Myrddraal
09-18-2007, 15:58
This game is a brainchild of Roadkill and Myrddraal. It is an evolution of the game Battle Royale, and is in a similar style in some respects, but very different in others.
I'm posting this here to get your opinions on the rules. Not just what the rules are, but the numbers behind them to make the game balanced. (How many players of each role, for example)
Also please help me work something out. This game was put on the mafia queue a while back by Roadkill, but now as we've been discussing it it's become less like mafia and more like BR. Does that mean this game can go without waiting for the queue?
Background:
July 24th 1998, Raccoon City.
https://img120.imageshack.us/img120/8605/deadwalksnewspaper6yz6bwa1.jpg
A number of grisly murders have taken place on the outskirts of town. Victims were attacked in their homes by a group of assailants, who left evidence of cannibalism. Local law enforcement sent in the S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team to investigate. After several worrying updates detailing bands of bloodied civililans roaming the streets, the phone lines to the local police station were cut. Shortly afterwards, the radio connection with Bravo Team went dead.
After contact was lost, the Alpha Team was sent out to find Bravo Team and to continue the investigation. Alpha Team located the downed Bravo Team helicopter, but there was no sign of survivors.
Scattered documents and files in the abandoned police station suggest that a series of illegal experiments and criminal activities were being undertaken in the area by a clandestine research team, under the authority and supervision of pharmaceutical conglomerate Umbrella Incorporated. The zombie like creatures roaming the city and surrounding region are the results of these experiments, which have exposed the population and various animals and insects to a highly contagious and mutagenic biological agent known as the "T-Virus".
While searching the area for further clues, Alpha Team is attacked by ferocious dogs. Alpha's helicopter pilot suddenly lifts off and abandons the team and the group is split up, seperated from each other in the heat of the fight against the zombies.
Game setup:
Movement:
As with Battle Royale, there is a game map, divided into zones. Players can move around on this map using the same system of movement as in Battle Royale.
Each turn a player can move either: 2 horizontal or vertical moves OR one horizontal or vertical and one diagonal move (as in Battle Royale).
Map:
There is no map yet, but there will be :smile:
Scattered around the map in most zones are bands of T-Virus zombies. T-Virus zombies are the most basic kind of zombie, and are not player controlled.
Also scattered around the map are various weapons and armours, each of which has a numberical rating.
Combat:
Should a human player encounter a band of zombie, the player has a chance to kill a certain number of zombies, and there is a chance that the player will be bitten.
In normal circumstances:
The number of zombies killed is a randomly generated number close to the rating of the sum of all agressive weapons.
The percentage chance of the human player being bitten is then equal to the number of remaining zombies - the sum of the ratings of all armours.
If the player kills all the zombies in the band, he stays where he is. If the player does not kill all the zombies, but survives unbitten, he is moved to a neighbouring zone. If the player is bitten, they are converted to a "G-Virus" zombie (see roles).
This system may appear confusing, but it should become clear with the following examples:
E.g. 1:
Player Roadkill has a pistol (rating 15) and a stab proof vest (rating 10). He encounters a band of 10 zombies.
- The number of zombies he kills is a random number between 10 and 20 ( 15 +/- 5). In this example, let's say 15.
- Because there are only 10 zombies in the band, he kills them all.
- The percentage chance of being bitten is 0.
E.g. 2:
Player Myrddraal has a pistol (rating 15) and a stab proof vest (rating 10). He encounters a band of 50 zombies.
- The number of zombies he kills is a random number between 10 and 20 ( 15 +/- 10). In this example, let's say 20.
- There are 30 surviving zombies, so the percentage chance of being bitten is 20% (30 zombies - 10 armour points)
- If he is bitten, he is converted. If he is not bitten, he escapes to a random neighbouring zone.
Should two human players meet a single band of zombies, the zombie band will be divided equally into two groups, each of which will attack one player. This means that there is some safety in numbers as you only have to deal with 1/2 as many zombies as you would alone. The consequences of this are also best described by an example:
E.g. 3:
Player Roadkill has a machine gun (rating 40) and a stab proof vest (rating 10). Player Myrddraal has a knife (rating 5) and a dustbin lid as a shield (rating 5). Together they encounter a band of 80 zombies.
Phase 1:
40 zombies attack Roadkill
- The number of zombies he kills is a random number between 35 and 45 ( 40 +/- 5). In this example, let's say 42.
- Because there are only 40 zombies in the band attacking him, he kills them all and remains in this zone.
40 zombies attack Myrddraal
- The number of zombies he kills is a random number between 0 and 10 ( 5 +/- 5). In this example, let's say 5.
- There are 35 surviving zombies, so the percentage chance of being bitten is 30% (35 zombies - 5 armour)
- If he is bitten, he is converted. If he is not bitten, he escapes to a random neighbouring zone.
Phase 2:
Surviving zombies return to attack any humans not bitten or fled. In this case the 35 zombies that Myrddraal failed to kill return to attack Roadkill and the process is repeated until all zombies are dead, or all humans are bitten or fled.
The result is that after any combat, all humans who formed a group are seperated unless they all kill their share of the zombies. When seperated surviving human players cannot tell if their partners have been bitten or not.
Movement (continued):
When a player chooses to move, he must PM his movement orders to the host, along with his attitude. His attitude determines what bonuses and penalties he will have should he encounter zombies:
Normal
Combat works exactly as described above
You will explore all buildings to find equipment
Agressive
Increases the number of zombies killed in combat by 25% with a maximum of 20 extra zombies killed.
Decreases the chance of escaping unbitten by 25%
You will explore all buildings to find equipment
Defensive
Decreases the number of zombies killed in combat by 25%
Increases the chance of escaping unbitten by 25%
You will explore some buildings to find equipment
Evasive
Gives you a 50% chance of remaining undetected
You will explore a small number of buildings to find equipment
Voting (Important): Additionally to this system, at the end of each turn all players vote for a zone. This zone and the surrounding 3x3 box of zones is then subject to a tactical strike by the military who are attempting to exterminate the zombie population. All players and zombies within this area are killed. In the case of a tie or if all players vote for different locations, the tie will be broken at random
Roles:
"G-Virus" zombies (The mafia equivalent)
"G-Virus" zombies are more powerful and less mutated zombies. The aim of the "G-Virus" zombies is to infect all other players.
As they move around and encounter random "T-Virus" zombies, these zombies join their horde. The player can elect to take zombies with him, or leave groups of zombies in certain zones. By placing and moving zombies around the map they must try to catch the human players. A human player who is caught is converted (as detailed above) and themselves become a "G-Virus" zombie.
If a human is converted by a lone band of zombies, they take control of that band on conversion. If they are converted by a band accompanied by another zombie player, the zombies remain in control of that zombie player and the new G-Virus zombie must gather their own band.
G-Virus zombies do not know each other by default, and so must act independently of each other unless they encounter another G-Virus zombie by coincidence. If this occurs they will be informed of each other's presence and may then try to co-ordinate their actions.
Civilian survivor (The townie equivalent)
Civilian survivors are members of the population lucky (or unlucky) enough to remain uninfected. Civilians start the game with no weapons, and are therefore initially very vulnerable. They must find weapons and armour on the map.
Civilians can kill zombies as detailed in the above combat system, but cannot kill "G-Virus" zombies in combat. If a civilian wipes out a band of zombies containing a "G-Virus" zombie the "G-Virus" zombie retreats to a random neighbouring zone. They can only kill "G-Virus" zombies by persuading other members that they know one's location and voting for a military strike in that zone.
Civilian members do not know each other, the zombies, or the STARS team.
S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team member (The vigilante equivalent)
STARS team members start the game seperated and do not know each other. If they encounter each other or civilians they will then know them and may communicate by PM. They start the game with some weaponry and armour. If a STARS team member encounters a band of zombies including a "G-Virus" zombie, and successfully wipe out that band, they also kill the "G-Virus" zombie. If they don't wipe out all the zombie band, then the may be bitten or escape as normal.
S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team sniper
One member of the STARS team starts the game with a sniper rifle. This role is exactly the same as the other STARS team member role with the addition of one feature. Should they encounter a band of zombies containing a "G-Virus" zombie, they get a single shot at the "G-Virus" zombie before normal combat begins. This shot has a 50% chance of killing. They can only take one shot so if there's more than one "G-Virus" zombie that shot will be aimed at one at random. They can also kill "G-Virus" zombies by wiping out the entire band (like normal STARS team members).
Aditional rules and comments:
Communication is free in this game. You may PM or reveal information in the thread, and indeed you may need to to persuade players to vote for a specific zone, but bear in mind that you can't tell who's a zombie and who's not. You will have to reveal information to coordinate your votes, but as in mafia games, there will be issues of trust; who do you trust and who do you not. You can also reveal your location in the game to anyone, but again bear in mind that you may be revealing your location to a zombie, or a zombie may be trying to lead you into a trap.
Also bear in mind that although you may encounter another player in the game (and therefore know that they are human) when you are seperated they may be bitten and converted, so are not necessarily trustworthy. Also if you are a STARS team member, you may not wish to reveal this to other humans; if they are bitten they could use this knowledge against you. However if you manage to find and work with other STARS members, you will be at a great advantage.
NB
Depending on the run of play, we may introduce 'forbidden zones' as in Battle Royale. In these zones the virus has become airborn and entering them (if you are human) means immediate infection. We may use these to reduce the area of play when less players remain in the game.
Let us know what you think. Would you play?
I'm posting this here to get your opinions on the rules. Not just what the rules are, but the numbers behind them to make the game balanced. (How many players of each role, for example)
Also please help me work something out. This game was put on the mafia queue a while back by Roadkill, but now as we've been discussing it it's become less like mafia and more like BR. Does that mean this game can go without waiting for the queue?
Background:
July 24th 1998, Raccoon City.
https://img120.imageshack.us/img120/8605/deadwalksnewspaper6yz6bwa1.jpg
A number of grisly murders have taken place on the outskirts of town. Victims were attacked in their homes by a group of assailants, who left evidence of cannibalism. Local law enforcement sent in the S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team to investigate. After several worrying updates detailing bands of bloodied civililans roaming the streets, the phone lines to the local police station were cut. Shortly afterwards, the radio connection with Bravo Team went dead.
After contact was lost, the Alpha Team was sent out to find Bravo Team and to continue the investigation. Alpha Team located the downed Bravo Team helicopter, but there was no sign of survivors.
Scattered documents and files in the abandoned police station suggest that a series of illegal experiments and criminal activities were being undertaken in the area by a clandestine research team, under the authority and supervision of pharmaceutical conglomerate Umbrella Incorporated. The zombie like creatures roaming the city and surrounding region are the results of these experiments, which have exposed the population and various animals and insects to a highly contagious and mutagenic biological agent known as the "T-Virus".
While searching the area for further clues, Alpha Team is attacked by ferocious dogs. Alpha's helicopter pilot suddenly lifts off and abandons the team and the group is split up, seperated from each other in the heat of the fight against the zombies.
Game setup:
Movement:
As with Battle Royale, there is a game map, divided into zones. Players can move around on this map using the same system of movement as in Battle Royale.
Each turn a player can move either: 2 horizontal or vertical moves OR one horizontal or vertical and one diagonal move (as in Battle Royale).
Map:
There is no map yet, but there will be :smile:
Scattered around the map in most zones are bands of T-Virus zombies. T-Virus zombies are the most basic kind of zombie, and are not player controlled.
Also scattered around the map are various weapons and armours, each of which has a numberical rating.
Combat:
Should a human player encounter a band of zombie, the player has a chance to kill a certain number of zombies, and there is a chance that the player will be bitten.
In normal circumstances:
The number of zombies killed is a randomly generated number close to the rating of the sum of all agressive weapons.
The percentage chance of the human player being bitten is then equal to the number of remaining zombies - the sum of the ratings of all armours.
If the player kills all the zombies in the band, he stays where he is. If the player does not kill all the zombies, but survives unbitten, he is moved to a neighbouring zone. If the player is bitten, they are converted to a "G-Virus" zombie (see roles).
This system may appear confusing, but it should become clear with the following examples:
E.g. 1:
Player Roadkill has a pistol (rating 15) and a stab proof vest (rating 10). He encounters a band of 10 zombies.
- The number of zombies he kills is a random number between 10 and 20 ( 15 +/- 5). In this example, let's say 15.
- Because there are only 10 zombies in the band, he kills them all.
- The percentage chance of being bitten is 0.
E.g. 2:
Player Myrddraal has a pistol (rating 15) and a stab proof vest (rating 10). He encounters a band of 50 zombies.
- The number of zombies he kills is a random number between 10 and 20 ( 15 +/- 10). In this example, let's say 20.
- There are 30 surviving zombies, so the percentage chance of being bitten is 20% (30 zombies - 10 armour points)
- If he is bitten, he is converted. If he is not bitten, he escapes to a random neighbouring zone.
Should two human players meet a single band of zombies, the zombie band will be divided equally into two groups, each of which will attack one player. This means that there is some safety in numbers as you only have to deal with 1/2 as many zombies as you would alone. The consequences of this are also best described by an example:
E.g. 3:
Player Roadkill has a machine gun (rating 40) and a stab proof vest (rating 10). Player Myrddraal has a knife (rating 5) and a dustbin lid as a shield (rating 5). Together they encounter a band of 80 zombies.
Phase 1:
40 zombies attack Roadkill
- The number of zombies he kills is a random number between 35 and 45 ( 40 +/- 5). In this example, let's say 42.
- Because there are only 40 zombies in the band attacking him, he kills them all and remains in this zone.
40 zombies attack Myrddraal
- The number of zombies he kills is a random number between 0 and 10 ( 5 +/- 5). In this example, let's say 5.
- There are 35 surviving zombies, so the percentage chance of being bitten is 30% (35 zombies - 5 armour)
- If he is bitten, he is converted. If he is not bitten, he escapes to a random neighbouring zone.
Phase 2:
Surviving zombies return to attack any humans not bitten or fled. In this case the 35 zombies that Myrddraal failed to kill return to attack Roadkill and the process is repeated until all zombies are dead, or all humans are bitten or fled.
The result is that after any combat, all humans who formed a group are seperated unless they all kill their share of the zombies. When seperated surviving human players cannot tell if their partners have been bitten or not.
Movement (continued):
When a player chooses to move, he must PM his movement orders to the host, along with his attitude. His attitude determines what bonuses and penalties he will have should he encounter zombies:
Normal
Combat works exactly as described above
You will explore all buildings to find equipment
Agressive
Increases the number of zombies killed in combat by 25% with a maximum of 20 extra zombies killed.
Decreases the chance of escaping unbitten by 25%
You will explore all buildings to find equipment
Defensive
Decreases the number of zombies killed in combat by 25%
Increases the chance of escaping unbitten by 25%
You will explore some buildings to find equipment
Evasive
Gives you a 50% chance of remaining undetected
You will explore a small number of buildings to find equipment
Voting (Important): Additionally to this system, at the end of each turn all players vote for a zone. This zone and the surrounding 3x3 box of zones is then subject to a tactical strike by the military who are attempting to exterminate the zombie population. All players and zombies within this area are killed. In the case of a tie or if all players vote for different locations, the tie will be broken at random
Roles:
"G-Virus" zombies (The mafia equivalent)
"G-Virus" zombies are more powerful and less mutated zombies. The aim of the "G-Virus" zombies is to infect all other players.
As they move around and encounter random "T-Virus" zombies, these zombies join their horde. The player can elect to take zombies with him, or leave groups of zombies in certain zones. By placing and moving zombies around the map they must try to catch the human players. A human player who is caught is converted (as detailed above) and themselves become a "G-Virus" zombie.
If a human is converted by a lone band of zombies, they take control of that band on conversion. If they are converted by a band accompanied by another zombie player, the zombies remain in control of that zombie player and the new G-Virus zombie must gather their own band.
G-Virus zombies do not know each other by default, and so must act independently of each other unless they encounter another G-Virus zombie by coincidence. If this occurs they will be informed of each other's presence and may then try to co-ordinate their actions.
Civilian survivor (The townie equivalent)
Civilian survivors are members of the population lucky (or unlucky) enough to remain uninfected. Civilians start the game with no weapons, and are therefore initially very vulnerable. They must find weapons and armour on the map.
Civilians can kill zombies as detailed in the above combat system, but cannot kill "G-Virus" zombies in combat. If a civilian wipes out a band of zombies containing a "G-Virus" zombie the "G-Virus" zombie retreats to a random neighbouring zone. They can only kill "G-Virus" zombies by persuading other members that they know one's location and voting for a military strike in that zone.
Civilian members do not know each other, the zombies, or the STARS team.
S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team member (The vigilante equivalent)
STARS team members start the game seperated and do not know each other. If they encounter each other or civilians they will then know them and may communicate by PM. They start the game with some weaponry and armour. If a STARS team member encounters a band of zombies including a "G-Virus" zombie, and successfully wipe out that band, they also kill the "G-Virus" zombie. If they don't wipe out all the zombie band, then the may be bitten or escape as normal.
S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team sniper
One member of the STARS team starts the game with a sniper rifle. This role is exactly the same as the other STARS team member role with the addition of one feature. Should they encounter a band of zombies containing a "G-Virus" zombie, they get a single shot at the "G-Virus" zombie before normal combat begins. This shot has a 50% chance of killing. They can only take one shot so if there's more than one "G-Virus" zombie that shot will be aimed at one at random. They can also kill "G-Virus" zombies by wiping out the entire band (like normal STARS team members).
Aditional rules and comments:
Communication is free in this game. You may PM or reveal information in the thread, and indeed you may need to to persuade players to vote for a specific zone, but bear in mind that you can't tell who's a zombie and who's not. You will have to reveal information to coordinate your votes, but as in mafia games, there will be issues of trust; who do you trust and who do you not. You can also reveal your location in the game to anyone, but again bear in mind that you may be revealing your location to a zombie, or a zombie may be trying to lead you into a trap.
Also bear in mind that although you may encounter another player in the game (and therefore know that they are human) when you are seperated they may be bitten and converted, so are not necessarily trustworthy. Also if you are a STARS team member, you may not wish to reveal this to other humans; if they are bitten they could use this knowledge against you. However if you manage to find and work with other STARS members, you will be at a great advantage.
NB
Depending on the run of play, we may introduce 'forbidden zones' as in Battle Royale. In these zones the virus has become airborn and entering them (if you are human) means immediate infection. We may use these to reduce the area of play when less players remain in the game.
Let us know what you think. Would you play?