Advice from a longtime player

[ComradeSch]

Hello everyone, I'd just like to point out I've been playing the game for a long, LONG time, between 2014 and 2015, I remember in my first save the gun crafting method was literally "get clay, get gun part, and cast entire receivers", which was made easy by the fact that cornmeal and water made "lumps of clay" in that update.

 

As such, I'd like to point out some things that I've found from years and years playing the game.

 

1. If you hit the head, you pretty much kill the zombie. You can shoot some zombies 5 or 6 times in the chest and they'll tank it, but if you hit them once in the head, the zombie's usually toast.

2. Never panic. If you panic, your accuracy will suffer and you'll waste shots on chest shots or limb shots. Keeping calm and deliberately aiming for the head will usually net you the best results.

3. The iron sledgehammer is DEADLY. A power attack with the iron sledgehammer will usually kill a single zombie in one blow to the head or chest, even if it takes up half or more of your stamina. Not only that, but it flings the zombie back about 5-10 meters, meaning if the zombie does survive, they have to get on their feet and attack you and you'll be 10 meters away preparing a second attack. In single combat against one, maybe two, zombies, the iron sledgehammer will usually win you the fight.

4. Don't underestimate the humble hunting rifle. A hunting rifle may not clear out hordes with sheer firepower, but a hunting rifle is still pretty powerful and accurate. If there's one thing regular ground zombies are bad at, it's ranged combat. Even the zombies that can spit at you can't spit at what they can't reach, and a hunting rifle in the open, out on the road, or watching at range for an incoming horde, can pick off zombies very easily. However, it's optimal to KEEP said enemies at range. Do note that the hunting rifle should be aimed at the head for maximum effect, and some zombies may take several chest shots to go down.

5. As an emergency backup, always keep a rapid-fire weapon or, preferably, a shotgun on your toolbelt at a place you know the slot number. If things go very sideways and you have to deal with an unexpected horde at close range, just press the slot number and empty it at the horde. If they're closing in and near melee range, you don't have time for measured accuracy or such frivolous things as aiming, and a full tube from a shotgun can usually deal with the surprise horde, and those that do survive, though in the minority, will usually be knocked back by the shotgun, giving you breathing space.

6. You can get very close to a zombie to melee them and you should to make sure your power attacks land. However, there's a rhythm to how they swing and if you back up or sidestep (they telegraph their swing heavily) they'll miss and leave themselves open.

7. There's nothing wrong with leading a horde on a chase and slowly whittling them down with range while backing up. I've dealt with hordes using only the basic bow and stone arrows by leading them in a pursuit and just engaging in a fighting retreat, shooting arrows at the horde in general and wearing them down bit by bit so that I could finish them off with a basic wooden club.

8. A tree farm, access to water and getting your hands on corn seeds are practically essential to get anywhere. Wood can be used to cook, purify water, and build, corn gives you food to eat so you don't starve, and water is essential for drinking and in some biomes, cooling off.

9. A wrench and cars are a great way to get the loot you need to build yourself up. You can get engines, batteries, scrap iron, gasoline, oil, cloth, leather, headlights, and the list goes on and on by scrapping cars. Even if you can't use the engines and batteries immediately, eventually you'll want to build battery banks and generators or maybe vehicles.

10. The bicycle is an excellent early-game thing to make in Alpha 17. Once you've got a Forge, a bicycle should be made your priority, considering you can fit loot on it and it'll take you away from most danger. The motorcycle is even better because it doesn't take up stamina, and doesn't require finding "Minibikes for Dumb♥♥♥♥s".

11. The submachine gun and shotgun are great at dealing with Vultures, the submachine gun can take out vultures a little higher up if you aim just ahead of them, whereas in the attack a shotgun will probably one-shot kill them.

12. Dogs are particularly vulnerable to shotguns and though quick and agile, a few shotgun blasts will usually make quick work of them. Same with spider zombies.

13. If you can, be out of your base and on the move, preferably on a vehicle, when the blood moon horde comes. If your base is not close to the blood-moon horde, it won't be attacked, and if you're in a vehicle, you're too mobile for the horde to effectively engage you. You can outright avoid the blood moon hordes entirely with this method, and if you have a 4x4 truck, it really doesn't matter if the horde tries to block you because you can just drive right through the horde.

14. Electric fences are very deadly! An electric fence followed up by a barbed wire fence followed up by spike traps outside of strong walls will definitely cause zombies a lot of harm trying to get close to your base, but this is only feasible for late-game players.

15. For late-game players, definitely invest in a gyrocopter and a landing strip. The gyrocopter is very fuel-efficient and the only real threats to the Gyrocopter might be Vultures. Also, terrain doesn't much affect it as long as it has a flat landing zone. If you have multiple bases and need to escape to a different location, build a landing strip at both bases and use your gyrocopter to get around.

[Ghostlight]

1. If you hit the head, you pretty much kill the zombie.

 

Only on lower difficulties?

[Synvastian]

his advice seems aimed at new people trying the game out on the basic or even lowest difficulty, as well as being in A17 (us being in A18.1)

 

he does advocate running from BM hordes (which is cheezy advice to me, its meant to be a challenge) I don't agree but to each their own

 

not bad advice

[Feycat]

You need to break up that wall of text, my dude.

[HungryZombie]

his advice seems aimed at new people trying the game out on the basic or even lowest difficulty, as well as being in A17 (us being in A18.1)

 

he does advocate running from BM hordes (which is cheezy advice to me, its meant to be a challenge) I don't agree but to each their own

 

not bad advice

 

I don't know if it's meant to be anything. It's a sandbox game and you make your own fun.

[myrkana]

his advice seems aimed at new people trying the game out on the basic or even lowest difficulty, as well as being in A17 (us being in A18.1)

 

he does advocate running from BM hordes (which is cheezy advice to me, its meant to be a challenge) I don't agree but to each their own

 

not bad advice

 

most people I know don't play much above adventurer. If you're playing on a hard difficultly you probably dont need these tips anyway