Zombie Infection Game Mode [Updated]

[razac920]

Hey everyone! Here is a new game mode I've been working on lately, making use of TwinkeyRunaway's "Death Trooper". Based on various zombie gametypes (in particular a modded online server of Halo 1), this mod essentially consists of a map filled with Stormtroopers (just one team), plus a single infected "Zombie" Stormtrooper. The Stormtroopers have to try to stay alive and uninfected for as long as possible, while the zombies have to infect everyone. When a zombie kills a Stormtrooper, the dead Stormtrooper's body becomes yet another zombie. The game ends either when everyone has been infected, or the timer runs out. I'm hoping this can be multiplayer compatible, but I haven't tested it yet.

Here are some screenshots and a gameplay video:

Hidden/Spoiler:

Comments, concerns, suggestions, questions, and volunteers for beta testing (especially MP) are very welcome!

[Noobasaurus]

I can beta test.

Are the zombies using the wampa combo and animations? If so, the game may be unbalanced when humans play as the zombies because you can perform the dash attack and the jump attack on the stormtroopers, both of which are very devastating.

Either way, the mod looks very nice so far. Is it currently an era mod only on Tantive IV, or is it a separate map?

And you've just inspired me to go look at my Gamorrean Attack mod one last time to try and get the sides out and put them into an era mod. Darn you. BRB

[razac920]

Okay, great, I'll PM a link to you.

Yes, the zombies have the wampa animations -- though I have prevented them from dashing and jumping, so those combo attacks aren't actually possible. I also slowed down the zombies quite a bit and boosted the AI of the Stormtroopers, making them very accurate. Still, though, everytime I've played, the zombies infect everyone eventually (usually in about 3 min) -- to me, that's part of the fun, trying to survive as the last man standing, until you run out of ammo

It's technically a "mode" mod, since it adds a new gamemode with the 1.3 patch, and yeah at the moment it's limited to just Tantive IV.

[ARCTroopaNate]

I would suggest changing up the stormtroopers for each class a little, not only for aesthetics but also for gameplay, I like being able to easily tell the class of the enemy I'm about to face, helps you plan your attack more effectively.

[TWINKEYRUNAWAY]

I could beta test as well, heck if you need more skins I can assist in that department. Making a gross mess is my specialty, though your free to decline that. It's pretty cool to see that skin in game, the pose looks pretty beast as well.

[yuke5]

Maybe there could be more than one class for the zombie side. It might mix things up a little when you're stuck as a zombie. Nothing too crazy, maybe just slight differences, like a slow tankish class and a weak sprinter class. Besides that, it seems like you're doing great!

[Dreadnot9]

Maybe there could be more than one class for the zombie side. It might spice things up a little when you're stuck as a zombie.

This x10
Look at a game like L4D2, adding variants to zombies would really add a layer of "fun" and encourage players to use the zombie side more often.

[Locutus]

That looks cool!
I could do some multiplayer tests if needed.

[willinator]

Yes, you could even potentially add a boomer type class that shot projectiles at other players.

[Noobasaurus]

And hey - to add on to the subject of the topic of a new zombie class, I've got an axe throwing weapon that could literally be changed into any type of weapon(just change the model ). It even sticks to people and the ground and has a first person view.

[razac920]

Hidden/Spoiler:

[quote="ARCTroopaNate"]I would suggest changing up the stormtroopers for each class a little, not only for aesthetics but also for gameplay, I like being able to easily tell the class of the enemy I'm about to face, helps you plan your attack more effectively.[/quote]

I could change up the appearances, but to what? I don't have other zombie skins, and say, the default Engineer to Zombie transition would just look awkward...

Hidden/Spoiler:

[quote="TWINKEYRUNAWAY"]I could beta test as well, heck if you need more skins I can assist in that department. Making a gross mess is my specialty, though your free to decline that. It's pretty cool to see that skin in game, the pose looks pretty beast as well.[/quote]

PMed you the link. As for other zombie skins, that could be useful, depending on whether/how I expand the Zombie team.

Hidden/Spoiler:

[quote="yuke5"]Maybe there could be more than one class for the zombie side. It might mix things up a little when you're stuck as a zombie. Nothing too crazy, maybe just slight differences, like a slow tankish class and a weak sprinter class. Besides that, it seems like you're doing great![/quote]

I agree that more variety would be good, but what exactly? Having other skins for zombies that fight the same, or other classes entirely? Sure other classes, like a tough, slow one and weak fast ones would be nice, but when a human is infected, which class should it turn into?

Hidden/Spoiler:

[quote="Dreadnot9"][quote="yuke5"]Maybe there could be more than one class for the zombie side. It might spice things up a little when you're stuck as a zombie.[/quote]
This x10
Look at a game like L4D2, adding variants to zombies would really add a layer of "fun" and encourage players to use the zombie side more often.[/quote]

I agree, and in fact like that game a lot! But same question as for yuke5, how should I go about adding variety, and what turns into what?

Hidden/Spoiler:

[quote="Locutus"]That looks cool!
I could do some multiplayer tests if needed.[/quote]

Thank you! PMed you the link.

Hidden/Spoiler:

[quote="willinator"]Yes, you could even potentially add a boomer type class that shot projectiles at other players.[/quote]

Heh, like in Left 4 Dead? Could be fun, maybe, but I kinda want to have a ranged, human team face a melee, zombie team... If the zombies could shoot as well, it would be even more lopsided against the humans...

Hidden/Spoiler:

[quote="Noobasaurus"]And hey - to add on to the subject of the topic of a new zombie class, I've got an axe throwing weapon that could literally be changed into any type of weapon(just change the model ). It even sticks to people and the ground and has a first person view.[/quote]

Sounds interesting, but maybe it would be best to keep zombies melee? Or, at least, have any "ranged" zombies be extremely rare, have ranged weapons be weak, and short-ranged? I'll think about it

[Dreadnot9]

Well you could simply vary speed/attack strength etc.
For instance you could have a "brute" that moves slower but can take more damage/deal more damage. Versus the standard zombie.
Acid spit is always cool. Zombies that explode with poison effects when they die.
Just get creative with it man!

[Noobasaurus]

I did a multiplayer test with my friend. Most things seem to work fine, but according to my friend he started getting glitched through the ground sometimes when he was turned into a zombie. You could also respawn as a zombie and switch sides.

I'll have a video soon.

[razac920]

So at least the game didn't crash -- that's good. As for being "glitched through the ground", I'm guessing your friend meant that when he was killed by a zombie, instead of turning into a zombie, the dead body was visible in an empty part of map. That's actually the basic mechanic behind the scripting -- when a zombie kills a player, I teleport the player's body out of the sight, change the player's class and team, and spawn him where the body used to be. I have had that same glitch happen to me before, though not frequently. It can happen if a zombie gets several kills pretty much simultaneously, did that happen to your friend? I'll see if I can come up with a good fix. As for the ability to change sides in multiplayer, I haven't really done much work on multiplayer. I don't think ForceHumansOntoTeam1() works in multiplayer, and I've had problems with auto-assign, in that the game doesn't let you be infected easily (once you're infected, you turn into zombie, but if you die as zombie, character selection will be zombie, but once you spawn you become a stormtrooper again (I guess since the game forces you to stay on the same team?), did you see that happen?

Thanks for testing by the way, was it fun (multiplayer or singleplayer)?

[Noobasaurus]

The game didn't crash, but near the end my friend starting getting more black screens and had to disconnect. I made a gameplay video of the good moments here.

Oh, and it was definitely fun. ---EDIT LOL, I said done...

[kinetosimpetus]

So at least the game didn't crash -- that's good. As for being "glitched through the ground", I'm guessing your friend meant that when he was killed by a zombie, instead of turning into a zombie, the dead body was visible in an empty part of map. That's actually the basic mechanic behind the scripting -- when a zombie kills a player, I teleport the player's body out of the sight, change the player's class and team, and spawn him where the body used to be. I have had that same glitch happen to me before, though not frequently. It can happen if a zombie gets several kills pretty much simultaneously, did that happen to your friend? I'll see if I can come up with a good fix. As for the ability to change sides in multiplayer, I haven't really done much work on multiplayer. I don't think ForceHumansOntoTeam1() works in multiplayer, and I've had problems with auto-assign, in that the game doesn't let you be infected easily (once you're infected, you turn into zombie, but if you die as zombie, character selection will be zombie, but once you spawn you become a stormtrooper again (I guess since the game forces you to stay on the same team?), did you see that happen?

Thanks for testing by the way, was it fun (multiplayer or singleplayer)?

How do you do the spawning as zombie? I've been wanting to do something similar but not the same for a while.

[razac920]

How do you do the spawning as zombie? I've been wanting to do something similar but not the same for a while.

The actual LUA command is quite simple, just SpawnCharacter(player, loc)

In the LUA script I currently have?

Hidden/Spoiler:

infect = OnObjectKill(function(object,killer)
local loc = GetEntityMatrix(object)
local char = OnCharacterDeath(function(player,killer2)
if player and killer2 and GetCharacterTeam(player) == 1 and GetCharacterTeam(killer2) == 2 and killer == killer2 then
SetEntityMatrix(object, CreateMatrix(0,0,0,0,0,0,1000,loc))
SelectCharacterTeam(player, 2)
SelectCharacterClass(player, "zmb_inf_zombie")
SpawnCharacter(player, loc)
end
ReleaseCharacterDeath(char)
char = nil
end)
end)

[kinetosimpetus]

Awesome. Thanks.

[razac920]

Yep, no problem -- thought it doesn't seem to be perfect. Sometimes the body is teleported away but the player doesn't respawn as a zombie... not sure why though

[Locutus]

As for the ability to change sides in multiplayer, I haven't really done much work on multiplayer. I don't think ForceHumansOntoTeam1() works in multiplayer, and I've had problems with auto-assign, in that the game doesn't let you be infected easily (once you're infected, you turn into zombie, but if you die as zombie, character selection will be zombie, but once you spawn you become a stormtrooper again

Maybe sth. like this?
When in infect=OnObjectKill() create a variable based on the killed players characterindex and set it to "infected".
Then use OnCharacterSpawn() and check if the player is infected and if his unit is in team 1. If yes, kill him.