State of Decay 3 would do well with the excitement provided by State of Decay 2‘s curveballs, but one effect shouldn’t be reused. One of the goals of State of Decay 3 should be to push its limits further than the last game could achieve. Although curveballs were a late addition to the game, they are a mechanic that has plenty of potential for the future. Despite being a good addition, the curveballs in State of Decay 2 still had some kinks to work out. This is especially true when it comes to the most obstructive feature they can bring.
Among the potential features for State of Decay 3, curveballs are a strong contender. Introduced in State of Decay 2 Update 34, curveballs are events that will affect the game in some way while they’re active. Some are helpful, such as weakening zombies, while others are harmful, like lowering the community’s stamina. There is a lot of variation between curveballs, with same affecting certain areas, while others are map-wide. There are even some that will only end once the player solves a certain objective on the map. Curveballs can be tricky, but they keep State of Decay 2 players on their toes and are usually quite fun – though there is one exception.
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State of Decay 3 Doesn’t Need Curveballs That Drain Fuel From Vehicles
A Couple of Curveballs Make Driving a Chore in State of Decay 2
Vehicles are one of the most important parts of playing State of Decay 2, being necessary to travel any more than a few blocks away from home base. However, some curveballs directly impact vehicle performance, and those can be some of the most costly. One, Bangernomics, makes vehicles slow to accelerate, lose their brakes, and expend fuel at a much higher rate. One possible mutation of The Black Heart dials this up even further, draining fuel so quickly that cars become virtually useless. Both of these fuel-draining effects have the same frustrating cost: Making State of Decay 2‘s vehicles nearly impossible to drive.
The Black Heart is an extremely difficult curveball in its own right, and doesn’t need the fuel consumption penalty.
Fuel Penalties Are More Obstructive than Challenging
Even though most of the curveballs would be great to see return in State of Decay 3, the fuel-draining curveballs are a different matter. Rather than giving players an extra challenge to work around, Bangernomics and the Black Heart’s fuel penalty are more like roadblocks that grind a player’s progression to a halt. They force players to either spend a lot of their fuel reserves to make drives that would otherwise be routine, or stop driving until their effects end. Either way, it’s more of a hindrance to the game rather than an actual challenge to overcome, making these curveballs very undesirable.
State of Decay 3 Needs Curveballs That Don’t Impede the Game’s Fun Factor
Curveballs that penalize players’ fuel consumption wouldn’t even be necessary. There are many more interesting effects that State of Decay 3‘s plague can employ to be a threat. For instance, Screamers and Ferals could see temporary upgrades similar to the ones that Bloaters and Juggernauts could receive in State of Decay 2. Other new curveballs could impact the map or community in different ways, like infesting an active outpost. Even the Bangernomics curveball could be recycled without the devastating fuel penalty if need be. There are so many ways to challenge players with curveballs that don’t create a wall for their progress.
Bringing curveballs back in State of Decay 3 is a good idea. However, if the developers want to make sure that State of Decay 3 doesn’t struggle at launch, then ironing out some issues will be necessary. By removing curveballs that penalize fuel consumption, there will be fewer possible roadblocks that could make early playthroughs more frustrating. Most of the time, the twists provided by State of Decay 2‘s curveballs are welcome, but State of Decay 3 doesn’t need effects that make the game tedious rather than challenging.
State of Decay 3 is an open-world survival game set years after a zombie apocalypse nearly wiped out humankind. An evolving zombie threat is taking over the landscape and you need to carve out a life for your community of survivalist homesteaders.
The choices you make affect in-game events and storylines, so be careful: if one of your community members falls to the zombie horde, you’ll lose that character and their abilities forever. Every risk must be weighed against the reward!
With online multiplayer for up to 4 players, start a community together from scratch with your friends in a shared, persistent world. You’ll all be able to build, develop, and expand a base that reflects your designs and choices.