| Description: |
An entire subterranean level of Malton.
The Pitch #1 (role-playing)
A wounded zombie, battered and confused, climbs into the crypt beneath a cemetery to gnaw on grisly bones, whilst it's brethren stumble through the sewers in search of fresher meat, unperturbed by disease and the choking stench. Survivors, desperate to escape the slaughter and madness in the city above, hide out in old emergency sub-stations, built to power Malton's half-built nuclear shelters.
The Pitch #2 (game-playing)
There are more survivors than zombies (54:46). A common complaint is the zombies don't get enough love in terms of new and exciting ways to play the game, or that being a zombie is somehow considered losing. Part of the idea in introducing this suggestion was to help redress the balance. The Underworld has been designed as a location in which zombies, not survivors, have a natural tactical advantage (but not a game-killing one).
New Underworld Rules
Movement
- Movement is according to the normal UD rules.
- (For RP purposes, a barricaded Subway Station is actually just a barricaded area within the station. It's still possible to move through the area, without going near the barricades, as it is above ground.)
- Note: there is no bypassing of barricades involved in these rules.
- Impassable Locations: one key addition is that of squares that nobody can move through. Solid rock, essentially. The ratio of impassable : passable locations would be decided at a later design stage.
Entry / exit
- If you are in a city square that has an entry to the Underworld, it will say so in the description (e.g. "You see stairs leading down to a sub-basement" or "There is a manhole cover in the street"), whether you're inside or outside of any building. There will be a special button allowing you to enter the Underworld (e.g. "Go down the stairs" or "Enter the Underworld!", although the latter is somewhat melodramatic). The same is true for exiting the Underworld.
- It is possible that there be an Underworld location below a city location, but no entry/exit point. (E.g. a subway tunnel passing beneath a building.) How many squares per suburb allow entry/exit would be decided during a later design stage. (It would be several, to avoid choke/swarm points, as we have currently with Malls and Armourys.)
- Whether the Underworld network be fully connected would be decided during a later design phase. (e.g. the current Free Running network has a few blocks that are not connected.)
- You do not see what kind of Underworld location it is before you enter but you can get a clue from the Underworld Locations rules presented below. Only certain locations exist beneath certain buildings. (The opposite is also true: you do not see what kind of city square you're going to when you exit the Underworld.) This lack of knowledge would only last as long as it takes for someone to publish an online map.
- Because you can't see the location before you go there, you also can't see what's down there in terms of survivors and zombies. This is the same as exiting a building.
- It is possible to exit a heavily barricaded building into a non-building location, when entering or exiting the Underworld.
- In all other ways, this is just as if you'd clicked on a neighboring building under the current rules (vis-à-vis Free Running et al).
- It is not possible to bypass barricades using these rules.
Visibility
You can always see the type of location you are in, and the type of the surrounding 8 locations. Further, you can always see an exit to ground level, if one is there.
- You can only see survivors, zombies, barricades, doors, bodies and generators in your current location if:
- it's powered (either by a generator or a substation: see Locations, below).
- you're a survivor with a Flashlight (see New Item, below).
- you're a zombie with Night-Vision (see New Skills, below).
- you're a survivor that just fired a Flare Gun. (Subsequent IP-hit hides everything again.)
- If you can't see, you can't attack (survivors, zombies, barricades, generators – whatever) or attempt to enter or exit buildings (except exiting by clicking on a neighbouring open location), or close doors, or repair a ransacked location, or search. In fact, all you can do is move to another location or, if there's an exit to ground level, you can take it.
- You can only see survivors and zombies in adjacent locations if:
- it's powered (either by a generator or a substation: see Locations, below).
- you're a zombie with Night-Vision (see New Zombie Skill, below).
- Locations in darkness will be greyed out (i.e. you can still see the type of location, but there will be a graphical indication that it's in darkness.) A zombie may still see the population of a location in darkness, so it's important to differentiate.
- This gives zombies a clear tactical advantage in the Underworld, as long as they have Night-Vision: they can always see what's going on around them. Survivors, without a Flashlight or a Flare Gun, and in an area that isn't powered, are effectively blind. This has been done on purpose – the Underworld, as you'd expect, is somewhere where the undead flourish, and survivors need to be well organized and equipped to handle the dangers. Having said that, there are only two locations (crypts and caverns, detailed below) that can never have powered lighting - so in most areas of the Underworld, as long as survivors keep the lights going, it's still an even playing field.
Effects on existing items
- Several underground locations will initially be padlocked shut and require the use of wirecutters to enter. (Details under Underworld Locations, below.)
- Flare Guns, if fired into the air, will only be seen within a 1-block radius.
- GPS doesn't work, and shows as (-.-), or (0,0).
- NecroNet Scans don't penetrate.
- Mobile Phones don't receive signals.
- Radio doesn't operate, and Radio Transmitters cannot be setup in buildings.
- Binoculars are useless, as there are no tall buildings.
Effects on existing skills
- Scent Trail works as given, with an indication of whether the prey is above or below ground.
- Scent Death works as given, with an indication of whether the group is above or below ground.
- Feeding Groan does not penetrate from above ground to below ground or vice versa.
Underworld Locations
Buildings: Subway Station, Power Substation, Sewage Plant, NecroTech Safehouse, Secure Vault, Cellar, Sub-Basement, Nuclear Bunker.
Open Areas: Underground Carpark, Subway Tunnel, Sewage Tunnel, Utility Tunnel, Natural Cavern, Crypt.
Where a location may or may not have an entry/exit point from above ground, "none" is given as one of the options under "possible entry points" (see below).
Buildings
As above ground, buildings can be barricaded, ransacked / repaired and powered with portable generators. Unless noted otherwise, buildings have closeable doors and a chance (suggestions given below) of initially being padlocked, requiring wirecutters to open.
- Subway Station
- Possible entry points: Railway Station (Padlocked: 10%; Tagging: +2XP)
- Power Substation
- Possible entry points: Building, Towers, Factory (Padlocked: 50%; Tagging: +1XP)
- Special Rules:
- Mandatory and maximum one per suburb. Large Building. Always takes up two squares.
- If one square is given a generator, then that square is lit, as normal.
- If both squares are given a generator, then the emergency lighting is switched on for this entire suburb of the Underworld. That turns on lights in underground carparks, all three tunnel types (subway, sewage and utility) and Nuclear Bunkers, as long as those locations are not ransacked. This is the only way to provide lighting for those locations (except for the Nuclear Bunker).
- Emergency lighting increases the rate of fuel consumption by both the Power Substation squares.
- (This idea was inspired by other people's ideas for powering Malton.)
- Sewage Plant
- Possible entry points: Street, Carpark, Junkyard, Wasteland. (Padlocked: 25%)
- Special Rules:
- Mandatory and maximum one per suburb.
- If ransacked, makes Subway Tunnels in this suburb behave as Sewage Tunnels (i.e. sewage starts seeping into the subway system). (See Subway Tunnels and Sewage Tunnels, below.)
- NecroTech Safehouse
- Possible entry points: none. (Padlocked: 90%)
- Special Rules:
- UV Scanner: If the Safehouse has a running Generator, and a survivor has NecroNet Access, clicking this location-specific button will bring up a view of the 9-cell neighbourhood (i.e. 1-square radius) centred on the Safehouse. Numbers of zombies and survivors will be displayed (but not those inside buildings). For role-playing purposes, this is a surveillance system built to monitor the approaches to the Safehouse. The system has difficulty distinguishing multiple signals: if there are more than 5 zombies or survivors, the numbers show as "5+". (E.g. "3 humans, 5+ zombies".)
- As yet undefined New Item should be unique to this location - something to encourage survivors.
- Secure Vault
- Possible entry points: Mansion, Bank. (Padlocked: 90%)
- Special Rules: Easier to barricade up than other buildings.
- Cellar
- Possible entry points: Mansion, Pub. (Padlocked: 10%)
- Special Rules: Homebrew - beer or wine drunk here provides an additional +1HP.
- Sub-Basement
- Possible entry points: Mall, Power Station, Building, Cinema, Club, Factory, Fire Station, Hospital, Hotel, Library, Museum, NecroTech Building, Police Department, Tower. (Padlocked: 10%)
- Nuclear Bunker
- Possible entry points: none, Building, Library, Museum, Tower, School. (Tagging: +1XP)
- Search items: Flashlight, Gasmask.
- Special Rules:
- This building is never padlocked, and the heavy bunker doors are initially open, and cannot be closed by hand (see below).
- Barricading this bunker is difficult due to the spartan, secure design: they cannot be barricaded past Quite Strongly.
- If powered by a Portable Generator, that only provides lighting. (The other systems of the Nuclear Shelter are tied to dedicated circuits - linked to the local suburb Power Substation - and cannot be accessed by survivors. Typically poor thinking by the city planners.)
- If the suburb's Power Substation (see above) is fully powered, the following special rules apply (as long as the building is not ransacked):
- Emergency lighting remains on, even if there is no Portable Generator running.
- Allows bonus +5HP in use of a FAK (as for a Hospital: the Bunker has a full medical facility).
- Bunker doors become active:
- A toggle button will allow any survivor inside the building to open or close the bunker doors.
- Whenever the bunker doors close, they destroy the barricades compeletely.
- While the doors are closed, nothing can get in or out - dumping bodies doesn't work, either.
- As a failsafe, if the bunker is unpowered (i.e. the substation powering it is shut down) while the door is closed, it automatically opens.
- Only location in Malton to find a Gasmask (see New Items, below)
Open Areas
As above ground, open areas cannot be barricaded, or powered with portable generators. However, the first four locations here (the carpark and three tunnel types) can have emergency lighting provided by the suburb's Power Substation (see above), and can also be ransacked and repaired to enable / disable the lighting. Caverns and Crypts never have lighting, and cannot be ransacked.
- Underground Carpark
- Possible entry points: Hotel, Carpark, Stadium
- Subway Tunnel
- Possible entry points: none, Street
- Special Rules: If the local Sewage Plant is ransacked, these tunnels become flooded with sewage, and behave as Sewage Tunnels (see below).
- Sewage Tunnel
- Possible entry points: none, Street, Wasteland, Junkyard
- Special Rules: Survivors must spend 2AP to move into any sewage tunnel square, due to the noxious atmosphere.
- Utility Tunnel
- Possible entry points: none, plus any except Fort / Armoury, Zoo, Monument, Park.
- Natural Cavern
- Possible entry points: none
- Crypt
- Possible entry points: none, Cathedral, Cemetery, Church, Mansion
- Special Rules: Zombies can "Gorge On Remains" (a special button for this location only) if they have Digestion – gives 10% chance of +1HP per AP spent.
Squares which have no potential entry points to the Underworld (on purpose):
- Fort / Armoury
- Zoo
- Monument
- Park
New Skills
Skills shown in italics are not crucial to the design at this stage, and are given only as exemplars.
Zombie Skill: Night-Vision
Prerequisites: Level 10
Allows a zombie to see in the Underworld as they do above ground, regardless of any lighting. This is a standalone skill that doesn't sit neatly within the other branches of the zombie skill tree. The prerequisite reflects that this is a mutation that can only occur after some time as a zombie. Has no effect for a survivor.
Zombie Skill: Neuro-Toxic Bite
Prerequisites: Level 10, Digestion, Infectious Bite
The untreated sewage and chemical effluent of the Underworld, combined with a mutation of this zombie's Infectious Bite, have caused a unique neuro-toxic reaction. If a survivor is bitten by this zombie, either in a Sewage Tunnel, a ransacked Sewage Plant or an infected Subway Tunnel, then (as well as losing 1 HP for each AP spent, as normal), they also lose the ability to speak, until treated with a FAK. This skill has no effect above ground. Has no effect for a survivor.
Zombie Skill: Underworld Tracking
Prerequisites: Level 10, Night-Vision, Scent Fear, Scent Trail
This zombie combines it's heightened senses to track prey more readily through the suffocating confines of the underworld. The Scent Trail distance is increased to 15 blocks, as long as both zombie and prey are in the underworld. This skill has no effect above ground. Has no effect for a survivor.
New Items
Items shown in italics are not crucial to the design at this stage, and are given only as exemplars.
Flashlight
Inventory: 1 space
Locations: NecroTech Safehouse (?%), Nuclear Shelter (?%), Sub-Basement (?%), Cinema (?%), Mall Hardware Store (?%) [More..?]
Effect: Allows a survivor to see in an unlit Underworld location. The batteries in the Flashlight eventually run out, and may be old to begin with: every AP spent in an unlit location, there is a 5% chance for the Flashlight to be rendered useless (and disappear from the inventory with an accompanying message.) Has no effect above ground.
Gasmask
Inventory: 1 space
Locations: Nuclear Shelter (?%)
Effect: Negates the movement penalty (2AP per square) for survivors in Sewage Tunnels (and infected Subway Tunnels). The filters in the Gasmask are old and get easily clogged: every AP spent in Sewage Tunnels (or infected Subway Tunnels), there is a high % chance for the Gasmask to be rendered useless (and disappear from the inventory with an accompanying message.)
NecroNet Handheld Scanner
Inventory: 1 space
Locations: NecroTech Safehouse (?%)
Prerequisites: Level 10, NecroTech Employment, Lab Experience, NecroNet Access
Effect: This allows a skilled survivor to spend 1 AP scanning the local 9-cell neighbourhood (i.e. the surrounding 8 blocks and the block they're standing in) for DNA-scanned zombies. Essentially, it's a limited, localised NecroNet scan. The scanner works both above and below ground. This is a hi-tech prototype that uses advanced VLF (Very Low Frequency) comms to access the NecroNet from underground and from within buildings. Due to the intricate workings of this fragile prototype device, and the limited knowledge of users in any attempted repair or maintenance, it's easy to break: each time it's used, there is a medium % chance that it becomes damaged beyond repair.
Implementation
Beta Version
As this suggestion would be a major addition to the game, and could have a massive impact on the meta-game, it would be too risky to implement the entire Underworld under all 100 suburbs at the same time. Therefore, it should first be implemented beneath a single suburb as a beta version, in order that further study can be done on the impact it has on the game. (This can be role-played as survivors and zombies slowly discovering entrances that were previously hidden, locked, blocked or simply left undisturbed during the crisis.)
Shortcuts
In designing the map, it would be possible to link two city level locations by a faster Free Running route than is currently available, thus creating a shortcut for survivors. Further, there is the possibility of linking buildings that are currently not on the Free Running network, back in.
Survivor Incentives
The key concern of most players is that a survivor would need some positive incentive (beyond scouting and defence) to venture into the Underworld. To an extent, that's also true of venturing into the street, but with this, there's the added danger of being left in the dark. Natural incentives such as zombie hunting, suburb control, secret bases and short-cuts may come naturally from the geography. In addition, ideas such as higher search rates for particular items, or new items unique to the Underworld are possibilities.
Concept Maps
Purely as an example, here's a map of Miltown, where the red boxes indicate entry/exit points. In this example, the Underworld is quite sparse, with a far higher number of open locations, compared to buildings. Of course, it would be possible to dramatically increase the amount of neutral underworld locations with entry/exit points by adding in a bunch of sub-basements, which would add greatly to the Free Running network.
In creating these concept maps, it become clear that there are not many neutral building locations without entry/exit points, so in some ways these rules limit a designer to having either a few entry/exit points and a lack of underground Free Running, or many entry/exit points and a closely tied network of underground Free Running.
Note that even though a cellar has been added to the pub in the north-east corner (which is not on the Malton Free Running network), it's still not connected, because the cellar goes through a cave (non-building) before getting to the Nuclear Bunker. A similar situation exists for the four squares in the south that are not on the Malton Free Running network.
This demonstrates that a map design phase will bring to light issues that were not previously apparent, just as any implementation will.
Thanks
To A Bothan Spy and Xoid, for coming up with the bunker doors suggestion.
To The Mad Axeman, for some practical criticism, especially regarding the visibility rules.
To Gene Splicer, for good advice on keeping the suggestion firmly on topic (as far as that's possible, in this case).
Trevor Fitzgerald for the idea of shortcuts.
To everyone else who offered support over on the suggestion discussion page.
My family, who ... [Okay - that's enough "Thanks" - Ed.]
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