Escape From Zombie Island 2 ready for public consumption

[Vuldacon]

fe3333au...yes indeed, I totally agree with you and King Arthur, Clearance Sale should cost more based on the Cost of what would have to be spent to gain the Fortifications for all buildings.

As King Arthur said, we also agree that the Space Ship Parts for the 5 Step Plan should cost more because they are apparently too easy to gain and this creates an easy win that seems to fast.

Fine tuning the resource placement is another area that can be looked into of course.

Glad you are going to take some time to watch the Zombie Movies..Inspiration is always good

King Arthur... Pile-Up is Good The Dead Bodies that make up the walls are people that the Zombies Killed, their Brains have already been eaten so they pile them up around their Buildings as discarded Food stashes. Good for snacks and those times when they can't get a fresh Brain.

For City size levels, Need to think about these. Does everyone think that the Zombies should have all 3 levels or just go to Size 2? If they go to size 3, perhaps we can use something like a Zombie Goo Room as the level 2 requirement and the "Fodder Room" as the requirement for the size 3 level because when the Zombies make it to level 3, they will certainly have far more Fodder for their Fodder Room

LizardmenRule!... I like the entries for the Bats and City Sewer System. I am thinking that the Zombie Nurse School could explain that the Zombie Nurses come from all of the Nurses that were enroled and living at the College who became infected and it spread throughout all of the Nurses. Other women returning to college from various breaks were well received by their "Roommates" and they too became Zombies. Zombie Nurses are really bad because they not only Love Brains as all Zombies do but they are even more attracted to Humans from their former desire to devote their lives and around the clock care to them..........something like that to explain them. Perhaps an occasional AHaaaa and Braaaaiiins could be heard which meant that it was time to make their rounds.

 

[LMR]

ok, i'll see what i can come up with

perhaps you could have the 'pile up' be both walls and a size level 2 improvement, and have the fodder room as the size level 3 improvement.

or would this be too much of an advantage?

 

[KingArthur]

LizardmenRule!... I like the entries for the Bats and City Sewer System. I am thinking that the Zombie Nurse School could explain that the Zombie Nurses come from all of the Nurses that were enroled and living at the College who became infected and it spread throughout all of the Nurses. Other women returning to college from various breaks were well received by their "Roommates" and they too became Zombies. Zombie Nurses are really bad because they not only Love Brains as all Zombies do but they are even more attracted to Humans from their former desire to devote their lives and around the clock care to them..........something like that to explain them. Perhaps an occasional AHaaaa and Braaaaiiins could be heard which meant that it was time to make their rounds.

Yes think of the nightmare of being a hospital patient strapped to your bed while the Zombie Nurses do their "rounds"

 

[KingArthur]

For City size levels, Need to think about these. Does everyone think that the Zombies should have all 3 levels or just go to Size 2? If they go to size 3, perhaps we can use something like a Zombie Goo Room as the level 2 requirement and the "Fodder Room" as the requirement for the size 3 level because when the Zombies make it to level 3, they will certainly have far more Fodder for their Fodder Room

City size 3 could come as late as Zombiegeddon but maybe it's all too frightening to contemplate.

I'm also thinking how easy it's going to be implement. We have graphics for walls already but not for a fodder or zombie goo room. We would need city graphics as well as pedia icons for both.

perhaps you could have the 'pile up' be both walls and a size level 2 improvement, and have the fodder room as the size level 3 improvement.

I think the prob with this is that walls disappear when you get to city level 2 size so you would ideally have to keep them separate. I can see the sense though in a pile up giving both food and defense.

 

[LMR]

I think the prob with this is that walls disappear when you get to city level 2 size so you would ideally have to keep them separate. I can see the sense though in a pile up giving both food and defense.

Good point, i hadnt thought of that...

 

[Vuldacon]

Yes, there would be more work envolved to allow the Zombies to Grow. I have never tried it but I wonder if a city can go from a size 1 directly to a size 3 ? Probably not due to being Hard Coded but that would allow just one level jump for the Zombies at ZombieGeddon for example.
Another way around this would be to set the Zombies up from the start to already be enabled with the ability to go to level 2 then at ZombieGeddon, they can go to level 3 with what is decided that is Needed. There would not need to be any work done for the level 2 ability because they would already have it to start with.

 

[Virote_Considon]

On George Romero's Birthday:
(From Wiki- may not be reliable )
"George Andrew Romero (born February 4, 1940) "

 

[Cloner4000]

My thought can be since fast growing require a lot of people...they could capture key building like School (Children), Police Station (Polices and Prisoner)... and so on and so forth that give them a resources call mass human fodder. So they can build an improvement called Fodder Room or an Great Wonder placing all in every building like reactors. That way we would make sure AI need to work a bit harder to have it.


Also wouldn't zombie rush by sacrificing life? An dramatic increase in population could have a profound effect on the game and a huge advantage to zombie so it should be a sepearate tech after or near Zombiegeddon. Like Breaking the lock or opening the door to a mass group of hiding children in classroom or cell door to prisoners.

 

[Cloner4000]

Zombie Nurse School:

Paradise Island is known for it's famous beaches, downtown metropolis and shopping center. But among the educated the Paradise Nursing School is rank top in the nation. Thousands of Potential bright young women flock to the city to get the most advance traning and equipment available to the scientific communicty, complaiments of the Company station on the island.

On the Eve of the Zombie Outbreak however, several Nurse on R&R was infected. Their instinct leads them towards the School located in the Hospital
guarded only by a handful of polices where hundreds of fresh applicant and trainee lie cower in the rooms of the hospital.

 

[fe3333au]

I was musing along the lines of an additional Zombie building improvement to aid in defence ... the whole point in zombies is that they are mindless and cannot strategize, their one and ONLY aim or function is to feast ... which is played extremely well by the AI

Once zombies have taken a building, by default there would have to be a number of dead bodies around ... Necrotic Bacteria or Necrotic Infection would be an improvement that adds a defensive bonus to a building ... the bonus would be accumulative to any other defence bonus including Fortification which of course they cannot build themselves.

It would be invisible to the eye because basically it is bacteria infecting the dead bodies ... it would cause noxious and corrosive (for units that are machine) gases and sludge to envelope the building ... and above all a stench that causes even the most hardened person to begin gagging and retching ... very difficult to fight when all you want to do is vomit.

Being invisible it would not require a building graphic
The icon in the Building's improvements list could easily be one of those already existing for pollution.
I should be a zombie specific improvement and be available from the beginning.

Spoiler Pedia Entry :

As soon as a body dies, internal and external bacteria begin the process of breaking down tissue, the time taken is dependant on the condition of the corpse. In some cases the bacteria is especially virulent and can create noxious biproducts in the form of toxic gases and caustic fluids.

Since this process is on a microscopic level, the only indication that Necrotic Bacteria has infected the building is a tell tale carnal stench and it's presence causes an extreme adverse effect on everything other than the zombies.

All units are less effective in this type of environment and there is a marked reduction in their efficiency. Humans are constantly fighting off the need to vomit and faint, while machines are inhibited by the sticky and sometimes slippery mess that has spread throughout the building and can clog their workings.

Another thought is that perhaps some of the primary buildings initially in zombie control could have an existing Fortifications already in place ... I'm thinking in order of importance to the game
1. Airport
2. Radio Station

and perhaps due to the potential wonder benefits to human factions
Cinema
Gentleman's Club

It should also be prebuilt at the zombie capital.


Building Growth thoughts
Regarding the discussion about population and building growth ... personally, I'm not so sure ... in this game the object is not to have super cities ... and it may inhibit the ability of the AI due to the constant over population problems and I'm sure you will find that many building would go into riot due to a lack of improvements which create happy faces. In fact you will probably have a mass of worker zombies running around.

And basically what is the point ???
... when you capture a big population city you will have frustrating control problems ... fun for the MicroManager but perhaps not really needed in this type of scenario (in my humble opinion).

One of the things I've found distracts from the game is the rate of population growth ... which has been somewhat addressed in tile and resource stats tweeking ... spam could be reduced by 1 food though ... and there shouldn't be 2 spams in a building's radius.


Any thoughts ???

 

[fe3333au]

I have removed and then totally reinstalled the scenario ... however, I still get a strange graphics error.

At the start of the game the following units are repleced by the Mutant Zombie graphics
... Note, they are OK in the Building Screen.

Survivors
> MissTokugawa (actually could use a space between name and her title)
> Old Man Peters
> Vuldacon
> Reverend Simmons
> Hero Hannibal Smith
> Mr Tokugawa (could have Mr. as title)
All other including the Prom Queen is OK

Authorities
> Mayor Reynolds
> General Fullbright
All others OK

Company
> Daryl Paine
> Natasha
> Director Van Allen
> Dr. Lazar
All other OK

Farmers
> Sheriff Randy
> Farmer Zeb
All other OK

Zombies
> Test Subject Alpha
All other OK
There are also a number of To Be Continued units on <snip> ????
... these display as Mutant Zombies

 

[Cloner4000]

AHHHH...this new update made everything so hard >_< will now there's two it's a pain to take them down. the AI company lose their king unit really fast..they also lost human resources.

Maybe the Human faction should get a few immobile defender? slightly stronger then normal units say def of 6

The +1 hp for SWAT really helped.

My Champion shows the graphic of mutant zombie? I was freak out for a while then I remember something about an easter egg on halloween? I guess this is it?

I like the whole idea of wall for zombies, but with their number so high it should only be one or two in the beginning and research for a wayyyy later tech. since they already have two king units already.

 

[Vuldacon]

Today is Halloween, Oct 31, The Game will show the Mutant Zombie in place of all King units, male or female. There are a Variety of King units placed in the game so you will see many Mutant Zombies lol. This will just be for today and yes, this seems to be another "novel intention" addition to the CIV Game from Firaxis.

Concerning Walls for the Zombies...The walls for them have been made for quite some time now and we plan to use those. fe3333au...I was thinking about providing walls for a select group of Zombie Cities at the start of the game myself. You have some Good Ideas concerning Zombie City Defense and possibilities are there. Zombies do Build Fortifications indirectly by tossing Dead Bodies outside their Buildings and all around it ...that is what I would use IF they had the ability. Personally, I do not believe they need the ability, However, I do believe they need Walls for a select group of cities from the start.

This game is far too easy IMO and it is not suppose to be at all. I believe we may have to either remove Bombardment ability from all Units that can Bombard a City or Seriously reduce the Numbers of them.
This Game should be very Tough and the Survivors Only try and Escape IF they gain the Airport and make it to the Mainland TV Station. The Company can Escape by Blasting Off if they manage the 5 Step Plan. The Farmers can gain more land and have the ability to make peace with the Zombies. Farmers can capture Cities and try to gain what they can in a Game. The Authorities should have a Slim to None chance of Killing off the Zombies if they are extraordinarily Lucky.

King Arthur and I are discussing this now. Humans will exploit anything to serve their purpose and we do not want to set up the game where a unit that is intended for a particular purpose serves as an easy way to win if exploited. Bombardment units are the main thing that can be exploited to Kill Off all Zombies if handled Correctly. Balloons have Bombarment and even though it is not Lethal, that can easily be exploited to Kill off all Zombies on the Island. I simply Built 55 Balloons and used Badasses to Kill them all as a Survivor with almost no loss of any units.
I would like to keep Bombardment for Balloons but if we do, they will have to have a Very High Cost to prevent many from being Built. These Units can Bombard: Company - Attack Choppers, Manbot, Sheep.
Authorities - Cruisers, F15s, Missiles, Sheep.
Farmers/Survivors - Balloons, Sheep, Cropduster
While I do not want to remove or even change units that are Fun in the game and I would also like to add others, I do not want to directly provide an easy way out by being able to simply exploit a Bombardment Unit.
What are your thoughts?

 

[Vuldacon]

Population Growth... This is debatable but basically it is a question of IF the factions would (or should) all Grow or Not in this game. This game takes place over a short period of time so would the Buildings Grow? Probably Not but Population Bonuses will help your Building Defenses if the Population does grow. In order to maintain the Zombies as mainly and enemy you can only escape from but not entirely Kill, they need population growth as well.

Even though the Authorities and Farmers have some Fun Units and are playable, they are not the main intended Faction to play as a Human in this Game. The Survivors are the main intended Faction to play against the Zombies. This is "Escape From Zombie Island" ...correct? The Survivors ( and the Company, in their own way) are the only factions that can Escape. It is very easy to lose track of this as all the new Fun units are added and the other factions are developed more.
Thoughts?

 

[KingArthur]

AHHHH...this new update made everything so hard >_< will now there's two it's a pain to take them down. the AI company lose their king unit really fast..they also lost human resources.

Essentially don't worry too much about how the AI fares except the zombie AI. The game should be against the human player and the zombies and should offer very challenging gameplay. Is the game impossibly hard or just very challenging? Is the game fun or frustrating?

We need all your thoughts on these questions and those posed by Vuldacon. It very important to hear your contributions at this time as they will shape the final game!!

 

[KingArthur]

Just some thoughts on bombardment.

I would not disallow a player from using/exploiting bombardment if they so wanted.

I would make it more difficult for them to use such a tactic and cost is one way. We could also decrease rate of fire and strength. I believe that Sheep and Balloons should have their bombardment values lowered.

Balloons especially since they would probably be inaccurate and have a small payload - their role should mainly be recon.

Sheep could be kept with high ROF but high chance of failure to hit but stay lethal. They should be more expensive than they are now however. There's also the possiblity of making them wheeled (as Fe3333au suggested) and decreasing their range from 2 to 1. This will make them less effective as a whole.

Manbot and Cropduster are one off units so I think it's ok for them to stay powerful.

The Attack Helicopters are tricky since those missile look like they can pack a punch. Two suggestions: remove bombardment from them altogether and make them beefed up attack units or penalise them with high costs. I would be in favour of the latter.

The rest of the bombarding units are in the hands of the Authorities. I think they should be reexamined one by one and we can decide on costs and strength of bombardment values.

Can someone post the stats of each bombardment unit here? If not I will attend to to it when I get home from work.

 

[LMR]

The list of descriptions needed in post 2986 needs to be updated.

also, i havent played the newer versions, so most of the things on the list i dont know what they do. could you tell me what effect they have, or what they permit, please?

 

[fe3333au]

and there I was feaken out ... Happy halloween everyone

 

[bkwrm79]

Hannibal Smith just got turned into a zombie!!!

Fortunately he seems to retain his loyalty to his living followers, so not all is lost.

I'm afraid to see what Miss Tokugawa looks like now.

 

[Vuldacon]

Yes...Miss Tokugawa and Vuldacon and all King Units are Mutant Zombies lol