KickStarter ATOM RPG - Wasteland Soviet style! - now with Dead City update

[PrettyDeadman]

Shame difficulty is determined by perk count. Removing tools from players to up the challenge is kinda meh. Thats lazy and decline right there :/

They might as well remove half of quest (less xp = more difficulty) and half of equipment (higher end guns), that would surely make the game more difficult...

 

[Darth Canoli]

We decided to go against level scaling and enemy scaling very early on, because the wounds caused by some then new rpgs with scaling were still fresh. Plus we got verbally abused and levelscaling-shamed on the codex! Plus, that system we got there, it's... how should I put it. Rigid as F. Thus, this was the compromise.

It's not like i'm advocating for level scaling, i hate it when it's done wrong, and it's almost always done wrong.

Still, a shame it's another solo game with some drones following.

 

[HoboForEternity]

We decided to go against level scaling and enemy scaling very early on, because the wounds caused by some then new rpgs with scaling were still fresh. Plus we got verbally abused and levelscaling-shamed on the codex! Plus, that system we got there, it's... how should I put it. Rigid as F. Thus, this was the compromise.

It's not like i'm advocating for level scaling, i hate it when it's done wrong, and it's almost always done wrong.

Still, a shame it's another solo game with some drones following.

what example are level scaling done right?

 

[Darth Canoli]

Wizardry 8, every area has a level range, monsters don't scale higher than their limit.
It could have been polished a little more, like having some areas scaling average party level -1 for example but i find it very satisfying.

 

[Üstad]

We decided to go against level scaling and enemy scaling very early on, because the wounds caused by some then new rpgs with scaling were still fresh. Plus we got verbally abused and levelscaling-shamed on the codex! Plus, that system we got there, it's... how should I put it. Rigid as F. Thus, this was the compromise.

It's not like i'm advocating for level scaling, i hate it when it's done wrong, and it's almost always done wrong.

Still, a shame it's another solo game with some drones following.

How can you do it in a correct way?

 

[Iluvcheezcake]

Yeah, Wiz 8 did it nicely

 

[Feyd Rautha]

Unless you meant that homeless person looking guy, because one of my buds used the photo of a swedish novelist for that one.

whom?

 

[Murk]

BTW re: difficulty -- I played the entire game solo on the normal difficulty and it was... fine. Did a melee build with the crit-focus on hard after and also, fine (again, solo). I had to retry a few fights, sure, but that's part of the fun. Seeing what works and what doesn't.

 

[HoboForEternity]

Are melee still severely gimped and you just have to make a gang of assault rifle'd hobos?

 

[Murk]

Are melee still severely gimped and you just have to make a gang of assault rifle'd hobos?

Melee is OP if you build for it, but if you just want to have it as a backup then you're better off with an SMG or rifle.

 

[Bergblatstein]

Planned for Trudograd are: melee option for rifles with bayonet, kyu gunto katana, a big euro sword, spear, polearm. Some of that is gonna die before being born, but hopefully some will survive.

If it dies, it dies. All we can demand is that you vote NO! on abortion.

Spoiler

Anyway, here's a poorly drawn concept art of the KHOLODETC, a highly original acidic blob character do not steal.

DOOD! Shoot the pink part, its GOT YOUR SHOE!

 

[Murk]

BTW, one thing I forgot to mention in my ramblings, was the idea of alternate attacks.

The knife gets stab/slash, melee gets the combo and special punches/kicks when unarmed, some guns get different bursts etc.

Please more of that, perhaps some attack types that do less damage but penetrate armor more, or are more likely to inflict stun/blind/disarm but do less damage, etc. Just more "tactical options" in general. I think you have a ton of room to experiment with different grenade types and custom made ammo types too -- especially with the crossbow (and other crafted weapons). Explosive arrows, poison arrows, net launchers, etc.

 

[Heretic]

https://steamcommunity.com/games/552620/announcements/detail/1602642307647595840

Patch 1.109: Isometric Mode and Much More
The game now has an isometric mode and many new fixes and features our players asked for!

Hello, friends!

It is time to publish yet another large patch for the game. This time around we fixed all of the new bugs the community found, as well as optimized the soundscape, left handed person accessibility, and controller support for the game.

Also, we added the new camera mode to the game, that puts the view into isometric projection. This mode is a new feature we are developing for the Trudograd standalone expansion, but we just couldn’t stop ourselves from adding it into the original game as well, both for testing purposes and because we think you just might like it. The mode can be toggled from the menu.

Speaking of Trudograd, the development is going swimmingly. The standalone expansion now features 20+ characters, with unique portraits and dialogues, 10+ quests, a new mob enemy, and a few new mechanics. You can follow our work at our social media accounts if you want:

Thank you for being with us, and let there be ATOM!

Changelog:

• Isometric mode now available in the game’s settings;
• Added “Pause when the game is minimized” function as an option that can be turned on and off;
• Added the “clean log on load” option;
• Left alt, shift and ctrl keys now work like the right ones;
• New Steam Achievement;
• Added various new sounds to the game and overhauled UI sounds;
• New AI for the Shog monster;
• Slot is highlighted when you are pointing at an interactive object;
• Enemy info is shown when in party member ordering mode;
• Additional melee damage caused to downed enemies;
• Faster global map travel (speed depends on Survival skill);
• Bears can now stand on hind legs at times, also their AI was improved;
• When checking for encounter avoidance, item and trait bonuses are considered correctly;
• Starting kit bonus is now calculated correctly;
• Shower in Red Fighter cured 300 radiation poisoning instead of 50;
• Four Legged Knight and Praetorian are fixed;
• Technophobe distinctinction players do not get recipes at start, even with large INT;
• Fixed the Savage Hunter distinction bonuses;
• Fixed the Circus Education distinction balance;
• Savage shield now added to basic recipes;
• Coffee, chifir and herb effects now last longer;
• Fixed the wounded bandit’s quest;
• Fixed rare game crash that happened when the player moved to a new location wearing the hazmat suit;
• Opened locations on the global map are highlighted more;
• Added a marker that points to where the character is standing when he is not on the screen;
• Added achievement statistics to the game;
• Better non mutant animal models added;
• You can now pause and load during enemy turn;
• Fixed ventilation shaft bug in Dead City bunker;
• New, improved ragdoll system finalized;
• Visual skybox glitch in certain cinematics fixed;
• Exit zones in random metro encounters are fixed;
• Linux-exclusive bug with random symbols appearing in character biographies fixed;
• New animations added;
• Fixed the Dzhulbars encounter balance;
• Unique stat descriptions for Dzhulbars;
• Cooking at a campfire or stove now benefits whole party;
• Sprites improved on global map;
• Every animal in the game has new phrases when talked to after consuming a potion;
• Dual Shock 4 Wireless is now supported;
• A huge amount of lesser bugs, typos, and translation issues fixed.

Spoiler

 

[Commissar Draco]

Planned for Trudograd are: melee option for rifles with bayonet, kyu gunto katana, a big euro sword, spear, polearm. Some of that is gonna die before being born, but hopefully some will survive.

Give me my Moshinka with bayonet, hundred rounds of ammo and liter of spirit and I will shoot and bayonet every trostkyst nazi mutant scum I will find in Stalingrad Tutograd Comrade.

 

[Jinn]

That isometric mode is beautiful!

 

[Murk]

I love it when good things get even better.

edit:

• Bears can now stand on hind legs at times, also their AI was improved;

Spoiler

(1:52 specifically)

We really need someone to pip up about how it's "not actually isometric but cavalier oblique" for maximum TimCainism.

 

[Bergblatstein]

Great timing on the patch.

 

[Atomboy]

Hey, gamers!

Plus we got verbally abused and levelscaling-shamed on the codex!

As well you should have and thank you for listening when it happened!

You really are the best developer to have ever been on the codex, in my opinion. Such great communication, openness to well-argued criticism, and willingness to defend your ideas logically and pleasantly. Have all my brofists forever.

Thank you very much, dude. Codex delivers a lot of awesome advice, so I'll never drop it!

That isometric mode is beautiful!

Oh, I pray that there won't be a location we forgot to test that will make items or doors unusable in iso mode. So far so good tho. I agree that it looks sexy, and it actually doesn't cripple the gameplay! First time we tried it two years ago, it made the game unplayable :D

I don't see any portraits you posted later on, but I remember checking every possible person you could've meant, and they were all random people we know. Basically, after paying our respects with the first few hundred portraits, we went straight to random people with written permissions, just in case, you know. I don't think there was anyone whom I would like to pay tribute to in the game by the time we got to the hull and other late game locations. Unless you meant that homeless person looking guy, because one of my buds used the photo of a swedish novelist for that one.
I'm really glad you liked the later parts, they stand out for me too. Thank you very much, man! If you only knew the fears Trudograd gives me, you'd know how much this is appreciated! :DD

Oh man, I totally blanked on posting the portraits. Thanks for the reminder man, and after how great you guys did, I have absolute confidence Trudograd will be a righteous game too.

This is the dude I am curious about:

And for the one I thought was tay-tay, just as an oddity, was Lena Death:

Though looking at it again, I'm not as convinced (not as much as say Dunya being Allison Hannigan).

While I'm at it, here are some random disjointed thoughts that you may find useful (or a total waste of time! I'll spoiler it to conserve space; but regardless of any criticism I offer -- I just want to reiterate that I loved this game, through and through.)

Spoiler

• I liked that you guys kept a properly thematic UI in the same style as Fallout. I personally hate the trend of many modern games to all have this generic UI that has no real fit or place, and uses a monochrome 'silhouette' style of icons. Think Witcher 3, Last of Us, or more recently Remnant: From the Ashes. What I think could be a good improvement, particularly when we have to wait for the character to run from point A to point B, is to allow them to use the inventory menu and the character screen without stopping movement. This already works for the map and journal, which is great, but this is an ideal time to go over one's inventory or stats and just check things out. It helps cut down on the "wait until you get there" tedium and let's you avoid otherwise "wasting time" on going through your items or checking gear stats.

• Some of the perks/abilities are really lopsided. I know you guys redid these very thoroughly, so I appreciate that it's an iterative process, but if you're open to feedback then I'd suggest the following. Don't have all abilities/perks cost the same, as some are very strong and others are just minor benefits. The melee branch specifically has 2 extremely strong abilities (namely First Blood and Quick Reaction -- First Blood is borderline OP with the 'unlucky optimist' trait and something as efficient as the Quality Knuckleduster doing an aimed shot for the eye -- you can one shot pretty much everything.) I would suggest instead that the stronger abilities be at the end of the trees (which they mostly are now) and that the price of the ability goes up the farther you get in the tree (as well as how many you already have; just less so than now) and the "early" abilities are cheaper to get. This way you have to really decide "do I want that powerful ability that gives me 50% extra AP or 20% extra custom weapon damage.... or do I want to get 3 other smaller abilities that will help, like regen or carry weight).

• This game is gun porn in many ways and I love that aspect of it; I enjoyed collecting ammo, different guns, trying things out and seeing which I liked. However, after the initial excitement, there's some clear overlap and redundancy in both what you can buy and what you can make. The Quality Zip Gun and the Percussion Revolver+ for example are pretty much the same thing, only one uses 9mm and one uses .30... why not make it so the zip gun is stronger but has a crappier ammo capacity where-as the revolver has more bullets but does less damage per shot. Or something else, but as of now the only real difference is the ammo type usage but they're both pretty cheap ammo so you never really have to pick between one and the other. Afterall, if you can afford the toolbox you can probably afford 9mm or .30 rounds. Same with the melee branch -- the Knife Knuckle Duster is kind of meh compared to the Battle Glove (I'm leaving the boom glove out cuz it's unique). The glove is basically better since it has higher stun rate, more damage, costs fewer AP to use, and also requires a lower skill threshold to use. Something just to differentiate them would be cool, this generally applies to how much the glove/knuckledusters overlap, but particularly to these two because one is just an objectively better option than the other (save for skinning animals which you can get from another source.) Why not make it so the knife-knuckle can pierce armor more easily? Or perhaps some other side benefit -- it's AP cost is higher, so maybe make it so it does more damage? This applies to other weapons too, but many of the ranged weapons can be argued are fine cuz their AP costs are so different or they have different effective ranges. With the melee ones it just stands out much more. I think the way you separated the sniper rifle path and the multi-barrel shotgun path (of custom made weapons) is a good example of how you can make them unique but equally useful in different circumstances.
• Having said all that, I loved how useful crafting was and look forward to more in the next game!

• I enjoyed all the in dialog stat/skill checks, even the small ones that just gave you extra fluff dialog and some minor xp. I think it's a great sign of a game's quality when "more of the game" is reward enough for having a build that has high luck or personality or whatever. Having said that, it's clearly overstacked in favor of Speechcraft and I'd argue Strength (though there's a ton of attention too, just that STR can make a hard fight turn into an easy one in many cases).

• Talking about skills, please offer more of an explanation in what they mean and what they do -- you don't have to go all out in being explicit in the vein of "59% chance to succeed" necessarily, but basically such that I wouldn't need to ask in Forums if stealth is always on or if it's just used in some cases. Perhaps even just a "passive" tag in the description? Same with stuff like First Aid. No clue what it does, never bothered to take it.

• Add a hotkey for 'unlock' please!

Okay that's enough, I'll just cap it off with saying the art in the loading screens is rad and I loved reading all the random graffiti spread all over the game world on walls and in tunnels.

Yeah, the guy is a player's grandpa used with permission, and I think Lena Death was a stock photo found by typing традиционная русская красавица крестьянка девушка бесплатные фото aka traditional russian beauty peasant woman girl free photo or something like that.
Now on those awesome points you made!
First one - I totally agree, tho I can understand how a lot of people finds it terribly outdated, and cringy, I love those interfaces. UI should be huge and sexy, covering a large portion of the screen, in order for me to feel right at home. As with most stuff in the game, we make it because we like it and screw those modern conveniences! As for game not pausing while in menu, I thiiink it was in the last patch. I know it was planned, but did we manage to do it? I'll only find out tomorrow, atom dudnt work on this PC!
Second point - I totally agree once more, the goddamn tree, and most of the thingies you can pick to customize your char aren't broken, but they could've been much better. I'll be honest, none of us likes RPG combat \ making rpg combat, so we passed the whole char development and combat process to the one guy who wanted to do it. He's a big brained person and a cool guy and I'm not just saying this because he'll read this post as soon as I post it, but without help, he made some mistakes. After noticing how many people thought the balance was screwed, I joined him, and together we made something one can work with. A few adjustments were made even in today's patch. We're not overhauling the system completely, because it would make everyone's save file obsolete and we'd get dunked on, but we're doing all we can to make it tolerable. In Trudograd the system will still be a derivative of this one because of the save transfer we promised, but it will be at least two times better, with a ton of codex recommendations in it. Same can probably be said about the weapon issues you mentioned later on.

Stealth is also going through certain changes for Trudograd, tho tbh right now I'd feel better with the old shitty always-on stealth than the monster we created :D Maybe it will change. The Passive tag is a pretty elegant thing, I agree. Also on Checks, Trudograd already has more Gambling and Tech checks then the whole of Atom :D We're trying to make more skills viable in dialogues.

Unlock hotkey is a cool idea, I'll make someone think about it.

And on the topic of graffiti, yeah, that's a must and always will be. It probably shows that I make those in paint, but who cares!
Thanks man!

Shame difficulty is determined by perk count. Removing tools from players to up the challenge is kinda meh. Thats lazy and decline right there :/

Shame difficulty is determined by perk count. Removing tools from players to up the challenge is kinda meh. Thats lazy and decline right there :/

They might as well remove half of quest (less xp = more difficulty) and half of equipment (higher end guns), that would surely make the game more difficult...

I agree, dudes. Allowing this was our third worst mistake in all of the dev process, and you can't just fix it now, since it's gonna ruin everyone's save game. Well, it's not as dramatic as I put it maybe, because it's playable, and we're not the first ones with such a system, but it's shit, that's true. The only good news is no way am I allowing this shiet in the expansion. Trudograd will mostly get it's difficulty out of enemy quantity and equipment, as well as harder or easier skill checks and maybe restorative item effects.

BTW, one thing I forgot to mention in my ramblings, was the idea of alternate attacks.

The knife gets stab/slash, melee gets the combo and special punches/kicks when unarmed, some guns get different bursts etc.

Please more of that, perhaps some attack types that do less damage but penetrate armor more, or are more likely to inflict stun/blind/disarm but do less damage, etc. Just more "tactical options" in general. I think you have a ton of room to experiment with different grenade types and custom made ammo types too -- especially with the crossbow (and other crafted weapons). Explosive arrows, poison arrows, net launchers, etc.

You're a mind reader dude :D For Trudograd we're currently testing different types of punches and kicks you get with higher stats, and two new grenade types. Again, might get scrapped before release, but we are testing rn.

Unless you meant that homeless person looking guy, because one of my buds used the photo of a swedish novelist for that one.

whom?

The other NPC on the deck. And the writer is unknown. The guy who drew him forgot, and then said he might've been Finnish (((

https://steamcommunity.com/games/552620/announcements/detail/1602642307647595840

Patch 1.109: Isometric Mode and Much More
The game now has an isometric mode and many new fixes and features our players asked for!

Hello, friends!

It is time to publish yet another large patch for the game. This time around we fixed all of the new bugs the community found, as well as optimized the soundscape, left handed person accessibility, and controller support for the game.

Also, we added the new camera mode to the game, that puts the view into isometric projection. This mode is a new feature we are developing for the Trudograd standalone expansion, but we just couldn’t stop ourselves from adding it into the original game as well, both for testing purposes and because we think you just might like it. The mode can be toggled from the menu.

Speaking of Trudograd, the development is going swimmingly. The standalone expansion now features 20+ characters, with unique portraits and dialogues, 10+ quests, a new mob enemy, and a few new mechanics. You can follow our work at our social media accounts if you want:

Thank you for being with us, and let there be ATOM!

Changelog:

• Isometric mode now available in the game’s settings;
• Added “Pause when the game is minimized” function as an option that can be turned on and off;
• Added the “clean log on load” option;
• Left alt, shift and ctrl keys now work like the right ones;
• New Steam Achievement;
• Added various new sounds to the game and overhauled UI sounds;
• New AI for the Shog monster;
• Slot is highlighted when you are pointing at an interactive object;
• Enemy info is shown when in party member ordering mode;
• Additional melee damage caused to downed enemies;
• Faster global map travel (speed depends on Survival skill);
• Bears can now stand on hind legs at times, also their AI was improved;
• When checking for encounter avoidance, item and trait bonuses are considered correctly;
• Starting kit bonus is now calculated correctly;
• Shower in Red Fighter cured 300 radiation poisoning instead of 50;
• Four Legged Knight and Praetorian are fixed;
• Technophobe distinctinction players do not get recipes at start, even with large INT;
• Fixed the Savage Hunter distinction bonuses;
• Fixed the Circus Education distinction balance;
• Savage shield now added to basic recipes;
• Coffee, chifir and herb effects now last longer;
• Fixed the wounded bandit’s quest;
• Fixed rare game crash that happened when the player moved to a new location wearing the hazmat suit;
• Opened locations on the global map are highlighted more;
• Added a marker that points to where the character is standing when he is not on the screen;
• Added achievement statistics to the game;
• Better non mutant animal models added;
• You can now pause and load during enemy turn;
• Fixed ventilation shaft bug in Dead City bunker;
• New, improved ragdoll system finalized;
• Visual skybox glitch in certain cinematics fixed;
• Exit zones in random metro encounters are fixed;
• Linux-exclusive bug with random symbols appearing in character biographies fixed;
• New animations added;
• Fixed the Dzhulbars encounter balance;
• Unique stat descriptions for Dzhulbars;
• Cooking at a campfire or stove now benefits whole party;
• Sprites improved on global map;
• Every animal in the game has new phrases when talked to after consuming a potion;
• Dual Shock 4 Wireless is now supported;
• A huge amount of lesser bugs, typos, and translation issues fixed.

Spoiler

Thank you, dude! You're awesome. I would've posted it an hour later than you due to lag!

I love it when good things get even better.

edit:

• Bears can now stand on hind legs at times, also their AI was improved;

Spoiler

(1:52 specifically)

We really need someone to pip up about how it's "not actually isometric but cavalier oblique" for maximum TimCainism.

Lol, we already have that guy on the team. Our artist can't stop correcting me when I call it isometric...

 

[Murk]

For anyone who plays with their camera distance maxed out, the isometric mode has some interesting moments in cut scenes :D

edit: so restarted a game and tried something in the beginning fight -- stashed the AK into the tent, curious to see if it would remain (I know the items in there get looted but I thought maybe stashed items you put in manually might stay).

Fucking a toy AK was in there when I checked it.

Touche you potato bastards, hahaha.

 

[Orma]

Why is mountain pass so... ass?

It really feels half-arsed and barebones.

To me the highlight of the game was dead city, which was added later apparently? Really hope trudograd's gonna be more of the same

 

[HoboForEternity]

Why is mountain pass so... ass?

It really feels half-arsed and barebones.

To me the highlight of the game was dead city, which was added later apparently? Really hope trudograd's gonna be more of the same

dead city used to be the most barebone one, that good underground dungeon aside.

 

[Diggfinger]

Excited about the isometric mode!

So Fallout is...(almost) back?



EDIT: MY BAD, FALLOUT IS CAVALIER OBLIQUE

 

[Grotesque]

is the power armor and combat stances in with this update?

EDIT: at least that big ass backpack at the end of the game?

Atomboy

 

[PrettyDeadman]

Isometric mode looks so great!
Can't wait to replay the game.
Feels kinda weird playing it in english instead of russian though.

 

[grimace]

Patch 1.109: Isometric Mode and Much More
The game now has an isometric mode and many new fixes and features our players asked for!

Hello, friends!

It is time to publish yet another large patch for the game. This time around we fixed all of the new bugs the community found, as well as optimized the soundscape, left handed person accessibility, and controller support for the game.

Also, we added the new camera mode to the game, that puts the view into isometric projection. This mode is a new feature we are developing for the Trudograd standalone expansion, but we just couldn’t stop ourselves from adding it into the original game as well, both for testing purposes and because we think you just might like it. The mode can be toggled from the menu.

Speaking of Trudograd, the development is going swimmingly. The standalone expansion now features 20+ characters, with unique portraits and dialogues, 10+ quests, a new mob enemy, and a few new mechanics. You can follow our work at our social media accounts if you want:


Thank you for being with us, and let there be ATOM!

Changelog:

Spoiler

• Isometric mode now available in the game’s settings;
• Added “Pause when the game is minimized” function as an option that can be turned on and off;
• Added the “clean log on load” option;
• Left alt, shift and ctrl keys now work like the right ones;
• New Steam Achievement;
• Added various new sounds to the game and overhauled UI sounds;
• New AI for the Shog monster;
• Slot is highlighted when you are pointing at an interactive object;
• Enemy info is shown when in party member ordering mode;
• Additional melee damage caused to downed enemies;
• Faster global map travel (speed depends on Survival skill);
• Bears can now stand on hind legs at times, also their AI was improved;
• When checking for encounter avoidance, item and trait bonuses are considered correctly;
• Starting kit bonus is now calculated correctly;
• Shower in Red Fighter cured 300 radiation poisoning instead of 50;
• Four Legged Knight and Praetorian are fixed;
• Technophobe distinctinction players do not get recipes at start, even with large INT;
• Fixed the Savage Hunter distinction bonuses;
• Fixed the Circus Education distinction balance;
• Savage shield now added to basic recipes;
• Coffee, chifir and herb effects now last longer;
• Fixed the wounded bandit’s quest;
• Fixed rare game crash that happened when the player moved to a new location wearing the hazmat suit;
• Opened locations on the global map are highlighted more;
• Added a marker that points to where the character is standing when he is not on the screen;
• Added achievement statistics to the game;
• Better non mutant animal models added;
• You can now pause and load during enemy turn;
• Fixed ventilation shaft bug in Dead City bunker;
• New, improved ragdoll system finalized;
• Visual skybox glitch in certain cinematics fixed;
• Exit zones in random metro encounters are fixed;
• Linux-exclusive bug with random symbols appearing in character biographies fixed;
• New animations added;
• Fixed the Dzhulbars encounter balance;
• Unique stat descriptions for Dzhulbars;
• Cooking at a campfire or stove now benefits whole party;
• Sprites improved on global map;
• Every animal in the game has new phrases when talked to after consuming a potion;
• Dual Shock 4 Wireless is now supported;
• A huge amount of lesser bugs, typos, and translation issues fixed.

https://steamcommunity.com/games/552620/announcements/detail/1602642307647595840

Thanks Atomboy


EDIT:

probably best to continue the conversation in this thread:

https://rpgcodex.net/forums/index.p...dead-city-update.114765/page-153#post-6315622