State of Decay 2 |OT| Not a zAAAmbie game

[shiba5]

Second playthrough in Cascade hills, was initially in the North Eastern base which is pretty isolated, just shifted to the SOmething Keogh Garage in the North West, what a base, totally changed my playthrough.

Click to shrink...

That's a cool base except that it's so far out. I'm in the Corner Office which is in the middle of the map, but it's not as nice. Well, except that watching my people fall off the roof all the time is hilarious. They don't take fall damage so it's just funny.

 

[Dervius]

That's a cool base except that it's so far out. I'm in the Corner Office which is in the middle of the map, but it's not as nice. Well, except that watching my people fall off the roof all the time is hilarious. They don't take fall damage so it's just funny.

Click to shrink...

I had considered that one because of it's central location, but it was smaller than the base I had already. The Keogh one is as well, but sems to offer more slots and gives alot of options for different types of bases.

I like quite bog comunities as I like levelling up as many people as possible (an playing into the "save as many as you can" vibe) but I had 12 at the end of my first community. Might go for a small but elite crew this time around.

 

[shiba5]

I do wish this game would get the AAA treatment. I admit that I'd miss some of the "charming" jank, but I'd love better movement and graphics - and even more maps.
It's a weirdly addictive gameplay loop. I finish a community and then immediately start another.
I played the hell out of the first game too.

 

[Dervius]

I do wish this game would get the AAA treatment. I admit that I'd miss some of the "charming" jank, but I'd love better movement and graphics - and even more maps.
It's a weirdly addictive gameplay loop. I finish a community and then immediately start another.
I played the hell out of the first game too.

Click to shrink...

For me it's the feeling that nearly everything I do is progress. The feeling of buidling up your community, your base, your armoury, your people always feels good.

Every time I boot the game up and leave it I always feel like I've achieved something in game. I just wish it was a little more difficult, a la Breakdown in SoD1.

 

[shiba5]

For me it's the feeling that nearly everything I do is progress. The feeling of buidling up your community, your base, your armoury, your people always feels good.

Every time I boot the game up and leave it I always feel like I've achieved something in game. I just wish it was a little more difficult, a la Breakdown in SoD1.

Click to shrink...

Breakdown cracked me up because, at one point, it dumped me in a parking lot and that was "my base". I'm looking around at all the buildings and the game is like, "NO! You will stay in this undefendable parking lot!" Yeah, that was pretty hard. Maybe it was bugged, but it would not let me find a new base.
They might add something like that later. Has there been any talk of DLC?

I don't find the game very hard either. I lost 2 people from my very first community and none since. I've had some close calls, but I go out more prepared for anything now. My biggest fear is getting my car stuck on the environment.

 

[Ushay]

What happens if you start a new community with survivors from previous communities, and they die? Do you lose them from your roster forever or do they get added back?

Click to shrink...

Gone for good.

 

[Dervius]

Breakdown cracked me up because, at one point, it dumped me in a parking lot and that was "my base". I'm looking around at all the buildings and the game is like, "NO! You will stay in this undefendable parking lot!" Yeah, that was pretty hard. Maybe it was bugged, but it would not let me find a new base.
They might add something like that later. Has there been any talk of DLC?

I don't find the game very hard either. I lost 2 people from my very first community and none since. I've had some close calls, but I go out more prepared for anything now. My biggest fear is getting my car stuck on the environment.

Click to shrink...

Lol yeah that sounds bugged.

It's my only real gripe with the game that if you get a basic grasp on the combat and have some patience with resource collecting and such there isn't a great deal of challenge. I've lost two survivors over my two playthroughs, one against a hostile enclave who were far tougher than I anticipated (they were following me) and one very recently taking out a plague heart.

I've been rocking the .50 cal and have been doing them with a lone survivor but I took too long to find the heart, got two shots off but then got hit by it's little AoE damage, and swarmed. Tried to regroup and take the final shot but I got absolutely mobbed and my poor newly recruited survivor got torn to pieces. Careless on my part.

Other than that it's been pretty plain sailing. Not to say I don't enjoy it. I'm addicted to managing my community an my base. Planning scavenging raids etc. Just feel like the danger could be a little more present.

 

[Spyware]

Has there been any talk of DLC?

Click to shrink...

Yeah. Ultimate Edition includes access to this when it releases:
"Daybreak Pack: Take the fight to the zombies in this all-new game mode that introduces a new map with new siege facilities, missions and a variety of events including the challenging new "Horde" mode."

 

[shiba5]

Yeah. Ultimate Edition includes access to this when it releases:
"Daybreak Pack: Take the fight to the zombies in this all-new game mode that introduces a new map with new siege facilities, missions and a variety of events including the challenging new "Horde" mode."

Click to shrink...

I totally forgot about this even though I bought the UE. Thanks.

 

[Neuromancer]

Gone for good.

Click to shrink...

Ok makes sense. So the only way to get them back into the pool of past community members is to fulfill a legacy, right?

 

[Neuromancer]

Yeah. Ultimate Edition includes access to this when it releases:
"Daybreak Pack: Take the fight to the zombies in this all-new game mode that introduces a new map with new siege facilities, missions and a variety of events including the challenging new "Horde" mode."

Click to shrink...

Also "Independence Pack - Celebrate independence with new vehicles, weapons, and gear that have been modified to give you patriotic new ways to mow down zombies."

I imagine it will come out around July 4.

 

[shiba5]

Ok makes sense. So the only way to get them back into the pool of past community members is to fulfill a legacy, right?

Click to shrink...

Yes. You can't even start a 2nd community and pick them. They aren't available again until you finish the community they are in.

 

[honest_ry]

Finished my first play through. Really enjoyed my time with it but don't think I will be playing through a second time.

 

[Ushay]

Ok makes sense. So the only way to get them back into the pool of past community members is to fulfill a legacy, right?

Click to shrink...

Strictly speaking no, I learnt this the hard way. Once that member is dead he can't be reused for other communities.

However if you unlock any legacies, they are permanently unlocked for all playthroughs.

 

[Fredrik]

For me it's the feeling that nearly everything I do is progress. The feeling of buidling up your community, your base, your armoury, your people always feels good.

Every time I boot the game up and leave it I always feel like I've achieved something in game.

Click to shrink...

Yup. I never played SoD1 so I'm blown away by 2 and all the things you can do and the depth gameplaywise, even though it has some jank and the story and dialogue isn't well-presented I really don't understand the scoring when looking at Metacritic, it all seems so incredibly unfair. I have literally put every other game I have on hold because I started playing this. And it all just started with a planned short testrun because it was "free" through Gamepass.

 

[ForgedByGeeks]

I see what you are saying. However, I thought they proved themselves as great game designers and mediocre programmers with the first game.... which we just got more evidence of with the second game. Hopefully they get some excellent programmers and a army of graphic artists for the 3rd game. That's really all they need.

Click to shrink...

I see what you are trying to say, but don't forget they did ramp up their developer employee count for SoD2 and switched engines at the same time. They are still a smaller studio amd no where near AAA size.

regardless of their bugs, they have managed to ship 2 games that people love and both had over 2 million players and the 2nd is still growing. I would be surprised if it broke 4-5 million eventually.

Please also be careful with the "mediocre" programmers claim. Software projects are extremely complex. You can have the best programmers in the words and still deliver a buggy product if requirements are changing rapidly, management is inexperienced with large teams, poor project planning, your top people had to spend most of their time training new hires, hit the mythical man month, etc...

It's way too easy for people to blame programmers for failures when there are many potential root causes. Note: I have run software projects ranging 3 people to over 600 people in size. My historic job has been to find and fix the issues that cause these sorts of problems and it is extremely challenging to do.

 

[shiba5]

I see what you are trying to say, but don't forget they did ramp up their developer employee count for SoD2 and switched engines at the same time. They are still a smaller studio amd no where near AAA size.

regardless of their bugs, they have managed to ship 2 games that people love and both had over 2 million players and the 2nd is still growing. I would be surprised if it broke 4-5 million eventually.

Please also be careful with the "mediocre" programmers claim. Software projects are extremely complex. You can have the best programmers in the words and still deliver a buggy product if requirements are changing rapidly, management is inexperienced with large teams, poor project planning, your top people had to spend most of their time training new hires, hit the mythical man month, etc...

It's way too easy for people to blame programmers for failures when there are many potential root causes. Note: I have run software projects ranging 3 people to over 600 people in size. My historic job has been to find and fix the issues that cause these sorts of problems and it is extremely challenging to do.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, I wouldn't call Ubisoft programmers mediocre (at all), but in Far Cry 5 they fucked up their day and night cycle and couldn't figure out how to fix it for a month. And they just introduced a bug in the latest patch that removes all pre-order items. I can re-install them, but they disappear again as soon as I fast travel. Just proves it can happen to anyone and as the games get more complex, it becomes harder to figure out what is causing the issues.
I think Undead Labs is really talented and they have made 2 really fun games. They just need more polish.

 

[ryan299]

this game is so janky. Keep having cars get clipped through guard rails. lol

I don't really like this game. I was on in for the base building aspect but it's a massive grind and not in a good way. It's honestly not that necessary either. Really liked the first game but this isn't clicking for me at all.

 

[Seductivpancakes]

Helping an allied Enclave.

Allied Enclave: wanna help out if you're not too busy?

I'm fighting off 10 zombies while he's just standing at the door way chillaxing.

 

[Inti]

Locker UI needs an overhaul. Either a sorting option, or separate different weapon/ammo types like this example.

Click to shrink...

Yes, this is needed. At the end when you have a lot of stuff in the locker this becomes very much needed. I mean, it would make it so much practical.

 

[NinjaHound]

.50cal is kind of ruining the challenge of plague hearts. However my biggest challenge is saving enough influence for the container fort

 

[shawnoftheshred]

.50cal is kind of ruining the challenge of plague hearts. However my biggest challenge is saving enough influence for the container fort

Click to shrink...

Sell luxury items to traders (for 30-ish or 100-ish influence each), use the boost on your command center whenever you can (I think it's 20% increase to influence gain?), complete missions that you've been avoiding, etc.

As for the plague hearts, even without the 50 cal they are pretty easy with firecrackers (or other distractions) + explosives and any gun. Not *as* efficient, but usually still doable without getting hit.

 

[Seductivpancakes]

.50cal is kind of ruining the challenge of plague hearts. However my biggest challenge is saving enough influence for the container fort

Click to shrink...

It's not really a challenge. It's just boring no matter what you use. You either use a lot of explosives, melee it, or shoot it to death with small arms.

But it's really annoying to deal with it with melee and small arms fire, so you have one other option, aside from the .50 cal is the explosives.

What's the challenge? Kill some big ass mass for flesh that doesn't move before being swamped by a mass of zombies.

 

[NinjaHound]

Yeah it's not a huge challenge, it's just before it was fun making distractions and stuff and gearing up with explosives where as now it's over in 3 shots. Eh, there's much more interesting things in this game. Last night I was stuck on a roof because a horde and a feral overran the building and I had two bullets in my gun and she was my only gunslinger and on low health.
Only needed one bullet though ;)

But what other purpose is the 50cal for? Juggs?

 

[Seductivpancakes]

One time a plague heart was in a small store front, and I blocked off the back with a vehicle so zombies can only come from the front. I guess that was sort of strategy.

 

[Jintor]

One time a plague heart was in a small store front, and I blocked off the back with a vehicle so zombies can only come from the front. I guess that was sort of strategy.

Click to shrink...

haha shades of GTA back in the day parking cars in various ways to confuse the AI and then peacefully walking through otherwise tense missions

my favourite one was bringing a truck with a ramp on the back to a destruction derby mission and watching all the enemy cars try and ram me and fling themselves into an ocean

 

[Seductivpancakes]

This game is getting more buggy with each passing day.

Alone today, bugs I've never encountered through 4 previous playthroughs

No clip zombies in my base that I can't kill
Invisible zombies in a house I need to clear of infestation
Unable to get out of mod options menu

 

[Dick Justice]

The patch notes mention this: "Elimination of white line that appears when driving at night time". But I'm still seeing that issue. How do I check to ensure that the patch has actually been installed on a UWP game?

 

[Goonie]

The patch notes mention this: "Elimination of white line that appears when driving at night time". But I'm still seeing that issue. How do I check to ensure that the patch has actually been installed on a UWP game?

Click to shrink...

If it says "Version 316034" at the bottom of the in game settings screen, you have the most recent patch!

 

[Seductivpancakes]

I recruited a teammate that was nothing but awful. - 1 labor, -50 percent stamina, -20 percent health, and irritable. First time I exiled someone.

New glitch, I can't get up the sniper tower. I just get stuck on the ramp going up.

 

[Dick Justice]

Is the close combat specialization broken? It never levels up, even though I've been attacking without a melee weapon.

If it says "Version 316034" at the bottom of the in game settings screen, you have the most recent patch!

Click to shrink...

Yeah, seems to be current. So they just haven't fixed it then.

 

[Hella]

Is the close combat specialization broken? It never levels up, even though I've been attacking without a melee weapon.

Click to shrink...

I think that's working as intended. For whatever reason, it takes a lot longer to level up.

It's incredibly powerful, so take care of your close-combat specialists. Nearby followers even comment on what a killing machine they are--it's great.

 

[Dick Justice]

I think that's working as intended. For whatever reason, it takes a lot longer to level up.

It's incredibly powerful, so take care of your close-combat specialists. Nearby followers even comment on what a killing machine they are--it's great.

Click to shrink...

Nah, pretty sure it's glitched. Killed a ton of zombies without a melee weapon, didn't get shit for it.

Started a new community after finishing my first playthrough, the starting home was a near-identical clone of the one in the first playthrough (Drucker County, then Cascade Hills). Disappointing.

 

[shiba5]

Nah, pretty sure it's glitched. Killed a ton of zombies without a melee weapon, didn't get shit for it.

Started a new community after finishing my first playthrough, the starting home was a near-identical clone of the one in the first playthrough (Drucker County, then Cascade Hills). Disappointing.

Click to shrink...

All of the starting homes are identical.

 

[Seductivpancakes]

All of the starting homes are identical.

Click to shrink...

Meaghar Valley's starting base has a unusable garage within it. What a shame. Most of the bases in the game have a lot of unused space as well.

 

[Dick Justice]

First playthrough ended on such a wet fart. Had a Sheriff leader, got some build-up regarding a big bad bandit leader, then the final mission is just going to a factory and shooting two dudes who barely even got a chance to attack me. Then a rousing speech, and credits. First game had a much better story. They should've had a narrative-focused mode, and Breakdown as a separate thing like the first game.

 

[Seductivpancakes]

First playthrough ended on such a wet fart. Had a Sheriff leader, got some build-up regarding a big bad bandit leader, then the final mission is just going to a factory and shooting two dudes who barely even got a chance to attack me. Then a rousing speech, and credits. First game had a much better story. They should've had a narrative-focused mode, and Breakdown as a separate thing like the first game.

Click to shrink...

There's a narrative story being told in the background radio chatter about Red Talon and the Network as well. Only reason I'm still playing.

 

[Dick Justice]

There's a narrative story being told in the background radio chatter about Red Talon and the Network as well. Only reason I'm still playing.

Click to shrink...

And it pretty much leads nowhere.

 

[Seductivpancakes]

And it pretty much leads nowhere.

Click to shrink...

Don't know yet. On my 6th play through and it's still unique dialogue.

Not getting my hopes up but yea I bet it leads to no where.

 

[Grisby]

First playthrough ended on such a wet fart. Had a Sheriff leader, got some build-up regarding a big bad bandit leader, then the final mission is just going to a factory and shooting two dudes who barely even got a chance to attack me. Then a rousing speech, and credits. First game had a much better story. They should've had a narrative-focused mode, and Breakdown as a separate thing like the first game.

Click to shrink...

Yep. I finished too and it's not nearly as good of a story as the first. Which...is kind of bad since the first had a thinbare story. I wish they would have spent more time with unique dialogue for the starting survivors and maybe made a tailored npc or two.

I actually got kind of excited when

Spoiler

Lily came over the radio and talked about Marcus and the crew from the first game.

I at least felt a tad bit of attachment to those folks.

Not as much in the sequel.

Don't know yet. On my 6th play through and it's still unique dialogue.

Not getting my hopes up but yea I bet it leads to no where.

Click to shrink...

Oh, that's alright. It keeps going on a new playthrough eh.

 

[Dervius]

So, i might have screwed up.

Doing a Builder playthrough on the map with the container fort. Had a base in the north east garage base. Had the quest Elbow Room pop-up about looking cor a new base. It may have bugged out because the objective was just 'Keep *survivor* alive' so I thought I just had to move base with them as a follower.

Now at the container fort the quest didn't pop and he was still following me. Have now had the quest crop up again. Anyway of compmeting it without shifting away from the fort?

 

[Spyware]

So, i might have screwed up.

Doing a Builder playthrough on the map with the container fort. Had a base in the north east garage base. Had the quest Elbow Room pop-up about looking cor a new base. It mart have bugged ouy because the objective was just 'Keep *survivor* alive' so I thought I just had to move base with them as a follower.

Now at the container fort the quest didn't pop and he was still following me. Have now had the quest crop up again. Anyway of compmeting it without shifting away from the fort?

Click to shrink...

You can decline the quest. It's not needed for the Builder ending.

 

[Dervius]

You can decline the quest. It's not needed for the Builder ending.

Click to shrink...

That's great to know thanks.

 

[Seductivpancakes]

For some reason, the combat mechanics don't work for ferals.

Every time I fight a feral, special attacks either don't come out or don't affect it. The finishers don't always happen even when I'm mashing it. Melee combat in this game always auto attacks the closest enemy, even the finishers and special attack, but it doesn't ever auto lock on ferals even when they're the only enemy.

 

[see5harp]

Having fun with this game, but I'm shocked that the combat and animation is still so poor. This doesn't even feel any different from the first game aside from the better graphics. Just the fact that there is a "got stuck?" option in the damn menu is comedy.

 

[Dervius]

Having fun with this game, but I'm shocked that the combat and animation is still so poor. This doesn't even feel any different from the first game aside from the better graphics. Just the fact that there is a "got stuck?" option in the damn menu is comedy.

Click to shrink...

I'm actually quite a big fan of the combat, with the different specialisations it can be surprisingly varied. Gunplay feels a lot better in this one too.

I'd actually argue that in an open world game a "Got Stuck" feature is pretty forward thinking.

 

[BrutalInsane]

So now that this game has been out for a while and people have done multiple playthrough, what's the consensus on difficulty of new game +'s? Does it ramp up? I found the game too easy, I was hoping for a mod (PC) that increases it a bit. I don't want to do four or five playthroughs to get to a difficulty I'm good with.

 

[borges]

For me it's the feeling that nearly everything I do is progress. The feeling of buidling up your community, your base, your armoury, your people always feels good.

Every time I boot the game up and leave it I always feel like I've achieved something in game. I just wish it was a little more difficult, a la Breakdown in SoD1.

Click to shrink...

Fully agree on both. And I think this game has a lot of potential to become much better. In example, a Minecraft-like Realms where both yours and friends communities can play together would be awesome. Also, they could expand the construction part of the game with more complex mechanics, a la Sim City or Skylines. Like, it would be awesome to start with a small community, and step by step become a "Major" of a cleaned, built up area.

 

[see5harp]

I'm actually quite a big fan of the combat, with the different specialisations it can be surprisingly varied. Gunplay feels a lot better in this one too.

I'd actually argue that in an open world game a "Got Stuck" feature is pretty forward thinking.

Click to shrink...

Gunplay does feel better and the systems behind the combat are awesome. Love the customizations. This still feels exactly like the first game with the weird snapping into animations and lock ons. It just feels really ghetto. I just came off God of War.

 

[Spyware]

I'd actually argue that in an open world game a "Got Stuck" feature is pretty forward thinking.

Click to shrink...

Yeah I don't get the negativity around that. Bethesda should def have such a feature ;D (my fav company, so no hate here)