Map ruiners! (and what zombies fans really want)

[lukefacekilla]

Am I the only one that feels a lot of the Black Ops maps were just not quite there? Kino had gas zombies, Ascension had perk monkeys (although that isn't terrible), COTD had George (quite possibly the worst addition to zombies EVER), and moon, well there are tons of things that ruin moon (namely the fact that most zombies don't even spawn from windows and that astronaut zombie).

What I'm getting at here is that if the zombies developers want to do something such as adding George Romero they should have some sort of vote on their official website that fans can vote on and get our input on. They could easily do this without spoiling the maps. I mean COTD could have easily been saved by posting something on twitter or having a poll on the official website saying something like "Hey would you guys like to have a giant zombie that walks around the map and can only be killed after 1000000000 points of damage and stuns you if you shoot it and can only be calmed if you go out of your way to do so?" I'm sure most people would love the newer maps as much as the old if they didn't have things like that.

Think back to the simplicity of Der Riese (the obvious fan favorite). No annoying zombies such as napalm zombies or gas zombies there to block you from taking the path you would like to take, good for run and gun or camping, the dark feeling, the iconic (well, iconic for COD) black moon above. Those are the kinds of things missing in zombies today, the genius design.

My personal opinion is that they just don't do things that drastically change the feel of zombies. Focus more on the cool factor and making sure maps are good for multiple strategies rather than new weapons or enemies.

Anyways, I just felt like ranting a bit because I've found myself playing the classis maps wayyyyyy more than COTD, Shangri-La and Moon. What do you guys think? Would an official poll answered by the hardcore zombies fans be worthwhile? Do you like the addition of content (such as perks, guns, enemies) over the focus on feel and design?

[Rickety Cricket]

Special zombies are in the game to break the sense of security and requires players to reinvent their play style with each new map.

George taught players to keep moving instead of camping and always keep in the back of their minds that he's still there.

Napalm zombies forced players to shift focus from the regular zombies to deal with a much greater threat. Same with the screamers.

Cosmonaunts taught players the same thing as napalm zombies aswell as taking new routes and learning to survive on your own due to that fact the they can cut players off from certain locations and can teleport and isolate a single player.

They're there to keep the game difficult and challenging. If the maps consisted of the same thing over and over just in different locations, the maps would lose a sense of itself and would have no gameplay differences from other maps besides it's setup. Eventually players would get really bored of the same experience over and over again just in new places.

I feel these features are very important to the map and refreshes the excitement of zombies with each new map. On the subject of the vote thing, it's obviuous people would vote to leave it out because most players don't like change but without it we wouldn't come to love new things and discover new experiences and playstyles.

Think about it when WaW came out if they suggested the zombies idea prior to it's release most players would find the idea silly and completely useless in a CoD game and we all wouldn't be here talking about Zombies.

[Superhands]

Special zombies are in the game to break the sense of security and requires players to reinvent their play style with each new map.

George taught players to keep moving instead of camping

This is exactly why I'm in agreement with the OP. Now, I'm not into camping, though I was before I found out that running is more effective. But forcing people to play a certain way will put a lot of people off. The mid-round boss players need to be done away with IMO, bring back boss rounds!

Doing this would keep things more interesting I feel. It helps break up the gameplay so every round doesn't feel the same, makes the game go quicker so it doesn't get so boring and lets players go with whatever strategy suits their style of play.

[nhcre8tv1]

Special zombies are in the game to break the sense of security and requires players to reinvent their play style with each new map.

George taught players to keep moving instead of camping

This is exactly why I'm in agreement with the OP. Now, I'm not into camping, though I was before I found out that running is more effective. But forcing people to play a certain way will put a lot of people off. The mid-round boss players need to be done away with IMO, bring back boss rounds!

Doing this would keep things more interesting I feel. It helps break up the gameplay so every round doesn't feel the same, makes the game go quicker so it doesn't get so boring and lets players go with whatever strategy suits their style of play.

The only problem with the boss zombies like George is it eliminates the fact that other people can't play to their tuned playing style. I'm up for running or camping, but you should be able to straight up pick, not alternate throughout. George forced the play style that most people were not used to or even enjoyed down their throats. I have no problem with things like the napalm and super sprinters and such, but make it possible to have more freedom for players to do what they want without having to do a side mission that involves something stupid like math or something. I went for feel, I want each map to feel different, be distinct in their own way, not just a new map in a new cool place with new cool things.

[Superhands]

I think there should be another option in the poll, and that option funnily enough is 'options'. In all of the maps up to COTD, there were so many varieties in how you could play. I enjoy the odd really small area kiting, but that is ruined by the likes of George and the Astronaut (sounds like a title of a childs film ).

[Rickety Cricket]

Special zombies are in the game to break the sense of security and requires players to reinvent their play style with each new map.

George taught players to keep moving instead of camping

This is exactly why I'm in agreement with the OP. Now, I'm not into camping, though I was before I found out that running is more effective. But forcing people to play a certain way will put a lot of people off. The mid-round boss players need to be done away with IMO, bring back boss rounds!

Doing this would keep things more interesting I feel. It helps break up the gameplay so every round doesn't feel the same, makes the game go quicker so it doesn't get so boring and lets players go with whatever strategy suits their style of play.

The only problem with the boss zombies like George is it eliminates the fact that other people can't play to their tuned playing style. I'm up for running or camping, but you should be able to straight up pick, not alternate throughout. George forced the play style that most people were not used to or even enjoyed down their throats. I have no problem with things like the napalm and super sprinters and such, but make it possible to have more freedom for players to do what they want without having to do a side mission that involves something stupid like math or something. I went for feel, I want each map to feel different, be distinct in their own way, not just a new map in a.

new cool place with new cool things.

I can agree that George did force the playstyle of constant moving and I can see how most players who play with a different style might get frustrated. I believe Treyarch is still trying out new things because keep in mind BO is only the second time zombies has been in a game. On that I note I'll admit that I am not the biggest fan of George either.

[shirtlesservice]

People play each of the maps because they are what they are. There is actually a poll under the COTD subforum, about George, and after consideration the majority of people do not mind him. The challenge of staying alive is what people play the maps for. You also have to consider the fact that on all of the new maps, there is a way to get free perks (monkeys, George, monkeys, QED's) Which is another reason why the challenge is presented.

[Tankeo Dempsaki]

I love Mid-round Bosses AND boss rounds! Add them both!

[LILNIG]

Simply they added to many bosses to zombies this season, first there was pentagon thief and from there more and more george,napalm/howling,astronaut..

I dont mind monkeys or dogs which they should of did more of and adjusted different ideas to, instead of big bosses.

Pentagon thief is almost as annoying as george.

George Romero SHIT on cotd i agree but atleast they made the map big enough to maneuver him.

Then theres 2 new zombies introduced on shang, the tightest map in the zombies series which i wouldnt mind if the wonder weapon didnt require you to get hit once to work cuz i think of it like this..

..say a perk drops you pick it up now keep in mind a monkey is going to hit u for picking it up but before he does that, theres a bunch of zombies spawning you shoot them with the shrink ray and gets u hit once and as you get hit from trying to kick those zombies, the monkey finally got near u to hit u from when u picked up the perk now hits u, thats two hits, frightened u quickly back up but then get stuck on a napalm zombie whos spawning, you turn around run another way but a howling zombie spawned without you knowing before when you were stuck a the napalm zombie and now hes howling in your face and hits you, thats three hits now your disoriented, u turn around now and try and run blinded but guess who you run into the.. napalm zombie...and boom, he explodes thats four hits GAME OVER. enough said.

Then theres astronaut zombie easy to avoid if your cautious and if in huge area like bio dome hes cake to avoid, the excavators are a bit annoying as well as astronaut zombie but out of the three last zombie levels moons the easiest if you play your cards right.

LESS BOSSES TREYARCH!!!

[deathb4di2h0nor]

I don't mind any bosses. It doesn't force me to do anything. Tweak it a bit maybe, but nothing drastic. If anything they make me better and more aware of my surroundings. George actually enhanced gameplay for me because it gave me a way to get all perks without anyone else or an easter egg. When they put in Mule Kick I was even more set to take on COTD. Point racker/Raygun/George gun

(before i get all perks upgraded dragonov/L96, after i get all perks VR11)

My favorite zombie period is the shrieker so there's that. Napalm looks and feels so real and epicly evil. The Doctor on five was too much for me and I hate that level. The one I have mixed emotions about is the astro-zombie. I like it because it keeps me paranoid, so I rarely go down. I Hate it because of the Gersh. Moon or not take out the moonwalk, please.

[Tom852]

Think back to the simplicity of Der Riese (the obvious fan favorite). No annoying zombies such as napalm zombies or gas zombies there to block you from taking the path you would like to take

Yes, those blocking-my-path-dogs in Riese. Exactly what I hate in Riese, maybe what makes it to one of my least favorites. Of course I'm pretty alone with this opinion. But a Napalm or Shrieker, common, cool additions the game. They can be used as a cool trap to kill additional zombies and just take away the monotony.

But what is more important? Feel is aboslute important for me, but it is too individual what feel is. Content is also a must for me, new challenges, new devices and interactive things, yeah. But where is the boundary? Those excavators on Moon are in some way content. But they also just give me the feel on the map. So for what shall I vote now??? It's feel, cause it's the more general expression, and it's including content.

My point is just, i like new content, that offer more feel. Some are annoying, some are cool. But any content, that is annoying, needs mostly just a strategy to deal with it. For example, everybody complains about the lack of ammo and everybody complains about the annoying gas crawlers. But instead of getting the idea, that a single killed nova gas crawler kill can basically hit 23 other normal zombies is not discussed.

Therefore, the more options you have in the game, the better. The more content the better. The more content, the more feel.

But as said, it's just too individual. E.g. Riese has zero feeling here. Whereas this awesome jungle look from Shangri, or this Antarktis look in COTD, aww, that is feel. George annoying? Well, get a strategy for him and you're feel is back...

[lukefacekilla]

Think back to the simplicity of Der Riese (the obvious fan favorite). No annoying zombies such as napalm zombies or gas zombies there to block you from taking the path you would like to take

Yes, those blocking-my-path-dogs in Riese. Exactly what I hate in Riese, maybe what makes it to one of my least favorites. Of course I'm pretty alone with this opinion. But a Napalm or Shrieker, common, cool additions the game. They can be used as a cool trap to kill additional zombies and just take away the monotony.

But what is more important? Feel is aboslute important for me, but it is too individual what feel is. Content is also a must for me, new challenges, new devices and interactive things, yeah. But where is the boundary? Those excavators on Moon are in some way content. But they also just give me the feel on the map. So for what shall I vote now??? It's feel, cause it's the more general expression, and it's including content.

My point is just, i like new content, that offer more feel. Some are annoying, some are cool. But any content, that is annoying, needs mostly just a strategy to deal with it. For example, everybody complains about the lack of ammo and everybody complains about the annoying gas crawlers. But instead of getting the idea, that a single killed nova gas crawler kill can basically hit 23 other normal zombies is not discussed.

Therefore, the more options you have in the game, the better. The more content the better. The more content, the more feel.

But as said, it's just too individual. E.g. Riese has zero feeling here. Whereas this awesome jungle look from Shangri, or this Antarktis look in COTD, aww, that is feel. George annoying? Well, get a strategy for him and you're feel is back...

You are misunderstanding what I'm saying. Im just saying feel is MORE important. Not that they should stop adding new weapons and enemies. I love new things, Im just saying that they are beginning to focus on them to the point that it is taking away from the feel. It is taking away from the amazing designs they used to create. They need to find that balance again.

The feel of Shangri-La, COTD are very cool, but it is hard to focus on it when George is constantly getting in the way, forcing me to take a path all the way around. I'm not saying I dislike the newer maps, its just that they are straying too far from the original formula. Oh and INB4 "but they need to keep it fresh". They can do that while still staying true to the original formula.

I'm simply saying they need to strike the balance they used to have. I still love me some Shangri-La once in awhile or some low gravity moon, but they just don't draw me back to them the way all the maps before COTD do.

[JakeDuck]

My point is just, i like new content, that offer more feel. Some are annoying, some are cool. But any content, that is annoying, needs mostly just a strategy to deal with it. For example, everybody complains about the lack of ammo and everybody complains about the annoying gas crawlers. But instead of getting the idea, that a single killed nova gas crawler kill can basically hit 23 other normal zombies is not discussed.

I agree with this fully. I think all special zombies should be just as useful to you as they are a challenge. The Nove crawlers can take out every zombie, but they must be killed at the right time and they can block your way. the Napalm zombie is a huge challenge, but completely seals off an area from the zombies when killed. I want the Napalm zombie back in a more open map where it is not forcing you in one direction whenever you see it.

Recently I have been playing the game Orcs Must Die. There is an enemy that blows up your barricades, companions, and deal massive damage to you, but they also blow up orcs when you kill them near orcs. That is what I want in zombies, something both helpful and hurtful.

[Hgoat]

I think it has more to do with the really crappy "un-fun" content they added into BO. Ditch all the gimmicks and add something big as the next step forward, of the level of PaP.

[Mr. Jay]

Basically high rounds ate boring. Once you have your weapons PAPed them the game drastically gets less exciting. I used to keep track my high scores and kills in hopes of reaching personal highs, but they take HOURS of looping and repeating. With all the strategies and tips out there I am waiting for a "how to reach round 50 in one hour" video.

[Blo0d_SMeaR_]

Special zombies are in the game to break the sense of security and requires players to reinvent their play style with each new map.

George taught players to keep moving instead of camping and always keep in the back of their minds that he's still there.

Napalm zombies forced players to shift focus from the regular zombies to deal with a much greater threat. Same with the screamers.

Cosmonaunts taught players the same thing as napalm zombies aswell as taking new routes and learning to survive on your own due to that fact the they can cut players off from certain locations and can teleport and isolate a single player.

They're there to keep the game difficult and challenging. If the maps consisted of the same thing over and over just in different locations, the maps would lose a sense of itself and would have no gameplay differences from other maps besides it's setup. Eventually players would get really bored of the same experience over and over again just in new places.

I feel these features are very important to the map and refreshes the excitement of zombies with each new map. On the subject of the vote thing, it's obviuous people would vote to leave it out because most players don't like change but without it we wouldn't come to love new things and discover new experiences and playstyles.

Think about it when WaW came out if they suggested the zombies idea prior to it's release most players would find the idea silly and completely useless in a CoD game and we all wouldn't be here talking about Zombies.

^^^^^ I totally agree, without bosses it becomes repetitive and less challenging. I see so many people posting to keep it simple, Now going overboard is a concern of mine, only a small one but still a concern but I think what they had with the Black Ops maps was balanced and challenging. If they keep it simple it will be far too easy to make round 30+ which will give people more to complain about because of the Lag (which is actually something that needs to be fixed). People complain about Shangri La because its too difficult; I dont see it as difficult I see it as challenging and is honestly one of my favourite maps.

[lukefacekilla]

I'm not saying to get rid of boss zombies or rounds! Never mind, you all are completely misunderstanding my point.

[Alter72]

Overcomplication is the word. Moon made my head spin. Chase characters are also terrible. Btw: anyone ever used an astronaut to escape a sticky situation?

[The Clay Bird]

i disagree with OP, although the astro zombie was the worst thing ever... (no benefit for killing, and stole perks if he caught you..laaame) but the other ones were great. Especially George. Many people mentioned that he dictated the style of play?... false. They provided us with two ways of making him go away by either killing him outright and getting a perk/waffe-dm or by PaPing the VR-11... so if you want to camp, you need to ensure someone has the pap vr-11... just like if im running i want to make sure i have stamin-up or if i have a raygun or explosive that i have flopper. just makes you make decisions based on what style you want to play