Interview GameBanshee does Dead State

[DarkUnderlord]

Tags: Brian Mitsoda; DoubleBear Productions

<p>Gamebanshee has <a href="http://www.gamebanshee.com/interviews/99780-dead-state.html">a 3 pager with Brian Mitsoda</a> and his zombie game, Dead State:</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Dead State is an upcoming independent RPG that has been turning heads both because it's set in the underutilized zombie survival genre and because of the man responsible for its design, Brian Mitsoda of Troika Games and Obsidian Entertainment fame.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">[...]</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span class="answer">Unlike a lot of other RPGs, you don't gain XP from killing things - you get skill points from completing objectives, which means that the player can go about things in any way that completes the task, rather than have to kill everything that moves. These objectives are both reoccurring and also reactive to events that have been set off by the player's actions. In a lot of cases, avoiding combat or using the zombies against opponents is a better strategy than going in guns blazing. Reaching certain key milestones (like recruiting a certain number of strangers to your shelter) or making critical decisions in your role as a leader can unlock choices of new perks for your character. We definitely want to encourage players to play the way they want rather than grind for success.</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">[...]</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span class="answer">Zombies are always statistically the same. The only time they might be more resilient or deadly is if they were wearing armor when they died or if they attack while on fire.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>I hope to be attacked by Fire Zombies. They also talk morale, game systems and life as an indie (Gamebanshee that is, not the zombie's).</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Thanks <strong>Brother None</strong>, <em>you shameless self-promoter!</em></p>

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

Have they mentioned rape and the bonuses it provides re: morale yet?

 

[Tails]

Hm so it will be like in Bloodlines, good choice.

 

[Jaesun]

I just came in my pants again.

 

[Fuck_The_Banks]

I'm ridiculously excited about this game. If it turns out anything like "The Walking Dead" - the rpg, it will be a dream come true....

 

[Dyspaire]

Like my mother always used to say, "If there's no cannibalism, well, there should be."

 

[Silellak]

I just came in my pants again.

 

[Saxon1974]

Hot Dam, a new game that actuallly sounds interesting and different and one of the few dev's I have heard that seems to get the idea of an RPG.

Definitely keeping an eye on this game.

 

[Kosmonaut]

It seems that prosper is helping with the concept art.

 

[Hoodoo]

looks gut, really, really looking forward to this

 

[Blind Eye]

Yep, jizz everywhere. Sounds great.

 

[Dogffdog]

GB: Take us through a typical combat situation. What tactical options are at our disposal during each turn? Will the battlefield itself be important in terms of cover and environmental hazards (a propane tank becomes a potential bomb, striking a window or setting off an alarm attracts more enemies, etc.)?

Brian: So, you start out on the area map and let's say you enter a small map with a few houses on it. You have three allies with you. You're just stumbled upon the place and you have no idea what you'll find inside. You order your allies to stay close and walk (in real time) to the back of the first house, looking in the windows as you go to see if there are any people inside. You want to go in the back door (since it's more secluded) but it's locked. You could bash it, but you realize you have the skill to pick it, so you do. You don't think there's anyone inside, so you order two of your allies to stand watch outside and one of them to come with you. You walk into the kitchen and search through the cupboards and drawers, finding some canned food and a few parts you can use back at the shelter. You check the living room next, but there's nothing really of use. You go upstairs and start searching the master bedroom. Here you find a gun and ammo in the bedside table. Suddenly, a zombie shambles into the room from the hallway - you should have checked out the other rooms. Your ally is closest and gets grappled. Time-based combat begins. You walk over and critically hit the zombie with a wrench, it goes down. Combat ends.

You sweep the rest of the house, not finding much. On to the next house. This backdoor is locked too. You can't pick it, so you bash it - the noise meter goes up every time it's bashed. Finally, the door breaks. Unfortunately, there's a survivor there waiting with a shotgun. Already having decided they don't want to talk, combat begins as they fire at you. You're not hit, but your friend behind you is. It's a pretty nasty wound, so they're going to need medical assistance as soon as possible. Another ally has higher initiative than you. They begin retuning fire. Then another ally goes and does the same. The noise meter is getting higher from the bashing and shooting. The enemy flees upstairs. It's your turn - you could go upstairs after the guy or you could order everyone to rally at the map's exit. You choose to go in, because if this guy has survived for so long, maybe he has food, ammo, and other items and you're still pissed about being shot at. Your ally has a medic kit and begins stitching themselves up on their turn. It's the zombies turn - you hear a moan, and then another. Your noise has attracted zombies from the yard next door. Now they're a threat... if there are a lot of them in the area, there might be a bunch still coming, or these are the last two in the area - you don't know. What do you do next?

I just came in my pants again.

 

[BearBomber]

This should've been made an industry standard long time ago. Players should be rewarded for progress and victory not for endless grinding they're humans not ants.

 

[DwarvenFood]

Unless you're playing Sim Ant.

 

[Grunker]

YEAH BABY!

 

[Azrael the cat]

Unless you're playing Sim Ant.

HEY! There's potential in that idea. Build a hive, digging out burrows while trying to make it water/weather-proof and with access to subterranean drinking water. Send out foraging parties to find food sources, while trying to maintain low 'heat', i.e. trying not to be noticed by predators and humans. Choose a worker/soldier/queen mix. Go to war against other ant colonies for territory.

Fuck yeah. Someone go make Sim Ant.

 

[Abelon Blanchetourbe]

 

[Brotherman Bill]

Well, at least we'll find out whether the abandonment of the CRPG genre is because of commercial incentives or just lazyness on the part of the publishers... If this one tanks, it's the former, if it makes a good profit it's the latter.

 

[deuxhero]

http://www.nrahq.org/education/guide.asp

Even "This is the first time she's picked up a gun" doesn't work when you're in Texas. Someone who has should smack the shit out of her. If it was California and the shelter was headed by Dianne Feinstein it would be one thing.

 

[FeelTheRads]

It seems that prosper is helping with the concept art.

Why would someone release such a thing for the public?

 

[zeitgeist]

It seems that prosper is helping with the concept art.

Why would someone release such a thing for the public?

To show how gloriously beautiful the game strives to be?

And seriously - how is putting concept in "as art in the game" lazy? Isn't concept art supposed to show what the game SHOULD look like, and the closer the game can look to that, then - hurrah?

It's all kind of silly since they probably could get a reasonably competent artist from conceptart.org or even DA to work for peanuts. They are an actual company and they do have some history within the industry, unlike most of the gamedev.net-type of "developers" and "designers" who still manage to get pretty good concept art people from time to time. Which leads to the conclusion that they either don't care about art at all, don't know anything about art at all, or prefer to hire people due to nepotism instead of actual skills. All of which are rather depressing, if you only think about the good of the game, but a very common thing in the business (see Bethesda's animation department for an example of the third).

 

[FeelTheRads]

Well, the game looks good enough, I'd say.

But that thing? If they used that as concept art (although I can't see exactly for what it would be useful) they should have at least kept it to themselves.

Maybe I wasn't wrong in thinking they should kill whoever does their 2D art after seeing those posters in the screenshots.

 

[Begriffenfeldt]

you don't gain XP from killing things

wtfffffff

 

[Elwro]

(they're already dead)

 

[Zomg]

There are lots of people on the internet that can draw, just sayin'