von BK-Nils | 12.03.2018 | eingestellt unter: Brettspiele, Science-Fiction

Zombicide: Invader – Interview und Previews

Zum kommenden Zombicide: Invader gibt es ein ein erstes Interview mit zwei Entwicklern, außerdem gibt es auf Facebook neue Previews zu sehen.

Zombicide: Invader – Design And Development

Coming to Kickstarter April 10, 2018 at 3 p.m. EST, Zombicide: Invader will be the sixth stand-alone entry in the Zombicidefranchise that has spanned the adventures of countless Survivors across different time periods. This new story takes place years in the future in the far-off reaches of space. Across the entire Zombicide journey, the thing that has remained constant is the series’ development team: Raphael Guiton, Nicolas Raoult, and Jean-Baptiste Lullien. We got a chance to talk to them about the history of the game, and why Zombicide: Invader is the most exciting entry yet!

CMON Zombicide Invader Preview 1

How long have you been working on the Zombicide franchise?

R. GUITON: We’ve been working on Zombicide since early 2011. The core ideas were developed fairly quickly, but it took months to wrap up the whole game and get it ready for both Kickstarter and production. We had been working together for a long time already and wanted to stay on the same path. Since then, we’ve worked on separate projects, but Zombicide has kept us together over the years.

Tell us about the backstory behind this new installment. 

R. GUITON: In Zombicide: Invader, space travel and alien encounters became a reality. The only thing needed to reach distant stars is a proper engine, and humans just found a new kind of fuel on a remote planet for that engine. The government has sent a task force to extract the resource, but they failed to prevent a “gold rush.” The thing is, humans are not the only ones wanting the new fuel. Other species are on the planet for the same reason, and communication is difficult. 

One day, one of those species, called the Xenos, became infected. All of a sudden, they started to attack strangers on sight and cover everything with an organic substance nicknamed Mold, turning the facilities into their new home. That’s where Zombicide: Invader starts. Players control Survivors of the initial Xenos assault, on the frontline of a new war. They don’t know what to do next, except find safety in numbers… and weapons, of course. Lots of cool weapons. 

What makes Zombicide Invader unique?

J.B. LULLIEN: Weapons! Wait. Xenos! Wait. The tiles! Wait. Many key features set Invader apart from previous Zombicide games. While many game mechanics were kept, we altered a few of them, and introduced some exciting new ones. The first major change was the setting. Invader takes place in a mining station on a distant planet. Many people came for a gold rush, then the Xenos, an alien species, got infected by something nasty. They come from the deep to turn the station into a hive, and kill everyone on sight.

The Survivors come from a military or technical background, meaning they have specific skills and abilities. Soldiers are tougher but cannot find equipment as easily as the Civilians do, for example. Facing them, there are Xenos inspired from classic zombies, with a few twists. The bigger ones come first in targeting priority order, meaning the whole horde is harder to destroy. Luckily, the survivors can concentrate fire to eliminate the big ones even with small caliber weapons. It’s a challenge, but it can be done. Plus, the Abomination is way more dangerous than any Abomination created thus far. It’s faster, smarter, and turns the station into a hostile Xeno nest.

Did I talk about machines yet? There are sentry guns. And robots. Yes!

How big of a role does the location itself play in the game?

N. RAOULT: The location, an extraterrestrial mining facility, plays a pivotal role. Obviously, it’s a whole different graphic setting with a significant impact on the ambiance. Rule-wise, the new features have a specific impact on the game play. Survivors cannot walk on the planet’s surface without an equipped oxygen tank. The lack of oxygen also means bullet-fed weapons don’t work outside the station. In my opinion, the most important aspect is the lack of buildings to open. It’s all about working rooms, corridors, and open passages. In Invader, there are a few closed doors. The Xenos come from the outside in bigger waves, and players have to think with the mining station’s configurations to fight their way to victory.

How long have you had the idea for a Zombicide instalment in space?

R. GUITON: We wrote our first design notes two years ago, as we were also working on Zombicide: Black Plague. The project was still somewhere in our minds, but we kept nothing from the initial ideas in the final game!

How long was this in development?

R. GUITON: We developed Invader for five months. There was quite a lot of fun work to do, over several boxes. I can’t say too much at this stage. We hope everyone will enjoy the invasion!

Will fans of the series be able to pick up the rules quickly?

N. RAOULT: Yes. The core mechanics are largely the same. Although, we’ve made a few tweaks in the overall game that have made a noticeable impact. We did our best to represent the new rules in the game’s graphics, so they are logical, fluid, and intuitive. Reading the rules will be quite fast. Over the years, the fans of the Zombicide series know where to look to find the changes. While the rules are familiar, the game experience is very different. 

What will be the biggest difference for fans of the Zombicide series?

J.B. LULLIEN: The environment, certainly. Players were used to walking on streets and in villages, seeing zombies coming their way, and having to open buildings to escape. In Invader, there are no buildings to open, per se. Survivors roam in the mining station from one room to the next, and corridors are usually short. Some missions also require going outside the station in oxygen-deprived environments. There, everything is dramatically different, from lines of sight to the weapon you use. You really feel like you’re in a hostile environment.

Of course, every version of Zombicide is someone’s first, so what about Zombicide: Invader makes it a great starting point for those new to the series?

N. RAOULT: All Zombicide adventures share some mechanics, refined over the years to get more and more intuitive. These rules are flavored by specific aspects inspired by each era (classic, fantasy, sci-fi), providing a unique experience with each game. Zombicide: Invader is designed with replayability and compatibility in mind: going from one mission to the next is done in a few minutes. All you have to do is adjust the tiles and tokens to fit the map and go for your next objectives. With a couple games under your belt, designing your own scenarios is easy, adjusting the parameters to fit your audience and intended ambiance. The range itself offers many ideas to expand your game in near infinite ways. And, ultimately, Zombicide: Invader is a cooperative game with solid, intuitive rules. You may play with your family and friends, getting the core material to evolve into your own space opera!

What was the most difficult new element to introduce?

N. RAOULT: Mold! The Mold is the organic substance the Xenos use to turn the mining station into their hive. It comes in the form of tokens covering the different Zones and has special properties. Mold affects lines of sight, walls, destroys any token it covers (missions can be lost!) and, most of all, may spawn Xenos. The name really fits, it’s a nuisance.

The Spoiler Abomination’s rules tie in closely with Mold, as they spread it around the station. Mold proliferation with Abomination spawn and movement was the most challenging feature to balance.

Are these new enemies more difficult than the standard earthbound zombies?

J.B. LULLIEN: They are basically more difficult to beat than regular zombies, BUT survivors have the weapons and new rules (i.e. concentrate fire) to eliminate them. They attack in different ways, and benefit from specific Xenos rules, like the Mold. The most important change comes with the Spoiler Abomination. It’s not just a looming menace or harder zombie: it’s a real boss and a constant threat!

Can you tell us more about the new Spoiler Abomination?

J.B. LULLIEN: The Spoiler Abomination is a tough customer to deal with. It spreads Mold in any room or corridor it walks through. To be more specific about its abilities, the Spoiler Abomination spawns as usual with Xenos cards AS WELL AS anytime players don’t have enough miniatures of a given Xenos type to spawn on the board. Moreover, it gets an extra activation every time an Abomination card is drawn, and there are more of the latter than in previous Zombicide games. The cherry on the top of the slimy cake is that it deals Damage 3. The Spoiler Abomination is unpredictable, fast, omnipresent, and corrupts anything it touches. It is a true boss in every aspect.

Was it difficult to come up with the aesthetic design of the Xenos?

R. GUITON: It was the other way around, in fact. The aesthetic designs for the Survivors and Xenos were created before the rules. We defined the environmental design of the game and it was quite fun to do. We agreed really quickly about the overall feeling we wanted to give to the players: a clean mining station on a lonely, hostile planet, getting tainted by a Xenos invasion.

What was your favorite element to work on?

R. GUITON: The environment. It’s such an important part of the fun for me. It has to be unique and immersive.

J.B. LULLIEN: WEAPONS! The gameplay experience also relies on the equipment you find, and I like to test various, exotic, weird, and deadly weapon combinations.

N. RAOULT: Meta-game. I especially love to create and define artificial intelligences fit to the audience and environment.

As the Zombicide franchise is propelled into the future, we will have a lot of exciting updates to share, including introducing the brave Survivors fighting for their lives, the infected Xenos bent on killing humans, the weapons and equipment they’ll need to complete their missions, and the interstellar environments where all the action takes place. Stay tuned to the CMON and Guillotine Games Facebook pages for all of the latest news on Zombicide: Invader and look for our gameplay article next week.

CMON Zombicide Invader Preview 2 CMON Zombicide Invader Preview 3 CMON Zombicide Invader Preview 4 CMON Zombicide Invader Preview 5

 CMON Zombicide Invader Preview 6 CMON Zombicide Invader Preview 7

The mining facility on PK-L7 was constructed quickly as the home of the Civilians and Soldiers tasked with extracting the valuable Xenium. The gold-rush nature of Xenium’s discovery did not allow for all the features and security that would normally go into such a structure. Only thin walls and airlocks stand between the residents and the oxygen-deprived surface of the planet.

We will be exploring the mining facility and the surface of PK-L7 much more deeply in the future, but we wanted you to have an early look at the base the Survivors call home, and the planet where this war will take place when Zombicide: Invader comes to Kickstarter on April 10 at 3PM EST.

CMON Zombicide Invader Preview 8 CMON Zombicide Invader Preview 9 CMON Zombicide Invader Preview 10

CMON Zombicide Invader Preview 11 CMON Zombicide Invader Preview 12

The hulking Xeno Tanks lead the charge against the mining base on PK-L7, shrugging off all but the most potent attacks. Smaller breeds of Xenos find cover behind their mass. The Survivors would be wise to keep the Tanks at a distance, as they deal out two Damage with each hit.

The Survivors are going to have to face off with the Xeno Tank when Zombicide: Invader comes to Kickstarter on April 10 at 3PM EST.

CMON Zombicide Invader Preview 15 CMON Zombicide Invader Preview 13 CMON Zombicide Invader Preview 14

Mitsuki came to PK-L7 as a Civilian machine programmer, looking to assist with the extraction of Xenium from the planet. She had grown up with a love of technology, often relating more to robotics than her fellow humans.

Mitsuki will have to take full advantage of her technological skills when Zombicide: Invader comes to Kickstarter on April 10 at 3PM EST. Look for our article on the Survivors of PK-L7 next week.

Quelle: Cool Mini or Not
Quelle: Guillotine Games bei Facebook
BK-Nils

Nils, Redakteur bei Brückenkopf-Online. Seit 2001 im Hobby, erstes Tabletop: DSA Armalion. Aktueller Fokus liegt auf Skirmish-Systemen und Warhammer 40.000. mehr auf https://www.instagram.com/nerdydutchman/

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Kommentare

  • Gibt das auch wieder einen Kickstarter only?
    Ich meine, wenn man sich die brutalen Alien-Minis anschaut, dann stehen die denen von Hate nichts nach.

    #keineCMONkickstartermehr

  • Wer auf das Setting und die Serie steht, scheint da nix falsch zu machen wenn man da mitmacht.
    Aber ein besonderes Alleinstellungsmerkmal sehe ich hier nicht. Da fällt es mit sehr leicht zu verzichten.

  • Passt vielleicht gut zu den restlichen Alien Kickstartern, wie Chronicle X etc.

    Wenn die Minis doch nur am ende die gleich Qualität wie die von den Renders hätten…

    • Ich habe deswegen einen Blick auf die Bodenplatten geworden, die gefallen mir sehr gut.
      Vielleicht bekommt man die alleine, da mich die Minis jetzt nicht besonders ansprechen, da gefallen die mir von StarSaga besser…

  • Gerade das mit den unterschiedlichen Gebieten innen und aussen klingt spannend. Mit zig neuen Helden locken sie mich nicht, aber mit neuen Gameplay-Ideen. Ich bin gespannt. Die Mittelalter-Variante ließ mich kalt, hier sind die Chancen höher. Wir haben nur die Nekromantenregel in das klassische ZC portiert in Form eines Alpha-Patienten.

    (Ich kann es regeltechnisch verstehen, aber moderne Munition funktioniert auch ohne Sauerstoff in der Umgebung, da er in der Treibladung gebunden ist)

    • Coole Idee mit dem Alpha Patienten. Zombicide first edition war bei una der Renner für 3 Jahre und black Plague war einfach nur o.k.

      Gameplay Änderungen sehe ich auch als relevant. Ich muss aber sagen: mir gefallen die Tiles etc schon sehr gut. Hate hab ich nicht mit gemacht. Ich hoffe auf tolles gameplay und nicht zu viel abgedrehtes.

      • @Silberpfote
        Bisher wurde nur das Grundspiel ausgeliefert. Alle Add-Ons und Stretchgoals sollen nach letztem Stand im Juni ausgeliefert werden.

  • Keine neuen Gameplaymechaniken. Geld gespart. Werde bei der Gelegenheit mal wieder Black Plague rausholen!

    • Naja, Fokusiertes Feuer um mit mehreren auch große „Zombie“ auszuschalten, Innen/Außenbereich und auf den Waffenkarten im ersten Bild kann man sowas wie Munitionsart? erkennen mit Blitz/Patrone. Das die Abomination bei der Bewegung Felder korrumpiert ist auch neu.

      Scheinen also doch ein paar kleinere Änderungen drin zu sein.

      • Naja, wenn selbst die Designer die Frage „What will be the biggest difference for fans of the Zombicide series?“ mit „the environment“ beantworten, dann sollte man die Erwartungshaltung nicht zu hoch schrauben. Minimale Regeländerungen machen jetzt auch kein grundlegend anderes Spielerlebnis.

        Zombicide ist ein nettes Casual-Spiel welches man auch wenig/nicht Spielern schnell beibringen kann. Ich habe Season 1+2 vom ersten Zombicide und weiß nicht ob ich jetzt einen Re-Skin (egal ob Fantasy oder jetzt SciFi) brauche – das Spiel hat mir zu wenig Tiefe als dass ich es längere Zeit spielen möchte und wenn ich das 1-Mal im Jahr rauskrame dann ist es egal welches Setting das hat.

        Aber klar, CMON melkt die Kuh natürlich solange da jedes Mal mehrere Millionen zusammenkommen.

  • P.S. Blitz und Patrone unterschiedet die Waffenarten weil ja Projektilwaffen im Universum von Zombicide nicht auf dem Planeten wo es spielt funktionieren. Ist zwar Quatsch aber bietet so immerhin eine kleine Herausforderung / taktische Entscheidung für die Spieler

  • Du bekommst halt genau das was du bezahlt.
    Tonnen an hochwertigen Kunstoffminiaturen deren Design man eben mögen muss.
    Dazu ein ganz nettes Brettspiel. Abwertend von „Casual“ zu reden ist irgendwie .. unpassend. Greenhorde z.B. hat es ganzschön in sich vom schierigkeitsgrad her. Da gehört schon eine ganze menge taktieren dazu und stumpfes draufhauen funktioniert da einfach nicht.

    • Casual ist ja nicht abwertend, ich hätte auch Bier & Brezl Spiel schreiben können. Es ist ja gut dass nicht jedes Spiel ein Infinity o.ä. ist. Darum sagte ich ja das _mir persönlich_ das zu wenig Tiefe hat um es länger zu spielen, andere mögen das anders empfinden. Darum langt mir eine Version des Spiels. Die Miniaturen sind für ein Brettspiel völlig ok, die sind für mich nicht das Thema. Nur wegen den Miniaturen kaufe ich mir aber sicher kein Zombicide. Ich frag mich halt ob das immer neue Unterstützer sind die sich die re-skins kaufen oder ob jemand wirklich verschiedene optische Varianten des selben Spiels kauft? Oder lassen sich die Leute von den „Tonnen an hochwertigen Kunstoffminiaturen“ überzeugen und das Spiel selbst interessiert gar nicht? Spannend…

      • Bei der Fantasy-Variante war ich am überlegen, da ich noch kein Zombicide habe und man beim Kickstarter einfach deutlich mehr für sein Geld bekommt.

        Ich wäre also ein Neukunde. SciFi sagt mir jedoch nicht so zu, wenn mir auch die Modellierung der Minis sehr gut gefällt.

      • hochwertige Kunststoffminiaturen? öhm … NEIN!!!
        Die Minis mögen für ein Brettspiel okay sein, aber unter hochwertigen Kunststoffminiaturen verstehe ich etwas anderes.
        Tatsächlich haben mich die Minis bisher abgehalten Black Plague zu kaufen, obwohl mir das Spiel Spaß macht.
        Ich kann mich für den Weichplastikramsch einfach nicht begeistern

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