True Zombie MMO?

[huskerwebhead]

So, recently I've been on a Zombie kick. I guess it ramped up when I read about "Dead Set" and watched that series. Ever since I've been rewatching some of the Zombie Apocalypse movies and find myself wondering if there was a good Zombie Apocalypse type game out there. I really wasn't able to find a good one. There are several post-apocalyptic games but no real good ones that are totally Zombie based. I read that Undead Labs is working on a Zombie MMO that sounds like what I'd want, but I haven't found any news of this since November of last year. I ran into an article that pretty much summarizes what I'd want in a Zombie game:

http://blog.weflyspitfires.com/2009/08/13/zombie-mmorpg/

Y’know what I’d love to see? A zombie MMORPG. Maybe MMORPG is the wrong acronym for it though, maybe it’s more of a virtual world and not a game. You see, in this MMO the object wouldn’t be raiding or roleplaying (well that might fit in at a player’s discretion), the object of the game would be survival. And there would be permadeath.

Imagine a large virtual world, perhaps only a single server ala EVE Online, that’s set in a fictional United States of America, modern time. It’s completely overrun with zombies (dozens of different types of them) and in a severe state of dilapidation and the players are the only inhabitants left on the planet, forming together into small groups or large gangs in order to stake claim to territories and eek out a semblance of normal life.

There would be no levels in this zombie MMO, instead players would earn experience simply by surviving. You’d be able to tell how much of a veteran someone is by how many days they’d survived. There would also be no classes, instead everything is skilled based and learnt from studying books, videos etc found in the world or passed on by another player. Players could learn medical skills to help heal others, mechanical skills to repair cars and electrical generators or combat skills like to marksmanship to make them better at killing those pesky zombies.

A zombie MMO would require a lot of freedom of action. Every vehicle should be driveable (so long as it’s in a state of good repair, has fuel and you have the appropriate skills), every house enterable, every animal, person or thing killable. There would be no auction house or global chat, instead players would need to rely on bartering or in-game phones or walkie-talkies. Oh yes, plus there would be permadeath.

There would need to be some way of letting you transfer some of your skills onto your “family members” (new characters) but ultimately everyone only has one life. There would be no resurrection spells or spawn points, instead if you die, you die. I think this is absolutely necessary in order to create a real feel of survival and fear. Being killed by a zombie has real impact. Being killed by another person maliciously, even more so.

The most interesting thing about this game would be seeing how events unfold. Would players unite together towards the common threat of zombies or would they bicker and fight between themselves in gangs over territory? Would they create states of laws and order or would they succumb to the anarchy? I’d love to known.

I don't want classes. I don't want already determined "factions." I don't want a cure once your infected or resurrection. You should be able to decide if you want to join up with a group or go it alone. Hide out in your house with your family or venture out with a horde and go zombie hunting. Sure, hiding out isn't necessarily action packed, but it's the survival aspect. Could I last longer this way, or that way.

Is there already a game like this out there that I don't know about? Anyone else have ideas on the perfect Zombie game?

 

[Soapy]

That sounds terrible.

 

[Paroxysm]

****s weeeeeeeeeeeeeeak.

 

[Why Are You Crouching Spock?]

Hoards of wandering brain dead AI that attacks you on sight?
I thought that was every MMO.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

That sounds terrible.

This.

That game isnt coming, because, like Pandamar said, it would be terrible.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

I'd like a Zombie RPG but not a MMO.

 

[Michael Frost]

It's an interesting concept. If we had FPS mechanics in it with a perk system like Borderlands or so.

I can see the **** hit the fan quickly with a game like this tho because permadeath in MMOs = griefers galore. Just to think the ammount of people that would go in that game and try to kill you just to see you rage. Oh god, people are idiots...

 

[Michael Frost]

Double post. Damn.

I'd like to add this:

If when you die, you become a zombie forever, it would definatly be worth it.. Like I said, permanent death is awesome if there's no actual people involved.

 

[Fading]

I don't think it's terrible at all. There are good ideas there I've wanted to see in a zombie game for awhile, as well as some bad ones I'd rather they leave out. I'm not sure why everyone hates the idea of a zombie sandbox like game with every vehicle driveable, every (or atleast a lot) of houses enterable, and players being in control and forming cities or chaos. IMO it sounds like their on the right track, but it does need work.

That's not to say it's not without it's flaws. Permanent death would hurt the game and lead to ppl playing just to make others have to start over. I also think no market should be changed to some kind of black market you can purchase ammo from by bartering items (jewelery or cash) you pick off of zombie corpses, or other players (pvp should be present, just make sure theres more incentive to work together) instead of just bartering with other players. I would also like to see some stealth lite gameplay so you can hide in houses and sneak past zombies if you're swarmed. Also I'd much rather it be a close up 3rd person rather than another fps (tho I have np with a changeable camera angle where you could be 1st or 3rd person).

That said, I don't see this coming out. Atleast not as an MMO. MMO's and their fees work due to ever evolving content and the ability to customize characters. I see this working much better in the same vein as free servers like Warhawk for PS3. There are interesting ideas here tho, just maybe too ambitious with an entirely open city like that.