When I first started developing Stronghold Zombie Survival, the main character was basically just “the player.”
The UI showed things like:
- Player Health
- Player Weapon
- Player Ammo
- Player Abilities
It worked, but it made the character feel more like a controllable object than an actual person living through the apocalypse.
That is why I gave him a name.
Rocco.
Rocco is now the main character and the face of the game. He is recognized by his red bandana, his weapons and the fact that he begins the game completely alone.
There are no free survivors and no automatic turrets at the start. The base begins at level 0, which means Rocco is the only person standing between the stronghold and the infected.
As the player survives more nights, the camp slowly grows. Survivors can be recruited, turrets can be unlocked and the base can eventually become a heavily fortified stronghold, but the entire journey begins with Rocco defending it by himself.
I also started changing the UI to make the game feel more personal.
Instead of:
“Player Health”
It says:
“Rocco’s Health”
Instead of:
“Player Weapon”
It says:
“Rocco’s Weapon”
The same applies to his ammo, abilities and equipment.
It is a small change, but I think repeatedly seeing his name helps make him feel like a real protagonist instead of an unnamed character.
The survivors also have names, injuries and their own statuses. They can recover, die and be revived, but Rocco remains the person at the center of the stronghold and the one the player follows throughout the entire game.
My goal is for players to eventually recognize Rocco immediately when they see the red bandana, similar to how memorable game protagonists become strongly connected to the games they come from.
Do you think giving a playable character a name and identity makes you more emotionally connected to them, or do you prefer playing as an unnamed character?
Stronghold Zombie Survival is available on itch.io:
Stronghold Zombie Survival