Forums » Writing Workshop » Read Thread

I am back, and trying to brainstorm ideas for my new old storygame that is yet unfinished.
I already have core ideas involving a health system (so luck isn't pushed too often) and the first core decision already set up.

Link to test game here: http://chooseyourstory.com/story/zombie-survivalist~3a-jonathan-green

Possible happy endings:

- the hero saves the world (finds a cure?) in his village (seems very unlikely);

- he helps a man who saves the world (maybe protects a genius scientist in his village long enough for him to find a cure);

- he finds a way to make zombies ignore people and saves the world that way (this plot was used in a recent movie);

- he survives long enough for mankind to defeat zombies worldwide without his help;

- he escapes to a safe place (an island or a bunker) where the he can live the rest of his life in safety. Most of other people die.

- I am thinking of smaller scale survival, where he determines the fate of his 'world' (that little place on the map I call he calls home) and its inhabitants, rather than magically saving the galaxy or anything like that.

- In terms of cures and treatment, I am making the infections actually rather survivable, but with urgent medical treatment, a good immune system and ample recovery needed, which will be deprived of most victims.

- In terms of mankind surviving without his help, that will be a part of the plot, where the uncontrollable outside world will affect his locality at various points.

Then he must survive and save as many as he can before the help comes.

- strategically plan defense (select one of a few building to hide, select one of a few variants of how to fortify it);

- repell zombie raids (depending on previous choices);

- make a dangerous ride to bring more supplies;

- one guy starts panicking and becomes a treat to everyone - a hard choice is what to do with him;

- someone gets infected. Survivors isolate him/her and a hard choice is what to do with him/her (in a happy ending he/she might be saved, but if not executed carefully, he/she might kill everyone);

- try to communicate with outside world by radio and influence them to send immediate help (possibly by using lies and willingly sacrificing people in another place who won't get help).

"- one guy starts panicking and becomes a treat to everyone - a hard choice is what to do with him;"

Are we playing as zombies? ;P

LOL

I meant a threat, but a treat is certainly an interesting option.

BTW, your made a great idea for a fun game! ;)

I did base the idea of key choice moments off of them Telltale games, guilty of concept theft.
In terms of defending the base, I certainly intend that later with the choice to bring in outside help (like I.R.L, I am alright with swords and bows but will need help to teach the others properly).

By the way, have you guys tried playing the game yet? What do you think so far?

I tried it and the beginning looks good. It's not my favorite genre, but now I'm interested and looking forward to play the whole game.

UPDATE: there are some added pages and I found events somewhat rushed. For example, "the village is finally cleared of the infected people." - how cleared? by who?

Updating now, the idea was that this is literally day one, so there were only a few infected people to start with and if you pick the choice to arm yourself, you killed about a third of them yourself!

You however just gave me an idea for the next issue to arise. (New plot point: What happened to the dead bodies from today during the 'cleanup'?)

That movie fucking sucked.

Since when do zombies use renaissance longswords with techniques from Fiore Dei Liberi's manuscripts, or even TALK for that matter?

Just upgraded the mechanics, the variables that will factor into the game (you see in the test version) have been tweaked so the engineer or the surgeon show up as present now.

SURVIVORS are now a factor, like health, and they could also be implemented as a crucial factor at certain points.

Hidden fact: I have set it that if you actually fight the infected rather than help an escape, the total survivor count is a tiny bit higher yet health will drop slightly. This is to look at the idea that such actions of clearing the undead should be a trade of injuries in return for people.