Reworked Zombie Traits I

[Snowyamur]

I think zombies could use more defensive traits, or just reworked traits because the ones we have right now don’t really make them more effective in the late game. Even in the early game they are lackluster. Some of the names and tooltips could use better definitions and names as well that better-fit the zombie apocalypse theme.

I’ve come up with a list of Defensive-category zombie traits, some that are reworks from the ones we have now, others that are new and have never been introduced. If some of these get added to the game, that’s great! If not, that’s fine, because I know the balancing act between the human and zombie gameplay loops is very difficult to achieve. I’m providing a few traits here as suggestions, and this is going to be done in parts with no defined end, simply because I don’t know how many I can actually come up with.

 

All traits will be written in this format, as shown below:

• Cost – How much the trait costs in Barricade Points (BP).
• Gameplay Effect – The in-game effect the trait has on other gameplay elements.
• Tooltip – The information shown when a player hovers over the trait.

The order of terms above is how every trait will be described. And every trait will have its own gameplay effect and tooltip, both of which will be shown in-game.

 

If you have any feedback to provide with this list, feel free to reply to this thread.

 

Reworked Defensive Z-Traits

Spoiler

Blood Plating (once called Blood Armor)

• Cost: 1,500 BP
• Gameplay Effect: When spawning, receive 150 armor.
• Tooltip: Receive 150 armor every time you spawn.

 

Unwavering Resolve (once called Leg Guards)

• Cost: 2,500 BP
• Gameplay Effect: Reduces the movement speed reduction inflicted from leg damage by 90%.
  • This includes melee damage done to the legs.
• Tooltip: Movement speed reduction from taking leg damage is reduced by 90%.

 

Reinforced Flesh (once called Tough Skin)

• Cost: 7,000 BP
• Gameplay Effect: Reduces damage from all possible damage sources by 25%.
  • This includes DoT effects.
• Tooltip: Damage from all sources is reduced by 25%.

 

Steel Skull (once called Thick Skull)

• Cost: 7,000 BP
• Gameplay Effect: Reduces damage from headshots by 45%.
• Tooltip: Headshot damage is reduced by 45%.

 

Bone Plating (once called Thicker Skin)

• Cost: 1,500 BP
• Gameplay Effect: Reduces the damage that penetrates through zombies by 10%.
• Tooltip: Damage from piercing attacks is reduced by 10%.

 

Arctic Veins (once called Cold Blooded)

• Cost: 3,000 BP
• Gameplay Effect: Increases the damage taken from fire-based weapons and effects by 10%, but all frozen effects are completely ineffective.
  • Cannot use if Volcanic Veins is active.
  • Cannot use if Electrified Veins is active.
• Tooltip: Damage from fire-based weapons and effects is increased by 10%, but you are immune to frozen effects.

 

 

New Defensive Z-Traits

Spoiler

Volcanic Veins

• Cost: 3,000 BP
• Gameplay Effect: Increases the damage taken from frost-based weapons by 10%, and frozen effects are 50% more effective, but all fire effects are completely ineffective and reduces damage taken from explosion-based weapons by 25%.
  • Cannot use if Arctic Veins is active.
  • Cannot use if Electrified Veins is active.
• Tooltip: Damage from frozen-based weapons is increased by 10% and frozen effects are 50% more effective, but you are immune to fire effects and damage from explosion-based weapons is reduced by 25%.

 

Electrified Veins

• Cost: 3,000 BP
• Gameplay Effect: Increases the damage from energy-based weapons by 10%, but 0.5% of all melee damage is reflected.
  • Cannot use if Arctic Veins is active.
  • Cannot use if Volcanic Veins is active.
• Tooltip: Damage from energy-based weapons is increased by 10%, but you reflect 0.5% of all melee damage against you.

 

Relentless Onslaught

• Cost: 5,250 BP
• Gameplay Effect: When spawning, increases your movement speed by 20% that decays by 5% over 4 seconds.
  • Only works with regular zombies and their variants.
• Tooltip: Receive 20% increased movement speed that decays by 5% over 4 seconds every time you spawn.

 

Deadly Resilience

• Cost: 5,250 BP
• Gameplay Effect: Reduces damage from all possible damage sources by 0.25% for every instance of damage taken, up to a maximum of 10%, that wears off completely after 3 seconds. Taking damage again refreshes the duration of this effect.
  • Effects stack with Reinforced Flesh.
  • Effects are additive with Steel Skull, Bone Plating, and Blood Plating.
• Tooltip: Taking damage reduces damage from all sources by 0.25%, stacking up to 10%, for 3 seconds. Taking more damage refreshes the duration.

 

Unholy Strength

• Cost: 9,000 BP
• Gameplay Effect: Increases maximum health by 45%.
• Tooltip: Maximum health is increased by 45%.

 

Shadow Cloak

• Cost: 9,000 BP
• Gameplay Effect: Attacks have a 5% chance to be completely nullified.
• Tooltip: Receive a 5% chance to completely nullify the damage from an attack.

 

Death’s Veil

• Cost: 12,500 BP
• Gameplay Effect: After dying, have a 15% chance to become an invulnerable and invisible entity for 3 seconds. You can control this entity, and after 3 seconds, you will respawn where you are with 200% increased maximum health.
  • The health boost stacks with that from Unholy Strength and Undying Resolve.
  • Only applies to regular zombies and their variants.
  • Only occurs once per life.
  • In the invulnerable and invisible state, you cannot bypass solid objects (props, map structure, barricades, etc.)
  • The respawn can be manually activated before the timer runs out (like how redeeming works for humans).
• Tooltip: Receive a 15% chance to take control of an invulnerable and invisible entity for 3 seconds that you control after dying. After 3 seconds, you will revive yourself with 200% increased maximum health.

 

Undying Resolve

• Cost: 12,500 BP
• Gameplay Effect: Every death increases maximum health by 2.
  • This effect has infinite scaling.
  • Dying as a boss zombie, Rebirther zombie, or special zombie doesn’t trigger this effect.
  • Dying as a crow doesn’t trigger this effect.
• Tooltip: Every time you die, your maximum health increases by 2. Only affects regular zombies and their variants.

 

 

Edited August 23, 2020 by Snowyamur
Updated Death's Veil and clarified it's effect additive w/ Unholy Strength and Undying Resolve

[Law24]

Deaths veil sounds like a good way to glitch yourself into a cade.
Electric veins sounds funny. Have 6 zombies get it at once and watch someone kill themselves with an upgraded Worldbreaker.

Arctic veins seems to only be there cause volcanic veins, maybe have more frost based weps in the future?

Besides that, i think most of these made my mouth water.

Edited August 23, 2020 by Law24

[Snowyamur]

Just now, Law24 said:

Deaths veil sounds like a good way to glitch yourself into a cade.

I think I might change it where you become an invisible and invulnerable mist for 3 seconds, and you can decide where to respawn with the increased health. Thanks for pointing that out; I didn't think about that.

 

1 minute ago, Law24 said:

Electric veins sounds funny. Have 6 zombies get it at once and watch some kill themselves with an upgraded Worldbreaker.

Well, that's why I could always halve the 1% damage reflection to 0.5%, so that way those with Worldbreaker can't suicide themselves. But this gives zombies an edge against melee attackers.

 

2 minutes ago, Law24 said:

Arctic veins seems to only be there cause volcanic veins, maybe have more frost based weps in the future?

Not exactly. I know Frotchet and some winter pistol in the game deal frost damage. Unfortunately, those are the only two I know, but I think there are more in the game that are obtained by combining items. Or through the Reforger.

[Law24]

1 minute ago, Snowyamur said:

I think I might change it where you become an invisible and invulnerable mist for 3 seconds, and you can decide where to respawn with the increased health. Thanks for pointing that out; I didn't think about that.

A mist that can walk through the cade? Is it blocked by the props themselves or the ff? Should be blocked by props i think. But could cause issues when already in the cade, remembering how cancer crono tp placement can be.

[Snowyamur]

2 minutes ago, Law24 said:

A mist that can walk through the cade? Is it blocked by the props themselves or the ff? Should be blocked by props i think. But could cause issues when already in the cade, remembering how cancer crono tp placement can be.

I updated Death's Veil's description. When you die, you have a 25% chance to become an invisible and invulnerable entity that you control for 3 seconds. As the entity, you cannot walk through solid objects (includes map structure, props, barricades, etc.), but you can manually control where you respawn with the significant health boost.

Think of it like how redeeming works, except you can't walk through props.

Edited August 23, 2020 by Snowyamur

[Law24]

Does health boosts stack?

[Snowyamur]

3 minutes ago, Law24 said:

Does health boosts stack?

The effect from Unholy Strength does stack with the revival, yes. I'll clarify that.

I'll actually reduce the revival chance from Death's Veil to 15% to compensate for that change.

[MN ZS FAN]

Shadow cloak is kinda bad for being so expensive
 

[Snowyamur]

13 hours ago, Cult Cat said:

Shadow cloak is kinda bad for being so expensive
 

I intentionally made it that way because a passive ability that can nullify attacks is extremely strong, especially when at high percents. Then again, considering an entire barricade full of people would be shooting at around 3,500 RPM due to each person having a gun, I can ramp up the Shadow Cloak from 5% chance to 25% chance to nullify damage from an attack.

 

That way, the percent chance gives Shadow Cloak value to compensate for its expensive price tag.

Edited August 24, 2020 by Snowyamur

[Zia.]

Undying resolve sounds pretty good, with a balanced BP requirement.