The zombie apocalypse comes round knocking...

[darkmushroomm]

I am thinking of writing a GAME story for a Zombie RPG, and I was wondering what you guys think I should put in. Here are some ideas I need help with:

1. How the zombies came to exist (I'm want something that hasn't been used too many times before).

2. Whether it should have a set character or a customisable one.

3. Whether it should be at the beginning or the middle of the apocalypse.

There are definitely going be side-quests, free roam and non-restrictive classes (for example choosing to be a healer and only being able to heal).

Anything else you guys can think of would be really helpful, thanks.

 

[Wolfram23]

zombies vs vampires. and then zombie-vampires.

 

[darkmushroomm]

I actually want serious answers, surprisingly.

 

[Brandon237]

Zombies that came about when certain plant spores where inhaled? I don't know if that has been used.

I personally prefer set characters, although this one is entirely up to you.

Start the tutorial just before the apoc and then have it progress quickly. Make it so that your character has to wear a face mask, not the whole damn "immune to virus for plot reasons"

You could have the face mask interchangeable and it would have a small integrity bar. Once that runs out, you run a certain % risk of infection. Depending on the difficulty.

My face mask is my only original idea, sorry.

And when the game gets some way through and the shit gets real, GM plant spores can be a great source of upgrades/ powers/ redundant game mechanic.

A nice idea would be well formed enemy groups of raiders and zombies that didn't quite reach the mark that set up temporary shelters at night and that you can random encounters with during the day. If you wipe them out, give the player something, if you follow them you can get food, old ammo, et cetera.

Also a shelter mechanic if you want to get survival mad.

OOH! Have a survival mode where the only objective is to survive, no respawns. And shelter building/ building fortification will be a long term necessity.

Resource stashing and safe havens of people you rescued would be nice. Gives a log term incentive to rescue the poor buggers.

Hope that helps.

 

[Last Bullet]

I'd start in the middle. Keep the origin vague and unknown, you can always explore it through the game, as if trying to combat it all. RPG = Customize. At least in my mind. I've yet to see a true game that basically just says "You are here, it's a sandbox, there are zombies and stuff and you're going to die. Try to postpone that." You could try to think of a specific reason to go out there and combat stuff, other than the usual, "Go out there and explore," figure stuff out on the way. There's my 10 cents.

 

[TheNamlessGuy]

DELETED

 

[Windexglow]

1. How the zombies came to exist (I'm want something that hasn't been used too many times before).
I've always been fond of "And than things started coming back to life'. No transition. no government conspiracy, no aliens, no moral silver lining.

2. Whether it should have a set character or a customizable one.
A bit of both - start with a stock character, than evolve him up based on player actions and events.

3. Whether it should be at the beginning or the middle of the apocalypse.
If you choose the beginning than you have to worry about many, many more assets. Go with the middle and you've found the sweet spot : Most people dead, organizations falling, but still a few people to make the game lively. The end is also a sweet spot : Just you, and you already know how it'll end.

Right now I'm slowly learning Unity Game Engine, in hopes that I can create my own 1900s-survival zombie game.

 

[GLo Jones]

I'd love a massive free roam environment for a zombie game. Your character should be very customisable, along with their equipment. Perhaps including vehicles (though balance it by making fuel hard to come by) which can be improved with certain types of reinforcement, just in case you need to stop driving in order to...

Sleep!

The game should be completely free from interludes, but instead feature a sleep mechanic, where you can only go so long without sleep. It should be harder to sleep during the day, in noisy conditions etc, and lack of sleep should affect your abilities before you ultimately just start nodding off. Things like sudden loud noises should wake your character (which could lead to some good ways to influence the narrative, e.g. Alert player of nearby friendly NPCs). This could also lead to some tense moments, where you're struggling to stay settled, and become sleep deprived over time.

This mechanic would mean that people would have to consciously set up camp somewhere, giving the player choice to either forage for supplies when possible, and return them to some kind of home base (in which case loose plot elements could come to them) to hopefully wait out the outbreak, or have them constantly on the move, collecting useful resources, setting up basic defences on the fly, and coming across plot elements as they explore.

You could start off using some nearby NPCs to help teach the player of these different tactics, before killing them off and leaving the player to fend for him/herself with only a basic goal to achieve (for example, SURVIVE).

Edit: In my haste to express my ideal zombie game, I seem to have overlooked the point of the thread. You want a story for the game? I expect that means you'd probably want the game nice and linear. Well I say FUCK YOU. Make my game!