Thoughts on a notional 'Cure' for the Zombie Bug.

WarMongerian

Refugee
Hi folks, this is a thread for folks to share their thoughts on a character having an optional path to "victory", by being able, to research and develop a "Cure" for the Zombie Bug (I'm just calling it that for lack of a better term), as an end game type of thing.

My thoughts are a bit jumbled, but here goes.

Have special research PoI's, one or more in each and every Biome, and a player needs a quest to go there, and activate the pre-collapse scientific research equipment, and hold the facility, perhaps just through a night, or a storm, or even a Horde Night, whatever. After successfully holding a facility, they get a unique book.

The Unique book would unlock a special workstation that they can then craft/build. Each such workstation would have many experimental research paths, most would just be dead ends, some would be bad, some others would lead to something good, and only one of which would lead to a part of the cure. I'm currently thinking of 10-20 research paths, for each such workstation. Each game, the results would be randomized for the whole lot, so what leads to the part of the cure in one game, doesn't have to in the next game. Overall:

1) A random number of experimental research paths are enabled when activated by the player crafting the workstation, varies game by game. Most lead nowhere, 1-3 good things, 1-3 bad things, and 1 that is a part of the cure. Because of the random nature of what does what, no too playthroughs would be the same.

2) An experimental research path should be one of several different types, and these would require the player to do different activities. Some paths would need the player to capture a specific type of critter/zombie. Other paths would require the player to craft foods/drinks/meals/medicines that they do tests on/with.

3) Each Biome would have one (or more) PoI's. Maybe all the same, maybe not. Maybe random each game, just to throw folks off, keep folks from knowing if they had everything. Exploration would be the only way to be sure.

4) Have the quests have multiple ways to be granted, the easiest, would be to just have it given by a trader. The best would be to have to blunder into the place while out exploring, then the next trader you talk to, gives you the quest, but many thing could be used to limit this.

5) Some of the PoI's, should have captive screamers held in soundproof 'holding cells' built of extremely durable/unbreakable materials, but they randomly suffer failures in soundproofing, leading to...

I'm starting to sundown, so more thoughts later, and looking forward to reading posts on this idea/concept.
 
Hi folks, this is a thread for folks to share their thoughts on a character having an optional path to "victory", by being able, to research and develop a "Cure" for the Zombie Bug (I'm just calling it that for lack of a better term), as an end game type of thing.
Cliché in postapocalyptic media at this point, kind of like the amnesia overused to explain why your character doesn't know anything about the world when playing a RPG, but it's been around so long, coming up with something completely original would be a miracle. Gaining immunity to the Scorched Plague was among the more interesting (initial) quests in 76. (Don't get me started on the idiocy of the mass immunizations tacked on later, though.)

As for gameplay, I'd hope it wouldn't be too convoluted in a non-RPG. Just stumbling across the corpse or notes of some more benevolent grunt working on a cure in one of the existing labs and crafting an immunization for the player on the chemistry bench (for players who don't want deal with infection for the duration) would be enough for me and thorough exploration without any handholding would be rewarded.
 
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