Zombies Zombies Zombies

[Arthur_Parker]

One of the DDO threads turned into talk about Zombie's, just found this.

Eurogamer

New Zombie MMO on the way

Thinking Man Studios has revealed that it's currently developing a new survival horror MMORPG that will let you play as either a human or a flesh-eating zombie.

Titled Exanimus (that's Latin for 'without life', fact fans), it's set in a post-apocalyptic world where a few pockets of survivors are struggling to stay alive as armies of the living dead roam the Earth. You should "expect to see half rotten corpses walking around and tearing apart the bodies of the living for food," apparently.

You can join either side, playing on your own or in a team or guild. There will be a PvP mode, and you'll have to pay a monthly subscription fee - but according to the game's website, it will be "competitively priced to other MMOs currently on the market."


At the moment the game is only in development for PC, but as for Mac, Xbox 360 or PS3 versions - "You never know," says TMS. "With technology always changing, we are always interested in finding new outlets for people to play."

As yet there's no word of a release date, and we've yet to see any screenshots - but we'll keep you posted.

Official site

[Dren]

Hmm, I vaguely remember some free to play MMOG that has zombie action.  Something along the lines that you start as human and when you die you play as a zombie from there on out.  I think you can be turned back, but not sure.

I'll have to research due to the cobwebs being thick this morning.

Found it!

http://www.urbandead.com/

[Strazos]

That seems to work the same as a vampire game that was going around a few years back.

[Samwise]

Hrah harh! Harman zaz, 'aaah mah gaz, ZAHMBAHZ!! Ran, RAN!' Zahmbahz brang gangbang, hraaah!

[Sunbury]

I'd rather they make the setting a 'zombies just started happening' world, like Night of the Living Dead and its sequels.

I've seen enough post-apoc dreary landscapes.    That's why I liked the Duke Nukem FPS, as it was set in a more 'normal' world, instead of dungeons, or ruins or spaceships.   Or think of "The Omega Man" where a bio warfare virus wiped out the population except those immune, and turned some into zombies, but the world is basically intact but degrading.

You could have starting towns where the zombie invastion hasn't started and could be fought off, while other towns may get overrun.  Actually a giant game of zombie vs live RTS.   If the world goes too once side or the other, the GMs could have another 'zombie re-infection', or 'zombies all die out in town x' events.

[Samwise]

I wish a developer would have the balls to do a MMOG with perma(un)death and a server wipe.  Start the game with a few zombies and a bunch of survivors.  When a zombie gets a survivor, that survivor is now a zombie permanently.  When a significant enough fraction of the populace is a zombie, game over, server wipes, play again.

Basically make Zombie Panic! but with a more interactive world and rounds that last months instead of minutes.

[HaemishM]

That could be a fun game, Sam. But then only the HARDCORE UBAH would be human, which would be a good enough reason to want to wipe out the human race.

[Soln]

Is there PvP?

Imagine -- eating one's enemy.  Da H0rr0z

[Dren]

Is there PvP?

Imagine -- eating one's enemy.  Da H0rr0z

You know the undead in WoW can do that right?

[Soln]

Is there PvP?

Imagine -- eating one's enemy.  Da H0rr0z

You know the undead in WoW can do that right?

yeah, but I thought it's not a core component of your template (just temp buff)

[Arthur_Parker]

FAQ

Overview   
    
    What is Exanimus?   
     - Exanimus is a new type of MMO in development that is set in the Zombie Horror Genre.    
    
    Why a Horror Genre?   
    - With all the different MMO's on the market, 90% of them fit into either a Fantasy or Sci-Fi genre. While there are a few that are different, we feel that it's time for something new and completely fresh. Exanimus is the first step into a new market that we hope to jumpstart with this title. Besides, everyone loves Zombies!    
        
    What does Exanimus mean?   
     - In Latin, it means "Without Life"   
        
    What is a MMO?   
     - A massively multiplayer online game (MMOG or MMO) is a type of computer game that enables hundreds or thousands of players to simultaneously interact in a game world that they are connected to via the Internet. Typically the kind of game is played in an online, multiplayer-only persistent world. (Source: Wikipedia)   
        
    Where can we find more information about Exanimus and some screenshots?   
    - The best place will be at our website at http://www.exanimusthegame.com. As we progress thru production, we will be posting new releases, dev logs, concept artwork, screenshots, and more.   
        
    When you say Mature Audiences only, what do you mean? Is this something my kids can play?   
    - Exanimus is designed to be a very intense and graphic game. There will be very disturbing imagery and content that is NOT intended for anyone under the age of 18. This is DEFINITELY NOT FOR YOUR CHILDREN!   
        
    Who is making this game?   
    Exanimus is being created by the Rotten Corpse team from TMSGames.   
        
    Who is your publisher?   
    - As of this moment, we are self publishing through TMSGames. We have been negotiating with several different publishers that have shown interest in our title, and if we find a publisher that we feel fits inside our plans with Exanimus, we will announce them as the official publisher.   
        
    What is the current state of development?   
    - Exanimus is currently in Pre-Production.   
        
    Will this be available in stores or will it be downloadable?   
    - While we hope someday to see it on store shelves, we are still too far away to say for sure. We are investigating direct download options and seeing where that leads.   
        
    Will there be a monthly fee?   
    - Yes, but the fee will be competitively priced to other MMO's currently on the market.   
        
    What platform will the game be available on?   
    - We are developing Exanimus for the PC.   
        
    Will there be a version released for my Mac / X-Box 360 / Playstation?   
    - You never know. With technology always changing, we are always interested in finding new outlets for people to play.   
        
    What kind of internet connection will I need to play?   
    - We recommend a broadband connection.    
        
    What are the requirements for Exanimus to run on my PC?   
    - We are still too far away to answer for sure, but the average PC should be able to run the game with no problems.   
        
    When will the Beta be available, and can I be a Beta Tester?   
    - A Beta has not yet been set, but when we do have one, we will post it on the Exanimus site. We are looking to allow as many people as we can into the Beta to ensure that the game will be ready for distribution, and as bug free as possible.   
        
Gameplay   
        
    Does Exanimus follow any kind of story?   
    - Yes, there is a storyline created for players that they will be able to immerse themselves in.   
        
    What kind of gameplay can I expect?   
    - Exanimus is a very dark and graphic game. Players will experience a very apocalyptic world, where everything is as bad as it can get, and then some more. Players should expect to see half rotten corpses walking around and tearing apart the bodies of the living for food.   
        
    Can I play as a Zombie?   
    - Yes, players will have the ability to become part of the walking dead and experiencing the game from a zombie's perspective. Nothing shows your friends that you care more than a big bite on the cheek.   
        
    Is there PvP?   
    - Yes. Exact PvP details will be released at a later date.   
        
    Is this a solo game or team play game?   
    - Both. We recognize that people like to play with others and sometimes by themselves. We have designed a format that will allow both types of players to enjoy their game experience.   
        
    Is there a level cap?   
    - No comment at this time.   
        
    Is there a crafting system in Exanimus?   
    - Yes   
        
Community   
        
    Will there be Guilds in the Game?   
    - Yes, there will be guilds available that players can form on both sides, Human and Zombie.    
        
    How do you plan to integrate the community into the games development?   
    - We hope to do something that has not be done yet. We are going to give everyone a backstage pass during the development of the game. When production starts, we will be picking elements from the production team to post on. Players will then be able to view the artist progression day by day. So for instance, you will be able to log in and see the progression of a Zombie character from concept all the way to game engine integration. We also have several other plans that will allow players to get directly involved inside the game even before Beta. So we highly recommend everyone keep checking in on the site during production.   
        
    Is there an official forum for Exanimus?   
    - Not yet. When we launch the full website, there will be a forums section for players to talk directly with other players and developers about the game.   
        
    Is there a mailing list available to subscribe to for future updates and game releases?   
    - No, we will be providing a newsletter for players to subscribe to for news updates. That will be available when the full website goes live.   
        
    Do you have any banners or graphics that I can use to link on my website?   
    - Not yet, we do have some being created right now and they will be available when the website is ready to launch.    
        
Misc   
        
    Is this for real?   
    - Yes, this is very real. We wouldn't go thru all this work if it wasn't.   
        
    Why Zombies? Why not.....   
    - Why not Zombies? Are you anti-Zombie?   
        
    Can I be a Zombie in real life?   
    - Only if you have ever worked an office job, then yes.

The levels comment put me right off.  It's an interesting idea, making an adult mmorpg not based on sex.  Never heard of http://games.thinkingmanstudios.com/ before.

[schild]

Never gonna happen. Web page too unprofessional and we're enterting the vaporzone with how long it is before release. Just write it off.

Edit: The game premise could happen. But not by these guys. And not any time soon.

[El Gallo]

mmmm braaaaaiiiiiiiiiiinnnns

[shiznitz]

Letting players be monsters really should be the next evolution in the genre.

[Hoax]

Your going to hit some serious faction population balance issues.

The next thing is for players to somehow progress down a path of evil and become something akin to what you were in the Dungeon Keeper series.  Allow them to control/place npc mobs.  But make it so the good guys fight the bad guys while the bad guys fight both the bad guys and the good guys (some kind of sphere of influence restrictions on how many big time evil doers can operate in a particular part of the gameworld.

Toss in some skill, good loot system and a pinch of shiney and you have yourself a winner.

[Samwise]

That could be a fun game, Sam. But then only the HARDCORE UBAH would be human, which would be a good enough reason to want to wipe out the human race.

See?  Genius!

[Llava]

I don't know... how does one immerse oneself in a zombie's storyline?

If they're classic zombies, what story is there?  "HUNGRY....................... STILL HUNGRY"

If we're getting into intelligent zombie realm, it's not really a zombie game.

Honestly.  I wouldn't want to see "lvl 22 zomb plaguespreader LFG!!" anytime soon.  Find a better way.

[Surlyboi]

Who died and made you fucking king of the zombies?

[Samwise]

Try Urban Dead or Zombie Panic out to get an idea of how zombies work in a multiplayer game.  It's actually pretty damn awesome IMO.  There's not a lot of depth of story, but stories in MMOs suck anyway, so who cares?

Basically, if you're a survivor, you try not to get eaten; if you are successful, you get to remain a survivor for another day.  If you're a zombie, you try to eat survivors.  Survivors are generally more powerful than zombies, but every survivor that falls bolsters the ranks of the zombies until the zombie population reaches critical mass and survival is nigh impossible.

This is what we call "fun".   :-D  In a MMOG type game I expect you'd motivate people by offering rewards/recognition to people that survive for the longest, or get the most survivor kills as a zombie, or what have you.

[Margalis]

I thought Urban Dead was dreadfully boring.

[Samwise]

It's not for everyone.  I personally think UD's only real shortcoming is the lack of actual death for survivors; people get torn limb from limb by zombies and in a few hours one of their friends jabs them with a revivification needle and they're back on their feet.  If people actually stayed zombies forever after they got offed, I think it'd be more satisfying from both sides - surviving would actually be an accomplishment to be proud of, and with every brain you ate you'd know that you were permanently altering the balance of the game toward your side.  And it'd be interesting to watch the dynamics of it. 

I've been half tempted on multiple occasions to write a knockoff version with permadeath just so I could see it.  The only problem is that 99% of people are pansies who wouldn't appreciate it and would quit in disgust as soon as they "died".

[Trippy]

Never gonna happen. Web page too unprofessional and we're enterting the vaporzone with how long it is before release. Just write it off.

Edit: The game premise could happen. But not by these guys. And not any time soon.

The page isn't so much "unprofessional" as totally missing the feel of the game they are trying to capture. The "blood" looks like some kid spilled his watercolor paint on a piece of paper and it needs to have a black background. This is supposedly a visual arts company but if this is the best they can do visually they are already in a deep deep hole. One faint glimmer of hope is the mention of a broadband connection being recommended. Given the fluffiness rest of the FAQ they could just be making shit up but it might mean the game is actually a shooter rather than a turn-based CRPG.

[schild]

Zombie-paults indeed.

[Llava]

Who died and made you fucking king of the zombies?

These guys?

[Furiously]

They're just looking for a home.

[sinij]

Zombie mmog is already out - its called WoW. Oh you are talking about NPCs...

[Llava]

Zombie mmog is already out - its called WoW. Oh you are talking about NPCs...

But we're not talking about NPCs.  Players can, apparently, be zombies.

And that's a good example- do people playing the Undead in WoW really feel like zombies?  Or do you just feel like a normal guy with a slouch and some exposed bones? (Exposed bones, hilarious.)

[Strazos]

Technically the undead race in WoW are "Forsaken" - difference being that they are still sentient and have souls.

[Llava]

Technically the undead race in WoW are "Forsaken" - difference being that they are still sentient and have souls.

Right.  How do you differentiate that from zombies in a MMG environment?

Lobotomize players as soon as they select the faction?

While that would work damn well with some other games, I don't think this company has the budget for something like that.

[schild]

Who cares about technicalities. WoW isn't a fucking horror zombie game. It's a Warhammer ripoff with more fantasy trappings thrown on. The discussion never should've even gotten to the fact there is an "undead" race in the game. Right now I'm holding out for Capcom to announce an online Survival Horror game. Simply because I don't think anyone else CAN do it. They may have the balls to do it, but they won't be able to correctly. Capcom....MIGHT be able to.

[Llava]

Who cares about technicalities. WoW isn't a fucking horror zombie game. It's a Warhammer ripoff with more fantasy trappings thrown on.

That's what I mean, though.  WoW gets away with it because it's not survival horror.

But this hypothetical game is supposed to be survival horror, and supposed to be very story driven.

What I'm asking is how you pull that off.  How do you let players be zombies and have fun, but not leave them as essentially "slouching, ugly humans" with no sense of the atmosphere intending to be conveyed in a survival horror.

What makes these survival horror zombies in a MMG environment any different from WoW's Forsaken?  Is there even a way to do it?

[schild]

I gotta say, I'd prefer players not be zombies. I'd prefer a limited persistant world out of the box. Maybe 15-20 people max per shard. With multiple locales around the world. RE4 style gameplay with each person starting at a different location where the goal is to meet up somewhere in the middle and escape. Basically RE:Outbreak campaigns with better gameplay, more players and some sort of persistancy.

There's nothing interesting to me about players playing zombies. Ever.

[Samwise]

What I'm asking is how you pull that off.  How do you let players be zombies and have fun, but not leave them as essentially "slouching, ugly humans" with no sense of the atmosphere intending to be conveyed in a survival horror.

What makes these survival horror zombies in a MMG environment any different from WoW's Forsaken?  Is there even a way to do it?

Give them different abilities.  It's not rocket science.  Again, see Urban Dead and Zombie Panic for examples.

Or, for a more general and well-known example, compare orcs and humans in Warcraft 1 or 2.  They don't feel very different, apart from orcs being green and humans being pink, right?  Now compare terrans and zerg in Starcraft.  Hey look, now there's a difference, because they gave the two sides different abilities, strengths, and weaknesses.

Make zombies like the zerg.  Individually weaker and slower, but utterly relentless.

I'm not sure if it would necessarily work in a MMO type setting, but being a zombie in Zombie Panic is fun.  Hiding in a dark corner and jumping out at a fleshy human as he runs past your hiding spot, tearing him to shreds and having him join your team a second later... delicious.

[Llava]

I agree with Schild.  I've thought of a zombie MMG numerous times, and every time it just makes a much better game to not let players be zombies.  It works for some games, sure, but not really for a MMG.

I'd love a world-based zombie game, where players have to try to combat the ever-growing horde.  Maybe try to figure out why it happened.  Manage resources... of course, it  would  have to be open PvP to recreate the sense of "Can we trust these guys in our cabin?"

Equally tough to pull off, though.

[Miscreant]

Never gonna happen. Web page too unprofessional and we're enterting the vaporzone with how long it is before release. Just write it off.

Edit: The game premise could happen. But not by these guys. And not any time soon.

You're just saying that because they spell through "thru".