State of Decay 2

gbasden · Post by **gbasden** » Sun May 27, 2018 2:22 am

Anyone else playing this? I spent the evening playing coop with some friends and had a really good time. It's got the same mechanics as the first SoD, but the base management is more polished and the missions have been interesting so far. Being able to play with friends also changed the whole dynamic. The host basically controls the story and the progression, but the people helping him have their own dedicated loot and carry over influence earned.

It's definitely got some bugs yet, but we played 6 hours with no real issues. 6 of 8 tentacles for me.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Sun May 27, 2018 2:52 am

On my wishlist. Did not know it was out. Someday I plan to give it a go.

tgb · Post by **tgb** » Sun May 27, 2018 1:53 pm

Does time still move forward even when not playing? That killed the first one for me.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Sun May 27, 2018 2:15 pm

tgb wrote: ↑Sun May 27, 2018 1:53 pm Does time still move forward even when not playing? That killed the first one for me.

How so? I put a couple hundred hours into the original game and never really noticed any impact from that feature.

tgb · Post by **tgb** » Sun May 27, 2018 3:31 pm

Max Peck wrote: ↑Sun May 27, 2018 2:15 pm
tgb wrote: ↑Sun May 27, 2018 1:53 pm Does time still move forward even when not playing? That killed the first one for me.
How so? I put a couple hundred hours into the original game and never really noticed any impact from that feature.

Just the idea. When I heard that I gave up pretty much immediately.

Suitably Ironic Moniker · Tue May 29, 2018 10:34 am

tgb wrote: ↑Sun May 27, 2018 1:53 pm Does time still move forward even when not playing? That killed the first one for me.

I hadn't played SoD 2 for a few days, but I just booted it up, and it became SoD 3.

Paingod · Post by **Paingod** » Tue May 29, 2018 10:38 am

tgb wrote: ↑Sun May 27, 2018 3:31 pm
Max Peck wrote: ↑Sun May 27, 2018 2:15 pm
tgb wrote: ↑Sun May 27, 2018 1:53 pm Does time still move forward even when not playing? That killed the first one for me.
How so? I put a couple hundred hours into the original game and never really noticed any impact from that feature.
Just the idea. When I heard that I gave up pretty much immediately.

Wow. I never had an issue with that.

Basically, it moves forward and slows down the longer you don't play until it's at a stand-still. The effect, in-game, is that it becomes a mission generator and pulls in some resources while you're away. It's not like you come back and find your base in tatters, the group disbanded, and everyone on death's door. I'd come back and find I had a mission to go rescue someone who got stuck, find someone else, and maybe bulk up on food that had gone down a little... That's about it.

I'll have to check out State of Decay 2, though. I spent a lot of time in the first and only avoided the "Gold" or "GOTY" version because it wasn't a substantial overhaul but seemed more like a dusting and polish. If it had added more, I'd have bought it too.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Tue May 29, 2018 11:09 am

Suitably Ironic Moniker wrote: ↑Tue May 29, 2018 10:34 am
tgb wrote: ↑Sun May 27, 2018 1:53 pm Does time still move forward even when not playing? That killed the first one for me.
I hadn't played SoD 2 for a few days, but I just booted it up, and it became SoD 3.

Cylus Maxii · Post by **Cylus Maxii** » Tue May 29, 2018 1:24 pm

Regrettably, I bought this and was disappointed. There is really no apparent single-player narrative. It seems like it is all randomly generated without any real plotted or scripted stuff that adds depth or character. I just couldn't get into it at all. Also, it was very buggy/glitchy.

I imagine it would be a decent platform for co-op multi-player survival. So if you have several peeps to play it with, give it a go. Otherwise I would advise to skip it. 2/8 tentacles.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Tue May 29, 2018 1:27 pm

I wouldn't rate it quite that low, but after playing for an hour I went back to Conan Exiles. I will get back to it eventually, but agree that beyond the first few minutes, it's pretty much sandbox survival without all the crafting.

Suitably Ironic Moniker · Tue May 29, 2018 1:53 pm

I wish that they had continued Marcus' and Lily's story from the first game. They were left at a pretty big cliffhanger.

gbasden · Post by **gbasden** » Wed May 30, 2018 3:34 am

There's definitely some overhanging narrative, as I've found clues to some seemingly nefarious ongoing plot by some (para)military folks. That said, my single player has probably only been about 3 hours worth and most of my time has been multiplayer. It is definitely buggy right now, but very fun when working.

MonkeyFinger · Post by **MonkeyFinger** » Wed May 30, 2018 9:06 am

Thought maybe this "before you buy" video review might help some folks decide if it is for them or not.

Jaymon · Post by **Jaymon** » Mon Jun 04, 2018 12:50 pm

Hulu showed me the add for this, about 30 times yesterday
my question is, will it come on steam? the ad says xbox and windows 10 exclusive, and that makes me sad, becuase I kinda wanted to play it

Sepiche · Post by **Sepiche** » Mon Jun 04, 2018 12:57 pm

Jaymon wrote: ↑Mon Jun 04, 2018 12:50 pm my question is, will it come on steam? the ad says xbox and windows 10 exclusive, and that makes me sad, becuase I kinda wanted to play it

Nope. Microsoft is too interested in using it's game studio to force people to use the windows store and upgrade to windows 10.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Mon Jun 04, 2018 1:25 pm

April

Due to an error message that appeared during a developer livestream of the game's PAX East demo build – which has since been removed from Undead Labs' Twitch archive – it appears support for Valve's gaming platform is in the works.
...
However, the State of Decay 2 FAQ page has listed Steam support as a topic of community interest for quite a while, simply answering, "Stay tuned – we’ll have more to share in the future," indicating the developer could make an announcement at some time down the line.

Sepiche · Post by **Sepiche** » Mon Jun 04, 2018 1:35 pm

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Mon Jun 04, 2018 1:25 pm April

Due to an error message that appeared during a developer livestream of the game's PAX East demo build – which has since been removed from Undead Labs' Twitch archive – it appears support for Valve's gaming platform is in the works.
...
However, the State of Decay 2 FAQ page has listed Steam support as a topic of community interest for quite a while, simply answering, "Stay tuned – we’ll have more to share in the future," indicating the developer could make an announcement at some time down the line.

Oh, wow. Happy to be wrong if that's the case. Although I bet they'll still require windows 10.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Mon Jun 04, 2018 1:36 pm

Windows for Workgroups is gone, man. You have to let it go.

Cylus Maxii · Post by **Cylus Maxii** » Mon Jun 04, 2018 2:09 pm

I wonder if they patched in any content.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Fri Mar 13, 2020 7:06 pm

It's also available on Epic Games Store.

stimpy · Post by **stimpy** » Fri Mar 13, 2020 7:35 pm

Max Peck wrote: ↑Fri Mar 13, 2020 7:06 pm

It's also available on Epic Games Store.

Is there toilet paper DLC?

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Fri Mar 13, 2020 9:01 pm

Suitably Ironic Moniker · Sat Mar 14, 2020 2:25 pm

I haven't played too much of it yet, but it looks and feels a little more like the first one now, which is a plus for me. Plus, I can explore Trumbull county again!

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Sat Mar 14, 2020 8:28 pm

coopasonic wrote: ↑Tue May 29, 2018 1:27 pm I wouldn't rate it quite that low, but after playing for an hour I went back to Conan Exiles. I will get back to it eventually, but agree that beyond the first few minutes, it's pretty much sandbox survival without all the crafting.

So I never got back to it after that first hour of disappoint. I am installing the Juggernaut Edition now and will report back. They could have at least emailed me about it. Then again I suppose it would go to my hotmail account which I basically never look at.

Suitably Ironic Moniker · Sun Mar 29, 2020 2:25 pm

Having played it a little more, I ended up uninstalling it (again) for a few different reasons. The game itself somehow seems both busier and emptier than the first game, both in the second’s original game world, and the new Trumbull county, which is very faithful overall in its geography. I did appreciate that there did seem to be a passage of time evident in the local area, with certain places more ramshackle, and others reworked slightly as a shelter or repurposed. Nevertheless, it feels more artificial, like it’s an amusement park version of the original, which is the best way I can describe it.

The first game’s characters weren’t the deepest ever written, but I did grow to like them. This game’s characters are paper-thin and seem like they came out of a focus group, they’re trying so hard to be hip and edgy. In the Trumbull side of the game, all the characters can talk about is Lily, and how she was such an inspiration, almost godlike. I suppose they had to use her, since one could technically play as any of the characters from the shelter, but I do think Marcus could get a little love. Plus, the dialogue is just spoken at random, there don’t seem to be the little scenes that would occur periodically in the original. Ray Santos is an NPC in the game (at the beginning, at least; I don’t know if he becomes playable later), but he’s completely 18- from who he was in the first game. In the original, he was completely devoted to helping the community, always donating stuff to neighbors and taking their donations in return, along with doling out vehicles when needed. In this one, he is completely resistant to helping other people. I suppose this may be a plot point, but it plays weird, and to my mind, false.

A small point, but I also don’t dig how the camera is so close up to the player, versus the first one. It feels claustrophobic. I suppose that’s just a personal preference, but it bugs me. Anyhoo, I really want to like the game, seeing as I have put an embarrassingly large amount of time in the original, but I keep bouncing off of it.

Paradroid · Post by **Paradroid** » Fri Dec 18, 2020 8:08 am

I have never played anything in this series but I just bought the Juggernaut edition of SoD 2 and I've been enjoying it so far. It's slightly buggy but, from what I hear, nowhere near as buggy as it used to be. But the gameplay is dreamy. The controls feel just right and combat is satisfying. I like the camaraderie between the camp mates (although I assume it gets old). I think the scarcity of ammo is well balanced too. I always have enough ammo to get myself out of a tight spot, but never enough to just blast my way through a horde of zombies.

I particularly enjoy the way you have to make decisions about what to carry, and how the boot (trunk) of your car is an extension of your inventory. It brings the old flawed gem Boiling Point: Road to Hell to mind. In fact the game seems to perfectly meld the base-building and mission-running elements of gameplay. I'm always thinking of both, whatever I'm doing.

There's a lot more to say but I haven't played for long yet. So far though, I have to say this is looking like an excellent open-world zombie game. I'm pretty pleased I bought it on a whim.

Lassr · Post by **Lassr** » Wed Dec 23, 2020 5:14 pm

Paradroid wrote: ↑Fri Dec 18, 2020 8:08 am I have never played anything in this series but I just bought the Juggernaut edition of SoD 2 and I've been enjoying it so far. It's slightly buggy but, from what I hear, nowhere near as buggy as it used to be. But the gameplay is dreamy. The controls feel just right and combat is satisfying. I like the camaraderie between the camp mates (although I assume it gets old). I think the scarcity of ammo is well balanced too. I always have enough ammo to get myself out of a tight spot, but never enough to just blast my way through a horde of zombies.

I particularly enjoy the way you have to make decisions about what to carry, and how the boot (trunk) of your car is an extension of your inventory. It brings the old flawed gem Boiling Point: Road to Hell to mind. In fact the game seems to perfectly meld the base-building and mission-running elements of gameplay. I'm always thinking of both, whatever I'm doing.

There's a lot more to say but I haven't played for long yet. So far though, I have to say this is looking like an excellent open-world zombie game. I'm pretty pleased I bought it on a whim.

I agree, I come back to this game every few months and play a few weeks then move onto something else. But the world is waiting right where I left off. I have finally completed the mission of eliminating all the plague hearts so I'm interested in where it goes from here.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Wed Dec 23, 2020 11:03 pm

On the other hand I loved State of Decay (I bought it THREE times!) and have not been able to get into SoD2 at all. I've tried twice and both times just couldn't summon any interest.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Wed Dec 23, 2020 11:15 pm

I put so many hours in State of Decay 2 on Xbox it’s ridiculous. Easily in my top 10 games on that console. It does everything the first one did...only better.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Thu Dec 24, 2020 12:28 am

I liked the first one well enough to install it and play it then delete it because I gave up 3 or 4 times. I dont remember if it was item breaking or having to take different people with me all the time to skill them up and equip them that ruined it more for me. I hate item breaking in any game. And as for the npcs why cant they just skill themselves up and tag along with me. Simply let me equip them. The rest is not fun.Also I left cars damaged all over the place. trying to switch which was parked at base to sloooowly repair became silly.

Paradroid · Post by **Paradroid** » Thu Dec 24, 2020 4:22 am

Daehawk I'm with you on item breaking. Never liked it in any game, I don't see what gameplay value it brings. But the rest of what you posted makes it sound like you want a pure action adventure, but that's not what SoD is; it's as much a community builder/manager as anything else.

Besides, you should want to bring the other characters out with you - combat support and a second inventory are invaluable!

Lassr · Post by **Lassr** » Thu Dec 24, 2020 11:25 am

I don't mind the item breakage when it makes since. A baseball bat over time will eventually break, a crowbar...No. How do you break a crowbar bashing in zombie heads? To me that is where it is stupid and it irritates me.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Fri May 21, 2021 11:58 am

hepcat wrote: ↑Wed Dec 23, 2020 11:15 pm I put so many hours in State of Decay 2 on Xbox it’s ridiculous. Easily in my top 10 games on that console. It does everything the first one did...only better.

Counterpoint: Story

State of Decay has one. I have yet to see any indication of one in S0D2 beyond the emergent story which doesn't count in my book and by book I mean series of disconnected vignettes.

I am giving it a third try and this time I am much further into the game than either of my previous tries. I did put it on easy because I bounced off the previous two times and part of it was stress so I thought maybe lowering difficulty would lower the stress. It has probably lowered it too much. I steamroll pretty much everything and am constantly losing supplies because I don't have room to store them all.

I have no idea if there is a story because after the tutorial it has basically seems like an open world random mish-mash of stuff. I guess the top of the to do list is to secure the region so I maybe after I clean up the rest of the nests something interesting may happen.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Fri May 21, 2021 12:25 pm

I can understand that. For me, the story was just trying to survive, but the sequel does have a story...albeit much more focused with fewer story missions overall.

The DLC Heartland does add a much better story experience though. Still, it's much shorter than the original game's main one.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Fri May 21, 2021 4:52 pm

Juggernaut Edition is $22.49 on Epic. If you use your $10 coupon then of course its $12.49. Its on my list. Just not sure. I was hoping it would be better than the first one that I enjoyed but didn't finish. I thought this one would have a small town to build up or a base but NPCs would help and do raids and such on their on or with you and such.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Fri May 21, 2021 4:55 pm

At the core it's very much the same as the original, building up a base, securing outposts, finding and securing a better base location, interacting with other groups, leveling up skills, finding ammo, etc. SoD2 is just a little prettier and more of a typical open world.

I have no idea what the DLCs add. In theory I have them all with the Juggernaut edition. I guess I should progress the story and see.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Fri May 21, 2021 5:42 pm

You dont have to play with other people do you? Can it be set to not allow others to join?

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Fri May 21, 2021 9:39 pm

coopasonic wrote: ↑Fri May 21, 2021 4:55 pm At the core it's very much the same as the original, building up a base, securing outposts, finding and securing a better base location, interacting with other groups, leveling up skills, finding ammo, etc. SoD2 is just a little prettier and more of a typical open world.

I have no idea what the DLCs add. In theory I have them all with the Juggernaut edition. I guess I should progress the story and see.

To play Heartland you have to start a new game as it’s separate from the main story.

Daehawk wrote: ↑Fri May 21, 2021 5:42 pm You dont have to play with other people do you? Can it be set to not allow others to join?

Yes

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Fri May 21, 2021 9:52 pm

Yeah I just finished my first game. That was MUCH shorter than I expected. I started a Heartland game. This might be a bit harder.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Sat Feb 17, 2024 2:59 am

Im playing this again. Its better this go at it. Im not playing the campaign Im playing the Heartland mode and doing it single player. Ive got that first base up and repaired and added a water container to it. Ive just scouted the back to houses right behind my base and then climbed the billboard to mark nearby places. I walked to the military check point on the road and scavenged all I could. I also brought back a 2nd car from that small campsite across the road and repaired the first car they basically gave you in the beginning.

Thats it for tonight. Tomorrow Im gonna see about taking one of the vehicles down to that town / church to find that guy that the quest gave me.