Anxiety123

I'm not going to jump through the hoops and provide a bunch of unnecessary info (e.g. system specs, output log) to report some erroneous XML data, so I'll post this here: zombieSpider has its head/arm/leg dismember multipliers set to zero, but the Feral and Radiated versions use the same chances as other feral and radiated zombies. This looks like a simple copy/paste error. Similarly, zombieFatCop has its leg dismember multiplier set to zero, but the Feral and Radiated versions assign the standard feral/radiated chances. Again, this looks like a copy/paste error. These errors are present in Alpha 21.1 (b16).

I want to remove the 'noMods' tag from the nailgun without overwriting the 'Tags' property entirely. The only way I know how to do it is this: <set xpath="/items/item[@name='meleeToolRepairT3Nailgun']/propery[@name='Tags']/@value">tool,nailgun,sideAttachments,repairTool,attStrength,perkMiner69r,canHaveCosmetic</set> The problem is that would overwrite any tag changes from other mods. I know we have a 'contains' function to find substring matches, and a quick Google search tells me that XPath has other string functions (substring, substring-before, substring-after, concat, replace). I don't know how to use anything but 'contains'. Are they even implemented for 7 Days?

So, the gamestage for wandering hordes loops from 1 to 50. I mistakenly thought it looped through all the defined gamestages, so if I added more then the loop would include them. It doesn't. I appended the wandering horde list with every blood moon group, with their gamestages increased by 50. So the first few hordes are vanilla. Then I should encounter e.g. "feralHordeStageGS7" at gamestage 57. At gamestage 58, I instead got "VultureGroup" from gamestage 8. Does anyone know of a simple DMT (or whatever) mod that lets you extend the wandering horde list? I know Darkness Falls includes hordes to high gamestages, but I don't want an overhaul mod. P.S. I tried to post this yesterday. It didn't seem to work. Sorry if I've double-posted.

I don't think that's correct. The 'name' value tells you what the effect is modifying. It may be EntityDamage, BlockDamage, StaminaLoss, DamageModifier, or whatever. ModPowerBonus is a bit odd, but I think it adjusts EntityDamage and BlockDamage (see the 'tags') multiple times, once for each equipped weapon mod. Anyway, most damage effects adjust EntityDamage, but headshot bonuses affect DamageModifier instead. The 'perc_add' effects for one should not affect the other, just as StaminaLoss effects don't change BlockDamage. The final damage dealt uses both EntityDamage (alternately, BlockDamage) and DamageModifier. I'm either confused or inarticulate. I'm not sure which. I suppose the numbers above could be verified in-game with the console. Play on Nomad difficulty, so there's no difficulty adjustment to damage (so I've read). Find a zombie, check its health ('LE' in the console). Land a direct hit; don't graze it. Check its health again. Compare results.

Never combine horde and production bases. Always separate them. Instead of a moat, I suggest doubling the thickness of the outside walls, then placing two layers of hatches just inside your door. The thick walls will encourage zombies to use the door. When they arrive, you can throw up the hatches, open the door, and wallop them from a secure position. It's unlikely that anything but a blood moon horde will breach the first hatch. If they do, the second hatch should give you enough time to escape. Be sure you have an escape route. I always have a ladder to the roof. If your base is too large, you may need to triple the wall thickness to ensure they approach the door. The occasional zombie will take a few swings at the wall, but it should stop when it recalculates its path. Actually, I said nothing should breach it, but that's not quite true. Technically, dogs, crawlers, and spiders are short enough to squeeze through a one-block gap. They usually don't. Sometimes one of them will step on another crawler and then over the hatch. It's not too common, but it happens. That said, I'm rather anxious about Alpha 20. I fear the upcoming "zombies crawl through gaps" feature will ruin hatch hallways.

Yes. Percentage, not percentile. Will fix. Can't edit the posts, apparently.

Teach me this HTML wizardry. As for the content, it sounds like you're relying on the perk descriptions. Here's an example of the actual XML data for Pummel Pete. <passive_effect name="BlockDamage" operation="perc_add" level="1,5" value=".2,1" tags="perkPummelPete"/> <passive_effect name="EntityDamage" operation="perc_add" level="1,5" value=".1,.5" tags="perkPummelPete"/> The percentile modifier starts at "1". This might be hard-coded. I didn't see where it was set. Many other values are explicitly set in the playerMale entity. Anyway, you then run all the "perc_set", "perc_add", "perc_subtract" operations. The order is explained in "XML.txt". "perc_set" is the assignment operator. The others do what it says on the tin. So if the only damage modifier for your quality 1 club is coming from Pummel Pete, and you have all 5 ranks of it, then we should be able to calculate your damage like so: From entity 'playerMale': <passive_effect name="DamageModifier" operation="perc_set" value="1"/> <passive_effect name="DamageModifier" operation="perc_add" value="1" tags="head"/> From item 'meleeWpnClubT0WoodenClub': <passive_effect name="EntityDamage" operation="base_set" value="13.8"/> <passive_effect name="ModPowerBonus" operation="perc_add" value=".10" tags="EntityDamage,BlockDamage"/> <passive_effect name="EntityDamage" operation="perc_add" value=".1,.5" tier="2,6" tags="perkPummelPete"/> <passive_effect name="EntityDamage" operation="perc_add" value="1" tags="secondary"/> From attribute 'attStrength': <passive_effect name="DamageModifier" operation="perc_add" level="2,8" value="0.1,.7" tags="head"/> <passive_effect name="DamageModifier" operation="perc_add" level="9,10" value=".85,1" tags="head"/> From perk 'perkPummelPete': <passive_effect name="EntityDamage" operation="perc_add" level="1,5" value=".1,.5" tags="perkPummelPete"/> <passive_effect name="EntityDamage" operation="perc_add" level="1,5" value="0.4,2" tags="perkPummelPete"> <requirement name="CVarCompare" cvar="_stunned" operation="Equals" value="1" target="other"/> </passive_effect> Base Value: 13.8 base_set in meleeWpnClubT0WoodenClub Percentile Value: 1 hardcoded? +0 = 0 (weapon mods) x .10 ModPowerBonus +0 perc_add for quality tier only affects tiers 2-6 and our club is quality 1 +1 if power attack ("secondary") +.5 Pummel Pete rank 5 +2 Pummel Pete rank 5 if target is stunned Damage Modifier Value: 1 default value for player entity +1 if headshot +1 Strength rank 10 Final Value = Base x Percentile x Modifier So our final damage for various attacks against unarmored targets should be: Type of Swing Hit Location Is Target Stunned ? Final Damage Normal Body No 20.7 = 13.8 x 1.5 x 1 Normal Body Yes 48.3 = 13.8 x 3.5 x 1 Normal Head No 62.1 = 13.8 x 1.5 x 3 Normal Head Yes 144.9 = 13.8 x 3.5 x 3 Power Attack Body No 34.5 = 13.8 x 2.5 x 1 Power Attack Body Yes 62.1 = 13.8 x 4.5 x 1 Power Attack Head No 103.5 = 13.8 x 2.5 x 3 Power Attack Head Yes 186.3 = 13.8 x 4.5 x 3 Again, that's an unmodded tier 1 wooden club wielded by someone with Strength 10 and Pummel Pete 5. Side note: Skull Crusher does improve the block damage of sledgehammers. Most (all?) weapon perks improve BlockDamage. Maybe some descriptions fail to mention it. UPDATE: For completeness, I should probably add some stamina info: From item 'meleeWpnClubT0WoodenClub': <passive_effect name="StaminaLoss" operation="base_set" value="17.4" tags="primary"/> <passive_effect name="StaminaLoss" operation="base_set" value="26.1" tags="secondary"/> From perk 'perkSexualTrex': <passive_effect name="StaminaLoss" operation="perc_add" level="1,2,3,4" value="-.08,-.15,-.2,-.25"/> <passive_effect name="StaminaLoss" operation="perc_add" level="1,2,3,4" value="-.07,-.15,-.2,-.25" tags="secondary"/> So the stamina costs for rank 0 (i.e. haven't bought SexRex) and rank 5 should be: Type of Swing SexRex Rank Stamina Cost Normal 0 17.40 = 17.4 x 1 Power Attack 0 26.10 = 26.1 x 1 Normal 5 13.05 = 17.4 x (1 -.25) Power Attack 5 13.05 = 26.1 x (1 -.25 -.25) EDIT: I had to fix an error. I included the Strength headshot damage in some body shot calculations. Oops. Also, bug report: It seems like every time I edit a post with a code block inside a spoiler block, the code block gets prepended with an empty line. Weird.

I agree that zombies scaling primarily with your level isn't ideal. Enemy spawns should probably scale less with your level and more with days survived. I say "days survived" instead of "game day" because new players may join a server on Day 50 or whatever. Maybe halve the level component and double the time component. Zombie movies often feature empty streets and empty buildings. Think of the start to 28 Days Later, for example. Adding more low-loot non-quest remnant POIs with few or no zombies could provide a spookier atmosphere. An empty space can be more unnerving than one visibly crawling with monsters. On the other hand, this game isn't really designed to be spooky. It's more about scavenging and tower defense. Anyway, the OP seems more concerned with aesthetics here whereas you're more concerned with gameplay. By default, standard zombies only walk during the day. It's not unreasonable to suggest that zombie animals do likewise. While you could suggest zombie animals are always feral, "feral" clearly doesn't simply mean "wild" here. Feral zombie eyes glow unnaturally. There are even weird glowing (radiated) zombies. This game's zombies do not adhere to well-known zombie tropes. "Zombies aren't real" isn't an argument. In this game, they magically know the layout of areas they can't see. They have a mystical sense for structural integrity. It's weird. They didn't even have those abilities prior to, what, Alpha 17? They used to behave like dumb zombies. I sometimes wish they were dumber and less exploitable on horde night. It's very easy to control their pathfinding right now. In fact, understanding their mystic knowledge is critical to smart base design. Even when they aren't raging, Alpha 19's zombies are weirdly and randomly destructive. I've seen zombies in open fields break the dirt beneath their feet. On a smooth slope. When they weren't stuck. I've also seen zombies and wolves randomly attack and destroy grass. Not terrain. The grass you get 2 plant fibers from. Currently, zombieFatHawaiian frequently turns away from me to beat on random blocks instead of attacking me. It's not just a matter of them breaking obstacles. They're downright chaotic.

I suppose I can. Item Base Damage (Power Attack) Stamina Cost (Power Attack) Base Damage : Stamina (Power Attack) Stone Axe 6.0 8.0 0.750 Taza's Stone Axe 8.0 9.0 0.888 Iron Fireaxe 15.1 (15.1 + 125%) 19.9 (39.9) 0.758 (0.378) Steel Axe 28.9 (28.9 + 125%) 30.9 (61.7) 0.935 (0.468) Iron Pickaxe 11.2 (11.2 + 100%) 18.4 (31.3) 0.608 (0.357) Steel Pickaxe 23.2 (23.2 + 125%) 26.4 (52.7) 0.878 (0.500) Stone Shovel 9.6 ( 9.6 + 125%) 16.2 (32.5) 0.592 (0.295) Iron Shovel 11.6 (11.6 + 125%) 20.3 (40.6) 0.571 (0.285) Steel Shovel 17.4 (17.4 + 125%) 24.7 (49.3) 0.704 (0.352) Wrench 16.5 (16.5 + 100%) 18.3 (31.1) 0.901 (0.530) Ratchet 16.5 (16.5 + 100%) 21.8 (37.0) 0.756 (0.445) Impact Driver 16.5 (16.5 + 100%) 24.6 (41.9) 0.670 (0.393) Remember that this is entity damage, so we're considering the tools as weapons. The stone axe has no power attack. The fireaxes aren't bad stamina-wise. Their power attacks also hit slightly harder, just like sledgehammers. The pickaxes have pretty swift power attacks. There is no AttacksPerMinute debuff for them. This corroborates my in-game experience. The steel pickaxe's larger power attack modifier surprised me. High-tier salvage tools are garbage weapons. If you must salvage skulls, use a wrench. We may as well check block damage. I'll include sledgehammers since they're good all-purpose block breakers. Item Block Damage (Power Attack) Stamina Cost (Power Attack) Block Damage : Stamina (Power Attack) Stone Axe 21.5 8.0 2.687 Taza's Stone Axe 22.6 9.0 2.511 Iron Fireaxe 45.0 (45.0 + 125%) 19.9 (39.9) 2.261 (1.127) Steel Axe 86.2 (86.2 + 125%) 30.9 (61.7) 2.789 (1.397) Iron Pickaxe 35.5 (35.5 + 100%) 18.4 (31.3) 1.929 (1.134) Steel Pickaxe 62.8 (62.8 + 125%) 26.4 (52.7) 2.378 (1.191) Stone Shovel 38.4 (38.4 + 125%) 16.2 (32.5) 2.370 (1.181) Iron Shovel 46.0 (46.0 + 125%) 20.3 (40.6) 2.266 (1.133) Steel Shovel 69.0 (69.0 + 125%) 24.7 (49.3) 2.793 (1.399) Wrench 38.5 (38.5 + 100%) 18.3 (31.1) 2.103 (1.237) Ratchet 48.5 (48.5 + 100%) 21.8 (37.0) 2.224 (1.310) Impact Driver 58.0 (58.0 + 100%) 24.6 (41.9) 2.357 (1.384) Stone Sledgehammer 27.2 (27.2 + 125%) 22.3 (44.7) 1.219 (0.608) Iron Sledgehammer 58.3 (58.3 + 125%) 36.7 (73.4) 1.588 (0.794) Steel Sledgehammer 85.0 (85.0 + 125%) 40.5 (81.0) 2.097 (1.049) So, the stone axe is one of the most stamina-efficient block breakers. Too bad it's crap against everything but wood. Salvage tools are the most efficient metal breakers. I frequently use my wrench to bust metal blocks in POIs. Apparently that's not a bad idea. Sledgehammers are less efficient than dedicated tools. I suppose that shouldn't surprise anyone. I don't feel like comparing DPS. I'll only note that salvage tools are like pickaxes, with no AttacksPerMinute debuff for power attacks.

Well, we may as well look at some other weapons. I don't want to construct an elaborate spreadsheet, so I'll still ignore Sexy Rexy, Ergonomic Grip, and skill point costs; Strength has an advantage since it controls both SexRex and the damage perks for Strength weapons. I'm still only interested in melee weapons since they're my primary weapons until late game. I'm also still focused on stamina efficiency, ignoring range, bleeding, electric shock, and other features. Item Base Damage (Power Attack) Stamina Cost (Power Attack) Base Damage : Stamina (Power Attack) Stone Spear 10.3 (10.3 + 285%) 18.5 (36.9) 0.556 (0.279) Iron Spear 12.4 (12.4 + 285%) 20.3 (40.6) 0.610 (0.305) Steel Spear 18.6 (18.6 + 285%) 22.4 (44.8) 0.830 (0.415) Wooden Club 13.8 (13.8 + 100%) 17.4 (26.1) 0.793 (0.528) Baseball Bat 17.4 (17.4 + 100%) 20.9 (35.6) 0.832 (0.488) Candy Club 19.2 (19.2 + 100%) 20.9 (35.6) 0.918 (0.539) Steel Club 26.2 (26.2 + 100%) 23.7 (40.3) 1.105 (0.650) Stone Sledgehammer 17.5 (17.5 + 125%) 22.3 (44.7) 0.784 (0.391) Iron Sledgehammer 30.8 (30.8 + 125%) 36.7 (73.4) 0.839 (0.419) Steel Sledgehammer 46.2 (46.2 + 125%) 40.5 (81.0) 1.140 (0.570) Bare Hands 5.0 ( 5.0 + 100%) 10.5 (15.8) 0.476 (0.316) Knuckle Wraps 6.2 ( 6.2 + 100%) 9.1 (15.5) 0.681 (0.400) Iron Knuckles 9.1 ( 9.1 + 100%) 9.6 (16.3) 0.947 (0.558) Steel Knuckles 13.6 (13.6 + 100%) 10.2 (17.3) 1.333 (0.786) Bone Knife 5.1 (10.2 + 100%) 7.3 (10.9) 0.698 (0.935) Hunting Knife 6.1 (12.1 + 100%) 8.2 (12.3) 0.743 (0.983) Candy Knife 6.6 (13.3 + 100%) 8.2 (12.3) 0.804 (1.081) Machete 19.8 (19.8 + 100%) 19.2 (32.7) 1.031 (0.605) Stun Baton 10.8 (10.8 + 100%) 15.5 (26.4) 0.696 (0.409) I included the holiday weapons for completeness, since they're still actual weapons, not tools. I don't know how useful picks and wrenches are as weapons, but I wouldn't recommend them. Regarding the percentile damage modifiers, they stack linearly with other percentile modifiers, complicating matters. Perks, quality tier, weapon mods, and buffs all add percentile modifiers. So don't use these numbers to decide whether a weapon's power attack is worth using; it depends on too many things. It's just interesting to see how the different weapon classes compare with each other. The headshot multiplier from base attributes is a separate damage multiplier. Material multipliers (e.g. +15% damage to wood blocks from the Wood Splitter) are the headshot equivalent for block damage. Final Damage = Base Damage x Percentile Modifier x Headshot Multiplier This is all based on what I've read in the game's XML data and comments. I could be mistaken. Anyway, the base damage is interesting precisely because the percentile modifiers stack linearly. A high-quality primitive weapon may outperform a low-quality iron weapon at low levels due to the quality bonus. At high levels, other bonuses with a higher base damage can make a low-quality higher-tech weapon superior. I didn't previously account for the massive percentile bonus for thrown spears. It dwarfs all other percentile modifiers. The max from other sources without buffs is somewhere around +150% (50% from quality, 50% from skill points, 10% from books, 40% from weapon mods). So a thrown spear, at level 1, hits around 70% as hard as it ever will. I also noticed that sledgehammers have, it seems, the only instance of the GrazeDamageMultiplier (10%) effect in the game. I have no idea what the graze multiplier is for other weapons. I assume the sledgehammer's 10% is abnormally high. Maybe it's better against crowds? I'm actually aware of that, but you're right. I forgot to mention the debuff. Power attacks apply a -100% debuff to stamina regeneration. It does not apply while running (-145% debuff while running, by the way). It lasts for 3 seconds. Knowing that has saved my bacon more than once. As far as multiple swings go, I fear that's getting into massive spreadsheet territory. I'm lazy. 😛 I'm surprised I put as much effort into this second post as I did. UPDATE: Keep in mind that one power attack is generally faster than two normal attacks. A power attack should also cause the same durability loss as a normal attack. I'm not sure how to interpret the graze angles, but power attacks may graze more easily and thus be more effective against crowds. This is not meant to be a tier list. UPDATE: Perhaps it's worth mentioning that most weapons have variable stats. Most non-primitive weapons have an additional percentile damage modifier of up to +/- 15%. I don't think the base damage ever varies. So it's hypothetically possible for a particular quality 1 iron spear (+15%) to deal the same damage as a particular quality 4 iron spear (-15%).

I've played with various primary weapons recently. Before starting my current run, I wondered how the various weapon classes compare in terms of stamina efficiency. So I crunched (overstatement) a few numbers for the primitive tier weapons. Be aware that I have not considered the effects of Sexual Tyrannosaurus or the Ergonomic Grip. My observations follow: I assumed, wrongly, that power attacks had a higher base damage. For most weapons, they do not. They simply add +100% to your damage. This stacks linearly with other percentile modifiers (e.g. +10% per quality tier, +10% per weapon mod, +10% per rank in the appropriate perk). Exceptions: Bone knives gain +100% and an increase to base damage. Stone sledgehammers gain +125% instead of +100%. Other percentile bonuses reduce the sledgehammer's small power attack advantage, but it may be helpful at level 1. Let's see the Base Damage : Stamina ratio for normal attacks with primitive melee weapons (including bare hands): Stone Spear 0.556 Wooden Club 0.793 Stone Sledgehammer 0.784 Bare Hands 0.476 Knuckle Wraps 0.681 Bone Knife 0.698 Bare hands are crap, as expected. The spear has extra range, obviously. The knife bleeds anyone it strikes, but cannot knock anyone down. This comparison neglects those features. The Strength weapons really stand out. They're my overall favorite weapons anyway due to their knockdown potential. It's also worth noting that the sledgehammer gains a +10% dismemberment chance (+30% with power attacks) over every other weapon class. Now, let's compare the Base Damage : Stamina ratio for power attacks: Stone Spear 0.279 Wooden Club 0.528 Stone Sledgehammer 0.391 Bare Hands 0.316 Knuckle Wraps 0.400 Bone Knife 0.935 These values neglect all percentile modifiers; that means no +25% sledgehammer damage. It also means that power attacks may still be more efficient than normal attacks at low levels. Stamina-wise, the spear compares poorly even to bare hands, except it's thrown. The club still stands out. The sledgehammer falls behind knuckle wraps, but it has those other benefits I mentioned. Dat bone knife. So I've played with knives before, relying mostly on power attacks; bleeding is slow and the jabs do very little damage. They're quite good despite their short reach. I never actually compared the numbers like this before. Holy crap. This is the ratio for its base damage, so percentile modifiers don't change its relative efficiency. Anyway, I found this comparison interesting. I thought others might also find it interesting. It's clearly not a comprehensive analysis. I haven't compared higher tier items. Make of it what you will.

I'm really tired of the vanilla wandering horde progression. I've long since memorized the animal horde (the only dangerous ones) gamestages: 4, 12, 20, 34, 38, 41, 50. I've memorized them because they're too dangerous to ignore. So I focus my gameplay in the first few weeks around them. If I don't have anything to do in a safe place (e.g. crafting, working on my base, whatever) on dog/wolf/bear day, I frequently perch on rooftops or nerdpoles until either I see the horde pass or my gamestage changes (level up or 7:00 AM). It's frustrating, distracting, and not fun. Also, after the first cycle or two (i.e. after GS 50 or 100), wandering hordes are no longer a threat. They don't scale. Since I don't enjoy constantly monitoring my gamestage, I'm interested in mods that change the wandering horde progression. I know Darkness Falls slowly scales the hordes instead of cycling every 50 GS. It scales all the way up to demons, I think. I want something like that, but for vanilla zombies, where they remain a threat until very late but without difficulty spikes that demand constant attention. Does anyone know a mod that does that? One that isn't a comprehensive overhaul like Darkness Falls?

I've been trying to find a way to improve scrapping speed via perk. The closest effect I can find is 'CraftingSmeltTime', but that's used by the bellows to improved smelting speed so I don't think it'll work. Is there no way to scrap brass faster with a perk, or scrap faster in a workbench?

The game's electrical tools are pretty limited. It would be very helpful to have a logic block (panel?) to better control your systems. Let it connect multiple inputs and outputs. Once placed, maybe you could access a radial menu by holding 'E' to change its behavior (NOT, AND, OR, XOR, NAND, NOR, NXOR). Maybe it could have timers to delay activation and/or deactivation. Just this one block would open many possibilities without any further changes. Power could still flow in one direction, from source to device, as it does now.

On several occasions, I've found myself wishing for bear traps. Spikes don't always do what I want. Sometimes I want a cheap, one-shot (repairs optional) trap that cripples a zombie instead of just damaging it. I've considered making a small mod for myself, but I'm lazy. There's definitely an unfilled niche here.

So, I have a world with precisely one trader in the pine forest biome. The initial White River Citizen tutorial quest ('quest_WhiteRiverCitizen1') can only take you to a trader in that biome. I've had worlds with no valid trader, so the quest has no location. In this particular world, despite a trader ('xcostum_Multi_Trader(by_Sparrow)') existing in the correct biome, my quest had no location. So I checked the prefab XML. It turns out that several of the Compo Pack's traders ('TraderArea' set to 'True') do not have a 'QuestTags' property (with the 'trader' tag). I have not tested it, but I suspect this tag controls whether it can be selected as a quest destination. This probably also applies to the "special" quests (e.g. 'tier2_nexttrader') offered when you complete a quest tier. All trader POIs probably need that tag.

I'd like to report two issues I had with the medieval village. First, let me mention that discovering it in-game, having not read the change log, was a treat. Anyway... First issue: The torches lighting the village must be the player torch block instead of the POI torch block, because that place is screamer city. Second issue: There is a small tower POI (might be "xcostum_Tower(by_VitaminE)") I had to visit for a quest that turned out to be a damned clown car. I cleared the outdoor sleepers quietly, but was noisy when entering the building. I think every zombie that ever existed in the history of zombies popped out the door. ---- Speaking of clown cars, there's another POI with that problem. I think it's "xcostum_PeerCafe(by_Stallionsden)". Between the parking lots and pool, on either side, are underground clown cars. When you trigger their sleeper volumes, you get vast hordes of zombies crawling up from ladders below. I think my max zombie count is the default 64 or whatever, and I think the zombie count exceeds that. After clearing a wave, more seem to spawn there. ---- Though not a densely-packed clown car situation, there's another too-many-zombies issue. I don't recall having problems with the HN Mall in Compo Pack 46 (should be either "xcostum_Mall_Large_Volume(by_hernanxx)" or "xcostum_Mall(by_hernanxx)"). Now, when I enter the parking lot, zombies spawn across the vast parking lot and march directly toward me (there must be an ambush trigger?). The two problems I see there: (a) I've hit the spawn limit upon entering the parking lot. Though I probably spawned a few sleepers beforehand while passing other POIs, that parking lot spawns zombies very far away (maybe 200 meters or more?). (b) The parking lot seems to have a massive ambush trigger, causing very distant zombies to slowly march toward you from what feels like half a mile away. I think the spawns in the lot surrounding the HN Mall should be split into multiple zones instead of one massive sleeper volume or whatever. ---- While I'm citing problems, "xcostum_Industry_02Destroyed(by_Zyncosa)" (I think it was that one) needs some work. Several design choices stood out to me: (a) I recall two concrete-encased bunkers with locked, fully reinforced vault doors. Those are a pain in the ass to deal with for a Tier 2 Clear quest. (b) There's a section of tunnel with no entrance. There isn't any indicator that it exists (e.g. destroyed stone to indicate a collapse). The walls are pristine stone and ore. I only discovered it because I woke a sleeper inside it. So I had to tunnel through solid rock to reach him and finish my Clear objective. (c) I discovered three sealed crates hidden in solid rock above the lower bunker. There's no in-universe reason for them to be there. There's no reason to expect any player to find them. I only found them because, after finishing the quest, I flew around in no-collision mode looking for bull@%$#. ---- Those are the specific issues I can think of right now. Plenty of Compo Pack POIs have the "every door is locked, and most of them are metal" problem. Some have the same "load-bearing potted plants and/or garbage piles" issue as some vanilla POIs. Nothing remarkable. Overall, I love the increased variety of POIs and some in particular; I'm looking at you, "xcostum_ModernArtGallery(by_Pille_TopMinder)".

Thank you. This explains that problem. I made my own mod to reduce every enemy's reach by 35% IIRC. I hate that the vanilla zombies have six-foot gibbon arms. I don't plan to disable that mod any time soon, since it really helps in multiplayer when one player lags horribly, but at least I know why it happens so frequently. That said, I did have a chicken push me last night. It was fleeing a building as I tried to enter and shoved me out of the way. So that's a thing. Cool. I've long wondered something and never bothered to test it. The actual MoveSpeedAggro value on dire wolves doesn't look out of line compared to some other creatures. I wonder if the size scale affects it. Some other games work that way (e.g. Morrowind).

I checked the ConfigsDump for my save. The dire wolves there are identical to the vanilla XML, except the lines end end with "/>" instead of " />" (note the whitespace) or vice versa, but that's irrelevant. I don't think anything affects player speed, and I know I've been outrun and mauled while unencumbered, otherwise uninjured, and unarmored. I don't think the dogs have actually overtaken me, but I can't seem to outrun them either. I seem to outrun mountain lions and bears. Dire wolves, however, seem to just outpace me and I don't think that's from a mod. So my difficulties dealing with dire wolf ambushes for the first maybe 20 levels are just standard gameplay, I think. If you have any advice for surviving them in an open field, with no POIs for daring parkour escapes, please share.

I do use mods. Too many. No DLL mods, though. The pushing could be mod-related and that thought did occur to me. I don't remember it happening in A18 though, so it could also be an issue with A19. That's why I asked.

So, since Google has failed me, I'll go ahead and ask. Has anyone else had trouble with zombies (esp. fast things like dogs) pushing them around? Pushing them through walls? Dogs pushing themselves underneath you, passing behind you, and biting you in the ass? This happens to me surprisingly often and I haven't found any sign that other players have the same experience. Also, I've been playing since early A18 (still incompetent, but not a newbie either) and I can't find a reliable way to deal with the A19 dire wolves in the early game if they catch me in an open field (e.g. dire wolf hiding in a tree). I'll throw an honorable mention out to the gamestage 4 dog hordes. They're too fast to outrun. I usually can't pole up effectively; they wreck wooden structures and I often can't even place a block since they love to stick their noses in the way. They're way too beefy to fight. If I'm near a building, I have options. In an open field, death is guaranteed. It feels unfair.