Zombie based web game

[B4UTRUST]

Zombie stuff goes here. This game was Allen's idea, blame him.

[Tasoth]

Some notes and idle GIMP suckwork

Basic actions/buttons
-Attack
-Search
-Use(drop down box with it)
-Drop
Neat actions and buttons that aren't mandatory but still neat in the long run
-Hide
-Eat(zombie specific)
-Identify(human specific)
-Subdue
-Cook/craft/build
-talk/whisper
Basic tile types
-House/residential
-FD/PD
-Hospital
-store
-cemetary
Neat stores that aren't mandatory but would be fun to have
-Ammo dumps
-College/Highschool
-Zoo
-arboreatorium
-junkyard
-Hardware store
-War Museum
-historical Museum
Neat ideas for skills should they be implemented
-First Aid
-pistol
-melee
-craft
-painting
-musical ability
Neat ideas for qualities that could be implemented
-Field cook
-tinker
-chemistry
-craft
-long distance runner
-out of shape (drawback)
-impaired senses(drawback)
neat ideas in general
-Item finds based on how valuable of a search check
-rare items require a high outcome and getting two max results on a random number.
-bonuses for wearing a complete suit
-firearms, melee, one use items, survival items(food, first aid packs), crafted melee, crafted firearms
-eventually being able to collect parts from PC zombies and cash them in for specific items.

You only hate me because I'm much more beautiful then you are.

[Destructionator XV]

Oh how I wish this was a DOS game. I was so good at coding them...

Anyhow, the biggest thing I see as being a problem with making this in the browser will be the city map. The next probelem will be getting the turn based things ironed out (I tend to find real time games better).

Here are my thoughts for implementing the map:

Make it a grid of links, each one having a picture. You click on a grid section to do something with that part.

OR

Have the grid labeled and simply type in the co-ordinates. For example

DROP_DOWN_BOX || TEXT_BOX || TEXT_BOX

Select an Action from the box || type X || type Y


Hmmm.... I want to know more about how the city will be laid out. Can you move to an arbitrary square or only to preset locations? Is travel time an issue? Can you be caught between your source and destination?

I am thinking arbitrary; yes; and yes are the answers that will be best. And it is doable - then we will need to decide on resolutions of the map. Will the city be 10x10 squares? Will it be bigger?

[Destructionator XV]

Just had a thought on AIM with Scott.

Make the map on the fly from the location fields of the players and structures. Only display what the player can see with his spot checks or whatever. Many advantages here, one of which is it will actually be feasable with a database backend.

[Tasoth]

If you make the map interface 3x3 with the central square being the focus and movement being only possible into squares surrounding the middle, it would make things easier. Also having each location block being a seperate link/image works and would probably be easier to implement having the map move to different positions. Or not, dunno, not programming this.

[Dark Silver]

I'd think you could go with whatever is easiest for you and Scott to code there Adam, though I agree with the 3x3 squares, movements only possible to adjacent squares would be best.

Though, again, this is up to you.

[B4UTRUST]

We were also discussing the idea of figuring out a way to randomly generate sections of the city. This would be interesting in that the area is ever changing. What was a safe haven yesterday is a dead zone today. Also means no one could truely map it out so you'd have to rely on survival a lot more then just simply following a map.

[Tasoth]

It's a neat idea about the random thing. But are you just rearrange a set number of tiles in the city or does the count of how of each tile change from day to day? What happens to the Player Characters when the jumble gets on? Do they get tossed a magical journey to where ever?

[Josh]

I don't mind the idea of safe areas becoming dangerous, but I do like the ability to map out and plan stuff in UD. For purposes of characterization, I also like the concept that my character is from 'x' neighborhood and knows it well.

[Dark Silver]

Well, it's something to discuss, but Tasoth and I was thinking about it.

Instead of randomizing the whole city, why not randomize encounters across the city every...12 hours or so? not sure how feasible that is

[B4UTRUST]

Not sure on feasibilty at the moment but I think randomizing the amount of tiles would be appropriate enough. And since it'd be more of a coordinate based system I think I don't htink the pcs themselves would get taken on the magical journey as Tasoth refered to it as, but would remain at the same place, just with the building changing. While this may be confusing and such it does add a certain element of inherant danger to it.

Player goes to sleep safe in a secured location only to wake up and there's zombies beating down the door of the building he's in, but it's not the building he went to sleep in. What did the PC do while he was asleep? Hmmm, I wonder. Is he secretly becoming a zombie more and more each night? Is the zombie slowly taking over his mind?
"Of course I know you sir, you're the one who gave me this...*holds up hand with scar on it*"

[Tasoth]

Once we get combat worked out and we start to fiddle around with weapon classes, we should tweak the chance of getting counter attacked so melee has a higher chance and ranged attacks a lower chance. Maybe make melee do more damage on average compared to firearms or have a better chance to hit.

[Dark Silver]

Scott...you been watching Fight Club a bit to much.......

[Ace Pace]

Regarding the randomization..its a good idea, within limits.

Lets say we have something similer to zerg carpet, if you sleep on the periphery, next day you'll wake up and notice the walls covered with zombie related stuff, and zombies walking around.

This also gives the zombies additional objectives beyond killing humans, such as expanding their area of control.

So while zombies can go out and fight, their being a 'support' role by growing more zombie 'carpet' while humans can fight back, with some human items fighting back.

Let me know if I'm crazy.

[Tasoth]

Regarding the randomization..its a good idea, within limits.

Lets say we have something similer to zerg carpet, if you sleep on the periphery, next day you'll wake up and notice the walls covered with zombie related stuff, and zombies walking around.

This also gives the zombies additional objectives beyond killing humans, such as expanding their area of control.

So while zombies can go out and fight, their being a 'support' role by growing more zombie 'carpet' while humans can fight back, with some human items fighting back.

Let me know if I'm crazy.

I actually like that idea. It also works with the concept of having NPC zombie migrations in game so that encounter chances would change over time in certain areas.

[Ace Pace]

We don't really need Zombie NPC's, we could have just advancing Zombie spawns. Zombies when they die outside of the 'controlled' area have to wait untill the carpet reachs them, and then you intergrate the carpet mechanisim with core gameplay.

[Tasoth]

We don't really need Zombie NPC's, we could have just advancing Zombie spawns. Zombies when they die outside of the 'controlled' area have to wait untill the carpet reachs them, and then you intergrate the carpet mechanisim with core gameplay.

What happens when the humans prevent the decay from spreading? You have dozens of dead zombie PCs that are defunct. Unless of course you don't want the ensuing urban decay to be preventable.

[B4UTRUST]

preventable but only with a coordinated effort and some work. Like aquiring certain items in a psuedo-quest, setting them up and executing the plan to do it. Like a batch of chemicals that temporarily acts as a poison to zombies, causing them to die and not be able to respawn for a while.

[Ace Pace]

The humans can delay, force back,but never permenantly, its a losing game but they have room to spare.

[Tasoth]

So, about time I do what steel wants me to do. Since I'm a minute speck on the team, I want some input onto the cause before the story gets whipped up. So far, I'm trying to stay away from the 'corporate bioweapon testing/gone awry' angle and think of something unique. So far.

-Fungal based. Some radical form of fungus is infecting the recently dead or well preserved dead, giving them a semblance of life.

-Sticking with the fungus idea or something similar, a virus or parasite present in a new strain of fungi/lichen is jumping hosts and entering humans. Recently dead humans are then being reanimated as their immune systems are no more.

-Radioactive waste leeching into the soil from a land fill. Oldy but a goody.

-Spill of a popular brand of soft drink. The dead begin rising afterwards.

-There is no explanation. Why is this horror happening!

[Dark Silver]

I'm for the virus/parasite in the fungi thing myself.

[Rogue 9]

I usually go with the evil magic of some sort explanation, but if you want a pseudo-natural cause, I'd say fungus. A virus wouldn't be able to animate a body.