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[Nikov]

Think G-Mod's free build with a bunch of people barricading and fortifying a building as a team effort, then night falls and the zombies come. Then daybreak, repair the barricades, and night falls, zombies come. Need more ammo and gear? Run out into the surroundings and scavenge for it, but zombies hide in buildings during the day and you've got to make it back before night falls, and zombies pour out. Maybe even 64 players might all be wandering the same neighborhood, starting out not knowing where anyone else is, and using hand radios they have to scavenge and direct voice chat to talk. You see how long you can go before you all die. Survivors respawn at dawn on the fringes of the area and have to make it back to the forts before, you guessed it... zombies flood the streets again.

[Nopkar]

Think G-Mod's free build with a bunch of people barricading and fortifying a building as a team effort, then night falls and the zombies come. Then daybreak, repair the barricades, and night falls, zombies come. Need more ammo and gear? Run out into the surroundings and scavenge for it, but zombies hide in buildings during the day and you've got to make it back before night falls, and zombies pour out. Maybe even 64 players might all be wandering the same neighborhood, starting out not knowing where anyone else is, and using hand radios they have to scavenge and direct voice chat to talk. You see how long you can go before you all die. Survivors respawn at dawn on the fringes of the area and have to make it back to the forts before, you guessed it... zombies flood the streets again.

I remember playing an alpha server with something like that...OMG I LOVED IT!!! ugh, but that was back when I had a terrible comp, and Gmod was *free*...I'll have to wait...are there still servers like that up?

[Bdthemag]

I remember playing an alpha server with something like that...OMG I LOVED IT!!! ugh, but that was back when I had a terrible comp, and Gmod was *free*...I'll have to wait...are there still servers like that up?

Yeah theres plenty of servers like that, the problem is they are all usually modded from one RP mod Dark RP. Dark RP is an ok mod, but the problem is it isn't written very well and it attracts little kids and stupid gamers. Most of these survival servers aren't that good, the only good zombies survival servers are the ones you have to RP in.

[Nopkar]

Yeah theres plenty of servers like that, the problem is they are all usually modded from one RP mod Dark RP. Dark RP is an ok mod, but the problem is it isn't written very well and it attracts little kids and stupid gamers. Most of these survival servers aren't that good, the only good zombies survival servers are the ones you have to RP in.

yeah, that's how they used to be...meh...one of these days...I'll make the zombie game...one day...

[Akura]

Spoiler: What I would want in a zombie game (click to show/hide)

• Emphasis on the danger of zombies. I want it to be that if you see a zombie that hasn't noticed you, you think(and probably think fast) whether or not you want to shoot it. You're probably low on ammo, and the loud gunshot may very well attract a horde of them. Not only that, but if a zombie(or horde) is coming after you, running away should be towards the top of the list of things you'll think of doing.
• Realistic ammo amounts. I'm not saying ammo should be as low as "OH! FIVE 9mm ROUNDS! *dance for joy*", but it certainly shouldn't be "oh yay, another 100 bullets for the grenade launcher [/sarcasm]". Let's say you come across a police station or (jackpot!) a gun store or pawnshop that hasn't been looted to hell and back. You'd aquire a veritable stockpile of firepower. But that brings me to...
  
• Realistic carrying of stuff. Shotguns are heavy. Ammo is heavy. Food, water, and medical supplies are heavy. Plus, you simply can't carry that stuff in your hands. Get like a backpack or even a shopping cart to carry that stuff. For guns there's usually a holster or bandoleer for them, and if you happen across an army surplus store, that kind of thing should be easy to find(note: army surplus stores generally don't carry guns).
• Realistic damage, for you and them. If you shoot a zombie in the leg, it should certainly impede their ability to chase you. Likewise, if you somehow break your leg, from a fall, bite, or whatever, you shouldn't be able to run from zombies five seconds later(let alone walk.

[CoughDrop]

Research different ammunition types (not calibers(well calibers too)) and implement them into your game. You could check this for inspiration.

I had an interesting idea that you could get modular A.I. (perhaps find them from various locations) and hook them up to a base. You could then use some mechanic skill or something to help create defenses for the A.I. to occupy. Bonus points for making widely varied A.I.s (e.g. a paranoid A.I. that constantly nags you for taking too few precautions).

This wouldn't really work without a futuristic theme, though.

Good luck with the brainstorming.

[Nopkar]

lol xD I have everything brainstormed...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

one movie scene could capture the grim aspects of an apocalypse. For example: It's the darkest hours of night. a few solar powered street-lights still flicker in the darkness. The truck rumbles forward through the long dead city. Outside the faces of the dead, frozen in their final gruesome screams flick past. The cage around the bed of the truck is all that holds back the reaching grasp of the risen.

Imagine looking out of the bed of a pickup truck with a big cage around it. you're looking towards a sidewalk, everythings pitch black. you pass a streetlight and suddenly the faces of a dozen undead are there, staring at you, reaching, but only for a split second and then they're gone...

I want to capture the essence of a zombie apocalypse...cars and buildings aren't the only things that need to portray the situation...survivors need to be on edge, desperate, in deep despair etc etc. they've all lost loved ones, that kinda thing.

[Captain Mayday]

Perhaps you guys might be interested in Dead State then?

http://www.deadstate.doublebearproductions.com/
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2010/08/25/a-blood-red-state-dead-state-revealed/

[Jackrabbit]

Cthulhu mentioned it, yeah.

[Captain Mayday]

Cthulhu mentioned it, yeah.

Ah, so I see now.

I'm aware of another game similar to Dead State that I saw a while back, but with worse graphics. I can't for the life of me remember the name of it.

[Kohmelo]

A randomly generated city filled with undead and a very few survivors. Your goal is to survive and establish a civilisation.

Suffice to say, I've already pondered this idea for a long time. The problem is mainly scale. You'd need to have several systems in place as you progress from lone person holed up in some apartment building, to rag-tag group of survivors, to small town, and then to an armored citadel with death-buses. It just wouldn't work.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Well last working one with evolving game play was made -92 the first Dune. Even nearly 20 years later it still has genuine evolving from rpg to strategy what I have not seen after that. Many genuine things in its time. One thing have made me always wondering that great game play and great graphics (for its time) fitted in only a 3 512k disks, just under 2mgb.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dune_%28computer_game%29

Its abandonware nowadays if you were wondering... Won't post the link because I don't know this forums lines about abandonware.

[Nilik]

Without special zombies (or fast zombies) there's only a few ways they could be presented as a serious threat and not become tedious enemies.

Really, only Dead Rising comes to mind and the real danger came from the bosses.

See, the reason the zombies weren't a threat in Dead Rising was that Frank never gets tired. He can swing that sledgehammer around for hours and never get tired. In reality you'd make it through maybe two-dozen zombies (if you were in excellent physical shape), before your arms stopped working.

Dead Rising + stamina bar would make the zombies a real threat. Even better if it tracked arm vs leg wear seperately so that wearing your arms out means running is a better alternative, rather than just crippling you. I do like the idea of a pack you carry around that you can ditch to run faster though.

[Nikov]

Well, my game would feature hammering nails in a 3D physics simulator. Beat that.

[Jackrabbit]

Without special zombies (or fast zombies) there's only a few ways they could be presented as a serious threat and not become tedious enemies.

Really, only Dead Rising comes to mind and the real danger came from the bosses.

See, the reason the zombies weren't a threat in Dead Rising was that Frank never gets tired. He can swing that sledgehammer around for hours and never get tired. In reality you'd make it through maybe two-dozen zombies (if you were in excellent physical shape), before your arms stopped working.

Dead Rising + stamina bar would make the zombies a real threat. Even better if it tracked arm vs leg wear seperately so that wearing your arms out means running is a better alternative, rather than just crippling you. I do like the idea of a pack you carry around that you can ditch to run faster though.

Wouldn't work for Dead Rising since the game was all about cutting through zombies in ludicrous ways but I get what you're saying. A stat that makes it impossibly to fend of zombies infinitely would make for scary gameplay and tactical desicion making when presented with enclosed spaces.

[RedKing]

I really like the "SimSurvivor" idea that was tossed around above, especially if there way a way to mix RTS and FPS modes, sort of like Shores of Hazeron.

In terms of the scarcity of ammo, I think System Shock 2 was the gold standard for achieving that balance of tension and playability. Unless you were on easy mode, you spent virtually the entire game low on ammo, but you usually managed to have at least one clip left for most weapons, unless you just sprayed bullets. The result was that it forced you take careful shots, and to avoid enemies where you could. It also forced you to control your "fight or flight" response. Nothing worse than turning a corner, running into a cyborg midwife and unloading several rounds into her, only to remember that you were loaded with frag ammo instead of armor-piercing, and now you've just wasted several shots. And now she's pissed...

FWIW, I thought the original Left 4 Dead was awesome. Haven't played the second one, but I thought L4D did a great job of building tension for a shooter. Not to mention the co-op dynamics like needing allies to save you from Smokers and Hunters, and the fact that you couldn't actually die as long as there was at least someone around to revive you quick enough. And the final level in the farmhouse in one of the single-player campaigns  was pure Night of the Living Dead.