New York City

[trim raven]

Summary: Once VEIN’s main map is fully expanded and optimized, consider adding a Southern-East region representing a collapsed version of New York City — a massive, atmospheric skyline visible in the distance, with potential for exploration later in development.

Concept:
Inspired by I Am Legend, this version of New York could appear as a post-apocalyptic cityscape, filled with destruction, haunting silence, and echoes of a war long lost.
Across Plattsburgh Lake, players could see the distant city engulfed in smoke and flickering lights — a chilling reminder of civilization’s fall.

Over time, it could evolve from a background landmark into a fully explorable urban zone, with:

Cinematic ambient sounds — distant gunfire, collapsing skyscrapers, echoing sirens, and helicopter crashes fading into the night.

Signs that months or even years have passed since the military last held the city, with ruined barricades, scorched vehicles, and collapsed highways.

Zombies hiding in the shadows of skyscrapers, wandering through empty streets, tunnels, and highways, adding unpredictability to every corner.

The freedom to explore every shop, apartment, and massive building — from grocery stores to high-rises, each filled with unique loot and storytelling details that show how people tried to survive.

And as a special touch, a hidden Easter egg location — a subtle nod to I Am Legend, such as an abandoned apartment resembling Will Smith’s character’s home, complete with survival gear, photos, and a dog collar left behind.

Endgame Potential:
This could serve as VEIN’s ultimate endgame zone — the final challenge for veteran survivors.
An area with the toughest infected, rarest loot, and the most immersive exploration in the game. Players who survive long enough to reach NYC would face the full weight of the apocalypse — danger, beauty, and decay all in one.

Why it fits VEIN:

Deepens the world’s realism and narrative by showing the fall of a major city.

Expands gameplay from rural survival to large-scale urban exploration.

Provides a long-term goal for future updates and a compelling endgame area.

Allows for memorable Easter eggs, atmosphere, and storytelling through environment design.

References:

I Am Legend (2007) — for its atmosphere, isolation, and urban survival inspiration.

Real-world continuity: New York City lies southeast of Plattsburgh, making it a logical future expansion zone.

By @elfin niche

Automod was being mean (send your images you wanted)

[silver brook]

It's a cool idea but it's quite a few hours from upstate NY

I do love the idea of looting a tall ass co-op lol

[elfin niche]

here of the reference like

[torn grotto]

Plattsburgh to NYC is a 5 hour, 300 mile drive. You're better off driving the 60 miles north to Montreal to hit a big city. This part of NY is very rural.

[normal glade]

I mean they plan to add helicopters haha so I guess the long trips aren't that matter then xD

[silver brook]

https://tenor.com/view/thats-true-kramer-seinfeld-gif-5503484

[elfin niche]

Totally agree will be great for the endgame

[eager cosmos]

I was working on a map like that before the project got cancelled 😞

[elfin niche]

Ooooooo

That looks awesome!

You should show you devs like this

[eager cosmos]

Still had to trashify the city left to do for it but was nearly 90% finished with it. I’ve since moved over to unreal engine and would be interested in this kind of work for sure 👍

I love doing this stuff ❤️

[elfin niche]

Absolutely! I was thinking about this because in the endgame it'll be across the Pittsburgh Lake which has to take a helicopter to get there

Is it possible you can make every building have internals

I just wish the devs can see this right now

[eager cosmos]

Yes, PCG is awesome for that kind of stuff

[elfin niche]

Yeah it'll be great for VEIN lore

[elfin niche]

Maybe you could work with the devs like this a city builder

[eager cosmos]

They are kicking butt right now smashing bugs to help everyone’s experience get even better. They definitely have a solid roadmap already for the future and if I got to be a part of that future that would be epic but I’m just excited to get play the game lol
The scope and ultimate playability is so there and I’m excited to see it evolve!

[elfin niche]

You could ask the devs ads in the far future roadmap for this New York City

You try doing on unreal engine then show what you really made of this

[eager cosmos]

I have a project I’m currently working on but my calendar could open up easily lol

[elfin niche]

Ah so you're working on this on unreal engine

[eager cosmos]

Yes I have been for the last few years on UE5

[elfin niche]

Am so curious to see

[elfin niche]

Interesting

[torn grotto]

Lake Champlain is the lake next Plattsburgh. I also think the developer is going for semi realism. While a cool idea, no major metropolitan area is within sight of Plattsburgh or any play area within the projected map. He would need to make it a stand alone map you transport to somehow. Kind of like how The Division 2 transports you to NYC from Washington DC via helicopter.

[elfin niche]

That's a good point I mean you could go to transport to NYC to load other map

[eager cosmos]

Medieval map for a monster game

[elfin niche]

I would think it could be a mod map to add because I've experienced on playing ark where you can transfer to other mod/DLC maps

Which is called transfer between maps

Hopefully the vein could have been like this

Because it was made of unreal engine

Do you remember that project zomboid do have mod maps

I do prefer to add transfer between maps for this

[elfin niche]

just try contact the devs about your experence

[elfin niche]

@tame apex

[tame apex]

Cheers

Yeah I think in the future if we do do different maps we will have some sort of character transfer system

[elfin niche]

yeah what I wwanted to hear it'll be great to have a mod maps added on character transfer system it'll be cool to travel back and forth

some people do really wanted to have that on the future so they can enjoy many of mod maps to transfer in their game even for single player and multiplayer

[tame apex]

For sure

[elfin niche]

am pretty sure you''ve seen on ASA which is called Ark Surivial Ascended there's a system, where you can transfer your character to mod/dlc maps then can go back home that items still saved while travel other places

i think it was called CrossARK Transfers

I'm pretty sure you can add like in train station to have that system menu show up to click transfer between maps getting on train or get on border while driving it'll ask that the same

I just wanna know for sure that'll add on roadmap

for sure you fans would love to have that and modders too

[eager cosmos]

We can just do the world partition in unreal and you can do huge maps if you wanted to. Was looking into 1.5million km2 map designing for a flight game and it’s totally possible and easy to populate foliage and buildings with PCG

Can literally add 100s kms to the current map and release it as a update when you are ready to add in the new areas

Are you guys on 5.5 or 5.6? @tame apex

[trim raven]

Please do not ping devs

The engine version is 5.4 @eager cosmos

And world partition isn't a magic tool that will allow massive worlds

There's a lot more to take into account

Vein is pretty damn dense gameplay wise

[eager cosmos]

Yes I’m familiar with UE 5+ 😊 👍

[elfin niche]

it'll be great for you to make vein mod map for 100km map

[elfin niche]

@frozen spear

[frozen spear]

Man even I they made this a DLC for a cash injection I'd buy it twice just because they listen to there community

[elfin niche]

DLC would be interesting or Mod Map to be added by this guy whom made the city himself

[frozen spear]

@elfin niche this shit would be so awesome thanks for bringing this to my attention

[elfin niche]

Always welcome