omg I never thought I would see junior ROTC in a game lol, this looks really good
Deadbury Academy (WIP), new zombie-survival game from Mia and JimD - updated 10/13/24 - 76,000 words
5 Likes
I really like it so far! For the pregnancy weakness, I hope the father (or mother, if thatâs an option for the guys) isnât a mystery, or not involved in the story. That would be a bit weird, in my opinion. Obviously, itâs too soon to know whatâs going on with that. I just thought Iâd bring it up before you got too far
Even if not another student, I would be willing to bet that people from the town may eventually end up at the school. Maybe âtownieâ will be a choice for the other parent in that case.
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Well thereâs no reason for that to happen just yet apart when word gets out about the plane crash and the dead student. The biggest problem for that challenge would the headteacher who is instantly dislikable at first glance. I mean getting grilled for my coat come on.
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It happens. I got a detention at school once because the rim of my boater was warped. Unless it was a hot day (around 100°F) and an announcement was made, if we were out of school grounds without our blazer on weâd get detention.
If we didnât doff our boater for a stopped car at a pedestrian crossing, weâd get detention.
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for a moment i was like what the hell is a boater then finaly recalled it was a type of hat i think? Lol
Yeah. Flat brimmed straw hat.
20 years later, I still doff my hat to cars at pedestrian crossings. Havenât got out of the habit.
4 Likes
You wonât have to worry about that. Mind you, we do plan on it being possible for the player to be friends with either the mother or father, but that wonât be necessary.
I also hope people will like when they do the hobby thing. One thing I loved with Safe Haven was how individualized they were, sometimes with a little bit with the romance option. We kept that part, but including some choices whether in a romance or not.
23 Likes
Unfortunately no save options in Moody?
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You have to log in on moody.ink and then you will be given three save slots
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A weakness affecting morality, like sociopathy/psychopathy would be interesting.
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So baby momma/daddy cannot be romanced? This is all very interesting. Itâs crazy how creative you guys are.
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Hereâs my review of the demo:
Overall, another solid, promising experience from @JimD. While I found his previous full entry lacking quite a bit (Vampire The Masquerade: Out For Blood), this one looks to be a return to form of Jimâs new style: a snappy, visceral, character-focused zombie story with RPG-lite elements, even including a new Gamemaster Mode.
Here, Jim continues to refine his new formula that has mostly proven successful, with his concise and relatable prose shining through. The entire demo, especially the prologue, plays out and feels like a fast-paced, summer blockbuster zombie flick a la World War Z, plane scene and all. The moment-to-moment action is tense yet quick, allowing little ample time to rightfully process or breathe it in, just like as with the characters. Interactions are brief, and the visuals painted by Jimâs time-tested descriptions match the tone near-perfectly.
One thing that has been a fairly consistent problem with the authorâs games, though, still hampers some of the experience: Jimâs stiff and at-times awkwardly-phrased dialogue severely lacks casualness. Weâre not talking about a mere hatred of contractions, here. Characters sometimes speak as if they are reading from a script, and verbatim. Both the MC and others will speak like robots, with extremely little regard for the modern, average tongue. You will witness teenagers speaking like Puritans. It can come across not only out of touch, but lacking some much needed polish, as well.
Another issue I had was fairly massive: whereâs the reaction to Jonathonâs death? By all means, please do correct me if I have missed something, but one person besides the MC saw Jon, had a laughably lackluster reaction, and then moved on to the seizing boy. I believe it was the ROTC girl. Even real military personnel would have some kind of visible response to a bleeding, dying teenager, especially inside an educational facility. There should have been at least one person screaming, asking whatâs wrong with him between panicked sobs, while someone else is begging someone to do something. Then, someone else should have checked on him if the MC doesnât. This all would have further fleshed out the scene, but made it way more believable, as well.
Poor Jonathan, no one gives a shit about him, apparently. What did he do?
Speaking of someone by that name, the repeated use of names from the ZE series, whether intentional or not, can be jarring and off-putting. I know thereâs two Kellys and even two Mindys if you look hard enough, but too many can come across as kinda lazy. It doesnât help that Jonathan from Safe Haven isnât even a popular character, so a pass canât be granted for reusing his. Itâs even spelled the same!
One reused thing that is good and more than understandable, though, is Jimâs character creation system that debuted in the aforementioned Safe Haven. This is a more streamlined version for a seemingly-streamlined new game, but it does not disappoint, feeling fresh in this new iteration thanks to a slew of new Challenges.
I ended up creating a green-haired guitarist addicted to Mary Jane and haunted by a mysterious specter who is also adept at fighting. The new additions have been a long time coming, and I think it is safe to say they do not disappoint.
Lastly, the new characters seem to have potential, as well. Iâm interested in learning more about the blue-haired exchange student, as she seemed to have a natural curiosity and subtle bravery to her, a possible useful ally for the trouble ahead. Also, I ended up choosing Rafael Garcia as my roommate. A fellow outcast, albeit a geek, and with an interest in cryptids?
Lots of room here for some funny yet nostalgic moments among the student body. Ranging from unrequited love to the regular angst, Iâll be watching and rooting for Jim and the team behind this one. It could easily be memorable.
10 Likes
Solid start, Canât wait for more.
Few things of note for me:
I donât know why, but having âteen pregnancyâ as a challenge is amusing to me. Canât wait to see how it turns out.
Is the haunting actually there? Or is this another delusional thing?
Also is there a stereotypical âbitchyâ character here? You know so i can avoid them
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Itâs high school setting, pretty sure thereâll be. It ainât a high school without one lmao.
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Yep itâs a universal rule but just adds drama in there. I just wonder who the candidate is in this wip
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Just a brief note but the title art is coming along, and I like it.
This might change, but at the moment yes.
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I think it was a bit of a wasted opportunity in Safe Haven that the two rich teens are both pretty grounded and good at survival. Looking forward to some real dipshit teens in this.
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Room full of kids see another kid die and nobody is affected
A room full of sociopaths
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So normal high school?
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Im predicting that at the start, the plane crash will cause a horde of zombie passengers to head towards the school. This will cause the school to work together as a big democratic group but as the days go on it doesnât work out. This is due to several reasons such as too many big egos want full leadership of the group, different cliques donât get along, supplies are scarce due to high numbers, democracy doesnât work as everyone has different opinions, morale get worse due to students dieing and more zombies infiltrate the school, etc. The different cliques will then divide into different groups and take areas of the school as their base.(jocks take the gym, nerds take the library etc.) It will be like survival of the fittest, with some cliques forming allies with others. Some cliques will be friendly and willing to help others while others will be hostile.
6 Likes