Zombies!

Zombies!
Beta Project
Developer	Tuplis
Theme	Zombie
Influences	Community-driven
Released	June 11, 2012
Updated	Continuously
Licensing	Closed Source
P. Language	Java
Platforms	Undecided
Interface	ASCII
Game Length	Short
Official site of Zombies!

Zombies! is a game created by a community-driven agile development process.

Project description

The project is managed by Tuplis who is also the sole coder but anyone can join as a gameplay designer. The project was initiated as an experiment on whether it is viable to develop a game using an agile, community-driver approach. Practices typical to agile development such as continuous integration and agile planning are used. Only a vague description of the game scope was initially locked down: A zombie apocalypse Roguelike. Anyone looking to participate can join with the developers in the project's homepage where the current version and project documentation are provided.

Features

(as of July 2)
- Maps can be created by anyone by an easy syntax that uses creatures, items and tiles defined in simple-to-create-and-use xml files
- Melee and ranged weapons
- Scrolling view of the map, unlimited map size.
- Line of sight
- Zombies have rudimentary AI behaviour - attack any living, flock when idle.
- Multiple maps with transitions between them

Latest developments

July 4: Ability to create quests with objectives by using premade or custom made xml files in the QuestTemplates and ObjectiveTemplates folders. July 2: Implemented scrolling map. Exported player character into PlayerCharacter.xml. Cleaned up and improved the debugging messages a little bit. Fixed a few reported bugs.
July 1: Added a map made by Sayaks. Beware, that place is tough. Added the possibility to customize Tile templates in the map file (see 1.txt for an example). Guns now spend ammo as you fire and you'll have to reload. For now, ammo is infinite. Fieldnames are <ClipSize> and <AmmoLeft>. You can no longer know if you hit a target if you can't see it.
June 28: Added inspect mode.
June 27: Npc's now see diagonally, but that 'costs' them extra seeing range by a factor of sqrt(2). Fixed npc's not properly seeing to the southwest and northeast. Fixed closing doors diagonally.
June 26: Added a field that lets you define whether a tile can be shot through. Added an item class that can heal the player.
June 25: Added map makers the ability to link maps together with a special TransitionTile (check TransitionWest.xml for reference). Use > to travel between areas.
June 24: Added a scrolling messagelog.
June 23: Added the ability to define tiles that can be seen through but not walked on (<SeeThrough>).
June 22: Added the ability for a map-maker to spawn or have a certain chance to spawn a user-made item or creature on a user-made tile. Check BasicZombieFloor for an example. Also implemented bullet trails. Weapon damage is now based on die rolls.
June 20: Added symbol and background color fields for each tile. Implemented diagonal moves (costs extra to travel that way).
June 19: Doors. Ability for map makers to define every tile they put on a map with an xml file (check the 2.txt map and the xml files under Resources/WorldTemplates folder).
June 18: Ranged weapons
June 17: Generic xml builder that lets anyone create creatures, items, etc with xml files. Bresenham line of sight, max sight range for the player.
June 16: Zombies flock.
June 15: Equippable items, zombies now wander around aimlessly when idle, timer that allows for creatures with different speeds.
June 14: Zombies can see and attack the player.

Credits

Management & implementation

Tuplis

Gameplay design & testing

Tuplis
Dariush
finka
Springare
nullzero
Sayaks

Content

nullzero
Sayaks

Other

Steven Black (yam655) - Blacken UI library