Better Parkour/climbing levels, cities and towns

For the first idea, in a roguelike like Dwarf Fortress, you can change your level at a certain angle, when you’re on stairs, or a hatch, or something else. Would it be hard to do that, but while next to a building? In an attempt to escape the zombies below, who take a much longer time climbing up after you. One more suggestion with the Parkour skill, would it be possible to make it so you hold a certain key, and then a movement key to perform a three tile jump, or something similar? To jump from tall objects to another, but only when you are in the clear, with no zombies around you.

My last idea, what about skyscrapers? And cities? With a LOAD of zombies around them, instead of this country side town business? That’s all I got.

They’re working on implementing Z-levels as we speak, and I guess that with it will come multistory buildings as well as things like skyscapers as you suggest.

Oh hell yeah. Multi-Z apartment block outpost.
just let us barricade/destroy/build stairs and disallow teleporting mobs, make them climb the stairs and we’re set.

Also as for parkour, it would make sense to boost up onto a wall> onto the roof. think that could be a tad overpowered though.
Could add stuff like rockclimbing gear to sports goods shops, rock climbing axes, pitons and the like-- those sharp ice-cleat things you add to your boots could be a nice weapon for an unarmed style. also ropes might have a use.

If you think parkour seems overpowered, it’s only because parkour is totally overpowered. I have a friend that likes to scramble up the sides of buildings, and it is a remarkable pain in the ass to keep up with him. I guess I know how the zombies feel.

But yeah, for balance in game, it might make sense to add a chance of failure. Maybe have a general “athletics” skill that affects running, climbing, etc. Parkour can still be a trait that does what it does, and also gives a boost to athletics. At higher levels, players can just do parkour stuff using the movement mechanics for sprinting, jumping and climbing without having to train in a specific style or skill.

Just don’t try to jump that gap between buildings before you’re ready, or on a rainy day when it’s slick. Or if you’re hurt. Or if you’re stressed.

Or if you’re not spiderman.

We can have it so that parkour expert just lets you negate most chances of falling but a high parkour skill lets you go faster. Falling might not be the best idea in the zombie lands. so you can train it but if you have the perk it will help more. a bit like deft for combat, only for falling/things like trees, counters, etc.

AI think dextarity could help here.

With the inclusion of z levels, it seems like there are good reasons for replacing the parkour trait with a more general athletics/mobility skill. The parkour trait is overpowered, because it reflects the usefulness of parkour without the always present chance of meeting a fence post groin first. A parkour type skill could impact movement time over difficult terrain, chance of stumbling over the same, fall damage, chance of climbing vertical surface, horizontal jump distance.

Z levels add a lot in general, and a lot of new considerations. Does going up stairs take extra time? Can zombies climb, pile, or scramble if given hours or days?

I like the pile bit. reminds me of books where people go on top of their dead foes.