4 replies to this topic

[ScrooLewse]

While I was playing Zombie Master, I noticed the incredible usefulness of the Hidden Shambler ability of the ZM to shake-up the survivor's plans. I also noticed how easily abused this power is, as you can slow the survivors with a meat wall of zombies, then amass an army of hidden zombies in places there was never intended to be an army. Yet another un-beatable tactic. Then I thought about the Overwatch timer. With this it becomes much harder do such a thing to the humans, but can still be utilized as an interesting way to throw a curveball at them.

So, here I am to give the idea of putting several spawns on the HUD of the OW, that would give you the ability to certain things to any part of a map. Such as burying rollermines, concealing a poison headcrab, or dispersing manhacks. But it wouldn't stop with summoning an ambush. You could fire a dummy headcrab canister, roll a flaming barrel off a ledge, even target an area with the Suppresion Device. (Not to be confused with the suppresion field.)

Each ability can be customized for your map by placing a brushes on it that would dictate what open space needs to be around it, or even brushes on the map that would dictate exactly where it can or cannot be used. There could also be a toggle, so at the mappers discretion you can choose whether it can be used within the sight of the Rebels or not.

Some examples of how it could be transferred to the current maps:

• The flaming barrels on the first part of OW_Canals can be given a longer timer than their set counterparts, then they can be spawned on part of the canal lips in the first part, where they are then spawned lit and pushed into the canals by pushes placed on spawn areas. Frequency scales with number of Rebels.
  
• On the final area of the Canals, part of the OW's setup can be to place one or two groups of burrowed Rollermines for the finale. Add one rollermine for every two rebels, with one rebel meaning one mine.
  
• During OW_Breach, you could spawn a few manhacks (much less than current spawns) in areas that they normally aren't spawned-in. This would follow the same pattern as the Canals Rollermines.
  
• Also in Breach, you could spawn 1 Stunstick Metrocop to ambush the Rebels wherever you wish it to.
  
• In OW_Crossroads, you could spawn an inexplicable Poison headcrab where the Rebels cannot currently see it every once in a while. The frequency increases with number of Rebels.
  

[The Joker]

ScrooLewse, on 25 January 2011 - 05:47 PM, said:

While I was playing Zombie Master, I noticed the incredible usefulness of the Hidden Shambler ability of the ZM to shake-up the survivor's plans. I also noticed how easily abused this power is, as you can slow the survivors with a meat wall of zombies, then amass an army of hidden zombies in places there was never intended to be an army. Yet another un-beatable tactic. Then I thought about the Overwatch timer. With this it becomes much harder do such a thing to the humans, but can still be utilized as an interesting way to throw a curveball at them.

So, here I am to give the idea of putting several spawns on the HUD of the OW, that would give you the ability to certain things to any part of a map. Such as burying rollermines, concealing a poison headcrab, or dispersing manhacks. But it wouldn't stop with summoning an ambush. You could fire a dummy headcrab canister, roll a flaming barrel off a ledge, even target an area with the Suppresion Device. (Not to be confused with the suppresion field.)

Each ability can be customized for your map by placing a brushes on it that would dictate what open space needs to be around it, or even brushes on the map that would dictate exactly where it can or cannot be used. There could also be a toggle, so at the mappers discretion you can choose whether it can be used within the sight of the Rebels or not.

Some examples of how it could be transferred to the current maps:

• The flaming barrels on the first part of OW_Canals can be given a longer timer than their set counterparts, then they can be spawned on part of the canal lips in the first part, where they are then spawned lit and pushed into the canals by pushes placed on spawn areas. Frequency scales with number of Rebels.
  
• On the final area of the Canals, part of the OW's setup can be to place one or two groups of burrowed Rollermines for the finale. Add one rollermine for every two rebels, with one rebel meaning one mine.
• During OW_Breach, you could spawn a few manhacks (much less than current spawns) in areas that they normally aren't spawned-in. This would follow the same pattern as the Canals Rollermines.
• Also in Breach, you could spawn 1 Stunstick Metrocop to ambush the Rebels wherever you wish it to.
• In OW_Crossroads, you could spawn an inexplicable Poison headcrab where the Rebels cannot currently see it every once in a while. The frequency increases with number of Rebels.

This actually isn't a bad idea. Though there would need to be a way to shake it up a bit on the different maps.

[Quenquent]

A very good, idea, the hardest now is to add it to the game.

So, if I understand what you said, the mapper can choose which ability could be used and where?

[ScrooLewse]

Quenquent, on 26 January 2011 - 10:20 AM, said:

A very good, idea, the hardest now is to add it to the game.

So, if I understand what you said, the mapper can choose which ability could be used and where?

Yes. The mapper can choose how much space the ability needs to be used, and can place brushes that disallow an (or all) abilities on a certain area. Conversely, an ability can be set to ONLY be used on an approved area. And naturally, it cannot be used on on or over nodraw.

[Trainzack]

Sounds like a good idea!