Monday, November 2, 2015

AD3 v1.07 (Easier difficulty mode!)

We've added an easier difficulty mode. The patches before this concentrated solely on making the game easier to understand, but no punches were pulled. Well, it is actually easy now (a claim I've never made). You no longer have to get good. Congrats to those that wanted it, for we have caved in.

New Features
  • Added Easier Mode:
    • The difficulty curve is reduced to +1 difficulty every day, which is practically half of Original Mode's.
    • The starting difficulty is reduced by 5. (As a result of the two aforementioned changes, the total difficulty at day 35 is 43, instead of Original Mode's 72.)
    • Starting Ammo is doubled.
    • The easier story requirements are retained. (-4/-3/-2/-1 to tests and requirements for O/V,T/L/S,E)
  • Added Original Mode:
    • Restored original dating requirements: You and your date must now both be resting, and cannot be incapacitated in order to initiate a date.
    • Retains its original difficulty curve, which is parabolic and averages to an increase of 2 difficulty per day.
    • The recent eased story requirements are removed in this mode (-4/-3/-2/-1 to tests and requirements for O/V,T/L/S,E)
  • The game's original setting of saving every 5 days has been restored, but the half-save feature is still not in effect until we are confident that no crashes or bugs will occur. 
Easier Mode can be used as a training mode for those who wish to advance to Original Mode. Easier Mode modifies none of the damage values, and so the strategy remains largely the same. Doubling the ammo may not seem like much to a new player, but in doing so, we simulate Original Mode's scarcity. Easier mode should *not* be difficult for you, but the game should at least feel like the Original mode. We're also planning to decrease the amount of days that both difficulties require to achieve their goals, thus satisfying a request for days off from combat, but we're still working on that.

 Voices and more content is in the works.

69 comments:

  1. So im kinda confused on one part with the save feature. Does my game only save on days 2,7,12,17... and not everyday? If thats the case thats kinda obnoxious. Five days takes a while especially with all the planning and battle, i dont understand why saves dont occur everyday?

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    1. The auto save is there to discourage save scumming, although now the system is more relaxed than before.

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    2. This "obnoxious" sort of game design is what I refer to as restriction.

      The common mantra against this design is what many players on forums will say "It's your game, play it however you want".

      Imagine if there was no defined amount of starting ammo in this game. The player simply put one in themselves. So an easy going player could give themselves infinite, and a hardcore player could give themselves none. If everyone plays how they want, then everyone's happy right?

      No, because the player would not be able to give himself the amount that the developer recommends, or restricts them to. The amount is important, because if the player is not threatened with the issue of ammo conservation, the player need not strategize around such an issue. If the player does not strategize, he does not have fun (at least in the way the developer intends).

      So then why not have two modes, where one is "put any amount", and two is "developer recommended amount"? Well, because players don't know any better, lol. I don't mean to offend, but if a player has not played the game before, they would not know how much damage a machine pistol bullet does compared to a magnum bullet. One size does not fit all, however, so there is Easier and Original mode.

      If we go back to the 5 day restriction, then the player knows what is acceptable and what is not. If the restriction was not there, then the player might take a huge t-rooster bite and think "can I just save and quit and do it over again?"... With the 5 day restriction, it is implied that you cannot simply restart because you are being challenged based on your ability to mitigate risk. If there is a 25% chance to miss that t-rooster, then the player should know that it is a 25% chance to *live* with that error rather than simply restart for it.

      And it makes sense with this sort of gameplay. There is no level 2 and level 3 where you reset with full ammo and full health. Any ammo you shoot is basically gone forever. You can grab more of course, but since there is always a price to pay for it, the permanence is always felt.

      In contrast, call of duty lets you recover to full hp in 10 seconds.

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    3. All this talk about the purity of the developer's vision against the "play as you want" mentality would go over much better if the game didn't have microtransactions. Just saying.

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  2. is there a chance that 200 damage mission fails might be removed in easy mode?

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  3. As a guy with a job, I only have 1-2 hours a day to play games and do other stuff. It took me 5 days just to learn the mechanics and to complete Veronica's story. Now it would be less time consuming and I can get to the hentai scenes sooner.

    Thus, on behalf of all people with job commitments, family commitments, and the filthy casuals, I thank thee.

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    1. Have you tried easy mode yet? you still hit that wall around day 25. Resources still get stupidly low, ammo is low again (since there's still almost no way to pick up more which was the initial problem), and i feel like morale is lowering even faster now. That last one is probably just me though. The game just doesn't have that pick up and play feeling anymore. Personally that's what i loved about the past games. Now i'm probably gonna get a reply from lovesworder dissecting parts of my comment and his view on my problems with the game, while basically saying git gud kid.

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    2. You can get ammo drops at the barracks. The game is actually very much easier on easy mode. I made it to day 30 after completing Larissa's story. You just have to manage your ammo by using pistols when you're not swarmed.

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    3. No. I have no counter to reply with. The mode is easy for me, so I lack your perspective. If you find it difficult, then that is very valid feedback.

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    4. Wait, did he just say I can make it to day 25?
      SWEET. o.o

      Delete
  4. Also, anon above Nathan, what do you want from me, lol. I might've told you to get good before, but eventually I shut up about it and then we threw in easier mode, right? I respond, defend against, and actually consider your feedback. Ain't I a treasure?

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    1. Just ignore that guy.
      I haven't played the game yet since easy mode was introduced, but if I can make it to day 25, that's four times better than I used to be able to do!

      Delete
    2. I'm sorry you had to suffer for use HC

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  5. I was able to get to day 22/28 on normal mode first couple times. Wasn't able to complete any story besides Carmen's which is pretty easy. Easy mode I got to day 35 true ending, could have stuck around longer with ammo to spare. Finished Terra's story and was trying to do Stella's since it used charisma as well, but ultimately couldn't because I made the wrong choices and was short affection. Lowering the requirements for stories would be nice, since you need to get to day 25+ for some of these, have to replay it quite a bit to unlock everything.

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  6. So I may have missed this somewhere but did unlocked scenes get wiped? I had finished Elaine, Veronica, and Larissa but I can't see their scenes anymore. Whomp whomp.

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    1. unlocks scenes should never get wiped. I'm not sure exactly how that happened (because that shouldn't happen anyway), but we'll keep a close eye on it.

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    2. Maybe his cookies got deleted.

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  7. Finally, great work guys...
    Though I still find the game a bit hard (basics requirements should be lowered further imho), at least I finished two stories already (had to buy additional ammo for Carmen's).

    Just wanted to ask though... for the final scene of Olga's story, do I have to complete Carmen's in the same game? Or can I start a new game, re-do Carmen's story and have Olga's scene unlocked at the end?

    Thanks and keep up the good work!

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    Replies
    1. they need to be both completed at the same time in one run.

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  8. Thanks for the release.

    I meet 2 bug:

    the first seem random, the monster don't move, even if they can attack or get pulled back, appen more often when mine are used.
    The second, the game stop to load when I valid the guard duty.

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  9. Sounds like you've got a shoddy internet connection, or maybe it's a ram thing. If that's not the case, you can try clearing your internet cache so that any corrupt downloads will refresh, but if that doesn't help, then hold on tight while we see if there's anything we can do.

    "appen more often when mine are used.
    The second, the game stop to load when I valid the guard duty."
    ^ Also we want to hire you for Olga, lol

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  10. Am I doing something wrong with Zoe story I got like 18 agility points and 10 affections but still can't get pass the second story despite everything to please her.

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    1. Also on newgrounds it stops at 80% when I do a carmen story and I have to reset it

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    2. Yeah, Zoe's second story can be a little annoying. It's ultimately up to RNG: your Agility (and a simulated 20-sided dice roll) have to beat about 21 or so in order to pass, even if you make all the right choices.

      Heads up: a much later story requires that you beat a 31 Strength or Insight check, which is also kinda BS. I mean, the route has you checking your Agility the whole time, then drops a massive check for two (possibly unused) stats out of nowhere.

      Not cool at all. :(

      Delete
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  12. So what is the requirement to get to Zoe's actual ending? All I saw was "I want your body" I've read the hints, and don't see it. :< If it helps, I'm on day like, 25. 48 affection. I know the hints said something about her needing time? Does that mean I need to wait to a later day? Iunno, it's all very vague.

    From what I've seen so far though, AD3 story wise is so good! Can't wait to see more. :D

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    1. That doesn't really help. D:

      I'll try and wait until day 30? We'll see what happens. (If I can survive that long)

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    2. So now it's day 30 and still no second choice. Wtf am I supposed to do here? 50 affection, 20 insight. I am at a loss.

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    3. That is not at all helpful. From what I've heard the game ends at 35 days. So I have five days to figure it out. For someone who has a full time job spending hours a night on this game is seriously trying my patience.

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    4. Sorry man, Dr Who doesn't give helpful advice... Ever. Best off ignoring his type.

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    5. Just to clarify, game does not end at day 35. If anything, when someone reaches day 100, the game *end* with a good ending.

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    6. @anon struggling with Zoe ending.

      Look, I don't want to spoil the hint because I don't want people getting endings easier than this game already currently is. If you want to know if you're getting closer however, you definitely are.

      @ anon talking about me.

      Wow, you must really hate me just from a few posts. Not my problem people like to beef with me whenever I say something that the majority of this fanbase would like to bash me on.

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    7. Zoe's real ending is the most difficult. We've been pretty helpful for other challenges, and if you want to know how to beat any other char, we'll be happy to hint you in the right direction and then just give you the answer in other cases. I mean look at Candice's puzzle in AD2. I've never outright publicly told the answer to it, and if you were stumped on it, you could ask me for help and I would tell you in a year. Some people have emailed me to tell them in a year only to tell me that they already solved it a week later. If anything, Zoe's ending shouldn't even be possible on "Easier". You might call foul from a customer perspective, but it's a game and we've never promised to hand the content to you on a silver platter. When I said you're warm, I really can't say anything else without just giving it away. That being said, if you've ever seen the Angry Video Game Nerd, he's classically demonstrated that some puzzles are pure bullshit. Is Zoe's bullshit? Meh, not in my opinion, but if you want, just email me and I will give you the solution.

      As for SSDrwho, we don't really need the elitist attitude. I've seen a different game forum called DotE where this happened, the bad players would lament that DotE was too hard and even actively seek out those who shared this opinion, while the good players actually defended the game by saying that it wasn't too hard, and rubbed it in their faces.

      People are different. Some players say that they have their own problems and don't have the time to put up with the stress that this game gives. If you don't have the time to play the game, then perhaps you don't deserve to play it. Wow. Hold on. AD3 is more of a long book. If you only watched the end of Lord of the Rings, then you'd say "wow, it would be really easy to walk up to that lava pit, push that anorexic gray alien aside, and toss the ring in". It's not a good payoff because you have no idea what these hobbits went through. You are *supposed* to run out of ammo in AD3. You are supposed to feel how devastating it is to get fucked by a triple louie attack, just as Sam and Frodo felt devastated to drop some slices of bread off a cliff. If you have a lot of commitments outside of the game, then I still recommend that you "read" AD3 at a chapter a day. You might say that this doesn't fit the customer's expectations for a hentai game, but what *can* you expect? It has hentai, and you can win, and you can lose.

      Delete
  13. I know you're not the happiest with easy mode hc, but I played it through last night and had a ton of fun. I played pre-patch for around 15 hours and was pretty frustrated. Then balance patch 1 for a couple, but played a solid 4 last night and actually was hooked into staying up too late to finish the story. Was very enjoyable and I think it was just about right for difficulty. Still had nightly anxiety about what I was against, almost ran out of some ammo, and had the addicting 'one more day' feel. Thank you for that option!

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    1. Totally had the same experience thank you hc

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    2. "almost ran out of some ammo"

      Next patch starting ammo halved

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    3. Waitwaitwait lol

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  14. Question for anyone who has completed the stories successfully. I have played through to day 20+ twice and both time i had too low of affection to finish any stories and also was in danger of mutiny. Very frustrating. What factors affect these numbers?

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    1. Gifts. Take it from me. I know these things. Girls love gifts. Get gifts at the hotel, and/or at the Office.

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    2. I think by Office cook means hospital.

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    3. If you can wait until zerothmas you get the most bang for your buck on gifts.

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  15. Thanks for the replies, appreciate the help. Don't know how/why I overlooked the gift part, I never even used consumables until after you guys reminded me they existed lol.

    On a side note, just wanted to say good job so far with the game, I am enjoying my first few playthroughs. Only thing is I feel like BASICS requirements are steep on some characters, making the grind feel less worth because the reward seems far away. Again, I am enjoying the game, just wanted to throw that out there

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    1. Good point. Make consumables menu more obvious.

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    2. You can find everything you need on the screen where Isabel is standing. You can move your mouse around and see what things you can do.

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    3. Good point. Make consumables menu *more* obvious.

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    4. Ok, smartass, I can *see* your point. But seriously, if he wants that screen to be more intuitive, he'll probably have to just use the current screen as nothing more than a simple background and add buttons over it.

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    5. Okay, dumbass, there's no need to tell people where it is when they clearly said they found it before. But if one person is voicing this problem, there are guaranteed to be others who are saying nothing about it. And that's something that simply has to change. No one cares that you know where it is.

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    6. "But if one person is voicing this problem, there are guaranteed to be others who are saying nothing about it."

      Well then that means this problem is a minor issue, isn't it?

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    7. @ SSDRWH0

      That's enough. This is a blog where people's feedbacks are welcomed here, not a reddit circlejerk where people try to out flame each other. While some of your opinions and defending are welcomed, I do not want this place to to turn into a troll fest.

      As for those who want consumables to be more intuitive, we realised that not everyone would bother with reading the tutorials.

      We might consider doing mandatory and interactive tutorials on day 2 so that new players get more familiar with the non-combat side of the game.

      Let me know on your thoughts about this proposal.

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    8. It sounds marginally better.

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  16. What are Isabel's gifts? I know she doesn't take stuff like alcohol or cigarettes, but what does she like?

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    Replies
    1. Smile staples and shock anklet work from my experience

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  17. She also likes the anti-grav brassiere.

    -Hegre

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  18. So... BASICS requirement for Terra, Stella, and Veronica? I'm debating which story to purchase, and I just want to be efficient.

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    1. Like Lovesworder said, just go with the one you like best.
      But Terra and Stella both use charisma for their basics requirements so you can get both and finish them in 1 playthrough

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  19. ...What? Go with the one you have the hots for.

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  20. Honestly this game is way too time consuming for far too little payoff. I understand you want to have a realistic setting but this is far from realistic. No saves is a definite hindrance. The basic points needed is far too much even in easier mode. I mean the game only goes up to what? 31 days? Even in easier mode you need to reach the very end which begs the question how would it be possible to achieve what you require in the original mode. This game focus seems to be on the battle system which isnt even fun, its boring and time consuming. I watched the two videos you posted online, its not strategic its common sense. I had alot of high hopes for this series and unfortunately I am gravely disappointed.

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    1. I'm interested to hear what did you find boring about combat.

      No, this is not a hate comment.

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    2. You never know what to plan for, your crew never gets better at anything, there aren't any options to try and reinforce (I mean in addition to repair) or trap areas before the night begins, there's no loot, no way to prevent a raid or bonuses for killing certain types of enemies, switch guards between posts to maximize efficiency, some enemies have shields when it makes no sense (unless shields refer to natural armor, in which case...future), no way to influence the threat level of an area beyond Isabel's nuke, and no way to maximize your chances of finding loot (and invite attack) or minimize your chances of enemy attack (by hiding and not looting).

      Too little is within our control, and there's no way to upgrade or improve on anything but affection and supplies--even temporarily. Overcharging the basic pistols for a night or using special rounds for certain enemies would be interesting. But in particular, knowing (at least partially) what's headed your way would make sense; the station still has power and security/surveillance systems, right?

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  21. Fighting the same type of enemies over and over isnt very fun. I would have preferred to face something like a boss after a certain amount of days.

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    1. I do wish there r some boss fights too. Oh well, we'll just have to wait and see.

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