I don’t really like the idea of an antidote, but I feel like if I convinced my friend to make a character when he/she has never played a FPS before and then they lose 2-3 hours worth of weapons and item gathering and become a zombie they probably would say that being a survivor is pointless and not want to make another character.
New players die CONSTANTLY,and probably wont make a new character every time they want to shoot some zombies because it means they have to spend a ton of time finding all the equipment you need to survive.

The problem with MMO’s is that it is very hard to create story progression because there are millions of people playing at a different pace. So you need character progression to keep the game interesting, and if you become a zombie permanently after dying there really is no progression there. I wouldn’t think zombies would have the ability to learn new skills unless you implement some kind of mutation system and that would mean you would have millions of elite zombie players versus people who just made a new character and have next to no equipment.

Also, customization is very important to me in an MMO. There are so many players out there, so I want my character to stand out. Having to spend 10-15 mins customizing my character’s appearance every time I want to kill zombies would suck.

I think there should be repercussions for dying, but I would be pretty pissed if I have a character I’ve been playing for weeks and then have to start from the ground up again.

By no means would I say my idea is perfect but I think that becoming a zombie and the way that is done will be a ‘make or break’ feature of the game. I guess you could just make certain places in the game that turn you back to human but I like the idea of being able to hunt down the jerk that took my equipment, taking a big bite out of his neck, and then go back to blasting infected with his AK-47…

Well, I’ve been followin Undead Labs for a while now, since I heard of this MMOZ. Gotta say, I’m very interested. I also love the idea of different Zombie classes (A mixture of fast and shambling(Shambling being my personal favourite)).

Sounds like you guys are gonna make one hell of a game!

Don’t you dare disappoint me.

2) Make it good.

3) Bring it to both the PS3 and Xbox so fanboys cannot get into any “oooh we have this game so our console is better than yours” arguments.

Thank you

-First off, I think that any rpg elements in this game could be handled without all the automated actions in other MMOs (click-attack, auto-aiming/headshot, etc). For shooters I say give higher level characters abilities that merely enhance their own aim, such as zooming/night/heat vision, less recoil, faster trigger pulling. For lower level characters make the target blurry when aiming through a sight (like aiming a real gun), give crazy recoil when using a heavy/powerful gun.

-RPG elements could be explained in the story. Perhaps the survivors are only survivors because they are react differently to the virus/parasite/whatever, and it has a positive response (stronger, faster, enhanced senses etc. Virus supposed to have been a superdrug originally?). Could also explain respawning (perhaps you can turn into a zombie for a little while after death for some fun, but body eventually fights off infection and is “found” unconscious and damaged and brought back to nearest safehouse). Would also allow a wider range of possible abilities without hitting plot holes (nightvision, “seeing” infection, crazy bursts of strength/speed/jumps, pheremones to mess with zombie behavior). Be cool to if one’s climbing skill got better so you could eventually scale a three-story building/light pole/etc, though it would take stamina).

-Stamina bar could be nice, and perhaps incorporate adrenaline bar for higher levels (For example, soak damage, major increase in strength; I want to see zombies fly) Would be nice to see a player go berserk when their health starts getting low for a nice last stand. Adrenaline could refill when hitting or receiving damage by zombies.

-Noise should be an important factor. Yelling in the microphone or using guns would attract more than melee for example.

-Crazy customization. Since a zombie game would have a lot of collecting items from the “good ‘ol days”, there should be tons of ways to customize gear (attachments to guns, blades for melee, armor).

-Vehicles would be nice for upper level character and should be highly customizable. Make it so you’re only allotted a certain amount of fuel when you leave a safe zone though, so unless you make a straight shot to the next safehouse, the vehicle will eventually break down. Basic vehicles should also be more prone to being taken down by zombies versus a higher level vehicles with a plow attached, though heavier vehicles would also get lower gas mileage. Vehicles can also be towed to the nearest town when you die.

-Inventory should also be realistic to help the game feel more intense. Weight and size should be primary factors, so a character can only bring so much ammo with him/her and larger guns would also weight them down. This would help make ammo scarce during combat even when you can afford as much as you want. Would also be cool if inventory was placed right on the avatar (guns in slings/holsters, ammo in pouches/bandaliers, everyday stuff in a pack). Weighed down characters should also move slower and produce more noise.

-Would be nice if voice chat could only be used when people were close enough or had radios (for squads). Maybe use text chat for when in a town (xbox 360 has mini keyboard for their controllers; works like a qwerty pad for a cellphone. Not sure about PS3). Could make text in-game, like on a special wrist watch.

-Maps should be found. Maybe new players use subway maps to start, only giving basic outlines for streets. May later come across nicer maps such as city blueprints and eventually come across a gps device which grants extra features (indoor prints, locations of characters not in party, sos abilities, etc)

-AWESOME PHYSICS ENGINE. To avoid a game from becoming boring, you need to give the player the ability to use and shape the environment to their advantage. This will make or break the game in my opinion. The main reason it’s so much fun to talk zombie is because you can be so creative about it. Give the player the ability to make simple traps, temporary shelter, tear off car doors for shields, shoot fire-escape ladders to make them fall down, topple over shelves/weak walls, throw stuff out windows, bash doors, use random items, have random items break, then use broken random item, set ambushes, fight ambushes, set fires, be set on fire, have dead zombies make piles, etc. Make the possibilities endless.

-Finally, be creative with the zombies. Your average shuffling zombie is fine, but add some faster/stronger/jumpier/climbier ones. Make some combustable, some tentacled, and some that sound like a damn foghorn to attract others. Any good plot will demand some smarter human (or possibly unhuman) antagonists as well. Humans will be vying for resources in such a world, and factions will exist. Perhaps some other colonies don’t like people raiding supplies on their turf? Random (and very rare) boss-ish enemies could also appear once in a great while and force the players to run and really pump up the survivalist nature of the game.

-Colonies should be realistic and raided regularly. Perhaps a docking area and a cargo ship, football stadium, military base. Would also be helpful to have some NPCs fight in said raids/recoveries when the server populations are low, but naturally much weaker than PCs.

Well, I think I got my word in. Hope this game kicks ass!

We are beta testing Natal (horribly named Kinect, now) and loving it. the skeletal tracking/input would be cool for your title.