Suggestion towards the Avalanche/GZ team

General Discussion
1

Greetings, Devs:

I would like to suggest, to halt further adding of anything not machine related, and to focus on the machine AI primarily.

Machine AI issues:
Machines often fail to identify and acknowledge threat.

Machines, once acknowledging threat, often fail to respond within a DECENT amount of time (e.g.: it sometimes takes up to 12 seconds to start their actions vs the acknowledged threat, which is just, excuse me my French here, ridiculous, even if it is a 4bit AI, it should be virtually instantaneous reaction from their part).
Take the Apollo Guidance computer: though it was 1969, the thing was dang fast for what it needed to do, and yet, if you consider just how “high tech” it is, compared to a fairly modern calculator…

Machines sometimes fail to do anything.
Just standing there, getting dead by folks shooting at it, such as myself.
Once, months ago, I just waited, seeing how long it would take, for the machine to wake up.
Well…
I could still be waiting right now, if I had taken the time.
Seems… not that good, to me?
Please do tell me if I am wrong, I mean, I’m just a simple man, I do not get it all. :stuck_out_tongue:

I have had machines that I engaged, ignoring my attacks.
These were always a slightly farther distance, which makes me think, there’s a problem with their detection/aggression range?
Or there’s an issue with them registering the attacks/damage they receive.
I would consider this a bug, seeing, even Proto’s are still military machines, and thus should be reacting, even if farther out.
Correct me if I am wrong, please.

Machines getting damage, and running off, never to be seen again.
A bit odd: machines know no fear, and if it was a tactical retreat (repair, calling for support and returning to the battle field), I can appreciate that.
But just taking off, “scared”, seems just… uh… not really immersive…

TL;DR
Machines kaput.
Need fix.

Secondly:
So many have requested more machine types.
Having 4 machine types (not including seekers/ticks as I do not even consider these machines, but mere an annoyance) just does not cut it.
If you read on the forum, there have been “one or two” suggestions for new machine types, so if you need an idea… might be a good idea to read up on some of these.

Well, I’ll conclude my post here.
Feel free to react, can’t wait to see your reactions. :slight_smile:

1 Like
2

Or non reactions.

Nice post!

2 Likes
3

Thank you, sir, much appreciated. :slight_smile:

1 Like
4

Nice read and I agree that the machine AI and weaponry (especially gas and flame throwers are cheaply implemented) needs some improvements. But I wouldn’t go that far to say it’s “kaputt”.

Surely the loosing of aggro regarding the machines while the player is 5 seconds in the inventory is ridiculous. Seems to me that the inhabitants of the island just should have inspected their closets for a couple of seconds :joy:

I would love to see more tactics from the machines. Since runner can enter houses they should do try to enter the once when the player hides inside. Doors should be destructable like windows (but should be somewhat sturdier of course).

Unless the AI get’s more improvements I don’t think adding another machine type doesn’t solve anything when they still act like now.
Besides that adding things (melee weapons, machines, the ridiculous crafting system) to a game constantly doesn’t automatically solve the problems you mentioned. I’d rather see improvements to the inventory management (sorting, no reloading of icons etc.) then having new machines added, but that’s just my 2 cents :sweat_smile:

3 Likes
5

@knobitobi
Actually: when a machine just stands there, it having seen you, but failing to act, makes me firmly believe, it actually IS “kaput”. :stuck_out_tongue:
What you, sir? XD

Tactics: very good, also been suggested.
But that would require more work, while the base AI is still… kaput… ish… XD
Doors: this has been suggested long ago as well, though many do not really seem to appreciate machines following people inside houses.

New machine type: This was not to SOLVE any issues, but to break the boredom of 4 machine types and their limited capabilities.
More machine types, each with their respective style, will add a new way of dealing with the game.
Thusfar, it’s been too straightforward.
Also, only 4 machine types could not have taken over a whole country.
So yes, as I see it: Primarily fix AI, then add machine types.
I think… 50… will do? :wink:

Worse, in fact, it makes things worse.
Sure, some of the things are fun, but necessary?
We could get around in the early days with 3 weapons, few bullets, and a lot of patience and being very careful.
Until the AI just… died, almost.
Threat level just is not there any more.
While inventory had a massive update, and sure, quality of life stuff blahblah, it was not a necessity.
Broken machines, in a world overran by machines, now that is a necessity to fix.
Inventory always worked, nice or not, it worked.
Machines just do not.

Game released, if I recall correctly, March 2019.
With the SAME four machines we have.
I think, you can see the issue here, no? :wink:

1 Like
6

This is indeed “kaputt”. What I find pretty annoying is when you have to constantly hold the aggro so the machine doesn’t run away :joy:

Yes, I see. I guess it’s not that easy to implement another machine although I think they are already on it. Pontus doesn’t deny questions for more machine types in the streams. He just says: “we will see”. That sounds promising.

2 Likes
7

Unless you’ve been hearing this since ever. :stuck_out_tongue:

1 Like
8

In-game difficulty level changes the machine aggro range. The higher the difficulty - the bigger machine aggro range there is. So, if you want good aggro range, play on Guerilla, rather than on Adventurer. :wink:

Devs have hinted that new machine type is in the works. What it exactly is - we don’t know but devs gave a possible hint of that machine’s ability: “underground burrowing”.
(Source: one of the dev streams, just after the Generation Zero April 2020 Player Survey poll.)

3 Likes
9

@Aesyle
Ooooh sweeeet…
I hope it’s a spider burrower… that snatches you and drag you in the burrow… like in real life…
I think, that should give quite a kick. XD

1 Like