Urban Strife - turn-based zombie survival RPG - now available on Early Access

[Alienman]

I hope you guys base your zombie virus on the coronavirus... for that extra marketing

 

[USG_Mucifikatorul]

I hope you guys base your zombie virus on the coronavirus... for that extra marketing

While it has been a very informative period for me as a writer at least, I feel the Coronavirus narrative is so stupid simple it simply would not make it as a decent B movie starring a Tom Cruise wanna be. I had higher hopes for humankind in 2020 lol. Apparently I was wrong.

 

[Infinitron]

Hope everyone is ok and ready for some pretty big news!

White Pond Games studio is announcing a rollcall for a very exclusive FREE PRIVATE ALPHA TEST of our RPG Survival TBS, Urban Strife. We are providing limited, first-time ever access to the new build – and we need people who are willing to playtest extensively, give detailed and informed feedback and help us get the game ready for the Backer Build One. YOU CAN APPLY HERE: https://www.urbanstrifegame.com/pvt-form/

Where would you prefer to receive news and updates about USG? Check all that you follow:

USG Facebook
USG Website
USG Twitter
USG Discord
USG YouTube
By email newsletter
On Bear's Pit
On RPG Codex
Other network/site

Careful with those Facebook links, btw.

 

[USG_Mucifikatorul]

What's wrong with FB links? Did I break anything?

 

[Darth Canoli]

What's wrong with FB links? Did I break anything?

Your link is a fb redirect link

Why not sending the link without the redirection ?
Also, i'd apply but the application form feel like a police report.

 

[Infinitron]

Wait, it shouldn't be anymore. I fixed it last night.

 

[Darth Canoli]

My bad, i didn't check again.

 

[USG_Mucifikatorul]

Ah, doh... bad copy pasta... Thank you for fixing it.

 

[Alienman]

Too late

Spoiler

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12098392/reference

Cred to Jonathan "Zee Cat for finding it.

 

[USG_Mucifikatorul]

Hey folks, there's a new video update on Urban Strife development.
Check out our Advanced AI Cover Logic:



CLOSE QUARTER COMBAT (AI Cover Usage)

Turn 1: Evaluates the player’s position and maximizes damage by shooting multiple times without running to cover.

Turn 2: Because any obstacle breaking the line of fire counts as cover, due to the realistic ballistic simulation (the truck platform can stop bullets aimed lower) the AI takes partial cover without going right next to the truck and is still able to shoot twice this turn.

Turn 3: Takes the best available cover.

and join the USG FREE PRIVATE ALPHA TEST today @ https://www.urbanstrifegame.com/pvt-form/

 

[USG_Mucifikatorul]

Well, in the first turn the AI and the player were on equal footing - both out of cover. And since it is a very aggressive AI, he will go for max damage.
On the turn 2 and 3, the situation changed, the player gained cover. So the AI tried to be on level ground or obtain an advantage again, hence him going behind truck.
Also by going sideways, he performed 1/2 of a flanking maneuver, exposing the player. 1-0 for the AI.

As a general rule, USG Close Combat AI (pistol/shotgun) will always go for maximizing the damage and will think about protection only when he loses the obvious advantage. It works in decision layers (they differ on each type, we're talking here about the pistol/shotgun one):

LAYER 1 - AI wants to maximize his damage (including by flanking). If the potential damage isn't above a certain threshold, it will proceed to the next layer.

LAYER 2 - AI will try to pick the best cover from where he can perform a decent enough attack (again, withing a certain damage threshold). If he cannot find such a tile nearby, he will move on to the next logic layer... an so on and so forth.

Hope it's clear now.

 

[USG_Mucifikatorul]

The above is just one type of enemy. Kind of berserk (if he sees an opportunity, otherwise he's a responsible adult fighting from cover). You should avoid provoking a shotgun wielding enemy from 2 meters away if you're not prepared for what's coming.
But there are also snipers, cowards, melee only dudes... lots of other types that will behave differently.

Anyway, if you ever find yourself facing an angry CQB AI out of cover and in close proximity, you did a boo-boo.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Anyway, if you ever find yourself facing an angry CQB AI out of cover and in close proximity, you did a boo-boo.

No.

 

[Togukawa]

Anyway, if you ever find yourself facing an angry CQB AI out of cover and in close proximity, you did a boo-boo.

No.

Honestly feels more realistic this way. If you have a shot at taking out a single guy in the open, it makes sense to take it, rather than to move into cover. If you can critically injure the other guy, you don't need cover and minimize overall risk to yourself.
It'd be different if it's 1v2 out of cover, and the 1 guy decides to try to kill one of the other 2, instead of moving into cover. That's just suicidal and feels gamey.

 

[USG_Mucifikatorul]

The USG AI is in no hurry to suicide, trust me. It will just evaluate the best outcome and play upon that, just as you (the player) do. It won't kill itself and and it won't kill its mates. As you can see below, if some of its friends are thick as a brick and get in the line of fire, it will spend some precious APs if that means avoiding friendly-fire.

 

[Alphons]

Why am I learning about this game only now?

 

[USG_Mucifikatorul]

Spoiler

We are excited to announce the first public release roadmap for Urban Strife game! So here it is:

- expect the Private Alpha to begin on May 14th with the selected participants
- on June 4th we plan to release our first crowdfunding build (Backer Build 1)
- on July 16th, we will extend the crowdfunding campaign with Backer Build 2

The Private Alpha will test mostly combat and RPG on a single map. The backer builds will bring the first storylines, spanning multiple sectors and including most of the critical game mechanics. We hope you will join us on this exciting road to release and help make Urban Strife the game you have been dreaming of!

 

[Infinitron]

Wait, what crowdfunding?

 

[USG_Mucifikatorul]

Wait, what crowdfunding?

That is what ”backer” builds usually are, no?

 

[Darth Canoli]

What he probably means is "when did it happen ?" or "when is it planned ?"

 

[Infinitron]

Yes, are we to understand that you plan to run a crowdfunding campaign sometime between now and June 4th?

 

[USG_Mucifikatorul]

Yes, at least two backer builds are planned for release. With a couple hours of fun included.

These things have a few purposes.

One obviously is to fund hiring extra hands to help deliver the project / fix the bugs we find / add new features.
The other goal is see how the paying public responds to our ideas and spread the word about the project.
And third, we currently lack funds for any marketing, hence the somehow funny posts such as the one above with ”Why am I learning about this game only now?”. And it is completely normal for that to happen because every social marketing tool out there has evolved into a blood sucking leech that wont spread the word about your project unless you shove money into it.

We plan to be honest about our strife, so to say. You are welcome to sit on the sidelines and wait for a full release, but anyone else who joins, be it as a free alpha tester or as a paying backer, will help a lot.

 

[Infinitron]

Yes, at least two backer builds are planned for release. With a couple hours of fun included.

These things have a few purposes.

One obviously is to fund hiring extra hands to help deliver the project / fix the bugs we find / add new features.
The other goal is see how the paying public responds to our ideas and spread the word about the project.
And third, we currently lack funds for any marketing, hence the somehow funny posts such as the one above with ”Why am I learning about this game only now?”. And it is completely normal for that to happen because every social marketing tool out there has evolved into a blood sucking leech that wont spread the word about your project unless you shove money into it.

We plan to be honest about our strife, so to say. You are welcome to sit on the sidelines and wait for a full release, but anyone else who joins, be it as a free alpha tester or as a paying backer, will help a lot.

I'm still not sure I follow. It sounds like what you're planning might not be to run a proper crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter or some other platform, but simply to sell an early version of the game on your website (so it won't be on Steam as an Early Access game yet either)?

 

[USG_Mucifikatorul]

We are considering all options, but BBs seem a bit fair to us, since the backers actually get to play something even before the final release. A classic KS campaign is just promises.
Also the backers get a full game key included so when everything comes to Steam they actually pay once and get both an early version of the game (BB) and the final one.

Maybe we're wrong about KS, but atm that's where we stand.

Steam Early Access, unless you have an 80-90% finished game is bound to be a lot of negative reviews. So before we get there, we need to put in a lot of work.

 

[Infinitron]

We are considering all options, but BBs seem a bit fair to us, since the backers actually get to play something even before the final release. A classic KS campaign is just promises.
Also the backers get a full game key included so when everything comes to Steam they get everything free. Maybe we're wrong, but atm that's where we stand.

I understand, it's just not what we usually think about here when we hear the term "crowdfunding".