Introduction
Yes, it's a zombie game. No wait! Hear me out.
State of Decay is a pretty good name for this game, but the game's working title was Class 3, a reference to The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks- a book which delighted zombie nerds all over the world and seems to have heavily influenced the developers of SoD. Why Class 3? It's the classification for a type of zombie outbreak from Brooks's book:
The Zombie Survival Guide posted:
A true crisis. Class 3 outbreaks, more than any other, demonstrate the clear threat posed by the living dead. Zombies will number in the thousands, encompassing an area of several hundred miles. The duration of the attack and a possible lengthy mop-up process could last as long as several months. There will be no chance for a press blackout or cover-up. Even without media attention, the sheer magnitude of the attack will leave too many eyewitnesses. This is a fullblown battle, with law enforcement replaced by units of the regular military. A state of emergency will be declared for the infested zone, as well as the neighboring areas. Expect martial law, restricted travel, rationed supplies, federalized services, and strictly monitored communication. All these measures, however, will take time to implement. The initial phase will be one of chaos as those in power come to grips with the crisis. Riots, looting, and widespread panic will add to their difficulties, further delaying an effective response. While this is happening, those living within the infested area will be at the mercy of the undead. Isolated, abandoned, and surrounded by ghouls, they will have only themselves to depend on.
Sounds fun! This is the inspiration for the game and it is the zombie-overrun zone our survivors are in.
State of Decay isn't about fighting zombies, it's about surviving them.
This game was talked about in terms of the player being able to develop and test their own survivial strategies in the face of the undead apocalypse. Most zombie-loving nerds have thought about what they'd do, right? Well, you can't QUITE do that, but the game is very much focused on how to stay alive and escape the zone while building and maintaining a small group of survivors. There are different home sites with different advantages, the ability to do facility upgrades, stockpile resources and materials (which are finite), recruit useful people (and ditch useless ones), etc. The game pushes you to continually use different survivors from your group, so most of the time you're not plowing through all hazards with one super-powered person.
The developer, Undead Labs, impressed a lot of people with this game. Microsoft Studios is the game's publisher (and now partner), and has given Undead Labs a lot of support for developing DLC and their next game (working title: Class 4) which aims to offer the same sort of thing, but as a larger MMO experience on XBox One.
Table of Contents
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You guuuuuuuys
Glory of Arioch made something so you know who the real star of this LP is:
Yoake has a theory about Omar, though:
Click here for the full 900x1474 image
Hotwire (MisterMcPunchy) got his little modding fingers into his game and apparently, I'm a troublemaker (and I want to date myself?):
Click here for the full 1680x1050 image
He also broke my Caballo record, in a great way:
CountZio also made an attempt! It's also wonderful. For different reasons.
supermikhail is a visionary and has envisioned what is going to happen to those Caballos:
Click here for the full 1000x645 image
He calls it "A variation on 'The Caballo Justice' for a confusing palette and a photoshop filter."
It's no problem though, we can just get more cars from The King of Used Autos.
AltaBrown has gone the extra mile (he still needs to go 20 more to work off the calories) to create and eat a chilichongadog:
Click here for the full 2448x3264 image
(oh uh, did you... want instructions? Er okay...)
Looks just like The Original Chilichongadog on a Stick! Except it's not on a stick.
Yoake has another theory, this one about the chilichongadog:
Click here for the full 900x1273 image
Survivor Stories!
Jeabus Mahogany contributed a story to Episode 17!
supermikhail contributed a story to Episode 18!
Yoake and Jeabus Mahogany contributed stories to Episode 19!
Samovar contributed a story to Episode 20!
Survivors
Marcus Campbell - Weak against curbs. Has no other weaknesses. Is unstoppable.
Leadership, Powerhouse (specced for Pro Wrestling, Heavy weapons, Sweep, Combat Endurance)
Ed Jones - Do we need accountants in the zombie apocalypse? You tell me, Skippy.
Reflexes (specced for Sweep Kick, Bladed weapons, Leg Slice, Rage)
Isabella Mariah - Maya Three. Doesn't have Maya's looks, but does have her skills. Immediately drafted onto the "gets stuff done" team.
Hunter (+shooting, +cardio, +wits), Eagle-Eyed (+shooting, specced for Rifles, Focus Aim), Taxidermist (chemistry)
Omar Fucking Coronado - THE Omar Coronado. Operates in Omar Time. You'll never kill his adventuring spirit.
Mechanic (tools), Liked Tailgating (cook), Bad Back (-encumbrance)
Lily Ritter - You killed her undad. She likes to talk. Turns into a werewolf on the full moon. Junkie. Chain smoker.
Loved movies (-cardio), Asthma attacks (-cardio)
Ashlyn Noland - Never left the house. Probably a cat lady. Quietly useful.
Nimble, Fitness Guru (+cardio)
Dominga Nieminen - Shoutout to hot moms! Heh heh, "fast hands." Uh, that's about it for her.
Fast Hands (+fighting)
Karen Tolbert - A drinker, a lush, AND a party girl. That's about it really. Somehow she's not dead yet.
Lush (-wits)
Brody Somethingorother - Saddled with Karen, driven out by the army. Doesn't actually have kids probably. Was set up to die helping the Wilkersons but somehow survived. He's all right.
I think he might have a cardio bonus maybe?
Edwin Grossman - "Don't mention clowns around him." I guess he doesn't want to see Clowning Around in the Marshall theatre, then. He's like Ed, only a winner.
Powerhouse
Ana Sepulveda - She once was lost but now is found, can't search 'cos she can't see. I can't remember why I made this joke.
Played Drums (+cardio), Pack a Day (-cardio)
Joseph Rassle - A mysterious traveller out of the Warp in the West.
Jerk, Off the Wagon, Mechanic (tools), Liked Tailgating (cook), Tough as Nails (+vitality)
Dominic Leslie - We went to the Trumbull Valley Mystery Spot and all we got was this guy.
Bro, Stylist, Storyteller, Watched Realith Shows, Fast Hands (+fighting)
Katie Hailey - She defected from the poorly-run Courthouse enclave.
Cycling (+cardio), Natural Athlete (powerhouse, specced for Pro Wrestling/Rage), specced for Shotguns
EXILES
Alan Gunderson - He's the kind of man who doesn't have a butt. Also an otaku. He got sad or scared or something so
and then he couldn't cut it on his own.
Israel McElroy - We picked him up because he was on the way. A sullen man. We can put you back where we found you, you know. Follow-up: AND THEN WE DID.
Emmanuel Graw - Another ex-Courthouse recruit. His strength is Superman-level, but he prefers to keep it on the down low. Therefore, he was no use to us.
Frank Johnson - We lost him in the Time Void, but he clawed his way back from the beyond to rejoin us. A quiet hero. Says he's tough as nails.... tough as stupid baby nails, maybe.
Gracie Kirsten - Maya's pod person. Looked like Maya before she died. Looked like Maya after she died, too. But then she wasn't dead at all!
She'll be dead again soon.
Jaiden Hyatt - I don't even know, all these guys are starting to look the same. But look! Farming! Sorry Jaiden, who needs a farmer when you've got pallets of wiener cheese?
IN MEMORY OF:
Maya Torres - She murdered Colton and Strand. Her fate was better than she deserved. R.I.T.P. (Rest In Two Pieces)
Jacob Ritter - Lily's flaky brother. Was Eli's boyfriend, til Eli died and we smashed Eli's melon head in with with a crowbar. He kept being sad after that. Went out with a bang, though!
Pastor William - As pastor of Church of the Ascension, you'd think he'd have more experience with those who are risen. His death was rather ironic.
Caden O'Rourke - Why did you keep going on special zombie hunts, Caden? Why? The special zombie was in the church all along.
Sam Hoffman - We never got the chance to ask her about her big dick, but in the end, it didn't save her. It couldn't have been that great.
Thomas Ritter - Beaten-dead dad.
Wendell Higgins - Never heard of her.
Sheila Brookstone - Loving mother of three, recently separated from Charles. Holed up in her white-trimmed craftsman style home when the outbreak began, but was unable to save her children when little Thomas would not stop screaming "Spongebob Squarepants," attracting dozens of the undead. She no longer believes in God.
DID THEY EVER EVEN EXIST?
Wyatt Meiss - Carrot #2