Halloween

Halloween is a holiday celebrated on the night of the 31st of October. In Malton, Kevan has introduced certain game changes on this day for each of the last 4 years, and players sometimes run specific events, especially bearing in mind the horror genre of the game.

The following is a list of all Halloween game changes, in chronological order.

Halloween 2006

Halloween 2006 had a number of game changes - specifically for Halloween fog and knocking on doors was added. As well as this, other changes were added - including the addition of billboards, renaming knives and dumping bodies one at a time. While the fog lifted the next day, the other changes remained in play.

Official News

There were two official news stories for the 31st of October 2006:

Weather warning. Malton has awoken to a thick and freezing fog this morning, reducing visibility to zero across the city. It will have cleared away by the morning - citizens are advised to stay indoors, and to ignore any strange knocking sounds they might hear on their safehouse doors today.

The fog hides a number of minor updates: powered buildings in adjacent blocks are now highlighted, billboards have been scattered through the city, bodies can now only be dumped from buildings one at a time, and a few aesthetic changes have been made.

Fog

Buildings Obscured by Fog on Halloween 2006

Fog has enveloped Malton twice - at Halloween 2006 and 2007. When active, fog makes displays all surrounding blocks simply as "Fog", and so hides the name, building type, survivors and number of zombies present - except when inside Large Buildings, when those adjacent blocks of the same building are visible as normal. Powered buildings are displayed as a lit "Fog" block - with the block button coloured yellow as the block normally would be, but ruined buildings remain as normal "Fog" blocks until approached. The block that you're currently located at remains unchanged. Binoculars can't be used in fog, and if tried, the message was given:

The fog is too thick for binoculars to be of any use.

There were no External Military reports while there was fog.

It is also possible that fog reduces the search percentages, but there's no definite evidence either way.

Door Knocking

Knocking heard inside the building in 2006

When standing outside a building with barricades or secured doors, it was possible for players to "Knock on the door" (interface button or using map.cgi?knock), which would make those inside hear the message:

You hear a loud knocking on the door.

You heard a loud thumping on the door.

From outside:

A zombie thumped loudly on the door.

Vladimir Antipov knocked loudly on the door.

This change along with the candy looks to be a joking way to allow trick or treating by being able to knock on doors, and then people inside giving candy to those who knock.

Halloween 2007

Halloween 2007 saw a few additions to the game - stale candy and Halloween masks became available from newly re-opened Candy and Costume stores respectively. Fog once again descended on Malton, and it was possible for Zombies and Survivors to knock on doors.

In game, players were notified of these changes at around 9:40 GMT by the message:

Game News: A thick and freezing fog swept in across the city. Read Game News

The fog and the Candy and Costume stores appear to have been removed by around the same time the next day (the 1st of November).

A number of parties also took place - notably the The Halloween Hootenanny of Horror at Malton Zoo for both the living and dead. In game

The Halloween Hootenanny of Horror

The Malton Zookeepers host an annual Halloween Party at the Zoo during the holiday. The keystone event of the party each year has been the costume contest, but this year the Zookeepers have added several other events, including Bobbing For Apples, a Halloween Film Festival, and a special Malton Zoo Radio podcast. Click any of the above links or more information.

Stale Candy

Stale Candy in Inventory

Stale candy became available on Halloween 2007 by searching Mall Candy Stores.

When found, 'stale candy' is added to your inventory (see the screenshot), but doesn't take any percentage space.

It can be given to any other zombie or survivor (using the item with map.cgi?use-G6) for 1 AP as a present, which adds it to that player's inventory. If your try to give it to a crowd target list entry (basically to no-one), it removes the item from your inventory, takes 1 AP and gives it to nobody.

No player can have more than one lot of candy in their inventory at a time - searching for or being given more candy doesn't add to your total number of candies in your inventory.

If no other zombies or survivors are present, you can eat some by using the item - this takes 1 AP but doesn't remove the candy from your inventory.

It can also be dropped along with any other item using the drop item command for 0 AP.

Note that unlike other items, it can't be blocked in the user settings page.

Flavour text includes:

Giving Candy:

You give all of your stale candy to Arken Rennatta.

Giving Candy to a non existant person, such as the crowd target list entries:

You give all of your stale candy to [gone].

Receiving Candy:

tonyay163 gave you some stale candy.

Eating Candy:

You chew on a piece of stale candy.

Halloween Masks

When adding clothes in Malls the following options were added to face wear:

2009

• a demon mask
• an alien mask
• a witch mask
• a mummy mask

2008

• a ghost mask
• a ghoul mask
• a wolfman mask
• a skeletal mask
• an executioner's hood
• a robot mask
• a clown mask
• a white facemask
• a white half-face mask
• a black facemask

2007

• a zombie mask
• a vampire mask
• a werewolf mask
• a skull mask
• a Frankenstein's monster mask
• a pumpkin mask

These masks can be used to headbutt as a zombie, please see here for further information.

Zombies can wear these masks as starting clothes regardless of where they are.

Halloween-only stores

Candy Stores

Candy Stores are found in one or more corners of the cities Malls. Searching a Candy Store automatically adds stale candy to your inventory, even if already 100% encumbered.

You pick up a few handfuls of stale candy.

You may only carry one piece of stale candy at a time. If you attempt to find more candy, you recieve the following message.

You're already carrying some candy.

Historically, candy stores are found in the following mall corners.

• Ackland NE
• Bale NE
• Blesley NW and SE
• Buckley NW and SE
• Caiger NE
• Calvert NE
• Dowdney NW and SE
• Giddings NE
• Hildebrand NW
• Joachim SE
• Lumber None Reported
• Marven SW
• Mitchem NW and SE
• Nichols None Reported
• Pole NW and SE
• Stickling SW (2007), NW (2008)
• Tompson SW
• Treweeke NE
• Tynte NW and SE
• Woodroffe None Reported

Costume Stores

Costume Stores were added to certain Mall blocks on Halloween 2007. They didn't give any in game items, but indicated that certain Halloween masks were available to be worn as clothes.

Historically the following Malls are known to have Costume Stores:

• Ackland None Reported
• Bale NW and SE
• Blesley SW
• Buckley SW
• Caiger NW and SE
• Calvert NW and SE
• Dowdney SW
• Giddings NW and SE
• Hildebrand SW
• Joachim SW
• Lumber N
• Marven NW
• Mitchem SW
• Nichols NE
• Pole None Reported
• Stickling SW
• Tompson SW
• Treweeke SE
• Tynte SW
• Woodroffe None Reported

When the Costume Store was searched, no items could be found, but it gave the message:

The shop has nothing but halloween masks. (To wear one, click the 'Settings' button in the sidebar.)

Pumpkins

A carved pumpkin.

On the 31st October 2009 Pumpkins were introduced as items. They have 20% encumbrance level. Found in Parks, successful discovery of a pumpkin gave the following message.

In an overgrown patch of weeds, you find a pumpkin growing.

Pumpkins can be used as weapons, with a base accuracy of 10% and cause 2 damage. Survivors with hand to hand combat have their accuracy increased to 25%.

To carve a pumpkin click on the "Pumpkin" button in your inventory. If you do not have a knife, nothing happens and you recieve the message,

You have nothing to carve it with.

If you do have a knife you recieve the following message.

Using your knife, you carve a face into the pumpkin and place it somewhere prominent.

The pumpkin is then placed in your current location. Be careful. If you don't want to place your pumpkin at a location, don't carve it there!

The following is added to a buildings description if a Pumpkin is present.

....has been decorated with a carved pumpkin.