Why do people setup base in the open?

[Nazdroid]

I noticed watching many videos on Youtube that a lot of people make their bases in the middle of nowhere like forests or with no other buildings around. Is there a reason people like to do this? is there a difference between making a base in a town or a forest?

 

I'm not against it, I just wanted to see if there's a reason

[IBKillingfools]

More zombies spawn in towns. Also, less demolition needed if you wanted to make a big base.

 

Another issue is sometimes POIs will revert back to day one status. So if you built inside of one you could lose alot if hard work.

[cpitts40]

a lot of towns and buildings cause lag which is bad for horde night. I built a large base which caused so much lag that it was nearly unplayable.

[a4twenty]

a lot of towns and buildings cause lag which is bad for horde night. I built a large base which caused so much lag that it was nearly unplayable.

 

This

 

I've built numerous horde night bases in or near towns, even one right in the middle of the hub... It's unplayable or at least unenjoyable.

[JavaJunkie]

Ive never noticed any lag in my city bases. I generally find that zombies do get stuck on tons of stuff in cities though which can ruin a horde night. Too much work to level everything in a 1-2 block radius when its so much easier to just build what you need just outside of town but still close enough to walk to if need be.

[Damselx1]

I think it depends on your play style, or what you want to build. You do have less issues with zombies as if you're in a town or city, you have zombies spawning around POIs and on horde nights, they can get stuck in and around the buildings - one horde night, my zombies dried up completely so I went looking and found them all in a swimming pool. I try to build my base close to town far enough away that the zombies won't get lost on route to me.

[Gazz]

One of my main considerations is location. A biome triangle that gets me tons of ammo resources.

 

Usually a large flat space to build on so less terrain-flattening is needed.

In many cases a large flat space (with some workstations put somewhere was my base. Walls and stuff become optional if you play long enough.

[SylenThunder]

I do it for visibility. It's easier to fight a horde when you can shoot them at a good range, and reduce numbers, before they start piling up at your base.

[Un-BeatabIe]

More zombies spawn in towns. Also, less demolition needed if you wanted to make a big base.

 

Another issue is sometimes POIs will revert back to day one status. So if you built inside of one you could lose alot if hard work.

 

Is this true? Can it happen?

[Walterstj]

I build in the open so it creates a clear run path to me at horde night... My first horde night structure was at the farm and the zeds just ran into the surrounding buildings instead of coming to me... I really like the view as well...

[Ignoringmywife1]

Is this true? Can it happen?

Yes it can and has to me on multiple occasions.

[UPDATE 10]

I've got a couple reasons. Loot respawn for one. If you build in a town you will likely mess up the loot respawning so that's my main reason. Extra unnecessary zombies is the other as was mentioned. I have built over, on, in and under existing pois. Let me tell you there's nothing like breaking the bottom blocks all the way around a house and 'drop' it. Doing so used to cause the game to crash again and again but its fine now for the most part. But I usually try to build between 2 close towns to get a loot loop rhythm

[SylenThunder]

Is this true? Can it happen?

Yes it can and has to me on multiple occasions.

 

If you have an X-box, for sure. I haven't had it happen on the PS4 yet.

[POUND YOU SILLY]

Yeah, zombies naturally spawn at any POI on the map. Dogs like the farm and zombies prefer buildings in my experience

[GRAW2ROBZ]

Is this true? Can it happen?

 

Pretty much cruising around on minibike and drive by stiff working tools or Bobs cafe or book store or even them tiny towns. Zombies standing in packs waiting for ya to stop by. I still made Stiff working tools and the Boobie trap a out post on the roof tops.

[Nootcaase]

I noticed watching many videos on Youtube that a lot of people make their bases in the middle of nowhere like forests or with no other buildings around. Is there a reason people like to do this? is there a difference between making a base in a town or a forest?

 

I'm not against it, I just wanted to see if there's a reason

 

I do it avoid zombies getting stuck on buildings.

[irjvik]

My way of play :

 

I usually choose a high level area, and clearing vegetation around, so I can see far away.

Just remember why real life european medieval castles were build on top of hills and not in the bottom of a ford ...

It's also easier to set up passive defenses.

I consider I must see any zombies within a sniper rifle scope range. (Free shooting minigame included )

I always settle in open land, usually desert biome, so there are less and more kind zombies spawning around. (aka more nurses than cops/ferals)

Always not far from a water pond, so I can have a water source ready at hand.

Also living into a map created building usually prevents resources in containers from respawning.

And I prefer to be my own architect, to think, draw and build an optimized base myself rather than using a pre-build house not designed to withstand a frontal assault.

 

My base is a fortress, not a living area, so my bed is never in my base in case I got killed, but at ground level a hundred meters far away, with a chest with spare weapons, ammo and medical supplies. So I have some time to respawn and prepare myself.

 

In one word, why I don't build my base in a pre-build house in a town : "Thou shalt not pass".

[UPDATE 10]

My way of play :

 

I usually choose a high level area, and clearing vegetation around, so I can see far away.

Just remember why real life european medieval castles were build on top of hills and not in the bottom of a ford ...

 

Building on a hill is a big risk in this game because zombies, unlike medieval knights will begin to burrow under your base compromising its structural integrity.

[irjvik]

Building on a hill is a big risk in this game because zombies, unlike medieval knights will begin to burrow under your base compromising its structural integrity.

 

Even in Medieval Ages, this risk existed.

 

Greetings from France, I wiill use an historical French example here.

French most known firefighters unit is "Sapeurs pompiers de Paris" and is a military unit.

The term "sapeur" comes from the verb "saper" (to undermine).

Their initial job was to dig holes under enemy castle walls to make them collapse.

They were using wooden frames to secure the underground tunnel, then set the frames on fire, as the frames burned, the tunnel collapsed and so the castle wall.

On the opposite side, the same unit, called "pompiers" (firefighters), tried to exinguish the fire before the tunnel collapsed.

 

You have plenty examples of those techniques during the 100 year war (Great britain vs French).

You have also (by studying those castles) numerous tricks used to avoid such a fate.

 

How do I mess up with undermining zombies ? By designing at ground level a fortress, and underground a hardened base descending down to bedrock level with a XCOM base layout, and with a huge quantity of passive defenses and traps at all floors.

Not 100% safe, but keeps off most zombies.

[CHangWOlf]

I really liked building near cities I've never experienced lag or any extra zombies coming my way from the cities. The perfect base location to me is in the forest biome near a city and a body of water.

[GRAW2ROBZ]

I like multiple outposts. Keep yourself busy that way. Cause you can get bored fast on this game if you don't keep busy doing stuff. I use to play this daily. But MD5 bug on day 240 kinda took the wind out of my sails a tad. But I do need a new game or something.

[Nootcaase]

I really liked building near cities I've never experienced lag or any extra zombies coming my way from the cities. The perfect base location to me is in the forest biome near a city and a body of water.

 

Lag, beyond the usual pauses when zombies spawn, was never an issue when building in a city for me either, the issue I faced was the zombies getting stuck on a building on horde night.

[BucFanJKE]

Yeah, the main reason I like to build out in the open is to keep city loot respawning. If you are too close to a POI the loot respawn timer stays paused so you can't reloot it. If you are playing on some hardcore settings or don't care about the loot then it's not a terrible idea. The one big advantage to building near a town is the land surrounding the town is usually very flat. So if you want to make a nice large base you have a perfect flat surface to work with.

 

But as others said zombies can spawn in any direction for the horde, so if they come from the town side they can get stuck on stuff and make the horde boring.

[Pinz]

I build out in the open very near the hub city. I avoid tons because there is too much for a zombie to get hung up on during horde night. Out in the open, I can clear/control any issues that might occur.