Radiation Mode

[Skates]

I’ve been thinking up a cool little concept that could work if it had a little tweaking but the basic idea is as follows. Zombies aren’t really zombies anymore they are mutants, radiated mutants. So mutated dogs and mutated humans and so on. You seek shelter in the sewers and subways (Kinda’ Metro style) and whenever you do go up onto the surface you need to use a gas mask. It’s just an idea and I’d love to know what you guys think of it.

[theflamewithin12]

i definitly think that would be a cool optional mode for the hardcore players and metro lovers(like myself).but i wouldnt make it standered since someplayers want the open world survival aspect and not your crowded into a metro system with the once and a while 30 min surface trips.

[detahramet]

Cool idea, and it seems like it would be easy enough to code.

[KA101]

At a minimum, I’d want to have subway stations include route maps first. (So, you read it off the station wall–probably needing NV or a flashlight–and it uncovers all the stations in X radius. Tunnels would be nice but might be a separate map.)

As it stands, I’d wonder where the player is supposed to get a gas mask.

(One could kinda simulate it with some of the existing mutations: the whole albino/troglodyte lines seem pretty close.)

[Fniff]

The player could start with one in this mode for convience.

I think I’d like the underground to be more expanded upon for this mode to happen. Also, I think this should be coupled with a permanent (nuclear) winter for extra hard points.

[halberdsturgeon]

Seems like a cool idea, but you’d need to seriously expand the scope of the underground areas in order to make it really fun.

[system]

Make a new mapgen code. Starting you off in the underground with the tunnels and shit. Then have above ground an extra Z level like how the underground is now.

[kevin.granade]

I believe we have the hooks we need to make something like this happen, but as has been noted, we need to populate the subway areas better to make it a viable mode. The good news is that’s something we want to do anyway. Subway maps noted, that’s something we should add, and soon since it’s relatively simple.

[Tripsky]

maybe even make pockets of such areas in the standard game - would be a great way to make a player leave their deathmobile for a while. although i guess they could build a new car down in the subways…

[Rivet]

Yes. Yeeeessssss.

Need limited filter duration and replaceable/craftable filter cartridges for your masks of course.

[system]

That isn’t actually how it works.

Filter lifespan is dependent on what type of filter inserted. The type being discussed today are iodine-helium removers, which degrade rather slowly. One could expect to get a good 2-3 days out of one in a low-radiation level. However in cases like a reactor meltdown the filter will require replacing every 10-20 minutes.

Future filters might have a filter scanner that tells how long is left before the filter becomes hazardous to use.

I would also like to see another item too: The Rebreather.
Specifically, The Oxylite.

It is a high end rebreather that uses potassium superoxide to make up for oxygen deficit from carbon. Basically a very extended gasmask that could last for about 27 days. With hard to find refills that would be big and heavy.

[Rivet]

Realism isn’t my concern; I just think it’d be a fun limiter to apply, and it’s consistent with the Metro games’ (of which I’m a big fan) basic premise that life on the surface isn’t really sustainable, because even the duration of your ‘safe’ air is severely limited - a grim and fatalistic bit of flavor that I think would mesh really well with the entire crapsack world theme of DDA.

On a side note, I think this would also be cool to have as an addition to normal gameplay. Say, a whole city on the world map could be dotted with big bomb shell craters and huge doses of radiation, and Metro-style ‘poison air’ that would require a well maintained gas mask and a good stock of filters in order to pass through ‘safely’. Plus adding some human-based ‘mutants’ to the surface and a bit more life and flavor to the subways/sewers (Underground ‘building’ spawns maybe? As in utility rooms and service areas full of loot and interesting stuff to explore. Also - nosalises or a suitable clone?) would give us more obstacles to overcome as well as places to explore.

[Skyrunner]

But how would the poison air not spread? To quote Nye, we live in ‘one big ecosystem;’ air pollutants especially spread very well.

[Otaku]

My ideas on the sewer system is that it is largely … bland. I say this because it is too simple and predictable. If I were to make a sewer system I would make a giant maze (insert evil laugh). But short of that I suggest such things as utility rooms. 2 varieties, electrical with various electrical devices, (soldering iron, RAM, batteries, etc) and the second variety would be mechanical, with various devices for fixing and repairing the sewers themselves, (such as j-hammers, hammers, crowbars, basically a small hardware store). If someone was willing to go very far with the system I would suggest adding a few corners reseved for hobos, (containing such things as bed, empty bottles, paper wrappers, basically junk items), these would be a great idea for holding off that giant snake horde that you attract with guns.

I am out of ideas, anyone else?

[TheRealTenman]

Solution to resources:

What happens when the surface goes to hell?
People go under ground.

What happens when people go under ground?
They bring what ever survival resources they can with them.

What happens when people bring survival resources underground?
They promptly die in a secluded spot and await @ to find them.

Of course we are talking a tiny amount per person. A can or two of food, a bottle of clean water, maybe a basic weapon, although they did die for a reason…

They could be in a service room with a blood splatter behind them, an empty gun and a casing next to the corpse.
They could be down a dead end on the other side of a bunch of muties.
They could even be in small groups around a burnt out campfire with a Boss creature in the middle.

The risk/reward ratio should always be low however. Either with the time to find a safe stash being massive or with enemies, traps or some other danger.

Unfortunately the entire sewer system would need a rework, purely so it isn’t bland.
Spawn points and events, loot spots and hideouts. Basically something to explore.
Perhaps one could rationalize it with being many years after the cataclysm? Seven days after another Cataclysm even?

I wouldn’t enjoy running down a tube for ever, that is the reason I don’t play Crash Bandicoot anymore

[Skates]

Don’t forget you can go to the surface for limited amounts of time depending on your oxygen or filter levels.

[Mrnocamera]

Could introduce two new traits/mutations, something that means that you can go to the surface without a filter/gasmask and something that means that you could hold your breath for longer (Both the same, only the breath one doesn’t last as long.)

[kevin.granade]

Something this has made me think of is also adding this concept to the main game in a limited way, perhaps a hazardous metrological event you need to hide from underground (or possibly just inside a structure for more minor versions), poisonous or radioactive fog perhaps? Actually just regular fog would be pretty nice for an ambience thing…

Also they needn’t be visible, maybe it’s radioactive out today, maybe not, only your trusty geigher counter can tell you…

This would also introduce the concept and let us work out the kinks, and with a minor tweak to the weather, it blankets the surface more or less all the time (probably the radioactive version)

[Wanderer]

[quote=“TheRealTenman, post:15, topic:1481”]…

Unfortunately the entire sewer system would need a rework, purely so it isn’t bland.
Spawn points and events, loot spots and hideouts. Basically something to explore.
Perhaps one could rationalize it with being many years after the cataclysm? Seven days after another Cataclysm even?

I wouldn’t enjoy running down a tube for ever, that is the reason I don’t play Crash Bandicoot anymore :D[/quote]

There’s a simple rationalization: the sewer system is OLD. Dozens, perhaps a couple hundreds of years since when it started and then kept getting improvements and changes. Conclusion: after all the time, it’s a mess that only the workers on it knew how to navigate properly and keep working.

So you can expect wrecked areas, hobo houses, monsters, areas trapped with water and eletricity, gas leaks and much much more problems waiting you! ^^

A plus to ancient ruins, which is not really something crazy: cities that have been made where ancient ones were have some problems with public works finding ruins.

And only god can guess what a Cataclysm ruin can hold…

[KA101]

[quote=“Kevin Granade, post:18, topic:1481”]Something this has made me think of is also adding this concept to the main game in a limited way, perhaps a hazardous metrological event you need to hide from underground (or possibly just inside a structure for more minor versions), poisonous or radioactive fog perhaps? Actually just regular fog would be pretty nice for an ambience thing…

Also they needn’t be visible, maybe it’s radioactive out today, maybe not, only your trusty geigher counter can tell you…

This would also introduce the concept and let us work out the kinks, and with a minor tweak to the weather, it blankets the surface more or less all the time (probably the radioactive version) :D[/quote]

Uh, we have that hazardous meteorological event already, Kevin: it’s called Acid Rain. Lightning Storm used to qualify until people got tired of it blowing up their bases. I for one get annoyed at Acid Rain and don’t think more of it is necessary.