Sandbox Setting for Random Infection Transmission and Mortality

[Sedgwick]

I'd love to see the Transmission/Mortality in the sandbox settings have a 'random' selection. Not that it would be random per zombie, but that it's random for the game world. Presently when you start a character you, the player, know what you're getting into when it comes to the zombie lore. After some experience with the game you get to understand infection chances, so you're playing one of a couple ways:

 

1. You're playing a game with the infection on, and you know every scratch (or bite in the case of Saliva Only) from a zombie could potentially be the end.

2. You're playing a game with infection set to none, and you know you're safe from zombie infection.

 

The issue is that in both cases, I, the player, already know how I'm going to handle the game. Before I get started I already know whether the zombies could potentially infect me.

 

And that's where I think a random option for transmission and mortality could be a lot of fun. Both you and your character are unaware of how the zombie infection is spread, and now the stakes are higher. Did you get lucky that the scratch didn't kill you, or maybe only bite's are lethal? Maybe I'm already infected and don't know it. Maybe I'm immune or it doesn't spread from other zombies, and there is no transmission of the infection. Or even worse: I think I'm in the clear because "it was just a scratch" but after a week I start feeling ill...

Because in a world where we are not sure if the zombie infection is from a secret military project, Spiffo's burgers, or a traditional virus that's mutated, not knowing can also be a fun way to play. Good luck out there survivors!

Edited April 11, 2023 by Sedgwick

[Axezombie]

I'm sorry but I don't really get the point, in all cases you're going to avoid as much as possible to get injured by a zombie, just like in every game before.

The only time it could be interesting is when you get bitten and nothing happens, so instead of being bitten and giving up instantly you could have some hope.

Or the duration of survival could be random too which means you could survive while being infected for a month, thinking you can't get infected by zombies and be careless, I'm starting to understand how it could be fun

Edited April 11, 2023 by Axezombie

[PoshRocketeer]

I'm not intrinsically opposed to this idea, but I have to wonder what the point is. It makes no practical difference in terms of gameplay.

[Sedgwick]

3 hours ago, PoshRocketeer said:

I'm not intrinsically opposed to this idea, but I have to wonder what the point is. It makes no practical difference in terms of gameplay.

 

My thought was mostly for playing on multiplayer, where learning how the infection is transmitted is part of the process instead of knowing exactly what it's set to in the sandbox settings before the world is generated. Within one server you might have different people with different experiences related to the infection and start to make their assumptions on how it works.

 

Like in the early moments of a zombie movie, having random selection for these variables adds a way to play out learning how this zombie infection will work in this playthrough, unique to those survivors.

[getstoopid]

...and then you learn that you are in a game with infection set to none and leave it because it's no fun anymore.