[Official] Zombie gamemode

[Vatumok]

Third thread where we ask for some heavily needed player input, hope to get many responses from AoD regulars again. Skilled players opinions are great but now more importantly, also more casual players.

Previous topics, if you spare some time please write something here too:
http://escaperestart.com/forum/threads/official-planning-a-new-ffa.19495/
http://escaperestart.com/forum/threads/official-ranking-title-system.19563/

The problem
Right now the zombie gamemode is not really balanced and only on some maps and round it plays well. The reason is that the game is at it's hardest for zombies when the starter hunters are selected (1-2 zombies), after that it gets easier and can snowball into a zombie win. It's mostly balanced around there being a high barrier to get the first (few) human kill(s) in. For skilled zombies this is no problem, but when the humans are much better than you, it's waiting out the round while getting killed over and over.

What do we want from you?
Come up with ideas to make zombie a more balanced gamemode while especially focussing on making it better for inexperienced zombies. We want to shift from "people expect to get many zombie kills" to zombies should be scary and humans should strategically and carefully move around/defend to win. Post your plan to improve this gamemode and discuss with others.

If there's anything I forgot to mention in this thread I will let you know. Questions are of course also welcome. Thanks for reading!

With kind regards,
Vatu~

 

[Unusual_Dood]

I think zombie should stay as it is. The biggest current problem is many of the old maps which are unbalanced.

Here is some of the biggest current problems, in my opinion.

- Enchantment tables | make huge differences and many times an enchantment place is a good place to camp. Instead it could be replaced with enchanted books and anvils.
- Flames(as enchantment) and Poison potions | reduce your hearts and many times you cant do anything with it, even run away. Instead replace it with the opposite, regeneration.
- OP enchantments like Flames, Power, Sharpness and fire aspect in weapons | can make big differences, if you are the only one with it.
- Infinity bows and reduce the ammount of Arrows | so it will be changed from spamming, to tactics and you will have to visely use it.
- Big diffrence in the hunter kits | If 2 Hunters have completly opposite items and gear, the Survivors might end up with both it and become very much better.

Its also very important to have variety from each map so the gameplay will be unique each time, not become too repetive and boring.

Also, old maps that get too repetive and boring should be replaced with a new one :)

 

[Mastersten]

Had some ideas but will first respond to unusual's ideas.

- Enchantment tables | make huge differences and many times an enchantment place is a good place to camp. Instead it could be replaced with enchanted books and anvils.

I disagree with this, enchantmenttables might give an endless source of enchantments but they also limit the max enchantment level (if there arent any bookcases). Anvils however have the possibility to increase simple enchantments into stronger enchantments (eg 2 sharp 1 stone swords into 1 sharp 2 stone sword).
So I would say either have only 1 of 2 or remove them from the maps at all.

- Flames(as enchantment) and Poison potions | reduce your hearts and many times you cant do anything with it, even run away. Instead replace it with the opposite, regeneration.

This could be an option but what I would rather like to is that specific weapons or items that give you a boost in gear, also give you a negative sideeffect (EG a flamesword that also gives you slowness or weakness) so you will need to carefully use a weapon (once saw potions that both gave strenght and nausea so that could also be an option)

- OP enchantments like Flames, Power, Sharpness and fire aspect in weapons | can make big differences, if you are the only one with it.

Same as I said in the previous point

- Infinity bows and reduce the ammount of Arrows | so it will be changed from spamming, to tactics and you will have to visely use it.

Idem

- Big diffrence in the hunter kits | If 2 Hunters have completly opposite items and gear, the Survivors might end up with both it and become very much better.

That is a very good point, I personally would say, make the hunter kit soulbound (non dropable except collected items, those can be dropped) so stuff like the dark hunter kit wont be a nice treasure for players, they should collect more in the map instead of collecting hunter loot.

The rest are just obvious (no repetitive gamemodes, remove or update boring maps etc) and I totally support those.

Now my suggestion, give an effect to players if there's only less then x% of the survivors left so the more hunters, the more advantage the survivors get (speaking of small advantages as like speed or a small gift)

 

[Iggish]

Just simply make first hunters have undroppable items. This way, even if they are killed, the survivors won't get their stuff. Or, all hunters get the first hunetr kit until 1 or 2 survivors are killed. Could work

 

[Unusual_Dood]

Just simply make first hunters have undroppable items. This way, even if they are killed, the survivors won't get their stuff. Or, all hunters get the first hunetr kit until 1 or 2 survivors are killed. Could work

I am not a fan of the idea that dark hunters or hunters dont drop items. I think this is a good reward that you can use further in the game. I think you otherwise could try to lower the preperation time, so the dark hunter is chosen before everyone has gotten all the chests and is teaming in a base. I remember some maps from aod 1.0 that worked well because of this.

 

[S_swimmer]

So I just had an idea while we were reminiscing about Solitude on Create

What if we added Solitude's local chat plugin for Zombie and forced people to only use that while in the map if possible? This would really make you feel alone and scared and you really won't know what's out there

 

[Friendy]

Let's be realistic here.

There will NEVER be a perfect 'balance' within the Zombie game-mode simply because there are too many conflicting dynamics to the gameplay, and what people want; for example -

• Survivors may have slightly under-powered kits which gain balance when they kill hunters as they get better gear.
• If too many survivors get the hunter gear then the survivors are over-powered and hunters are under-powered.
• But if you make it so hunters don't drop items, then the survivors are trapped at being under-powered and when there is an abundance of hunters, they'll win no matter what - thus making players dislike the map.

A lot of maps aren't played simply because players do not enjoy the gameplay on said map, now it isn't saying the map aesthetics and the way it is laid out is bad, but more so the kits and items around the map being so conflicting that it is always one side being ridiculously under-powered/over-powered and that is what ruins gameplay. Nobody wants to play a map where they know that if there are more hunters than survivors then they don't even stand a chance, and nobody wants to be hunter on a map where the survivors are over-powered because it'll just be a rinse and repeat cycle of them dying.

The way I see it being far better balanced is just enabling Zombie to have FFA PVP mechanics, it would be far more suitable for Zombie anyway since it is hardly fair that someone with an iron sword can 2-3 bang someone without armour, at least on ffa you stand a chance at fighting back and dealing a fair bit of damage.

Current flaws of the Zombie PVP mechanics include enchantments being overpowered (I hit 8 hearts of damage with a Power I bow over distance on ComputerGuy_ who was in full leather armour), weapons being overpowered, potions being overpowered, etc.

Not to mention that for new players (and this happened to me A LOT) it is extremely confusing to go from Zombie, where you have to be strategic and time your attacks to FFA where you just have to spam attack players, many a time I've gone onto FFA and wondered why I'm doing fuck all damage, or gone onto Zombie and died thinking I have to spam swing like FFA. This deters players from the game because they'll be thinking "What the fuck why is everyone else invincible" and get frustrated.

In my opinion, there should be someone who is a dedicated rank revolving around the maintenance of maps. This user will go through maps after they've been added and played on to balance kits and items on the map to improve game-play. I think this would be very beneficial as it means the maps will be constantly updated till a majority of the user-base are happy with the level of content they're receiving. (And Zombie pvp is crap so ffa pvp pls)

EDIT: Something else, I've forgotten the name of the map but a very good example of what I'm talking about is that castle map that has diamond boots on, get enough survivors together and they're invincible, but if you're against more than 1 hunter you're guaranteed to die simply because hunters get poison which is waaaay too overpowered and not to mention hunger drains at a ridiculous rate so you can't even heal up quick enough, you just sit there and die. That map is a prime example of shit gameplay for the Zombie gamemode.

 

[Catcocomics]

raise xp level of all players to 9001 levels and have at least one easily accessed anvil in every map
I can care less about enchantment tables.

Also, nerf bows, because the latest update nerfed all the melee weapons and buffed bows, so now bows r supreme and remain the best/only serious spammy weapon. I highly suggest making this nerf be a 90% damage reduction to arrows that are less than 90% charged.
And make shields more accessible somehow, because shields are the only effective defense against bow-spam now.

that's right kids, we're finally putting that moldy ol' can of

in the

 

[Iggish]

Or maybe, instead of all this nerfing, we change kits? Having projectile protection could work. Power 1 bows are a serious problem though. I was 3-hitting people in full leather armour yesterday. I got like 8 kills because of this. The only reason i died in the end is because i ran out of arrows. It just shows you how OP bows are...

 

[SirComputer]

The problem Zombie has in my opinion is loot accumulation. Quite a few people have picked up that when the survivors get the hunters' items, they turn OP. Therefore, I'd suggest limiting the amount of items dropped by the hunters - maybe a percentage of items dropped could be specified in the map config? That way, you don't have the survivors get instantly overpowered.

 

[Comp]

The problem Zombie has in my opinion is loot accumulation. Quite a few people have picked up that when the survivors get the hunters' items, they turn OP. Therefore, I'd suggest limiting the amount of items dropped by the hunters - maybe a percentage of items dropped could be specified in the map config? That way, you don't have the survivors get instantly overpowered.

I've already done this but I need to update. I might try it with a few maps and see how well it works.

 

[Friendy]

I've already done this but I need to update. I might try it with a few maps and see how well it works.

Wouldn't it just be easier to make it so hunters only drop items they did not receive from kits?

Also:

In my opinion, there should be someone who is a dedicated rank revolving around the maintenance of maps. This user will go through maps after they've been added and played on to balance kits and items on the map to improve game-play. I think this would be very beneficial as it means the maps will be constantly updated till a majority of the user-base are happy with the level of content they're receiving.

 

[captain_pikmin]

I would talk about the hunters dropping items that the survivors can build up from, like iron armor given to the hunters and then given to the survivors when they started with chain armor, but all of the key points have been mentioned by others. But I think kits should be balanced to match the map. For example, a map where its possible to survive by fighting should always give the hunters swords even when you get an archer kit and maps with tall structures should primarily give bows only to the hunters. Something that could be considered when trying to balance potentially OP survivors is food, survivors will have to take time to eat and regenerate before fighting again so this could be an advantage for the hunters.

 

[S_swimmer]

honestly the way i see it the balance is simply in the hands of the mapmakers since they're the ones putting items in chests and making kits

 

[Catcocomics]

survivors will have to take time to eat and regenerate before fighting again so this could be an advantage for the hunters.

nerp. hunters get hungry too, now, and it's likely because of the updated making food heal people when capping off their hunger.