Bus

The Bus is a utility in the Zombies campaign TranZit; it allows the players to travel through the map. Zombies break the boarded bus windows to get in, and chase after the bus whenever all players are on it. The Bus is upgradeable, one of the additions featuring a plow on the front. Players can also climb on top of the bus to shoot off the zombies that jump on top, however, the player will need either the hatch or the ladder, both of which can be found lying around TranZit in order to do so unless the player jumps on to the roof from the Power Station or another high area in Town.

Behavior
The Bus is controlled by a robotic A.I. character, simply known as the Bus Driver, and spawns behind of the starting location, the Bus Depot. The bus will not move from the starting location until a player opens the door and boards it. The Bus Driver will continue to beep the horn however, until the players board it. After this, the horn is still sounded, but once it has reached a location, it is used to sound an imminent departure. The Bus departing is not dependent on the end or beginning of a wave, but rather a timer. It can arrive and depart at all of the locations on its route within a single wave an infinite number of times, as long as the zombies are not killed. Note that if a player is staying at a single location, and only likes to travel by Bus, the Bus passes every location about once every seven minutes. All players do not need to be on the bus either, some or all can be left behind. The Bus Driver will not stop at all safe locations along the route, only at five large locations (the Bus Depot, the Diner, the Farm, the Power Plant and the Town). It is important to note that there are valuable pieces of equipment and weapons in between the stops, and players can jump from the Bus as it passes one of these without taking any damage.



The Bus Driver will alert the player(s) to a zombie attack/breach, but will not assist in damaging the zombie. If the player has not killed the group of zombies behind the Bus within a specific period of time, the zombies will run aimlessly towards the windows and begin to breach the windows that confine the Bus. Once the bus is in motion, zombies will not be able to enter through the Bus doors. This is likely of withdrawing a scripting implementation. If one player is on the roof and all the other players are down inside the Bus, the zombies will climb through previously inaccessible windows (i.e. the front windows, the back portion of the vehicle and sometimes, jumping out of the previously barricaded windows and climbing up to the roof)

The Bus is not very wide, just large enough for two players to pass side by side, but not without issues and is quite long. This presents a multitude of locations for zombies to breach the Bus, all the side windows and the basic front window (if not upgraded). Additionally, if the ladder upgrade has been installed, then zombies can climb onto the roof and jump inside. If a power-up spawns within the Bus, it will stay stationary on the ground but the bus will keep moving, and if it is not grabbed, it will be left behind. Claymores and other equipment can be placed on the floor without issues however, though they may slide forward slightly to begin with. Shooting from the rear of the bus presents issues, as the players cannot jump up onto the rear seats, and if one aims too low to the window frame, the bullets will be wasted and not hit any zombies. For this reason, players may find it helpful to cook grenades and throw them towards the incoming horde or climb onto the roof to aim with ease at the zombies.

The Bus represents the safest way to navigate from location to location, while negating the effects of the Denizens and other hazards along the way, at the sacrifice of limited maneuverability while inside of it and the many entrance ways for the zombies. All zombies that enter the bus, even when it's not moving, will also have limited speed, thus getting surrounded won't be too common; they also have a special stumbling animation that resembles how normal humans struggle to stand and walk properly in a moving bus, train, or airplane. It is also a faster way to get around the map, albeit this depending on what location the player is headed for. Be aware that Denizens will begin to attack the player if they step off the Bus while in the fog should the Bus be disabled or slow down, and if the power is on, the Avogadro will attack, and can potentially zap the electricity and disable the Bus.



Weapons
There is one weapon that can be found inside the Bus, the B23R. It is a three-round burst weapon which can be equipped as a sidearm. Its outline can be seen on the roof, for 1000 points. As this is the only constant weapon between locations, and is available early, it is highly recommended that the players utilize this. Its high rate of fire, regular ammo availability and considerable damage (it retains a one-burst kill until round five, and can kill a zombie with a headshot until round 10) makes it a desirable weapon. Beyond this weapon, however, the players are confined to whatever weapons they entered the Bus with. The Max Ammo power-up can still spawn from zombies killed in the Bus, but will not stay within the Bus, so it is important to obtain it, as it represents the only way to gain ammunition for any other weapon while on the Bus.



Parts locations
The plow, ladder and hatch can be found at four locations throughout Green Run. All four locations can only be accessible through the use of a turbine.
 * 1) Bus Depot: In the room next to the spawn room.
 * 2) Diner: In the shed.
 * 3) Farm: In the shed.
 * 4) Town: In the "Rare Books" store.

Upgrades
The Bus can be upgraded in three ways; the first is a plow that can be added to the front of the bus to deflect zombies that would otherwise climb in the front windows. This is valuable, as it is one less direction to cover.



The second attachment is a hatch. It allows for players to climb out of the Bus and onto the roof. A player may need to jump and hold the "use" button to initiate the process. It is important to note that zombies can enter through this hatch, either by ripping of part of the roof, or by jumping down when the ladder is installed. Also, watch out for obstacles on the top of the Bus as the tunnel from the Bus Depot is especially hazardous. If a player collides with an object (such as a sign or billboard), they will be dragged off the bus and thrown onto the ground. This will not down the player, but they will be left alone in the gaps between locations, and will have to travel on foot to the next bus stop.

The third is a ladder, attachable onto the external rear left of the bus. It allows access on to the top of the Bus like the other ladder, however it is on the outside, so the player does not have to be on the inside to use it. It is especially useful at the Power Plant, as access to the Bus or the level is not possible if one gets caught on the wrong side of it. If the player uses the hatch on the bus, they will not have access to the Galvaknuckles as there is only one hatch, and it is not interchangeable.



Achievement/Trophy
Undead Man's Party Bus (15 / Bronze Trophy ) - In TranZit, complete all additions to the bus in 1 game.

Trivia

 * The Bus is the first transportational unit that players do not have to stand still while using.
 * When a zombie is killed inside the bus or in the top of the bus it body will disintegrate leaving a cloud of blood that will fade away.
 * If the player jumps while placing the plow on the front of the bus, it is possible that the player will be thrown into the air after it is placed onto the bus.
 * The bus can be seen as a toy with the plow on it in the ending cinematic for Origins.