Policy of Truth: Abnegation

The Series: 1.)The Floor | 2.)Relevance | 3.)[thread=97737]ABNEGATION[/thread] | 4.)Debacle | 5.)[thread=100866]Insipid[/thread] | 6.)[thread=103323]Centerpiece[/thread]


Introduction

Abnegation is an innovative map in this little series in the fact that it gives players choice on a few angles (explained later, trust me) and built-in anticamping mechanisms without using environmental persuasion. Introducing a system I call the web helps the zombies more accurately track human progress and such, and there is also the inclusion of a neat little surprise (that I don't want to spoil just yet).
I'm sure you're all just itching to hear what these things are so without further adoue, I give you:


ABNEGATION


POLICY OF TRUTH


POLICY OF TRUTH (VIP)



This Is SPARTA!!!


story:

Spoiler

Day 2, Entry 2:
As if the chances of everything going as planned were a possibility, we couldn’t get to the other side of the highway. Construction to a particular part of the road was being done when the infection swept through. This particular part also happened to be the annex to the skyscraper district which was where we needed to be. All the electric conduits had been disabled and even the guy who rigged the time switch couldn’t reroute any power before we were attacked by an infected driving an army vehicle and a powerful zombie that used blunt force as its best friend.
Our only other option was this school that was just off the closest open off-ramp. This place is not safe. We need to get moving as soon as possible. All of them are aware of our presence and I can almost feel them closing in on us. If we cannot find a way out of this city it is only a matter of moments before we are overwhelmed. Damn, they’re already pouring into the vents ---illegible scribble---

Government Procedure: Class Schedule

Hello students,
If your parents have not tried to eat you yet then you are a lucky duck.
Just the other day, little Billy had his entrails eaten out by his big sister (moral: Don't **** with your siblings, cos you're first *****).
If despite these harse times of zombies and mass chaos at every corner you still feel the need to come to class and get learned, well we have some education for you.
Lucky for you, even if you do become a zombie we wont show zombie kids on television. That's stooping low. Although, if you're over the age of 13 then you're a star baby.
Ahem... all seriousness aside though.

Welcome to Posmortem Middle School

home of the fighting leukemia

Visitors must check in at the receptionist's table.
If you're new here to P.M.S. then let us kindly take you on a guided tour of the things you'll encounter during your teachings here.
-Due to your impending doom, we, your benevolent government, have boarded up all unecessary openings to help prolong your un-undeadliness-

Upon walking in the place you probably familiarized yourself with the lobby.
Better get to packin heat kids, cos the zombies come down those vents faster than a hootinanny. Load up on SMG ammo or grab that Mauler before you even think about going further.
Approach the receptionist desk and to the left is an AR and to the right is the auditorium.
Be wary of your ass.


I'd like a member of the audience, please

The auditorium is a place of majesty and treachery.
Yes the lights may be on, but there is no show here you want to see.
The zombies come from the stage and the entrance so use elevation to your advantage. Oh, and they come from the upper right side near the exit so I guess elevation isn't that advantageous.
After 1 minute the exit opens and you can access the hallway.


no running

The hallway is just that. A hallway.
Big deal.
Wanna fight about it?
But, an otherwise simple hallway can turn into zombie assassinationopolis if you're not careful, sonny. There's a gap behind where you walk in and they can pop in from upstairs if they so like. Remember, they can see you at all times and will sit there and wait.
watching.
waiting.
Ha ha, not to worry though. Odds are one of them's not smart enough to pull off such a feat.

We continue our tour upstairs and around the corner where there's (gasp) a fork in the road!


the blue or the red pill, kinda

To the left is the library where we always encourage you to go and fill your head with knowledge.


that one guy who was always in the sci-fi section is STILL THERE!

To the right is the boiler room where we discourage you trek and fill your head with noxious fumes. Don't fall by the way. Burnt kid may smell good but it's a damn mess to clean up.


marshmellows?

The choice you make doesn't really matter since we end up in the same spot which is at the base of the stairwell adjacent to the classroom.
The opening to the stairwell doesn't open until 150 seconds.
We strongly discourage using the stair (and by that we mean you'll die) because their narrow halls offer prime zombie killing...... grounds......

Should you decide to defy our omniscience and survive you will find yourself on the rooftop where you'll find a random weapon box.
Whooptydo.
Wait... did you say Random Weapon Box?
I sure did.
ZOMG! dat is the sheeut.
yup.


simply hit fusion coil and stand next to crack holding RB for a surprise of epicness

Well there you go.
Now you're on a roof with nowhere to go but back.
You may think you can cower in a corner and hope that works out, but you're very wrong.

Meet Needle Boss

quiet in the library dammit

He has a vendetta against campers.
If your crouched down in a narrow hall then he'll prey on you like MJ did little boys (too soon?)


to the camping bastard, with love


they'll never look here


So remember kids, the more you stay in your classrooms (though they're boarded up) the less likely you'll zombificate.
Keep an eye out for weapons you can remove heads from shoulders with.
Multiple people can use the Random Weapon Box at a time, sharing is caring.
Beware of homing pink projectiles.
And yell code blue if you spot a child predator.


Now then, on to the zombies.
Yes, we care about you too, sorta.

When you spawn you are inside:
THE WEB

your caught in it like the rest of us

Basically put, the web is a system of easy travel for the zombies to a specific location closest to where the humans are.
While not as instantaneous as the teleporter grid, the web eliminates the guessing game the zombies have to do when trying to find their human enemies.
All activity on the map takes place below the center of the web. Since zombies are able to see humans at all times they should be able to spawn, look down, pinpoint human locations, and choose the path that goes in that general direction.

Here is a mspaint depiction of how the paths work and what rooms they take you to:

happy hunting you brain eating rascals

With that, humans and zombies alike should be able to duke it out in the epic quest for survival and women.

So enjoy your stay at Posmortem, and we'll see you in hell.
If you missed the DL links for hell, they are:



ABNEGATION


POLICY OF TRUTH


POLICY OF TRUTH (VIP)


CHALLENGES*
Yes, as a measure of your zombie survival skills, we have decided to throw out some minor to major pains-in-the-ass to add to your not dying experience. If you accomplish them and live: you got balls kid. If you accomplish them and die: at least as a zombie you'll have big, green cajones. If you don't accomplish them: suxorz. If you don't even try: *****.
Here they are:

HUMANS
-Make It To The End: Who doesn't want a random weapon?
-Fear of Change: use only the smg.
-Showgoer: Go no further than the auditorium, and live.
-Fire Diver: Hell can be a safe haven.
-Backatcha: assassinate a zombie in the stairwell.
-ZKS: Zombie Killing Spree.
-HJ: can you guess what that is?
-Speechless: he wont say a word when you kill 20.
-Skilled Kill: Kill a zombie using a Fuel Rod ricochet.

ZOMBIES
-Overwhelm: Infect them all.
-Decimate: Don't let them pass the auditorium.
-Shhh: Assassinate a human in the library.
-Fried Brains: Infect a human by means of the kill balls.
-Camper Stamper: As the needle boss kill anyone in the first room.
-Relevance: Get a hammer and remind them of the highway.

*Idea inspired by Mooman219

with benevolence and governance,
your benevolent government

Spoiler

Day 2, Entry 3:
---Near Illegible Writing--- They’re closing in. My friends are falling around me. My gun is out of ammo, and I’m in the corner writing. Writing THIS! Like it [redacted] matters! My vision is blurring and all I can see outside of the paper is a blinding light… a curious blinding light…

--Indistinguishable lines were all that followed the last statement.--

--Use the Information in this document at your own risk--

Conclude
This is the last map for part 1 of the campaign. The part 2 maps (Debacle, Insipid, Centerpiece) are undergoing testing and construction as well as story development.
Unfortunately I do not have a video of this level at the time, but I will work on getting one up.
Your feedback on the other two parts has been great, though I'd like more on those and this one.

In case you haven't checked them out yet:
The Floor & Relevance
also all 3 are available in my signature.

One thing I did say I'd reiterate though is major gametype changes. When I posted the first 2 maps I neglected to test the map with idiots.
As a result, significant changes have been made and If you haven't already, please redownload the Policy Of Truth infection variant.
Expect part 2 sooner than later and I will keep this thread updated as need be.
Peace out FH.

 

You are welcome to use any idea as inspiration.

I myself drew from several great infection games for inspiration (Manifest, Judgment, etc.), and a great deal of inspiration comes from L4D itself.

So yes, I urge you to reimagine any idea that catches your fancy as long as you acknowledge who created it and not try and claim it as your own (in other words, don't steal it).

 

Is that map still on your fileshare?

The Policy Of Truth gametype mechanics are explained in advertent detail in the 'Know Your Enemy' and the 'Know Yourself' sections in the post for [thread=97332]The Floor[/thread] (first part of the series).
Check 'er out.

 

Thanks brother.

And I need to test it badly. I was very very close to posting Debacle when I noticed a major spawning issue during a test which led me to question the rest of the map thoroughly, especially the area where the boss zombie comes out and the randomized blocks in the close quarters room.

I'll get to it eventually. Right now college is my big pain in the ass preventing any of this getting done so expect further developments early May.

Our maps do look rather similar from the overview. Great minds think alike XD

And yea I guess I should explain the gametype a bit better in all the posts but I hoped people would kind of try and keep up with the series.

 

Thank you! I was hoping someone would notice some of the references eventually.

All 3 of the P.o.T. threads are rotten with hidden references to other games, movies, and even other maps on this site.

Kind of to the same degree that Borderlands has: some are quite obvious, others you have to dig to depths of your cerebrum to remember where you heard it from.

And thanks for commenting on the map as well.
It did take a lot of thought considering it was the last one thought up in the series and I intended it to work out in the radial fashion it does to benefit the zombies.

 

You never saw this cos apparently I have to go to your house to hang out anymore.

And this one developed a lot faster because I actually planned it out before I built it.

The Floor was built from building random structures and somehow making it (miraculously) work. Oh god, it's come a long ways since the days it had random objects strewn to represent rubble of some sort.

And a lot of time went into beating my brother in the face after he moved/deleted precariously placed objects, but that is trivial information.

I figured you'd appreciate the humor =)

 

That's cool.

This one is my personal favorite anyway.

For me, it illustrates how well actually planning something out can go.

On the flipside of that though, I drew up and planned Debacle, Insipid, and Centerpiece as well, but they just don't seem to have the same degree of flow to them as Abnegation did.

I think that lies in the fact that Debacle is intended for a different game, and Insipid is just very long (longer than was planned). Centerpiece on the other hand isn't necessarily designed to 'flow', but it was also designed for another game and as of yet works very well for the L4D style finale I intended to end P.o.T. with.

I decided to just throw some plans into this post:


Abnegation


The sketch of the original map for Centerpiece and Debacle


Debacle (the hangar wasn't included)


Insipid (think of it as a teaser)

The Floor and Relevance were not planned. They happened on a whim.