Some propositions to improve the mood of the game.

[Carlito]

Hi everyone ! First post here, I was a ghost watcher for a long time but I have finally decided to bring my contribution. english is not my native language so bear with me is my sentences doesn't make sense sometimes XD.

 

Be prepared, this post is going to be a little long.

 

PART 1

 

First, I would like to say that I really love this game, I am not a hardcore player who has like 1400 hours on it but I have played it enough to appreciate it ^^ The developpers have made already a really good game and I am very thankful for that.

 

This post will not be about some gameplay changes but about the overall artistic scope of the game. Honestly, the only thing that bother me in this game is the lack of mood and horror vibes. I have seen some suggestion post about that, like adding some crows and such, which is already a very good suggestion in my opinions. But so far I have seen nothing about the lighting or colorimetry of the game.

So I have made some little rough mockup about some stuff I would like to be added if possible of course. I am in no way a game designer or a programmer so I have 0 knowledge about what is possible to do.

 

So, my first point is about lighting and ambient light. 

 

I find the overall lighting of a room ( when you press the switch on the wall) lacking of credibility. The room suddenly become clear and you can't see where the light attached to the switch is. I have add some shading on the floor and a glow at the top to look like the light is attached on the ceiling

 

Another similar examples is about bedside lamp, the 2d asset have no real difference between switch on or off right now.  So I have made a little mock up that show a more clear difference in my opinion. I don't know if it's possible to add some rim lighting on the characters but it could add a lot more mood and presence to them.

 

In this scene you see the TV screen give a real sense of presence in the room. I think, the tv screen asset could be better with some animated GIF depending on the channel you're on. I also have imagined what a near lightning strike could do on the screen with a big flash ! I think it could bring a lot more horror vibe ^^ Again, I really don't know if the rim light on the character is possible.

 

Another thing I was thinking about is flickering light. Of course, a very few lamp in the game would flick but again It could add some really creepy mood. I have attached some examples, but I imagine the same could be applied to the lighting of a gas station or a neon motel sign for example.

 

 

[Carlito]

PART 2

 

Here the other example of the flickering light, I couldn't upload any more stuff in the previous post XD

 

That conclude the lighting part ^^

 

 

Second part, the overall composition of the map. I think it's lack of little details that make the zombie apocalypse more "alive" (pun intended ^^).

 

Next is some "before\after" rough sketches about that. Hope you can figuring what I meant with thoses

 

Here is a really good examples of what I mean. The table is just lining up, everything is too perfect and doesn't give you the sense somebodies lives in it. Adding some variety in the tables\furnitures direction and props. I personally waiting a lot of the coming 3d object map updates to correct that.

 

Here's examples of some improved "apocalypse scene" you could find when looting or in the street. I don't know if animated curtains could be a thing in this game but again I could add some cool mood.

 

 

 

 

 

If you're still here, thank you very much for your time. Again it's very rough and I don't know if it's even possible to add half of this stuff in this game.

Thank again zomboid's developpers for your hard works !!

 

Best,

 

 

Edited November 7, 2021 by Carlito

[vek]

You're doing great!

[Lambda65]

Praveslenno

[Headshotkill]

The light changes would improve the game mood a ton, the other stuff can already be archieved slightly with the 'trash and corpses' mod + 'wrecked cars', but still would also be a welcome addition.

I hope the streets of Louisville won't be as empty easily navigable as the rest of knoxxville, I'd like to have it feel more like a maze, one street is hastily barricaded, an intersection filled with car wrecks. Reaching the center of the city should be a difficult task almost only possible on foot once near the center.

And hopefully this would be randomly generated so navigating the city would feel different every time.

Edited November 8, 2021 by Headshotkill