Posted: 4/15/2009 8:04:14 AM EDT
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Just what the thread says , my brother who is involved in the video game industry is designing a proof-of-concept for a video game he's getting bids on.
Long story short, it's a zombie FPS (like L4D) with some absolutely amazing things that have never been done that I can't get in to. Anyways , if you were in the market for a video game (A Zombie FPS) What would be your TOP 5 Requirements for that game. |
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A mall environment.
Scoped rilfe with "sniper mode" ala the recent Dawn of the Dead remake.. A mini-gun stage - a fixed position in a local National Guard armory. The character captures the min-gun and uses it on a huge onslaught attacks. Or a Mk19 grenade launcher. 
SHTF - must make way to a remote BOL. |
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1. A crapload of weapons... both firearms and otherwise
2. Realistic response to the weapon... for example. A 9mm handgun would effect a zombie differently than a .45 ... add various ammo with different results ... knifes that can cut bodyparts off... chainsaw that kicks back when you hit somebody with it... realism overall for the aforementioned crapload of weapons. 3. Interested ways to kill enemies with the weapons... and perhaps traps. It would be neat to catch a zombie with a beartrap or snare and then torture it. 4. Fire, great method of killing things. 5. Variety... variety.... variety... |
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1- Realistic weapons... as far as bullet dam. and mag cap.
2-Any thing in the game can be a weapon, that is real life. You could break a leg off a chair and use it to fuck someone up. 3-Good online multi-player mode. 2-18 people can get together and defend their building and see how long they last. Almost like COD WaW, but more players and biger buildings. You get to start off with the weapons you want and the intensity you want to start at (thoes early levels on nazi zombies are so SLOW) 4-Like on L4D, dont make it so dark in the game that you cant even tell what the fuck is going on!! 5-Keep the levels real and keep them open! 
PS: A free copy of the game when it comes out!
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My Ideal version of a Zombie Game would be:
Gameplay like COD4/W@W/Resistance1&2 with the Stage's/Map(s) like Assasin's Creed and the weapon's available like in COD4/WAW & SOCOM But here's just an Idea 1. Stage's based on Survival/Strategy - For Instance like the first stage is to get some supplies like food and water, ammo, find survivor's etc. that are quite a distance away from your holdout position and that you would have to fight your way thru the undead to get there and back to the holdout. Also Mission's that are similar to RTS game's where you pick the appropriate equipment/personnel/survivor's to do the mission. And the Ultimate goal/stage is getting to a Military Base/Evacuation Point etc. Make the game interesting and not repetitive like the A.I's all doing the same thing over and over. Make the A.I.'s Similar to the one's L4D/CODW@W/R2 etc and have Multiple type's like Slow Mover's/Runner's/Crawler's all mixed in. 2. Weapon's/Tool's that are found in the Real World that you could pick up/take from abandoned store's etc. That you could use to Defend/Fortify your hold out area. ex: Weapon's - (Civillian)AR15's/AK's/Shotgun's/Machete's/Sword's and some Bonus Weapon's like M60's, SAW's, Grenade's that can be acquired when you raid/explore an abandoned military base. Tool's - Cordless Drill/Screw's/Hammer's/Nail's etc to board down window's door's for a certain amount of time that can take a certain amount of damage like in CODW@W zombie stage but abit more Durable. 3. Be able to Utilize Vehicle's or other mode's of Transportation available to Civilian's (Real World) Like Car's, Truck's, Van's, Boat's, Buses etc. or if a stage include's a Military Base where you would have to locate Key's for a specific vehicle like: Hummer, Tank, Jeep etc and also That the Vehicle's Actually Breakdown if damaged from ramming obstacle's etc and if your group has more than 1vehicle the group in the broken down vehicle have to make it to the checkpoint by foot or try to find another vehicle etc. Similar to Warhawk. 4. Make the game (Campaign/Survival) at least take like 10-12hr's or more to complete if you play non stop etc. And make it have an Online Multi Player Mode like CODW@W Zombie Stage without just staying in just one bldg. Make the online mode similar to the campaign/survival mode with like max 4-8 online player's. Make the First Stage/Mission where the player's have to locate eachother like in an apartment complex, Mall etc. And make the stage's take place in like Rural Area's, Cities, The Country Side, Military Base etc. 5. Have like armed Rogue Survivor's beside's the undead who try to take away your supplies/equipment etc who either try to raid your Holdout area or Mission Area etc. |
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I think adding an element where you are having to secure/contain an outbreak, like in 28 Weeks Later, with snipers on the roof tops, in tunnels, etc, and an escape by ground to air evac, would be cool if done well. Pick out friendlies from infected from actual zombies - better if the fast rage things, but good for traditional zombies as well.
Do not get bogged down in static defense, standard turtle, or in the survive after &/or mop up. If it's post-outbreak, and people have been around for a while, introduce elements where you have to avoid/disarm booby traps by failed survivors or fight off other survivors who want your stuff. No vampires. No magic. No goth crap. No goth or emo music. Not under any circumstances. |
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1. Good weapons: I'd like a game where the weapons fill a certain niche. For instance, one great for close range, one for medium range, one for long range, et cetera, and not one uber weapon that dominates everything. I'd also like the weapons to be unique. For example if you, or he, is using a AK47, rough it up a bit and have carvings on the stock(Symbols, tally marks, et cetera), and like a bayonet or a different type stock. I'd also like the weapon number to be in the perfect median between too few and an ARFCOM armory.
2. Contrast Between Zombies: I'd like there to be more than all shamblers or all sprinters with the same attributes, and 1 or 2 models. For example, the sprinters could be basically skeletons with rotting flesh scarcely covering it, and they could be weak, the shamblers could be stronger, and there could be former swat and military guys who have high health and drop weapons. And there should be a good contrast between the zombie models, I get tired of seeing the same 4 models over and over. 3. Barricading: It would be epic if you could barricade doors, windows, and pick up and move objects to speed up the process. 4. Weak Protaganist: Having a badass heman would seem badass, but the story is tenser when the protaganist can be weakened, or when he has a thorn in his side.(Like insanity.) 5. Long Replayable campaign: A long 8-10 hour non-linear campaign would kick up the replayability value a hell of a lot. |
| I completly agree, for once i want a zombie game that has an entire array of weapons, sort of like mgs4's line up of weapons, handguns, smgs, assualt rifles, lmgs, sniper rifles, and other assorted goodies. I also believe a customizable weapon option would be amazing, not just silencers and optics like most games but rail systems grips stocks lights all that kind of stuff. To me i believe a zombie game should be fun, not repetitive like Dead Rising, or LFD i want to shoot a zombie with one gun and then use another and have different ballistics do different things to them. OH and a bow and arrows, not many games have that option, i guess i like the idea of nailing a zombie to the wall. |
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I've always wanted to be able to develop my own zombie game. Ideally, it would be an RPG type game set in 3rd person mode (switchable to first person like in Fallout 3.) It would be an open environment game, with no boundaries (again, similar to Fallout 3 and the Elder Scroll series). It would be a realistic game with varying degrees of difficulty such as: -Easy Difficulty: zombies are slow, take damage like a human would (being shot in the heart will kill them.) You can survive being bitten without becoming infected. -Medium Difficulty: most zombies are slow, some can run. body shots will incapacitate them, but only headshot will kill. You will be infected if you're bitten, but you can cure it within a certain amount of time. -Nightmare Difficulty: zombies run as fast as humans, only headshots will kill them. If you're bitten, you're fucked. Maybe have it take place in an abandoned town or something, where you can operate from a safe house. I'd also like to see the implementation of vehicles (Jeeps, trucks, etc.) that act realistically as well. Just imagine being chased through a forest from zombies, with the sun setting and the environment getting harder to navigate through, trying to make your way back to your Jeep to get the fuck out of there before you're overwhelmed.  I would imagine the high points of the game would be a super realistic environment, with great attention to detail and accuracy with weapons.All it needs is a good storyline.  eta: Some of the above comments are full of great ideas too. One thing I hate about most modern game is that they don't let more than one or two people play on a single console. Co-op mode would be a must.  There is nothing like killing zombies, except doing so with a few friends. Possibly add character customization to it as well. |
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1: The ability to be a zombie in addition to being a survivor. LFD had that VERY right, being a zombie and knowing that you're ruining some little punk's game by ripping his little measly human a new orifice is AWESOME. Truly satisfying.
2: ACCURATE gun portrayal. With quality accessories. Actually have a shooter as technical adviser on hand to avoid things like the lack of ANY recoil, ejecting out the wrong side, racking the bolt or action every time you reload regardless of need, using C-more sights instead of Eotechs & Aimpoints. And for the love of God, if he uses an ACOG, get the reticle right. We live in the Golden Age of firearms - there is absolutely NO reason to have a lack of FUN/COOL/INTERESTING weaponry. 3: Fine tuned gameplay. Many a promising game has been ruined by poor playability. LFD is awesome. Battlefield is awesome. COD3 is awesome. In addition to *just* the right controls, the pace of the game must be just right. COD3, in my humble opinion, had just the right tempo. Fast enough that you're not left searching for action, but not so fast that you feel cheated by Ritalin junkies with T-1 connections. 4: Don't blow your load too early. Prime the pump, provide adequate foreplay. LFD has every gun in the game available in the first level, and we're left waiting for 4+ months for new ones, to say nothing of additional content. Meanwhile, games like GTA have ENORMOUS EXPANSIVE levels that are too large to fill with corresponding content. Find that sweet spot where you find yourself saying "wow, this level is nice & large" without ever saying "Wow, they spent all this time on making a huge level, I sure wish that they could have filled it with things to do." 5: Think outside the box. This is a relatively a vague requirement but you should know what I mean. For example, linear gameplay is done. With the rise of Xbox live, games have taken on a whole new life in which you're usually purchasing two games, single player & multi. Doing the same thing, down the same path is no longer cutting it in the world of gaming. Things need to develop, advance, almost evolve or take on a degree of randomness to it. The "X" factor. 6: Continue developing after the initial release. So many of us CRAVE more content once the initial product has been released, and it's often too little, too late. Within 3 months time from a game's initial release, there needs to be additional freaking content. Hell, the hard work's been done, how hard is it to task someone with designing a handful of extra levels or maybe some other enemies/weapons? |
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Lots of good suggestions......
I've forwarded the thread link to my brother and he's checking on it once in a while. Alot of these things we've already talked about, I for one am on the record wanting over 500 different guns (not weapons ,just guns) included in the game , but we'll see how that pans out. |
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Too many guns can be just as bad as not enough. When there are too many they lack the individuality that makes them unique & interesting, they simply start to all blend into one another.
A great example of good guns would be in the last Hitman game. Lots of unique weapons with magnificent customization. |
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1- realistic weapon effects and hopefully ballistics as well (think bullet drop). Have it where the people can only carry say three weapons not including a knife. A grappling hook would be cool though. I also like the zipline on battlefield 2.
2- I think something more world like kind of like grand theft auto where you have a whole city to move in than leavels you move through. Hope that makes sence. 3- I really like the supplies deal the one poster said. HAVING to go get food and medical equipment (simple bandages) would definatly be cool. 4-Make it so you either have to fortify you position with desks etc. or you will have to fight off a zombie raid at different times. (If the player has to go get food and ammo then they cant just barricade themselves in and stay put.) That would add playability to the game. There also has to be many positions you can move to. 5-If you drive a car you have fuel that runs out faster than normal for gameplay sake. What to do yoyu may ask? Go to the gas station and fill it up but watch your back. So you found a helicopter at the airport or hospital... well drive the fuel truck over and fill it up. Since chances are we wont have a gunship avaliable and zombies dont exactly have AA abilities having the passengers shoot out the sides is your only option. Vehicles will only hold so much ammo and or food (give them all different capacities depending on the type). Same with the people. Once they find a backpack they can carry whatever amount THAT pack can realistically hold. 6 ? -No wierd scifi zombies that are more like monsters. Thats just rediculous we all know what a zombie looks like.
Multiplayer would rock in this type game as you could all do this together. If the game looks good and plays good ill definatly play it. Need any beta testers for single or multiplayer? 
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Truly realistic damage is something I have never seen done in a video game. Limbs can get shot off, when shot in the head it should split open and brains splatter against walls, different calibers have different effects on zombies. Have it really gory, but realistically gory. Also; zombies should be slow moving, no L4D bosses just regular human zombies, and they should only die from headshots. I would like to see a "sandbox" style zombie game, ie; GTA, Far Cry, etc. Where it's not just level, after level of repetitive zombie hoards. But rather, your in a city having to scavenge for supplies, make allies, etc. |
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Quoted:
Truly realistic damage is something I have never seen done in a video game. Limbs can get shot off, when shot in the head it should split open and brains splatter against walls, different calibers have different effects on zombies. Have it really gory, but realistically gory. Also; zombies should be slow moving, no L4D bosses just regular human zombies, and they should only die from headshots. I would like to see a "sandbox" style zombie game, ie; GTA, Far Cry, etc. Where it's not just level, after level of repetitive zombie hoards. But rather, your in a city having to scavenge for supplies, make allies, etc. Head shots shouldnt always work though... just like shooting a regular person in the head does not always equal death. I think the key to a good game is realism... put a realistic kill "tree" if you will... to include the spine... T box on the face. I like the ideas some posters have said about realistic damage... a .50 caliber ma-deuce could slice the zombie in half... then he would have to pull himself with his arms But if you shoot off all the limbs he should still be squirming around... The repetetive one shot to the head or 2 shots = kill is getting really old in games. I want to shoot him with a 9 mil and it do little damage... switch to the .600 nitro revolver and blast his whole back out. L4D screwed up with the whole "your pinned you need help" thing... pull out your knife and start slashing... roll him over and stab or shoot him, its a zombie you can knock it off.
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"Realism" and "zombie" don't belong in the same sentence, but realistic damage/physics on weaponry and everything else is nice.
If you're following typical zombie convention that headshot=DRT, make accuracy variable (an AK is not a sniper rifle) and make rifle-vs-pistol-vs-shotgun actually matter (no backflipping Desert-Eagle wielding guys doing headshots on the run) in matters of range and recoil. Dead Rising had the wide (realistic) availability of weapons down. I got chuckles out of whacking zombies with electric guitars and everything else. Don't make a knife as a basic weapon a one-stab kill weapon.........real knives rarely do. Make them realistic, make the player hammer the hell out of someone with knives five or six times before they go down (panic ratio increases exponentially). Toss in some other common impact weapons (tree limbs, wrenches, crowbars, etc). Machetes do a real job (IRL) at dismembering people.... legging some zombies to act as speedbumps as you run away could be a viable tactic without wasting ammo. |
| How about a multiplayer mode that pits two HUMAN factions against each other while zombies are running around the map. The zombies then become a resource for the teams where as to lure them towards the enemy one could toss a noisemaker or other item to distract the horde. A territory style control map with intense house to house fighting in an urban setting while at the same time having to fight off zombie hoardes is one of my dream games. Good variety of weaponry for players who wish to concentrate off keeping the zed off the teams back vs those players who want tools more specialized to killing the opposing force. |
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Sounds like a great game premise.
My 2 cents... Realistic weapons/ballistics. Locational damage, arms and legs should be removable, but only headshots should end the threat. STORY, make me care about what is going on around me. Good iron sights for the weapons, no on screen crosshair bullshit. STORY, did I say that already? Open, non-scripted gameplay and maps. The ability to make cover/weapons/hideouts from the objects in the environment. Make the zombie's advantage their numbers, NOT SPEED. |
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As everyone has pointed out already, realistic weapon damage, magazine capacity, etc. Armed Assault has different types of ammunition for each gun. Say you could have varying bullet weights, subsonic ammo is quieter if your weapon has a suppressor, that kind of stuff. Perhaps have ammo in boxes and the player has to combine them with the appropriate magazine for their weapon. I also want to be able to customize my guns, but say you can only do that if you have the accessories already and are in a safehouse. Only allow the player to carry two firearms at a time in addition to a melee weapon and a knife.
I'd also like to see a wide variety of weapons and calibers. Colt 1911 .45, USP .45, Beretta 9mm, .38 Special snub-nosed, .357 Magnum 4 or 6", GLOCK 22 .40cal or USP .40, .22LR rifle, M1 Garand, M1 .30 Carbine, M4A1with RIS, M16A4, M14/M1A, .30-30 lever action, bolt action .308 or .30-06. For melee anything from a baseball bat, machete, crowbar ( ,) garden rake, shovel, table legs, all kinds of stuff.
A Far Cry 2 style driving mechanic, where you can turn around and see the horde getting farther away as you speed down the street. And if your vehicle gets damaged from hitting obstacles, you have to get out and find tools and parts to fix it or ditch it and hump it on foot. Day and night cycles would be a plus, as would barricading and interacting with other survivors. |
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Scavenging, passage of time (night and day + weather), and fortification are all great ideas to try. As far as I know, not one zombie game has really addressed the issue of day-to-day activity. Obviously, scavenging for food and then eating it is downright boring, but perhaps finding things like a radio, medkit, pharmaceuticals, ammunition, steel and wood for fortifications. I would really like to see a game where Survivors across a sandbox-type city could have permanent online presence (like WoW) and even a permanent dwelling. Perhaps the ability to play alongside three other consoles. The location of the dwellings would be completely open to choice. If a person wanted to fortify the 40th floor of a skyscraper then go for it. Or perhaps top of a supermarket. Or a random substation attached to the subway network. Slow zombies are something with real merit, but only if they actually behave in a manner that presents difficulty - ie. they travel in hordes, or they are somewhat faster than "shuffle" and can climb simple obstacles.
Here's how I would address fortification: (1) Use a realistic in-game structural analysis engine. One section of 2" PVC 40' long taped together without support will not work. But bracing it every few feet and adding more pipe might help. A fort editor would provide real-time feedback on how strong the emplacements are. Perhaps a color-coded strain distribution - blue is very strong (low strain) whereas yellow indicates a high degree of strain. Red is very weak. Making a large fort means taking into account that a large horde can press against the wall with great force. (2) To ensure that survivors don't just barricade a door here and there and then pack it all up for another spot, make obstacle placement very important. I would make it so that items can only be attached to walls with "anchors." A given anchor would be infinitely strong but can only support one connection and cannot be removed. So if someone found 2 anchors in 3 hours of searching, they could place one piece of lumber across a door with an anchor on each side. The lumber would have finite strength and could be broken in the worst scenario, but the anchor points would remain for future use. If a player decides to pack it up and move downtown, they would forfeit their structure. (3) Heavy items like an I-beam or sewer grate would slow the player down and create a high stress situation. The player may opt to work alongside others to provide escort service while he/she drags the item across the street. Maybe wield a single pistol while dragging the item. (4) No two forts should be alike. Complete player control. (4) Make a wide range of items movable for this purpose. Lumber, pipe, rebar, cinder blocks, brick, wire, grating, drywall, chalkboards, tables, beams, car doors, tires, fencing, etc. (6) To ensure the game doesn't bog down with excess structural data, make the player choose a section of the map to build his/her fort in. Say a 1000' x 1000' x 50' area. Anything goes inside, but the anchors cannot be placed outside this location. Additionally, the player could move this area if they chose, but at the loss of their current anchors. Material inside this location would drop to the floor and remain for reuse (within a certain amount of time, so that it did not become clutter). (7) Anchors are like ammunition. Finite and kept in the inventory. Although they would respawn randomly across the map, they would be somewhat scarce and worth stockpiling in the fort for later use. The player should start out with maybe 4 anchors and must use them wisely. (8) Entrance into a fort must be via a door. Hollow wood doors are a poor choice but can provide a few hours of protection against small threats. Solid oak doors are heavier but will hold up fine. A steel security door is excellent. The lock should start out as a chair or 2x4 propped against it. Later, the player can find a keyed lock so that the can keep zombies out of the fort while they scavenge. (One alternate option for those starting out is to simply barricade an existing doorway with a piece of material. This material would have to be destroyed in order to exit the area, and would cost valuable anchor points. But it would work in a pinch.) (9) Once the player finds a hammer he/she can build stronger structures via nails. A screw gun is even better but very hard to find. Nail guns - weapon or tool??? Many more ideas, but this is a start. |
| Most zombie movies/games have crappy non immersive storylines. The story in this game should be epic, with multiple ways the story could split off at various points in the game, thus changing not just the way the game ends, but affecting events in the game even before that. Add that on top of day/night cycles, changing weather and an expansive selection of weapons like mentioned before and you could have the game that sets the new standard for survival/horror games. |
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1. Open enviroment such as Far Cry 2, but in a city enviroment, think suburbia hell.
2. Usable controls, to many buttons to remember = not fun. 3. a HUD that is sort of like Far cry in that you want to go to an area youd better whip out that map to mark where your going or walk with it out cross between far cry 2, fallout 3 map huds. 4. From the map pull out a radio and then receive reports from the other humans where the zeds are, call for reinforcements to a certain building place sensors taht let you know zeds are coming ect the options with a radio are endless. Put markers where you need hard point on a block to keep the zeds back ect Go wild in this the radio will be a big feature!!!!!!!!! 5. Customize your guns!!!!!, I can handle fewer guns if I have the ability to chop down down gramps hunting rifle to be a pistol or his double barrel duck gun into a pistol as well, tape on a flash light its all good. For the M-4, aks ect be realistic assume military people have the good toys, nods, laser pointers ect, I want a full screen where I have the option to change items on my m-4 or even add the rails period!. If I want an ak with a pistol grip and red dot laser, or aim point I should be able to. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Oh yea and make it available for Multiple Console's and not just 1 Specific Console Unfortunately this is going to be a PC-Only title (but a very special PC format). Each console runs about 5 million dollars to port to.  My laptop can't handle all these fancy shmancy new games. |
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1) Able to custom your weapons a bit - something a bit better the vegas and that crap.
2) Have a story line...unlike L4d 3) Lots of weapons - like i said, able to custom them to a degree (as much as possible) - I require Mk18 mod 0, mk12 mod 0 and m4a1 clone. With switchable optics - Eotech 552/ACOG ta01nsn/ta31/AIMpoint- detachable suppressors 4) Please don't use the source engine 5) Have the zombies actually attempt to eat you, and not just claw at you. 6) Have quite a few edged weapons, and make it bloody as can be...as in heads rolling, bodies getting choped in 2, limbs gone ect... If you get bit, you need some sort of shot, or you start turning -would be cool if you get clawed at, you're all good, from turning that is, not from getting hurt On the hardest difficulty, headshots only, body shots just slow them down Not have 1000s of them come in one giant horde when your in a confined area, from a room the size of a bathroom Die somewhat easy MAKE THE WEAPONS MODERNLY BADASS, with useable IR lasers and lights that you can turn on/off. |
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Make sure you look at the various flash zombie games, OP, like The Last Stand and its sequel, All Hallow's Eve, and Luncheon of the Dead. Some very good ideas in those. Yeah , I've played almost any of them. As for game engine , this would be a 100% custom build most likely , we checked into source, and pretty much every other engine out there and found that the money saved on ANY of them isn't anything significant. Most PCs should be able to handle the game, making it compatibly is a very big thing. As for violence/gore, we're trying to figure out the best way to handle this, censorship is a really crummy matter. If it was to bereleased on Wii/Xbox/PS3 or such , the censors can be really bad towards a game (Expecially with something that might be downloaded on Live or such). |