Die Z

[Alan_W]

Find Food and Water whilst surviving the Zombie Attack.

[applet archive=zombie4k.jar class=Z width=600 height=400]

Controls:
Movement: WASD or Cursor Keys
Attack : Space Bar

31/12/12: Demo Version: The Zombie AI is yet to be done, I still have 700 bytes.
03/01/13: Added some basic AI, increased hitbox, fixed speed bug. The Jar is now over 4k, but the Gz still has 500 bytes spare.
06/01/13: Minor AI fixes, Added Sound. pack.gz now at 4092 bytes, so 4 bytes spare. Done bar bug fixes.
13/01/13: Player attack only damages zombie in front of player.  Zombie attack damage increased. Player no longer walks on water. Game pauses on player death before resetting. Removed unused Z-buffer code. Code optimised for size. Pack.gz now 4081 bytes.

[teletubo]

This is beautiful!  I am really impressed with the grass and trees.

I think the hitbox of the axe should be expanded, since I must almost run over a zombie to kill it. A little feedback on when a zombie is hit would also be nice.

Good job overall !

[ra4king]

How can you do this in 4K?!?! I am also impressed and agree with teletubo that the hit box does need to be wider

Games published by our own members! Check 'em out!

[appel]

I can't believe this is 4k!!

400 bytes? Maybe an attempt to add mouse support?

[Jimmt]

Whoa, 3D!
I agree with the hitbox suggestions, at times it seemed like my axe wasn't doing anything. Forward movement also seems a bit too fast to be realistic.
Nice grass 

[theagentd]

Really cool game, but you the hitboxes really need tweaking. =S

[Alan_W]

Thanks for the kind words.  I agree the hitboxes are too small and will increase them  

Rendering uses a modified form of raycasting, constructing terrain billboards at a range of depths (a bit like theatre scenary).

Sadly the rendering algorithm doesn't support mouselook (which doesn't really work for applets anyway).  I have used a crosshair cursor in the past for ranged weapons, but feel that a zombie survival should be more close up and personal ... so one has an axe rather than a gun, and don't really need precision aiming.

Currently working on the AI.  This may take a while, as it's back to work tomorrow.

Edit: There's also a player speed bug, which makes player speed vary with machine speed. Will fix in next version.

[StephR]

Really great and impressive technically. I'm okay with no mouse control. It would be too problematic without fullscreen.

Now take your time to implement a good gameplay ! I don't know what you intend to do, but what about making numbered zombie assault waves coming from the edges of the map ? I know it is not very original. Maybe it is exactly what you intend to do. Still I think it is an interesting and thrilling situation.

Zombies could also have to destroy doors to enter houses, loosing time by doing so. And instead of food and water, the player may gather some wood in order to repair doors.

And if you still have a lot of bytes, implement a gun with a few ammo scattered on the map.

[Alan_W]

Added some basic AI, increased hitbox size and fixed speed bug.  .gz has about 500 bytes spare.
The AI isn't final yet, but I need to play for a bit to see where it's at.

Belated happy new year 

[Alan_W]

Updated AI slightly.  Added Sound. The pack.gz is now 4092 bytes, so this is pretty much it now, bar fine tuning.

Note that the buildings are enterable and have more supplies then outside (But you can't see the zombies coming).

Alan

Games published by our own members! Check 'em out!

[StephR]

Your game is the most technically advanced I have seen in this contest. And it could be even better if it was more challenging.

Your zombies are not at all aggressive and they behave very strangely sometimes, running away from the player. Their IA should be more straightforward.

I'm not convinced by your food and water management. I would prefer more intense zombie action.

I find the added value of your sound effects very weak.

I regret there is no possibility to rate one's advancement into the game.

What about removing your sound effects and your food and water management, and replacing them with a short range shotgun and its ammo management ? But keep the axe of course, and make zombies dealing much more damages. And more aggressive !

You should also consider what I already wrote about numbered zombie assault waves. So each player may rate her/his advancement for each game session. So they could tell : I survived until wave X...

[Alan_W]

@Steph
I'm sorry to hear that the gameplay doesn't meet expectations.   It's intended as a survival horror, not a shooter.   I could have done a shoot-em-up using the same graphics engine, but it would be a different game, and wouldn't feature zombies.
This is what I'd been aiming for: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOB7YGgREFg

[StephR]

@ Alan_W
I thought that survival horror games were a very challenging kind of game.

In order to increase the difficulty of your game, your food and water may deplenish a bit faster, or they may be already at a low level when the game starts. Zombies may also be more aggressive and deal a lot more of damages, to punish the player for not attacking them skillfully.

I never asked for a shooter. Just a shotgun with a limited range and a few ammo hard to find. You may trade it with your sound effects and the management of food or water, which are redundant.

And just add a timer so the player will be able to tell : I survived Z minutes.

Don't worry, I won't annoy you anymore after this message. 

[Alan_W]

Update
- Zombies now do more damage.  Player attacks now only effect zombies in front of player.
- Pause added after player death before game reset.

Bugs
- Player attack fails to do damage: Fixed
- Player walks on water: Fixed (Try walking to the edge of the island)

[Jimmt]

I just noticed this playing it again - why does the axe go down and stay down as you hold the mouse? I'd like it better if holding the mouse made you pull your axe back, and then releasing the mouse made the axe go down, like in mount&blade.

[Alan_W]

I just noticed this playing it again - why does the axe go down and stay down as you hold the mouse? I'd like it better if holding the mouse made you pull your axe back, and then releasing the mouse made the axe go down, like in mount&blade.

Test Version [not compressed] with axe reversed.  Comments please  

[applet archive=zombie4kaxereversed.jar class=Z width=600 height=400]

Ah. I've found a draw back.  My keyboard can't recognise Up cursor, Left Cursor and Space all held down at the same time.  It's cramping my style. 

[Ultroman]

Mine neither, Alan_w
Up, Right and Space seems fine, though.

This is incredible for 4k!

@StephR: The sounds are made using code and not actual wave-files. Its pretty hard to do good sound in 4k. At least the game HAS sound, although I do agree they could be more...what's the word...saying? I have no idea what makes the sounds start or why

[GabrielBailey74]

Very nice, no externally loaded resources too.