Changed Earth: Patient Zero
Patient Zero is a story-driven game designed for medium to large conventions. In the games story, you will play an Agent allied with a corporate government called a Faction. Your faction will assign you missions to eliminate threats (rival players) and help you gain vital information on the events of the game.
As you accomplish missions and gain information, you'll receive new abilities that can make you stronger or perform tasks more efficiently. Combine your information together in different ways to discover new information that will lead you further into the Patient Zero storyline.
How it works
Patient Zero works on the same principles as many convention games, specifically Assassins and the PAX variant PAXassins. In Assassins, you are given a targets name and image, and tasked with finding that person and performing some action once you do that signifies an attack or kill. In many variations, you take upon your defeated targets target, which starts the process again.
The game play in Patient Zero is similar. A player receives a mission on his phone and though email, which describes a specific action they must take to complete the mission. Once a mission is complete, a new mission is designated, and so on.
The difference is the story. Every mission you receive in Patient Zero has a purpose in the story, and completing missions will directly benefit you and your team. As you complete missions, you will learn information that reveal key points to the story and unlock new missions. Information from different fields can be combined together as Research, which create new pieces of information as well as abilities for your character or team to use.
Show off!
Players who have already created their characters can now show off their faction and team affiliations in banner form! Simply plug the VR# for your character in the address below to show off your alter ego. Help us spread the word by linking it to
http://phenixone.com so we can have a great game by getting as many players as possible.
http://character.phenixone.com/0123456789ABC.png
Attention Enforcers
Are you an Enforcer and interested in playing? You're in luck!
The Sorengard Defense Force (SDF) is currently seeking individuals with experience in con enforcement. Your duties will be to keep the peace in the area by thwarting faction animosity. Should you arrive too late to prevent an attack you will be required to bring those involved to justice. Should you feel the target is dangerous to the civil population, deadly force is authorized.
Enforcer Agents will be able to attack any player who they find engaging in an
Elimination Mission. Enforcer Agents cannot be targeted for attack by faction Agents. Interested Enforcers should contact me at
phillip@phenixone.com.
Questions
Why Teams?
Most missions will have you trying to find a target, which can be a little difficult in a crowd of 25-30,000 people. Teams mitigate this problem by allowing teammates to complete each others missions, giving you a greater chance of success. In addition, information found from completing missions is shared between a team.
While it's NOT required that you play in a team, those who do will have an extremely powerful advantage over lone-wolf players, but the option to play alone is there if you want it.
Why am I doing this?
Basically, I've always wanted to make games, as I think a lot of us would like to. I decided to step up and put it all on the line and make the most professional game I can design and afford. I'm not doing it for money, fame or recognition, (those would be nice though), but just to prove to myself that I can. In the end, it's as much for me as it is for you.
Posts
The pirate thing last year was so awesome theres no way I'm missing this.
BILL PISTOL FO' LIFE!
A few things:
1. The site is up and character creation is available. If you have a questions that's not answered on the site or not quite sure how to do something, you can reach me here: phillip@phenixone.com
2. Recruit, this game might be a little harder to "win" than the last one because there will be a few ways to score yourself (see below).
Each player has a rank that will increase as they complete missions and successfully research information. Also, you'll receive achievements for completing certain missions or doing something notable, and these might also increase your rank. You can even get achievements for collecting specific sets of achievements, which is pretty hard but the bonuses are bigger.
Then there's how much of the story you guys uncover, which in my opinion is the coolest part. See, if you guys can't uncover enough of the story, you'll be unprepared for the endgame, which will make it harder if not impossible to prevail (Knowledge is literally power in this game). And the state that this game ends in will directly affect how next years game will start out and play.
Dude... I look forward to the challenge, and I hope I don't disappoint you. You effing rule.
Oh and I found out what I was doing wrong. On the front page if you click on the blue links found within the bottom paragraph they seem not to be functioning. But if you use the links found in the menu bar at the top of the site those are indeed working.
I'm updating the site over the weekend with more information on how the game will work. Please send me any questions you may have so I can be sure to cover everything.
Right now I am verifying that manually so it might take a little time. Just checked and both of you guys are good on that front.
[edit: situation resolved]
To view your character, team, or achievements, there is a new area called NetLink that has those pages now. You will also be able to browse through other players and their teams soon using these pages.
The game guide has been updated significantly and reading through it now should give you a better idea of how the game will work and what you can expect as far as missions, information and research. There's still more to come. so check back often.
I'm going to be trying to get word of the game out to as many players as possible, because the more players there are the better the game will be for everyone. Any help spreading the word is much appreciated. Towards that end, every player now has a banner that show his characters name and team information, which works well for forum sigs. This is partly a way to show off the game, but may also be used later on so that we can play a version of the game in forums.
I've decided to cut the player count off at 250 because it's a nice round number and so no one will have to pay for anything. My treat!
Anywho, Im excited for this game. it has alot of potential! Once I get my character up and running I'm gonna get my friends in on it to join up.
Im sort of the guinnea pig on this one. So far though, I have positive things to say, besides the website being a little buggy. But that happens when its a new website so I can forgive you.
I'm just curious, but what are the sizes of the other teams out there? If there are any.
There are some restrictions in the game to prevent one faction becoming stronger than another. Teams are restricted to 5 players, including the Team Leader. Factions currently can only have up to 5 teams, and new factions will open up when full factions close.
Teams are capped at 5 players including the team leader, and 5 teams per faction. I'll be putting some info together on teams that should be up very soon under the Game Guide.
Players can join any player-created team regardless of their selected faction. If you join a team that is a different faction than your own, you'll switch allegiances to your new teams faction. If for some reason you quit your team, you will revert back to your selected faction. You can change your faction at any time through the accounts Character page.
Enjoy the game!
After looking at the players for each faction, I have decided to temporary close off the New York faction from receiving more teams. Once Japan, which has been renamed to Shita to reflect the story, balances out a new faction will open up. Once the new one reaches parity with the others, I'll open everything back up to 5 teams. If we get enough players to fill that up, more factions will open to accomodate.
This will not affect currently created teams in New York. You can still recruit any player who is not on a team.
If you're interested, check out the main post for details and shoot me an email with any questions/concerns at phillip@phenixone.com. Enjoy the game!
And I was going to suggest that at the end of PAX maybe all the participants could get together, have dinner or something.
Unless everyone is dead...
Which wont happen. >.>