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Day/Night cycle having an effect on AI, possibly nocturnal behavior.


Heisenberg

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As the minutes and hours of gameplay go by, I've got my shelter set up, and am feeling bored.  I've accomplished so much, but now, I see the sun is going down, and my character is starting to tire. I suppose it's perfectly fine to run around outside for maybe all night.

 

Then I remember.  It's been easy because I've save-modded the mission so that the zombies are turned off. I wanted to run around this new, fresh region of West Point during the day, discovering things as if living in the past life before the dead showed up.  Believe it or not, Zomboid is fun even without any zombies. Then I realized something.  What about the best of both worlds?

 

And then it hit me.  The day and night cycle have a lot more potential, and there could be a new option to re-constitute zombie lore to the traditional old-Eurasian mythology that they come from.  Zombies hating the light, and loving the dark.  Of course, that means that the player and NPC, too, can have this option.

 

I feel like more could be done with the day and night cycle to make the gameplay even more thorough.  Players can choose the negative trait of nyctophobia, which causes the character to become fearful at night.  Additionally, there could be a zombie lore option that causes zombies to seek out the darkness when light starts to come up, leaving the streets deserted by day, but masses of zombies encamped in the buildings or hidden in forests, avoiding going out into the sun.

 

Decomposition rate could be affected by temperature and by the sun, which would help to contribute to the logic behind zombies seeking shelter.  If it's sunny and warm, the zombie, maybe even food, could be quicker to decompose if outside and in the open sun.  If it's dark, either night or cloudy, then that means they're not as prone to decompose, and more "comfortable" seeking to feed themselves.  Maybe sunlight could even "hurt" a little, besides speeding up decomposition?

 

Sure it might end up only an optional idea, but if zombies are able to be programmed to simply seek out the closest acceptable area of darkness during a sunny day, it could havefer opportunities to cater to those who want a mixture of free range exploration, and the invigorating risk of getting back home before the sun comes out, or before the rains come in. Worse for them, they may need to find out what's lurking inside of a big, darkened building with unsecured windows or an open door, or inside of their shed, garage, or barn...  And it wouldn't be pretty.

 

 

I feel as though whenever the day and night cycle is specified to the AI, this changeability for darkness seeking behavior could be implemented very effectively.  If you want an explanation for what made me think of such an idea, I'd direct you to Richard Matheson's "I Am Legend," or the countless films spawned from the book.  Additionally, it makes buildings a dangerous hell-hole, and really makes close quarters combat dangerous.  It helps to equate a big, dark office building with a bee hive.  Stick your knife through a window, and the horde is right on you.

 

 

To sum it up, the additional options:

 

  • Option to add negative nyctophobia trait, a fear during night-time hours.
  • Outdoor decomposition faster than indoor decomposition, applies to Zombie and/or to Food.
  • Zombie lore could cause them actively seek out dark places before or during daylight.  Away from windows, concentrated in areas without windows or on the far side of a room.
  • To get into a building for safety from the light, zombies "check" the security.  If a window's boarded up, they'll give up on breaking in, and find some place easier.  If all else fails, they huddle in the forest for shade, making trees into more of a danger.
  • Zombies don't stay in the light. If they lose you, they work their way to the nearest shade.
  • Zombies can be hurt by sunlight *by lore.
  • NPC might more likely to stay inside at night, or might vigilantly barricade themselves in at night.  Again, dependent upon lore.
  • Crazier NPC could possibly come out at night.
  • Hearing boost for human characters at night.
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  • 2 years later...

That sounds awesome really. Just imagining moving into the warehouse to get some supplies and as soon as i knock that door over BOOM. Mass of zeds raping my character. And the idea of looting/exploring by day and rushing to get home before the hordes come out is pretty cool. Overall i'd give this a thumbs up.

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On 11.01.2014 at 11:51 AM, Ontogenesis said:

I've always liked the 'I am Legend' idea

"I am Legend" its not about zombies. Its about vampires. Actually in original book, not in cinema.

35 minutes ago, lawlness said:

And the idea of looting/exploring by day and rushing to get home before the hordes come out is pretty cool

Nice idea only for fun mode.

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On 22/11/2016 at 11:08 PM, screamik said:

"I am Legend" its not about zombies. Its about vampires. Actually in original book, not in cinema.

Nice idea only for fun mode.

 

You may want to check cinema again, The Last Man on earth is a pretty good adaptation.

 

Anyway, the idea is good for a mod, nocturnal zombies as someone linked above has that feeling of Dying Light.

 

However, imagine a normal day in West Point downtown after 3 weeks in survival.

Now you imagine the zombie population at that point, got it? Good

 

Now try to fit them in buildings, it would be impossible to loot anything because there would be way too many on each building, the normal "surprise zombies in the bathroom" moments that everyone loves would be a thing of everyday. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

I like the idea as an option, but not as a standard thing. the Nyctophobia thing I think would almost be a given at night anyway for just about any survivor, I know I'd be terrified of the dark. There is a mod similar to this, can't remember what it's called, "Fear the Rain", I think. Anyway, in it zombies are terrified of rain, and try to seek shelter indoors.

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