What would you like to see in a wave-based Zombie Survival game?

Hey guys, I've been working on a project with some collaborators for a few weeks now and we have been developing a Zombie Survival game. Before you begin to write a comment right now, this IS NOT a wanna-be DayZ open world Zombie game like most poor attempts on the other categories. Anyway, back to the point, we basically just want some suggestions and feedback from you guys and want to hear what you'd love to see in a 'wave-based Zombie Survivial game'. You could compare it with Call of Duty's famous Nazi Zombies. So far we have implemented an apocolyptic urban city environment with a night time atmousphere. We've setup the weapon system which consists of Reloading, zooming, recoil, run animations, bob animations as you move and a toggleable flashlight on your weapon. We have also implemented the Zombies which have basic AI for now and just simply find you with raycasting and attack you when they are within a certain distance from you.

The idea I had to make this game unique in contrast to others is a pawn shop you can find somewhere located in the city. This pawn shop unlocks after 5 waves of zombies and once you enter it, you can purchase weapons and customise them to your likings such as custom camoflague, attachments etc. However, you can still be at risk of being killed whilst buying so make a wise decision when to go.

Please reply with your amazing suggestions and we take all feedback seriously. There will be an update video and forum thread in WIP very soon so please be aware!

Thank you, Brandon.

 

Hi. Good luck with your game. .. .and this is from my perspective as someone who is not a zombie fan so take what you like and leave the rest.

It sounds like your core game mechanic is battling various new waves of zombie characters. I presume this is in a 3D environment? For me, a store that you visit is not sufficient to set the game apart from others, it seems like it's a way to make up for some kind of lack of excitement in the pure engagement with the zombie waves, the thrill of being chased down or the dread or intensity of combat. It seems more of a temporary obstacle. I'd prefer to get any new weapons or shields or whatever only by getting into the thick of the action and taking a risk, not when I'm taking a breather. I think where you could make the game more interesting would be to make your AI much smarter, make the zombies work together in packs using some kind of strategy. I'd also have different types of zombies that each have a unique kind of behavior that sets them apart - might sound obvious I know but so many games just switch out the graphics for essentially the same interaction. I think it would be cool if it were more kind of an `arcade action` sort of game, given that you have waves. I'd like to be able to pick up new weapons/health etc only by overcoming tuffer zombies, and I'd also like some variety of shields such as magnetic repulsion, deflection, teleportation, etc. And this is also multiplayer right?

 

You should check out Killing Floor - very fun game that sounds 'similar' to what you have in mind - might give you some ideas if you haven't seen it before.

 

Singleplayer on release and if the game becomes popular and grabs some attention, we will quickly implement multiplayer where you can experience the thrill with upto 3 other people!

 

Im not sure if you are still making this. But I think it would be REALLY awesome if you could build baricades and defend them, and I think it might be cool if there was a vehicle with an empty tank of gas, and there is gas cans located around the map and you have to get them all and fill the vehicle with them in order to get it running.

 

Waves of zombies.

 

Zombies are overdone IMO

 

I actually had an idea but never get time for it. I am going to share with you.

In this survival game, you are actually protecting a town/village. You not only have to protect people from the mutant monster outside, but also have to collect important resources that your society cannot produce. After a while, you and your village may have good enough power to hold a safe area. And then you have to connect to other village, trade with them or compete with them for the resource.

 

Zombies are metaphor for excessive overpopulation and overconsumption, by being overdone they become more relevant and powerful.

 

I think zombies are overdone also.

 

For me, zombie is a symbol of humanoid enemies that is dumb (so does the AI), not reasonable (so no moral conflict), but in massive. When a player see a zomble in a new game, he instantly know they are supposed to kill it. It's not a selling point, but i don't think it's overdone

 

I still feel that zombies haven't been done right at all - just nothing out there that gives people the feel they really are after. On one end you have the action/environments in L4D2/DI/etc... but an "on rails" experience regardless of what advertising claims, and on the other end you have the open world we want like DayZ/7DTD/etc... but with garbage AI and no real game play to support it.

Where's the "Mount & Blade" of zombie games ?

 

No, they're just overdone.

 

...but never overrated.

Make a game with some guy with some gun shooting some zombies and it'll be fun.

 

That whooshing sound was my point going right over your head.

Zombies = MOAR!!!1

 

Lol! You beat me to it. I was gonna say...

ZOMBIES!

 

What would I like to see?
How about zombies not trying to eat the player. They are just living their unlives and the player is the real monster.
What a twist!!

 

As long as you still get to blow their heads off I don't think you've change the formula at all!

 

What is your goal for the game? If it is intense action then multiple weapons with different ways to wickedly waste the zombies makes good sense. If you want some strategy then you could use the shop (or finds) to allow the player to make some choices. Like one gun is wicked powerful up close and will certainly stop a zombie with one shot but for zombies further away it mainly just aggravates them. Another gun may be effective for distance but needs multiple shots or maybe fires slower. Another weapon, maybe a sniper rifle is good for great distance and takes only 1 shot to put them down. Worthless up close. But such a weapon would be awesome if the player can climb up to building tops and so forth. Allows some variation in play. Players can basically choose their play style.

If you want to instead focus on stealth sound could play a key part. One player may choose to run around knocking over trash cans, etc alerting nearby zombies and another could sneak around hiding behind cars, being careful of which path they take so they make as little noise as possible.

It is hard to say for sure without knowing your design goals.

 

I Am Legend

 

Actual waves of zombies that you have to "surf".

 

THAT would be cool

 

Thank you.

 

yeah, you do. Instead of them chasing you, you are chasing them. They run from you!! They use stealth to evade you. They call the zombie unarmy for you.
Also, it changes the narrative.