What Was The Game Like On Release? How Has It Changed Since?

General Discussion
1

I keep reading about how many changes and new things have been added since release.

Apparently the starting region (I call it an island even though it’s not) was drastically different.

Can any of you Day 1 (or even beta / prerelease) Resisters tell me what the game was like in the beginning and how it has changed since?

How is the staring region so drastically different?

As always, thanks in advance for any info!

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The starting region was really barren. The only place you don’t see any change made is the very starting point. The first house, the church, the first hunter you meet… it’s all the same just because it worked well in it’s element. Past the point the layout of houses was the same, but it was all in really perfect condition. The only way they really showed abandoned houses were the open doors for some and couple of stray cars. The repetition and empty spaces didn’t break up the fields you had to cross from the civilian region to the first bunker and the next military station.

Everyone expressed that the magic or ‘introduction’ worked only the first hour in to the game. I think most of us agreed that the starting area was good at environmental storytelling, but where everyone kept repeating themselves is that later you kept seeing cookie-cutter houses. Same designs from the outside wasn’t really too bad, until you realized it was the same from the inside as well :smiley:

Overall there was a large visual overhaul that honestly was so refreshing just because it looked different with all the same puzzle pieces. Now they’ve made the change to farmlands and South Coast beyond recognition, but I feel the first time change happened, it was really magical and refreshing. With the massive spike in difficulty, the entirety of Archipelago felt really different to me and refreshing. Of course, beyond it the cartoonish hardcore mode kicked in, but with the intelligent and hard-hitting AI beings in Archipelago, it was really different in the ‘feel’.

Everyone commended the visual change, not the difficulty :smiley: Still, I made the point before that story introduction also needs a visual change in settling you in and capturing interest to ‘fetch’ those quests.

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I’ll name a few things in GZ that has changed since release:

  • Visual overhauls to Archipelago, like Pufty says.
  • Visual overhauls to Farmlands and South Coast. (From latest update, only for PC so far.)
  • Weight based inventory is from the march 2020 update, the old one was grid based.
  • Crafting was also introduced in the march 2020 update, along with new inventory and other stuff.
  • The storage box “Plundra” did not exist. You could only bring along what 4 characters could carry.
  • Rivals and experimental weapons (6*) were introduced about half a year after release.
  • Apocalypse class machines were introduced along with Alpine Unrest DLC.
  • Light machineguns, the KVM 59 and KVM 89. Also came with Alpine Unrest.
  • Melee weapons, the Sledgehammer and Brännboll bat. (From latest update, only for PC so far.)
  • Tanks could not run or charge at you. They were defenseless once you shot their weapons off.
  • Harvesters could not cover themselves and not call in Hunters for support, like they do now.
  • Bikes did not exist.
  • Photo mode did not exist at release, I believe. Not 100% sure though.

…there are probably several things I’ve forgotten to mention, and needless to say, there has been a ton of bug fixes and QOL improvements done. The dev team really listens to the feedback from the community, and I believe they do their best to fix the problems that are reported in.
I feel a bit bad for console players though, who are still waiting for the newest update and DLC. I hope they get it done in august. PC players have already had it for over a month.
But hang tough! The DLC is good, and the fixed AI and difficulty also feel a lot better than the april '20 version that console players are still struggling with. :slight_smile:

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You also missed difficulty options being put in earlier this year also there were events like Semla came for the February update I think and the implementation of the experimental KVM. and for a while we could get firework boxes too.

You are correct

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Since NJR87 already listed main points what has been changed, i can only add timestamps and actual patch notes to that, readable from here: Will this game stay as empty as right now?

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Thank you so Much, everyone!

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