State of Decay

[JudgeDredd]

So a pal at worked asked if I had heard of this game and I replied no. He gave me the breakdown and it sounded quite cool - though I did say I might not pick it up because I was a bit zombie'd out

Anyway - being a true gamer and a forgetful auld sod - I got home to look at it on Steam and noticed it was 33% off - for people with the original. Well, I looked at my library and sure enough, I had the original!!

I had played like 45 minutes and seemingly given up on it.

With my interest in it piqued again, I loaded it up and was immediately confronted with WHY I had given up on it after 45 minutes. It's graphically probably the worst thing I've come across in the last 10 years. It's not just the lack of sharpness or finesse in the graphic quality - it's the real horrid colour palette they are using...URRRGH!

Anyway - I gave it another go...and I've played 6 hours over this weekend. Having worked out what's required and wearing my Stevie Wonder glasses, I've been able to squeeze 6 hours out of it.

It's a bloody difficult game. Resources seem to regenerate over a day and you have to go out and grab them. There are various resources required, food and medicines being the most abundant, stockpiles of construction stuff to fix up the house and enhance it's abilities, guns, ammo, weapons.

There's big ass zombies, hordes, infestations, screamers.

I've lost the plot a bit in my game. One of my characters is dead so I can't switch characters meaning I can't rest the one I can play. Two of the others are sick (including me) but I can't seem to find any construction materials so I can build a medical centre. I've put out a "rally" call which boosts my stamina (which was at the lowest point and I could only stumble about quite slowly meaning I couldn't do any missions or gather resources.

It's a very difficult game and keeps you massively busy. I just don't have enough time to gather resources AND do the missions that spring up. I've got like 400+ influence don't know what to do with it. I can't seem to action anything that will reduce that (and apparently you need to stop something else getting out of control). There's masses of zombies around.

So my current issues...

• I can't seem to recruit anyone - regardless of how many people I've rushed out to help - they just run off
• I can't find any construction materials (and I've checked the construction sites - all I find it blunt weapons)
• Because of the two above, I can't rest my character and I can't build a medical centre to help my sick people (and me)

[bbmike]

Haven't really put much time into this one yet but I do have it. You're making me want to jump back in.
I've been playing (and having great fun with) 7 Days to Die though. I've also tried Project Zomboid but find the controls horrendous. I also have Dead State waiting for my attention. Too many Zombie games!

[Jarhead0331]

Personally, I'm waiting for Dying Light to go on sale.

[Tpek]

I've finished the original (and yet to have a chance to play any of the DLCs) and yet ended up buying the new version.

Have they changed the "always-on-persistent-game-world" M.O of the game?
You know, where the game was "playing" even when you weren't. Stop playing for over a day and you'll find your characters have starved and got
screwed in your absence.

[Rayfer]

I've finished the original (and yet to have a chance to play any of the DLCs) and yet ended up buying the new version.

Have they changed the "always-on-persistent-game-world" M.O of the game?
You know, where the game was "playing" even when you weren't. Stop playing for over a day and you'll find your characters have starved and got
screwed in your absence.

That seems so extreme...??? You couldn't take a few days off without your character starving to death.  Wow!!

[Tpek]

^Maybe not after a single day.
But your guys could barely do anything on their own and required constant babysitting.
So it's a game that in order to win you had to play on at least a nearly daily basis.

[Nefaro]

I kinda enjoyed what little I played this game.  But like so many console ports with restricted FOV and point-of-view too close to the 3D rendered ground, it gave me a severe headache and nausea.  Had to stop.  :-\

[JudgeDredd]

I've finished the original (and yet to have a chance to play any of the DLCs) and yet ended up buying the new version.

Have they changed the "always-on-persistent-game-world" M.O of the game?
You know, where the game was "playing" even when you weren't. Stop playing for over a day and you'll find your characters have starved and got
screwed in your absence.

I haven't noticed anything out the ordinary yet. I'll know during the week I guess. Perhaps I'll fire it up tomorrow and take notes of my character and then check again at the weekend.

[glen55]

I haven't played in months, so I will check it out tonight and see how my character is doing.

[bbmike]

What!? How does the game keep playing when you're not?

[Nefaro]

What!? How does the game keep playing when you're not?

It's become self aware.

Will get in your fridge and drink all your caffeine for the late night sessions. 

[glen55]

Like I said, I hadn't played in months.

Fired it up, and the pending mission task was "prepare a feast," and under that "need: puff pastry."   :D

So I don't think my folks starved while I was gone.   

[JudgeDredd]

I can't seem to stop playing this at the moment  :'(

[JasonPratt]

I played the game for like 30 minutes after its original release (enough to get me and the first plot-friend to the first ranger station), and haven't booted it up since.

I have a somewhat perverse Schrödinger fascination to what things will be like when I do boot it up again, which translates over into a reluctance to boot it up again sooner JUST IN CASE IT MIGHT SOMEHOW BE WORSE LATER!