Like Zombie movies? Like HL2?
 

Please feel free to send me a warning if this is somehow inappropriate, but I need a bit 'o mod help.

Some friends of mine are putting together a mod centered around the whole zombie mythos. Almost like a zombie outbreak simulation. This will not be run 'n bunnyhop 'n gun. Limited weaponry, tons of ambience and mood, and a massive emphasis on cooperation and problem solving skills. We've got some great ideas, but need some help fleshing it out. Mainly, music/sound effects, models, textures, animation, etc. The coding, mapping, and voices are as good as done.

So... anyone looking to kill off some of their spare time? :thief:

I can't help with any of that, but the project sounds pretty tight.

I have the pre-requisities listed in the subject title, but I have no graphics experience, nor the programs. Those are what you need right? Hmmm...Well, I like zombies, so if there are OTHER things you need, don't hesitate to PM or something (Beta testing, writing, etc).

Right now we're working on developing some scenarios. First map we're putting together is a hospital tower. We're planning on keeping this small, just to test what we can do, but if we can do it right, we'll go for a big public release. We're really just trying to keep things faithful to the movies 'n such. Keep it as realistic as zombies and the like get. :thief:

So any ideas as to locales, zombie types, improvised weapons, etc would also be appreciated!

If the first place is in a hospital, then improvised weapons should be covered. Syringes, stethoscopes, all kinds of hooks and needles. That won't be a problem.

Maybe a virus came out and infected some patients?

There should be two types of zombies:

- Alpha Zombies: The original zombies that were first affected. They have basic zombie things, such as rotting flesh, need for brains, etc.

- Zombie Disciples: These are the poor wretches that were bitten by zombies, but weren't eaten to the point where they can no longer move. These should be missing body parts and the like.

:O_o: Eh?

Sorry...I just got this mental image in my head of a guy beating a zombie over the head with a stehoscope while yelling "It's isn't working!!"

Zombie types all depend on what you are going for. The easiest thing to do would be to have the one type of zombie.

However, my suggestion, if you want more than one type, is to have your zombies based on decayed state, you know, "fresh" zombies move faster, but "rotted" zombies are more likely to infect you.

Which brings up another point...what is your health system going to be? In most zombie movies, it's one bite your dead. Is it going to be based on "hit points", or "infection rate" or something like that?

I guess I'll expound on the generic backstory we have so far.

The basis for the infestation is demonic. No virus, no govCo. conspiracy, probably some sicktwizt@d mofo who decided to cast a spell (He was attacking the darkness~:thief: ) that got way out of hand. We won't have any kind of wildly powerful, leaping, wallrunning, Matrix-style zombies. It's pretty much the standard Zombie fare: The dead have risen, those whom are bitten *and in all realism, although I have no idea how this can be implemented in-game* or have a mix of zombie fluids with an open wound turn into zombies.

It'll be an infection rate damage system. We're thinking about doing weird effects to the player's vision/sound/etc as they get more and more infected. For the sake of gameplay, we're working out how the damage will be dealt. Right now, we're thinking damage over time, with the possibility of dying slowly after the first bit of damage. If you can get medical attention, it slows down drastically, but it never really stops. First hit permanently damages stamina, which means long amounts of sprinting, lifting, fighting, jumping, etc, will become more and more difficult. As you hit the 25% infection point, your stamina is effectively halved, and your vision begins to grow dark. This forces the injured player to rely on the fellow players, and since every player will have a pretty important problem-solving role, the members have a reason to keep the infected member in tow. Once one hits 50% infection, their stamina is still halved, and their light/vision is halved. They experience tunnel-vision, almost as if looking through a scoped weapon or something. From that point, things get REALLY freakyskary, in that we start messing with the audio. Other than the ambience, the player will start hearing suggestions, words spoken in languages none can understand, things ranging from slight, barely audible whispers to loud, screaming commands. At the same time, for those whom are audio-impared, odd yellow-gold-ish runes and symbols will begin to pulse and fade in and out over the field of vision. At 75%, the voices will stop, and all that can be heard is a low rumbling. From 80% on, the screen will grow whiter and whiter, replacing everything, until the player is completely converted to a zombie.

I do agree with the different zombie types, but I'm of the impression that they should stay the same speed. First zombies have enough trouble what with being half-rotten and all. Second wave zombies can be missing major body parts, chest cavities, etc. We're actually thinking about importing the charred corpse models and animating them to move as well. If you've played HL2 and ever looked at one up close, you know what I'm talking about.

The way we're thinking about opening up the Hospital level is with each player in a separate hospital room, with a clear, improvised weapon/tool unique to each player. *This won't be any kind of massive, 50 player mod. I'm talking 6 players MAX.* I'm talking things like a scalpel, a fire extinguisher, a metal-bound first-aid kit, etc. Things you would find in a hospital. These become the *1* weapons, the ones that can't be dropped, and that you can always fall back on. Risky to use, but given the situation, they need to be used. Eventually guns and the like will be found, as well as more fragile, but more powerful improvised weapons. When it comes to guns, I'm thinking maximum 2 clips. If you're prying a gun from someone's dead hands, you can bet that it won't have a full clip. I'll post more when I'm not braindead! :thief:

You need to throw in some undead monsters for bosses. Like RE. Or put an area in a zoo where the animals have been infected and are attacking you to add some difficulty.

Right now, we're working on getting the basics up and running, though that does prove to be an intriguing idea. :thief:

I can back up what he said. Get themes going for each one. If you're using a hospital, try to get multiple graphics going on the bodies so they're all "Braaaaaaah braaaaaains" in nurse and doctor outfits. Make sure all of the graphics are appropriate for the scenario.