A Review

LoL I found this on YLYL thread on WCR. Too bad I can't find the other one about the T-Rex

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I don't play WC3 for the melee game much anymore. On the other hand, I've been playing NOTD Aftermath excessively. It's a custom game on the WC3 Engine. Since I have nothing better to do than to write about stuff that I enjoy, here is a simplified summary of the game mechanics.



NOTDA is a zombie survival game. In my opinion, this game is unrivaled in terms of the built in AI, game saving system, difficulty, and high learning curve. The game is built to adjust to many factors and scenarios. The maximum number of players are ten. As players play the game, they gain EXP and by saving their games, they can unlock new classes to enhance their future games.

There are eleven classes in the game in total. Three basic marines are unlocked for new players. A game is usually beyond an hour long if you live that long to see the end. The end game EXP gain can range from 900-1300 for a normal game and 1000+ for a nightmare game.

The Ranking System:

0 EXP - Pvt (Private)
500 - Pfc (Private First Class)
1,500 - LCpl (Lance Corporal)
5,000 - Cpl (Corporal)
10,000 - Sgt (Sergent)
20,000 - SSgt (Staff Sergent)
35,000 - GySgt (Gunnery Sergent)
50,000 - 2Lt (2nd Lieutenant)
65,000 - 1Lt (1st Lieutenant)
80,000 - Capt (Captain) - This is where I'm at (90,000 EXP)
120,000 - Maj (Major)
180,000 - LtCol (Lieutenant Colonel)
240,000 - Col (Colonel)
300,000 - Brigadier General (BGen)

Class System: Note, all classes can only be picked once unless otherwise specified.

1. Rifleman - Most basic class in the game, at Sgt level, it comes with a scout dog. It has both the Colt and Knife. Saline also provides this unit with spammable heal. However, it is regarded as the most useless class in the game. Mid range (1350), can go to 200% IAS, and +15 dmg at higher levels. Maximum of 10 Riflemen.

2. Flame Thrower - This class is regarded as last line of defense often times due to its lack of range (800). However, it doesn't use the reload system, so the FT is never vulnerable to attacks due to reload time. FT's greatest asset is the ability to create its owl ammo, or fuel as they call it. The FT is also the team's primary source of deforestation, an action to increase visibility. FT also have incenerary damage, which does full damage to all types of zulus except for fortified armor. There is a maximum of 2 FTs. It has no sidearms.

3. Navy Corpsman - The medic of the team. This class is the only class to be able to cure poisons, ailments, fractures, close wounds, etc. Without a doc on the field, the team relies soley on medical items it can find, but have no means of curing most fatal ailments. With a mid range (1350) and a low damage output, the NC has an ability called steroids that can IAS and IMS. It also has a desert eagle sidearm, as opposed to the colt.

4. Machine Gunner - The "crowd control" class. Machine gunners have the biggest splash damage in the game, hence it can take down mobs of incoming zulus. However, the MG has one of the slowest movespeeds in the game and thus has a low survival rate. It can level up concentration, which is an aura that increases the damage of the entire team. It also has the desert eagle sidearm. A maximum of two MGs.

5. Combat Engineer - Shortest range in the game (600), high damage (250ish), slow attack speed, low ammo count (18/clip). The engineer is a very important class in regards to disabling bosses, taking down hordes, and most importantly, sealing caves (that spawns zulus).

6. Designated Marksman - The class with the highest DPS in the game. It also has the highest range in the game (2800). The key to this class is mastering the skill called "monofilaments". It does high damage in a straight line as well as stuns. But the thing is, if used wrong, it might very well kill your team. It has both the colt and knife.

7. MQ3 Predator - The predator is not a hero that can level up. It is simply a robotic man controlled airplane that acts as a scout. It makes the game much easier because it makes scouting all that much easier. This is why when someone picks the predator, the game increases spawns three fold. So whether or not the game is actually easier is debatable.

8. Force Recon - The fastest unit in the game, with one of the highest sight radii. This is the next best thing for scouting if pred isn't utilized. The FR has raven surveillance, which pings the location of Class A Zulus. It also has Flare, which reveals part of the map and slows down zulus. Finally, it has permanent invisibility, unless it attacks.

9. Infantry Unit Leader - IUL is a stronger rifleman with some different abilities. It has saline and the weapons training that gives +15 damage. It has the ability to call for gunship support and call for fire mission (although much weaker than FO's fire missions). It has both the colt and rifle grenade.

10. Forward Observer - The Boss Killer. FO has a submachine gun with pitiful damage and range (850). Aside from that, it can call upon Artillery from above. It can bombard designated areas with shells that can mount up to 20,000 damage per round. However, there is delay to the shelling so it is not always quite accurate. The FO is a great class to have on any team, but most people dislike him because his lack of ability to rack up kills.

11. Assault Man - The assualt man provides support to the team. The AM has no sidearm, but has a knife. It also uses the submachine gun with pitiful range (850). The assaultman's demolitions can deploy explosives, mines, smoke bombs, and user controlled direction bombs. The AM also has two types of rocket launchers, one that does a maximum of 4000 damage and the other at 3200, depending on armor type. There is a maximum of two AMs.

12. Delta Operator - The very last class to be unlocked at captain status. DO has the second highest range in the game (2300), 3rd highest base attack (180ish). It has Flare ability, much like FR. It also has the permanent invisibility cloak, but only longer to administer. DO has no secondarly sidearms, and does not have a knife. Instead, it has the rifle grenade. DO has the tactic manuevers ability, which increases reaction time while slowing zulus. DO can also call for airstrike in Chapter 3.

The Game Progression:

Chapter 1: Operation Silent Hill
In the start of the game, everyone is to report to Ravenholme, the town and defend it against the zulu invasion. While doing so, some members of the team should be focused on finding supplies (supplies are scattered across the map randomly).

The variation of the game changes into three parts during town defense: 1-Random Artillery, 2-Black Hawk Down, 3-Nothing.

RA is quite bad if the team was idle and did not bother to find the items because random bombings nuke the area around town in hopes of killing mobs of zulus.

In BHD, someone has to go on a rescue mission to save three marines from an air crash. If you are successful in saving the pilot and the two marines, the marines will be added to the team for more firepower. However, the rescue mission is very difficult because of the route and the massive number of zulus that rain upon the crew.

In nothing, the town will get attacked by a large Flesh Composite, which is a huge abomination.

After these side missions are complete, the remaining civilians follow the convoy out of town. During the convoy mission, the team is to escort the convoy until it leaves the proximity. During this time, the first boss will attack the team, Etaphreven.

After the convoy mission is complete, the convoy crew leaves and the team is on its own again. Then, the team must set up Radar Sentries across the map (5 of them).

Once the Radar Sentries are complete, or not complete, the story varies. It can go into Dark Clouds, which is a scenario in which the map is completely pitch black and visibility goes down to zero unless there is light source. In dark clouds, Hades or Diablo (for higher ranking teams) might spawn. After Hades will be Minos. There is a chance for Dark Clouds in Chapter 1 to lead into an alternative chapter called Night Stalkers.

If the skies do not turn pitch black, it is the rescue more civilian mission. Apparently there are more civilians hiding in their homes... Anyway Hades or Moirae can spawn during this time. Hades isn't too bad, but Moirae can be troublesome for teams without a FO. After the first boss, the civilians have to be evacuated into a ship called USS Independence. During this time, a boss called Loki spawns and might own the crap out of the ship. After the ship is secure, or if its destroyed, it proceeds to one of two different scenarios.

Chapter 2: Delta

Delta is the easiest mission out of the three. It normally occurs for lower squads. In the beginning of Delta, a huge boss known as Lyganesh will attack the team. Luckily, the Delta SFOD force comes to save the day. These five Delta guys will come kick the crap out of the boss. From then, the mission can go in one of two different directions.

One is the airfield defense. The delta squad will assist you in defending Port Jefferson while they deploy pilots in the airfield. This is definitely the most fun mission out of all of the game. Huge waves of zulus come attack the airfield. Two bosses spawn during this time; Minos and Atlas.

The other is the chaingun mission. Parts of the chaingun will be airdropped across the map and the team has to follow the delta squad to retrieve them. Atlas spawns during this part. Depending on the survival of the delta squad, it might change into Revelations. If Officer Thompson, the delta squad leader dies, it will change to Revelations. If not, it proceeds to chapter 3.

Chapter 2: Revelations (Alternative)

Revelations is the harder mission. There is no more supply drops during this time, so the team must survive on what it has. It begins with hordes of zulus coming to attack the team. The first boss known as Osiris will appear. If the team lives through that attack, Lyganesh will appear. No delta force will come save them. Instead, F5 Raptors will airstrike the crap out of Lyga. If things aren't bad enough, usually the team runs out of munitions at this time. Four Cocoons are spotted and must be eliminated within the time limit. If not, each one that hatches comes a Minos. Finally, one of two bosses appear to end the chapter. Eris or a combination of Cerberus and Mundus will appear.

Chapter 2: Night Stalkers (Alternative)

Dark Clouds chapter extends here. The skies are still pitch black, with limited light source. Mobs of stuff are still incoming and it's nearly impossible to scout for items because of lack of visibility. Best option here is to pin down and hold the position. To restore visibility, the team must get four energy cells to the power generator. Otherwise, they must sit and wait it out... with eight Minos's coming their way.

Chapter 3: Magnificent Bastards

This is the standard final chapter. The team must secure several landing zones for reinforcements. Fox Company arrives to assist you, and more supplies are airdropped. Fox Company cannot be controlled but is great to have. During the landing zone mission, Thanatos spawns and tries to hunt you down. Once a landing zone is secure, everyone gets an additional mini marine. Once the landing zone is secured, the entire team goes back to Ravenholme to defend it. Another Thanatos spawns, and numerous other bosses make their appearances once again; Loki, Minos, Atlas. However, with the amount of reinforcements you have, they aren't too difficult to fend off.

Lastly, engineers are deployed to work on the EM Sphere in Ravenholme. This is the last resort to neutralize Prometheus, the final boss.

Chapter 3: Containment (Alternative)

In this chapter, the top management wants to nuke the entire place to leave no chances for zulus to spread. The marines have to get fuel cans to the rescue chopter because it ran out. Next, they must deploy four tacnukes in four locations while trying to survive against Havok.

Chapter 3: Lost Cause (Alternative)

This chapter is reserved for the most experienced squads. It doesn't appear for lower squads. In this chapter, another squad is deployed to get rid of your team. They secure Ravenholme with tanks and a ton of marines and are actively nuking the entire map. The only way to beat this mission is to bombard Ravenholme, which might not be possible if your FO or DO is dead. I've never beaten this mission because it doesnt appear as often as the others.

Bosses: All of them change based on Squad Rating (Average of EXP ranking for everyone)

1. Etaphreven - HP ranges from 4k to 16k based on SR. It can go invisible if its 16k HP, has huge movespeed, and is deadly if not quickly disabled. Etaphreven can be outran, but you have no chance of killing it by yourself.

2. Hades/Diablo - Hades has about 5k-8k HP, it pulls an individual marine away from its teammates and hits him. It isn't too hard of a boss to kill, but it is annoying because it separates you from the rest of your team. It has huge movespeed, so unless you can disable it, you can only get a few shots off before it runs away again. Diablo is much worse, it only appears for higher SR teams. It has a ton of HP, does more damage, but pretty much the same thing as Hades.

3. Moirae - The three headed Hydra. It has a ton of HP, ranging from 35k-50k. It moves quite slow, so you have some time to deal with it before it gets you. However, it is invisible unless it attacks, so unless your team has units that can detect invisible units, you're in trouble. If the team lacks FO, the only way to quickly kill Moirae is to use a transceiver or use the Shiva Nuke. There is a time limit, once it passes, Moirae obtains a huge speed boost and can catch up to you.

4. Loki - Loki is a flying unit that can cannot be outrun. It does huge splash damage. Luckily for you, it only has around 4k-8k HP. If it does get close enough to hit you once, you're good as dead, and so are your teammates because of the huge splash.

5. Minos - A huge cockroach. It is slow, it has around 15k HP. It isnt too bad, simply shoot it to death, you can easily out run him.

6. Lgyanesh - This guy shouldnt even be characterized as a boss. Delta quickly disposes of him, raptors as well.

7. Osiris - A dragon that has the ability to teleport to different locations and has really swift attack. It has around 7k HP. It must be quickly delt with or else you're done. It can teleport to your location and leave in seconds.

8. Atlas - A huge zombie with splash but moves quite slow. He is immune to almost all types of special attacks, so it must be gunned down. Because it has such a high base HP of 20k, and immune to most attacks, it can be hard to kill.

9. Eris - The ghost of death. When Eris spawns, the entire screen becomes red. If you are in range of her radiation, you will slowly burn to death, even if she isnt attacking you personally. So if you are in range of her radiation, you are as good as dead. Her movespeed is average but the radiation is what will kill you. Eris must be killed ASAP.

10. Cerberus - This boss is similar to Etaphreven except it revives after it dies. It has 4k Hp

11. Mundus - Exact same thing as Atlas but they call it Mundus.

12. Thanatos - Think Etaphreven except with more HP, more Speed, and much more deadly.

13. Prometheus - This guy has like 150k of HP.

14. Havok - It has even more HP than Prometheus, so no one ever knew how much HP it has.


Conclusion:
This game is very replayable. For one, the EXP system gives an incentive for you to keep playing to unlock all the classes. Second, the story changes and the same thing doesnt happen every game. Third, there is a medal system, so everyone wants to have those. Fourth, if you get bored of the normal game, you can try the nightmare version. Lastly, I still play it in hopes of beating Lost Cause.