'stalker' zeds

[11tw 106]

I think it would be great if a very small proportion of zeds (ideally under 5%) were different from the others. These zeds are exactly the same, except they are far more aggresive.

 

For example, in the finished game most zeds should give up looking for survivors if they lose line of sight for more than a minute. On the other hand these 'stalker' zeds would keep searching the surrouding area until they found you. They could home in on you using scent, or by following blood droplets if you are bleeding. When/If hiding is introduced they will sometimes search obvious hiding places (under beds, in bushes). Ideally they would be programmed so that their pathfinding is good enough to achieve all of this.

I think this would be good because it would make zeds unpredictable. Survivors wouldn't ever be sure if hiding/running away would be good enough to escape. It would also make zeds more threatening, because right now they are sometimes quite tame.

 

Any feedback is good feedback, just make sure to give a reason.

Edited August 3, 2014 by 11tw

[The Aquatic Land Walrus 565]

Now, considering the zombies in this game are just infected humans, how would this work? Did the virus magically turn them into dolphins with legs?

[rybec 339]

When you said "stalker zeds" in the subject I thought you were going to say we needed some from Stalker where their brains are mush and start shooting at you when they see you.

[BeefBacon 1185]

Now, considering the zombies in this game are just infected humans, how would this work? Did the virus magically turn them into dolphins with legs?

 

Dolphins with legs?

 

Eh, a few wildcard zombies would be fine. My only concern would be that people who go out into the woods to log out might have a 'stalker zombie' beat them silly while they sit helpless.

 

Also I thought you wanted there to be Snorks or Bloodsuckers in-game, to which I'd say "get out of here, stalker!".

[rybec 339]

Dolphins with legs?

 

Eh, a few wildcard zombies would be fine. My only concern would be that people who go out into the woods to log out might have a 'stalker zombie' beat them silly while they sit helpless.

 

Also I thought you wanted there to be Snorks or Bloodsuckers in-game, to which I'd say "get out of here, stalker!".

Beware the chimaera at the factory south of Polana!

[11tw 106]

Now, considering the zombies in this game are just infected humans, how would this work? Did the virus magically turn them into dolphins with legs?

no, all I said was they would search much harder for you when they lost you. And following blood splatter isn't that advanced. Basically I am thinking they suffer from a different strain which lets them keep more of their problem solving abilities. I am not suggesting anything that extraordinary.

[Avant-Garde 229]

I belive it would be fine if we could tell them apart. These stalker zeds could be heavly contaminated and have a creepier skin because of it or behave diferently from the normal horde and make diferent sounds.

 

So if you were being followed by one or spotted one, you could deal with it before making a next move.

Edited August 4, 2014 by Avant-Garde

[The Aquatic Land Walrus 565]

Dolphins with legs?

 

Eh, a few wildcard zombies would be fine. My only concern would be that people who go out into the woods to log out might have a 'stalker zombie' beat them silly while they sit helpless.

 

Also I thought you wanted there to be Snorks or Bloodsuckers in-game, to which I'd say "get out of here, stalker!".

It was a metaphor. Because dolphins have sonar vision.

Christ.

[BeefBacon 1185]

It was a metaphor. Because dolphins have sonar vision.

Christ.

 

That's incredibly obscure, but thanks for clearing that up.

[The Aquatic Land Walrus 565]

That's incredibly obscure, but thanks for clearing that up.

yw m8.

I'm surprised it didn't CLICK with you

fuck yes more dolphin puns

[Katana67 2907]

Hrm, I mean, maybe?

 

The only sort of variety that I want with regard to zombies is just speed, and perhaps damage (i.e. military and/or obese zombies being able to take more damage).

 

But I wouldn't be against a few "alpha" zombies, just as long as their abilities aren't overdone. But just as a general rule of thumb, I don't believe we need some kind of "alpha" zombie. I'd be just as fine with zombies being buffed a bit more, with their numbers upped significantly, and their behavior modified/fixed to honor stealth more so.

 

I'm not really a huge fan of the "monkey" zombies we've got now, if only just from an aesthetic point of view. The animations look like shit, I mean, worse than the crawlers from the mod... which is saying something.

 

Likewise, on an unrelated note, I'm not entirely sure why they (the developers) are so infatuated with super drawn-out lunging through the air animations for zombie attacks. Why can't they just rush you and try to rip you up? Every attack doesn't have to be a leap from 10 feet away. With the way zombies deal damage, having the aesthetic "jumping" animation followed by a nebulous damage indicator is really jarring to me.

[LeeVanSpliff 156]

I like the idea.

I don't think it should be implemented though, since it would conflict with the logout timer, which is there to help us get rid of combat logging. Would be sort of annoying to be hunted down in the 30 seconds after you log out by a zombie that has caught your scent.

[11tw 106]

It was a metaphor. Because dolphins have sonar vision.

Christ.

they do have echolocation yes, but I didn't suggest anywhere in the thread that zeds should do too (The clickers in Last of Us do though, and they are quite cool). All I suggested was that they would perseveer more when you run away and follow any blood trails. No mention of sonar.

[11tw 106]

I like the idea.

I don't think it should be implemented though, since it would conflict with the logout timer, which is there to help us get rid of combat logging. Would be sort of annoying to be hunted down in the 30 seconds after you log out by a zombie that has caught your scent.

Brilliant! So you have to try and log out in a place you know is safe. If this were implemented along with hiding/barricading then it would be great.

Imagine you are walking through a wood and you are about to log out. Then you remember that a zed chased you earlier, and might have followed you. So you keep going until you find somewhere safe. This sounds good to me because it makes you feel more vulnerable, which is kind of the point.

[LeeVanSpliff 156]

Brilliant! So you have to try and log out in a place you know is safe. If this were implemented along with hiding/barricading then it would be great.

Imagine you are walking through a wood and you are about to log out. Then you remember that a zed chased you earlier, and might have followed you. So you keep going until you find somewhere safe. This sounds good to me because it makes you feel more vulnerable, which is kind of the point.

Hmm I see the point dude. I just foresee a lot of "My character died for no reason, this game sux!" posts. In a game like this, people want to know what killed them.

But of course, 2 level buildings also kill you, so why not a stalking zombie after logout.

If they went for stalkers, I guess a good solution would be not stalking someone who initiated logout or something.