Original Post
Kickstarter:The dead linger
Hello everyone i was looking around on Kickstarter and find this
i will be kickstarting it just for the idea alone is great what do you guys think
http://www.thedeadlinger.com/
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...inger?ref=live
Are the developers open to new suggestions/ideas?
Yes, if we make a suggestion/arguement for something compelling enough, it may just happen.
Everything is subject to change.
When will the Alpha become available?
Sandswept hopes to release a working alpha sometime within the next six months.
Am I allowed to upload videos of the games alpha?
Yes you are, its actually actively encourage! So please do. You can do anything you want from Machinima to Let's Play.
Ugh ... I can't wait that long! Is there any way to speed up developement?
Yes, there is currently a Kickstarter page to ensure some of the key members of Sandswept could go from part time to full time!
And if you don't want to sign up to Kickstarter for whatever reason you could always support the studio by PayPal donation, or if you don't have PayPal you can do it by buying their other title currently on Steam, DETOUR.
Will this game be available on Steam?
Maybe when it's finished, unfortunately Steam's terms for games in progress is not ideal for the project.
What platforms will this game be available on?
Windows at first and then hopefully Mac and Linux.
Will my computer be able to run it?
Well no specs have been posted yet, but a wide variety of options are planned so whether you have a top of the range PC or the cheapest one you can find you should be able to run it.
How much will this game cost?
Currently the Alpha costs $25, but it won't be that cheap for long, so be sure to snag a copy before the price goes up!
How large will this game be?
Currently it's expected to be at roughly 3 - 5 GB but that number will grow with each iteration of the game.
Will I have to pay for future iterations of the game? (Updates)
Nope, once you buy the game you will recieve all future updates and patches of the game free.
What programming language is the game written in?
C++.
Will this game be first person or third person?
First person.
Will this game be fully playable solo?
Yes.
What will the game look like?
Probably something similar to this screenshot from stalker.
Will this game's art style be realistic or stylised?
Realistic.
Does that mean there will be gore in this game?
Yes, but you can disable it if you so choose.
Will this game be realistic in general?
Well the primary design focus will be fun but second to that the game will be as realisic as possible.
Will your character feel hunger?
Yes, your character will need to eat.
... What about thirst?
Drinking water won't be that necessary for your character but it will lower infection risk.
Will there be platforming in this game?
Yes, there will be basic platforming. (e.g. Rolling over the hood of a car, jumping over a railing, climbing a ledge, etc.)
Will there be barricading in this game?
Yes, free-form barricading is one of the main features in the entire game. No preset spots to place boards on windows. The integrity of a given barricade will be determined by what it is and how you place it on the door/window.
Can I create my own items in game?
There will be some sort of crafting system yes, what that will be is still to be determined, so put your suggestions up on the forums!
Where will this game be based?
Everywhere, USA.
Will this game be open world?
Yes.
Will the world be procedurally generated?
Yes.
Will the game's enviroment be destructible?
We're not sure how destructible yet, but windows and doors will be things you don't want zombies hitting.
Will there be mountains in the game?
Yes, in fact every terrain feature is supported, including caves and mineshafts, although currently excluding overhangs but they will be implemented if need be.
Oh cool, so does that mean [example terrain] will be available?
Not right now, the only features that have been implemented so far are:
- Suburban (friendly neighborhood housing, school districts, parks)
- City (skyscrapers, larger buildings, industrial districts, city parks)
- Rural (Farmland, cornfields, wheatfields, barns, farmhouses)
- Forestry (national parks, pine forests, dense forests)
- Swamps (Swamps)
- Caves, sewers, old mineshafts are do-able, and they plan on doing them.
Oh ... I see how it is, so does that mean there's no chance of [example terrain] making it into the game?
Not at all, simply that the above spaces are the only ones planned/implemented so far.
What is the algorithm used to generate this world?
Sandswept will be using the expert system, where each classification has it's own expert to determine how it will be generated, for example the building expert will decide on the structure of the building while the city expert will determine the place and size and so on and so forth.
We will also be able to tweak these settings ourselves at some point in developement.
Will there be friendly AI in this game?
Friendly AI cannot be confirmed at this point.
Will there be zombie dogs and/or animals?
Currently it's confirmed zombie wolves are planned and there are other zombie animals that have not yet been mentioned planned for the game. There may be a zombie bull.
Will there be mutated zombies? (Acid spitting zombies, exploding zombies, etc)
None are planned at this moment in time.
Will there be slow/fast zombies?
There will be a wide variety of zombies, ranging from slow to normal to fast, normal zombies being the most prominent.
The explanation for this is more freshing bitten zombies have decomposed less thus can move faster.
What about child zombies?
Official word on that is: "Until we figure out how it would give a solid advantage to gameplay, we're not particularly interested in gratuitous child violence for the sake of it. That said, if they did exist, there would also be an option to not have them."
How will zombies act?
Zombies will essentially have 3 states. (Names of the states are made up for the sake of explanation)
- Idle (Wandering a area, just standing there, gnawing on something)
- Investigating (Being aroused by a outside source; be it light, sound, smell, etc; And going around to investigate)
- Aggro (Actively pursuing a player they saw or know is there)
Zombies within a investigating or aggroed may draw other zombies to them.
Will there be inventory limitations?
Yes, you can only carry as much as your backpack, pockets, etc, can hold.
Will I spawn in a safe location?
It will be relatively safe compared to the areas around you.
Will I respawn?
In the base gamemode yes, but a "Dead is Dead" option will be made available within the future for those who want absolute realism.
Will there be background music while I'm playing?
Yes.
Will this game have multiplayer?
Yes.
Can I host my own server so I can play with my friends in a private lobby?
Yes, a application will be released to allow you to host a server.
Will there be LAN?
Yes.
Will there be clans in this game?
Yes, there are also two types of servers for clans, PvP and PvE.
If all the players leave the server, could zombies overwhelm our stronghold?
No, if there are no players on the server it idles until someone rejoins the server.
Will there be voice chat in the game?
There will be eventually but during the Alpha you'll most likely have to use a outside program like Teamspeak or Skype to communicate through voice, there will be text chat though, so you can still communicate in game.
Will the game have mod support?
It is planned for the future but there aren't any systems put in place for it yet.
Will there be different weather?
Yes, the current confirmed weather is rain, thunder storms and sunny days.
Will weather have a effect on the AI?
Yes.
Thunderstorms will make it more difficult for zombies to hear you, night time makes it easier for them to hear you but decreases their vision, this is all the information we have about the effects of weather on the world so far.
Will there be a day/night cycle?
Yes.
How long will a day last?
Currently the planned default length of a day is two hours, but you can alter the length if you so wish.
I'm a experienced modeller and I'd like to help out with this project, is there any way I can submit my work for it to get in the game?
Yes, underneath the forum "Survivor Creations" there is a thread dedicated to this topic.
I wrote this nice little diary entry I think would make a great backstory for a dead character in the game, can I submit it?
Yes indeed, if you post your entries in "Survivor Creations" and they're just quite good enough they might make it into the game.
Will there be DRM or any form of restrictions to the player for piracy prevention?
No, in fact as long as you buy the game if you like it pirating the game just to try it out is even encouraged.
I'm a hardcore zombie fan, can I turn off music/fast zombies/zombie animals/etc?
Yes, options will be implemented so you can tweak your experiance exactly to your liking.
Will there be human abilities/attributes/skills?
Yes, there will be human attributes.
You may only have three at a time and you can only change one attribute for another every hour.
Can I gain attributes?
There will be trails/challenges allowing you to gain extra attributes/increase your current attributes.
Will there be driveable vehicles in this game?
Yes and they will require fuel so you may need to top off the tank before driving it off into the sunset.
What are the terms "zed" and "zulu" referencing?
Zed and zulu are references to the letter Z, the former being and enunciation of the letter, the latter being the letter Z in the NATO phonic alphabet, these two terms are commonly used as shorthands for the word "zombie", referencing the way the first letter within the word would be said.
i will be kickstarting it just for the idea alone is great what do you guys think
http://www.thedeadlinger.com/
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...inger?ref=live
Art
http://www.thedeadlinger.com/media#FAQ
Are the developers open to new suggestions/ideas?
Yes, if we make a suggestion/arguement for something compelling enough, it may just happen.
Everything is subject to change.
When will the Alpha become available?
Sandswept hopes to release a working alpha sometime within the next six months.
Am I allowed to upload videos of the games alpha?
Yes you are, its actually actively encourage! So please do. You can do anything you want from Machinima to Let's Play.
Ugh ... I can't wait that long! Is there any way to speed up developement?
Yes, there is currently a Kickstarter page to ensure some of the key members of Sandswept could go from part time to full time!
And if you don't want to sign up to Kickstarter for whatever reason you could always support the studio by PayPal donation, or if you don't have PayPal you can do it by buying their other title currently on Steam, DETOUR.
Will this game be available on Steam?
Maybe when it's finished, unfortunately Steam's terms for games in progress is not ideal for the project.
What platforms will this game be available on?
Windows at first and then hopefully Mac and Linux.
Will my computer be able to run it?
Well no specs have been posted yet, but a wide variety of options are planned so whether you have a top of the range PC or the cheapest one you can find you should be able to run it.
How much will this game cost?
Currently the Alpha costs $25, but it won't be that cheap for long, so be sure to snag a copy before the price goes up!
How large will this game be?
Currently it's expected to be at roughly 3 - 5 GB but that number will grow with each iteration of the game.
Will I have to pay for future iterations of the game? (Updates)
Nope, once you buy the game you will recieve all future updates and patches of the game free.
What programming language is the game written in?
C++.
Will this game be first person or third person?
First person.
Will this game be fully playable solo?
Yes.
What will the game look like?
Probably something similar to this screenshot from stalker.
Will this game's art style be realistic or stylised?
Realistic.
Does that mean there will be gore in this game?
Yes, but you can disable it if you so choose.
Will this game be realistic in general?
Well the primary design focus will be fun but second to that the game will be as realisic as possible.
Will your character feel hunger?
Yes, your character will need to eat.
... What about thirst?
Drinking water won't be that necessary for your character but it will lower infection risk.
Will there be platforming in this game?
Yes, there will be basic platforming. (e.g. Rolling over the hood of a car, jumping over a railing, climbing a ledge, etc.)
Will there be barricading in this game?
Yes, free-form barricading is one of the main features in the entire game. No preset spots to place boards on windows. The integrity of a given barricade will be determined by what it is and how you place it on the door/window.
Can I create my own items in game?
There will be some sort of crafting system yes, what that will be is still to be determined, so put your suggestions up on the forums!
Where will this game be based?
Everywhere, USA.
Will this game be open world?
Yes.
Will the world be procedurally generated?
Yes.
Will the game's enviroment be destructible?
We're not sure how destructible yet, but windows and doors will be things you don't want zombies hitting.
Will there be mountains in the game?
Yes, in fact every terrain feature is supported, including caves and mineshafts, although currently excluding overhangs but they will be implemented if need be.
Oh cool, so does that mean [example terrain] will be available?
Not right now, the only features that have been implemented so far are:
- Suburban (friendly neighborhood housing, school districts, parks)
- City (skyscrapers, larger buildings, industrial districts, city parks)
- Rural (Farmland, cornfields, wheatfields, barns, farmhouses)
- Forestry (national parks, pine forests, dense forests)
- Swamps (Swamps)
- Caves, sewers, old mineshafts are do-able, and they plan on doing them.
Oh ... I see how it is, so does that mean there's no chance of [example terrain] making it into the game?
Not at all, simply that the above spaces are the only ones planned/implemented so far.
What is the algorithm used to generate this world?
Sandswept will be using the expert system, where each classification has it's own expert to determine how it will be generated, for example the building expert will decide on the structure of the building while the city expert will determine the place and size and so on and so forth.
We will also be able to tweak these settings ourselves at some point in developement.
Will there be friendly AI in this game?
Friendly AI cannot be confirmed at this point.
Will there be zombie dogs and/or animals?
Currently it's confirmed zombie wolves are planned and there are other zombie animals that have not yet been mentioned planned for the game. There may be a zombie bull.
Will there be mutated zombies? (Acid spitting zombies, exploding zombies, etc)
None are planned at this moment in time.
Will there be slow/fast zombies?
There will be a wide variety of zombies, ranging from slow to normal to fast, normal zombies being the most prominent.
The explanation for this is more freshing bitten zombies have decomposed less thus can move faster.
What about child zombies?
Official word on that is: "Until we figure out how it would give a solid advantage to gameplay, we're not particularly interested in gratuitous child violence for the sake of it. That said, if they did exist, there would also be an option to not have them."
How will zombies act?
Zombies will essentially have 3 states. (Names of the states are made up for the sake of explanation)
- Idle (Wandering a area, just standing there, gnawing on something)
- Investigating (Being aroused by a outside source; be it light, sound, smell, etc; And going around to investigate)
- Aggro (Actively pursuing a player they saw or know is there)
Zombies within a investigating or aggroed may draw other zombies to them.
Will there be inventory limitations?
Yes, you can only carry as much as your backpack, pockets, etc, can hold.
Will I spawn in a safe location?
It will be relatively safe compared to the areas around you.
Will I respawn?
In the base gamemode yes, but a "Dead is Dead" option will be made available within the future for those who want absolute realism.
Will there be background music while I'm playing?
Yes.
Will this game have multiplayer?
Yes.
Can I host my own server so I can play with my friends in a private lobby?
Yes, a application will be released to allow you to host a server.
Will there be LAN?
Yes.
Will there be clans in this game?
Yes, there are also two types of servers for clans, PvP and PvE.
If all the players leave the server, could zombies overwhelm our stronghold?
No, if there are no players on the server it idles until someone rejoins the server.
Will there be voice chat in the game?
There will be eventually but during the Alpha you'll most likely have to use a outside program like Teamspeak or Skype to communicate through voice, there will be text chat though, so you can still communicate in game.
Will the game have mod support?
It is planned for the future but there aren't any systems put in place for it yet.
Will there be different weather?
Yes, the current confirmed weather is rain, thunder storms and sunny days.
Will weather have a effect on the AI?
Yes.
Thunderstorms will make it more difficult for zombies to hear you, night time makes it easier for them to hear you but decreases their vision, this is all the information we have about the effects of weather on the world so far.
Will there be a day/night cycle?
Yes.
How long will a day last?
Currently the planned default length of a day is two hours, but you can alter the length if you so wish.
I'm a experienced modeller and I'd like to help out with this project, is there any way I can submit my work for it to get in the game?
Yes, underneath the forum "Survivor Creations" there is a thread dedicated to this topic.
I wrote this nice little diary entry I think would make a great backstory for a dead character in the game, can I submit it?
Yes indeed, if you post your entries in "Survivor Creations" and they're just quite good enough they might make it into the game.
Will there be DRM or any form of restrictions to the player for piracy prevention?
No, in fact as long as you buy the game if you like it pirating the game just to try it out is even encouraged.
I'm a hardcore zombie fan, can I turn off music/fast zombies/zombie animals/etc?
Yes, options will be implemented so you can tweak your experiance exactly to your liking.
Will there be human abilities/attributes/skills?
Yes, there will be human attributes.
You may only have three at a time and you can only change one attribute for another every hour.
Can I gain attributes?
There will be trails/challenges allowing you to gain extra attributes/increase your current attributes.
Will there be driveable vehicles in this game?
Yes and they will require fuel so you may need to top off the tank before driving it off into the sunset.
What are the terms "zed" and "zulu" referencing?
Zed and zulu are references to the letter Z, the former being and enunciation of the letter, the latter being the letter Z in the NATO phonic alphabet, these two terms are commonly used as shorthands for the word "zombie", referencing the way the first letter within the word would be said.
Last edited by fireless; Apr 19, 2012 at 01:43 PM.
Anime United
Typically, you might want to include more information on the project, other than just "here's the kickstarter"
I've been following this for well over a year, and not much information has been released in that time, other than some concept art and some initial renders.
That being said, their concept for the game is something that peaked my interest greatly.
The Dead Linger is a fps zombie survival game created by Sandswept Studios. How droll, overdone, etc. etc. is what I bet a few people are thinking right now upon reading fps zombie survival, but the game isn't following in the footsteps of L4D or Killing Floor or other "fps survival" games.
Rather, The Dead Linger is claiming that it will be the game to bring zombie survival back to zombie survival. You are no super soldier, you do not have godlike capabilities, and you are certainly not immortal. You are a human stuck in the zombie apocalypse and, for the love of god, you certainly cannot take on a horde of zombies by yourself. Instead, you play for... well, survival. Avoiding the zombie horde is what you should do. Establish a safe zone, scavenge for supplies, and avoid attracting unwanted attention, both dead and otherwise.
Establishing a safe zone has some interesting mechanics incorporated into it. The main feature that separates this from standard survival games is the concept of free-form barricading. Rather than having set options of where you can set up defenses, The Dead Linger will allow you to board up any door or window how you please, push furniture to setup barricades, etc. etc.
Supplies are crucial for survival in The Dead Linger. This is because, like in a regular apocalypse, you tend to have issues with hunger. That's right, no camping in your little hidey hole for all of eternity, it looks like you have to brave the big bad outdoors to keep your sorry excuse for a survivor alive. Zombies will be attracted to any sound you make, or seeing you. And if one zombie hears you and begins pursuit, don't be surprised if other zombies follow suit. What started out as one zombie can quickly become a ravenous horde tearing down your barriers at your safe house. Travelling at night can make you less likely to get spotted, but the ever present threat of being heard makes every supply run risky.
Finally, if it weren't enough to deal with the undead, there will be aggressive survivors out to take whatever supplies they can in whatever way possible. If it means putting a bullet in your head, so be it. The only thing you can trust in this zombie wasteland is yourself. And your friends.
Because what zombie survival game is complete without multiplayer? Servers will host worlds (procedurally generated, and quite large (if I remember correctly, they said it would generate a surface larger than the surface of the earth, and they would connect at both ends, so no invisible wall.)) for you and your friends to play on. When nobody is on, the world will freeze, so no zombies will overrun your safe house while you're away. Standard server protection to stop/prevent griefing is promised.
Further updates are posted on www.thedeadlinger.com They've said they plan to release an alpha of the game by June(?) I believe. Paying $50 during the kickstart will allow you alpha access and future releases of the game, along with "The Kickstarter," a pretty rad backpack to start out with. Or you can just donate $25 to get the game upon release. Or you can be a real snooty person and donate $2000 and get your likeness implemented into the game as either a common zombie or an enemy survivor. Either way, I look forward to this games release, and will probably be spending the remainder of my money on this game for the kickstarter.
I probably missed a few things as well, so I'll add a link to their FAQ once I find it again.
Edit: and it appears their forums and website are down. I'll try again later.
I've been following this for well over a year, and not much information has been released in that time, other than some concept art and some initial renders.
That being said, their concept for the game is something that peaked my interest greatly.
The Dead Linger is a fps zombie survival game created by Sandswept Studios. How droll, overdone, etc. etc. is what I bet a few people are thinking right now upon reading fps zombie survival, but the game isn't following in the footsteps of L4D or Killing Floor or other "fps survival" games.
Rather, The Dead Linger is claiming that it will be the game to bring zombie survival back to zombie survival. You are no super soldier, you do not have godlike capabilities, and you are certainly not immortal. You are a human stuck in the zombie apocalypse and, for the love of god, you certainly cannot take on a horde of zombies by yourself. Instead, you play for... well, survival. Avoiding the zombie horde is what you should do. Establish a safe zone, scavenge for supplies, and avoid attracting unwanted attention, both dead and otherwise.
Establishing a safe zone has some interesting mechanics incorporated into it. The main feature that separates this from standard survival games is the concept of free-form barricading. Rather than having set options of where you can set up defenses, The Dead Linger will allow you to board up any door or window how you please, push furniture to setup barricades, etc. etc.
Supplies are crucial for survival in The Dead Linger. This is because, like in a regular apocalypse, you tend to have issues with hunger. That's right, no camping in your little hidey hole for all of eternity, it looks like you have to brave the big bad outdoors to keep your sorry excuse for a survivor alive. Zombies will be attracted to any sound you make, or seeing you. And if one zombie hears you and begins pursuit, don't be surprised if other zombies follow suit. What started out as one zombie can quickly become a ravenous horde tearing down your barriers at your safe house. Travelling at night can make you less likely to get spotted, but the ever present threat of being heard makes every supply run risky.
Finally, if it weren't enough to deal with the undead, there will be aggressive survivors out to take whatever supplies they can in whatever way possible. If it means putting a bullet in your head, so be it. The only thing you can trust in this zombie wasteland is yourself. And your friends.
Because what zombie survival game is complete without multiplayer? Servers will host worlds (procedurally generated, and quite large (if I remember correctly, they said it would generate a surface larger than the surface of the earth, and they would connect at both ends, so no invisible wall.)) for you and your friends to play on. When nobody is on, the world will freeze, so no zombies will overrun your safe house while you're away. Standard server protection to stop/prevent griefing is promised.
Further updates are posted on www.thedeadlinger.com They've said they plan to release an alpha of the game by June(?) I believe. Paying $50 during the kickstart will allow you alpha access and future releases of the game, along with "The Kickstarter," a pretty rad backpack to start out with. Or you can just donate $25 to get the game upon release. Or you can be a real snooty person and donate $2000 and get your likeness implemented into the game as either a common zombie or an enemy survivor. Either way, I look forward to this games release, and will probably be spending the remainder of my money on this game for the kickstarter.
I probably missed a few things as well, so I'll add a link to their FAQ once I find it again.
Edit: and it appears their forums and website are down. I'll try again later.
Last edited by Oracle; Apr 19, 2012 at 01:35 PM.
nyan :3
Youtube Channel i sometimes post videos of other games
Youtube Channel i sometimes post videos of other games
the 25$ will get you in to alpha as well
I pledged for the $25 reward, will I be able to get alpha and beta access too?
Yes, if you buy the game (or otherwise receive it through these rewards) you will get Alpha and Beta access as well.
I pledged for the $25 reward, will I be able to get alpha and beta access too?
Yes, if you buy the game (or otherwise receive it through these rewards) you will get Alpha and Beta access as well.
Anime United
