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[KvP]

So basically there was this guy Brian Mitsoda, and he's tall and he wrote the game Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines which was very well written, and he did early work on Alpha Protocol for Obsidian entertainment.

Anyway he left Obsidian some time ago and just a few days ago he announced that he had started a small game development company with another Obsidian castoff, Annie Carlson. Along with Iron Tower studios, a firm more famous for mostly being made up of members of shitbucket gaming forum RPG Codex than anything else, they are developing an as-yet-untitled game. The details are as follows.

- The game is set during the onset of a zombie apocalypse. Social order breaks down and characters have to fend for themselves and make decisions that have grave consequences.

- The game will be turn-based with a third-person POV (not sure if it's isometric at this point)

- Zombies are slow. No L4D / 28 X Later stuff.

- Contains social commentary befitting disaster-oriented fiction. Expect belabored parallels with Hurricane Katrina and the like. Hobbesian state of war blah blah blah.

-Game is about survival. Scavenging resources, exploring areas, dealing with other survivors, and managing a “shelter” of sorts are the main focus of the game. More info to be provided on this at some point.

-Game is open-ended. There are characters to find and events that could happen, but the story depends on where you go, what you do, and who you meet. More info to be provided at some point.

So I think the concept is pretty strong, and I've been clamoring for a horror RPG for a good long while, so I'm keeping an eye on this. It'll be a few years till this comes out, if it ever does.

[Spluff]

I wonder if the people down at RPG Codex will hate their own game just as much as they hate everything else.

This sounds interesting, kind of like a RPG version of the original STALKER concept.

[Melodic]

It almost sounds like my dream game except the third-person turn-based stuff.

[snalin]

Third person turn based? I wonder if it's more like Return to Krondor or Baldur's Gate

[LTK]

I thought that all the possible concepts for zombie apocalypse had been done already. Guess I was wrong.

[snalin]

Have anyone made a zombie apocalypse RTS? (Not counting the undead from Warcraft 3)

[satsugaikaze]

Main things I'd be real interested in would be the turn-based system and the social commentary.

Aside from that, everything else sounds a tad derivative. Not that it's anyone's fault, really =)

[loco_banana]

My wallet was already wincing halfway through the post. I am subscribing to this newsletter.

[ackblom12]

My only problem with this game is I might have to purchase something from folks who are members of RPG Codex. I still think they will hate it.

Edit - Actually, with any luck their collective hatred machine will implode trying to decide.

[Headwoünd]

The third-person round-based strategy in a zombie apocalypse kinda puts me off.

But even if it doesn't appeal to me, it sounds like a nice and original concept.
Sadly even the greatest concept of all time doesn't automatically equal a good game. Guess we'll see.

[CardinalFang]

Sign me up please!

[Boro_Bandito]

As much as I loved the writing from VtM:Bloodlines, I feel like somehow Brian Mitsoda got inside my head and ripped out my idea for a board game I came up with. Bastards.

[KvP]

I'm actually glad they went with a turn-based system for this one. The developers consist of a writer, a designer and a team of amateurs that probably doesn't top 2 dozen. The real advantage to turn-based combat is that AI is much, much easier to program. There's far less complex calculus to be done when objects aren't moving in real time, so the enemies have less opportunity to act like total idiots and they can reasonably approximate actual tactics if you put sufficient elbow grease into them.

[Alex C]

I love turn based games and all, but I do understand why people would be a bit concerned in this case. Zombie style horror often relies on visceral, immediate impact and suspenseful pauses, so I do think that being turn based works a bit against it in that area; it's hard to feel too threatened by something that can only shamble 4 tiles per combat round and politely waits its turn to attack, after all.* That said, some good writing and solid game design in other aspects of the game can make up for an awful lot, so I'll try not to jump to any conclusions. It's perfectly possible to create a memorable experience with turn based games, after all, and desperation can be a very powerful theme, so here's hoping for the best. I mean, shit, Wasteland and Fallout were turn based and I'll be damned if I ever claim that they were too light on atmosphere.




*Of course, as KvP pointed out, turn based games are easier to create and aren't exactly known for throttling all but the highest end systems. So I'll probably be plenty scared when I try to figure out how the hell I'm supposed to get past several dozen zombies that can only shuffle 4 tiles per combat round. Particularly since I'll probably be stuck with a baseball bat and some purple drank.

[NotAFanOfFenders]

Hey, never underestimate the purple drank.

[Zingoleb]

I underestimated the purple drank once.

Once.

[Blyss]

Kind of excited.  Thanks for the news.

[KvP]

It's called Dead State, and it will be out "not in 2010". Screenies look surprisingly good! Check it. Still tentatively hopeful!

[Scandanavian War Machine]

That...actually sounds like it could be pretty awesome.

I like the "zombies as the cause, not the focus" bit. Reminds me of The Walking Dead; the fact that the story isn't about zombies, but rather about the people is what made TWD so compelling to me.

I guess I have another thing to keep my eye on.

[snalin]

Yeah, this definitely looks like an interesting game, with a lot of potential. It'll remain to see if they can make scavenging, fighting zombies, fighting npcs and interacting with npcs interesting. If they can do that, in this setting, it'll probably be game of the year, because proper scavenging games are really fun.

[Nodaisho]

You know, this would be pretty awesome if it was like Jagged Alliance meets zombie apocalypse. I hope that is what they mean by turn based.