Alternative approach to zombie attacks

[phleep99 13]

Disclaimer:  I have checked to ensure there were no obvious similar suggestions.

 

At the moment the infected/zombies strike at the player to cause damage which doesn't really match up with any of the literature or movies.  Outside of games they are typically depicted to grab and claw, unfortunately for multiplayer this would cause bizarre behaviour when the client and server are out of sync (ie. being warped into a zombie's grasp). 

 

As an alternative to the current striking damage can I suggest that the strikes cause minimal damage but instead stagger and eventually knock the player over.  Once on the ground much more damage and disease will be caused by them crouching over and pulling a "Dean Hall Mo-cap chew fest" while they try to regain their footing.  This will allow for a far more terrifying appearance when seeing someone attempting to flee the zombies but being battered to the ground and chewed to pieces.

 

I would hope this is already the intention but keen to encourage it.

 

[creature 1189]

I'd prefer better netcode where they had to actually be close enough to hit you instead of throwing invisible cans of beanz at our headz.

 

I'm pretty sure thay have plans close to what you describe. There are a lot of issues to sort out with the Z's first.

 

Dunno if you ever played the mod but when zombies got you to the ground (and started munchin') the player character would scream in fear and pain which could be heard from a fairly good distance. When I got a friend into the mod, the first time he heard it he thought it was me screaming into the mic. That's immersion!

[Parazight 1594]

So, you want infected to stun lock you straight off?  

 

I hope they don't try to balance zeds based off of literature.

[phleep99 13]

So, you want infected to stun lock you straight off?  

 

I hope they don't try to balance zeds based off of literature.

 

Clearly I would expect balancing for playability.  That is why I suggested staggering rather than an immediate knockdown.  You would then be slowed enough there would be potential for another swipe to take you down.  A guaranteed stagger would probably be excessive so an increasing probability of it occurring as you get bashed is more likely to work.

 

There is bound to be a better way to have them attack than the current slapping match that multiplayer zombie games don't seem to have progressed past.