Hi everyone.
First some bad news. While We were planning to have this game work on the ps3, It seems that this will have to wait. We have stopped work on the PS3 version because of Limitations. Dont get me wrong, I love my ps3! but UT3 has A limit of bots in place and 16 zombies just wont cut it. We plan to find a work around after the prototype is up.
However we are going even stronger, we have a new texture artist, an animator, and our Level Designers have almost drawn up all of our level.
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NEW FEATURES:
Zombie Pawns - We have set the limit to the amount of zombies in our game to 150. with 30 zombies always in the overworld and a max of 130 for when the zombies take real notice in the players, this is done by our Ai director built into our game. They all have one spawn area, the sewer and they choose the best exit into the overworld (street-level) to enter from, such as subways, underground parking, just any hole they crawl out of.
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Search for Rescue - I know it sounds silly, just made the name up. But what silly is the idea. We have a number of searchable locations, such as cupboards, desks, drawers, crates in the level. Each of these locations you can search in, and it will send info to a database in the engine that determines what the player finds there, it can only be searched once and will recieve an item. This may be a rock, or a healthpack or a clip for your m14. But there are rare items, weapons, and keys to restricted buildings, like the science lab or the military bunker.
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UV lights - Remember, when I said the zombies dont like the light? well I do, and thats what counts. Because we have implemented Lights that not only hurt the zombies, but will scare them off. and they will avoid the volumes, er I mean lights. This will also give the swarm the idea of cutting the power... hmmm. They will also, as noted before, toss the items they may have picked up, to break or at least move the light. But the player can always pick up/rotate it back.
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Day/Night Cycles - In this game, players can find a watch, very cool. As of now the player alread has one to start with but thats fine. Anyways with that watch they can tell when the sun comes up/goes down. In the day the players search for any clues on how to escape from the city, or how to contact other people outside the city to rescue them. also they can go house to house for items too. but it takes a while hunting items that itll get dark soon and they'll have to fight off the zombies. Unless they find a super safe place to hide, as in Hide and not just barricade themselves in, cuz the zombies are programmed to attack that convienently destructable wall. Anyways, inside they can use this time to combine the items (not yet) to make ammo, armor and the like. (takes shotgun ammo supplies to workbench, presses use) and can pass the time like that. also if all players are in the same bunker (super magnetic sealed and all that) they can then speed up the time/sleep to wait for the day. otherwise they would have to sleep in the day (working on that, currently ragdoll, Hilarious!)
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Zombie Ai - While nothing comes naturally to the zombies they do have some sort of Ai. Have you wondered how the zombies see with those white eyes? well they dont. at least not far. but if one of them sees the player it'll attack, of course. Every once in a while it'll say "BRAINS!" As such, the zombies who are in earshot, will be like "BRAINS?" and they will goto where the other zombie is, actually, they will surround the player from all sides, so theres a hint if you read this.
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As such the players can stay out of sight. And when they player is out of sight, there are other zombies other than drones, called Seekers. They not only can see well, move fast and run away from you, but they also can scream the loudest. (maybe their saying "BRAINS") and the Drones will come over there too.
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Also, there are a few other types of Zombies but ill do one more, kk? The lurker. Well this zombie burrows underground and attacks with a spike attack. The best way to attack them is with an Air unit, but you will need an observer or science vessel. HAHAH JOKE
Ill tell u this much. Day or night; If you are looking in in a house and you find a Lurker... It will be the last thing you see. Theres like 4 of these cowards in the map. Just to make finding that radio frequency # alittle harder.
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Now its late, so I plan to stay up and model some filing cabinates and desks, anything worth searching for items as you barricade yourself inside a house to keep out the zombies.
more to come
