Give zombies a purpose other than "us"

[Lerxst]

Since day 1 of playing this game over a decade ago, I've always felt the biggest flaw was that we, the player character, are the primary target for the zombies. I mean, yes, it makes sense in the zombie lore that they want our brains, but it waters down the game play. Why? Because we simply respawn. And also because the AI is pathetically stupid.

 

Since we're a moving object, the AI needs to constantly path and adjust its path to us. Eventually it gets broken by terrain, objects, or other blocks and the zombies become fish in a barrel, taking all of the fun out of the survival.

 

Also, since we can respawn, the gravity of a dire situation gets completely watered down because, guess what? Here we are again, good as new! So the entire threat and purpose of the zombies is negated by the very mechanics of the game.

 

My suggestion from years ago that I'd still like to see implemented is a "base block" we have to defend that the zombies will target if we aren't an option. Lose that block, it's game over. No more building single-file, tower bases. No more building 2 bases, one of them just for "horde night". Once you place that object/block, that's where you live and breathe and that's where your fate's decided. If you aren't there, the zombies will target it. If you die, the zombies will target it. If you hide too far behind some pathing exploits, the zombies will target it.

[Riamus]

Many players play one life games to where they will restart if they die.  It is easy to do this if you choose without any game mechanics needed.

 

Zombies are only around in your chunk, so if you are not close to your "base block", nothing can touch it.  That would defeat the purpose of it as players would simply go somewhere far enough away so it never gets damaged.

 

I doubt we will see anything like you are suggesting, but you can easily play it out in the same way, with the exception that a zombie won't try to target a specific block except if you do something to cause then to target it, such as putting a torch behind it if it is on the wall of the base.  But you can still set specific rules for when it is game over on your own if you choose.  It is at least something.

 

As far as how people choose to build their bases, including having a separate horde base, there is no reason why they should not be allowed to play the way they want.  Just as you want to play the way you want, so do they.  Nothing wrong with that.

Edited December 25, 2022 by Riamus (see edit history)

[bdubyah]

And what exactly happens if they destroy it? Does it delete that save file? Kill you and not allow you to respawn?

 

Sounds like you just need to play Dead is Dead, whether by self-imposed rules or using a mod that enforces it. There's no need for some special block thing to be added when you can already accomplish the same thing. Or you can at least play hardcore where each death resets you to level 1 or something.