Seeking Resource Efficient Base for Later Game Stages

[Mainsil]

For reference I am Playing solo game and just completed day 63 horde, game stage is around 156 and just got my first (6) Demolishers. Game is fun, but I fear my spray & pray (turrets & machine gun mostly) base is becoming a massive resource drain.

 

The block damage bonus zombies get when grouped together, combined with Demolishers seem to make resource friendly melee style defense problematic on horde nights and, of course, Demolishers make melee even more difficult. My current setup is a JaWoodle style killing corridor with turrets, electric fences, and guns. It survived multiple demolisher detonations (with mid battle repairs). Although I can probably rearrange things to better handle Demolishers, I expect the ammo and steel repair costs to continue to climb with each successive horde.

 

My preference would be to spend more time exploring & questing and less time mining.

 

Anybody have a source for a resource efficient late-game base?

[Synvastian]

well, if you're already using a kill corridor, maybe try his force field idea? other than ranged cop spit and vultures I don't think anything gets through

 

Edit: and spiders...forgot those

[Mainsil]

Thanks, I have a force field around the base proper. The issue isn't so much about survival as it is about resource management. Spray and pray just uses a ton of ammo. Theoretically I could just hide til morning, but that would be boring and pointless. FYI, so far on two ocaisions zombies have glitched through the arrow slits and end up beneath the force field, luckily you can shoot them through the slits...

[AtomicUs5000]

I don't think you should get too used to using that force field. You know they'll fix that relatively quickly.

[kuratowakiru]

Cheese base

https://imgur.com/a/m3C23cX

non cheese base

https://imgur.com/a/D4F7zSS

edit: forgot but on the left there a bar window area for junk turret. can be seen from below.

 

there should be no spray and pray, get penetration perk/bullet. if you have a killing corridor and a method of slowing them down, then just take your time and aim for the head with regular bullet.

[blugold1]

I think the dart traps over head are much cheaper than using ammo. If you modify the corridor to put electric fences horizontally, and dart traps shooting down, it’ll leave you with only cleanup work on the tough guys. I also don’t believe the darts will hit the demolishers when shooting down, but I’m not certain.

 

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

The demolishers button*

[Mainsil]

@atomicus5000: I have turrets now, so the force field is redundant.

 

@kuratowakiru: You have a point, my periphery defenses are taking out most of the zombies before they get to the corridor, and few live long enough to fall off the edge (and the corridor is very short).

 

@blugold1: I will have another look at dart traps. Although I'm already burning through ton of iron with my junk turrets mining one item (iron) is more simple than mining three (lead/potassium nitrate/coal) and scrounging brass/paper.

[Synvastian]

Don't forget that dukes count as brass 1-1 in the forge, if you have trouble maintaining brass, do a couple quests and buy nothing, just toss the dukes in the forge

[Mainsil]

@Synvastian - Thanks for the reminder, 50K brass would do nicely. I will likely be done with this play-through long before I find enough solar cells to buy for my base, much less find a solar bank to buy.

[RipClaw]

Anybody have a source for a resource efficient late-game base?

 

Maybe this base design from Grand Spartan would be what you're looking for:

 

 

It works with explosives rather than bullets.

[Laz Man]

Some cool base designs in this thread. I'm still early in the GS (day 42, ~90 gs) but this compact design is pretty ammo efficient and has worked well for me so far. Maybe something you can use.

 

[Mainsil]

@RipClaw Wow, intriguing idea! Maxing the number of zombies alive at a time would significantly increase the efficiency of explosives, and might make the ridiculous amount of steel used a sensible option if other resource usage is low enough. On the other hand, if those electric fences wear out,even three layers of steel would not hold them back for long due to their group damage bonus. Frankly, I'm surprised the electric fences held out that long against that many zombies since they degrade every time they zap a zombie.

 

@Laz Man Unfortunately, I think any scheme that relies on bullets is going to start getting progressively more expensive with time as more and more irradiated and armored zombies appear in the hordes. (I have yet to find the anti-irradiated mod in current play-through).

[Whorhay]

@RipClaw Wow, intriguing idea! Maxing the number of zombies alive at a time would significantly increase the efficiency of explosives, and might make the ridiculous amount of steel used a sensible option if other resource usage is low enough. On the other hand, if those electric fences wear out,even three layers of steel would not hold them back for long due to their group damage bonus. Frankly, I'm surprised the electric fences held out that long against that many zombies since they degrade every time they zap a zombie.

 

Maybe my fences are bugged but they haven't been taking much degradation from usage in A18. And the silliest bit is that the damage to the poles seems to be happening to one that haven't even zapped anything, just in the daisy chain. That said the design could be improved by using more fences, installing them across the shorter distance, and stacking them deeper. In the design I use, a killing corridor sort of thing. I use two circuits of fences that are redundant. If one of my fence circuits burns out I can flip some switches and the backup circuit kicks in. In my design I think I've actually got room to have 3 or 4 circuits, but so far I've never even had to turn on the 2nd.

[Laz Man]

Maybe my fences are bugged but they haven't been taking much degradation from usage in A18. And the silliest bit is that the damage to the poles seems to be happening to one that haven't even zapped anything, just in the daisy chain. That said the design could be improved by using more fences, installing them across the shorter distance, and stacking them deeper. In the design I use, a killing corridor sort of thing. I use two circuits of fences that are redundant. If one of my fence circuits burns out I can flip some switches and the backup circuit kicks in. In my design I think I've actually got room to have 3 or 4 circuits, but so far I've never even had to turn on the 2nd.

 

I have had the same thought for electric fence reundancy. Just havent gotten around to it yet. In my mind I picture 1 post inverted on top of another. 😎👍

[Laz Man]

@RipClaw Wow, intriguing idea! Maxing the number of zombies alive at a time would significantly increase the efficiency of explosives, and might make the ridiculous amount of steel used a sensible option if other resource usage is low enough. On the other hand, if those electric fences wear out,even three layers of steel would not hold them back for long due to their group damage bonus. Frankly, I'm surprised the electric fences held out that long against that many zombies since they degrade every time they zap a zombie.

 

@Laz Man Unfortunately, I think any scheme that relies on bullets is going to start getting progressively more expensive with time as more and more irradiated and armored zombies appear in the hordes. (I have yet to find the anti-irradiated mod in current play-through).

 

I only have one SMG and one Shotgun Turret at the moment. With alternating power on/off and using junk turrets I didnt even burn through half the ammo in them in my last horde night. Long term, auto turrets will only play a secondary roll in my base defense.

[Mainsil]

Maybe my fences are bugged but they haven't been taking much degradation from usage in A18. And the silliest bit is that the damage to the poles seems to be happening to one that haven't even zapped anything, just in the daisy chain. That said the design could be improved by using more fences, installing them across the shorter distance, and stacking them deeper. In the design I use, a killing corridor sort of thing. I use two circuits of fences that are redundant. If one of my fence circuits burns out I can flip some switches and the backup circuit kicks in. In my design I think I've actually got room to have 3 or 4 circuits, but so far I've never even had to turn on the 2nd.

 

Looking at the video, I was thinking the same about going across the short way. Perhaps one direction on at the beginning, and turn on the second direction if/when the first set of fences break. At least that would feel a bit more sustainable.

[blugold1]

On the topic of fence degradation, I have electric fences on the 1st and 2nd layer block to help with redundancy. I linked a walk through I did a month ago that explains. While itآ’s a different base than the previous video I linked, itآ’s the same overall concept.

 

Iآ’ve found that only one fence, within the vertical stack, takes damage at a given point. So yes, one fence does degrade, and sometimes you do lose one during a BM. I usually lose the leg level fence first, but Iآ’ve actually never lost both electric fences within one vertical stack, ever. The fences themselves are quite durable.

 

Base Defense:

[RantingMonkey]

We use this.

 

We use it in a 4 player game and I've built it in single player too. We eventually upgrade all the floors and walls to steel. It can get a bit hectic on horde night in a solo game so I just leave the dart traps on but in multiplay one person mans the electric trap repairs and the dart trap switches.

[sgtironsides]

This base design worked for me was on like day 49, used it almost every horde night is somewhat OP. Idk how well it works with demolisher but the zombies never get past the first fallback. You can use the middle for all your stuff and even put a garden on the top. Note: ( In the video he used flat barbed wire it's not in the game anymore but the base will work fine without it.)

 

[RyanX]

Shotgun + perks + books + mods

 

It's very powerful and ammo is cheap and easy to make. Only thing I use on horde night is electric fence (freezes them for a long time) with spikes, junk turret, and a shotty. I use a small 9x9 steel cube with a shooting port all the way around while I fight at ground level (easy head shots), with my spikes x 3 layers plus a fence. They never get close. I can repair my spikes while I fight, move my turret around. And this is on INSANE mode.

[Gareee]

Watching the various videos, what is the best way to trigger the dart traps over head? They seem too fast running to be hit by them. Also do traps damage each other?

[blugold1]

The best way to maximize dart traps is to stop or slow the zombie in some fashion (electric fences, barbed wires, water, etc.), then use a trigger plate on the ground, on a 1:1 basis, to trigger the dart trap. In my builds, each dart trap is hitting the zombie 4-5 times before they pass to the next dart trap.

 

If you don’t slow them, they will run too fast making the dart traps worthless.

[blugold1]

Regarding damage, I’ve never had dart traps shoot at each other, but I do know that they do not damage the trigger plate on the ground. I would assume they don’t damage other dart traps, but I cannot confirm.

[Feycat]

I don't think you should get too used to using that force field. You know they'll fix that relatively quickly.

 

I dunno, it worked in A17 and they still haven't.