I have tinkered around with the source engine and a couples of moderate java engines and I’ve decided I wanted to create a fairly large but still very basic game set around a zombie/infected apocalypse, here a thread of the project I posted on another forum.
What I am basically trying to create is a single player game set in a 3d world where the only goal, is to survive in a world stricken by a Biological threat that has turned the vast majority of our civilization into primal blood thirsty beings. I’m trying to get realism down in its basic forms from terror basic human need from the use of primal intelligent AI, detection meters to keep the player on his toes hunger, thirst health risks which I will have abstract classes to deal with the majority of basic content so it can easily be implemented in the source it’s self.
Infected Features Life Cycle (subject to in-game change due to general wear and tear of the infected) Subject is infected with Neurotoxin (5 - 10) Subject is apart of the Fresh Infected class (5-10 Minutes after subject is infected reanimation occurs) Subject becomes apart of the Weathered Infected class (aprox. 1 - 6 Days) Subject becomes apart of the Dying Infected Class (aprox. 1 - 6 Days) Death from starvation (aprox. 1 Week) Neurotoxin Effects When the subject is infected the neurotoxin goes to the brain and shuts the body down, the toxin then kills off all of the neurons in the subjects brain, only leaving certain neurons that controls the infected current state. It is thought that this virus was accidentally developed by the U.S Government due to ground zero being near the biological testing facility (somewhere in the US, idk). Infected Characteristics Infected primary target is the Subjects neck or major arteries as to allow a more direct blood flow to brain. Infected will stand on the spot, walk slowly unless provoked as to conserve energy (infected will have stages of aggro) Infected cannot feel pain and has complete disregard of its own life. Infected can and will succumb to normal human biomechanics, so if you shoot an Infected it will bleed out, if you shoot a Infected in the knee with a arrow it will cripple but will still try to catch you. Infected will try to conserve energy and will have a lower metabolism than their Homosapian counterparts. Infected will do anything it takes to get to food and will most likely try to break through some obsticals. Infected give off a fermion that is detected by Infected of a 5m radius (will be able to use this to your advantage) You will need to block off the line of sight off the infected to escape. Infected Aggro Stages Static - Will stand still, move slowly to conserve energy. Curious - If there is a noise, light source or suspicion, the Infected will move to the location Aggravated - Infected knows there is a possible meal and will use some Aggressive - Infected knows there is a definite meal and will use a lot of energy Infection Stage (will be introduced somehow in-game) A neurotoxin designed to alternate core brain function by attacking unneeded neurons. Stage 1 - Subject is infected with Neurotoxin. Stage 2 - Within 5 minutes the neurotoxin has evaded the brain and has shut down the Subjects body (medically dead). Stage 3 - Virus attacks neuron pathways by chemically dissolving pathways, leaving key functions that the Infected act upon (biting of the neck, attacking non infected, conserving energy) effectively reprogramming the subject). Stage 4 - Reanimation of the Subject occurs, within 30-45 minutes. Some possible Game Features An aim assist system as to help shoot/attack infected (especially when they are running) easier, as you would in real life. Bandits/Civilians that would do what they would in RL situations, these will be NPC’s. A Hydration/Hunger/Smell/Aggro/Stamina/Heart Rate level for the Player. Equipment Degrading (for things like some melee and firearms) Player Stats These will be things you will need to keep an eye on in-game Hunger - How hungry you are (the more full the better you perform) Hydration - How thirsty you are (the more full the better you perform) Smell - You will be able to mask your scent from infected(?) Stamina - As it would in real life, would effect running, sprinting, climbing etc… Aggro - The aggravation level of Infected in your area
Also should note that I will be implementing some of the more ambitious content set for later patches
I don’t see how this game would be too difficult in general and I do have some programming knowledge and know that I can adapt myself to other languages easily, and I can easily create maps, only thing I can see as a problem is all of the prefabs I’ma need, but for the time being I was going to have just basic props and sounds and make instances out of them to be used and changed when new sounds in this case were recorded/created. I’ll be trying my best to keep this source tidy and optimized for the duration of my project as I’m trying to get as much omph out of thee engine
mmm… For me your layout of the game elements doesn’t sound or feel like it relates to a computer game. … I mean, I have no idea from reading that what kind of a game this is - is it a FPS? Is it some kind of realtime strategy thing? What does it look like? Is it 3D? Granted you’re in a conceptualizing/idea stage which is okay too. It sounds to be like it’s quite a big project. You’ve got to get things down from the idea sounds great stage, down to earth in the this is what I will ACTUALLY have to sit and DO that will take TIME stage.
I mean, I can in theory develop most of those systems with minimal code.
edit: I cut off the long introduction for the thread I c&p off, I’ll write up a shorter explination :3
I guess. What strikes me most is that most of those things aren’t anything you’d have to consider in code.
I mean things like…
That is external to the game, and is the player’s interpretation of what is going on. In code, you don’t have to do a thing because it doesn’t do a thing.
Yeah, sure, but it’s the same method-call for that as it is for “whomp the player with a clog on the head”. The only difference, in code, is which animation-frames are played, and I suppose how much health is deducted from the player object.
If you haven’t already I recommend you look up a mod for arma 2, that’s just recently announced stand alone called day-z.
It’s essentially what you are describing, except there a side aspect revolving around players helping/acting hostile to each other in order to survive.
If you’re determined enough go for it, just don’t set the bar stupidly high with insane features like zombie AI distinguishing the most fatal places to bite.
Yeah, I really should had stated that most of those features are planned to be implemented post-release, atm its basic game archetecture I’m working on atm so I can easily add in these features with less hassle since I’ll be doing abstract handlers that I can import to the content classes
I am pretty ambitious myself, you must be careful not to be overwhelmed.
As pivotraze said, cut it into pieces.
I usually make a list, like this: Create character controller Create zombie AI. Create health script for player Create gun. Improve char controller with shooting. Create zombie health script.
etc.
Is there any work or progress on this yet or is it simply an idea? If there is no work to show then I will have to close this thread down as this section is for giving feedback on actual work and not just discussing ideas.
Half of what you have put together is fluff, the other half does describe some sort of gameplay. The problem with this is that you probably can’t distinguish between them yet, which will make your job hard.
What happens in order for the zombie to become a zombie is most likely just animation, same for where it attacks. Game-play is shooting and the stats you keep track of (stamina etc).
Since you are trying to make a simple (first) project, you should figure out what the game-play is and make what is required for said game-play to function.
Basically your gameplay is a shoot-em-up (click to shoot) , most likely fps (camera/player controls) with zombies as enemies (AI required) and you have some variables you need to keep track of ( health, stamina etc) and you have power-ups to control these (bandages, water etc). So a pretty basic fps.
This is fairly straightforward to setup if you use Unity’s Character controllers. Adding the rest requires assets mostly, organizing it to be easily expanded requires you understand how things are setup and what you want to add.
My main concern is that you don’t yet understand what will simply be a variable (number) for example and what is simply a piece of text or animation that describes an element in your game.
