When it comes to defense games and game modes, I'm pretty sure none are as elaborate as they should be. In my young mind, game developers could be doing so much more to defense style game play. In this blog, I'm going to cover my personal ideas for defense game modes, and how even entire games can be sprung up from them.
So let us start with this, think back a few years to Call of duty: World at War. The fifth installment of the CoD series that had Treyarch introduce an all new "Nazi Zombie's" game mode. In this game mode, as I'm sure you are all aware, you take refuge in a house while the undead break through windows in attempt to kill you. You can barricade the windows and receive multiple weapons in order to defend yourself, and even in newer content, activate traps for the zombies, but where's the intense survival and extra fortifications that the player could do?
Now, I'm not bashing the game mode, I'm just wondering why no one has done what I'm talking about here. Why not make a whole new defense game for the players? Change it up and give it a spark of realism. Allow me to elaborate.
Idea #1 - Zombie Defense Like Never Before
Main Idea: Create a zombie defense game experience that allows the players to become creative, innovative, skilled and unique in the ways of endless waves of undead gore. Using customization features, building/fortifying features and different mechanic systems to allow freedom and choice in zombie survival.
Game-play: The game will be played as a co-operative class-based first person shooter. This means players will have to RELY on each other in order to actually survive, instead of running around with powerful weapons and little strategy options. The goal of the class system is to ensure that each player can have their own role that they are good at and the other players appreciate them and acknowledge them for. The classes should be something like the following list:
- Assault - The assault player will be the one dishing out the most damage and kills in a game. They are a little stronger in terms of killing power, but have no truly unique values.
- Builder - The builder will be setting up turrets and creating things for the team. Fixing barricades or building towers, sniper posts and other defenses, this player will need to listen to what the team needs built in order to strengthen their security against the horde.
- Specialist - The specialist players will be two different kinds:
- Sniper - The sniper specialist will be the only one capable of using sniper rifles and sniper posts, and his main objective will be picking off dangerous or lonely zombies before they get to the base.
- Explosives - The explosives specialist should be focusing on more difficult enemies, for he will be dealing heavy damage, but very slowly.
- Intel - The intel player will have the job of placing strategic marks, posting objectives on the HUD (Heads-up display) for individual players to see, and will be the general organizer and strategist of the team. He will also have access to a computer station (build-able by the builder) which he can position at and control all information and strategies. An important player in means of leading the team.
I know this is a very specific list of classes, but like I said this is my idea for a game and if i don't make it first, someone will, and it might as well be done the way me and people with innovative ideas, can enjoy.
I am getting ready to work on the second part of this blog so if you enjoyed it i'm very glad and hope you read the next installment.
Jamie Moynihan
