What is OPDD / Operation Dead Dawn?
OPDD is a zombie based modification for Battlefield 2. Unlike every other Zombie mod, we have found our own ways to make this a very different experience, both in the zombie aspect and in the BF2 modding aspect as well. While we are still in development stages of the mod, we have several conceptual plans. However, we are trying to find what people like and don't like, and are still working toward a difficulty setting that works for every team using situational coding. It is our hope to further advance Battlefield 2 to a new level of modding, and allow for other teams to use our extreme methods to keep BF2 going. We would also like to show other game companies how far allowing modding can can take a game to a completely new and unprecidented level to allow for a game to continue to sell years after players stop wanting to play the original game. As you will later read in this post we plan to cover proven conceptual ideas starting with things never added to a BF2 mod such as a campaign mode, as well as an idea for a cooperative based multiplayer gameplay that pushes more towards multiple varying types of teamwork objectives other than just defending set flag locations.
What's New?
What isn't new? In-fact this needs sub-categories.
- The-Rebuild
As I last posted before we went dark for awhile, everything was scrapped and rebuilt. That was Beta 2, we decided while we didn't have to scrap everything we certainly needed a new perspective, and have dubbed the current build Beta 3 (despite the fact that these are more like Alpha builds).
- The Zombies
Things kicked off with actual zombie models, which even now have already had some retexturing and massive improvements to them over the past few months. In-fact we have even more planned for the regular zombies in the future, to make them more humanistic in a slightly frightening way. We hope to bring back a lot of the secondary zombie types to break up gameplay more and more (Otherwise this would just be mindless killing and could make you into a zombie yourself. *Not our intention). Currently added includes; The Gore, with it's own new model and new visual re-design. For those of you who may not remember Gore, he basically has a short range cone attack, by spewing "Gore" at your face which is incredibly deadly. He generally keeps out of sight and acts as a defense type, keeping the player away from their objectives, and loves to ambush you on corners. Bat Zombie will also be making a return with a visual re-design as well as a few new mechanics. He will start out by flying high above you, however when your not paying attention he loves to swoop down and attack you. The current plan is to have him land and convert to a ground attack zombie to move in quick and hit you from behind in directions you may have thought inaccessable from a typical zombie. I have also personally found that he loves to fly circles around me and keep my attention elsewhere while everything else sneaks up on me and eats me. Later additions plan to include the dog zombie again (this time to actually look zombieish), as well as a faster moving zombie, which is still being planned.
The current standard zombie type Bats as well as a gore off to the side
- Maps
Currently we are only running 2 maps, BF2's Sharqi as well as one of our own design. We don't intend to stick with only 2 maps in the future. These 2 maps are just to get the multiplayer concept built and fully functioning. Which will be fully explained later in the post. Each map will offer multiple times of day which will also be explained, with the new python system.
- Weapons
Our current additional weapons are the M1911, a more realistic AKS-74u, and the VSS-Vintorez, we do have others planned, but we want to get gameplay finished before further focussing on weapon design. I will mention that we decided to change all bullet drop to be more realistic, despite the fact that you hardly notice this while shooting at zombies in your face. Still, the M1911 shooting uphill will have a noticable drop with its .45 cal bullets. As far as damage done, that is still being tweaked, but to stay true to the proper zombie knowledge, headshots make all the difference, and are in most cases 1-shot kills even on pistols, depending on what your up against.
VSS Vintorez AKS-74u
- Python Programming
All python programming can be credited to Uber up to an extensive scale. This includes the time of day shift I mentioned for maps. It is currently set as a command, but the server will change the time of day every now and then, as well as when the game starts, to change up the gameplay a bit. The current settings are Sunny, Dawn, Night, and Foggy. Multiplayer will be hugely relying on our python, for several things including; objectives, as well as possibly (has not been tested) a weapon unlocks system, which will allow for the weapon to be greyed out until the player is allowed to use it. That sounds simple enough, but to my knowledge no other mod has done that visually through the HUD. Other mods allow you to select it, but not let you spawn with the selected kit. Instead it gives you a text message saying the requirements for the kit. We can now fully control the HUD using python commands, which suprisingly gives us a lot of flexibility over server events or just client-side changes. Other than that we still have all the old airstrike and helicopter AI systems that were in the old version, but with a few improvements. We are planning to implement these both into single and mulitplayer. I'll mention more of the singleplayer/campaign features later in this post.
Foggy map Python setting Night map Python Setting
- Multiplayer Concept
The current concept for multiplayer is that you would have a persistant map (possibly time limited however, this isn't fully decided) which starts the players in a safe zone. Players will have to form up and push their way out of the safe zone to complete objectives such as taking out bridges, starting power stations, acquiring vehicles, getting medical supplies, or killing a specified number of zombies. We are still adding to the list of objective ideas. There has also been the idea of having an experience/leveling system, but first we want to get as many objectives as we can, before moving on to rewards for completing these objectives. Each area of the map will require a different amount of difficulty to fight through. This will be controlled using zombie numbers and types, possibly even health multipliers to make them tougher. There is much more to go over in what we would like to do with the multiplay gamemode, but I'd like to hear some community feedback on the basic concept first. Which is why I want to get a playable version of the multiplayer mode out as soon as possible, and why singleplayer/campaign will not be included with the next beta while we work multiplayer out first. Players will be able to choose the character they want to play as, where each character will have their own specific voice acting. I'll be creating posts on our ModDB forums page to open up some discussion on what people thing of this multiplayer concept.
The new female character for multplayer mode
-Singleplayer/Campaign
While this is currently on hold, this will be our most ambitious work, and without a doubt will take the longest to complete. We have already proven how much of this is possible, and yet we have still realized more is possible with the hud now being controlled by python. We could actually have campaign be completely cooperative now with that new python system. The main setbacks of building a campaign is the time it takes mixed with our lack of developers. I will be putting up job postings, and have already had a few people excited to help out where possible. For cutscenes we mainly need animators, as well as proper voice actors (Possibly solved, but I'll still take people interested in applying). I personally wrote a campaign story awhile back during beta 2, and now I'm starting completely over again, with the particial exception for the direction I wanted on the starting mission. I've never written a book or any particual notible fiction story before, but I have a good mind set on how I want the player to react to each twist and turn of the story I have planned so far. I hope to talk with a few writers and I'll probably toss the script over to a few english majors and critics at my school before I set anything in stone. I will say that the plot that I have come up with thus far, is a game I would love to play, and I can just hope that everyone else will like it just as much. At the very least, I hope that our campaign will inspire others to try something similiar of their own. In which case I'd love to help out where possible, once our work on OPDD is complete.
Shaders
Once again, Uber has outdone himself on his latest shader build. With some of his best looking water yet, and now best looking ground (bumpmapping on ground textures!) I've been killed many times while rubbing my face on the realistic looking brick work on sharqi oooing and ahhing. Other than that, everything overall seems better than ever. It's like art, except made on my computer screen as I play and try to dodge certain death in the form of zombies! :)
Conclusion
I can't speak for Uber, yet I believe he feels the same way (At least I hope so XD), but I absolutely hate seeing this mod incomplete. Not with all the ideas that keep coming to mind when I start playing it. The mod brings me an adrenaline rush, trying to get that perfect headshot with every shot I make to conserve ammo and take them down as fast as possible, then when hearing that distinct click of an empty mag, swinging out my knife and desperately trying to get those last few kills before making a run for Uber's direction and yelling a heads up to him. Heck, that just lead me into a raving run-on sentence. My point is, the thrills and fun is always there, and yet I know it could still be so much better and fun for everyone else. I wish I could have a video as well as some screenshots (Some now provided by Uber at the last minute) to show and explain more of what we have done and plan to do. I'll probably be releasing more over the next few days (meaning this week), as I'm currently out of town visting family. If I don't feel free to send me nasty e-mails or PMs (I recieve both no matter where I am now due to the advance of technology), but please give me time to at least drive back tomorrow (it's a bit of a drive). I will keep you guys posted possibly on a bi-weekly basis from now on, on our continued progress on this mod. Also, please feel free to visit out ModDB forums and post your thoughts and feedback. At the top of out ModDB page, under our Mod logo there is a forum tab. I check it regularly, both at home and on the go. Thank you all for your continued support.
Contact Info
CrazyIvan1745
(fastest way to contact me is through e-mail or ModDB PM)
Email: CrazyIvan1745@hotmail.com
XFire: crazyivan1745
skype: crazyivan1745
(See a pattern in name XD)
Credits
CrazySoldierProductions
-Lead Dev...............CrazyIvan1745
-Lead Dev...............UberWazuSoldier
-Music Director.......Airfell
-Flash Menu Help.....Okami
-VO Casting Dir........Kenny Placido
-Current Alpha Testers-
........................ClarelAkaKurt
........................DutchNinja
........................Psi
........................SurferDude
-Contributors-
..................JONES
..................Rhysm
those flying bat zombies gave me a nightmare last night....seriously. it became a good dream though when i suddenly blew there heads off with a shotgun.