This game is transcendent.
It has a soul in the way few others do. Creeping through the woods and avoiding roving packs of runners last night, I felt compelled to write up a suggestion list for my dream Generation Zero Roadmap. If some of these features were incorporated, I would be ecstatic. I will also say I very rarely participate in forums like this, GZ is just so different from what we usually get that I want desperately to see it succeed.
To understand why I’m asking for the things I’m asking, it’s worthwhile to know why I enjoy the game.
While playing, I have found the loops and systems are well paced. The time between interesting events can be long, but you are never far from marveling at the environment. It’s this confidence in design that I find to be GZ’s strength. I felt like I was being trusted, that my attention span was strong enough to go 10 minutes without a chaotic encounter.
Going back to other games after playing Generation Zero makes me feel like I’m playing a pachinko machine, where every ball that clicks is a game developer worried that I’m going to think for a second that the game is boring.
Landscapes are dripping with atmosphere, and the threat of the machines is not overbearing. I do find it critical however, that there are dangerous machines. A couple of runners should be able to kill me (and they can). But if I become too strong to die, the game becomes something less interesting to me.
When things do go awry, fighting them has been excellent–barring a couple of bugged AI moments. I’d like to mention those as well.
- When taking the ferry to the Alpine Isle, I was ambushed by 6-7 walkers who would not move. I was trapped in a respawn loop until I killed them all.
- When entering the hotel the survivors are in (nice shining carpet by the way) I placed a few traps and a radio in the foyer, but the apocalypse runners in the lobby would not respond to the radio no matter how many times I tried. They were stuck in position shooting me from afar. I think it would be cool to be able to lure them into the foyer here, away from the survivors.
Suggestions
The UI
I don’t have any issues with the UI as a functional tool, but I would like the option to completely turn off the POI icons on the game screen (including the compass). Keeping them visible on the map, obviously. This would benefit then from a beam of light that shoots up into the sky where I place it. Not too distracting, something more akin to Elden Ring’s navigation system.
I like having to use the compass to navigate. Given the design decision for such a large map, I would say traversing the map while having to actually navigate would be an excellent option for gameplay.
Survival mechanics
I think this feature has been heavily requested, but I’ll cast my vote. GZ would benefit from a Survival Mode with needs, injuries, weapon degradation etc. Food could be in the need-less mode as a buff only, healing consumable. Injuries and Afflictions would probably annoy some people, but Generation Zero in my eyes is stuck right between a great survival shooter, and a great survival game. These options would give both groups what they want.
Weapon Degradation, Survival Mode Looting Potential
A note about weapon degradation, it would be elegant to have weapons degrade stars over time until finally breaking. Cleaning kits could improve them back to their maximum rarity. This would allow for interesting loot decisions, where finding a 1 star rifle with a 5 star potential could be worth carrying back to a Plundra where you have advanced cleaning kits, etc. over a 3 star rifle at it’s maximum potential.
You may just need something in a pinch, and in survival modes finding the thing that gets you through a journey, encounter, or a mission is the epic loot moment so many games seem to fall short of. Even if it’s just antibiotics to get rid of your sneezing or cough, so you can sneak past machines more easily. This would work in survival and non-survival modes well, I think.
Bows
I know people want more guns, but imagine a bow for stealth kills. A well placed arrow could puncture a gas tank on a machine, giving them an instant death. For a runner or a tank, this could be a damage over time death. These shots would obviously be very hard to hit, and would require you to be stealthy and close to the enemy.
Other arrows could provide different gameplay options. Exploding arrows for taking down big bots, shock arrows for disabling lights, and even arrows with EMPS attached to disable machines from further than you can throw, and silently, might add.
If wildlife get added, it would be the go to hunting tool, keeping machines unaware of your location.
If Human NPCs get added, it would be an alternative weapon for disabling an outpost or roving band of soldiers set up in a new camp, completely silent.
Alternatively, they would make an excellent supplement for ammunition, as you can craft arrows with just a bit of steel. You could conserve ammunition in survival mode this way, in the event that ammunition becomes harder to find/carry (it should be!).
Difficulty, Lethality, and Emergent Game Design
I touched on this, but the lethality of the robots is paramount to game difficulty. I understand some people want bigger robots with bigger boom booms, and I love that as well. However, I think some additions moving forward could radically alter player engagement in a positive way. Just to keep people on their toes. Not to break the rhythm too often, but enough to get attacked every few to several hours by an NPC that is actively hunting the player.
Consider for a moment that another NPC faction sends out hunters in a system similar to the Rivals. They would be invisible on the map except for an intel notification. I.e. Two soviet assassins hunt you in the forest region. Killing robots and conquering lands would increase their chances of spawning.
They would use your strength against you, striking when you least expect it. Stealth NPCS who operate in a few different ways. The Assassins might be a huge addition, but these three classes could be easily reimagined onto machines.
Snipers – Sighted by the red dot appearing next to trees or on the player when traveling by a vantage point in a conquered or nearly conquered area. They shoot from a distance and must be defeated with positioning. The player can also preemptively set up traps at towers to prevent snipers from digging in.
Commandos – Heard from the sudden explosion of a grenade, or light machine gun fire. They are armored units who ambush the player in open fields and bases. They could even drop in from the sky, with a parachute, or deploy with machines to attack during assaults.
Operatives – Sneaky hitmen. They follow you through missions and try to get the jump on you at dark or in Urban areas. They wait in houses for you to loot, or outside of safe houses to prevent you from depositing your loot.
The loot from the assassins could be high tier depending on the level, like the rivals. This would have to be relatively infrequent however, as too many would become daunting. It’d also be important to make sure they don’t attack at the absolute worst times every time. They are human after all and will die to a few hits except for the commandos. This makes them manageable but dangerous.
Base Building and Safe Houses, Fast Travel
I love the base building feature, and I think it could be expanded upon easily in the direction it’s going for a long while. However, I think adding some interior spaces to bases would make them feel more alive. Right now, it feels more like walls with enemies near them. A few enclosed areas with doors on enemy bases, and the same for player bases would be incredible.
Survival mode would need these as well, for protection from the elements and a place to sleep. Getting treatment for your afflictions while under a nice cozy Swedish cabin is just too enticing to not include. The other areas of the game all have excellent interior design, and I think the bases should at least feel more like a home.
It would be expensive to have a cabin with furniture and things like this, but I would feel less like I’m wondering inside of a fenced in area rather than a base to steal away from the harsh outside world. I’m thinking a player home integration more than anything really. Somewhere you can crawl inside, shut the door, fry some fish and sit by the fire before turning in for the night.
Tents and Camping
Being able to set up a camp with different tiers would allow players to create their own fast travel points as well as investing crafting resources. Imagine a tier 3 camping kit that when deployed has a tent, sleeping bag, cooking pot, and Plundra (whoa!). This would have to be expensive, however, and camping kits would require a lot to craft.
Which brings me (finally) to my last suggestion- Fishing and Wildlife
With fishing, you could create buffs for non-survival mode players, cooking fish for quicker ADS, infinite stamina, carry load, health, dmg, etc.
For survival mode players, it could become an excellent way to travel long distances without spoiling food. Setting up camp fishing, cooking it for the night, and then putting out the fire to sleep until morning on a full stomach.
For wildlife, I think it would be a great feature to add animals. I understand there has been some discussion about this, but even if it’s just a few rabbits, squirrels, a deer here or there and a few more birds it would do wonders for the game world. The animals are obviously scared of the machines and the player, remaining skiddish and hidden. But being able to track one for a while, and use a bow to take down a rabbit for a meal that night would be a welcome gameplay experience.
EDIT: First person bike riding pretty please
