- Tyrant122312
- |
- Fabled Legendary Member
Hello, Community!
Hopefully if you're reading this, it's because you're interesting in kicking your campaign experience up a notch by cranking up the Legendary with all skulls activated :-) Need advice? A guide? Maybe even a friendly community to cheer you on and help guide you through the process? Then give our Mythic thread a read, and Godspeed on your Mythic journey!
Best Regards,
The Tyrant
Because of length, rules are continued here...
III. Zombies
Before I dive head-first into the way this game should be played, it deserves to be editorialized. First off, I have never seen a more widely abused gametype. The shame of it is, it has so much potential, and when played right, can be a fun and even memorable experience. Sadly, I rarely ever join a Zombie game where a downed Red player won't switch or Zombies (Green) start using guns. Fortunately Bungie has made this an official game varient in Halo 3 and will solve most of the problems associated with Zombie cheating. That being said, let's move forward.
1) For the hosts, don't set up a Zombie server unless you actually know how to create the varient. There's are several defining differences that separate Zombies from locked Team Slayer. Here's the "proper" way to establish a Zombie game:
a) No Shields! Did the humans in Dawn of the Dead have shields? Laughably no. Did the zombies? Thank God they didn't! So they shouldn't here. Shields creates a conundrum with the starting weapons.
b) Starting weapons should always be magnums and swords. For the humans, anything stronger than a magnum (as a starting weapon!) against an unshielded, non-projectile wielding zombie is grossly unfair and the game would take forever to progress. Players should have to work and scavenge to find stronger weapons for the purpose of balance. Likewise, the humans (Reds) should never use energy swords. This should soley be the weapon of proud zombie.
c) Zombies ALWAYS use swords. No acceptions. Guns should NEVER be used by Zombies. Not even to simply cause a distraction or just merely empty out clips. Pretend they aren't there at all. Look at it this way. The sword is by far the best weapon on both maps anyway when used correctly, so why the heck would you, a hunger-driven zombie, want to resort to an inferior human weapon such as the magnum anyway?
d) The preferred and most strategic way to play Zombies is by using only your starting weapon and nothing more, meaning no other guns should be on the map. Hey, they didn't find guns strategically placed aound the mall in Dawn of the Dead did they? However, if you must insist, weapons scattered across the map should be human and human only (with the sole exception of the energy sword). Have you ever seen Leon Kennedy dish out a bucket full of hurt with a plasma rifle? Also consider that plasma weapons tend to be most effective against shields. So if there aren't any shields in the game, then logically there shouldn't be any weapons to counter them. Also, weapons should be limited to short-medium ranged weapons. Face it, you may an undying love for the sniper rifle, but a zombie standing 300ft away poses virtually no threat. Again, it's another thing that doesn't need a counter.
e) No vehicles! Please, the zombies have it hard enough without you holding up in the tank dishing out continuous ownage while having little threat in return.
f) Friendly Fire and grenades should be switch OFF. No explosions generally results in no accidental team kills anyway, plus, lobbing a huge supply of explosives is a little bit unbalanced against your sword-wielding foes.
2) When a Red is slashed (assassinated or beat down) by a Zombie, that Red player is obligated to switch to the Zombie (Green) Team for the remainder of the game. Again no acceptions. Whether you be the host, party leader, or just a player who's new to the game, you need to play by the rules. No one player should have an advantage over all others in the server. Be a good sport.
3) Mobility equals strategy. when all the red players meet up in one area and defend each other, that's good teamwork. In fact, it's superb teamwork. However, when that same group holds up in the same spot the entire game. Things get old real quick, generally resulting in a few team kills. A good way to add a little extra ZAZ to the game is to move to different areas of the map with your team. Pick a spot at a different point on the map, and move to it with your team. Wait there for no more than a couple of minutes, then move to another location. This helps to keep the game moving and gives the zombies a fair chance. Foundation is a great example of this. Too often do I see 10-12 players stash themselves away in a single room, barricade the doors, and then hold up there for a seemingly endless period of time. Honestly, what's the point in playing if you aren't actually going to play? Don't barricade the doors and make it a point to move from room to room. And remember to stick together!
4) Map choice is another overlooked biggie. Not all maps are designed for the zombie gametype and should be avoided altogether. Maps like Warlock and Sanctuary tend to be too closed in, offering infinite win for sword-wielding zombies. On the other hand, maps as open and vast as Coagulation and Waterworks give little cover, giving humans a far greater advantage, and resulting in a much longer, eventless game. Maps such as District and Headlong almost seem to have been made for this gametype (particularly District). With vast city-scapes just like in the movies, the semi-open spaces provide decent gathering for humans while all the little passages and hide-a-ways allow additional ambush options for zombies. These maps seem to provide a fair balance for both teams. A few other popular maps in ciculation are Foundation, Zanzibar, Turf, and Containment. All of which seem to give both teams several options. The maps are just as important as the rules.
5) Choosing the Zombie; the start of the game should always begin with only one zombie. Typically, the zombie is determined between games by the last person to switch to Red. If it's the first game, and it looks as if you are about to enter a zombieless match, the host or party leader should be the one to switch.
6) Lastly, for the host, if you witness a player cheating, they should be booted from the game whether it be intentional or not, but in most cases they should be given a fair warning first.
a) If a Red player is legitemately killed by a Zombie and doesn't switch immediately, warn them to switch or be kicked. If they fail to comply, boot them from the game. If you lose track of the bantering and scrolling text but notice a Red player dying repeatedly, you know what to do.
b) If a zombie uses a gun of any reason, give them a warning. If they do it again, boot them from the game.
c) Do NOT, however, boot a Red player for not wanting to join the rest of the crowd. If they find that they hold out better against the Zombies on their own, it's their call.
I'd also like to add that I will be whipping up a few Zombie Objective gametypes, where the humans are given an objective such as claiming a territory, hill, or flag, and given a time limit to complete these objectives while the Zombie's sole objective remains the same.
More to come soon...
[Edited on 08.22.2007 11:36 AM PDT]