Staredit Network > Forums > SC1 UMS Theory and Ideas > Topic: City of the Dead: Ideas Thread
City of the Dead: Ideas Thread
Sep 26 2009, 5:09 pm
By: JaFF  

Sep 26 2009, 5:09 pm JaFF Post #1



The latest release contains the rough outline of the first mission. After you enter the vehicle, I plan on having a cutscene where the characters talk about what's happening, going into flashbacks and their memories to explain the situation to the player. After that, I don't know what to do, even though I have a plan written down:

Quote
2. BASIC OFFENSIVE A group of survivors managed to surround a building that is fully infected by zombies. They must hold the zombies back, but are having difficulties. You must deliver a package of explosives in time to blow up the entrance, sealing a huge mass of zombies inside.

3. RESCUE QUEST. You have a few groups of guys (fog of war revealed) imprisoned by the zombies and you need to get to them. This will be an introduction of how to use tactics, the terrain, micro, and items to your advantage for the next 2 tactical quests.

4. TACTICAL OFFENSIVE A helicopter pilot lost control of himself, shot the second pilot, and attempts to escape the city on his helicopter. This is obviously out of the question, because that may spread the infection beyond the city. You get a compact anti-air missile complex, and it is your job to intercept the helicopter and shoot it down. It starts at a random point on the map, and you get constant ping on it, so you must find a point where he will fly near you to shoot.

5. ESCORT QUEST A terrorist within the city has decided to be of some help. He wants to destroy a local zombie nest and common-used quick transit into the city. It must be destroyed or your screwed, escort the former-madbomber to the location and he will do the rest.

6. ADVANCED DEFENSIVE Defend the ammo warehouse from zombie hordes. Since you can’t leave it, you start lacking first aid kits, so prepare for some epic micro.

Many of those quests seem unoriginal in their structure: get to point A, do stuff, leave.

I was thinking of a quest that involves some kind of puzzle, hence I come here to ask you guys for help. The quest must meet the following criteria:

-Must work for any number of players from 2 to 4 (map works only with that amount of players).
-Must work even if players leave during the puzzle.

Other than that, your imagination is completely free. Zombie theme (obviously), may or may not involve killing zombies while in the quest itself.

Though I'm not getting too much free time, I'll try and participate in the last stand RPG contest.



None.

Sep 26 2009, 5:58 pm The Starport Post #2



I have an old list I made out for a map involving emergency rescue workers that I could lend you. After Rush I lost all patience for RPG-ish stuff, so I don't have much hesitance about giving away ideas. Some of the ideas could surely work for what you're trying to do.

Might take me a day or two to get it off my backup drives, though.



None.

Sep 26 2009, 6:00 pm JaFF Post #3



Quote from name:Tuxedo-Templar
I have an old list I made out for a map involving emergency rescue workers that I could lend you. After Rush I lost all patience for RPG-ish stuff, so I don't have much hesitance about giving away ideas. Some of the ideas could surely work for what you're trying to do.

Might take me a day or two to get it off my backup drives, though.
Would be greatly appreciated. :) Meanwhile, play the demo. :P



None.

Sep 27 2009, 3:33 am lil-Inferno Post #4

Just here for the pie

I've had a few ideas that could be used in zombie maps that I never really got around to making in an actual map. They include but are not limited to...

  • When you enter a building, all of the lights are out (unless there are other survivors there) and you need to manually turn them on. However, before you even think about turning on lights, you realize that zombies are inhabiting the building. You have a choice here. You can attract their attention by making noise, clear each room one by one, turn on a light and defend that spot until they're all gone, etc. I don't care, it's your decision. I just thought it would be neat to actually have to do something in order to traverse through a building.
  • Commands. In most zombie maps you have computer allies. However, they're only limited to the spot that they're pre-placed or created in. You should be able to form a group of survivors, have them follow you into buildings, etc. You would be able to order them to clear the rooms of a building (coincides with the above idea), tell them to follow you, barricade a door, hold position, leave, go after an objective, etc.
  • Laser Mine. I always thought it would be neat to place one of these in a zombie map and watch it assist you in firing at zombies as well as act as a trip mine, killing any enemies that walk into it.
  • Force Gun. This 'weapon' of little destruction is used to move barricades, survivors, zombies, etc. Could be used in a puzzle that requires you to move something in the distance onto a button in order to get through a door, perhaps. Use your imagination :). Note that it was originally intended to 'suck in' the item/person/zombie and then you would spit it out by using Dark Swarm again. I wasn't as good of a mapper when I made it.

Just some I remembered off the top of my head.




Sep 27 2009, 4:15 am Riney Post #5

Thigh high affectionado

Find unique zombie. Sever hand from him. Use to open door containing weapons locker and missing key required to open the vault. Vault contains tons of goodies.

Other than that, there isnt much you CAN do, this is zombies we're talking about here isnt it? Its all about how shiny you can make it, not how origonal you can get it.



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-- Updated as of December 2021 --

Sep 27 2009, 8:22 am Jack Post #6

>be faceless void >mfw I have no face

You are holed up in some house, and realise that you want some ice cream REALLY BADLY. You go downstairs to get some, but the basement lights are off. You must then go to the power station to reactivate the power. You fight a bunch of zombies, go back to the big chest freezer, open it up, and get eaten by a zombie inside. That would have to be a final mission though ;p



Red classic.

"In short, their absurdities are so extreme that it is painful even to quote them."

Sep 27 2009, 5:26 pm poison_us Post #7

Back* from the grave

Quote from lil-Inferno
  • When you enter a building, all of the lights are out (unless there are other survivors there) and you need to manually turn them on. However, before you even think about turning on lights, you realize that zombies are inhabiting the building. You have a choice here. You can attract their attention by making noise, clear each room one by one, turn on a light and defend that spot until they're all gone, etc. I don't care, it's your decision. I just thought it would be neat to actually have to do something in order to traverse through a building.
  • Commands. In most zombie maps you have computer allies. However, they're only limited to the spot that they're pre-placed or created in. You should be able to form a group of survivors, have them follow you into buildings, etc. You would be able to order them to clear the rooms of a building (coincides with the above idea), tell them to follow you, barricade a door, hold position, leave, go after an objective, etc.

These. I especially like the second, because *most* zombies wouldn't take over the entire world except for you, and the additional freedom of sending in troops would be nice. If you've played Freedom Fighters (gamecube) they had this, for up to 12 "helpers". If zombies are taking over the world, who gives a f^ck is going care about electricity...most people would tend to cooperate to survive.

The only bad thing I see is having to have a separate computer for vision, if you want reduced sight when the lights are out...and how would we find a switch to turn them on? Maybe you can figure it out ;)





Sep 27 2009, 6:32 pm lil-Inferno Post #8

Just here for the pie

You'll just have to feel around until you find a light :P. Most buildings as far as I'm concerned have a light switch right by the front door. Alternatively, flares are always a possibility to gain vision.




Sep 28 2009, 3:25 pm JaFF Post #9



Those are good suggestions, but I'm looking for puzzles specifically to give more diversity to the gameplay.



None.

Sep 28 2009, 11:35 pm poison_us Post #10

Back* from the grave

Quote from lil-Inferno
Alternatively, flares are always a possibility to gain vision.
:-_-:

Quote from JaFF
Those are good suggestions, but I'm looking for puzzles specifically to give more diversity to the gameplay.

So having multiple computer-owned "allies" won't add diversity? You could use them to do basically anything, from distracting, trapping, and killing a group of zombies via a gasoline barrel, to having them open a door while you watch a trap explode, to earn money via prostitution--with zombies! :crazy:

The possibilities are endless, but Starcraft's capabilities aren't. I personally would rather be limited by Starcraft, not my imagination.


Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Sep 28 2009, 11:40 pm by poison_us.




Sep 28 2009, 11:59 pm Riney Post #11

Thigh high affectionado

Attempt to retake and rearm powerstation.
  • Find out powerstation isnt overrun by zombies, but human threat
  • Find computer
  • Computer lacks power
  • Activate backup generator
  • Find out it lacks gasoline
  • Find gasoline
  • Find out generator is missing a part
  • Find part
  • Make generator work again
  • Miniboss fight
  • Find computer working
  • Find out it lacks code
  • Find out code
  • Find out you dont know what your even doing on computer
  • Find manual
  • Trial and error to make city work
  • Find out everything turns back on, but the powerstation goes dark again
  • Find generator through NEW series of locked doors
  • Find trap
  • ~ Boss ~
  • Find out it was a diversion to destroy powerstation
  • Find bomb
  • Disarm bomb to point where itll only kill what is inside powerstation, but not power
  • Escape with boss chasing you
  • Boss dies in explosion
  • ~ End ~

Beat that



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-- Updated as of December 2021 --

Sep 29 2009, 12:01 am The Starport Post #12



Okay I can't get a hold of my backups just yet, but one idea I remember (translated to something you could use): Have a portion where people are fleeing/rioting the city en mass, but some amongst them are zombies. They're hard to pick out, but the more zombies you can kill in the crowd, the less people they can infect, and the less you have to contend with later. Maybe also more allies for later, too.

Bit of a defense-like idea. Not sure if that's what you're looking for, but it could be interesting to integrate into the gameplay.

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Sep 29 2009, 12:28 am by Tuxedo-Templar.



None.

Oct 2 2009, 1:25 am poison_us Post #13

Back* from the grave

Quote from name:Dark_Marine
  • Find out you dont know what your even doing on computer
I lol'd




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