Merry Christmas!

Our Christmas Chaos event has just begun!

Until the 28th, all players will receive a +50% EXP bonus. In addition to this you can now hunt two new types of infected, which will only be spawning over the next 5 days. They'll also be dropping some unique, Christmas themed loot.

Merry Christmas everyone! :-)

Christmas Chaos

Deck the Halls with GORE this Christmas!

Introducing, Christmas Chaos! The ultimate Christmas event that will start on Monday 24th December and continue through until Friday 28th December. During that time all players will:

•  Be able to hunt two brand new types of limited edition infected
  
•  Receive a +50% exp bonus on everything from OA bonuses, zombie kills and missions rewards for the entire duration of the event
  
• Loot a brand new limited edition Christmas themed item 

 Don't miss out on one of the most exciting events in Dead Frontier history!

Corpse Destroyer

To celebrate Christmas 2012 we've just released a new Limited Edition heavy machine gun. The Corpse Destroyer is the 2nd most powerful HMG in the game (next to the GAU-19), and will only be available until December 31st so get it while you still can!

Check it out in the Credit Shop:
http://bit.ly/frN5dD

November Progress Report

I've just finished uploading another update to the Dead Frontier inner city client, this version includes:

• New anti-cheating mechanisms for both TPvP and TS
• Improved frame rates for lower end PCs
• Further aggro and difficulty tweaks
• Zombies getting stuck in the air bug fixed 
• Zombies teleporting through interior walls fixed (might still be an issue for slower PCs however)
• Vomit through walls bug fixed (finally!)

For the next few days I'm going to be working on adding another 20 Fort Pastor missions. Once that's complete my aim is then to move on to the multi-player overhaul I mentioned a while ago.

ETA for new gear is early January 2013.

Happy Halloween!

Our Halloween Madness event has just begun!

Until the end of the week, all players will receive a +50% EXP bonus. In addition to this you can now hunt two new types of infected boss, which will only be spawning over the next 5 days. They'll also be dropping some unique, Halloween themed loot. So dust off your M60, put your forum trolling on standby and get your backside into the Inner City asap!  

Happy Halloween everyone :-)

Halloween Madness & More

Introducing Halloween Madness!

We're going to be running a Halloween event that will start on Wednesday 31st October and continue through until Sunday 4th November. During that time all players will be able to hunt a new, rare class of infected that will only appear through Halloween. What's more, they'll be dropping some very special Halloween themed loot. Oh, and we'll be chucking in an extra +50% EXP for the entire 5 days as well! Don't miss it! :-)

And now for something completely different...

Update Progress Report:

Everything has been going to plan nicely with the recent set of updates. As of now, here is what has already been completed:

• 40 new missions
• 2 missions per day system
• Increased level cap to 220
• Ultra Boost was introduced for people with Dusk Shop access. This $100m upgrade should help fight inflation in the DF economy in the long term.
• Ammo loot locations were tweaked to provide a more even supply for those who need it.

And here is what I should have finished before the end of October:

• Another 20 Fort Pastor missions
• New harder end zone
• New tougher enemies
• Improved anti-cheat provisions primarily aimed at preventing exploits in the PvP arena.
• Bug fixes

New equipment will be coming, but unfortunately it won't be in-game until January 2013. This is mainly due to the time needed for our 2D and 3D artists to complete all the required pieces. I had previously said that there would be almost 100 new pieces of equipment, however after going through the details more closely, it turns out that number will actually have to be closer to 50. Sorry for the confusion.

I'm also very keen to get a complete overhaul of the multiplayer system implemented very soon. The main goal would be to convert the system from TCP over to UDP. This would allow for much more rapid communication which in turn should lead to vastly improved sync, and less lag related bugs. In theory it should also lead to an improved frame rate. I'd really like to get this done in early November, but I can't make any promises unfortunately.

Corpse Ripper

To celebrate Halloween 2012 we've just released a new Limited Edition sub machine gun. The Corpse Ripper is the most powerful SMG in the game, and will only be available until November 5th so get it while you still can!

Check it out in the Credit Shop:
http://bit.ly/frN5dD

Halloween Update

I'm just writing to let you all know that I'm still alive, and that Dead Frontier will be a getting another large update in the next month or so. Here is what I'm working on right now:

• New Missions. I'm looking to add total of around 60 new missions to the game. In addition, there will be two new missions per day rather than just the one that happens currently. I apologise that these have been such a long time coming.


• Larger Inner City with a new, much harder end zone.


• Increased level cap. The new maximum level will be 220, allowing players to completely max out their stat points.


• A massive range of new standard (non limited edition) equipment. Everything from weapons & armour to purely cosmetic items. We're looking at close to 100 new pieces in total.


• Various improvements & updates to the weekly Top PvP and Top Survivor competitions.


• Dead Frontier: Outbreak 3 :D


• A bunch of general bug fixes and optimizations to the game client.

----------------------------------------------

I also wanted to use this opportunity to come clean about what I've been doing recently.

[braindump]

I started work on Dead Frontier back in summer 2007. Prior to that I was a small indie game developer, who generally launched a new title every 6 months or so. I always had so many game ideas flying around in my head, that even with these ultra short development cycles, I could never even come close to keeping up with the pace of my own creativity.

Moving over to Dead Frontier was something completely different to me. It became so popular that it would of been a crime to let it stagnate; so I did my best to keep the updates rolling in. Unfortunately I started to find that even as early as 2008 I was itching to work on something new again. At the end of 2009 I essentially rewrote 90% of DF from scratch, which was a lot of fun and helped me to exercise my creative urges all over again.

However in early 2011 I was again desperate to start a new project. I knew that I still had plenty of work to do on DF and that starting something else now would be a bad move. I gritted my teeth and tried to keep myself focused on DF. 

By December 2011 I had finally gotten DF onto much more solid ground, but it was definitely not yet finished. It then dawned on me that DF could never be finished. Even if I put in all the features I planned to put in, that wouldn't by itself keep everyone around forever. I'd always need to add things to DF. My previous plan of finishing DF 100%, and then working on something else would never really work.

So after much deliberation I decided the only way I'd ever have a chance of satisfying my creative side, whilst not letting DF die, would be to try and work on two projects at the same time. And that is exactly what I've been doing. Since the end of 2011, I've been working on a small fantasy duelling game titled "Doom Warrior". I'm doing my very best to split my time equally across the two projects, and I plan to continue doing that for the foreseeable future. 

Whilst I'm sure this news will come as a disappointment to some of you, I want to assure you that this does not mean I'm no longer interested in Dead Frontier. DF has occupied more than 70% of my adult life and it will always be important to me. I always have, and always will be massive zombie fan after all.

No matter what happens with Doom Warrior, Dead Frontier updates (actual features & content, not just LE items) will keep coming every 3-6 months, most likely for the next 5 - 10 years.

[/braindump]

Corpse Piercer Released

We've just released a new Limited Edition firearm. The Corpse Piercer is the most powerful rifle in the game, and will only be available until September 10th so get it while you still can!

Check it out in the Credit Shop:
http://bit.ly/frN5dD

Happy July 4th!

Happy July 4th! The double EXP event has begun and will continue until 10pm EST tonight. Gentlemen, start your grinding!

Double EXP July 4th

Double EXP this Wednesday, July 4th! 
To celebrate US Independence Day we'll be holding a double EXP event this Wednesday. Players will receive 2x EXP in all forms (from Missions, OAs and normal kills) on July 4th, between 6am EST and 10pm EST. So, if you've got a character that needs some levelling up, this would be the perfect time to do it!

http://www.deadfrontier.com

Corpse Crusher Limited Edition

We've just released a new Limited Edition hammer. The Corpse Crusher is the most powerful silent melee weapon in the game, and will only be available until July 25th so get it while you still can!

Check it out in the Credit Shop:
http://bit.ly/frN5dD

New Intro Movie

Just writing to let you guys know that we've just released a new Dead Frontier introduction movie. Check it out here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lWwjmWe1GM

This piece was painstaking directed and animated by Robert Dowling over the course of 7 months. It also features an original sountrack from Sean Beeson.

Hope you like it!

Full Interior and Barricading Released

Title says it all really. Everyone can now access interiors and barricading, plus we now have a total of 31 different building types to explore. :-)

Plus, what's extra cool about this is that I wasn't late. I said 10 days, and it was exactly 10 days. Solid proof that I don't *always* operate on valve time! Rejoice!

GM Barricading Demo

I've just released a GM only demo of the barricading system as promised. There will probably be a fair few bugs and glitches with this system, so please be patient. I should have everything fixed up within 1-2 days. The final interior & barricading release for all players will be in approximately 10 days.

Barricading ETA

Just a quick heads up to let you know that barricading will take a bit longer than I previously hoped. Physio-therapy for my shoulder recently started up, and those appointments have been taking up a lot more of my time than I'd anticipated (doesn't help the hospital is like an hour's drive away). Still, I'm very confident I'll have something to show pretty soon. I've got Nick and Ian (Xaelath) building some interior locations while I work on this, so the overall ETA for the final interior release shouldn't be affected too much.

Interior demo live

I've just uploaded the latest version that includes the GM interior demo. Please note that there are only a handful of building types complete at this stage, so it may take a bit of hunting to find buildings which you can actually enter.

Have fun!

Interiors Tomorrow

As I mentioned in my last post I was planning to release the GM interior demo by today. However, I'm going to need a little longer than I had anticipated. Release should be tomorrow afternoon-ish. Sorry for the delay.

Interior Pics

A couple of work in progress shots showing off just some of our many props:

Interior Release

My plan was to release a handful of basic interiors sometime tomorrow, which I could still do. However, these interiors really are very simple (only one floor, very sparse design-wise etc) and there are still a fair few bugs I need to work out. Honestly I think you guys would be very disappointed if you saw these. Therefore, I've decided to delay things another week so that I can least get most of the bugs figured out, get the multiple floor system finalized and make them look a bit more interesting.

Here is my release plan:

1. Some interiors towards the end of next week. I'm aiming to have about 5 different building designs complete. This will be a GM only release.

2. Approximately 1 week later, I will release the barricading and personal outpost system for GMs.

3. Another 1-2 weeks later, I will release the full interior and barricading system for everyone. We should have about 35 building designs, each with a lot of random variations. And of course, all bugs should be completely ironed out by then, based on GM feedback.

inb4valvetime

Interiors are coming :-)

Just a quick note to say, if all goes to plan some basic interiors should be with us in a week or so.

Creaky Corpse Ltd acquired (April Fool)

Note: This was an April fools joke, we are not actually going to be taken over by Disney!

For quite some time I've been receiving various proposals from companies wanting to buy Creaky Corpse Ltd and/or Dead Frontier. In the past I've always ignored these potential deals, as they never really seemed serious and the companies in question didn't seem like they would do much to advance DF in the long term. However, a few months ago I was contacted by Disney®.

At first I was incredibly sceptical, why on earth would a kid's entertainment company want to add a violent game to it's portfolio? Still, they are incredibly large outfit and I was intrigued to see what their proposal would be (the free first class flight out to California was a big plus too!)

After several weeks of discussion, I've finally come around to the idea and I'm pleased to announce that I've just signed the paperwork. As of the May 12th, Creaky Corpse Ltd will become part of Disney® 's online gaming portfolio.

First of all, I want to reassure you all that this a good thing for Dead Frontier. I know many of you have been unhappy with the speed of updates recently, and having our new parent company's massive resources to draw on will be a big help in this department. The Disney® team have some brilliant ideas which they'll be implementing very soon after the process is complete. Together, we're going to transform Dead Frontier from a small niche title into something that can be enjoyed by a much larger audience.

Here is a list of planned features:

• Vehicles. You'll be able to find and fix up various motor vehicles in the Inner City. These can then be used for fast transportation, or just for running zombies over :) You'll also be able to 'pimp' your ride out with a wide array of cool upgrades.
  
  
• New Weapons, Armour and Clothing. The Dead Frontier 'wardrobe' is going to literally triple in size. There will be literally tons of variety between avatars. We'll also be adding a few more humorous pieces of equipment, such as water balloons, inflatable mallets and rubber chickens.
  
  
• Interiors and Barricading will finally be complete! You'll be able to decorate your personal outpost with a wide array of cool decorations. You'll also be able to invite your friends around for parties.
  
  
• Game Rebalancing. Dead Frontier is a little on the difficult side as it stands, and really nobody likes dying. Going forward, only 25% of locations will actually have enemies, the rest of the game world can be used to relax and chat with your friends. The areas that do have enemies will have their aggro vastly reduced.
  
  
• Character Journals. Everyone will be able to write their own personal blogs, where they can talk about their hobbies, their feelings and relationships etc.
  
  
• Graphical Overhaul. Let's face it, Dead Frontier is looking a little dated by now. We're going to rework everything to give it a much more uplifting and vibrant design. Right now Dead Frontier only really appeals to young male adults, when really we need to come up with something that women and children will also be able to enjoy.

This is just a tiny slice of all the cool new features to come. I'm sure Disney® will come up with even more cool stuff like this over the course of the next couple of years. Stay tuned!

P.S April fool :D

Corpse Erruptor is here

We've just released a new Limited Edition grenade launcher. The Corpse Erruptor is the most powerful grenade launcher in the game, and will only be available until April 30th so get it while you still can!



Check it out in the Credit Shop:
http://bit.ly/frN5dD

Corpse Shooter!

We've just released a new Limited Edition pistol. The Corpse Shooter is the most powerful pistol in the game, and will only be available until February 29th so get it while you still can!



Check it out in the Credit Shop:
http://bit.ly/frN5dD

Double EXP Begins

The Double EXP event has begun, and will continue until 10pm EST tonight! Gentlemen, start your grinding :)

http://www.deadfrontier.com

Double EXP this Saturday

Double EXP this Saturday!
I'm just writing to let you know that we'll be holding a double EXP event this Saturday. Players will receive 2x EXP in all forms (from Missions, OAs and normal kills) on Saturday the 28th of January, between 6am EST and 10pm EST. So, if you've got a character that needs some levelling up, this would be the perfect time to do it!

http://www.deadfrontier.com

Dislocated Shoulder + Surgery

A few days ago I dislocated my right shoulder. Many of you will know that this has happened to me several times before. At this stage I've dislocated my left shoulder once, and my right shoulder three times.

Normally dislocating a shoulder is something that only happens to me when doing something fairly manly (such as rock climbing, firing a bow or doing an assault course). However this time was different... I did it by yawning. I'm really not joking.

Apparently my right shoulder is so loose, and so badly damaged from my previous injuries that simply raising my right arm above my head and stretching/yawning, is enough to dislocate it. Unfortunately, dislocating a shoulder whilst yawning is just as painful, and just as damaging as doing it through some kind of sport.

It's been about a week since I did it, and I'm now recovered enough to use the computer (although it still hurts a bit). The bad news is that I'm definitely going to need surgery to repair the damage if I ever want to return to a semi-active lifestyle. I'm expecting to have the operation in early February. Once it's done it'll probably 2 months before I'll be able to use the arm again.

Once those two months have passed, I'm also seriously considering having the same operation on the left arm. Whilst i'ts only been fully dislocated once before, it does partially dislocate every now and then (pops out for a second then goes back in by itself). Therefore, I will almost certainly need the operation at some point in the future, and I think I would rather get it all out of the way at once than live with the fear of future dislocations for several more years (probably sounds cheesy, but I'm sure anyone who's the done the same would agree with me that dislocating a shoulder is one of the most painful things that can happen to your body).

As I'm sure you can imagine all of this is going to hinder my progress on DF somewhat. I will still be doing stuff during my recovery period, but it's not going to be anything spectacular unfortunately.

I know this isn't the update many of you were hoping for, and I won't be surprised if some of you are annoyed. But anyway, I suppose posting this is far better than keeping quiet.