You might just wanna skip the wall of text if you just want to get to the point of this thread, it outlines my thought process though.
So I was playing the fairly recent, fairly old stable Kaufman build and I decided to go check out this manor in the forest. I am still a noobie even though I’ve been playing for about a year now. Checking room to room, smashing zombies in the head with a fire axe and my NPC buddy let’s just call him Tom for now, he was punching them square in their probably mostly decayed nose. I had found a lighter and decided it would be fun to set this little plant on fire and purify some water I had. After that I checked room to room again, as I was before, finding various alcohols and cans of soft drinks. The announcements just kept say “You hear a crash from the North-West!” I assumed those were the zombies.
Nope.
I exited the room I was raiding and found that part of the building collapsed from the tiny little bush fire I lit. The small houseplant fire turned into a raging inferno of smoke and flame, the rubble burned underfoot as hot embers shot out from the heat. I stuffed whatever cheesey puffs were near me into my bag and followed my natural instinct to run away from the collapsing building. The fire and the rubble were chasing me as I ran the opposite direction, Tom was engulfed in the chaos and by the grace of the gods the direction I was running in wasn’t a dead end. There was a window at the end of the hallway, and I dove through that thing like Bruce Willis in every movie he’s been in. As I exited I watched as the mouth I left through was destroyed shortly after. The only casualties was that my sneakers were a little scuffed and Tom. Nothing major, as long as the chessey puffs are safe; but that got me thinking.
How Z-Levels would affected that?
I imagine myself being on, let says the 10th floor of an office building, what if I lit the bush fire there? I would have to dive out of the 10th floor window to escape that inferno and may or may not splatter my precious vital organs across the pavement. BUT THEN that lead me to think about how I may be able to throw a zombie, or like a giant ant or something through the 10th floor window. And that lead to another, and another and so on.
So I was wondering about if Z-Levels were properly implemented, how much of the game would that change? Would I have even been able to escape that manor fire, or would I have been crushed by the building by it tipping over and smashing me anyway?
And I ask this; what are some of the cool features that implementing Z-Levels would add? Maybe like you could make a building and fill a pot of boiling oil at the top or something and tip it onto any invaders that may be attacking you like The Medieval Era. I dunno I’m just curious to see what people think about.
I imagine you’d be able to throw a rope out the window and scaffold your way down. Or break lower levels and try your luck. I think Z-levels would just give you more options.
Climbing buildings. Multi-level bases. Climbing on top of a car, fending off the zombie horde. Climbing a tree. Height would probs affect the area you’re mapping on your map. Multi-level monsters.
i can also imagine starting your game, going outside and getting sniped… but yeah, that would be awesome to see NPCs Doing something constructive, instead of the usual Active mini-Nuke stuff.
If I had to boil it down to one thing gameplay wise, it would be that it gives you one more huge advantage over zombies.
I’d generally expect us to not allow most zombies* to climb ladders or ropes, which means that you may well be able to establish a safe haven amongst the horde like in a good zombie movie by simply acquiring a route to the rooftops. This comes with it’s own dangers though, because this might encourage you to end up surrounded.
Of course zombie hulks may well tear down a good number of buildings, but I expect that to be balanced somewhat by not letting them smash truly super strong structures, like concrete/steel building frameworks.
*We’ll probably add some specific climbing zombies, but they’d likely be relatively weak, at least not up to par with brutes and hulks.
Or jump! I can completely imagine a zombie that likes to lurk on rooftops and leap down on unsuspecting survivors below (possibly with some rudimentary wings to help it guide/slow it’s fall).
“The Z slams into you from above and knocks you down!”
The other awesome thing that is just waiting on z-levels is boats, since they need to be able to go under bridges before they’re going in the game.
[quote=“i2amroy, post:10, topic:6920”]Or jump! I can completely imagine a zombie that likes to lurk on rooftops and leap down on unsuspecting survivors below (possibly with some rudimentary wings to help it guide/slow it’s fall).
“The Z slams into you from above and knocks you down!”
The other awesome thing that is just waiting on z-levels is boats, since they need to be able to go under bridges before they’re going in the game.[/quote]
Why stick to the surface? A proper z-level implementation would include rivers being 2-3 levels deep, allowing for underwater terrain, specials, etc and giving Fish/Cephalopod mutants a place of their own.
[quote=“KA101, post:11, topic:6920”][quote=“i2amroy, post:10, topic:6920”]Or jump! I can completely imagine a zombie that likes to lurk on rooftops and leap down on unsuspecting survivors below (possibly with some rudimentary wings to help it guide/slow it’s fall).
“The Z slams into you from above and knocks you down!”
The other awesome thing that is just waiting on z-levels is boats, since they need to be able to go under bridges before they’re going in the game.[/quote]
Why stick to the surface? A proper z-level implementation would include rivers being 2-3 levels deep, allowing for underwater terrain, specials, etc and giving Fish/Cephalopod mutants a place of their own.[/quote]
Anthropomorphic Fishmen ripping apart the hull of your ship? Sounds frustratingly fun. I can see people dying from that, then starting a new character and picking apart the sunken wreckage for scrap with the aid of diving equipment or mutations. I wonder if a Superboat would be possible to counter act aquatic enemies so they don’t punch through the hull.
I wonder how possible zip-lining between buildings would be. If it was feasible one could make a sort of jungle gym in the city just gliding all over the place without touching the ground. Or you know, smash straight into a window and endure heavy lacerations.
I had this awesome dream where I built a rooftop kingdom (I was the King) during a zombie apocalypse.
I would crank up city size to the max, start destroying the stairs and start building bridges across rooftops to create a safe haven. Using grappling hooks and winches I would lower myself down buildings to loot the apartments and shops below.
I will be the King of The Rooftops and anyone who objects will be shot!
Going from building to building using makeshift bridges could be cool. maybe youd have to build supports or anchor ropes or something, but sticking a board across short gaps would be cool. zombies follow you out onto the roofs, and you kicking the boards down as you parkour away from them.
