Zombies are a classic idea that is long overdue for a center of map excellence like CC!
Since it's clear that you're still in the initial stages of planning- how to create thematic zombie gameplay, what the bonuses and territories should be like, and how to spice up the graphics- allow me throw in my two cents.
Gameplay:
Killer Neutrals.The perfect way to simulate unstoppable hordes of undead. I suggest dispersing 1-troop killer neutral stacks all over the map, rather than putting large neutral stacks at crucial spots. That way, there is no way to escape the zombies- they are everywhere!
The idea here is to create "zombies" that will remain in play throughtout the game no matter what, without making them a complete wild card with regards to the dice. We reduce the 'luck factor' by making them 1-troop zombie neutrals that can be beaten back with some degree of certainty, but every player knows they will be back next round- thus making them an integral part of any player's strategy. To that end, in fact, I present my next idea...
No Bonus Is Safe.That's right, every bonus on the map is only temporary! In order to "keep" a bonus region, a player will have to re-take at least one or more territories that get overrun by zombies every round (1-troop only, of course).
This is my favorite idea, as it turns the killer neutrals from mere barriers into active forces of malice. Perfect for creating a sense of endless wading through zombie masses, and ensures that players will be forced to deal with them rather than ignoring zombified territories. But speaking of barriers...
The Zombie Gauntlets.It's a jungle out there- and it wants human flesh! Most of the light blue territory you've marked as the streets will be zombified (killer neutral); entryways into buildings could also be zombified, forcing players to make a 3 or 4 territory dash between points of safety!
By splitting up the passageways (the streets) between your bonus regions into "gauntlets" of 2 or more zombified territories (1-troop killer neutrals), the map will create a sense of dread and isolation. This belongs in any Zombie Invasion- particularly if it's a fog of war game, where you're forced to run a gauntlet with your stack and praying you don't get eaten by what you find at the end of it. Incidentally, by making so many zombified regions, we're also creating....
Safe Havens.Bank vaults. Armories. Sporting Goods stores. No matter where you're at- the Business District, the Military Compound or the Mall, some places are just better to hole up in than others. Safe havens are just ordinary territories, but with so many zombified regions, this actually makes them pretty special!
Safe havens are meant to act as sort of "capture the flag" points that players will want to take because the surrounding area will get overrun at the end of the round. As such, they may often be single territories, but could also be "safe pockets" of 2 or more territories. This would give a unique "island hopping" feel to the gameplay, where players have to wade through seas of undead in order to reach dry land- where the natives will be defensive and hostile to boot.
Bonus & Territory Ideas:
Bonuses Vary According to Zombification.Sure, the Mall can house and support more people than the Military Compound- but is it safer? Would you trade safety in numbers for... well, just plain safety? Each bonus region has a different number of zombified regions in it. The Compound probably only has 1 or 2, while the Mall might have 3 or more. However, the Mall may provide a bigger bonus in troops as the flood of civilians can more easily reach it and be housed and fed.
By making the ratio of safe havens to zombified terts into part of the rubric for determining the size of a bonus, it will be easier to give each map region a more distinct flavor. Also on the topic of flavor, I think the map could use....
Home Ground.The fight to turn the tide has to start with somebody. From the faceless masses, heroes of humanity have risen and gathered like-minded people. In addition to the normal random mix of territories, each player is guaranteed a starting safe haven with an auto-deploy bonus of +3. Each Rallying Point can be associated with a faction of people. Out of the Residential Areas come the strong-willed Anarcho-Survivalists; out of the Mall comes the humble People's Mandate (or Mob?); out of the Military District come the Warrior Generals; out of the Business District, the cold-blooded Machiavellians. Each faction has their home base- each unwilliing to compromise with the other in a world gone mad.
The Rallying Point is meant to give a player a sense of safety and hope, which is the necessary flip side in any story that involves a fight against hopeless odds. In addition to being a safe haven with an autodeploy, it should probably also be ringed by zombified regions, just to keep it out of the reach of early attacks. Why would it be attacked early? Well, you see, there might be something I like to call....
The Big Scramble.Every invasion has to start somewhere. During the first round, almost all of the zombified regions will be claimed randomly by the players, in addition to some safe havens. Thus, if you don't use troops on the first round, you may well lose them!
This idea would create a sense of chaos and panic in the first round, as everyone tries to use their initial 3-spots in desperate attacks to reach a safe haven. This is of course a very pain-in-the-butt idea, as the mapmaking balance would require that most of these initial terts would be within some conceivable distance of a safe haven (no more than two territories away). Of course, different tactics could also come into play, for instance trying to attack a territory just to knock down an opponent's deployment based on the number of terts. This would also depend on the map size of course- yours is very small right now. However, I think the idea has some thematic as well as strategic merit; certainly this would put the map over the top as one of the most unique "scenario" maps as it would make the first round a completely different phase of the game- an almost second drop, if you will.
Graphics & Text
Territories Are Marked as Either Safe Havens or Infested.If a territory is "zombified" (turns into 1 neutral troop at the end of each round), then it has a distinct border (let's say red) that separates it from "safe havens" (normal territories) which have a different color border (let's say blue), or no border at all. The border color would be independent of the base color of the bonus region, but other than that it would look a lot like the SuperMax Prison Riot! map territories. Thus, each bonus region would share the same base color, but have two types of territories- infested and safe- that have distinctly different borders.
Territory names should be related to their relative safety or zombification. So, the Bank Vault might be marked a safe haven, while the Bank Tellers might be marked as infested.
Rallying Points Are Cool.And since they are, they should get a special marking beyond looking like a normal safe haven. Beside each Rally Point could be some symbol for their faction, for instance. The names could be of the faction itself, or be related- for instance Central HQ for the Warrior Generals, or the Video Arcade for the People's Mob.
B-Movie Magic.Borrow as many ideas as you can from Army of Darkness-esque movies. I think a tongue-in-cheek humor in naming could really enhance the players' experience. Don't get too bogged down in serious zombie horror; the United States of Apocalypse, for instance, would've been a map I avoided if it got too involved with the horrors of radiation and mutation. Instead, I found the map names were hilarious and added just enough balance between drama and fun.
I hope that this at least gives you ideas, even if you can't use any of it. Best of luck on bringing Zombies officially into CC!
Marshal Ney
P.S. If the "Zombie Neutrals" update to the site gets done by LackAttack anytime soon, a map with 1-troop killer neutrals would truly provide a classic zombie feel. Maybe if you build the map, the zombies will come... kind of like a "Field of Zombies" fantasy, but what can I say?
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