Zombies! (Java Version)

[Dragyn]

You can download the .zip archive at beastling.xepher.net/canon/games/Zombies.zip

You will need to have the Java Runtime Environment installed on your computer. You can download that (for free) at java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp

It is the second one down on the downloads list and, as of the time of my writing this, is listed as JRE 6 Update 17. If you already have Java installed, you won't need to download that.

The file you run is Zombies.jar. I suggest you extract the whole thing out of the .zip into a folder of your own choosing. After that, if the JRE is installed, you can double-click on Zombies.jar and play.

If you have any problems getting it to run, or if you have advice, questions, or concerns, please, put them here.

Basic Premise:
I made a game in which you kill zombies. By the hundreds.
Literally.
It would, technically, be more accurate to say I am making such a game, since it isn't done yet.
It does, however, function, and is a game. I think you'd need the JRE to play it, though.

I have been working on this game for well over a month now, so I've had time to figure some things out. Before today, it worked like this:

You are a White circle.
Zombies are smaller circles that come in various colors.
Slow zombies are green.
Moderate speed zombies are blue.
Fast zombies are red.
Boss zombies are Purple.

The Controls:
Press Spacebar to Attack.
Use the Arrow Keys or the NUMPAD controls to move.

You have 255 hit points. Every tick a zombie is touching you, you lose one HP, and your white circle turn a bit more red. You hit zero HP, you die. A single zombie, if left unchecked, can kill you in about 3 seconds. 2 can do it twice as fast.

Walls are randomly generated around the map. Zombies can get stuck on these (as can you) but will, inexplicably, teleport around them if they get caught in a corner. I'm working on this.

When you kill a zombie (most only take one hit), he leaves a little red spot where he was. The red spots grow, and eventually turn the whole map red. They don't do anything else.

Zombies come from the edges of the map continuously. Until a few days ago, they'd come slowly until around 1000 zombies, then they'd abruptly surge in and kill you. I've since fixed that, but I need to rework the spawn scripts.

Occasionally, a Boss Zombie will appear. They take 5-10 hits to kill, and have a slightly longer range than other zombies.

The only objectives in this game are to stay alive and build up a high score. Slower zombies are worth less than faster zombies, and the bosses are worth more.

Time not spent on comics will likely be spent on this.

[Dragyn]

12/17/2009:

Progress is good. Today, I fixed up the controls, and they are sweet.

WASD, the Arrow keys, or the Numpad all work to move
Either spacebar or the RMB will use the close range attack.
B or the LMB will fire the pistol

Which brings me to my next point: the pistol is also new today, and it fires at a rate of once every 45 ticks. That's slower than the melee attack, but the range is infinite. It doesn't go through walls, though.

I remade the status bar, today, since the one I was using was boring. The current one isn't visually impressive, but I still like it better. I have much more control over how it displays stuff.

Zombies no longer teleport if they run into a corner between 2 walls. This is good, since the walls are there for cover. I still haven't figured out how the make the zombies go around the wall, but one step at a time.

I made a lot of little, invisible changes to the timers, and to the blood splatter. Most of the slowdown was because of the infinite quantities of blood, so it doesn't stay around as long, any more, and it grows faster.

[Faith]

Heh.

I guess you're having fun. XD

Are you gonna' make it accessible to the forum?

[Dragyn]

The game itself? Well, if ya'll aren't opposed to being alpha testers, I could see how well that works.

I'm not sure if it'll currently even run on a computer other than this one. I've been trying to figure out if it's packaging everything correctly.

The next step for that, I think, is to take the .jar file and put it on a different computer, and see if I can get it to run, there.

[Faith]

Heh.
All right. Keep us posted. ;D

[Dragyn]

Hmm...I've actually got all that sorted out, but I've not got access to the computer with the newest version on it.

So...I'll upload the .zip file when I go home.

[Dragyn]

You can download the .zip archive at beastling.xepher.net/canon/games/Zombies.zip

You will need to have the Java Runtime Environment installed on your computer. You can download that (for free) at java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp

It is the second one down on the downloads list and, as of the time of my writing this, is listed as JRE 6 Update 17. If you already have Java installed, you won't need to download that.

The file you run is Zombies.jar. I suggest you extract the whole thing out of the .zip into a folder of your own choosing. After that, if the JRE is installed, you can double-click on Zombies.jar and play.

If you have any problems getting it to run, or if you have advice, questions, or concerns, please, put them here.

Also: the in game help is useful, but if you're confused, check the Readme.txt file.

[Fox]

I think I'll download this, while waiting for my Borderlands add-on to download, as well. (which, oddly enough, is The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned)

Hm...this is quite interesting, and addicting. It really brings me back to the Windows '98 days, when I'd play these kind of games, 24/7, nearly. Heh. Excellent work.

[Dragyn]

Thanks! I'm glad to know you like it.

Hmm...do let me know if you find any bugs, or have an opinion on game balance, or, y'know, whatever.

[Faith]

Heh. I still need to download the updated game. But I can't do it now, at school.

What changes did you make, though?

[Dragyn]

Here: I'll copy the text from the changelog (nested in the readme file). Since both the most recent entries are newer than the version you have, I'll post them both.

12/23/09:
Powerup items have been added: Ammo pack, health pack, napalm, gatling, and decoy.
Boss zombies now have correctly randomized health, range, and size values.
The player melee attack now targets bosses first, rather than attacking
both bosses and zombies simultaneously.
Scoreboard now works on exported files.

1/2/10:
Gatling has been rebalanced; it fires faster, but is no longer perfectly accurate.
Zombies Logo added to game background.
Zombie spawn fixed: zombies now spawn on all 4 sides of the map, rather than just 3.
Game screen borders fixed: the edge should be the same on all operating systems, now.
Melee attack rate modified.
Pressing the attack key during cooldown no longer resets cooldown timer.
Readme File added to export.
Null pointer error handled if cursor is off-screen.
In-game Help updated.
Decoys are no longer kept on reset.
Game Speed modified; should run slightly faster.

[Faith]

Oh. That would explain some things. XD

It does run faster... and you can really tell when you kill a bunch of them and so there is a horde of zombies attacking from every direction to replace them.

(Oh, and yes I did get to download this one, now. ;D )

[Dragyn]

Hmm...I've been trying to figure out a way to enter your name, so your scores don't show up as "Player."

I think I'm on to something, I just need to figure out the specifics.

[Faith]

Heh...

Does that mean you can see my scores...?
Only the high scores of all players combined though, right?
'Cuz mine are kinda horrible. They might be best kept hidden. ;D

[Dragyn]

Heh. Nah. The scores are stored on a file on your local machine. I have no access to them. The scores ya'll see are the scores set by me and my Alpha Tester (who is also my cousin, and known around here as Ratslayer), but that's just 'cuz I didn't reset the scoreboard before shipping it out.

ANYWAY: new version is out! Get it here!

Changes since last time:

1/7/10:
Player Name Entry is implemented! Pressing the '\' will initiate name entry mode, and pause the game.

1/9/10:
Player Name Entry has been streamlined considerably. You still need to press '\' to initiate, but
a useful box now pops up with instructions.
If the Player Name is not set, a flashing textline appears in the top left to remind you.
Player Names now support up to 10 characters (up from 5) and can also use the SPACE character.



Have fun!