View Full Version : Zombie Survival Card Game
The Dash
15-12-2009, 06:47 PM
Okay well this is my little project i've been working on today. Its basically what the name says.
I dont want to give too many instructions as i want it to be as intuitive as possible, and let the players explore by themselves. What i'm looking for here is opinions so far, and bug testing.
The game will ultimately work on a mirror principle, whatever you do the zombies do the same (ie you pick up a card, so do they, you play one, they play some etc) Cards will be earned by killing zombies, as well as after a certain number of seconds, a "grace card" will be added to the players deck
http://i49.tinypic.com/71k1v5.jpg
Grab it here: http://drop.io/ZombieCardSurvival
File size is 2.15 mb
The Dash
20-12-2009, 12:08 PM
Game is now playable, and only remaining thing are some bug squishing, aesthetics and some code optimization.
Cheating is now supported! Press Insert, type one of the following commands, then press End to have it executed
process //processes the zombies hand
visible //show the debug for the deck, and the players hands
dump //if your sure that the zombies can play something, but they dont, please try "process", then if still nothing, use dump and please send me the resulting file (found where the game is)
move //make the zombies move!
player add //add a random card to your hand
zombie add //add a random card to the zombies hand
player * //replace * with the name of the card you want to add to your hand
zombie * //same as above
Zombies win if they can move off the bottom row, but i've noted at least one win that was a bit dodgy
There are still lots of bugs, but atleast its playable, will update bug list momentarily
Grab the update in the first post
EDIT: Would this be eligible for the competition? Being a zombie survival and also a card game?
The Dash
20-12-2009, 10:19 PM
No comments, seriously? Has no-one bothered to download it, or is it so awesome you're all just lost for words? =P
New version should be up by tomorrow evening, fix's some major bugs I've been struggling with. Hopefully the code will be optimized to decrease loading time.
Fengol
20-12-2009, 10:48 PM
Downloaded and tried to play but I had no idea what to do and the hitting F1 seemed to bring up your TODO list. Eventually figured out the blocks at the bottom were the cards in my hand, maybe you should give them a "face" texture cause I thought they were place holders.
I also don't know what the symbols on the grid for zombies and soldiers are.
You need to put some explanations in your game via the help and visual cues (like maybe putting a border around the players cards with a label "Your cards" and descriptions on the cards).
There also seems to be a timer for when the zombies act, maybe also put a count down somewhere so that the player can get feedback about what's about to happen.
I know you want the game to be intuitive, but the intuition should be what actions the player can take (i.e. picking up cards, placing cards on the board) and how the cards "should" interact; but not guessing what the playing pieces are or the rules work. So you will need descriptions.
Remember that you might not need a tutorial for a FPS but only because there are so many FPS games out there that people have already learnt from. Your boardgame mechanics are quite unique so there's little previous experience for people to draw on.
Nandrew
20-12-2009, 11:39 PM
Yeah, I'd go with the same thing. The game needs some explanations in the right places to make it playable.
The Dash
21-12-2009, 11:56 PM
Thanks for the input!
Okay well heres the update, and its a doozy. General interface upgrade is the main selling point for this one. Still missing a proper tutorial, although it is an improvement.
Bug list is smaller, although the todo list has grown exponentially. File usage is crazy, so its my priority at the moment, should be able to get it down to one fairly soon
Grab the update from the first post
Nandrew
22-12-2009, 01:28 PM
I'm liking where this is going so far, though there's still a fair amount of confusion while playing. It's never clear when the zombies are going to make their next move (it seems randomly real-time?) and the board fills up with them so rapidly that I find it nearly impossible to deploy all of my cards properly. Even if I did, I really need a little more time to think about the situation, at least as a new player. In summary, I end up losing quite quickly with the feeling that the game didn't give me a fair chance.
Still, I think this one has the potential for enormous fun, I could already feel it while playing this build. What you really need to work on is even more accessibility for new players and a "campaign setting" of sorts that can guide newbies through easier waves of zombies first.
The Dash
22-12-2009, 10:50 PM
Okay, so another update, this one brings:
Less files
Saving and loading
A timer
and most importantly, A proper tutorial!
Normally i wouldn't bother with a whole upload just for a handful of changes, but i think that these are important ones. Size of the download is still under 2mb
EDIT: Finally got the upload to work, update still in first post
Nandrew
23-12-2009, 03:16 PM
lol, Bob the tutorial zombie.
Unfortunately, I'm getting some VERY dodgy zombie wins (sometimes when they're just sitting on their first row!) and you'll need to have a good look at that. So far, they seem capable of happening at any time: early or late game. I'm not sure what's triggering the false wins, and several plays haven't revealed the connection to me.
The Dash
23-12-2009, 03:58 PM
lol, Bob the tutorial zombie.
Unfortunately, I'm getting some VERY dodgy zombie wins (sometimes when they're just sitting on their first row!) and you'll need to have a good look at that. So far, they seem capable of happening at any time: early or late game. I'm not sure what's triggering the false wins, and several plays haven't revealed the connection to me.
Glad you like Bob ;)
I cant seem to pin down why they winning, i suspect it goes something like this:
A speedie zombie gets his move speed leveled up, then the zombies play two move cards in the same turn. (There's a really slim chance that they can draw 2 move cards and play them all in a turn) This is enough to get him all the way across the board. I'm going to disable multiple move orders and then see.
My codes a mess at the moment, which isn't helping. I'm busy cleaning it up, then i'm going to do some deep debugging. Loading doesn't seem to load the size of the grid either, which is worrying.
I've been thinking how to implement levels and some sort of story, and have decided on no-go objects that can block off pieces of the board. Although this means some custom path finding to make sure the zombies reach the player. Also will have to implement views for boards that will be longer vertically than they are now.
In short, don't expect a new update for a loong time, but thanks for the feedback so far, really appreciate it!
EDIT:
Plot concepts i'm thinking of mashing together: (you can find the explanations atBig list of RPG plots (http://www.io.com/~sjohn/plots.htm))
Starting with Any Old Port in a Storm closely followed by Pandora's Box married to Clearing The Hex
Basically some idiots hikers are well, hiking. And come across a magical portal to The Realm of Cookies and Zombies. The idi hikers are hungry, since they have been hiking all day, and decide they want some cookies. Before you know it, Brian is missing and theres zombies stumbling all over the place. This is where [insert your name here] comes in. [Your company name] has been hired to kill the hikers zombies. You fight your way to the portal, seal it and go home. Or do you....dum dum duuum
EDIT EDIT:
Rather than make a new post, i'm going to edit this post as a changelog:
Rewritten zombie move
Zombie moves now leave a trail to follow
Optimized several scripts, runs MUCH faster on emptier board than the old scripts
Zombies only play one move card per turn, if they play more, zombies that have already moved do not move (IE, zombies move, they place another zombie on the grid, then only the new zombies can move this turn)
Saving/Loading is fixed
dislekcia
24-12-2009, 12:34 AM
Zombie footprints! :)
The Dash
24-12-2009, 02:09 PM
Zombie footprints! :)
http://i46.tinypic.com/14j2n1k.jpg
They were fading when i remembered to snap a pic, but they look best when the zombies move long distances :p
I'm trying to find a way to show the players attack, so far its just an ugly line. Any ideas?
EDIT: Now that i've optimized the script, i am open to new card suggestions, also level designs. If they're any good, and i'm feeling generous, i may just include them in the game ;)
Fengol
25-12-2009, 11:50 AM
That's SO wrong! Zombie should not be able to simply walk around my soldiers! Especially since I can't move them myself so they're stuck where I initially place them
The Dash
25-12-2009, 12:37 PM
That's SO wrong! Zombie should not be able to simply walk around my soldiers! Especially since I can't move them myself so they're stuck where I initially place them
Use your retreat cards to fill the gaps ;) (Okay okay i know the scripts broken, its on my fix list, its basically a copy of the Zombie move code so it shouldn't take long)
I've got a campaign up and running, i'll probably build 5+ levels and then post another update. I'm also looking at twiddling with the cards in survival to get the zombies more attacks and you less retreats (Your hand can quickly fill up with useless retreats, which is annoying without a replace card)
The Dash
26-12-2009, 07:51 PM
Okay just to keep everyone updated;
Im currently creating the maps for single player, i'll upload it either later tonight or tomorrow morning some time. Artwork hasn't changed, since my girlfriend project artist has buggered off to the coast for a holiday. Also there are no new cards. Ultimately be short video type things before each level explaining the story, that'll come when the graphics get upgraded
The Dash
30-12-2009, 11:39 PM
Okay we'll i'd like to apologize for not uploading a new version as promised, but i changed a variable or two somewhere, and it screwed up the whole game (Typical). While fixing the bug, i may have polished it slightly :p ,and with new years tomorrow, an upload any time soon is out of the question. So in the meantime, let me keep you interested with an updated screenshot. And let me assure you all our coders are hard at work finding and squashing the bug! (Nandrew's ArGeeBee isn't exactly helping me keep focused)
EDIT: FIXED! Oh yes! Game is working again (almost) and soyou can grab the latest version in the first post. Updates to the campaign will be tiny after this (just the file CAMPAIGN.data, a few kb)
Nandrew
03-01-2010, 04:16 PM
I really like how steadily this is progressing. Enthusiastically downloading now. :)
Nandrew
03-01-2010, 05:43 PM
Aha! Given the benefit of a learning curve from the campaign, I can veritably say that you've got an awesome game system forming here!
I still feel that I barely did the scrape-by-the-teeth thing in winning the first few campaign levels (never underestimate just how crappy new players will be!), but once I got past the initial hurdle I really found things going smoothly. Well, not smoothly, but about as smoothly as expected when a zombie horde get involved.
I'm really liking this. I feel the Real-Time Card Game thing completely, which really is your primary goal for this competition. The challenge is well-balanced (expansion versus consolidation versus zombie movement timer makes things really intense when you move to survival mode) and I really found myself getting emotionally engaged after a bit: like celebrating the arrival of a new sniper unit or barrel (damn, those are handy) and lamenting the loss of my front line because the horde decided to rake at me before I could play enough attack cards. And the game system is pretty well balanced so far.
The addition of pictures everywhere and the one-by-one campaign introduction of the units are startlingly valuable, btw. They definitely go a long way to help filter out some of the chaos generated by the real-time nature of the game.
I also like that you're starting to mix up an acceptable balance of polish/refinement with your mechanical improvements. It's making the game easier and more pleasurable to navigate, believe me.
Overall, I'd say that this comp entry is one of the furthest along in terms of the actual genre meld, and it'll be really cool to see what it looks like when it's polished and handed in at the end. :)
The Dash
04-01-2010, 08:45 PM
I still feel that I barely did the scrape-by-the-teeth thing in winning the first few campaign levels (never underestimate just how crappy new players will be!), but once I got past the initial hurdle I really found things going smoothly. Well, not smoothly, but about as smoothly as expected when a zombie horde get involved.
Thanks for the positive feedback! I've uploaded a new mappack that gives +-12 new levels, and introduces almost all the cards. The last +-6 levels will be mainly boss battles to test your skills.
As to the difficulty. Only when i tried to play one of the new levels did i realize something is horribly, horribly wrong. Making some levels damn hard and one of the new ones actually impossible. Levels 1-15 are meant to be easy, with 15-20 being the hard ones
I've fixed the bug causing the difficulty glitch (Currently the amount of time the zombies take to play cards = no of cards played, IE if they take 4 seconds to play their cards, they then play up to 4 cards) I dont think its worth my internet to upload a whole new exe, so for now you can use this cheat to skip the effected level: (If you pass it, pm me and you might get into the hall of fame)
Level : 13
Briefing : "DAMN! *What* have you been doing? We're over budget! (No units this level, no free cards) (Kill 60 zombies!)"
Cheat : Open "campaign.campsav" (found where you unzipped the game) and change the number of 13 to 14. Continue playing the game as usual. Its as simple as that! .You can use this to replay favorite levels again
Grab the new maps in the first post, simply download "CAMPAIGN.data" and overwrite the old one. (13kb)
Nandrew
05-01-2010, 12:44 PM
Ah, good, I kinda approve of the cheat system because I want to be able to test different stages at will instead of being forced to play them sequentially. Ta.
The Dash
22-01-2010, 03:28 PM
Holy crapola the forum has exploded since i've been gone.
Unfortunately, this little project is going to sit unfinished until i start classes, finish Simonsberg's "welcoming program" etc etc. But dont despair! I might just come back to it at some point if i get nagged enough (See what i did thar?)
Nandrew
27-01-2010, 10:23 PM
That's cool. :) I've been pretty stoked at seeing this project develop, and I hope you dev it enough to make a "full release" at some point. I'd definitely offer it coverage, and I'll be happy to provide more feedback if you need it.
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