted by benevolentdevil on Aug 24, 2019; 1:34am
URL: http://kodabar-dayz-daizy-single-player-forum.163.s1.nabble.com/Stalker-Sandbox-2-Chernarus-version-tp20446p20474.html
OK Beta test ...
No huge game breaking bugs discovered, that's good. a few glitch issues with bolts not loading on spawn. Sporadic though.
Multiplayer seems fine .
Player reports:
- Almost all players were unhappy with real survival pack items taking up two inventory slots , say like canned food, water bottles, and logs.
This I have to address from a perspective of realism/immersion:
1- This is not a game of inventory management, and cargo space is limited on a unit. These are Stalkers , on foot , there's no way to lug around loads of items more than what packs can carry.
Resolving the complaint comes in two forms.
Form A- find a bigger capacity backpack. There are some that offer more cargo than others, they are found in random spawns around the map.
Form B - Run ACE2 as an addon, which changes inventory and rucks , some game play features. Real Survival pack works with ACE so I am told, this is untested at this time though. ACE2 system however, allows for much larger carrying capacity loads, i'm just uncertain it changes the medical system in place or not. However, running ACE2 addon, will grant a decent amount of realistic perspective to the game mode.
Sub-Dev note on the "mission" , the mission -should- be able to be played with OR with-out ACE , as it was not designed with ACE mods as requirements.
2- Immersive game play wise , however does mean making decisions. Whats more important to your character, carrying an extra weapon, or carrying food and water with you on a STALK?
Want grenades, but must "sacrifice" your water bottle? Maybe drop logs you were saving for fire?
These are elements of Player vrs Environment.
Solution offered- Play with friends. More units playing, means more cargo capacity by default. Sharing is caring.
Minor complaint 2- Some players found it "off-putting" starting with a map, radio, binoculars , and basic soldier gear.
Solution offered - none.
Explanation: again immersion/realistic standpoint ... these are STALKERS , whom have came into this zone willingly.
Unlike most "survival games" , it doesn't make sense armed units would blindly wake up with no knowledge of the area they are in or are going into.
Secondly, in the STALKER games, you had a very extensive PDA that displayed maps, area info, known locations, ect. Armas map system isn't as nice as the PDA units, but serves the same basic purpose/functions. It simply makes no sense to me to force players to waste time, starting out totally blind, have to find a few key things they really should have anyways.
The radios themselves serve no real function, but were left in for Immersive means anyways.
Minor complaint 3- traders will not buy/sell guns or ammo found. Traders only seem interested in artifacts and mutant parts.
Solution offered- None.
Explanation- Lets face it finding guns/ammo isn't too hard , and would put all the effort of locating stashes, and artifacts pretty useless if players can just go make loads of cash buying and selling weapons.
Minor complaint 4- Players currently were unhappy about no vehicles , all travel by foot.
Solution offered- Vehicles, and vehicle spawns are not in game yet. All other features and debugging was to be done first. I eventually will include SOME vehicles , no armed vehicles will go in game as functioning vehicles though. Mostly unarmed varieties, support vehicles.
AI MIGHT have operational armed vehicles , if lucky can be stolen or possibly salvaged from an attack.
Again this feature is not in yet.
Vehicle refuel and repair will need to find appropriate means to do so, like a repair truck ( standard arma 2 play) , gas station, refuel truck, ect.
There will be NO working flying vehicles installed into the mission ever. Flight makes things far to "easy" .
Minor complaint 5- Some items are not "showing up" in traders, but it will take your money for "buying" the blank area.
Solution offered: None at this time-
Explanation - I've tried removing those items offered via scripts , but it wound up breaking ALL the merchant system. Since it's not game breaking issue, just reverted it back to default.
The "missing items" either have had thier classnames changed ( which is not documented at all) , or have been removed or left unfinished by the original STALKER developers.
If I can "find" addons with these items included i will simply port them into the mission and add the addons to the STALKER DEV addons.
Or if possible, discover what classnames were changed to, I will fix the issue.
It unlikely given the age of the mod/game of the former being possible. Research into the addon , the original developer used a few models made by somone else, whom requested they be changed or removed. I don't think these items were ever "replaced". The Original creator, abandoned the project in 2014 , a new dev took up the project in 2015 and made it a more stable/playable addon, but still did not include these few key items.
Minor complaint 6- This was not a complaint , but more of an observation. There is a lack of persistent storage and character saving going on.
Solution offered- I'm not a database/server guru , but a write to database from a dedicated server seems the only way to realistically offer some form or persistence in these features. As I learn more about it, and HOW to set it up , I will look into adding this feature into the mission.
As it stands , Single player saves of course save your progress.
Multiplayer though , if someone is hosting can save progress I think. If not , progress will remain as long as the server is running , but everything will default back to the start if reset or shut down and started up again later.
Explanation - i'm only one person , and seriously have no idea how to do databases, or set it up so Arma2 oa directs information to a database for this, or how to script say " personal locker" for some persistent storage for characters. Not yet at least.