Ex-Obsidian Devs Reveal Zombie Survival RPG

DoubleBear Productions has revealed information on its forthcoming zombie-based RPG.
The studio, headed up by Brian Mitsoda of Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines/Neverwinter Nights 2 fame, has revealed that it is creating an RPG based around surviving a zombie outbreak.
The game is apparently set to use the Age of Decadence technology but the more interesting details are to be found on the forums, as spotted by RPS, with posts made by both Mitsoda and Annie Carlson, who worked as lead writer on Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir.
Summarising those posts, the game is set in the real world and in modern times, during the “breakdown of society as emergence of zombies causes widespread panic and disorder.” The zombies themselves are “only shambling zombies – no runners, spitters, just classic Romero/Shaun of the Dead/Zombie Survival Guide shamblers. […] Our zombies aren’t that bright, nor are they that that [sic] much of a threat when they’re alone. But they are persistent. Attract the attention of too many and things get nasty very quickly. And yes, they can lunge and grapple if they get close enough.”
“But… Romero showed us that PEOPLE are the real danger more than any brainless zombie…” writes Carlson, and that’s reiterated a few more times.
“Humans and a lack of order are a bigger threat than the undead,” writes Mitsoda, and bringing order to the chaos appears to be a part of the game. The game “is about survival. Scavenging resources, exploring the area, dealing with other survivors, and managing a ‘shelter’ of sorts are the main focus of the game.”
As for those other survivors, well. “Dealing with allies and their personality quirks is definitely a big part of managing them. They have a wide range of behaviors. Depending on how your character manages them, you can change their default behavior and curb some of their less desirable traits – or encourage them, if you find that more helpful.”
There’ll be no karma meters, but characters will approve or disapprove of the way you handle things, and the game is open-ended – there’ll be “characters and events that could happen, but the story depends on where you go, what you do, and who you meet.” The game will also largely going to be skill-based, but “with some very basic stats. Skills generally make one or two more common types of actions easier in the game.”
Colour us intrigued. The game is going under the working title of ZRPG, or Zombie RPG, right now, but we’ll be paying close attention to it.