@Lithophene and @StarshinaSokolov that’s another good point. Why wouldn’t the cop after the death of the Lieutenant self promote himself and the try to re-take the police station and from there re-organize the police department at the station and from there deploy it to help the military in their efforts with the military maybe even setting up a base at the police station or at least help fortify it against zomibe attacks.
I’m not saying @JimD has a bad game by any means. I’m just saying I feel like this game could have explored more of the MC’s profession rather than have just every MC stay home after 3-2 pages of story related to their profession. This is especially true for both the cop and solider.
It’d be unfair to allow 2 of the 15 (non-custom) professions to have an alternate start to the game simply because of the profession they chose. As it stands, I’m sure @JimD has plans to add objectives or some such specific to some of the professions, but to rewrite the entire first few days for one or two professions is just too much to ask for. The only reason I would understand an alternate start as drastic as that being incorporated would be if there was an IAP of some sort. Is it Choice of Zombies that does that with the Soldier? I can’t remember. Point being that, this late in development, a rework like what you’re suggesting is very unlikely. I’m sure the professions will be able to do more later on… unless you’re playing a custom one. Didn’t the scientist in the first game only start doing stuff in later parts? I figure it’ll be like that.
@Bagelthief you’ve sent feedback right? Feel free to PM me.
@commanderjohnshepard When did you try to submit? I received 130 requests so I just couldn’t keep the survey open.
@Exodus_Effect [quote=“Exodus_Effect, post:4687, topic:2000”]
If we are a member of the military will we be able to hook back up with the military before they are destroyed or they pull out of night fall?
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I have things planned for soldiers coming up in Part 1 and more in Part 2. The game was originally designed to be skill-based and professions were more to give starting skills that set the MC up for survival–however you decide to survive. It’s the same as the first ZE. I thought it would be fun for people to play through the prologue, but it almost leads people to believe the game continues with the MC’s profession in mind where really, society breaks down fast and your job three days ago doesn’t matter as much as your skills. Does that make sense?
@Lithophene [quote=“Lithophene, post:4694, topic:2000”]
that makes me wonder why a cop!MC can’t try and use the radio in their car to try and make contact with other officers.
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Because this game is written and coded by one person But seriously, it’s just hard to devote time to every option. I have a list of 60 or so wish list items, but if I tick items off the game will never be out.
N’aw, I understand. I’m perfectly content to headcanon li’l things like the whole police car radio. It’s such a minor detail that would only just reaffirm what I already knew or suspected, y’know? I’m just one of those folks that ends up second-guessing their own headcanons wondering if it’s correct or if it fits the situation or character(s) well enough.
Yes, it does. But keep in mind that society doesn’t break down immediately. The military would probably be the last thing to fall, so a Soldier MC would either have to continue following orders until that happens, or go AWOL. Both have consequences.
Also, even though profession doesn’t matter as much as skills, if someone sees you sniping a zombie two kilometers away in a windy day and asks “where did you learn that?” Saying “I was a military sniper” will raise a lot less questions than “I was a fast food worker.”
The professions will still matter in the long run, at least a little. An ex-military MC would have a much easier time around other soldiers than a MC that simply has high ranged and survival, because they share similar experiences. Same with cops, medics, scientists, hackers, and others.
Your MC could have 95% medicine. If they aren’t a Doctor, their experiences performing surgery will be radically different from a Doctor MC. They could have 90% science, if they aren’t a Scientist, their experiences in the field will be totally different from a Scientist MC. You can’t just expect a Doctor to use the same medical lingo as a Medic, no matter if their medicine is equally high. Different professions are like different worlds.
@StarshinaSokolov Exodus_Effect’s question was about a side story for military characters, so I was addressing it. In ZE, everything breaks down fast. It’s all a guess as to who survives for longer or shorter. I can’t take the game in a wildly different path, so this specific soldier happens to get orders to go home, survive, and wait. It may not make the most sense but it allows me to push the game toward a common story until chapter 1.
Of course, the game allows people to RP their character and reference professions or backgrounds when possible. If a teen has a 95% medicine, then he’s roleplaying Doogie Howser, but that’s fine with me. I usually will code a reply from some NPC like, “damn kid, where’d you learn to suture!” but I forget sometimes or hope someone provides that feedback.
If I’m not mistaken, the start of the game has the National Guard guarding checkpoints in the city, and one of the endings has the group leaving the Cathedral and heading to a military installation.
Sure, things break down faster, but the military is still the last thing to go down
I was mostly talking about how professions will still be important in the game later on. No matter your skills, a Military MC is still going to have an easier time getting into a military facility than a civilian. A Hacker will be more accepted into the hacker network than someone who simply has high electronic skills. A Bank Robber will fit better in a criminal group than other types of MCs.
If the game was entirely skill-based with professions serving only as text flavor, then the MC wouldn’t really look like a living person as much as they’d look like a dress-up doll.
Well in a way you are right but you would be surprised how peoples are ready to accept others. The world being dead, I doubt peoples will care about your old career as much as your actual skills. Some soldiers might get along better with an experienced civilian marksman than another average soldier.
For example, if I was with a group of survivor and our leader proved that they had he leadership needed, I would ve very relucant about changing leadership if we were to meet a police officer or a soldier. Not every soldiers and cops are the same so I wouldnt assume that a person of authority we dont know would be better than someone who already proved their worth.
If we are talking about a rag-tag group, then sure. If we are talking about a group of people with common backgrounds, such as a military unit or a gang turned group of survivors, then I doubt they’d be so receptive of strangers.
If your group has doctors, scientists, engineers, cops, politicians, retail workers, taxi drivers, and such, then changing the group’s structure to fit a new member would be impractical. If your group is composed entirely of X-type people, I doubt they’d welcome member Y as one of their own.
What are the chances that such group will stay pure for long though? Unless they are in a bunker and have no reason to leave I would expect them to lose a lot of peoples and need replacement and peoples with different skills. So the idea of a group that doesnt change during the apocalypse seem strange if said group is not isolated from the world.
That until they prove their worth. Like I said, skills before job. They might not be accepted at first but if they become usefull I doubt the group would risk losing a vital member just because he wasnt a soldier or a doctor before.
With the military people tend to hand wave away the espirt de corps, it is family. If you are not one of us then you are not. Same with any set of regimented type of jobs, cops, fire, ems, and the like. When you work with a group of individuals (especially if your life depends on them by doing their job right) for a long period of time, there is a tight knit bond that forms. To be added into that type of situation willy nilly with no skills to add to the group you would be on the outside looking in until you prove yourself.
It is really like a tight knit family, ofc there are always the bad apples out there but then again, they are on the outside looking in.
I did say you wouldnt be accepted until you prove your worth. Like pretty much every other groups out there. I understand what you mean but I doubt the group dynamic would be extremely different in any long term group of survivors weither they had a similar job before or not.
Since its the apocalypse I am certain those peoples had as many bonding moments as soldiers had on the battlefield and the feeling of belonging can set in.
Basicaly the same kind of feelings can set in for any group that held it together long enough. At least I believe.
Ok thats gonna sound cheesy as f*ck but “when the world is a battlefield everyone is a soldier”
Also, their skills might be the same, but their experience is different. Your civilian MC might know how to shoot and survive in the wilderness just like a soldier, or even better, but they aren’t a soldier. They didn’t go to boot camp, they don’t make jokes about their superiors, they don’t know military slang, they don’t think like a soldier. They simply aren’t military.
They may be skilled, but they aren’t experienced. There’s a huge difference.
Still, I believe skills would still matter more after some time. At the begining I can believe that such kind of group would exist but unless they join up with the real army they wont be able to keep their group alive and this feeling might extend to new peoples because of the situation they find themselves in. They didnt go to bootcamp but they saw their close ones die and lost everything like everyone. At the end I feel like peoples might be able to accept others as equals if they have skills and a similar mindset/personality/you understand.
I am not a soldier so ultimately I cant speak for any of them but I doubt every soldiers would feel that way either. After all the esprit de corp remind me a bit of school spirit if you understand what I mean. Its definitely there but not everyone take part for sure.
I’m not saying the group can’t grow close with people of different professions, all I’m saying is that if your MC is a Bank Robber with X skills, and my MC is a Soldier with the same X skills, they’ll still be different, because of the experiences they went through to learn their skills in the first place.
Saying only skills should matter is a disrespect to everybody who ever learned something in a different way than you, since it implies their experiences mean nothing.
I am am not saying their experience meant nothing and that only skill matter. I am saying that peoples might value recent experiences more than past ones because its the end of the world.
Also, just because a man served 5 years in the army doesnt mean he’s a good shooter who get along with the other soldiers, it just mean he spent 5 years in the army. Until this individual would prove that he is as skilled as they say I would not accept him as much as someone who proved us he was a great shooter just because the soldier say he have experience.
Using an example you used earlier with the burger flipping sniper. It would raise more questions but it would not mean they are less of a sniper with a skill who deserve respect. The fact that they dont have proper military experience does not make them any less of a sniper and while they might be seen as an outsider at first, I have a hard time thinking it would last that long unless they are a d*ck. Especialy if everyone around them are dying.
That said, I am not continuing this conversation. I have no desire to have my word turned to make me look disrespectful when all I said is that skills matter more than implied experience when the world is dying.
Don’t mind me, I’m just gonna sliiide on in here with another piece of fanart.
I figure this one probably requires some context. My MC grew up relatively touch-starved, so he’s very hands-on with the few folks he manages to get along with, particularly his older variant. Remy is very… impulsive. In this case, Woody happens to be his victim. So when he found a working Polaroid camera and a matching set of batteries, he, of course, decided that he had to take the opportunity to snap a good shot. Said shot involved him jumping onto Woody’s back and trying to lick his face while snapping a photo. What is not shown is Woody raging up a storm afterwards about how you don’t just jump onto someone’s back in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. Damn near gave him a heart attack he did.
Didn’t the scientist in the first game only start doing stuff in later parts? I figure it’ll be like that.
But seriously, it’s just hard to devote time to every option. I have a list of 60 or so wish list items, but if I tick items off the game will never be out.
I’m perfectly content to headcanon li’l things like the whole police car radio. It’s such a minor detail that would only just reaffirm what I already knew or suspected, y’know? I’m just one of those folks that ends up second-guessing their own headcanons wondering if it’s correct or if it fits the situation or character(s) well enough. 
My MC grew up relatively touch-starved, so he’s very hands-on with the few folks he manages to get along with, particularly his older variant. Remy is very… impulsive. In this case, Woody happens to be his victim. So when he found a working Polaroid camera and a matching set of batteries, he, of course, decided that he had to take the opportunity to snap a good shot. Said shot involved him jumping onto Woody’s back and trying to lick his face while snapping a photo. What is not shown is Woody raging up a storm afterwards about how you don’t just jump onto someone’s back in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. Damn near gave him a heart attack he did. 