Speculate and share your thoughts on The Forever Winter - Fun Dog Studio's upcoming four player, sci-fi, tactical, survival, horror shooter. You're not an augmented killing machine, you're an insignificant puny human.

[BallsDeepInAi]

Steam Page
Developer Website - has a timer for the next content drop​

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Steam Description
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You’re A Small Fish In A Big Apocalypse.​

Scavenge and fight for your next day alive under the shadow of gargantuan war machines.
Enemies in the game can literally tower over the battlefield. To put it another way:


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War. War Always Changes.​

The battlefield is unpredictable thanks to The Forever Winter’s Dynamic Encounter system: enemies have their own goals and agendas, operating in coordinated groups, undertaking full-scale battles — and they’ll intelligently react to your actions. The battlefield you leave won’t be the same one you return to.
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Only The Smart Survive - But Guns Help.​

Use your wits, stealth, and skilled gunplay to make it out alive. Choose your path in the shadow of the two great superpowers, loot the dead, and make it out alive. While the warring factions may ignore you at first, the more disruptive you become to their goals, the more they'll seek to remove you from the equation.
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A Grim Vision Of The Future.​

Ecological collapse compounded by runaway technological advancement brought us here: a world choked by 40 years of industrial-scale violence between two military superpowers, unmerciful mass killing by AI automata, human-machine hybrids, and the bleak truth of human nature. There’s two sides to this war, and you’re not on either.
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Offline mode included​

OP Here, The devs confirmed it in a YT Short that it won't be a multiplayer internet only game, but it also has online included. They should have included this because it makes Misanthropes, Introverts, and poorfags with dial internet cream their pants and more likely to buy the game. Lol​

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Trailers

Cinematic

Gameplay Reveal

Gameplay Overview

Cinematic #2

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My Thoughts

Developed by Concept Artists who went indie to produce a game without any limits or strict guidelines.
They essentially created a story rich playable artbook with a "Unique" take on the coop extraction formula.
The gameplay is very experimental and quite innovative.
I'm having a hard time imagining how it would play like.
The developers are taking a huge risk creating a new type of niche.
There are already complaints with the insignificant scavenger direction, lacking appeal or familiarity to mainstream audiences.​

The developers have acknowledged that they may or may not fail,
but their passion for the project keeps them persistent.
The game is still in semi development but half way finished.
The game's foundations, the AI are fully functional according to playtesters.
The game may just need a little bit of polish with bugs, the UI, and especially the animations.
The devs are aware of the current issue and are evidently looking for professionals to develop that field.

Good luck to the developers!​

 

[Judge Dredd]

I never heard of it, but based on what you posted, I don't have high hopes. It will likely do alright and have a dedicated following, but I doubt it's going to be the tarkov or helldivers killer talked about in the forums.

There are two big red flags. The first is marketing via shitting on the competition. "You're not this guy" reminds me of the hipster games from the early 2010s like Braid or Spec Ops The Line that shit on the player for wanting to do good.

The other requires a lot of power leveling, but it's this.

Developed by Concept Artists

I knew a pro concept artist. He did good work, but there was also an ego problem.

 

[Dysnomia]

There are two big red flags. The first is marketing via shitting on the competition. "You're not this guy" reminds me of the hipster games from the early 2010s like Braid or Spec Ops The Line that shit on the player for wanting to do good.

Oddworld did it with Abe's Oddysee. They showed you some monsters and a slig with a machine gun and then Abe with a caption like "You're a skinny guy with no weapons". It worked because the concept was creative at the time and the gameplay was tailor made around it.

But here they show you two factions with cool looking cyborg soldiers. Then show some tired old scavenger that looks like the male version of the Trash Lady from Labyrinth. Now if you could choose one of the warring factions or a scavenger that would give you lots of replay value and extra lore. But showing the cool guy then going "Oh you're this loser here" isn't very appealing. They could have presented it in a better way. It just makes people want to play the NPCs.

 

[wtfNeedSignUp]

It sounds like Death Stranding only with mechs rather than ghosts. It being done by Concept Artists makes me immediately think of Scorn and how much of a cluster fuck that was.

 

[BallsDeepInAi]

But here they show you two factions with cool looking cyborg soldiers. Then show some tired old scavenger that looks like the male version of the Trash Lady from Labyrinth. Now if you could choose one of the warring factions or a scavenger that would give you lots of replay value and extra lore. But showing the cool guy then going "Oh you're this loser here" isn't very appealing. They could have presented it in a better way. It just makes people want to play the NPCs.

I think they're trying to fill in the niche where you're an actual insignificant factor thriving in a hopeless situation.
It's a far cry from most games where you're always an extraordinary person of interest that always kicks ass.
They want the survival horror, tactics shooter, hardcore coop, S.T.A.L.K.E.R/Metro crowd. Hence the Tarkov references on the forums. We can never be too sure on how the game would turn out until it's release.
Helldivers 2 wasn't that popular in it's reveal, but rose in numbers once it got the public playing and talking.
So I'm clinging onto some hope here.
Never had a game that looked this cool since Supercell's Gunshine.

It sounds like Death Stranding only with mechs rather than ghosts. It being done by Concept Artists makes me immediately think of Scorn and how much of a cluster fuck that was.

Jesus fuck I hope The Forever Winter is not like that shithow.
It still makes me seethe that people defended it. They shouldn't have made a fucking game if they're going to waste 7 years of hype and development time to only produce 3 fucking hours worth of content.
Jesus fuck I'm more optimistic for The Forever Winter since they actually focused on creating gameplay and they know what the fuck they are doing. Only revealing it to the public once there is something of substance to be shown.

 

[Insuficiencia renal]

Looks extremely good and fun. I love the aesthetic.

 

[BallsDeepInAi]

Almost here baby. Devs do not disappoint. Please

 

[The tired cat]

From what I saw in the trailers, some of the animation in this game does need work. I do like the core concept, so do hope it works as intended.

 

[Tri-Tachyon'sClown]

Might be pozzed, mech suit is a black woman with that hairstyle and somehow survives. Those body proportions are also wacky but I think that's intentional...also makes me rather play at the mech suit. Ripping open a tank to shoot the fuckers inside is insane and yet we play as...the least interesting people possible. It's like if-for example-Armored Core 6 showed off all these awesome ACs but we play as the fodder. INB4 "that's the point, you're supposed to be the grunt" yeah well that why I don't like the game already. You show all this cool shit and I get none of it. Then again it's an extraction shooter, when were any of them not run by retards or people who made retarded choices. Seriously think it'd sell better if they threw out the whole retarded extraction shooter and made a game where you play as some of the crazier shit, I mean you look at everything they showed off so far and I can only think "why am I playing as a rat again?"

From what I saw in the trailers, some of the animation in this game does need work. I do like the core concept, so do hope it works as intended.

Especially the walking, in some spots they're obviously floating and it's pretty bad.

 

[Tri-Tachyon'sClown]

(In case it doesn't want to play because it's a short)
Single player confirmed. Thank God, after years of playing co-op games with randoms, the chances of getting someone who 2 brain cells to rub together is staggeringly low. Assuming the game is worth anything.

 

[BallsDeepInAi]

(In case it doesn't want to play because it's a short)
Single player confirmed. Thank God, after years of playing co-op games with randoms, the chances of getting someone who 2 brain cells to rub together is staggeringly low. Assuming the game is worth anything.

That does open some really interesting opportunity.
Since the game relies on realistic dynamic AI for the enemies.
I hope they can provide an in depth ai/squad system like Swat 4's, Star Wars Republic Commando, Brothers in Arms, and Arma 4 Modded. Otherwise if the AI is retarded or overpowered the game will be ruined.

 

[Tri-Tachyon'sClown]

Arma 4

"Not yet Snake!" I will say Reforger is 4 at this point, until 4 actually comes out of course. Funny how modders do better with AI in some games than the devs. Honestly I haven't seen good AI allies/companions in a while. Hell I haven't seen much "good" enemy AI either. Difficulty usually ends up being "the bots have aimbot, ESP, too high health and too high damage." Also add F.E.A.R. to that list, fuck the little girl (not literally), getting tracked by those Replica fuckers is what's scary.

Condemned (also by Monolith) too. I doubt this will have good AI, in this current year? Hell no. Name me one. I'm serious I'm trying to find some. What'll happen is that the game's AI is "serviceable" (probably add that label to the rest of the game) but any who complains about the AI in any capacity will have gremlins come out of the woodwork going "git gud" (for enemies), "this game is supposed to be multiplayer focused, why would they work on single player AI in a multiplayer game" (for your allies), and finally without fail "you're entitled, this is smol indie company pls understand."

 

[BallsDeepInAi]

"Not yet Snake!" I will say Reforger is 4 at this point, until 4 actually comes out of course. Funny how modders do better with AI in some games than the devs. Honestly I haven't seen good AI allies/companions in a while.

Heh, must've thought I was living in the future when I played the shit out of SOG AI.

Really reminded me of my childhood days playing the shit out of SOCOM on the PSP.
I doubt that The Forever Winter will provide a serviceable squad control system. But I hope the AI teammates are competent enough.
Quite honestly it think it would have been of a great benefit if they went through with a Squad control system in mind, Imagine controlling ye're little scrap buggers in the midst of a wild battlefield. Babysitting them but not micromanaging so they don't fuck up. Big sucker for Squad Based Games where you play as a Commander.

Hell I haven't seen much "good" enemy AI either. Difficulty usually ends up being "the bots have aimbot, ESP, too high health and too high damage."

Funnily enough there was a mod that was if paired with this mod in Garry's mod, almost replicated the F.E.A.R AI perfectly, if not better. It was impressive when considering the fact that F.E.A.R's AI had to synergize with the level design to make the illusion of Good AI as they function off the map's cleverly laid out scripted events and paths.

The Technicalities are shown in the Mod page.
Most of the videos on youtube doesn't serve the mod a lot of justice or go in depth with it's systems, because the majority of the people that play Gmod are kids fucking around.
But I fondly remember watching the Combine diverge into multiple squad groups and would divert into two paths to attack from multiple sides. The AI often moved into cover to cover strafing in a single direction and into new cover while shooting to provide firing pressure. Shotgunners often snuck around with special crouch animations that didn't emit any sound, often taking you by surprise at your flank. The mod wasn't perfect, the Combine often had wallhacks to make the illusion that they're hunting you down, slowly strafing to clear your corner.. Their slowdowns and walking helped with the illusion, gave their creeping a sense of urgency and slow anticipation.
Overall you just had to have experienced it day one to know what I'm talking about or come up with a definitive conclusion,
Sadly, Garry's new updates broke the mod and it will never be like it was before. The mod code must have been too complicated to fix, that the mod author which I remember was a teenager simply gave up and disappeared. He used to openly advertise his paypal like he wanted to make a career out of his hobby. Hope the kid moved on to better endeavors, maybe he'll be making more intricate AI systems in the future since he had the talent for it.

Edit: I found a video that kind of analyzes it. But the maps chosen kind of suck ass so the AI looks retarded and confused, they're better used in big open maps like GM_MallParking. The author's gameplay is sloppy and he used the overrated MW2019 weapons which is notorious for shaky visuals which makes it hard to see the AI in action. This is the only remnant I can find pre patch. New videos often shit on the mod not knowing that the mod is broken.

Anyways I went off on a long off topic tangent, we can end it here.

 

[Tri-Tachyon'sClown]

playing the shit out of SOCOM on the PSP.

What are you, me?

 

[Tri-Tachyon'sClown]

I doubt that The Forever Winter will provide a serviceable squad control system. But I hope the AI teammates are competent enough.
Quite honestly it think it would have been of a great benefit if they went through with a Squad control system in mind, Imagine controlling ye're little scrap buggers in the midst of a wild battlefield. Babysitting them but not micromanaging so they don't fuck up. Big sucker for Squad Based Games where you play as a Commander.

Just look at other games for examples, there's not many ways to fuck it up with so many good examples unless you deliberately fuck it up to push people to go online. The Ghost Recon games (much as I think they could be better) for example of deent teammate AI that you can give orders to.

Funnily enough there was a mod that was if paired with this mod in Garry's mod, almost replicated the F.E.A.R AI perfectly, if not better.

Hey I know those mods, I don't play Gmod these days because holy fuck that storage space usage. Also I got bored after a while since I had to constantly do everything and I never got the mods that spawn enemies and other NPCs automatically working properly, not to mention finding them. And I don't like randos, Gmod servers are infamous for a reason.

maybe he'll be making more intricate AI systems in the future since he had the talent for it.

God I hope so, these days anything AI related is bound to get your career going. Having done something like that as a teenager, he'll be set for life...hopefully. Many people spurn their gifts, other never get the chance to use them.

I found a video that kind of analyzes it.

When the AI works, it's pretty damn good. Like when the NPC heard the combine charge his gun and he ducked (still got shot but eh). Good video regardless.

Anyways I went off on a long off topic tangent, we can end it here.

I do like tangents, opens new paths for conversation. Cheers and stay safe.

 

[Tri-Tachyon'sClown]

Month old but interesting enough. Found in my recommend so I figured I'd post here.

He made another two, seems he's a Mechwarrior channel.

Seems there was a closes beta, haven't even heard of it and the only videos I can find is from this fag. Quite janky, especially the animation, though I will admit the idea is...interesting, much as I'd like to be in the giant mech.

 

[The tired cat]

So, seems game is gonna be in EA with a price tag of 27$. A lot of stuff they said is ambitious and do hope they'll stick to it.

 

[Battlefield42]

So, seems game is gonna be in EA with a price tag of 27$. A lot of stuff they said is ambitious and do hope they'll stick to it.

Meh

 

[Nameless One]

>Early Access
>Discord nonsense
>"we really respect what ready or not devs did and will do what they did"
>comments endlessly sucking them off for doing the same things other companies do
Yeah fuck no lmao. soulless tranny and tactishit dogshit anyone who shills for it should be ignored. Vanilla and modded SWAT 4 remains superior to RON in every way and those devs didn't sit for 5 years and shill early access. The devs are just double dipping, early access should die.
Action games have really lost their souls. Not even indies can nail them.
Waiting for the next Armored Core.


Btw FEAR ai is a meme its just smoke and mirrors holy shit people are gullible.

 

[Tri-Tachyon'sClown]

Vanilla and modded SWAT 4 remains superior to RON in every way and those devs didn't sit for 5 years and shill early access. The devs are just

Yeah RoN is just blatantly unfinished in a lot of ways. It's tacticool and pretty which is enough for some people, even too much for some people given the nature of some of the missions.

soulless tranny

I haven't watched the video, oh God what?

Action games have really lost their souls. Not even indies can nail them.

Depends on the action you're thinking of. which is...?

Waiting for the next Armored Core.

Not for a long time, most we'll get anytime soon now that the Elden Ring DLC is out is a comparatively smaller DLC for AC6 if they decide to make one at all. What that'll be I have no idea, maybe some relatively meaningless to the plot bonus missions like the other AC, Ace Combat. Anyway, regarding Forever Winter. My bet is that it'll have a half decent gameplay loop to keep a small player base, bugs everywhere, most of the game is spectacle (meaning most of the good parts of the game will be visual like the warzone you're scavenging in), poor enemy AI that just walks towards you and attacks (probably one shots everywhere), poor enemy variety, unoptimized as shit, and the usual excuses for all of this. Any game that goes Early Access obviously means they ran out of money and are hoping to get an easy buck with a lower price before full pricing it when it releases from this extended alpha/beta test that is Early Access, and everyone will defend it because Early Access games are uncriticizable. People have been trained to defend obviously unfinished cash grabs just because of the Early Acess label. Only one way to truly find out but it's pretty obvious, again the idea is interesting but fuck me this Early Access shit killed my interest instantly.