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Zombie Variants


Jatta Pake

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I know the idea of "special" zombies is verboten, but I wouldn't mind seeing a bit more variation among the glorious hordes we face. And I like touching third rails of forum topics so here goes.

 

I offer for your consideration several additional zombie variants. These zombies are not "special" in that they conform to standard lore, but like the Crawler have some specific differences that add to the challenge. No tool using or exploding zombies, just regular old walking dead with some clever twists...

 
Climber - A zombie like the Crawler but missing its entire lower torso. The lower mass allows the zombie to climb things like sheet ropes and rough surfaces like player built walls. Slow like a turtle but determined as fuck.
Game-play issue addressed: Safety players feel from hiding up on a second story. "Jim, did you remember to pull up the sheet rope and barricade the window when you came in? You didn't? Ahhh! Kill me now!"
 
Howler - A regular zombie that hasn't lost its full vocal functions yet and howls more loudly when prey is spotted, attracting additional zombies to an area. An upgrade from the current aggro sound that rarely pulls the entire horde along when a player is spotted. The loudest recorded human voice is around 117-119 decibels. A zombie who doesn't give two shits about blowing out its vocal cords should be able to match this volume at least once.
Game-play issue addressed: Counters player tactic of approaching a horde just enough to peel off a couple of zombies at a time to dispatch (Rope-a-dope). These could be rare. But the psychological torture inflicted upon the player encountering a lone zombie would be delicious. "Not only do some houses have alarms, but now some zombies do to? Ahhh! Kill me now!"
 
Floater - A regular zombie that spawns out of lakes and rivers.
Game-play issue addressed: The safety players feel around bodies of water. Adds suspense to fishing. Island safety? I don't think so. Imagine a graphic that plays of the water rippling and a zombie slowly emerging from the water when a player gets close. "What do you mean it's not safe to fish at night anymore? They can come crawling up out of the water? Ahhh! Kill me now!"
 
Hider - A regular zombie that lays down like a corpse in tall grass or under beds, but stands up when a player is detected close by.
Game-play issue addressed: Lack of urine in player's shorts after gameplay and looting becomes routine. "They can hide under beds now! Ahhh! My pants!"
 
Dragon - A dragon.
Game-play issue addressed: Lack of dragons. "Ahhh! Huh?!?!"
 
Thoughts? Disagree?

 

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I like the idea of a Hider, some dude got bit, hid under the bed, died and turned. Bonus points if it would have a chance to come out when you sleep and eat you. Just add an option "Look for monsters under the bed" and nobody will be able to complain. 

As for the rest, yeah, something needs to be done about safety on the 2nd floor but Climber sounds too weird if you ask me. And as for Howlers, hordes should be much easier to aggro overall, if one zombie moves, the horde should follow, the possibility to pick them off one by one should be made a lot less easy.

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Cool, two votes for a Hider.

I knew Climber would be the most controversial due to its weirdness factor, but I think the concept is solid. Currently in game zombies can crawl and do limited climbing over fences and through windows. So while zombies lack fine motor skills they have some coordination to fast walk and climb. They also exhibit a singleminded purposeness against prey.

While zombies can climb low fences and in windows, they can't climb taller structures. Why? I think it has to do with overall mass and inability to coordinate leg movement. A Crawler can pull its body along with arms alone. Remove the dead weight of the lower torso and a zombie should have less resistance.

Using sheet ropes might be taking the concept too far. But a half zombie might have more mobility, like a monkey. I could see one slowly crawling up a wall as it pulled itself along with singleminded determination.

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This would make great additions to gameplay, imo.

 

I also think a climber Zombie would be really cool, lowering the security of our fenced off bases just a small but enjoyable bit.

 

Would be cool to see them climb, fail and fall, try again, fail by losing an arm or succeed and stuff like that.

 

This wouldn't break the rule of "no superhuman zombies", but would let them appear more diversified.

Now that I've read this thread it comes to my mind, that there are absolutely no Zombies, which lack some limbs.

 

There are crawlers, of course, but they are also still complete bodys with arms and legs.

 

Zombies with missing limbs would be so cool and creepy!

 

Want! Giev! Plx plx! <3

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Floaters and the ability to swim would be interesting.

Make swimming possible for players, but with a high cost... never know if one is going stanch you... *ooOOooooo*

Also, holing up next to water would be very scary.

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Really cool ideas! The climber reminds me of that part in HL2 where you wait for the cableway in Ravenholm and loads of the really fast zombies climb up the gutters to you, making making a scary clanking noise. Hm... Now I really want a Ravenholm map, but guess it wouldn't be the same without that batshit crazy russian priest. But once NPCs are out, programming a crazy guy with a shotgun shouldn't be too hard.

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Hiding zombies would be awesome. (A little like TWD lurkers) You wouldn't have to deviate from traditional zombie lore at all, since zombies do hide all the time in the movies.

You have obviously never walked into 2x1 room only to get bit :P

 

You never expect to find three zombies hiding in the cupboard of a practically abandoned house until you do. xD 

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I'm not that sure about the climber, well, it makes sense in a way, but i wonder if it would'nt be too much powerfull. But the idea of zombies with misssing limbs is really neat!

 

For the Howler i think i would be really scary (wich is a good thing, right?) even if not really realistic.

 

And i love the other two (Hider & Floater). I feel like zombies coming from the water would be a sight so awesome that i would risk my character getting killed just to see it. I can already imagine a broken bridge with cars that fell into the water and zombies coming out of it... that would be perfect.

 

and can we haz zomb dragonz too pleaaase? pretty please?

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I love the idea of Hider mostly because the players have to be more carefull and more cautius of what they do. I would prefer the hider to be under beds, inside closers ( if they add a closet animaon when you open it ) and hiding inside the grass! Now as about the Howler i would say that this certain zombie should be 2 or 3 times the size of normal zombies, more mucho and so on. Now Floater would also be a great idea if the players could create boats. Lovely ideas m8!

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I don't quite get the climber, if your missing your lower half, even as a zombie I doubt your going to be moving around much, or be climbing things.

A zombie isn't cordinated enough to climb anyway. (It's already weird how they do it in game)

I mean I am all for having varations on how our zombies look, and the idea of one hiding in places.

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I like the idea about sleeping Zombies.

A small percentage of killed Zombies should remain in a vegetative state and reactivate after a week, maybe as crawlers. So you can never obtain control over a city until you burnt every last of them.

 

I really like this variant idea.

 

Re-animator - A corpse that "re-animates" after an extended period of time.
Game-play issue addressed: Punishes players who do not remove and burn corpses. This would also address spawn issues when an area has been "cleared" of zombies but has been left unattended for some time.
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I like the idea about sleeping Zombies.

A small percentage of killed Zombies should remain in a vegetative state and reactivate after a week, maybe as crawlers. So you can never obtain control over a city until you burnt every last of them.

 

I really like this variant idea.

 

Re-animator - A corpse that "re-animates" after an extended period of time.
Game-play issue addressed: Punishes players who do not remove and burn corpses. This would also address spawn issues when an area has been "cleared" of zombies but has been left unattended for some time.

 

Well would they be able to come alive when you are dragging them?

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Variation of zombie could definitely enhance the depth of gameplay as long as it doesn't spoil the atmosphere of realism of the game.

And I think all these ideas are great to be implemented.

 

Moreover, I also hope that the attributes of common zombies can be more different. (it should be a game option of course).

Across the map some zombies are sprinters, some are shamblers and some stand at between.

I know at the current build the zombies' ability could be different due to the level of decomposition but it seems not enough since maybe 95% of zombies have equal attributes.

It makes the zombies so predictable and in long term, boring.

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Zombie variation

I thinks its also nice to add some more random danger to the Zombies.

The Metagame with the Zombie-attracting sounds was a great Idea, i loved it when i first read about it. But i feel like it doesnt take too much effect after all. Im in the midgame, but have never seen too many Zombies randomly walking arround.

Maybe some Hordes should be always like walking on a path through the active area of the player. Giving you sleepness nights...

I like the concept of survival with unpredictable, permanent danger, because it would make the player beaviour more like being driven by paranoid decitions in its overall gameplay. :ph34r:

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I came to this thread expecting spitters and boomers and other silly things, but am pleasantly surprised by these suggestions.

 

I like all suggested in the OP except the Climbers, in my own (admittedly very personal) thoughts on zombies they would lack the cognitive capacity to recognise the rope as something they could use, and would lack the required coordination to climb it (many of them don't even manage walking that well).

 

Dragons is a must. In fact, I think they are a confirmed yes ;)

 

I must admit to not being a fan of the re-animators. In most lore, zombies do not stop until you remove the head or destroy the brain. I don't recall any zombie fiction where they have been knocked unconcious only to wake later.

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I got other one for ya OP, a night crawler. At night you'll have a 40% chance to meet a zombie at your front step as you open your door after you wake up from your sleep.

 

True story... i woke up in-game while resting at a new neighbor that I didn't completely clear and a zombie was waiting for me at he front door face to face and made a moan as I open the door. My spin was shivering with chill xD

 

My axe slice it head off in an instant but that was the scariest and best moment this game ever offer me.

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