What's with the barbed and spiked clubs?

[Dimpy]

Its always bugged me how hard it is in game to make barbed clubs and spiked clubs. Why does the player, who the game has clearly established capable of great feats of McGyveresque ingenuity, need to read a piece of paper to randomly pound spikes into a piece of wood? Why does the player need a working forge to wrap barbed wire around a stick?

 

I understand that there need to be middle-late game melee, and that you can't have an authentic zombie apocalypse story without the deformed baseball bats, so I could see that TFP could want to kill two birds with one stone, but I still don't like it. I'd rather have something that is neater and better reflects the technology level, like a morningstar or metal club, replace the current niche of the modified wood clubs.

 

Don't get me wrong, I think messy improvised weapons are awesome, but they also need to be craftable in unpredictable situations to really shine.

 

What do you guys think? Am I being overzealous on the realism?

[Pico]

Your logic is OK, but I think the pimps need to be granted some 'poetic licence' to craft the games progression.

 

Sure, if you scavenge enough nails you should be able to immediately make a spiked club. rather than being held ransom to a forge, an anvil, and forged steel.

 

The opposite arguement applies to an iron reinforced club, which should require some forging, rather than just some poxy scrap metal.

 

Don''t overthink it. Overthinking is 'immersion breaking', so not to be permitted.

[Viktoriusiii]

I just want more melee weapons...

since the sledgehammer is the absolute meleeweapon, there is no reason to get one of the smaller ones... and you can get them pretty much at the same time. I basically go from bow/torch directly to bow/sledgehammer as soon as i can.

Something useful inbetween that is more useful then a torch but less useful then a sledgehammer.

Morningstars or something like that would be awesome.

 

OR just make torches breakable/reduce chance of setting on fire and reduce sledgehammer damage (i do not like the latter one! sledges are awesome and make you feel like rambo)

[Roland]

The iron reinforced club is much better than a torch and can be made on Day 1 from just the bits of iron you collect from boulders while collecting rocks. I would never use the torch as my melee weapon until sledge hammer.

 

In A17 you make a spiked club by adding a mod to a basic club. There is no more recipe for spiked club and probably no more book although I could be wrong about that.

[OzHawkeye]

What do you guys think? Am I being overzealous on the realism?

 

In my book, game play beats realism hands down, every day, in every way. We are, after all, talking about a game about zombies.

 

Is it realistic I'd need a book to learn the clubs? Nope.

 

Does it have game play value? Yep, hence I'm all good with it.

[Alphado-Jaki]

@Roland

Do you mean we never need schematic just for spiked club, or we totally never need ones for any items?

[Viktoriusiii]

@Roland:

maybe offtopic...

but not on difficulty 6

because the club needs like 20-40+ hits (depending on the opponent)... which can be reduced by knocking them down...

but torch has a 10% killchance (set aflame) and is unbreakable.

The only downside to this is that you do not level your meleeweapon skill.

 

But yea i like the A17 method of "modifying" your weapon.

BUT I would like you to tell them something:

if a melee weapon gets a "permanent" upgrade, make it permanent ingame as well please.

(try removing the nails from a spiked club without ruining the club... barbed wire MIGHT be possible tho)

 

That would be awesome

[Roland]

What I should have said is that the only craftable club in the game now is the basic wood club. All other clubs are gained via attachments and as far as I know they are permanent and cannot be removed. In regards to schematics I was only referring to the spiked club.

[Dimpy]

What I should have said is that the only craftable club in the game now is the basic wood club. All other clubs are gained via attachments and as far as I know they are permanent and cannot be removed. In regards to schematics I was only referring to the spiked club.

 

YESSSSSSS! This is exactly what I wanted. Just one question, do the mods have separate durability from the main part of the club, i.e. the spikes can get blunt without sacrificing the inherent bludgeoning capability of a club?

[Roland]

No. Once you add the spikes it becomes as a whole a spiked club and behaves as it always has. Once it wears out you would need to craft a new club and find another spike attachment.

[Survager]

No. Once you add the spikes it becomes as a whole a spiked club and behaves as it always has. Once it wears out you would need to craft a new club and find another spike attachment.

 

So can we crafting spike mod, or we must only find spike mod? In real life we can creating spike club with nails.

[Roland]

So can we crafting spike mod, or we must only find spike mod? In real life we can creating spike club with nails.

 

I don't think any of the attachments are craftable in A17. Maybe they will take notes and make changes to that for A18 based on player feedback. But I think they want attachments as rare loot drops, quest rewards, and rare items at the trader.

 

So, yes, you can craft the basic club but in order to get a spiked club you will either need to find by luck, quest for, or purchase the attachment.

[Spiked_Coffee]

The iron reinforced club is much better than a torch and can be made on Day 1 from just the bits of iron you collect from boulders while collecting rocks.

 

I just scrap my land claim block and make the iron reinforced club right away

[Luzifer]

As far as i am informed About ingamemods, they are only lootable and purchaseable from traders. To Encourage scavenging further.

 

So no Crafting of them as for now

[Viktoriusiii]

I understand "finding" those mods... but it makes no sense for clubs... like... none at all!

a club is a big chunk of wood.

a reinforced one... okay maybe...

but a spiked one is just a chunk of wood where you put some extra long nails in... its not rocketscience!

please change that for A17... that makes no sense at all! o_o

[Redoutz]

I don't think any of the attachments are craftable in A17. Maybe they will take notes and make changes to that for A18 based on player feedback. But I think they want attachments as rare loot drops, quest rewards, and rare items at the trader.

 

So, yes, you can craft the basic club but in order to get a spiked club you will either need to find by luck, quest for, or purchase the attachment.

 

Ok, if that's how it's going to work that is just plain stupid, and even worse than the current situation. Where on earth would "spiked club kits" come from? Before the zombie apocalypse who'd have made them? After the apocalypse, who is making them and putting them in crates in abandoned buildings or selling them to traders? A spiked club kit would be a club, some nails and a hammer or rock to pound them in with, not package you buy at Rona.

[Roland]

Really?

 

Now: Need schematic first and then can craft spiked club by putting components in the crafting slot and hitting craft.

 

A17: No schematic needed. Craft a club and place spikes in the mod slot to combine and make it a spiked club.

 

Is the placing of the component in a crafting slot vs a mod slot that important to you? You’re still placing a component into a slot and adding an attachment is still pretty similar to “ crafting”

 

I think you’re making a bigger deal than it is. “Spiked club kit?” Um no. Just a handful of spikes that you combine with your club.

[SittingDuck]

Really?

 

Now: Need schematic first and then can craft spiked club by putting components in the crafting slot and hitting craft.

 

A17: No schematic needed. Craft a club and place spikes in the mod slot to combine and make it a spiked club.

 

Is the placing of the component in a crafting slot vs a mod slot that important to you? You’re still placing a component into a slot and adding an attachment is still pretty similar to “ crafting”

 

I think you’re making a bigger deal than it is. “Spiked club kit?” Um no. Just a handful of spikes that you combine with your club.

spiked club kit

 

 

beat it song upgrade:

[Redoutz]

You mentioned attachments as rare drops in the context of club spikes. So yes stupid. Needing a schematic is also stupid but at least once you find one you can craft multiples, so better overall.

But if you can craft spikes and not have to just find them as rare drops that would be great. And make sense.

[Soup]

Where on earth would "spiked club kits" come from?

 

Instructions:

- Get a club.

- Find something spikey.

- Attach to club.

[Roland]

You mentioned attachments as rare drops in the context of club spikes. So yes stupid. Needing a schematic is also stupid but at least once you find one you can craft multiples, so better overall.

But if you can craft spikes and not have to just find them as rare drops that would be great. And make sense.

 

If I had said that rare drops were the only way to get spikes for clubs that might be stupid but I also said you could purchase them from the trader or get them as a reward for doing quests. There are lots of things we cannot craft in the game for the sake of balance and also making each playthrough a different experience and also creating incentives to experience the whole game. If you want to be able to craft everything you could possibly use in the game then that is what modding is for. The vanilla game is going to be a mixture of crafting, scavenging, questing, and purchasing. You may find that stupid and that is your opinion but not everyone shares that opinion and unless the developers share that opinion (they don't) then you will have to create custom recipes for those things you want to craft because you feel it would be stupid not to be able to do so.

 

Your way: Everyone has spiked clubs on day 1 or 2 because everyone can craft spikes.

 

Pimp way: Sometimes you'll get a spiked club early and sometimes later. Sometimes you'll find some spikes while scavenging, sometimes they'll appear in the trader's list, and sometimes you'll get them after doing a quest.

 

In Pimps We Trust....

[TSBX]

Here's the thing, the clubs need to be side-grades, instead of a linear upgrade. Barbed wire would be better for ripping flesh, while the reinforced is all about direct kinetic damage, and the spiked club is for the times you need to pierce a helmet/skull.

[Dimpy]

I guess this just begs the question; what's wrong with spiked clubs accessible on day 2?

[Roland]

Here's the thing, the clubs need to be side-grades, instead of a linear upgrade. Barbed wire would be better for ripping flesh, while the reinforced is all about direct kinetic damage, and the spiked club is for the times you need to pierce a helmet/skull.

 

Yeah that would be cool if they had enemies that were susceptible to those different types of damage. Not sure whether that will ever happen though. Could be a type that has soft spot on his head perfect for a spike to penetrate and another with a fat gut and when you swipe him with the barbed club it opens up his gut spilling out his intestines...

 

But I still don't think even if that was true that the developers would make everything craftable. They want some things to be found and gotten through other means than crafting.

 

But who know? Maybe A18 they'll reverse some of their decisions.

[Roland]

I guess this just begs the question; what's wrong with spiked clubs accessible on day 2?

 

Because they are the best and strongest version. Nothing wrong with getting lucky and once in a blue moon having it on day 2-- but to be able to have it every time you play by day 2 makes all the lesser clubs meaningless and lowers the replay value of the game because your pathway will always be the same. Why would you craft a reinforced iron club or keep one that you found when you know that you'll have the best club in the game in no time at all?

 

IF the club wasn't necessarily better against all enemies but had a bonus vs particular enemies as TSBX was suggesting then there might be a case for being able to get it on Day 2. But that isn't what it is. It is the Level 4 club and it is a bit ridiculous to expect game designers who purposely put in Level 1-3 clubs to then make a sure fire way to bypass all those levels and go straight to the top.

 

You want concrete and steel on Day 2 so you can just skip all the wood and cobblestone...?

 

Maybe you do...and that is exactly what modding is for. If you hate playing with junky crap and just want to start the game out with the best stuff then mod it to be that way and have the kind of fun the vanilla game can't provide.