Zombies! 2 (Cooperative)

Master Design Document
Version: 1.0
December 29, 2006

 Contents:

 Introduction and Foreword

 Section 1) Story and characters

 Story Outline
 Characters:
1.	Mark Blair
2.	Jason Shawl
3.	Sarah White
4.	Richard Fane

 Section 2) Monster Types
1)	Runner Zombie
2)	Alpha Zombie
3)	Grunt Zombie
4)	Female Zombie

 Section 3) Weapons and Gear

 Weapon List
 Mundane Gear
 Special Gear
 
 Section 4) Story
 
 48 Hours ago. . .

 Section 5) Level Design and visual styling

 Level Progression Guidelines

 Introduction and Foreword

 Zombies have fascinated people of the world for hundreds of years, from the early silent films like ZOMBI to the latest block busters like Land of the Dead, even before such hit movies we've written about them, told stories about them and even dreamed of them.
 
 ZOMBIES! Was a TC for doom 2 in the mold of Dawn of The Dead/Day of the Dead in which players were set to fight against waves of undead while trying to get through massive mansions and military installations. While dated by today's standards it has set the bar for such conversions and (to the best of my knowledge) may be THE standard for all future projects like that. 
 
 My intention with Zombies! 2 (COOP) is to give the multilayer community a unique and interesting mod that requires some though and a certain amount of communication to succeed. While not being overly heady the mod should make it tough for those who don't want to work together but not impossible. . . 

 The primary WAY to play Z!2 would be in Skulltag's Survival mode where once you die, you have to wait until the other players expire or the map is completed. Though single player will be implemented it should be noted that this will lack some of the aspects of coop (obviously) but should none the less be fully playable and beatable on just about everything except nightmare (maybe even, who knows?)

 The idea is to keep the game play simple enough that anyone can pick it up relatively quickly, however by offering some variation (in the form of specific character traits) Z!2 will allow for more varied experiences that could change just as quickly as the tide of undead.

 Ultimately the only way to 'win' the mod is by completing the objectives for the map in play; zombies will spawn off the main play field and be re-introduced as they are killed, in effect making the players face an unending stream of them. However this should not interfere with playing the map unless it is an open area and the players happen to be right next to the edge of the play field. 

 Zombies are mean. They bite for quite a bit of damage and theres lots of them period. The idea is to inspire fear by reducing the amount of ammo (within reason!) and balancing the number of enemies the players face so they aren't overwhelmed without being given a chance to fight back. However an ever present sense of fear and 'on the brink of ruin' will keep players both interested and excited about the project while at the same time providing a solid communications ground to work from.

 Sound like fun?

Section 1) Story and characters

NOTE: These descriptions are preliminary to 1.0, they will be expanded on later.

 Story Outline:

 Zombies! 2 (Coop) follows a band of survivors as they make their way through a city trying to escape hordes of flesh eating zombies while trying to retain their humanity. The military has supposedly established some kind of strong hold at the train station on the south end of town, our group sets out with only the high hanging moon to help them navigate the desolate necropolis.

 Characters:
 Each member of the group has their own abilities and strengths that make them unique and valuable to the rest, however alone they could probably hold their own if they were careful. The primary focus of this project is COOPERATIVE, however by making it playable in single player the player faces some very unique challenges.

 Mark Blair
 Mark is a full time accountant with a local firm, during his 35 years in the business he has become exceptionally skilled at 'off the cuff' math. Several years of martial arts lessons have honed his concentration and some of his physical skills, while he may not be a master martial artist he has a decent vitality and can remain calm and focused during even the most chaotic situations.

 Statistics:
	Name:		Mark Blair
	Age: 		45
	Hair/Eyes: 		Black/Brown
	Height/Weight:	6'0”/176LBs
	
	Health:		Max 80
	Special Abilities:	Can easily solve puzzles. (Hit use on a 'puzzle')
	Specific Weaknesses:	None to speak of.
	Specific Items:	None, no restrictions

 Jason Shawl
 Jason is a college football player who just happened to be in town when the first attacks started. 

 Statistics:
	Name:		Jason Shawl
	Age: 		28
	Hair/Eyes: 		Brown/Brown
	Height/Weight:	5'11”/190LBs
	
	Health:		Max 120
	Special Abilities:	Powerful melee attack, large vitality.
 	Specific Weaknesses:	Slow moving compared to others.
	Specific Items:	Katana Sword, cannot use sniper rifle.

 Sarah White
 Sarah 'Crystal Lotus' White is a small time hacker who makes her living stealing information for others or changing records when they need to be. Few things electronic can slip by without her knowing it.

 Statistics:
	Name:		Sarah White
	Age: 		16
	Hair/Eyes: 		Brown/Blue
	Height/Weight:	5'6”/100LBs
	
	Health:		Max 70
	Special Abilities:	Can hack computer terminals. 
			Moves quicker than others. 
	Specific Weaknesses:	Small vitality.
	Specific Items:	Sniper rifle, Cannot use heavy armor. 

 Richard Fane
 Richard Fane is a local cat burglar who was nearly killed when the house he was breaking into was swarmed by zombies. 

 Statistics:
	Name:		Richard Fane
	Age: 		30
	Hair/Eyes: 		Red/Green
	Height/Weight:	6'1”/160LBs
	
	Health:		Max 90
	Special Abilities:	Can Picks Locks
	Specific Weaknesses:	None to speak of.
	Specific Items:	Medium Armor, no restrictions

 

 Section 2) Monster Types

 Runner Zombie
 A very quick moving (think lost soul) zombie that does moderate damage.

 Health: Medium (about 50)
 Damage: Low (5-30)

 Alpha Zombie
 A kind of zombie leader or recently zombified person that does a lot of damage up close but is slow to get started.
 
 Health: About 100
 Damage: High (20-60)

 Grunt Zombie
 The typical cannon fodder zombies, all shapes and sizes. Move in packs of about 8 or more.
 
 Health: 40-60
 Damage: Medium (10-40)

 Female Zombie
 Another Cannon fodder type who only really stands out because of her gender.
 
 Health: 30-50
 Damage: Medium (15- 30)

 Other ideas:

 Fearful civilians: Panicked people who have guns and fire at anything that moves. Drops ammo and maybe health items.

 Looters: They have guns, shoot and move pretty quick.
 Rouge Military: Have guns, don't care about casualties. . . (meh)

 Section 4) Story

 48 Hours ago. . .

 It started with a blurb on the news, a girl that was attacked and killed by some crazy homeless person. The police arrived too late to save her but thats when the real trouble began. 
 
 There were isolated cases of attacks after that, a couple people here, a missing pet poster there- no one quite added it together until it was in the streets, painting the walls and asphalt. They were slow but there were so damn many of them. The military was finally called but by then it was too late. . .

 Groups of survivors banded together to find food and shelter but the only real safety would be escaping the city itself. Radio broadcasts keep telling the civilians that the military is in control, they have a base established in the southern section of town with food and relief aid for those who have lost their homes. . . 

 Now in a city teaming with zombies a small group of civilians must make their way from the suburbs to deep downtown where their salvation waits for them. Will they be able to combine their efforts to overcome the insurmountable odds or will they split up and work on their own? 

 Simple I know but the idea is open to interpretation and should be used by content producers as such :P

Section 3) Weapons and Gear

 Weapons:

1)	Knife/Chainsaw/Sword: A common variety of melee weapons, ranging in damage from moderate to severe. The downside of these is that the user needs to be close enough for the zombies to get them too.
2)	Handguns: Pistols aren't exactly top of the line when it comes to damage but it's better than going toe to toe
3)	Shotgun: The classic 12 gauge pump action, powerful at close range but useless at a distance
4)	Double Barrel Shotgun: 2 scoops of fun, the downside is heavy ammo consumption.
5)	9MM SMG: A small submachine gun that uses handgun ammunition. Quick rate of fire and ammo consumption.
6)	Assault Rifle (m-16): The grunt's favorite weapon. Good damage, moderate rate of fire. Downside? Hard to come by ammunition.
7)	Sniper Rifle: A lever action .30-06 rifle with a scope on it, great stopping power but it's slow to reload (compared to some weapons).
8)	Molotov Cocktail: When it explodes it lays down a wash of alcohol and gas fueled fire which burns for about 10 seconds. Good for crowd control.
9)	Minigun: A minigun on a helicopter or stationary position. Very deadly but you can't move while using it.
10)	 Pipe Bomb: Similar to the Molotov but it's power comes from sheer destructive capability, it doesn't spread fire.

 Mundane Gear:

 Aside from keys and map specific objects, these items can be found through the course of the mod.

 Medical:
	Stimpack		Little box with a red cross on it	(+5 health)
	Medikit   		Larger box with a red cross	(+15 health)
	Adrenaline		Syringe			(+50 health, berserk pack)
	Band aid/Gauze	Gauze Roll		(Stops a character from bleeding out)
	Anti Virus		Large Pill		(Reduces damage from viral infection)

 Ammunition:

	Clip		Looks like a pistol magazine	(+8 bullets)
	Box of bullets	Looks like a box of spare rounds	(+20 bullets)
	AR Mag		Assault rifle magazine		(+12 AR Bullets)
	Ammo Can					(+30 Assault Rifle Bullets)
	Spare Shells	Loose shotgun shells		(+4 shells)
	Box of Shells				(+15 shells)
	Molotov Cocktails				(+2 Molotovs)
	Pipebomb					(+1 Pipebomb)
	Box of Rounds	Large green box with '30-06' on it	(+8 Sniper Bullets)

 Special Gear:

 Night Vision Goggles			Fullbright is ugly! (Lasts 60 seconds)
 
 Light Armor: Jacket			Gives the player 35 Armor (class 1)
 Light Armor: Bullet Proof Vest		Gives the player 60 Armor (Class 2)
 Medium Armor: Class 2 Vest		Gives the player 100 Armor (Class 2)
 Heavy Armor: SWAT Body Armor*	Gives the player 150 Armor (Class 3?)

 *Sarah is the only character who can't wear SWAT Armor.

 Section 5) Level Design and visual styling

 Level Progression Guidelines:
 At no point should a player be wondering where to go to finish the map. A reasonable expectation is to provide the player with a general idea of how to progress, however not by taking them by the hand and saying 'go here'. 
 An example might be: A player comes to a room inside an office tower, it's on fire but theres one place where the flames are transparent and he/she can see something on the other side.
 Common sense will dictate how to work this in.

 Overview:

 The levels in Z!2 are of a scenario nature, meaning that players will start the map with an overview of what they're trying to accomplish. From there they'll be allowed to select a character and after everyone has selected a character the map will begin. These scenarios all play into the larger story with a general flow that leads the players to the eventual climax. 
 Progressing the characters by giving them things like health improvements in later maps is certainly possible and maybe even practical but we'll see how this goes.
 
 Visual Styling:
 
 The visual style of Z!2 leans toward the dark and moody, not necessarily BLACK but on the darker side of things. Chaos is the order of the day, destruction and scenes of violence such as bodies, wrecked vehicles and rooms that have been ransacked are all perfectly acceptable and highly encouraged. 

 This will largely depend on the mapper and their personal tastes but some things to avoid include:
 
 Pitch black rooms with loads of zombies. 
 Rooms that are EASY to defend by yourself. (2 or 3 entrances to a room might be over kill but. . .)
 Areas with no cover what so ever that you have to hole up in because you can't get to other areas.

 Level List and General Theme:

 Z2Map01: The Burbs 		A suburban area that leads to the highway
 Z2Map02: Highway District	Get from the highway, start toward downtown.
 Z2Map03: Industrial Mayhem	Going through the old industrial district.
 Z2Map04: The Longest Yard 	A school on the edge of town, the way seems easy but. . .
 Z2Map05: Office Complex	Finally reaching downtown, the real chaos begins.
 Z2Map06:	Power Substation	Trying to restore power to the Subway.
 Z2Map07: 	Subway Station	The quickest way to the south end of town.
 Z2Map08: Run		After the subway dies the characters run for the depot.
 Z2Map09: Secure the Depot	Secure the train station and get the train ready to go.
 Z2Map10: Trial by Error	The train ride to a secure location, is it all that secure?