Dead State beta is quite a content upgrade. I couldn't even get that far due to the save bug and ended around 16 days in. And it still felt like there was tons to do after that. I generally like the shelter management aspects. Though it needs interface improvements to streamline the process from becoming a chore. Once you get 10+ followers shelter management takes too much time.
Also the exploration is pretty good. Some of the areas get samey after awhile in layout. But the enemy placement and various world building tricks work to keep it slightly unpredictable. To me this should be a big area of focus going forward. I would also like to see a few more complex/larger areas instead of the typical Burger joint + gas station + empty space type feeling some of them have. Combat areas like the car dealership are good and the game needs more of these.
I also like the items/loot in the world. All the weapons feel unique and have varying attacks. The found luxury item variety is nice and it genuinely is exciting on later maps where goods are rarer to find a big cache.
Generally speaking I'm not happy at all with the PC writing. Your character either sounds like he doesn't give a shit or a nihilistic fuck. Very little in-between. Other writing is better. I like the radio sequences for example. And Doug is hysterical.
Combat is mixed but leans toward competent while boring. It needs to be more
Visceral to spicen it up. And primarily by sound effects. Characters needs to grunt or yell when shot/knocked down.
It's also heavily dependent on if you get caught off guard or not. When you are caught off guard combat can be legitimately challenging/fun. But if you engage in combat of your own volition it's a cakewalk 90% of the time even when fighting large groups. One of the issues is that there is almost no incentive to take less than an extremely capable combat party on most excursions. I played several times intentionally with weaker allies and it was A LOT more challenging.
The health system was intended as a way to mix up party composition it seems. You can heal characters at the shelter passively over time and when you have injuries it seems like the game expects you to hold them out a day or two and you bring someone else. Presumably less than ideal. But in reality what happens right now is you either send your weaker party to obviously easier areas on the map for a few days or just heal instantly with the medical satchel.
I think a better design decision would have been to disallow most forms of healing outside the shelter. This would radically change the game but add a seriousness that the combat is sorely lacking right now. I'm not 100% sure how the promised hardcore mode is going to shake out but I don't think this is part of it .
AI seems a lot better than in the 7 day demo (I played it early not after patches), but it's still lacking in some areas. The biggest gripe for me is how slowly the enemies wander over to noisey combat. Example, you get in a fight with 3 looters in a house. In the next room might be 2 more looters. Sometimes they'll wander over late after the first combat is over. Making both combats easy. Sometimes they'll stay right where they are and wait for you. Also making both combats easy. Other times they'll head over quickly and make it 5 vs 4. Much more entertaining, especially when it's unexpected. MORE of this please.
Nitpicks and annoyances -
The perks poping up after adding points in character screen is annoying. Add a summary or something afterward instead. Also the font could be bigger.
Why does animation speed slider affect the game speed? should be combat only or seperate.
Joel's dialog says he wont let you take his weapon yet you can take it from the shelter storage screen without having even talking to him.
Asking davis "anything to improve your mood" should not end dialog. - this actually goes for several characters.
it should be more obvious when there are other dialog options, the scroll bar is easy to miss -
http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m468/SniperHF/itsprettyhardtoseethatsidebarondialog.png
Weird graphics shifting when zooming -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iCrq7ZfapY
It's very annoying to switch gear around every day. When I change my in party line up I move my best gear to the new party members but this takes significant time every day. The menu issues make it worse.
Suggestions:
AP cost for merely looking at your inventory blows ass. - Make it like AOD. If combat is supposed to be tactical, surveying your tactical options should not cost points. There are too many items and characters to remember it all. Equiping the gun, moving the item, or using a consumable should cost. NOT just looking at them.
Add information in more places. It should be possible to see all your characters attributes and skills on one screen. It should be possible to see things like the Fence HP somewhere outside of the job board. Not having your characters stats on the shelter storage screen makes it a HUGE pain to allocate equipment.
I saw no way to loot a knocked out human enemy. I had to murder them first. Seems kinda mean. I'd probably turn the choice of leaving them alive or killing them into a mechanic. Killing too many humans lowers morale in sane people for example.
Number pad should work for dialog numbers.
TAKE ALL HOT KEY
Page up and down should be camera tilt, home should send camera to character.
Why not 1-2-3-4 for character switching.
Add feedback for successful lockpick. A text bark or something.
Companions – include a summary for skill improvements on companions?
Unlock doors from the other side. Seems kinda dumb that you can't do this without a pick.
More stuff to do in your room? - seems pretty empty in there.
Increase the base volume of ambient music on locations. I can barely hear it on full.
Weapon speed should be a stat on the list with damage. Only way I can see it now is to equip it.
Party members should shout when someone dies.
Add a map filter to only show unexplored locations.
You should consider making renee an even less competent fighter. They each don't want the other to go in the field but both make sense as a pair skill wise. - it feels like a non-choice.
The way new party members join feels unnatural. It should require you to head back or maybe send a guide with them back to base.
I wish more areas started with an event or sequence isntead of dumping you on a grid.
Maybe add a sound effect when the zombie tries the lunge/knockdown attack. From the human that is. - screaming in horror or something.
Looting costs no AP? - this is an exploit. Should cost AP during combat.
You can find a random encounter twice and they'll still be dead. Maybe they could turn into zombies?
Loot screen needs character selection like transfer.
Stuff I like:
Lack of kill XP works here. You don't have incentive to kill dangerous zombie groups but when you get into unexpected combat the zonbies and such will hear you.
IMO something understated is the level design / zombie placement, its pretty good.
I like weapons having unique attacks, like brain jab.
The All dead inside trick was a nice touch. - more tricks like this. Of course sometimes all the dead must actually be inside.
Outstanding questions:
Does survival from companions help on world map for travel? Or only the PC?
Is more health gained when not working? If so this should be more obvious.
Where do you see what ammo type a weapon uses?
Still not really sure how other party skills help you, like negotiation or survival.
Some of the special attacks are pretty unclear as to what they do.
Random observations:
I can't be the only one who reads Doug as Jeff Goldblum/Malcom from Jurrasic park right?
Is there any logical reason to take less than 4 people out?
If you have music muted the game is VERY quiet. And not in a good eery sort of way. It's quiet to the point of boring.
Seems like there is a lot of food. - is this intended as part of gameplay only to get more rare later?
Bugs and such:
The Max getz gate wake up scene happend late in my game. On day 9. He was already availible for party use 2 days prior.
Whe Vic comes to talk about the fence, does he mean fully repair it? Or the wood fence upgrade? Vic also repeated this?
Somehow I eneded up with 5 people in my party. -
http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m468/SniperHF/lol5partymembers.png
The shattered perk is on elaine after she 'recovers'. Is this intended or placeholder?
After renee and anita argue about who goes in the field the 2nd time anita faces the wall for some reason.
Sometimes players start on top of each other in combat, usually when moving.
The day after Todd arrives he says he can "no logner support my leadership". This is dumb. Also pricilla intiated two dialogs on the same day right after arriving. Again dumb. Let it simmer alittle. Pricilla immediately asked for the day to pray, then asked again for the day to pray because of the cop lady from before they arrived.
Combat camera got stuck outside a building. -
http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m468/SniperHF/camerastuckoutsidebuilding.png
After a crisis the camera got all fucked up -
http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m468/SniperHF/camerabugafterasheltercrisis.png