Future endings (brainstorming)

[Jero]

What would you guys imagine or want as new endings?

I thought about an old train that needs a LOT of fixing/parts and getting away on it. A rival gang is trying to fix it first too.

Bad ending: Rival gang takes control of it and leaves town.
Good ending: You fix the train and you leave. You could save the rival gang or just kill them.

[Icesteel]

I'm pretty sure we’re gonna get an endgame at HB&K Communications.
That big two-story room under the helipad looks like the perfect combat arena to fight off the classic final boss, steal their keys, and escape in their helicopter.

[Ordisoftware]

This game doesn’t really feel like the right setting for the idea of a "boss", let alone a final boss. It’s more of an anti-game in a way, one that breaks away from the usual tropes of macho/macha power fantasies, whether male or female, and avoids the flashy, over-the-top style of many mainstream titles. I haven’t even reached a single ending yet, but I feel like a cliffhanger ending would be fitting, maybe the escape plan succeeds, only to lead the survivors into another contaminated zone… perfectly setting the stage for a sequel, and why not the search for a vaccine, a classic subject, by raising the level of the saga up a notch, thanks to a scenario featuring scientists, in addition to everyday characters, without it becoming ZNation or Dying Light for example.

[Icesteel]

Originally posted by Ordisoftware:

This game doesn’t really feel like the right setting for the idea of a "boss", let alone a final boss. It’s more of an anti-game in a way, one that breaks away from the usual tropes of macho power fantasies, whether male or female, and avoids the flashy, over-the-top style of many mainstream titles. I haven’t even reached a single ending yet, but I feel like a cliffhanger ending would be fitting, maybe the escape plan succeeds, only to lead the survivors into another contaminated zone… perfectly setting the stage for a sequel, and why not the search for a vaccine, a classic subject, by raising the level of the saga up a notch, thanks to a scenario featuring scientists, in addition to everyday characters, without it becoming ZNation.

Alright, maybe not a “boss” exactly, more like a "necessary enemy you have to take down to steal their keys and trigger some kind of escape plan"
I still think it’s a solid idea.
It doesn’t even need a health bar or crazy damage, just making it hard to reach them would be enough.
Like, imagine an enemy faction guarding that whole map, that alone would make things tense and interesting.

[celsius03]

i think more lore needs to drop in order for the escape plan to fit the story
i mean, why can't they just drive off? is there road blocks?
did they surround the city with barricade, fences or wall in effort to contain the spread?
how is things outside of the city? is this the only city that went down to infection?
where are the network exporting goods to?

aside from the lore, working vehicle like a bus or something may work
just need to find an exit point, or have to make one yourself

i really hate the idea of a cure ending, cuz it really closes off the world building
but we could have them chase after lab research,
origin point, ground zero, patient zero whatever
only to find that there's no cure, no hope. (but get a lot of lore this way)

making a sustainable community
probably the ultimate challenge if there is to be one
have to pull off gathering, clearing, maintaining, farming, recruiting to the extreme
it may not have an ending. this could be a separate mode since it's not escaping
either having to do a lot of work and have an ending
or keep it up as long as you can sorta deal

[Icesteel]

Originally posted by celsius03:

i think more lore needs to drop in order for the escape plan to fit the story
i mean, why can't they just drive off? is there road blocks?
did they surround the city with barricade, fences or wall in effort to contain the spread?
how is things outside of the city? is this the only city that went down to infection?
where are the network exporting goods to?

aside from the lore, working vehicle like a bus or something may work
just need to find an exit point, or have to make one yourself

i really hate the idea of a cure ending, cuz it really closes off the world building
but we could have them chase after lab research,
origin point, ground zero, patient zero whatever
only to find that there's no cure, no hope. (but get a lot of lore this way)

making a sustainable community
probably the ultimate challenge if there is to be one
have to pull off gathering, clearing, maintaining, farming, recruiting to the extreme
it may not have an ending. this could be a separate mode since it's not escaping
either having to do a lot of work and have an ending
or keep it up as long as you can sorta deal

They literally just grabbed chunks of highway and slapped them around the city, there’s no way out, XD

[celsius03]

Originally posted by Icesteel:

They literally just grabbed chunks of highway and slapped them around the city, there’s no way out, XD

oh okay. i figured there's something up so that they're stuck like that
then exclude that part. the rest of it should still be valid

[Wolfling]

1. You could have the survivors discover some explosives that they can use to blow up the blockade and escape in a bus.
2. You could have a World War Z style ending where the survivors discover a way to camouflage themselves so they can walk amongst the dead unhindered.
3. You could have the survivors develop a cure.
4. You could have the survivors detonate a nuke. Tragic hero/suicide style.
5. You could have external help arrive. This could be the 'wait it out' ending.

[Invidious]

I just hope they add a long string of clues that lead to false hope where the big surprise at the end is all your survivors get devoured horribly.

[MirrorStorm]

Originally posted by Invidious:

I just hope they add a long string of clues that lead to false hope where the big surprise at the end is all your survivors get devoured horribly.

From what I remember what the 'Mule' said (forget her name) in the Network escape plan path that there 2 rival groups in the city fighting each other and 1 of them being some sort of 'resistance' group.
So maybe they might play a part in a future update of more escape plan story paths relating with these groups.

[Invidious]

Originally posted by MirrorStorm:

Originally posted by Invidious:

I just hope they add a long string of clues that lead to false hope where the big surprise at the end is all your survivors get devoured horribly.

From what I remember what the 'Mule' said (forget her name) in the Network escape plan path that there 2 rival groups in the city fighting each other and 1 of them being some sort of 'resistance' group.
So maybe they might play a part in a future update of more escape plan story paths relating with these groups.

Well, let's see what they do. I'd also like to see once where your survivors escape on a boat/raft and wash up somewhere else as zombies to spread the infection.

[Icesteel]

Originally posted by Invidious:

Originally posted by MirrorStorm:

From what I remember what the 'Mule' said (forget her name) in the Network escape plan path that there 2 rival groups in the city fighting each other and 1 of them being some sort of 'resistance' group.
So maybe they might play a part in a future update of more escape plan story paths relating with these groups.

Well, let's see what they do. I'd also like to see once where your survivors escape on a boat/raft and wash up somewhere else as zombies to spread the infection.

First, we’d need to check if the city is near a body of water large enough that we'd need a raft.

And second, the helicopter ending (the good ending) hints that Cooper is infected, so the infection is definitely going to spread.