zpfan

[zpfan]

Crafting a Basic Recipe: Bandage

While I was picking up materials as per Lieutenant Wilson's instructions, the game tutorial kicked in again, informing me that I have gained enough experience to start crafting basic recipes/formulas.

I've (TUMBLRFan has) also earned or gained (through NPC gifts and game scavenging) the right materials to craft an object.

TUMBLRFan is able to craft while navigating and just started attempting to craft a first aid item - a bandage - which will heal HP (Hit Points) later on if needed during or immediately following battles or altercations with zombies and enemies.

Crafting a bandage requires a player to have available a bottle of booze and something that can be cut up into cloth strips - in this case, a T-Shirt. Sometimes the game allows worn jackets, dress shirts, and similar items to be used for the cloth. It'll take 1 minute to craft a bandage. A bandage will restore 20 HPs once a player decides to use the bandage. Until it is used, the bandage will stay in the player's inventory.

[zpfan]

The College Campus (x36, y19) Video

Once I reached the College Campus - very close to Firebase Mirage, the following video started playing:

TUMBLRFan went inside the first building and was met by a Lieutenant Wilson who needs someone to go on a mission.

TUMBLRFan accepted Lt Wilson's mission to go to the supply depot (within the temporary military base), pick up some radio equipment then go deliver it to an ally.

[zpfan]

Wandering Around, Firebase Mirage Overrun with Zombies

Tumblrfan has only navigated around to 19 or 20 co-ordinates (individual spots on the map) and already came across Firebase Mirage.

Firebase Mirage (Co-ordinates x34, y20) was already swamped with zombies, but an NPC (non-player character) pointed my character in the right direction, saying to find the College Campus.

I just made it to the College Campus (x36, y19) which has been turned into a Military Compound.

Right before I made it to the college, my character reached a next level, #2.

Now I can increase one of TUMBLRFan's skills/attributes.

I'm allowed to put 5 more points into "Character Stats" each time a new level is reached. This time, I'll put more points into "Constitution" stat because this will make my character more resilient overall.

[zpfan]

Inside an Apartment - First Entry Into a Building

The first couple of dozen moves a player executes can be be done by following the game tutorial. These first couple of dozen moves will be roughly the same for every player unless the player actually turns off the game tutorial. (Turn off by clicking "x" in the right hand upper corner of the tutorial text area).

The tutorial will lead you, as soon as possible, to an apartment - partly to keep you reasonably safe in the game as a newcomer and to teach/tutor you through how to:

enter a building

scavenge and search

equip items (clothing, weapons)

check your inventory

This point in the game and this spot on the map is called "Homecoming"

There's a little icon that looks like a file folder over to the right. It's the "Menu" and if you go into the menu, you'll be able to access an "Activity Log" which records co-ordinates, where you've been, what you've done and accomplished so far. If you're away from the game for a day or two and want to double-check what you completed the last time you were playing Zombie Pandemic - go into the menu and activity log.

Inside this first apartment, a few game-generated notes pop up. If you're playing a sort-out-the-mystery strategy here, take your time and read all the notes.

If you go into the Menu at the right again, there's an area called "Notes" where you can type in things about the game you think are important. Locations/map co-ordinates, names of characters you've encountered, names of other players you might ally with, etc.

I looted in this apartment, even though notes informed me I am (TUMBLRFan is) probably inside sister Amy's apartment - or my own apartment that was recently visited by Amy (or Amy lives with my game character) and possibly another younger sister.

In the closet I managed to scavenge a pair of Aviator Goggles:

Once I collected these goggles out of the closet, I equipped them as protection against enemies.

Altogether so far, TUMBLRFan has collected some iron pipes, aviator glasses, and two baseball bats. I've equipped both bats that my player now has slung on his back, ready for battle:

Alright - so my character still looks pretty vulnerable to attack, right?

In his pajamas with no shoes still, nothing else for armor and only two baseball bats for weapons.

Tumblrfan needs to go scavenge some more and hope to find items that can be equipped as armor or sold at a store once I navigate to the right building.

[zpfan]

Scavenge Item: Iron Pipe

In a dumptster, TUMBLRFan managed to scavenge Iron Pipe. For now, early in the game, the pipe can be used as a weapon if any sudden enemy or zombie attacks happen.

More likely, the Iron Pipe will be used for something else in the game - to fortify (barricade) the structures of safehouses, sold to gain money, used to build an escape vehicle, used to craft a special weapon...

There are [2] pieces of pipe picked up at this scavenge spot, the pipe is considered a "CLUBS" type weapon, it weights 3 pounds, has a "Barricade" value of "+3" and has a dollar value or $1.

The extra black square with the item details in it can be brought up by hovering the mouse over the item - hover over most items to see if any extra information pops up. This is a safe way to play the game - before you commit to actually pressing buttons, arrow indicators, etc.

The little wrench icon within the black information box indicates that the item can be used in "crafting," so scavenging the iron pipe has turned up a multiple-purpose item.

[zpfan]

Navigation in the Zombie Pandemic Environment

It won't take newer players long to learn how to navigate around the game environment but I thought I'd make a quick post about navigation and show a screenshot/pic, anyway.

There are double arrow markers at the edge of the visible co-ordinate on the map that a player is standing in:  << for left or west, >> for right or east, etc.

Basically, there are E, W, N, S, and NE, NW, SE, and SW arrow navigator indicators available, so 8 possible movements off each map grid square.

If you want some tips before you MOVE from each square, pay attention to the direction indicators!

Yellow: if an arrow indicator is yellow, the yellow tells you a "mission" is in progress and to get to the area necessary for completing the mission, follow the yellow indicator.

Grey: you can move in that direction but doing so doesn't move you closer to where you have to complete a mission.

Skull on indicator: tells you there are enemies or zombies at the next immediate square/map co-ordinate if you go in that direction. It does't matter if the arrow is yellow or grey... there can be a skull  on it and if you move to the next square, you MIGHT get confronted by zombies or an enemy. You might NOT get attacked but then again, you might...

*Note: the black square at the right side of the pic shows some extra details about moving with the  "E" arrow. I hovered the mouse over the arrow to get some extra information.

The information available: map co-ordinates of the next square and possible dangers (possibility of attack, in a percentage format), and Mission information - co-ordinates where the mission is located. Mission storyline information.

[zpfan]

Opening Vid "Waking Up" Cut Scene for Zombie Pandemic

The graphics in Zombie Pandemic aren't animated, but creators of this game have made some graphic contributions in the form of videos which make the game more interesting to view and play.

When creating your first character, as soon as you set your character details (gender, skin, hair style, etc), a video starts to play - associated with "Waking UP" your character, your character's experience of waking up alone, empty-handed, confused.... in an environment that is going to get hostile right away...

This is the beginning of the Zombie Pandemic journey:

Only certain areas/squares of the grid/map have videos attached to them as you navigate around the ZP (Zombie Pandemic) game environment. If you want to play a certain game strategy of learning what's going on in ZPland to solve puzzled and problems, you'll want to pay attention any time you navigate to a co-ordinate on the map that has a video associated with it.

If you miss viewing an entire video and wish to go back to view it in its entirety, don't worry - at the right hand side of your screen, among other player controls and options available, there's a "Journal" icon. Your journal will store the videos and many other player navigation details.

[zpfan]

To Scavenge/Search for Items, click on the item

Usually there will be a blinking white lined cursor surrounding objects on the map that definitely hold an item that can be looted, scavenged, etc. For TUMBLRFan's first item, I clicked on the white car identified in the prior post and pic. The car contained something my character can use for a weapon - a baseball  bat.

The red indicator bar is almost all the way over, filled in to the right, so this bat is in good shape for a while.

As items wear out, the indicator bar will show less red and you'll either have to discard the item to pick up a newer, better one or you'll have to find a place (or credits) to repair your weapon.

This bat will not require repairing for quite a while, so collect it (click on it) and it will go into your "inventory" of items.

You'll see a timer on every item you scavenge for. The game re-spawns items according to the timing you see. You won't get anything again from the white car until the "Updates in" timer counts down.

You can search again, using 10 credits (green sigh with coin stacks and number indicating how many credits this action/item costs) but really it's not worth it in the beginning of the game to spend credits. You'll come across tons of map squares that have the blinking white cursor, indicating that items can be scavenged and searched per square.

[zpfan]

Gameplay in Zombie Pandemic: Top-Down Map View

Most navigation happens via top-down map view, as if you've stepped back and above the game world and are looking down on things.

Now that TUMBLRFan has awakened, figured out he's in his pajamas with no armor or weapons, he has to start scavenging right away. In the photo below (part of the tutorial, anyway, that all players can go through at the beginning of the game), TUMBLRFan is going to scavenge from the white car on the right side...

Take note of the red cluster in the top left... those are ZOMBIES or Enemies. From top-down view, you can tell if the map square you're in has dangers in it - zombies or enemies. You'll not want to keep your character in this area for long.

[zpfan]

Waking up TUMBLRFAN character on Zombie Pandemic

Fresh start of a new game and character on Pixel Pandemic's apocalyptic text-based, turn-based game, Zombie Pandemic.

A brand new character, account, beginner game scenario.

Introducing newbie, TUMBLRFAN (game character name):

TUMBLRFan has awakened, not knowing what's going on. Dressed in pajamas with no weapon on hand...

Game tutorial text: "You wake up dizzy, not remembering anything and with an unnerving feeling that you’re being watched..."

No shoes, no protection against zombie bites yet, so I'm off to scavenge and get TUMBLRFan some protection and armor.