VB: Zombie Hordes [Exe]

[Dekade]

Greetings,

I have decided to release the prototype version of my very first game "Zombie Hordes". The prototype is written in VB6 and uses DX8. Source code has not been made available so i understand those of you who do not wish to try it out.

The idea of the game (which in my haste i forgot to mention and had to edit in) is to use your soldier units to rescue trapped civilians and herd them to the exit point while fighting off a constant swarm of flesh eating zombies.

For those of you who do play it, please keep in mind that this is a prototype and contains minor bugs and a few temporary sprites (only soldier units are currently animated). The prototype comes with 8 maps you can play and you can change the order by editing the "maplist.txt" file if you wish. I have not included the map editor, but will include it with the full release when finished.

Please note that the prototype is hardcoded to use the default display card. If you're using a secondary card for 3D stuff then i'm afraid the game will not run. Sorry 'bout that.

Having said all that, you can download the game from here: Zombie Hordes

All comments, criticism, encouragement, whatever, is welcome

Hope you enjoy it.

Thank you to everyone here that have helped out with my noob questions



Duncan

[NoteMe]

I doubt that there is anyone going to run that EXE here. We have had a couple of accidents lately with EXEs, so people are told to stay away from them. Sorry.

But why not post some screen shoots and tell us a bit about what is possible and what is not? That would be great.

Good luck with the project anyway. Sorry that I don't take the chance on my work laptop...

[si_the_geek]

I thought this sounded familiar, so I found your previous thread about it (which has a screenshot):

http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.p...hreadid=279994


For anybody who wants to try this software, I advise you that it is at your own risk.

There have been executables posted in the past with malicious code in them, and it cannot be guaranteed that software will not cause damage (even if there is no intent by the author for it to do so).

I personally dont think that it is an issue here, but I still will not be running it myself, just in case

[NickMeuir]

I ran it. It seems people are just a tad overcautious. (Or maybe I have nothing to lose? )

Anyways, it ran well.
I didn't even get past the first level.
But from what I played, it was OK. Things like this inspire me to actually FINISH a game.

[Electroman]

Yea I ran it to and its really good.
I normally use my other PC to test exes however the PSU is gone at the moment (when I turn it on it acts like a car thats ran out of petrol. It keeps going on for a sec then restarting, eventually it will start, or if I disconnect the PSU from the mains for a bit (to let the capacitors drain).) I should really put my spare one in .

Back to the game any way I really liked it. Still battleing my way though the first level but I can't really see how you can die (yet) .

[Electroman]

I can't stop playing it. I'm upto Level 6 or something, first one with 6 civilians.

BTW one thing that would be good is either Full screen or Resizeable window cos its a bit small on my res. i noticed now and again the movements go a bit funny like they'll start turning to early then they studenly get placed right though. Thats not bad though.

Also you have set the Input for the key board to Background instead of Background. This way if I press p in a different window it unpauses it.

All round really good though.

[Dekade]

I fully understand the "Don't run EXE files", and i'm also a great believer in it. Especially from places like this. Not saying this is a bad place or anything... but it only takes one clown to ruin your day. Which is a shame.

Anyway, to those of you who have played it and liked it, i thank you. It pleases me to hear such things. I may even get around to finishing the full version one of these days (caught up in too many projects at once).

Electroman:
I played around with both fullscreen and window mode with the prototype, but settled with window only for now. The proper version will have a "settings" menu so you can choose all that kind of thing (along with detail settings and such). The funny movements you mentioned i am aware of but i'm not worried about tracking it down. It has to do with the current tile offset and setting a new waypoint before the old path has been finished. It also sometimes does it when a unit is walking and stops to fire. I'll sort that out when i write the new routine.

Thanks for reminding me about the input still being processed by the keyboard. I was going to ask about that but forgot. I'll be sure to correct it (although the VB prototype version will no longer be worked on). Good thing those soldiers can take care of themselves fairly well though

Hope you enjoy map 7 (with 8 civilians). That one is my personal favourite.

[Electroman]

Originally posted by Dekade
Hope you enjoy map 7 (with 8 civilians). That one is my personal favourite.

Yeah I liked it too, I'm on 8 now, a bit of a shock to only have 4 civilians then I noticed the giant space to get through . On map 7 I lost one civilian (first one so far) accidently left him behind and then heard him die . It would be nice to have a restart level thing as well because if a marine dies your pretty stuped, cos quite a lot of the time I need all 4 marines to sucure the area. .

How many maps is there? Hope I'm not near the end?, ow yeah you need to build a save function that will let me save where I am with out closing this one .

[Dekade]

Yeah i really need to implement a "restart" feature. I've found that i can usually continue with 3 soldiers, but once i'm down to two... well... a lot of civilians end up dead

As for saving, i have concidered that, but i'm in two minds about it. I might allow a single save file to be created, but the idea of the game was to be a simple "coffee break desktop adventure" type of game. Just load up your favourite map and away you go. Some of the larger maps can take longer than a single coffee break though so i think a save might be called for after all.

And i'm sorry to say that map 8 is the last. If i get a bit of free time i may make so more for you. It only takes around an hour to make a large sized map.

[alkatran]

Do you want some suggestions?

-Consider not letting zombies enter the flashing color area. I hate having to leave 2 marines guarding my civilians... oh wait.. I could have put them in a better spot... I figured it was a "safe" zone until I heard all my civs die the first time...

-Don't center the window when you select a unit.

-Switch the buttons for select/move so they are the same as most RTSs (left to pick, right to move)

-Make the screen scroll when the mouse is at the border (really only works well in full screen)

-Make marines NOT SHOOT when you're moving them (2 types of move?).. I keep losing them when they pause to shoot a zombie just before going around a corner.

-Speed setting?

-I hit a bug where I couldn't select a civilian at all. No idea what caused it.

-I hate to say it, but the pathing needs work. Units can jump squares here and there, refuse to move to a square (for a few clicks), etc...

[Electroman]

Posted by alkatran
-Don't center the window when you select a unit.

-Switch the buttons for select/move so they are the same as most RTSs (left to pick, right to move)

I was going to suggest the camera thing myself asw ell. And I suppose I did find the controls odd to start with.


And yeah I realised level 8 was the last one just after I posted that reply . And as far as the save thing goes it would be ok if there was a selection screen for which level you wanted to start at. Cos all I was suggesting was a save game thing that would remember the level not the position of everything. I foudn in the maps folder how to start on different levels though so thats good for now .

Ow yeah I dont agree with Alkatran on the safe zone thing because I think it would be too easy then. I enjoyed struggling to protect 6-8 civilians using only 4 marines.

[Dekade]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll definitely change the spec to incorporate some of those.

I must admit that it was many moons ago that i last played an RTS game. I can soon switch the buttons around (and even allow that sort of thing to be customized anyway). As for not centering the window, how do most RTS games handle that? Certain keypress?

I'll also add an ingame map loader option as well.

As for the exit point being a "safe zone"... not a chance

[Electroman]

For the centering the map most RTS's will ceter the screen if you select a unit when its already selected (only really used when you split them into teams, like using the number buttons on keyboard to select). I recon for your game though it would be better if the camera just stays where is it if Camera lock is off and centers only when Camera lock is on.

Do you have a level editor I could play with BTW? I'd love to make a couple of levels of my own .

[alkatran]

I actually agree with not making it a safe zone, just gotta be careful..

[Dekade]

Originally posted by Electroman
Do you have a level editor I could play with BTW? I'd love to make a couple of levels of my own .

Editor is now bundled with the game.

A word of warning though... any maps you make with this editor will not be compatible with the full release. I have changed the structure and also have a whole new editor made from the ground up. The maps will only work with the prototype.

Also, no need to worry about bug reports or suggested changes since this editor has been scrapped.

[SLH]

Excellent game, very addictive.

[davebat]

good game but really hard, i could only et to level two.

[Electroman]

Posted by davebat
good game but really hard, i could only et to level two.

Really? I thought it was ok, more of a logical game to be honest but made fun .
If you make sure you only move your units when the've cleared an area. I can't remember, were the civilians in level 2?

[SLH]

Yeah, i like the stratagy invloved. I like having to plan a new 'moves' ahead.

[Jacob Roman]

Killer Game!!! Highly Addicting.

[Arie]

Originally posted by Jacob Roman
Killer Game!!! Highly Addicting.

Tip: Speed up soldiers speed.

Arie.

[Arie]

Well?? Comments about my TIP??

Arie.

[Electroman]

I thought the speed was good how it is .

[Arie]

I want Dekade's opinion about that...

Arie.

[Electroman]

Posted by Arie
I want Dekade's opinion about that...

Arie.

[Dekade]

Thanks for all the comments. I still have plans to develop this game one day, but for now i am caught up in way too much other stuff (technical term). I did do a slight update to the prototype and added an extra map. I may add a few more maps but who knows.

As for the "Speed Tip", i have added a Walk / Run option into the spec. I'll have to wait and see if that upsets the balance before i decide whether to keep it or not. Either way, they'll most likely move faster.

Electroman
Did you ever end up making any maps for it?

[Electroman]

Posted by Dekade
Electroman
Did you ever end up making any maps for it?

yea i think I did but I can't seem to find where i've put them , I'll post them when/if I I find them .

[alexDrewn]

Good Job soldier!!

[half_eaten]

This is very very cool. Intuitive interface, very nice. One thing though... it's too easy to just tell each soldier to go to the pool of water... you don't really have to do anythin but watch them walk over there and you beat the level. heh.

it's still sweet though!
-Mike

[Electroman]

This is very very cool. Intuitive interface, very nice. One thing though... it's too easy to just tell each soldier to go to the pool of water... you don't really have to do anythin but watch them walk over there and you beat the level. heh.

it's still sweet though!
-Mike

Did you get top the levels with the Civilians? can't do that then .....Also I've had soliders die before, its gard but happens if they go round a corner at the sae time as a zombie.

[half_eaten]

Did you get top the levels with the Civilians? can't do that then .....Also I've had soliders die before, its gard but happens if they go round a corner at the sae time as a zombie.

I just tried level 2... I see what you mean! Question, I got them out okay, but if the civilians die do you lose the level?

[Electroman]

Can't remember, i think it was if all the civilians die, might have been if everyone dies though. I would say its better if just when all the civilians die. I'm pretty sure one or two civilians can die leaving just one.

[half_eaten]

Why would the zombies entrap them? wouldn't they just eat their brains on the spot?

[half_eaten]

Here's a suggestion: Add MPEG sequences of the zombies eating the soldiers/civilians every time they die. Make it extremely graphic.

[Dekade]

Wow people are still playing this huh? Cool.

I'll use this opportunity to post an update for the world of Zombie Hordes. Firstly, the game that you've been playing has now become a spin-off to the real game. Scope creep has caused Zombie Hordes to grow into something I never actually planned when I started. The game you have is now called "Zombie Hordes: Arcade" (being a simple arcade style based on the proper game). This version will still be very much the same except that it has a Gore System (a personal favourite) which makes the places get quite messy after a while, and it also has all the in-game options you'd expect to see such as loading maps, saving games, etc.

The real Zombie Hordes is now (at least on paper) an isometric zombiefest RPG of bloodbath goodness complete with destroyable terrain. Think Fallout meets XCOM but in a post zombie epidemic world. I wont go into the finer points, but there will be all kinds of maps from small towns, bushland (you'll need to hunt for food occasionally since canned foods don't grow on trees), and larger City maps. There are also groups of survivors that you can join and perform quests for. One group is the remains of a military unit (who have lots of cool weapons for you to play with), and another is "The Convicts" who turned their own prison into a fortress to protect them from the undead. There are other groups of survivors out there but I've already given away more than I should at this time. And yes you can build your own maps and link them into the main game world.

As to when all this stuff will be ready, I do not know. I am currently working hard on T2X: Shadows of the Metal Age (pimpage) that is nearing completion. Once that is out of the way i will be free to work on Zombie Hordes.

[Evgeni]

Awesome game, but when I got up to the last level(the really big one) didn't feel like finishing because it kinda got boring same idea but just bigger maze.. But for the first 7 levels i really liked it. You might wanna add more things to the game to make the user excited at all time.

[articwoof]

God I really like this game!

Basic but fun to play. Really addicting!

Very nice job

Full Screen would be nice