4 Player Zombies-Do games take too long?

[milkjuggernogs]

I've been thinking about this for a while now. Game length. Have 4 player zombie games become dragged out? I understand this is one of the base fundamental features of zombies, is that you go until you die, but should the game get harder earlier on?

Let's look at all the things that have made zombies easier to play since Nacht:

Perks

Traps

Pack A Punch

Weapons with infinite damage

Now, I absolutely love every one of these changes, but doesn't it seem like with all these changes, something could have been done to make the game harder as well? Zombies still (I believe) have the same base speed as they did in Nacht (except those ones on Verruckt, yet I mysteriously haven't seen any that fast since) and they also never get any more damaging. Obvioulsy they gain more health, and that makes the game more challenging, but that also makes games take longer as the game becomes more reliant on kiting, which takes longer than holding a position.

That brings me to my question. Currently, I'd say the average finishing rounds for a 4 player game are rounds 25-30 .(obviously slightly higher or lower depending on the map) Is there a way to bring that average down to 20-25? Would it ruin the zombie fundamentals that have already been established, and that we all love? Is game length more dependant on map design, or the fact that the teen rounds have become a breeze with all the new additions from Black Ops DLC maps?

What do you guys think? Is there a way to make the average game shorter, without killing established zombie fundamentals, and still allowing us to have all the fun things we love about the modern zombie maps?

[S1ippery Jim]

Absolutely.

Coincidentally I make exactly this point in the commentary for my latest video (Verruckt strategy). In Verruckt, for example they removed the sprinting zombies from BO version of the map to make it easier. Now anyone can get to high rounds in Verruckt by just walking laps of the map. Plus the introduction of QR for solo (I refuse to use it), mule kick on all maps, bigger maps that may be more complicated but have wide open areas easy to run a train in, etc etc etc.

This all results in ridiculously long games. I have no doubt Treyarch/Activision went down this path to make Zombies more 'accessible' to new or inexperienced players.

I definately believe Treyarch should release at least one or two really small maps that are difficult. The NML mini-game (leaderboard) is a great idea but difficult map or two would be welcome for the more advanced hardcore zombies fans.

[ZombieOfTheDead]

The game is about fun, does it matter how long it takes? I mean.... If you have somewhere to go, then you shouldn't be played something as long as zombies at the time.

I prefer playing longer games, the fun lasts longer.

[Tom852]

It takes absolutely too long. Even a 2ppl takes too long I see no point in doing 8+ hours games, it's ridiculous.

Maybe they can cut a piece out of the survival mode. Shorter rounds, but harder. Maybe faster zombie movement, more damage of the zombies, different types of zombies like additional boss zombies, that actually become problematic, not like shrieker or napalm. Stuff like that could be an option.

[S1ippery Jim]

I don't think it's so much about the length of the games but about how easy they have become. If you have ever played zombies past round 40 you know how repetitive it becomes.

It is hard to sustain a sense of fun playing a 5hr+ game if it is overly repetitive, unless you are playing with friends chatting with them the whole time making your own entertainment of course, but it becomes an excercise in concentration and stamina.

I would prefer a short intense game - in fact this is the way zombies was originally intended to be, as a short intense minigame. One way they could change this up is by introducing a time challenge.

GOW3 does this well, by having 'beast mode' as a compliment to Horde mode. Now bear with me here because this is relevant to Zombies...Horde mode is to round 50 and can take over 5 hrs depending on the difficulty setting, however beast mode is based on finishing the round within a certain time limit (time is extended based on kills etc), this makes it a short fast, intense game of only about 12-14 mins ending at round 12.

This is actually something that could be introduced in Zombies as a new game type for a quick fast intense game of zombies. Eg Each round could have a time limit you need to finish the round within to move on to the next round.

[ZombieOfTheDead]

Jesus Christ, if you can make it past round 40 with 2 or more people, then you're not trying to have fun, you're going for score. You're most likely having 1 person doing all the trains (Which gets very boring, IMO). Fun games go for maybe 3 hours. MAYBE. For whatever reason people apparently don't know how to have fun anymore....

As a final note, time limits suck. Always. That would make things more annoying than anything. This isn't Multiplayer, I go on zombies to take a load off, instead of getting pissed off on MP.

[piepwns]

It takes absolutely too long. Even a 2ppl takes too long I see no point in doing 8+ hours games, it's ridiculous.

Maybe they can cut a piece out of the survival mode. Shorter rounds, but harder. Maybe faster zombie movement, more damage of the zombies, different types of zombies like additional boss zombies, that actually become problematic, not like shrieker or napalm. Stuff like that could be an option.

That's actually a pretty good idea, but Treyarch would probably screw it up one way or another, knowing them.

[Rissole25]

They could perhaps have a mode similar to Undead Nightmare on Red Dead Redemption? Where the more zombies you kill the longer the timer remains. If you don't kill them all before the timer ends, than you go into a Sudden Death mode where you can't get revived, no power-ups, zombies become stronger, etc.

Modes could work perfectly fine in Zombies, it just depends on what modes they would have for it.

[i am richtofen]

As a final note, time limits suck. Always. That would make things more annoying than anything. This isn't Multiplayer, I go on zombies to take a load off, instead of getting pissed off on MP.

^^^ What this man said. The thing about zombies it is long and relaxing. I have made it past round 40 a few times (the most recent time being with Pancake) and i never get bored. If you are playing zombies with a good buddy then it is almost impossible to get bored. Making bad jokes, fighting over what character is the best, talking about how stupid SOPA is, saying pure random funny stuff or just talking about any thing really.

People get bored easy in zombies because they tend to do the same strategy every time they play. Like moon for example most players like to run around in the dome where it is easy to run around kill zombies. Now doing that for 4+ hours will sooner or later start to get boring. A lot of people do not seem to know that there is more then 1 spot on every map to run around. In most games of moon while every one is running a easy train in the bio-dome i am running a train in tunnel 11 or just fighting it out in the power room. Why ? because unlike most players i do not do the same thing every time i play zombies. Trust me it pays to mix it up a bit. It makes thing a bit more... well fun!

Jesus Christ, if you can make it past round 40 with 2 or more people, then you're not trying to have fun, you're going for score.

I have made it to round 40 once or twice not going for high rounds.

It takes absolutely too long. Even a 2ppl takes too long I see no point in doing 8+ hours games, it's ridiculous.

Because its fun ? While i have never been in a 8+ hours game I can see it becoming boring sooner or later. But one of the things I like about zombies is how it can go on for hours and still be a load of fun!

What do you guys think? Is there a way to make the average game shorter, without killing established zombie fundamentals, and still allowing us to have all the fun things we love about the modern zombie maps?

With out a doubt. Maybe instead of increasing the health of all the zombies per a round they could increase the speed and damage of some of them instead. This would allow players to kill zombies faster while also increase the difficulty as they can go down easier.

But this is just my opinion on the matter. Kinda like how I think Mike Tyson pie is better then pie made by a toucan riding a elephant!

[Superhands]

I for one think it's a bad idea to start messing with the format. People love zombies mode because of the way it is, if Treyarch starting screwing about with everything it would, quite rightly, piss people off.

A lot of the fun of playing co-op zombies is getting together with friends and having a laugh for hours on end, a nice relaxing game. The whole point of playing a normal game on solo is to do things in your own time and get to a ridiculously high round.

If you want more of a challenge and want the games to go quicker, you can do so by doing a speed-run. Camp or run trains in an area where the zombies come in super fast, this will make things harder and more exciting and the rounds will go by quicker.

[xFaTaLx RaMpAgE]

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[Tom852]

It takes absolutely too long. Even a 2ppl takes too long I see no point in doing 8+ hours games, it's ridiculous.

Because its fun ? While i have never been in a 8+ hours game I can see it becoming boring sooner or later. But one of the things I like about zombies is how it can go on for hours and still be a load of fun!

A lot of the fun of playing co-op zombies is getting together with friends and having a laugh for hours on end, a nice relaxing game.

I would agree, but at some point, it starts to get too crazy. If you start at 8pm, you might hold it to 2am, maybe to 4am. And then you just need to abort, and to disappoint your US friends, as a Europe guy. Or you go crazy and don't sleep at all and you mess up your sleep rythm (however that word is spelled..), and especially your next work day. Or you start earlier in the afternoon, and then you wanna eat at 7pm, again making everybody in the game mad. Or, you thought you have enough smokes till you go to bed and you can buy some the next day. But cause you play for so fucking long, you notice at 3am, that you are out of cigarettes, leading you to drive to the 24/7 store, although you had a few beers. Of course you get in a police check, and the guys tell you that you were .03 blood alcohol per millle below the limit. 'phew'. And you just think "jesus, wtf did that game do to me".

Whatever, the point is, it just doesn't fit a normal man's lifestyle.

These are of course not examples that happened to me in real life. :?

[xFaTaLx RaMpAgE]

I think 4 player games are realistic up until around 30. Any rounds after that simply take forever. I also think that four player games are generally more intense; people going down, zombies everywhere, things like that. For fun I would prefer 4 player games to anything else.

[ZombieOfTheDead]

Just have to say, most zombie players make it to about 30 or so. That's about 2-3 hours there. If you're going 6 or more hours, you've got to be trying to get to a ridiculously high round.

Point being in all this, if you're going to get to a high round, its going to take a long time. You don't just accidentally get to round 50, unless I'm mistaken. Normal games don't take THAT long.

I think 4 player games are realistic up until around 30. Any rounds after that simply take forever. I also think that four player games are generally more intense; people going down, zombies everywhere, things like that. For fun I would prefer 4 player games to anything else.

Agreed.