The Omnipendium

A wiki for Chaos is Eternal.

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You Lose The Game

Return to: Zombie Outbreak on O’Mally Station

Game Loss Conditions

1. Major Crises and Ultimate Conditions

• Major Crises: These are catastrophic events or system failures that can occur as a result of various in-game actions or the accumulation of crises over time. Examples include:

  • Life Support Failure: If the life support system fails completely and is not repaired in time, Air will deplete, eventually suffocating all survivors.
  • Asteroid Defense Failure: Without functional asteroid defense systems, the station may be struck by an asteroid, causing catastrophic structural damage that could lead to a total station collapse.
  • Main Reactor Failure: A meltdown or explosion in the main reactor would result in an uncontrollable fire or radiation leak, making the station uninhabitable and killing all survivors.
  • Station Integrity Collapse: This could result from a combination of factors, like severe structural damage, widespread fires, or multiple breaches that render the station beyond saving.

• Ultimate Conditions: Each major crisis has an ultimate condition that, if reached, results in the automatic death of all survivors, effectively ending the game. For example:

  • Life Support Failure: When Air reaches zero and cannot be restored, all survivors will eventually suffocate.
  • Asteroid Defense Failure: When the station takes a direct hit from an asteroid, causing critical damage that leads to the collapse of vital structures.
  • Reactor Meltdown: If the reactor reaches a critical state without being stabilized, it detonates, killing everyone instantly.

2. Doom Table and Rolling Over 100

• Doom Table: The Doom Table serves as the central mechanic for determining random events and crises as the game progresses. Every in-game hour, a player rolls 1d20, with modifiers applied as certain conditions worsen (e.g., +1 Doom Modifier).
• Exceeding 100:
  • Triggering a Major Crisis: If a roll on the Doom Table (after applying all modifiers) results in a value exceeding 100, a major crisis will automatically progress to its ultimate condition. This essentially fast-tracks a major crisis to its catastrophic end, leaving little time for players to respond.
  • Game Loss: If a major crisis reaches its ultimate condition, the game is lost, as all player survivors are killed either directly by the crisis or indirectly by the station’s collapse.

3. Survivor Death in Regular Play

• Combat Encounters:
  • Risk: Combat encounters with zombies or other threats can lead to player survivor deaths, either due to direct attacks, environmental hazards during combat, or poor tactical decisions.
  • Injury and Death: Injuries sustained in combat can be fatal if not treated, especially in prolonged engagements where resources like Ammo and Supplies are limited.
• Consequences of Minor Crises:
  • Cascading Failures: Minor crises, if left unresolved, can escalate into more serious problems, leading to situations where survivors are put in lethal danger.
  • Individual Survivor Risks: Non-player survivors might also perish as a result of minor crises (e.g., getting trapped in a decompression event or being overwhelmed by zombies), which could in turn reduce the available pool of replacements for player survivors.

4. Final Game Loss

• All Player Survivors Dead: The game is only truly lost when all possible player survivors are dead. This can happen through a combination of regular gameplay deaths (combat, minor crises) and the ultimate conditions of major crises.
• Narrative End: If all player survivors die, the game concludes with a narrative wrap-up of the station’s demise, reflecting the decisions and events that led to the end. This could be a somber, reflective moment for players, emphasizing the high stakes and the ultimate consequence of their decisions.

Strategic Implications for Players

• Crisis Management: Players must prioritize which crises to address based on their potential to escalate to ultimate conditions. This adds a layer of strategy as they decide whether to tackle immediate threats or work to prevent long-term disasters.
• Resource Allocation: Proper management of resources like Morale, Supplies, Ammo, and Air becomes critical, especially as the game progresses and crises compound.
• Survivor Choices: Deciding which survivors to save or sacrifice can have long-term consequences, particularly if replacing a player survivor becomes necessary.
• Tension and Urgency: The constant threat of a major crisis reaching its ultimate condition, combined with the randomness of the Doom Table, keeps players on edge and heightens the overall tension of the game.