TigerStripes wrote:On the issue of the undead, I believe there is an graveyard/undead/horror area in the multiplayer for those into that sort of thing. Now, unless Nuku or one of the other multiplayer devs states otherwise, I'm assuming it's a matter of the infection making victim 'undead-like' and not that they're not actually undead. There was an example of this in the trial run we were making for single-player on the server. It was some kind of dessicated zombie-like enemy out to get some much needed 'bodily fluids' from the player - a 'parched <something>' I think it was. It was not undead, but it looked the part. Anyhow, that's where the early confusion in this thread originates, mixing up some multiplayer and single-player content.
In the case of single-player, we don't currently have any such 'pseudo-undead' stuff, though the Automatons use a lot of the same tropes. Some could be made if there's sufficient demand or donation requests, otherwise that sort of stuff is low on my priorities list. Certainly a new area would be best for these sorts of critters, as I can see them being a big turn-off for players who aren't into that sort of thing. Which does present a bit of a problem, as some fans may be cool with vampires (as the easiest example), but not the other critters who'd end up in the same area.
You would be surprised how often I run into zombie porn... From Japan. If it's any indication, their consumers seem indifferent/preferential towards unattractive males, a perspective not shared towards females, which illustrates a very curious form of objectification, I find. There seems to be no explicit interest in body horror, and these creatures are generally in the periphery of the scene with the female at centre, so I don't know how that'd translate to a text-based medium. Generally, the whole zombie thing is a vehicle for a Roaming Fucksquad*.
Really, I can see it working past the boundaries of your standard repertoire if you get creative. For example -- in terms of feral beasts -- you could easily have a sierrasaur-esque monster with a bone and/or granite aesthetic.
*Band name Pending