Post by smokingowl on Jan 4, 2011 19:50:44 GMT
Well, during my game-play I wrote down several ideas. Some of them don't fit anywhere so I decided to simply make a separate thread. I hope this won't be a problem.
- retrievable crossbow bolts - Deon mentioned making crossbow bolts out of planks. I'm not sure what skill is needed to make bolts that would be reasonably accurate (and if learning it would be within reach of a typical survivor), but I think that making bolts retrievable would add to the realism of the game and make the bows skill more useful.
- huntable animals - dogs, rats, cats that are not zombies scavenging in the city. Meat can be prepared over a fire or using a stove in one of the houses. The scent may attract zombies. The fire may be an alternative source of light to the flashlight (stationary "campfire", or a torch if one uses cloth/bandages on a wooden plank).
- hungry animals attacking people - Packs of non-zombie dogs hunting lone survivors.
- exit areas spanning full length between districts - when in the sewers, you can pass to another district in any given place, but when on the surface there are only several places (usually one tile wide, rarely two) where you can enter an adjacent district. This does not make sense, not to mention that it can be very frustrating at times. For example, a recent situation: I am running away from a group of undead only to run into another bunch. There is no other escape but to enter a different district. Between the two groups of zombies there is only one exit tile. I enter it and wait 5 minutes for the new district to update (since this is the first time I will be visiting it, and it is day 20). Finally, the district has updated... but I cannot enter. A skeleton is blocking the way
Why were the exits made like this?
- zombie culinary habits and healing - Right now it seems that a zombie heals when he succesfully bites a survivor. My proposition is that each bite fills part of the hunger bar. If the bar is past a certain (low) treshold, the zombie heals automatically as long as he stands idle. Perhaps the zombie could also stop and chew on a corpse to refill the bar (the corpse turning into a pile of bones or the skull that is currently used in-game)?
- masking your smell - sooner or later the stenchkillers will run out. Using dead zombie corpses may help in masking your smell but also may induce vomiting (perhaps a new skill would reduce the chances of vomiting when eating spoiled food or using the corpses? Perhaps seeing someone beaing eaten by zombies would also cause the observer to vomit?).
- zombies attracted to noise - zombies attracted to gunshots and other noises, gunshots heard in the whole district, gives opportunity for various tactics (lurings zombies away from hideout or near a char office).
- game pauses when hungry NPCs demand food - sometimes when i press directional buttons automatically I spot the message when it is too late. It would be helpful if the game would pause and require the player to hit enter to continue.
- new orders for followers - telling followers to move to a specific tile, "stay here" (in contrast to "guard" they can sleep and perhaps even wander around slightly), telling them to move freely or stick close (so they will return by our side to the hideout and help in clearing the way if necessary instead of attacking every single skellie and shambler in sight that cannot reach us), telling them to attack a specific target, telling them to push objects.
- talking to NPCs - asking them for food or specific items (threatening, asking normally or begging them to give them to you). Warning NPCs that they are near your hideout and they should leave (again, you could threaten them that you will kill them otherwise or ask them politely). Asking them for help in a fight (in exchange for an item? breaking the deal would affect your reputation?).
- reputation - some NPCs have heard about you, they will react appropriately to how you treat others. They may help you, tell you to leave or outright attack you.
- using spray cans to mark your hideout - some of the NPCs will leave your place alone to avoid a fight. Needs to be sprayed near every entry.
- what shape the weapons are in? - rough info about the state of your favourite zombie killer. Something like: "in mint condition!", "barely used", "covered in blood and brains", "it saw better days", "start looking for a replacement".
- pushing a button updates districts - instead of increasing the waiting time when the character sleeps or moves between districts, the player could press a button and update when it is convenient for him.
[Yeah, I know that the proposition below most likely will get a big "NO", still, I think that such changes would make the game more enjoyable, so might as well mention them. Perhaps some people will like it and support it. Who knows.]
- zombies, doors and barricades - when I started playing the game I thought that keeping zombies out would be pretty simple, the only problem being getting out of the hideout and returning safely (using several exits to lure the zombies to one of the sides of the building, to go out/in through the other and so on). Well, you can achieve such a situation, but only if you use cars to build barricades. Doors, windows and their barricaded versions succumb quickly. The same can be said about fortifications. Their only use I think is as an early warning system or temporary means until you set up the cars correctly. When you really need them, when there is a horde of zombies outside, they fall too quickly making little difference in the fight. The same is for metal and char office doors and bars/grating inside the sewers and metro. Zombies don't run and bash the door/barricade, nor do they have any weapons on them, so why is it so easy for them to break in using only their rotting hands?
My proposition:
*Skeletons - no changes
*Basic shamblers and zombies - can only destroy windows and glass doors. These objects instead of loosing health have a % chance of breaking. Other creatures destroy these automatically (excluding skeletons).
Although the creatures above cannot do much damage, they still may try to attack the door. The player may get a message like "You hear something scratching at the door X tiles to XX".
*Fully evolved shamblers - can damage doors (excluding char office doors and metal doors) and wooden objects (excluding fortifications).
*Neophytes - Damage everything made out of wood except barricades on metal and char doors (since the barricade itself is likely to be on the opposite side)
*Disciples - Damage everything and shove cars
*Zombie Master - jumps over stuff and opens doors and windows (unless they are barricaded)
*Zombie Lord - jumps over stuff, destroys wooden objects except fortifications and barricades on metal or char doors. Opens doors.
*Zombie Prince - jumps, destroys everything made out of wood except barricades on char and metal doors. Opens doors.
*Sewer Thing - destroys everything
*The Living - Wooden and glass doors, windows, furniture, barricades (but not on metal or char doors).
*The Living equipped with crowbars/hammers/other appropriate tools - everything destructible.
To offset these changes the Zombie Prince could sense the living (not by their smell but their inner energy/soul/chi/whatever). In the terms of game mechanics -> he would simply know the position of every living being on the map. All the time.
(Also, to put up fortifications one would have to procure a toolbox?)
- game engine taking into consideration on which side the barricade was set up - it would be easier to destroy the barricade first and later the door. Also, it would solve the problem in the proposition above with metal/char doors and barricades on them.
- electricity! - The character knows that the city is powered by a geothermal power plant. If they player manages to get there, clear the place up and repair/start up the equipment, he will find the following changes:
*Street lights at dark
*Working lamps inside of buildings
*Can recharge certain items using sockets in the walls
*Can open doors and turn on the lights in the hospital
*Can open gates and turn on the lights in metro stations
- retrievable crossbow bolts - Deon mentioned making crossbow bolts out of planks. I'm not sure what skill is needed to make bolts that would be reasonably accurate (and if learning it would be within reach of a typical survivor), but I think that making bolts retrievable would add to the realism of the game and make the bows skill more useful.
- huntable animals - dogs, rats, cats that are not zombies scavenging in the city. Meat can be prepared over a fire or using a stove in one of the houses. The scent may attract zombies. The fire may be an alternative source of light to the flashlight (stationary "campfire", or a torch if one uses cloth/bandages on a wooden plank).
- hungry animals attacking people - Packs of non-zombie dogs hunting lone survivors.
- exit areas spanning full length between districts - when in the sewers, you can pass to another district in any given place, but when on the surface there are only several places (usually one tile wide, rarely two) where you can enter an adjacent district. This does not make sense, not to mention that it can be very frustrating at times. For example, a recent situation: I am running away from a group of undead only to run into another bunch. There is no other escape but to enter a different district. Between the two groups of zombies there is only one exit tile. I enter it and wait 5 minutes for the new district to update (since this is the first time I will be visiting it, and it is day 20). Finally, the district has updated... but I cannot enter. A skeleton is blocking the way
Why were the exits made like this?
- zombie culinary habits and healing - Right now it seems that a zombie heals when he succesfully bites a survivor. My proposition is that each bite fills part of the hunger bar. If the bar is past a certain (low) treshold, the zombie heals automatically as long as he stands idle. Perhaps the zombie could also stop and chew on a corpse to refill the bar (the corpse turning into a pile of bones or the skull that is currently used in-game)?
- masking your smell - sooner or later the stenchkillers will run out. Using dead zombie corpses may help in masking your smell but also may induce vomiting (perhaps a new skill would reduce the chances of vomiting when eating spoiled food or using the corpses? Perhaps seeing someone beaing eaten by zombies would also cause the observer to vomit?).
- zombies attracted to noise - zombies attracted to gunshots and other noises, gunshots heard in the whole district, gives opportunity for various tactics (lurings zombies away from hideout or near a char office).
- game pauses when hungry NPCs demand food - sometimes when i press directional buttons automatically I spot the message when it is too late. It would be helpful if the game would pause and require the player to hit enter to continue.
- new orders for followers - telling followers to move to a specific tile, "stay here" (in contrast to "guard" they can sleep and perhaps even wander around slightly), telling them to move freely or stick close (so they will return by our side to the hideout and help in clearing the way if necessary instead of attacking every single skellie and shambler in sight that cannot reach us), telling them to attack a specific target, telling them to push objects.
- talking to NPCs - asking them for food or specific items (threatening, asking normally or begging them to give them to you). Warning NPCs that they are near your hideout and they should leave (again, you could threaten them that you will kill them otherwise or ask them politely). Asking them for help in a fight (in exchange for an item? breaking the deal would affect your reputation?).
- reputation - some NPCs have heard about you, they will react appropriately to how you treat others. They may help you, tell you to leave or outright attack you.
- using spray cans to mark your hideout - some of the NPCs will leave your place alone to avoid a fight. Needs to be sprayed near every entry.
- what shape the weapons are in? - rough info about the state of your favourite zombie killer. Something like: "in mint condition!", "barely used", "covered in blood and brains", "it saw better days", "start looking for a replacement".
- pushing a button updates districts - instead of increasing the waiting time when the character sleeps or moves between districts, the player could press a button and update when it is convenient for him.
[Yeah, I know that the proposition below most likely will get a big "NO", still, I think that such changes would make the game more enjoyable, so might as well mention them. Perhaps some people will like it and support it. Who knows.]
- zombies, doors and barricades - when I started playing the game I thought that keeping zombies out would be pretty simple, the only problem being getting out of the hideout and returning safely (using several exits to lure the zombies to one of the sides of the building, to go out/in through the other and so on). Well, you can achieve such a situation, but only if you use cars to build barricades. Doors, windows and their barricaded versions succumb quickly. The same can be said about fortifications. Their only use I think is as an early warning system or temporary means until you set up the cars correctly. When you really need them, when there is a horde of zombies outside, they fall too quickly making little difference in the fight. The same is for metal and char office doors and bars/grating inside the sewers and metro. Zombies don't run and bash the door/barricade, nor do they have any weapons on them, so why is it so easy for them to break in using only their rotting hands?
My proposition:
*Skeletons - no changes
*Basic shamblers and zombies - can only destroy windows and glass doors. These objects instead of loosing health have a % chance of breaking. Other creatures destroy these automatically (excluding skeletons).
Although the creatures above cannot do much damage, they still may try to attack the door. The player may get a message like "You hear something scratching at the door X tiles to XX".
*Fully evolved shamblers - can damage doors (excluding char office doors and metal doors) and wooden objects (excluding fortifications).
*Neophytes - Damage everything made out of wood except barricades on metal and char doors (since the barricade itself is likely to be on the opposite side)
*Disciples - Damage everything and shove cars
*Zombie Master - jumps over stuff and opens doors and windows (unless they are barricaded)
*Zombie Lord - jumps over stuff, destroys wooden objects except fortifications and barricades on metal or char doors. Opens doors.
*Zombie Prince - jumps, destroys everything made out of wood except barricades on char and metal doors. Opens doors.
*Sewer Thing - destroys everything
*The Living - Wooden and glass doors, windows, furniture, barricades (but not on metal or char doors).
*The Living equipped with crowbars/hammers/other appropriate tools - everything destructible.
To offset these changes the Zombie Prince could sense the living (not by their smell but their inner energy/soul/chi/whatever). In the terms of game mechanics -> he would simply know the position of every living being on the map. All the time.
(Also, to put up fortifications one would have to procure a toolbox?)
- game engine taking into consideration on which side the barricade was set up - it would be easier to destroy the barricade first and later the door. Also, it would solve the problem in the proposition above with metal/char doors and barricades on them.
- electricity! - The character knows that the city is powered by a geothermal power plant. If they player manages to get there, clear the place up and repair/start up the equipment, he will find the following changes:
*Street lights at dark
*Working lamps inside of buildings
*Can recharge certain items using sockets in the walls
*Can open doors and turn on the lights in the hospital
*Can open gates and turn on the lights in metro stations