Game News Zombasite, New Action RPG from Soldak

[Zed]

Zombasite sounds like the name of a band created by a metal guitarist who went solo, failed, then had to scramble together a band again because the old band didn't want him back because they knew he was creatively empty.

 

[ColCol]

A soldak diablo like, how novel.

 

[Alex]

I never understood what people have against zombies. They can make for interesting enemies. Perforating weapons are almost useless against them. And different from skeletons, they have lots of tissue to absorb bludgeoning damage. Depending on how they work, severed body parts can keep fighting against you. Finally, in a P&P game, you have to take lots of special precautions against them, such as making sure they don't have access to cemeteries, enforcing curfews on villages that may be preyed upon, etc. Played well, zombies are a guerrilla force that just won't die.

That said, this variety does look a lot better if the game isn't wholly, or even mainly, about zombies.

 

[thesheeep]

I never understood what people have against zombies.

You are not wrong. They can be made very well and interesting.

But there is no arguing that this is an overused setting.
Like WW2.
After the 100th or so game that is mainly about zombies (and yes I think we may have reached that number soon), the main reaction becomes "Not again!", no matter how good the game behind it.

 

[DraQ]

Zombasite sounds like the name of a band created by a metal guitarist who went solo, failed, then had to scramble together a band again because the old band didn't want him back because they knew he was creatively empty.

Dumbassite.

I don't want the zombie fad to end, at least not until it produces a title or two worth playing.

Go play Myth I+II.

I never understood what people have against zombies.

You are not wrong. They can be made very well and interesting.

But there is no arguing that this is an overused setting.
Like WW2.
After the 100th or so game that is mainly about zombies (and yes I think we may have reached that number soon), the main reaction becomes "Not again!", no matter how good the game behind it.

And they can be interesting as novelty enemy, you know, implying it isn't just zombies everywhere.

 

[dibens]

Soldak are the bros to end all bros. 10/10, fapping furiously.

 

[set]

I never understood what people have against zombies. They can make for interesting enemies. Perforating weapons are almost useless against them. And different from skeletons, they have lots of tissue to absorb bludgeoning damage. Depending on how they work, severed body parts can keep fighting against you. Finally, in a P&P game, you have to take lots of special precautions against them, such as making sure they don't have access to cemeteries, enforcing curfews on villages that may be preyed upon, etc. Played well, zombies are a guerrilla force that just won't die.

That said, this variety does look a lot better if the game isn't wholly, or even mainly, about zombies.

Zombies are never interesting because developers get a free pass to implement zero-AI enemies for the player to fight. Just look at Deadstate, literally the zombies just stand around and have no agency whatsoever. All they can do is attack the nearest thing with the lowest health. They are never "interesting" enemies.

 

[DraQ]

Zombies are never interesting because developers get a free pass to implement zero-AI enemies for the player to fight. Just look at Deadstate, literally the zombies just stand around and have no agency whatsoever. All they can do is attack the nearest thing with the lowest health. They are never "interesting" enemies.

Hence novelty enemy. They can be interesting depending on damage system - if you have one in place that can convincingly convey "how can you kill that which has no life is already dead" problem.
As primary enemy they do suck and are thinly velied excuse for durr AI.

Other case where they can work are when they are guided by an intelligent agent, take Myth, for instance, but it requires getting a lot of things right, including the atmosphere.
A sound basic assumption is that the level of competence and creativity involved in getting those things right will be comparable to one involved in coming up with "Zombasite".
So somewhere between a train wreck and a noodle incident somehow culminating in a train wreck.

 

[Krraloth]

"how can you kill that which has no life is already dead"

Undeath to Death?

 

[Turjan]

... (2) parasites are generally not "intelligent" and typicaly don't give their hosts new powers...

Meh, the D&D 3.5 Tsochari from Lords of Madness fit the bill quite nicely. Still, zombies are a let-down.

 

[majestik12]

Steven Peeler is the king of ridiculous game names. His new achievement beats pretty much all of the earlier ones.
Not that it matters much for the game. I find Soldak's game design approach very interesting, so it will be very interesting to see how it will evolve in the next title.

Also, the fact that zombies were overexploited in the mass market entertainment during the past decade doesn't change the fact that zombies are AWESOME. Although it would be nicer if we could enslave nations with necromancy instead of surviving yet another Zombie Apocalypse.

 

[Bio Force Ape]

Zombie-cide would have been a cooler name. Zombisite sounds like something your doctor finds growing in your ear.

 

[Norfleet]

I never understood what people have against zombies.

It's not so much anything against zombies as it is that zombies are so 2010. They're pretty much textbook examples of one-dimensional enemies. They're passable when used sparingly, but they're an environmental hazard, not an antagonist.

 

[DraQ]

I never understood what people have against zombies.

It's not so much anything against zombies as it is that zombies are so 2010. They're pretty much textbook examples of one-dimensional enemies. They're passable when used sparingly, but they're an environmental hazard, not an antagonist.

This. Zombies are boring.
It's basically a part of their core concept.

 

[hello friend]

I never understood what people have against zombies.

It's not so much anything against zombies as it is that zombies are so 2010. They're pretty much textbook examples of one-dimensional enemies. They're passable when used sparingly, but they're an environmental hazard, not an antagonist.

So old news. So last season. So out of style.

 

[DraQ]

I never understood what people have against zombies.

It's not so much anything against zombies as it is that zombies are so 2010. They're pretty much textbook examples of one-dimensional enemies. They're passable when used sparingly, but they're an environmental hazard, not an antagonist.

So old news. So last season. So out of style.

So vintage.

 

[Norfleet]

It's not vintage until it has been GONE for awhile. Maybe in 10 years, zombies can be vintage. As it stands now, zombies are just overused, because they're basically the generic cardboard cutout enemy: Mindless, slow, and stupid. A cop-out of enemy AI, best used sparingly as cannonfodder for a real threat. They're no longer a threat anymore, they're so ubiquitous and overused that they're just an environmental hazard, but without the appeal and utility value of exploding barrels of green goo.

 

[Metro]

I never understood what people have against zombies.

It's not so much anything against zombies as it is that zombies are so 2010. They're pretty much textbook examples of one-dimensional enemies. They're passable when used sparingly, but they're an environmental hazard, not an antagonist.

This. Zombies are boring.
It's basically a part of their core concept.

Zombies are fine. Soldak games are boring.

 

[DraQ]

I never understood what people have against zombies.

It's not so much anything against zombies as it is that zombies are so 2010. They're pretty much textbook examples of one-dimensional enemies. They're passable when used sparingly, but they're an environmental hazard, not an antagonist.

This. Zombies are boring.
It's basically a part of their core concept.

Zombies are fine. Soldak games are boring.

Zombies ARE boring. They are mindless by design, how the fuck is it anything but boring?
They make for a good flavour piece, or an enemy to highlight the difference between fighting a living being and an undead one, possibly rendering player's so-far reliable tactics unusable and pushing them out of comfort zone, but in themselves zombies. Are. Boring.

 

[Baron Dupek]

Zombies are good enemies in games designed for casuals. No challenge. No angry customer due challenge in games. More convinced to buy = $$$.

 

[DraQ]

Zombies are good enemies in games designed for casuals.