Sanity aka going bonkers system

[Jakusch Lieb 8]

The general idea behind a sanity system would be more about... making it more challenging the more you survive, it's NOT designed to combat the 'bandit problem'. The reasoning is simple - when put into a situation like this (a zombie apocalypse) it's quite possible for people to go completely bonkers, especially considering they might be already infected. This could be used to make the game more challenging the more you survive and underline the idea, that you will die eventually. Or that generally the more survive, the more sh*t you are in. ;) How it'd work?

Let's say that every day there's a slight chance that our "bonkers rating" might go up. This indicates what symptoms we might have. The implementation is not really relevant, it might be roll to check, it might be some kind of points system that is tracked and influenced by events. Doesn't matter, although generally I'd be interesting if some events (long time with no food or water, trauma) could speed up the process. Once the symptoms escalate you might hear some zombie growls every now and then, see one running at you, hear gunfire etc.. The idea is to throw you off-guard, possibly making you alert some zombies, or just generally make a bit of noise (as well as spooking out teammates :P). This can add some potential tension, especially in groups, and every day you survive means the next one is gonna be tougher... and you should realise, that in the end you will either die or go mad, possibly killing other people. This could actually be interpreted as the infection slowly taking over, blurring the player's understanding of the world, turning them into the monsters they are hunting. Would give people a bit of a sense that all hope is truly lost, and your fight is futile.

Possible effects:

- Hearing growls of zombies/gunfire

- Seeing zombies that are not there

- The possibility to seeing survivors at long distances

- Illusionary loot, clips that you never had, foot that had already been eaten

- Mistaking survivors for zombies and vice versa

- And so on and so on

This combined can actually make the experience quite unique, actually give you increasing challenge as you progress and generally provide fun and amusement to groups, as well as lone players. Who doesn't love getting shot because a friend wanted to get rid of an imaginary zombie? :)

[zorisx 7]

This mod needs a psychadellic spin to it, I would love to see this. +1

[Filozovs 2]

So instead of people getting used to violence and zombies, they for some reason get more and more scared? Maybe my character happens to be an ex-military guy who's seen everything? Maybe he is an nutter to begin with? Why are you suggesting that a system would build my character instead of me? I already hear gunshots which aren't there

[Specter911 2]

I am not certain of your idea, I have a supposedly similar idea, but first for your idea.

I very approve the idea of hearing gun fire that is not there, as that is one if not the top things that make survivors paranoid, zombie growls aren't that threatening, even if you were to hear it in the woods, your still save until they make roaming zombies.

I don't think seeing zombies that are not there is a good idea, there are zombies everywhere, it would be an annoying mechanic to waste bullets and attract more zombies.

Instead I would suggest if possible the ability to turn crawling and walking zombies rarely into survivors to scare you to thinking there is someone else here already.

The loot will piss off ALOT of people off, stray away from that.

For survivors to look at zombies I don't think thats wise and would piss people off, but zombies to look rarely like survivors as I said above is a good mind fucking idea.

I like the general idea, there could be some work done to better it.

Do you mind if I were to put parts of it in my forum post and link it towards here?

It sounds good and I figure if we gathered ideas from other people and make them work logically and with each other, it could really open this game up.

Edit: We meet again so soon Filo.

I'd say for this system to work would to be able to choose character types at the beginning of your life like your gender.

Example

A person who has had the past of hunting is not affected that much by this stuff.

A medic would be effected by this normally.

A mechanic would be somewhere in the scale.

Just an example.

[Jakusch Lieb 8]

So instead of people getting used to violence and zombies' date=' they for some reason get more and more scared? Maybe my character happens to be an ex-military guy who's seen everything? Maybe he is an nutter to begin with? Why are you suggesting that a system would build my character instead of me? I already hear gunshots which aren't there

[/quote']

As I said, it could be interpreted as the infection taking over - we are all infected, it's just a matter of time till we succumb. This way technically you go around any issues resorting from "my character is X" :) This is more of a way to increase the challenge as time goes on, emphasize the "you will die" message of the game. Obviously, those symptoms wouldn't appear at the start of your journey, it'd take some days to develop.

I don't think seeing zombies that are not there is a good idea' date=' there are zombies everywhere, it would be an annoying mechanic to waste bullets and attract more zombies.

Instead I would suggest if possible the ability to turn crawling and walking zombies rarely into survivors to scare you to thinking there is someone else here already.

[/quote']

Well, yes, the list was more of an example. Indeed, it might be wise to make it more subtle, so for instance the gun shots occur only when there's some ground for that to happen, so it blends properly with what's going on. Same with the zombies.

The loot will piss off ALOT of people off' date=' stray away from that.

[/quote']

True, but as before - it's all about making it subtle enough and let it blend seamlessly to prevent it from being 'in your face'. The topic is not really about the specifics of how EXACTLY it should affect you, but rather it's how the general idea could work. I guess there's no point in writing a long post how every effect should be implemented, when the general idea might not be that good. ;)

Do you mind if I were to put parts of it in my forum post and link it towards here?

It sounds good and I figure if we gathered ideas from other people and make them work logically and with each other' date=' it could really open this game up.

[/quote']

Not at all, feel free to do that. :)

I'd say for this system to work would to be able to choose character types at the beginning of your life like your gender.

Example

A person who has had the past of hunting is not affected that much by this stuff.

A medic would be effected by this normally.

A mechanic would be somewhere in the scale.

Just an example.

This actually forces a character on you as well, but as I responded already - if we make it so that everyone is infected (was there a backstory in making? I guess there actually was or is) and it's the infection killing you, then... well... it doesn't matter.