In the recent dev blog of the survival MMO H1Z1, the more technical aspects of the game were highlighted: What is a heat map? What happens to corpses in the game?
In a series of developer blogs for the upcoming zombie MMO H1Z1, experts from various fields share their insights. While previous issues focused on graphics, animation, or the combat system, this time it was about the hard facts with an AI and server specialist.
Those who shoot in the morning will be taken by the Z in the evening
“How can you prevent H1Z1 from just being a shooter where everyone shoots at everything?” was the first question to Mitch Evans. According to Evans, that’s what the heat map does. It ensures that zombies truly play a role in H1Z1.
Anyone who kills players, animals, or zombies with firearms generates “heat,” or attention, and attracts the zombie hordes. In the video, a sniper appeared on a hill, calmly taking shots at the village below while the zombie hordes were already gathering behind him. Areas of the map where valuable items spawn are also said to attract a lot of attention from the hordes.
Additionally, there are currently considerations for a “karma system” in H1Z1. This could potentially come as an option on certain servers if players request it. This way, player killers and troublemakers can be easily identified, allowing players to react accordingly if they encounter one.
Corpse system introduced
Another important point in Evans’ dev blog was the “corpse” system. In the world of H1Z1, when someone kills something, it doesn’t just leave a pile of pixels that disappears with a “poof,” but rather a corpse that is supposed to go through various stages of decay. And… in the harsh world of H1Z1, a corpse is also a source of protein.
They aim to show the different stages of decay for corpses. Players should be able to tell from the model whether something has already been “eaten” or if the corpse has been lying around long enough that flies are buzzing around it. Making a roast from a rotting deer might not be a good idea.
The zombie MMO H1Z1, sometimes referred to as Minecraft with zombies, still has no date for early access. However, this may change in the coming days.
