Zombie RTS?

[bja888]

Inspired by this comment thread...
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/6.83494

I was wondering, is their interest in a zombie RTS?

Imagine, of you will, given a whole city to conquer and only a couple of zombies to start with. The idea is that, some people are harder to "convert" and as they game goes on, people are more aware of the zombie invasion. Thus they barricade them selfs in and are much harder to "convert". The game ends when all the zombies are dead or the whole world is converted. Your scored on how well you did. Cities and people are randomly generated at the start of the map, so there could easily be scenarios that you could not win.

There could also be multi-player capabilities. Conquer with your friends, conquer against your friends. Maybe some zombie on zombie violence. Not for conversions of course, but for territory control.

So, would you make a good zombie commander?
I could see this as either a flash game or installable.

[Psycho]

At best it would make a fun/decent flash game.

[Smegma]

Better make it a full fledged game. I find flash strategy games to be too quick, clunky, or not deep enough. I'd like this kind of came to be a slow and methodical.

[vulbastick]

then it just shouldnt be done

[Psycho]

It would have to make sense and at the same time be accomplishable. How does the zombies defeat the army? Is there only one boring type of zombie, or do you cross the line and start making your own zombie variants. Maybe an engineer zombie that put up a zombie barracks and farm resources? Don't think so.

It is an interresting idea, but not something I imagine will fit in the large scale of a big game title. I think it would fit best in a small indie type game, where gameplay and fun is focused on instead of huge arenas and graphics. Maybe MM could pull it off

[Wolf_Man]

If its made into a flash game it'll absolutely fail.

Retail games.

[Blue-ninja]

To me, it sounds like a perfect spin-off from the Advance Wars series.

Instead of capturing bases, you get converting people into zombies.

[bja888]

It is an interresting idea, but not something I imagine will fit in the large scale of a big game title. I think it would fit best in a small indie type game, where gameplay and fun is focused on instead of huge arenas and graphics.

Agreed, hands down.

In response to classes though. There aren't zombie engineers but there is some resemblance of a class structure. For instance a body builder zombie would have a lot easier time infecting others. A army zombie would have a lot of defense and be harder for the living to take down. I would need to put more thought into further skills. Perhaps a faster zombie?

Not to mention, the back story for the infection could proved other skills. Don't forget that zombie commander could have powers also!

To me, it sounds like a perfect spin-off from the Advance Wars series.

Instead of capturing bases, you get converting people into zombies.

Thats would I would like to avoid actually. The emphasis that Advanced Wars has on odds and calculation works great for that war theme. However, I think the zombie RTS should have a very different mindset. Most cases, I do not expect the zombies to travel in groups of more than 5. Until then end where your only chance it to throw everything you have at them!

[Wolf_Man]

Perhaps a faster zombie?

In other words...

[bja888]

Perhaps a faster zombie?

In other words...

I am just questioning if it would matter in the game play. I am really not keen on the idea of elite zombies.

[Thinkto urself]

Yes, fighting off mentally retarded zombies gets boring after a while.

[bja888]

Yes, fighting off mentally retarded zombies gets boring after a while.

Your not fighting them off.... Your commanding them...
They don't need intelligence, they just need to follow orders. Individual ants are stupid, as a whole they are a very efficient group. I bet the same theory of immersion works for zombies too.

[Wolf_Man]

This sounds much like a remake of the Command & Conquer series.

[Xxypher]

As I was trying to say before my post was turned into a topic for some reason, I am looking forward to a Zombie MMOFPS that is in the works.

[STM1993]

This is reminding me of Warcraft 3's undead race.

I've always believed that there should be a nice zombie strategy game somehow. The zombies' race could be cheap and numerous, capable of infection to convert enemies to your own units as one of the zombies, but very weak, perfect for those kind of things like "zergling rush". Plus a few stronger units like a big fleshy zombie who's like a tank. In terms of buildings, the zombie buildings could be made by infesting enemy or neutral structures, while actual building would take longer and cost more.

[ElephantHunter]

This sounds much like a remake of the Command & Conquer series.

Other than being an RTS, how is bja's idea anything like the Command & Conquer series? The most I can think of is Yuri's mind control over troops, but that would be quite a stretch from zombies.

[a-4-year-old]

Inspired by this comment thread...
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/6.83494

I was wondering, is their interest in a zombie RTS?

Imagine, of you will, given a whole city to conquer and only a couple of zombies to start with. The idea is that, some people are harder to "convert" and as they game goes on, people are more aware of the zombie invasion. Thus they barricade them selfs in and are much harder to "convert". The game ends when all the zombies are dead or the whole world is converted. Your scored on how well you did. Cities and people are randomly generated at the start of the map, so there could easily be scenarios that you could not win.

There could also be multi-player capabilities. Conquer with your friends, conquer against your friends. Maybe some zombie on zombie violence. Not for conversions of course, but for territory control.

So, would you make a good zombie commander?
I could see this as either a flash game or installable.

Actually if that old unbelievably awesome HL2 RTS mod ever gets far enough you could probably set up matches to do exactly this.

I would imagine that zombies (or for HL2 headcrabs) would be extremely cheap to make and then steal a person from another team.  I don't know how you could have zombies believably gather resources or build things (unless you have a combine helicopter fly in a self building zombie factory... ?)

[N. Escalona]

Actually if that old unbelievably awesome HL2 RTS mod ever gets far enough you could probably set up matches to do exactly this.

I would imagine that zombies (or for HL2 headcrabs) would be extremely cheap to make and then steal a person from another team.  I don't know how you could have zombies believably gather resources or build things (unless you have a combine helicopter fly in a self building zombie factory... ?)

I think I've played what you're talking about but I don't remember the name of the mod. It was a decent one. One player was the zombie master and could spawn things, the rest were human.

[a-4-year-old]

HL2 wars, but it doesn't have support for a lot of this stuff... yet.

its got many of the creatures from HL2+friends (hunters )

You didn't control zombies though...

[bja888]

This sounds much like a remake of the Command & Conquer series.

Other than being an RTS, how is bja's idea anything like the Command & Conquer series? The most I can think of is Yuri's mind control over troops, but that would be quite a stretch from zombies.

Thanks EH, pretty much what I was going to say. No opinion to contribute on the idea?

Actually if that old unbelievably awesome HL2 RTS mod ever gets far enough you could probably set up matches to do exactly this.

I would imagine that zombies (or for HL2 headcrabs) would be extremely cheap to make and then steal a person from another team.  I don't know how you could have zombies believably gather resources or build things (unless you have a combine helicopter fly in a self building zombie factory... ?)

I think I've played what you're talking about but I don't remember the name of the mod. It was a decent one. One player was the zombie master and could spawn things, the rest were human.

This? Zombie Panic
I tired it once but it was nothing but lag and glitches. A bunch of us where trapped in a room and randomly loosing health. I quit and deleted it.