I recently chatted with Darren over at VGrevolution about preserving iconic zombie moments in the game, what makes Class3 and Class4 different than other online world titles, and more. To check out the interview, head over to their website!
VGrevolution Sits Down With Emily
Friday At The Lab
Howdy, survivors! Ever wonder what a typical day looks like at the Lab? We thought it would be a fun end-of-the-week surprise to show you first-hand. Our resident amateur video enthusiast, Jeff, cruised around with his iPhone today and cut the footage he shot into a short video of our Friday.
Check out what we’ve been up to today!
Survival From The Dead
We’ve been talking a lot about zombie behavior recently. Think of it like observing zombies in the wild — Discovery Undead or Mutual of Zombieland, if you know what I mean. When they’re not trying to eat you, what will they be doing? This sparks discussions rife with images of both horror and comedy. A stranger trapped in a car surrounded by zombies. A zombie trapped in a car with no clue how to get out. We definitely want a mix of both elements in our game, but at heart, we are trying to create a serious zombie survival experience.
For every zombified hipster still staring down at his iPhone or stumbling shambler bumping into a wall and looking around in confusion before doing it again, we’ll need a lot of zeds on the prowl, showing their rage and their insatiable hunger. We need to be true to the one defining principle of zombie survival lore:
Zombies are freakin’ scary.
Q&A: Guns, Ammo, and More
We knew that an article about guns would be popular, but wow! In less than a week, you guys have commented over 300 times, which makes this our most active topic yet. We’re incredibly pleased with all of the suggestions and feedback you’ve shared with us — it’s great to see how excited you are about the game, and getting this much input is really helpful for us as we cruise along with development.
As we were reading your comments, we noticed that many of you asked great questions, so we’ll answer a batch of them for you here today. Read on to see what we’ve covered!
Weapon Of Choice
I began shooting at age six — where most kids’ first gun is a plastic toy, mine was real and used to keep the crows out of the garden. I didn’t eat store-purchased meat until I was a teenager 1, and by nine I was adding to the family larder (though in tiny proportions compared to my father’s contributions. He would disappear for a weeks at a time in the fall and return with whatever game had been legal to hunt during that stretch.)
As an adult, I joined the military and learned to see guns as a way to dissuade those who would do us harm (and as the pointy end of retribution for those who didn’t take the hint) 2. I gained an appreciation for their usefulness and a healthy respect for their responsible employment.
Firearms were essential to my family’s well-being and I will always recognize them as valuable survival tools. I still go shooting as often as I can in my free time.
So, as the designer in charge of guns (and other player progression and rewards), is my experience with firearms the primary source I draw from to do my job?
Of course not.