Urban Dead

[Stak]

Urban Dead

So what is this game? Undoubtedly, some of you have heard of it or even played it because every link I post anywhere has been around forever. Anyway, Urban Dead is a text-based game set in a quarantined city during a zombie apocolypse. The catch is that there are no non-player characters. Everyone, even the zombies, have someone who logs in and plays as them. You can even play as a zombie yourself if you want.

The point of the game is to survive (or destroy, if you're playing a zombie, obviously). You gain XP for attacking, healing survivors, and you get a bonus if you strike the killing blow. If you attack your teammates (like if you attack survivors while you're human or zombies if you are also undead) you only get half the XP, so playing the game like you're supposed to is more profitable! Buying skills usually takes 100 XP.

Also, the actions you can take are limited by your AP, or Action Points. You start with 50 and regenerate one AP every half-hour, so it does come back (slowly). This means you can play for a while and come back later (or overnight) and play some more! However, I recommend leaving at least 10 AP in your character so you can make a quick getaway if the undead storm your safehouse.

And that's another thing. Survivor players should try to end their days in a barricaded safehouse instead of in the street where you'll likely end up as a snack for the shambling rots. Barricading is a skill that you'll have to learn if you're a survivor, so you should probably buy it first! Note that if you encounter a building with a heavy, very heavy, or extremely heavy barricade, you won't be able to get in (survivors can slip past anything else), while zombies must bash at the barricade. This can be circumvented with the Free Running skill, which, if you're standing inside a building, lets you move INTO an adjacent building without having to go outside first.

If you die, that's not the end! You can rise up as a zombie and shamble with the undead. But what if you don't want to be a zombie? No worries, you can be restored to your regular human state by finding a survivor with Revivification Syringes. People set up REVIVE POINTS all throughout the city so you could probably just stick around one of those (they're marked with graffiti usually). If you're a zombie and you don't have the Death Rattle skill, you'll have to communicate with a drop-down menu of groans. If you find a survivor standing around outside, the usual in-game way to communicate that you want a revive is to say "Mhr?" from the drop-down menu.

I know, it all sounds very complicated, but I promise it's not. You'll understand everything once you start playing.

Okay, so you're making a guy, and you want to know how to play each class. Well, here's a rundown.

Military Classes
All military classes can buy military skills (combat-related) at a discounted 75 XP. But science skills (healing-related) cost 150 XP. Military classes are probably your best bet if you're new to the game.

Private - your basic combat class. You'll start out with the Basic Firearms Training skill (which enhances gun accuracy), a pistol, and pistol ammo.
Medic - one of three "healer" classes. Also starts with a pistol, but Medics get a First-Aid Kit instead of backup ammo, and they also get the First Aid skill, which lets them heal 10 HP with a First-Aid Kit instead of the usual 5.
Scout - scouts are hard to play, but they can move around easily. They start with a flare gun (which is better used as a "signal" than a combat weapon, as it is really inaccurate) and the Free Running skill. Note that while flare gun shots are meant to signal to survivors, they also attact the undead!

Science Classes
All science classes can buy science skills for 75 XP, but military skills cost them 150 XP. Science classes are hard to play. I know because I am one (the Necrotech scientist).

Necrotech Lab Assistant - starts with a DNA extractor and the Necrotech Employment skill (meaning they can recognize Necrotech buildings from the streets). This skill branches into Lab Experience and finally Necronet Access, letting these guys produce those Revivification Syringes I talked about earlier. DNA extractors are good for non-combat XP gain but only if you can find groups of zombies that haven't been scanned in the last 24 hours.
Doctor - like the medic, but starts out with two First-Aid Kits and no pistol. Also has the First-Aid skill.

Civilian Classes
Civilian classes pay a flat 100 XP for any skills (military and science classes pay 100 XP for civilian skills, as well). Civilian classes range from easy to ridiculously hard.

Cop - kind of like a civilian version of the private. Cops get a pistol and Basic Firearms Training, but instead of backup ammo, they get a Flak Jacket, which means they take one less damage than anyone who doesn't have one.
Fireman - starts with a fire axe, wirecutters (which are pretty much useless now that every fence in the city has been cut), and Axe-Handling Training, giving them an accuracy boost when attacking with a fire axe. A good alternative to the cop or private if you don't want to look for ammo.
Consumer - the hardest class to play. Starts with a mobile phone (used to send messages to people in-game, and can only be used if there's a powered phone mast in your suburb) and starts with Shopping, a skill that lets them select what stores to loot when they search for items in a mall.

Zombie Classes
If you want to play as a zombie right from the beginning, pick the Corpse class. Players who start as zombies get the Vigour Mortis skill, giving them +10% accuracy to all attacks. Note that most skills do not cross over from zombies to humans, or vice-versa.

Now, what about strategy? If you're any survivor class but the private, cop, or fireman, you might want to find a group of survivors and play the "medic". Search for first-aid kits in hospitals or malls (in the drugstore if you have Shopping). Every time you heal another survivor, no matter how much HP they regain, you get 5 XP.

If you're a private or cop, raid police stations for ammo and guns. Keep a few spare loaded guns in your inventory, because it takes AP to reload them! Once you're supplied up, go out and re-kill a few zombies for some XP. If you're a fireman, then you don't need any additional supplies, just go out and bust some heads with that axe. Of course, any class can use first-aid kits (and it's always a good idea to keep one on hand in case you're infected by a zombie bite), so try to keep a few of those on-hand.

Your first 100 XP should be spent on Construction. This lets you barricade buildings so that zombies can't just walk in and eat your brains!

As for zombie players, your starting game may be a little more difficult. You can always resort to killing other zombies. It's half XP but at least it's something, and your victims can always rise again. A zombie's first level-up should be used to get Lurching Gait (so you only use 1 AP to walk), and then Ankle Grab (so when you die, you spend 1 AP to get back up instead of the usual 10). After that, it's your choice, really!

Anyway, if a lot of you decide to play this, maybe we could band together to form a group of some sort. If you're lost, the wiki has a map of suburbs and pretty much information on any aspect of the game you could want to know about. In fact, it's probably better to read some of the wiki than this post because this post is probably confusing as hell!

[Swashbuckler]

I registered. Here's how my game went before I got pissed and quit:

I walked around until I used up about 40 of my AP. I somehow found a pistol along the way. I saw a zombie so I was like "oh man he's dead" and I fired my one bullet and missed. I figured at this point I was pretty much dead so I tried punching him a bunch but I couldn't hit him. Then I just walked around for a while and logged out.

... i guess I don't get it

[Quantum P.]

I haven't seen much of the game yet; I basically just skimmed your post and their website. However, I can say that most of what I've seen looks really neat!

[Zenith Nadir]

i saw "text game" and stopped reading

but before i could close the window my eye caught the word "zombie" and slipped into a coma

[Stak]

Oh yeah, I probably should have said this in my original post

But punching is a total waste of AP

Seriously, it's not accurate enough and doesn't do enough damage

Just run from the zombies or search for stuff, it's time much better spent

ALSO: most of what you can find outside of buildings is garbage, the good stuff is inside

[jesuskid]

i wish i could read sometimes,

but now isn't one of them

[DarkShadow]

I tried to play it a few weeks ago, but I just really couldn't get into it. Everywhere I went the buildings were either too barricaded, or not barricaded enough. Plus, I didn't even have the ability to use a decent weapon because I wanted to play as a civilian but the game seems to force you to pick being in military because the only thing I've ever found anywhere to pick up was like.. I don't even remember.. something useless.

[Ellypses]

DCT is dying

[Swashbuckler]

Okay, after playing it again, I guess I figured it out a little more.

[Stak]

I tried to play it a few weeks ago, but I just really couldn't get into it. Everywhere I went the buildings were either too barricaded, or not barricaded enough. Plus, I didn't even have the ability to use a decent weapon because I wanted to play as a civilian but the game seems to force you to pick being in military because the only thing I've ever found anywhere to pick up was like.. I don't even remember.. something useless.

The Cop and the Fireman are civilian classes and are among the best to start as

Cops start with a firearm accuracy bonus, a loaded pistol, and a flak jacket. Fireman start with a fire axe and an accuracy bonus when attacking with axes.

[Swashbuckler]

Well, I logged in again. This time I managed to walk around a little, find a flare gun, and punch a zombie for 3 XP.

It's a little boring :(

[jesuskid]

that's what tim said

[Stak]

Yeah it's definitely slow at first

It gets better though

[Swashbuckler]

Well, you're going to have to show me around or like take my character and level me up while I'm at work.

[Stak]

Where are you (like, what suburb, you can find out by looking at the top of your map screen)

Give me a link to your profile and I'll add you to my contact list

I'm dead and in a revival queue at the moment

Also I probably could level you up some if you wanted but that would require giving me your password of course