This is, as the introduction states, an overused idea, but it does sound like a lot of bloody fun. I was thinking that the zombies' names could be more space-based, such as Space Zombie, World Crawlers, etc.
Yeah zombies as a whole are majorly overused nowadays, they just work so well for a survival horror game though. And there isn't any major gather, build and survive games that I can think of right now. I think the 2D would work really well too, and I think if something like this was made it could really add a whole new layer to the game without that much work when the base engine is already in place
Agreed. Although the video game industry has almost perfected the 3D survival horror, I haven't really seen a 2D one that is worthy of matching up to the 3D ones.
I like this 'survive and escape' scenario, it would be awesome in a game like Starbound, where you can actually build stuff. If it is zombie themed or not, it does not matter to me.
Instead of a random event, it could be a sidequest on certain planets. There could be a few fugitives holed up in a building, and you have to survive X waves before you can make a run for your dropship. Since you'll be rescuing NPCs anyway, this would be an interesting sidequest for a rescue. In addition, after you rescue them, perhaps one stays behind to fight off the horde, so you can visit any time you want to play the survival mode.
Yeah it's not a random event, it's an entirely different game mode that you'd select from the title screen. I was reluctant to make it a sidequest just because it would mean that a lot of the settings wouldn't be changed, such as gathering time and things, that I think would make the gameplay a lot more rewarding. It would make it a lot less about the survival feeling and more about 'lets kill zombies in waves for no reason'. It could work I guess, but my plan was more for a long term, much more careful game type which is why I would prefer it as a separate mode.
If it was a sidequest it would not allow it to be as grand as Alvin suggests it to be. How about making it into a prologue? The aliens invade your homeworld, you flee, get other survivors and try to build the spaceship that ultimately gets you to the space station? (Yes, the main ships never got there, only a pod, but you could rescue the others in another sidequest) As I said already, any 'survive disaster' sceanrio would be great imo.
Yeah mechanics-wise it basically is :/ Which is why it wouldn't really fit in with the main game at all. I think it would work well with their engine and sprites though
Hence the 'Mode' part of the title, and not sidequest. Alternatively, it could be made as a mod? Are they even planning on giving us tools for that?
Yeah could definitely be a mod as well. They've said that they hope to include mod support which is good. Not that I have the foggiest idea about making mods though....
Neither, but one can always get some supporters for a mod and hope someone can code, and besides, zombies are a popular topic, so it would be easy to find people.
As some of the others have mentioned, zombies, while keen, may be a bit overused. This game already has enough of a Terraria-in-space feel that it might be best to branch further away from rather than closer to so it doesn't feel like a clone. Planet-based environments/events could be fun, though. Planets affected with some entity, such as a Space Madness (this must be read with the Ren and Stimpy voice for full effect) or a lingering biological or technological threat. Perhaps an invasive, advanced species is busily conquering a planet through assimilation with nanotechnology and for the added challenge you decide to settle there and cleanse it. There are ways to achieve a zombie-like appeal without it being too cliche, and a number of other points in your post were well thought out. Cheers, ~Chitte
Thanks for reading Yeah it does run the risk of seeming too samey I'll admit. I definitely don't want it to feel like zombies are just included because 'they can'! I tried to add a bit more depth to it to make it more justified and definitely less cliche.
That's why I suggest the mod alternative, it can be anything, and if you do not like it, or it is not your style, it is as simple as skipping it in the download list. It also adds some flexibility to what we can make, without having to hope the devs like it.
