Zombie project…

I am at that stage again where I am thinking about what project is next in the queue to be done… and well I think it may be Zombies!!!

I have been looking at working on a Zombie rule set for a long while now, I have played and own many zombie games and really enjoy playing games of this type.

But… there is always a but, and well this it is a fairly simple one, not one game hits the mark for me, they all have some great things that are spot on but they also have things that just don’t feel right for me or they are too complicated or too much like a board game or whatever the reason something about them just doesn’t work for me.

So, I am going to see what I can do with a zombie rule set of my own, the rules will hopefully be simple and fast to play ( like my other rule sets ) but still give you the kind of feel you get from all those zombie movies and books… on the edge of the seat stuff, the thrill of being chased by crazed dead things wanting your brains!!!

As this project progresses, I will post updates and even battle reports as the rules get more complete, so watch this space for news.

I have a lot of figures to start this project off and I also have a selection of scenery which I will be showing on here as well.

I think that I may have enough figures!!

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14 Comments

  1. VICTOR DOBSON

    Hi Mac!

    Brains, eh? Hmm, tasty …

    I’ve got a copy of USE ME Zombie Apocalypse – it’s got some rather interesting ideas in it, so if you’ve got a copy (the PDF is cheap enough) it’s well worth a read just for them. As I recall the suggested game settings & the campaign game ideas are very good – and damded hard too!

    I’m not a big zombie fan – for me they’re part of something else, like fantasy or Weird World War 2 – but I do think they go well with solo rules (like USE ME) due to the nature of the game & zombies. I’m not sure they’d work so well with PvP type games – zombies make for ‘boring’ armies for starters (it’s all shuffle, moan, shuffle … er … brains!).

    You could treat it with more detail than perhaps normal – survival in and after the Zed Apocalypse would work well with more detail – and that would allow for more granularity of detail (head shots are needed in order to kill zeds, body hits just make small holes in the dead meat sort of thing).

    Playing a lone survivor looking to join other survivors, with some solo rules controlling the Zeds, could be good fun.

    Vic

    • Mac

      Hi Vic,

      Yep I have a copy of USE ME Zombie Dawn rules plus All Things Zombie Final Fade Out rules plus Haven and I Zombie supplements, Walking Dead All Out War plus a number of Zombie Board Games including Walking Dead No Sanctuary and Project Z plus a few others.

      I love the idea of a Zombie game and I am looking towards maybe lone survivor for a solo version and four or five survivors for maybe a multi player game ( maybe each player controlling one character ) but this is really early stages so nothing set in stone yet.

      Don’t really know how involved the game will be but with my record of writing rules I am guessing it will be simple rather than complicated, you know how much I like simple games.

      Mac

  2. Zac

    Hi Mac
    Ah zombies I’m a big fan! There are a lot of things to consider, like what type?
    A: the classic Romero type shambling ghoul’s who have to be shot or struck on the head.
    Or the Kirkman strain as above however the unlike the Romero type who have to bite or scratch to be infected, the kirkman strain everyone is already infected and only have to die to join the leigon’s of the dead.

    B: The return of the liveing dead dead unlike the above these zombies are smart and fastish and speak. This type are animated by biological weapons and a blow to the head won’t cut it remove an arm and you have a “smart” zombie arm which will want to throttle the life out of you.
    It should be noted that this type of zombie is only interested in BRAINS!!!.

    C:Rage zombies as in 28 days/weeks later. Not dead as such and just as fragile humans these butter’s just want to mess you up, they are smartish and very fast.
    D: Dead set dead. these mixs rage zombies speed with Romero zombies

    E: T virus zombies, as in resident evil. classic Romero type with the ability to mutate in surpriseing ways.
    F: Evil dead. These guy are right evil hits are mostly content to make your life as miserable as possible they do not have any distinct caricaturist’s the are smart fast and some can even hover! Some can revert to their pre infected form. This type of zombie can also inhabit inanimate objects.

  3. Zac

    When?
    I’m guessing modern day
    But the 60s 70s 80s 90s can all be considered “modern ” what type of technology are the survivors are able to get their hands on.
    Also when along the Apocalypse timeline the game is set? At the outbreak or far down the line maybe decades
    Where?
    due huge amount of firearms in the States it always seemed a bit of a rubbish place for a zombie story, somewhere with less access to big guns seems more fun to me.

    Also the number 1 rule of the zombie Apocalypse is that no matter how nasty those zombies are the grateist threat to the survivors are other survivors.

    • Mac

      Hi Zac,

      I would probably lean towards the shot in the head to kill everything else just pisses them off!!

      I think I like the idea all infected just need to die to join the zombie ranks.

      The timeline for the game is an interesting one… from day one has been done ( All Things Zombie ) the rest of the games I have seen / played could really be set from a few months after day one to years into the outbreak, but for me I guess they would be set at least a few months from the outbreak.
      With the pattern for life / survival already set up, with gangs / survivors and zombies already roaming the streets.

      As for time and where I had not really thought about either of them, I had assumed that it would be modern day from now and somewhere in the States… but that is something to think about.

      Figure wise it would possibly be easier to find US style figures for survivors and gangs etc. than it would be for say the UK.
      Just having a quick look at my figures gives me that feeling.

      Mac

  4. Zac

    I watched a couple of zombie DVDs last night it gave me an idea for ramping up the tension in a simple way.
    The survivor/s get 4 action’s per a turn and everything costs 1 action
    So to move 2″ costs 1 action so if you spend all your action’s on movement you could move 8″; shooting costs 1 action so if you stand still fire 4 shots or move 4″ for a cost 2 actions and shoot 2 times costing 2 actions.
    Reloading a revolver would cost 1 action to open it up and 1 action to load 1 bullet costs 1 action so to completely ready a revolver would cost 8 action’s 1 to open 6 action’s to load the gun with 6 bullets an action to close the revolver ,2 turns for the zombies to make up ground ofcorse you could do it on the move it would take longer!
    If you chose to load let’s say 2 bullet’s and shoot you might need to role a d6 on a 1 or 2 to successfully let of a round otherwise your just hitting an empty chamber on a second attempt success is on a 1,2,3 and soforth.
    Actions could be done in any order or reapted
    Action’s could be
    Searching
    Shooting
    Striking
    Reloading
    Drawing a weapon
    Holstering a weapon
    Or anything really
    Oh sorry for any misspelling or typos or poor syntax I’m using smart phone with butcher’s thumb and I’m also dyslexic.

    • Mac

      Hi Zac,
      No problem with any typos etc as my fat fingers are not great for typing either!!

      I think that I would have some sort of actions in the game, but not sure yet how I will cover it.

      The rules will be based on my Stars & Lasers / Blood Sweat & Iron / the Last Drifters system as they work, but not sure how I will actually do it yet.

      This is really early days at the moment as I am just taking down notes and collating ideas, and your ideas will go on the list.

      I will post more about the rules as I start getting them written.

      Mac

  5. Zac

    Hi Mac
    I can’t see how your gonna fit a rule system that’s designed for vehicles to fit into a zombie game,But if anyone can I’m sure you can.
    😉

    • Mac

      Hi Zac,

      Lol yeah it might be interesting making it work, but in my head it seems like it will…

      Hey it wouldn’t be the first game to use ‘vehicle’ movement and convert it to figure movement, take a look at Star Wars Legion, that is basically X Wing on legs!!

      Any way I will post my progress on here so you will be able to see if it works.

      Mac

  6. Zac

    Oh okay!
    If I was to be argumentive I’d probably say something along the lines of “yeah but that’s FF for you while they come up with interesting mechanics their never play tested enough and seem to have the attitude that if people complain about it well that’s okay we can sell them a patch”
    But seeing as I’m not in such a mood I’d disregard the above statement 😉
    Any how do you still work at that horrible shop if so I have some project z stuff I want rid of I could bring it down for you, some of the stuff is painted I’m afraid but hay free fig’s can’t be sniffed at.

    • Mac

      Hi Zac,
      Yeah I still work there ( I am off with a bad back at the moment, I hope to be back next week, probably Saturday and Sunday ) I don’t mind painted, saves me doing them! thanks.

      True about FF and play-testing some of the stuff in the first edition X Wing was shall I say… interesting!
      Not actually played Legion yet only seen it played at the shop so can’t comment on how that plays.

      When I get the first draft done of the zombie rules I will let you have a copy to play-test…

      Mac

  7. Zac

    Hi Mac
    Thanks for the offer of play testing it would be great to do; in my group their’s an ammeter board game designer so I’ll collate any comments or sujestions.
    As for miniature delivery I defiantly won’t be able to make next weekend the weekend after probably but its a bit far in the future but will get down to you p.z. stuff.
    Reading back on my last text the “horrible shop” may have come across as rude if so i apologize it was not ment to be its just my view about the place.

    • Mac

      Hi Zac,

      lol no need to apologise mate everyone has opinions about the shop… as long as you are not complaining about me that’s fine ;O)

      Any help you could give with playtesting would be great, although that is a fair way off yet.

      And no problem about the PZ stuff, I have a enough bits to get me started so no hurry mate.

      Mac

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