If you’re a gamer on ROBLOX, chances are you’ve heard of a little title called Apocalypse Rising. It’s been played nearly four million times and is one of the top games on ROBLOX, and for good reason. Emulating a formula created by the ever-popular ArmA mod Day Z, Apocalypse Rising throws you into a desolate world filled with zombies. Supplies and ammo are extremely limited, and the only chance you have against the undead is to band together and fight them off. We spoke previously with co-creator Gusmanak about what it took to create a game of such huge scale. Recently, we caught up with scripter/coder ZolarKeth about some of the exciting changes for the near-future.



The Map and Inventory System



Users ZolarKeth and Gusmanak have created one of the largest maps ever in ROBLOX–it’s made of 22,000 parts and is 8,000 x 8,000 studs. At standard walking speed, it takes more than eight minutes to walk across the entire thing, and they’re planning to make it even bigger.

“We had originally had a larger map, but we had to take a portion of it out because some people couldn’t run a map that big. We’re adding that portion back in,” says ZolarKeth. “We’re also going to be adding new scenery and points of cover to get behind, as well as more detailed trees and buildings.”

A larger map means a larger player count. ZolarKeth is also in the process of re-coding the inventory system–larger, more intense weapons will take up more space, forcing users to choose which items they carry carefully. The re-engineered inventory system will play a more pivotal role in the game than ever before, mostly because of the introduction of…



Vehicles

That’s right, Apocalypse Rising is going to feature modes of transport. That’s not to say that the game is going to become Grand Theft Auto: Zombie Edition–to the contrary. Using a vehicle in Apocalypse Rising will force cooperation and communication between players. ZolarKeth explains the addition:

“The biggest part of our new update will be vehicles. We have this huge repair system planned for the modular system. We took a lot from Day Z. We’re designing the whole vehicle dynamic so that you have to work together with other people to keep a vehicle going. You’re going to need parts to repair it, and there won’t be enough spots in your inventory to keep all those parts and stay alive individually. So you’re going to have to work together if you want to maintain your vehicle.”

This is part of ZolarKeth’s plan to force in-game collaboration. Using a vehicle in Apocalypse Rising proves to be a bit of a double-edged sword–you’re safer inside a car, but you’re also a larger target that draws attention. Driving makes you and your crew louder and more noticeable. Zombies will chase you as you drive around the map, and ZolarKeth is in the process of leveraging our physics system to get the cars to realistically run over the undead. You’ll also be able to use vehicles for protection–though a large enough swarm of zombies will eventually overtake a stationary vehicle. You’ve got to keep moving.

“Gus and I are working on balancing everything out. We don’t want everyone to just be able to hop into a car and drive off. It’s going to take hard work to have a vehicle–you’ve got to earn it.”

You’ll need a constant source of fuel to keep your vehicle running. And if anything breaks, you’ll need the right tools to fix it. The more members in your party, the more likely you’ll have what you need to journey on.

A Different Type of Game

ZolarKeth and Gusmanak are making these changes to make Apocalypse Rising a more social experience. ZolarKeth indicated that many people who play the game choose to travel alone–which is a common attitude in Day Z as well. But the truest and easiest way to stay alive for longest is to band together with other users, and combine inventories and weapons. They’re hoping that the addition of vehicles does just that.

“We want to get people to look at the big picture here,” says ZolarKeth. “You have to interact with one another to stay alive. We’re really trying to encourage teamwork.”

There is no set deadline for the release of Apocalypse Rising 4.0–though ZolarKeth has indicated that they’re set on releasing their updated game sometime before Christmas. Stay tuned.