Zombie MMORPG in the Works 102
Warcry has a very short blurb about a just announced Horror-genre Massively Multiplayer game. Titled Exanimus, the game looks to be set in a post-apocalyptic zombie setting. From the piece: "While most of the world is dead, there are small pockets of survivors that exist in barricaded cities across the globe. Players of Exanimus will have the option of playing as a living survivor or as one of the dead roaming the earth. Exanimus will allow players to experience a MMO based in a horror genre by creating a dark and visually "intense" environment. Exanimus is expected to be rated "Mature" and not intended for anyone under the age of 18."
Urban dead? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Urban dead? (Score:1)
Re:Urban dead? (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Urban dead? (Score:3, Funny)
Zombies (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Zombies (Score:2)
Chris Mattern
Re:Urban dead? (Score:3, Interesting)
Even if the sides are even number-wise, part of the horror atmosphere comes from being outnumbered by the shambling undead. It will be interes
Re:Urban dead? (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Urban dead? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Urban dead? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Urban dead? (Score:4, Interesting)
Now if they come out with this game and it uses any of these mechanics, we'll have to point back to this thread and demand royalties...
Re:Urban dead? (Score:2)
Re:Urban dead? (Score:2)
Re:Urban dead? (Score:1)
While being a cool idea and an excellent direction for a single player game (where a linear progression from weak to powerful is expected), that logic doesn't work too well in an MMO space. Letting players use their power against other players to build more power will lead to high stratification of the power levels in your player base. You will have several "power players" running around with 100+ zo
Re:Urban dead? (Score:5, Interesting)
Simple solution: there's a limited number of lives in the game. In order to have a life, you have to take it from someone who has it. That is, kill a living player and you become one, and he becomes a zombie. Now you just need to have the server control the ratio between living and dead by automatically making some people living and some zombies at the start...
A zombie cannot be permanently killed, but will always raise back up again after a short while. However, a zombie can't earn exp, and will always be "level 1" - if you had levels as human, you lose them when you become a zombie, and regain them when you regain your humanity. Same for items. That way, all the zombies will desperately want to become humans, and because they are so much weaker, pretty much have to attack en masse. Since zombies can't level, the various grinders are sure to fight tooth and nail to become human again.
As a practical matter, you don't immediately become a human when you kill one, it takes five minutes (with a running countdown). That way you have time to escape from the fight - otherwise you'd just be killed as soon as you turned human in the middle of the battle.
Logged-of humans fall unconscious. An unconscious human can obviously be easily killed by any zombie, so better find a safe location. No place is inherently safe (zombies can attack you everywhere), but of course the players can establish player-guarded resting areas in the ruins of abandoned cities (in fact I'd put the entire game into such a city), and of course zombies would consider those their main targets. People will still have to leave them to get exp, to scavenge for resources, and so on.
Oh, and the zombies can see in the dark, while the humans can't. To avoid cheating, a zombie in suitably deep shadow is invisible to the client as well - that is, the server won't send the geometry at all.
Of course all this requires a game engine that can take a lot of people in the same area at the same time. It would also require pretty low lag, since zombies hiding in the dark leads to surprise attacks. Alternatively, you could perhaps determine a "guard location", so that your character shoots as soon as a zombie pops to the guarded area - this would make the game more strategic than reflex test.
Anyway, that's how I'd do it.
Re:Urban dead? (Score:2)
Re:Urban dead? (Score:2)
once you get ankle grab and lurching gait things are pretty smooth after that. every once in a while get yourself revived and go on a generator smashing spree when the human players annoy you.
Re:Urban dead? (Score:1)
I want to preorder this. Now.
I call dibs on the name "Bub."
Re:Urban dead? (Score:2)
A simple solution: a zombie can't be permanently killed, while a survivor who's killed becomes a zombie. Of course this logically means that everyone becomes zombie eventually, but hey, that's how it works in these things.
Of course this whole thing is going to be toned down to "harmless fun" and won't have anything to do with real horror stories; after all, we can't have players doing really nasty stuff, even if they're playing liv
Re:Urban dead? (Score:2)
Um... Caiger Mall?
BARHAH, mah zambah braharz!
-Dedboy, er, "Cybrex"
That's funny, I was actually just going to say (Score:5, Funny)
Re:That's funny, I was actually just going to say (Score:2)
Re:That's funny, I was actually just going to say (Score:2)
-Eric
Hey! (Score:4, Funny)
It is based off of my experiences at work. I demand royalties!
Un! (Score:4, Funny)
Sheesh, how many times is this? Undead, not dead! Zombies care very much about these things. You should too if you like your frontal lobe.
Re:Un! (Score:4, Funny)
Oh for shame! (Score:5, Funny)
Shame on you, you should know better than to call them "Zombies"... what is this, 1965?
They prefer to be called the living impaired
I suppose you think they should stick to eating the back of the head, too..
Re:Oh for shame! (Score:2)
Is it possible to "win"? (Score:4, Interesting)
Would it be possible to "win" this by killing 6 billion + zombies?
Before you start laughing, remember, we're talking an online game here. It is possible to kill thousands and thousands of "monsters" in other games. Five years into this, will the few remaining living be searching for the few remaining zombies?
Re:Is it possible to "win"? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Is it possible to "win"? (Score:1)
Technically, if you start as a human, and you're killed, wouldn't you become a zombie?
And, depending on how they work the origin of the zombie in this case, the zombie population could be bolstered by the dead and buried.
If they were going to be harsh about it, the game would be entirely zombies in short order.
Re:Is it possible to "win"? (Score:2)
Re:Is it possible to "win"? (Score:2)
Re:Is it possible to "win"? (Score:3, Funny)
I find your idea intriguing and wish to subscribe to your newsletter.
Re:Is it possible to "win"? (Score:2)
Re:Is it possible to "win"? (Score:2)
No, you'd want that. (Score:3, Interesting)
If the living are losing badly, that would add to the horror of the game.
If the zombies are losing badly, that would work also as the living would have to go searching for them. And you're most vulnerable when you're searching. Do you risk being killed for the
Re:Is it possible to "win"? (Score:4, Interesting)
After all of one side had been killed off, the game would "reset".
Re:Is it possible to "win"? (Score:2, Interesting)
What I really want from an MMO is a kind of massively-multiplayer-co-op-FPS, basically 1000 player co-op Serious Sam, with the squad organisation from BF 2 and with huge GTA-style (but detailed interiors of buildings) freeform levels. Have each round last about a month, starting from spreading out from a beachhead, clearing the streets, rooting enemies out of buildings/rooftops/sewers, defending against counterattacks, then finally taking the city which brings out a final boss. Basically have eac
Re:Is it possible to "win"? (Score:2)
How do you know that ? Emily (from Corpse Bride) certainly seemed eager to find a husband - just what do you think she was going to do with him ? Heck, I've even found Corpse Bride porn from the Internet... Or, for that matter, what do you think the Mummy (either the original or the remake) was going to do with his bride ? And vampires are notorious for playing with their food...
Giving up br
PKers (Score:4, Funny)
Re:PKers (Score:2)
Re:PKers (Score:2)
Or maybe I'm thinking of the Troll race in Nethack Online...
At last! (Score:1)
Re:At last! (Score:2)
You must know my upstairs neighbors. The guy likes playing shooters really loud, the gal likes playing Dance Dance Revolution aerobics style until midnight, and there's a whole lot of moaning, groaning and thumping after dark.
Re:At last! (Score:1)
Meanwhile, the Japanese will be playing ... (Score:2)
Re:Meanwhile, the Japanese will be playing ... (Score:1)
Edited for content. We're not using the zed word.
Re:Meanwhile, the Japanese will be playing ... (Score:1)
Pity that
Re:WTB [Brains] (Score:3, Interesting)
As for zombie skills, that might be a little more difficult, but they could take a little influ
Re:WTB [Brains] (Score:2)
Re:WTB [Brains] (Score:2)
This game is, presumably, going to try and be viable for the same business model as WoW, but by cutting out all the facets of fantasy and all the facets of horror - zombies only!
WoW has a lot of content and that content is multiplied by the playability and replayabili
Weapon of choice for zombie slaying (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Weapon of choice for zombie slaying (Score:1)
Re:Weapon of choice for zombie slaying (Score:2)
Re:Weapon of choice for zombie slaying (Score:1)
Re:MMO + zombie = cognitive dissonance? (Score:2, Insightful)
If they are classic zombies then yes. I'd almost rather have a katana. A sword doesn't run out ov ammo. you could just stand in a doorway and hack! At least until the blade got dull.
If they are neo-zombies then all bets are off. I'd hate to try to fend off insane AI controlled alien zombie cyborgs with a sword (unless it was a glowing blue sword).
Re:MMO + zombie = cognitive dissonance? (Score:2)
Re:MMO + zombie = cognitive dissonance? (Score:1)
Re:MMO + zombie = cognitive dissonance? (Score:2)
Re:MMO + zombie = cognitive dissonance? (Score:2)
Despite what the movies tell you, the katana is not some thing you just grab and fight with -- you *need* to be given at least some rudimentary training, or else you're going to hold it incorrectly, swing it like a baseball bat, get it stuck in something, and chop off your hand
Re:MMO + zombie = cognitive dissonance? (Score:1)
Re:MMO + zombie = cognitive dissonance? (Score:2, Informative)
Hmmm, yes, and no. Starting with Day of the Dead, zombies started to learn/remember how to use weapons a little bit, and by Land of.. they were using rudimentary strategy. While they're still not exactly rocket scientists, they're still quite dangerous in packs, seeing as it only takes one bite and all. Besides, with a large enough group, even blind weiner dogs could be deadly.
Granted, this only works i
Re:MMO + zombie = cognitive dissonance? (Score:3, Informative)
1. Night of the Living Dead: Cooper (and Family) vs. Ben (and Friends)
2. Dawn of the Dead: Ex-SWAT & Reporter group vs. Biker Gang
3. Day of the Dead: Soldiers vs. Scientists (with a third faction, the Civilians, trying to ignore both).
4. Land of the Dead: Kaufman (and Militia) vs. Cholo (and Rogue Militia) vs. Poor of Pittsburgh vs. Smart Zombi
"Mature" (Score:4, Insightful)
"Exanimus is expected to be rated "Mature" and not intended for anyone under the age of 18."
So my guess is it'll be filled with 14-16 year old idiots then...
ooer... (Score:5, Insightful)
If they can enforce this, I'll definately start playing.
Re:ooer... (Score:2)
But if you run into an adult player who is rude, inconsiderate, and just a general pain in the ass, chances are that person will still be exactly the same months or years down the road.
Re:ooer... (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:ooer... (Score:2)
If they can enforce this, I'll definately start playing.
One credit card and one click through agreement later....yup...it's the death of teenagers.
Re:ooer... (Score:2)
Come on! (Score:1)
One Concern (Score:3, Interesting)
It will be interesting what these guys have up there sleeves to make sure that doesnt happen.
Oh and if they screw it up it and the game bombs then it will forever taint that genre for a MMORPG. Since I have been waiting for something like this to come around for quite some time, i'd be right pissed.
mmmm zombies.. how I love to hate thee.
No problem... (Score:2)
Re:No problem... (Score:2)
Zombie Themes work well... (Score:4, Insightful)
I'd love them to make a Mac or Linux port of this so that I could play it...I might even have to consider setting up a windows machine for this game if it looks promising as it gets nearer to launch.
Set it up like Cell (Score:1)
What follows next has some spoilers so if you plan on reading the
hmmm.... (Score:2)
Human and zombies? (Score:2)
Because it might be interesting if you could say as the zombies go on a raid of a human base with 10 guys and as you kill humans your numbers increase.
Classes? (Score:1)
Viva the Undead Rev
Let the Zombies play for free. (Score:4, Insightful)
Nothing like a bunch of undead zombie griefers to make life hell for the living/paying players. Charge me $4 per live character I play. Make him/her randomly, with skills and equipment randomly assigned so I have a chance to be a soldier or a banker... and let the bodies hit the floor. You wouldn't need any NPCs. People playing zombies would line up to get a crack at killing some paying players... and the paying players would line up to see who could survive and live the longest.
Eventually the free zombies would want to try it on the other side, so it's the perfect demo to get them into the game.
The Zombie Apocolypse and You (Score:1)
A Quicktime movie
I already have a post-apoc online game to watch (Score:2)