Why is infection so popular in custom games and forge?

i have decided to take the challenge, I am going to try to make a balanced infection map, i will post a link here after completion.

 

Might pay to work together on that one mate. Let me know if you're keen.

 

we'll see, i've got a basic idea down, but i may need some help in some areas.

 

Eh, I don't know about that. I think I've got a very fair infection map that seems to be fairly popular.

I think people play infection because it doesn't mean anything. There are times when I really do not enjoy playing competitively. Last night was one of those times. I have a friend who is very good, but he and I have different styles of play. He is the Rambo guy who goes in and gets lots of kills... he relies entirely on twitch reflexes. At one point he got irritated because I wasn't running out and helping him... but I had stolen the sniper rifle from the other team and they had a remarkable sniper so I didn't want to run out and risk giving the rifle back to them.

In infection... I don't care. I just play to have fun... even when I just keep dying. The outcome is irrelevent.

Anyway, that's my take on it.

And, by the way, as I said... my Stargate Wars map and Stargate Wars gametype present a very fair infection setting. The zombies are powerful and the humans really have to be on their toes while defending. I don't have inaccessible towers or heavily fortified rooms.

 

in halo 2 people would play infection by everyone going to one colour exepct for one person then when that one person kills you, you must change your their colour to theirs it was quite popular at the time, and still is in h3 people anticipated it for a while so they wont to play it for longer. not to mention its not in matchmaking except on double exp weekends

 

i agree, infection is so over-rated. but........That is because of infection not on matchmaking and the quickness it takes to build an infection map, some people might just pile weapons together and spawn a couple of vechiles and respawn points one one side of the map, and some spawn points for the zombies on the other side of the map.

 

Because, simply put, a lot of people are dullards who just want to camp in a corner or impenetrable tower and get lots of kills.

Of course, there are others who much prefer FAIR games, but not so many (most of them seem to be on here and have decided that Infection sucks. I'd urge you to try one that's a little more fair perhaps).

Personally I enjoy it entirely because of the feeling you get when you are the last man standing and there's an uncountable hoard (well, 7-15, but shush) of zombies charging you, and all you can do is shoot and hope.

And eventually you slip up and get munched, but you're left with a "Wow, that was awesome. I bet I can do better next time" feeling.

I'm still trying in vain to make Infection perfectly balanced, but to be honest I think maybe it shouldn't be perfectly balanced. Just to the point where it is fun for both teams. e.g. "Shieldless zombies, human (headshot) weapons on maps, low ammo, no respawning ammo, 25% starting zombies"

Keeps it entertaining for humans at the beginning when they're tearing into zombies, keeps the feeling that it is not impossible for the zombies (there are an appropriate number of them), and later in the game, instills panic in the surviving humans and allows easier kills for zombies.

And of course if the zombies are getting completely destroyed at first they know that the humans only have so much ammo.


Of course, there's always the factor of how good a player is. There may not be much skill involved in Infection, but there's still enough where a bad player will quit if he is repeatedly killed, and a good player can end a game very quickly if he starts as a zombie (my record is about 60-70 seconds with 8 players, 1 death on my part. Not bragging, just providing an example).


Oh, and unlike lots of people, I'm NOT going to now try and promote any of my zombie maps by saying "They're fair, it's really even, etc. Especially as I have just now realised how broken some of them are. Must go fix them :S


EDIT: Wow. I must stop writing so much. It's like a wall! Hmmm... Maybe I could start a flame war and hide behind it

 

infection is so good because it offers great moments
for example: crouched in a corridor with a sniper and one hell of alot of zombies charging you. or aliens <<aliens is the best>>

 

I played a lot of infection on Halo 2 at friend's LAN parties, and looking back now I think the actual fighting was only half the fun. A lot of the enjoyment was derived from how differently infection made you play a level, instead of your normal run and gun game you're trying to find easily defendable areas. It made me feel like I was looking at the maps in a whole new way.

I think that's why so many infection maps fail, a lot of the fun in infection is experimenting, finding out for yourself what areas are good spots for fighting off the undead.

Another theory of mine is that a good zombie map would be one that approaches the gametype from the opposite angle; don't treat the zombie players as one dimensional and give all the options to the humans, make the humans the one-note players, and create a map that gives the zombies lots of crazy ways to attack.

An example that illustrates both my points. In Halo 2, on Foundation, all the humans were in one of those corner rooms that only have one entrance. No way for me to get in without being immediately shotgunned. So I found a fusion coil, rolled it to just outside the room's entrance, then suicided, killing a human who was standing next to the doorway.

That's what I think makes a fun infection game; you can use the level in completely new and surprising ways, and the zombie players have multiple attack options.

 

I think Infection is awesome as long as the map is good enough. If the map is good it requires stealth and caution to be the only zombie. Being the first zombie is my favorite part because of these reasons. Also, I don't think that all zombie maps should be even and fair. In the map I'm working on right now I'm planning on giving the zombies a bigger advantage than the humans but it still requires stealth and planning to succeed. Overall, I think infection is fun and popular because of the huge variety of games you can have. In other gametypes, there are only so many things you can do with them, but with infection, there are unlimited options. Also there is obviously a plethora of infection maps which just adds to the popularity. "And that's all I have to say about that."

 

I would just like to say that if anyone makes an actual playable infection map, that is completely fair (almost impossible) then i would play the hell out of it, good luck person who may be inspired

 

Infection is just another point of interest to attract nubcakes to the game like the AR. "OOO look resident evil and dawn of the dead"..."ooo Sword and shotguns and laser zomg so awesomeee" No skill + No fun.

One time, I had these guys test my map and thought it was awesome. Gave me nubcake suggestions I ignored and wanted to forge my map (which was done, we were doing a gameplay test). I wouldn't let em, they tried to delete a few extra things, I said don't bother it's unlimited budget and they didn't know what it was. So they ask me to help em with a map and I didn't want to be a **** so I did

Turns out it's an infection map on avalanche. Yes..you run from one base, all the way up and around to basically the other base. Two best things about it: a "broken" (read: terribly forged) wall made of double boxes...with no holes big enough to fit thru? Idea was to break them down..yeah thats gona work. Second thing: A pathway floating to a small circle where the humans make there last stand. This was composed on bridges..on there sides! Like wtf, no zombie can walk up that, using mancannons and grav lifts without people shooting...let alone being rained on.

Sorry for the long windedness...die infection!

 

i don't usually go for the infection gametype when it comes to custom games because i don't like super speed zombies with no shields because 1.not fun for the zombies and 2. played it a whole mess of times and i'm really getting tired of it. but IMO if its a unique infection gametype like in the shadows, then i'll play it because its fun for the humans and zombies and both sides have to be more strategic in the choices they make. but thats my opinion and others may think differently.

 

you know why little kids loves infection? it because the kids just love to turn on unlimited ammo and instant kill. and you know why the kids loves building infection maps its because the little kids loves to make this huge fort with 4 turrets all watching the entrance, but lets not forget the other 4 turrets all watching a long narrow corriddor just for the last man standing. but here comes the best part when you are a zombie and the party leader is the last man standing he will never end it. but when your the last man standing and your killing them all you get booted. and thats how its normally is.

 

Some infections games are fun. The ones that dont feel like infection, like Cat & Mouse

 

i just thought about it...there are BASICALLY two types of people on this kind of topic, you know the infection topic...one,which is the general consensus, that sais "infection is no fun"
"infection is for nubs"
"infection is lame..." ETC ETC

the other side sais "lets play infection!" during TGIF...

now that is NOT true for everyone ofcourse...BUT since the majority of people do not like infection based games, why doesn't someone create a group called Infection Lovers? and meet up every now and again to play there beloved infection based games? I for one would not join, just lookin out...