OT: Zombie Block Party!
I promised an update on this in our thread about favorite aps, b/c of course my app is my favorite app:
This Tues. I released my very first mobile game on the iPhone app store. It is called Zombie Block Party. ZBP is free to play GPS based strategy game in which players in the same area fight for control of real world addresses. Since its release, it has been a lot of fun to hear people talk about fighting for shoppping malls, schools, etc. While it is fun to play alone, it is waaaaay better if you are playing with people you know in the same area. Killing a co-worker with a huge stack of zombies is great fun.
This has been a really exciting week for me and my co-creator, as the game represents 2 years of work: he works at Motorola, and I am still hanging around trying to finish up a PhD (that is me in the screenshot above by the Union). As you might know, the first week is incredibly important for apps, so I would REALLY appreciate the support of all of you MGoBloggers with iPhones. Sorry, Android folks, with only 1 programmer the porting process isn't too terribly quick.
Mods: If you have a problem with thiis, feel free to delete.
January 24th, 2013 at 9:07 AM ^
January 24th, 2013 at 9:13 AM ^
I thought that was the point of off-season OT. I'm not sure what kind of sports related content you expected when you clicked on "OT: Zombie Block Party!"
Again, if Mods feel this is inappropriate content/too much self promotion, please delete.This game has just consumed much of my free time over the last few years, and people seemed responsive in the favorite apps thread a few days ago, so I thought I would post an update.
January 24th, 2013 at 9:14 AM ^
It's the offseason and this is properly labeled as OT. People need to relax. Your app seems cool btw.
January 24th, 2013 at 9:21 AM ^
Just change your GPS location to the Big House on your screen shot and it will be perfect! lol
January 24th, 2013 at 9:23 AM ^
I expected to see a bunch of Zombies dancing and grilling food. While I'm a bit disappointed, I will definitely give your app a shot.
January 24th, 2013 at 9:35 AM ^
At least you can make them wear funny hats!? Funny hats make everything better, right?
January 24th, 2013 at 11:18 AM ^
Zombie Team Fortress?
January 24th, 2013 at 10:25 AM ^
"'m not sure what kind of sports related content you expected when you clicked on "OT: Zombie Block Party!"
I was expecting to see the highlights of my 2012 Cleveland Browns offense in action.
January 24th, 2013 at 10:37 AM ^
So as a Browns fan, myself, I can certainly sympathize. We actually debated whether it should be a zombie game or just a giant .gif of Weeden throwing interceptions.
We decided that no one wanted to see that, so we went with the zombie game instead.
January 24th, 2013 at 12:44 PM ^
January 24th, 2013 at 9:39 AM ^
Did you miss the OT tag?
OP: Android user here :( will have to try if you get it onto Google Play
January 24th, 2013 at 9:49 AM ^
If it does even moderately well, an Android version is on tap. Cool thing there is both platforms will be playing together on the same map.
January 24th, 2013 at 11:28 AM ^
Seconded.
January 24th, 2013 at 12:43 PM ^
January 24th, 2013 at 9:22 AM ^
January 24th, 2013 at 9:27 AM ^
January 24th, 2013 at 12:05 PM ^
Hell, you can have Dennison. I always figured that when the aliens invaded, Dennison would be the first building they'd turn into a prison/torture facility.
January 24th, 2013 at 9:28 AM ^
January 24th, 2013 at 9:34 AM ^
January 24th, 2013 at 9:47 AM ^
Downloaded. Can't wait to try it!
January 24th, 2013 at 9:51 AM ^
Downloading it now. Seems like it will be a cool, fun game to play. I'll try to spread the word too.
January 24th, 2013 at 9:57 AM ^
I already got infected by a herd of 14 frenzied zombies! I guess I'm a zombie from here on out...
January 24th, 2013 at 10:18 AM ^
It plays cyclically: when you die as a hunter you become a zombie. When you die as a zombie you become a hunter.
There are also 2 skills (spoiled meat and cure) which basically allow you to kill yourself in order to play the other side.
January 24th, 2013 at 11:42 AM ^
Haha that's correct. I discovered the "Cure" skill shortly after getting infected.
January 24th, 2013 at 10:00 AM ^
My house on Hamilton has narrowly avoided infection. WOO.
January 24th, 2013 at 10:05 AM ^
I'm a zombie already! FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
January 24th, 2013 at 10:15 AM ^
Okay, the only problem I have is I can't figure out how to go to actively hunt zombies. I'm assuming I have to get up and leave my house but it's my birthday today and I have the day off...so sniping zombies from my couch it is. Fun game, I'll make sure to spread the word.
January 24th, 2013 at 10:20 AM ^
You are correct, there is only a liimited amount of stuff that you can do from a single location. In that way the game sets up better to be played in short sessions, rather than long extended play sessions.
I know I show up at a restaurant, drop a few zombies and put the phone away again until I go to my next location.
January 24th, 2013 at 11:32 AM ^
Good thing I cover tons of ground on a daily basis here in Madison ... I can prob leave my mark all over town from all my various, labatories, offices, libraries, & coffee shops. I'm definitely going to buy the cheesehead hat.
January 24th, 2013 at 10:21 AM ^
I had similar thoughts. If I see a hunter or zombie down the street, do I have to go to that location in real life to attack them? As a zombie I can't seem to kill the hunters in my location...bastards.
Edit: question answered.
January 24th, 2013 at 10:28 AM ^
THe hunter can use his ranged weapons to pick off zombies at a distance (slot 2 & 3), but the zombie is a little more limited. In order to kill a hunter you either need to use "infect" on a zombie at your current location, or use the more advanced skill "command" to kill a distant hunter. Although zombies can create other zombies at distant locations with rat and retch.
In a lot of way the game sets up to have zombies build the world, by dropping lots of zombies. And hunters keep the zombie growth in check, by destroying what other zombies have created.
January 24th, 2013 at 10:28 AM ^
January 24th, 2013 at 10:30 AM ^
January 24th, 2013 at 10:39 AM ^
By either going to their location and using "infect", or buying the skill called "command" which let you send a stack of 25 zombies a short distance in order to kill a hunter.
We didn't want to make that too easy though. It's not as if a zombie can take out a gun and shoot a hunter halfway across town.
January 24th, 2013 at 10:54 AM ^
January 24th, 2013 at 10:59 AM ^
I always support these kinds of threads in the offseason. Support our fellow MGoMembers!
January 24th, 2013 at 11:04 AM ^
where the bigger bucks are? It's not that Apple stuff doesn't look and work great; I'm just such a strongly anti-herd guy. Looks fun, though!
January 24th, 2013 at 11:05 AM ^
Love the app so far. It's a great way to kill some time at work.
January 24th, 2013 at 11:19 AM ^
I again will stress how much more fun it is if you can get a few co-workers playing with you. I made the game and I very quickly tire of playing alone.
January 24th, 2013 at 11:38 AM ^
I don't have any co-workers playing it; however, I do have some people in the area that are from neighboring offices.
Plus, I will take your advice and when going to lunch, I will take over Chipotle with zombies.
January 24th, 2013 at 11:18 AM ^
January 24th, 2013 at 11:32 AM ^
Just curious, but how many downloads do you have so far?
January 24th, 2013 at 12:07 PM ^
So as mentioned this is a two man operation with no advertising budget, funding, and a very moderate internet presence. This is also a US only release, at least for now.
On day one we had something like 380, day two we had 400 more, and already on day three (today) we have cleared 1100 total players. We are relatively happy with this, but have no idea what reasonable numbers are as Apple doesn't release download statistics publically.
We are worried about these numbers stalling, however, without any sort of bump from Apple. "Hot Apps", "new apps", etc. As it seems like these are the springboards to the top download list, which allows for an app to get a positive feedback loop going: more eyes on it, means more downloads, means climbing higher up the charts, means more eyes on it...etc.
January 24th, 2013 at 1:05 PM ^
That's great man. It seems like you've developed a great game, and I can see how it would become addicting. If you guys ever release for Android, I'd definitely join in the fray.
One (semi-serious) idea if you ever launch for Android: make it so that Android users can play against Apple users, and the users of each platform are always zombies or hunters (i.e. Apple users = zombies, Android users = hunters). You'd get a lot of people wanting to play just so they could stick it to users of other platforms.
January 24th, 2013 at 1:27 PM ^
That would require us to blow up a lot of the gameplay, but it is really a pretty intriguing idea.
January 24th, 2013 at 11:53 AM ^
January 24th, 2013 at 12:01 PM ^
Honestly, there is no "better" race to be. I personally switch between the two pretty freely depending on what I want to do. If I want to clear out some of the riff-raff, I play the hunter. But if I want to try to establish control of the location I am at I will try to build up a bunch of zombies and then protect them with horde (this is a huge part of the game).
Another tactic is to try and better protect a location by dropping and arming hunters, around a location you want to control. Basically giving yourself some back up against any zombies that might open the app in the area.
January 24th, 2013 at 6:43 PM ^
How do you level up your horde?
January 24th, 2013 at 11:54 AM ^
A good friend/co-worker of mine would really like this because he is a hardcore zombie enthusiast, but he has an Android. I'll tell him when it is available though.
January 24th, 2013 at 12:20 PM ^
Or are there really this many people playing in California? I just downloaded and being a new app I was surprised at how many players I've collided with in the last couple minutes.