Survivors, has it been two weeks already? We had the first internal multiplayer play-test of vehicles, Eugen is going to tell you more about it. He also talks about the hit registration issue, which is one of our priorities right now. Adam wants to introduce some changes related to gamma abuse, and Boris shows you how to prolong the burning time of torches.
- Dev Update/Eugen
- Dev Update/Adam
- Dev Update/Boris
Dev Update/Eugen
Dear survivors. Let’s start with something that definitely needs addressing. While I’m happy we've released the PC server files, in regards to the both the PC and Xbox versions, there are some serious flaws that we need to look into.
Priority Issues
For one, hit registration has been quite a problem recently, and I want to talk about what we know so far. While for most you, it seems like your bullets are not registering when hitting players around you, there might be (and probably are) multiple causes to this behavior. From magazines spawning and having ghost bullets (server and client think there is a different amount), through network messages not being sent, to maybe the armor system working incorrectly on specific items and configurations.
We’re looking into different angles. So far, with the use of bots, we are able to reproduce the issue when there are multiple corpses around. It seems like a network issue, so we’re starting with this to eliminate the possible low level cause first. It is also the first course of action because if we can confirm some network messages are not being sent in certain cases, it probably causes much more than incorrect hit registration.
We’re still in the process of debugging when exactly it happens and how. But having a sure way to see it in game helps us a lot. So if by any chance you know how you get your character/weapon/magazine/bullets in desynchronized state, please do report that through the Feedback Tracker.
The second thing I want to mention today is the inventory implementation on Xbox. We know it needs to get our love and attention. We will soon be reaching out to you and we'll be interested in your feedback.
Other than that, we are preparing a patch for the PC Experimental branch, ideally containing the fixes to the hit registration issue, as well as other smaller changes based on your feedback. From log upgrades to the ability to set a Steam query port for ease of DDOS setup when hosting a server, and some more.
Progress towards Experimental BETA
We've recently had our first multiplayer playtest of vehicles on the new implementation and the first results are promising. Once we have more to share about the patch, we will do so, both here and other channels. But the current state leaves us with two major, risky features in terms of overall update stability: vehicles and base building. The rest are going through rounds of intense QA testing to make sure we’re not missing something game-breaking.
So let’s get back to work and see you in game once we''re ready for further Stress Test.
- Eugen Harton / Lead Producer
Dev Update/Adam
Nighttime in DayZ should be dark and terrifying. It should force you into using any light source you have available. Having an ability to light up your surroundings should be just as vital as having enough water and food. Shutting off your light should only be required in case of an emergency. Also, when night vision goggles make their way into the game (which is something we still want to do in the future, but not in BETA), they should be a rare, powerful thing that can turn their owners into potential predators, not a laughing stock for people avoiding night-time by turning the night into a day by cranking up a gamma slider (be it through drivers or display settings).
The removal of the in-game gamma slider was but a first step towards making the very frequent gamma abuse more complicated to do. In today's status report, I'm going to present another step towards making the night-time a en equal playing field for everyone (at least as much as we're actually able to do that).
A survivor scouting Myshkino military camp using flashlight mounted on his AKM, unaware of a danger hidden in a shadow.
Please keep in mind that this is still very much experimental feature and we will be tweaking it based on your feedback (once it hits public branches). We have also taken a look on the global light config again (adjusting some dusk and dawn values), boosted up brightness of all available light sources and we will be taking a closer look at the CE setup to make sure there is always enough light sources within the game world.
- Adam Franců / Map Designer
Dev Update/Boris
Greetings survivors! Lately, there has been some effort invested into improving night gameplay across multiple departments (Adam will share more on that as well). So I'd like to report on one of the contributions I did in this regards, which is a refactor of the craftable torch.
Firstly, the torch now contains an attachment slot for rags, which allows players to prolong its burning time by adding more than one rag on it. You can also refill its stock while it's burning, which means you don't have to craft a new torch after running out of fuel for the current one. The latest Experimental branch on Steam already contains this change so you can try this out for yourself.
Additionally, in BETA, refueling will be possible to do through a crafting user action without the need to open inventory. As usual, this will be done through a quick bar or an interaction with a relevant item on the ground.
Secondly, you'll be able to even further prolong the burning time by coating the torch with animal lard. Such upgrade is mainly useful for base builders, as it allows them to craft a long-lasting source of light that can be placed anywhere without the need of frequent refueling.
Using gasoline as fuel is being considered, but currently, it's not implemented yet.
Lastly, the amount of fuel on the torch will be represented by its quantity bar, so you will always know how much time you have left before it goes cold.
With these changes, this basic item is more interesting to use while giving it some connections to other activities like hunting, base building and collecting clothes or rags.
- Boris Vacula / Scripter
Header image by Sp1kerZ.