Ok, I''ve just finished the zombie level in Halo (aka The Flood). I''m told this is the worst level in the game, and I''m hoping desperately that such is the case. What a long, broken record mistake of a level. Yet its primary differentiation is to add action to the zombie elements of Half-Life. Those, however, were much better - I guess they had to be, comprising as they did so much of the stupid game - and established dramatic tension fairly consistently. This one just felt like a course in ammo management. I recognize that a level like this was a good idea, I really do. And the first few zombies are exceptionally creepy. But the way the level is constructed, with all those stupid triggers so that you move forward only to have to fall back again and again and again and again...What were they thinking? What do you think? Is this a bad way to construct one of these levels? Is there a better way to bring tension? Could they simply have cut out 50% of the level and saved some grief on the part of the players? Should they have had The Flood actually flood you with enemies, a relentless assault? Should they have hired an artist who DIDN''T get 100% of their inspiration from Half-life itself? Or am I on crack? Was it a great experience, pleasing, subtle infinitely varied in form? ld

When you say ''got past it'', where exactly are you up to? You went through the swamp, down the elevator, meet the Flood, back up the elevator, back through the swamp yeah? Have you been through the next stage of the Flood after this where you get teleported by the little sentinal thingymebob? The reason I ask is because if you have just re-emerged into the swamp, you have the most repetitive bit still to come...

But back to your question, it was probably a combination of lazy level design and trying to stretch out the game to more playing hours.

It was the worst part of the game, it really surprises me that a producer let that slip by and into the final game. Apart from anything else, even on the hardest difficulty level those same sections of level that are repeated dozens of times are very easy to get past once you know how to fight them. Only the original set pieces near the edges of each level test you.

Hopefully they''ll learn for next time...

sorry, yeah. The first part of the Flood I didn''t mind SO much. The index, well, let''s just say it was possibly the biggest annoyance I''ve ever suffered all the way through.

ld

i think it would have been neat for a Serious Sam style barrage of enemies.

quote: Original post by kryat
i think it would have been neat for a Serious Sam style barrage of enemies.

Since I never played Serious Sam, I may be talking out of my cornhole here, but isn't that the intention of the top of the pyramid just before you move into the flood level? Big doors open, enemies aplenty come at you, and all you have is that sad little gunnery turret to mutilate, plasmatize, and otherwise put them in the ground. Similarly, in the initial iteration of The Flood sends a massive group of weak-but-plentifuls at you.

Back to the zombie level, I think they did get one thing right: the shotgun. Where would a fight with dire undead brain-eaters be without that particular honey? Nowhere I want to be, that's for sure. They also had zombies rising from the dead, which was a particularly neat effect, but happened seldom enough that it didn't get a chance to get old, except in the sense that the whole level was old and tired halfway through.

Any other zombtastic elements, present or missing from the example in question, that need to be in levels with shambling undead?

ld
[edit: removed white space]

[edited by - liquiddark on December 1, 2003 8:34:26 PM]

the whole zombie thing was terrible. it actually made me stop playing the campaign and go straight to multiplayer. i mean seriously, i didn''t get halo just to fight the undead (i could play a myriad of other games for that), i wanted to fight some freaking covenant aliens!

the flood... argh... even the name is retarded... nuf said

I liked the Flood. Not so much from a fun-filled gameplay perspective, but rather as a story element. I don''t go back and play the Library again and again, as I do with Attack on the Control room or Truth and Reconciliation, but on Legendary, The Library really is a survival level. It''s not a question of being able to beat the flood. They''re pathetic. But with high enough difficulty you''ll find yourself getting nipped to death.

That''s why the level had to be a marathon (zing!) of the same old thing. I''d rather be battling covenant, of course, but it makes for a good story element and can be very hard. The problem is that people play it like a video game. You go up until you hit the trigger, and then runn back to a safe spot, grind up the flood, and move up until it "clicks" again. Try getting through the library with a run&gun strategy, and you''ll have a faster experience that never lets up. When Guilty Spark goes to open a door and you just stand around there, you were too cautious. The waves of flood should be reinforcements, not replacements.

Of course, the fact that an experienced, cautious gamer can creep through the level engaging the flood in small groups and taking relatively little damage is a game design flaw in and of itself. The triggers, the waves of flood, the plentiful ammunition and the unvaried terrain are all problems. There are a few things that could have been done to fix this.

First, constant flood arrival. There are long quiet sections that sort of heighten the stress, but not enough to justify it. You can sprint from fight to fight and avoid the doldrums, but there should be a few flood that come out at you unexpectedly.

Next, get rid of the motion tracker. If you can''t get snuck up on, you aren''t fighting zombies. those bastards should creep right up behind you, so you have to be paranoid all the time. That would help, and the motion tracker kills it.

Ammunition. Every third zombie has a shottie for you, and it''s actually hard to shoot fast enough to need it. Ammo was a real problem in Marathon, and I''d like to see that here. Of course, the melee attack in marathon was awesome, and I don''t think the MC could really take a flood hand-to-hand. Solution: Plasma sword and/or that sweet machete you see in the early screens. That would have made The Library awesome.

Boring scenery. Well, it''s a pretty boring place, but some damage would be okay, and maybe a few more complications. The holes were nice, but making it an obstacle course is no solution. I think that without a motion tracker, you''d spend more time clearing the gaps and crannies around the edges of the corridors, which would make the level more interesting.

That''s my advice in this context. I think that tougher zombies in smaller numbers are good, too, but it''s really a matter of preference there.

I think we need a whole thread dedicated to defining the perfect zombie-killing experience, but I''m not sufficiently motivated to start it.

The Library is the absolute most horrible level in any FPS ever, BAR NONE. Repetetive to the point of brain death. Polygonal and uninteresting, with absolutely no story additives for good measure. It was very simply...Serious Sam''s "Running of the Bulls" level without the same Over-The-Top fun.

- It''s a life''s work
-
:Image Hosting @ $5/3 Months
:30Gig/month bandwidth Reseller Plan @ $40/3 Month
Generic WebHost: The Cheapest Hosting Around!
-ryan@lecherousjester.com

quote: Original post by Iron Chef Carnage
Of course, the fact that an experienced, cautious gamer can creep through the level engaging the flood in small groups and taking relatively little damage is a game design flaw in and of itself. The triggers, the waves of flood, the plentiful ammunition and the unvaried terrain are all problems. There are a few things that could have been done to fix this.

There''s one that you missed:
- Put some triggers and their associated Flood BEHIND the player, so retreating doesn''t always help

I suppose if they''d made different game choices, they also could have had some zombies that never died, which would have just been freaky. Probably a little too painful to work with on the Xbox, tho.

Otherwise, I agree with your improvements, and they probably form the basis for a good zombie-killin experience.

ld