Perk spending for first 20 levels

[Slingblade2040]

So I'm curious as to how folks go about with their perks for the first 20 levels. Personally I like damage and feel it helps out alot but it comes at the cost of resource gathering and pack mule which IMO aren't that great to get and are worth skipping till later on. Anyways here is how I go about my first 20 levels...hopefully it will also help out new people to the game.

 

*slight change since B221 removed wrecking crew and nerf to gun sales*

 

Perk guide till level 20

 

5 perk points frim the starter quest i used like this 2 points for strength, 2 point skull crusher and 1 point sexual trex

 

Level 2 put 1 point into sexual tyrannosaurus

Level 3 put 1 point master chef

Level 4 put 1 point boom headshot

Level 5 put 1 point perception

Level 6 put 1 point perception

Level 7 put 1 point boom headshot

Level 8 put 1 point pain tolerance

Level 9 put 1 point healing factor

Level 10 put 1 point rule one cardio

Level 11 put 1 point agility

Level 12 put 1 point agility

Level 13 put 1 point rule 1 cardio

Level 14 put 1 point better barter

Level 15 put 1 point intelligence

Level 16 put 1 point intelligence

Level 17 put 1 better barter

Level 18 save point till 20

Level 19 save point till 20

Level 20 put 1 point intelligence, 1 point grease monkey, 1 point hammer and forge.

 

* this part was changed from selling guns to tear guns apart for parts and sell parts for more dukes and do quests to earn dukes*

 

To help with resources, ammo and other nonsense I sold most things I wasn't going to use till much later in the game like about level 20 or so. Guns are now scrapped for mechanical parts which get sold for dukes same with other things like doorknobs, candle holders, etc.. Quests are now done more often for exp and dukes. Yes i see the value in taking daring adventurer over better barter but with multiple trader you have better overall odds of getting mods you need from one of them. I feel daring adventurer can be obtained later on if needed.

[Krougal]

Stealth archer build here. Melee I would do things differently.

First 5 - int, healing factor, cardio, packmule, hidden strike

 

Until 18 I'm a bit flexible on exact order, 18-20 same as yours. So 16 points:

1 cooking by level 3 at latest

2 perception

2 archery

2 boom headshot

1 more int

2 agility

1 more hidden strike

1 more cardio

 

the other 4 I don't think I've spent the same way twice yet, still "perfecting my build" and some choices I make are situational depending on what RNG has given me this particular start. Also depends on SP or MP.

 

For sake of completeness probably:

1 miner69er

1 salvage (forget exact name)

1 ninja

1 the other stealth perk (forget name again) MP, or the resource gathering bonus (and once again can't remember name off the top of my head) in SP. There's just no getting out of resource gathering in SP, MP I try to be the crafter and get other people to be the miner/lumberjack - of course everyone fights. You can either surf, or you can fight!

[Reth]

A17 low level archery seems less effective to me than pure melee, so in my B208 game I went with strength based melee build.

 

So far it's working rather well. Even your entry level iron club works great, but once you get your hands on a sledgehammer, a well placed head bash can kill weaker zombies outright. This approach also eliminates early game issues with dogs and vultures, as they die instantly from head bashes.

 

I put a couple of points into mining, but that was a total waste. These can wait till you have iron tools or better. Gathering resources with a stone axe is tedious at best.

 

I also put a couple of points into inventory enhancement and found them useful. Your main source of stuff early game is looting and having reduced encumbrance helps. Although if you are going to have the landscape filled with chests for temp storage anyway, you might want to skip these.

 

First level of cooking seems to be a must, as there is simply not enough prepared food lying around.

 

I'm still on the fence in regards to bartering. TFP seems to push us towards using traders more, especially early game, but I personally dislike them. They seem to be a complete safety net for everything you might need and that just doesn't feel right. It's just a personal thing though.

 

Level 20 is where the game really starts for me as iron tools open up a lot of possibilities. Needless to say, getting them is a foremost priority.

[Viktoriusiii]

really? no one takes packmule? do you never loot anything? Cause I need every inventoryspace I can get! I'm oftentimes still encumbered!

[Kosmic Kerman]

really? no one takes packmule? do you never loot anything? Cause I need every inventoryspace I can get! I'm oftentimes still encumbered!

 

It’s not a priority.

[LuckyStar]

A17 low level archery seems less effective to me than pure melee, so in my B208 game I went with strength based melee build.

 

I never got an infection ranging.

Melee might be more powerful [as it should be] but it is riskier.

That's a good thing, I think.

 

really? no one takes packmule? do you never loot anything? Cause I need every inventoryspace I can get! I'm oftentimes still encumbered!

 

I have to agree with you.

That's one of the top priorities.

[Krougal]

A17 low level archery seems less effective to me than pure melee, so in my B208 game I went with strength based melee build.

 

So far it's working rather well. Even your entry level iron club works great, but once you get your hands on a sledgehammer, a well placed head bash can kill weaker zombies outright. This approach also eliminates early game issues with dogs and vultures, as they die instantly from head bashes.

 

I put a couple of points into mining, but that was a total waste. These can wait till you have iron tools or better. Gathering resources with a stone axe is tedious at best.

 

I also put a couple of points into inventory enhancement and found them useful. Your main source of stuff early game is looting and having reduced encumbrance helps. Although if you are going to have the landscape filled with chests for temp storage anyway, you might want to skip these.

 

First level of cooking seems to be a must, as there is simply not enough prepared food lying around.

 

I'm still on the fence in regards to bartering. TFP seems to push us towards using traders more, especially early game, but I personally dislike them. They seem to be a complete safety net for everything you might need and that just doesn't feel right. It's just a personal thing though.

 

Level 20 is where the game really starts for me as iron tools open up a lot of possibilities. Needless to say, getting them is a foremost priority.

 

It is and it isn't; but melee is pretty effective even without perks. Even with my build I don't avoid melee completely either, sometimes it is just satisfying to club a zed to death. With my perks and a compound bow, I find archery is pretty competitive with melee early on. I have done melee builds as well.

 

Mine69er is useful even for a non-miner; B&E speed. Even SP I only do the minimum mining/chopping/digging I need to pre-iron tools, but generally find/buy/rush 20 so not usually a major issue.

 

really? no one takes packmule? do you never loot anything? Cause I need every inventoryspace I can get! I'm oftentimes still encumbered!

 

Realy? No one reads? Only 3 of us listed so far, packmule is in my starting 5 and Reth said "inventory management" which would be packmule

 

First 2 levels of packmule brings us back to A16 inventory levels. After that it's bonus. Being I must keep all the loots, maxing it would be a strong contender for me except that once you've got a bike it doesn't seem as important anymore.

[LuckyStar]

Realy? No one reads? Only 3 of us listed so far, packmule is in my starting 5 and Reth said "inventory management" which would be packmule

 

Sorry what?

 

I wasn't paying attention.

[Slingblade2040]

really? no one takes packmule? do you never loot anything? Cause I need every inventoryspace I can get! I'm oftentimes still encumbered!

 

Because the encumbrance penalty isn't that bad. It isn't really notied till you get to the last row. I clear out the entire PoI loot it then drop stuff off into a drop chest. Things I keep with me are bullets, resources and meds. By resources i mean scrap iron, wood, lead and brass..Candle holders and guns stay behind till I unlock the bike. I also scrap alot of stuff and sell alot of things people normally keep.

[Krougal]

Sorry what?

 

I wasn't paying attention.

 

Yeah, no ♥♥♥♥, lol

 

Because the encumbrance penalty isn't that bad. It isn't really notied till you get to the last row. I clear out the entire PoI loot it then drop stuff off into a drop chest. Things I keep with me are bullets, resources and meds. By resources i mean scrap iron, wood, lead and brass..Candle holders and guns stay behind till I unlock the bike. I also scrap alot of stuff and sell alot of things people normally keep.

 

And there's the reasoning of the 1 of 3 so far who don't take it.

 

I do all that stuff too, although I don't like encumberance at all (I mean I don't like to be encumbered, I think the implementation is actually pretty damn clever considering all the constraints a game that has to let you carry a stack of 1m cubes around). Early on I scrap everything I can, even bullet casings (which seems stupid, because that's all you make with brass but it isn't like I'm going to come back for them later). If I wasn't still such a lootwhore I might even forgo packmule.

[LuckyStar]

If I wasn't still such a lootwhore I might even forgo packmule.

 

No shame in admitting it.

 

 

 

I say embrace the loot whore in you!

[Krougal]

No shame in admitting it.

 

 

 

I say embrace the loot whore in you!

 

You and your gifs lmao!

Still no build order from you

[Reth]

really? no one takes packmule? do you never loot anything? Cause I need every inventoryspace I can get! I'm oftentimes still encumbered!

 

My apologies. I am the very definition of a rat pack in games, I just didn't use the proper name - I take Pack Mule or whatever it's called as early as I can.

[SnowDog1942]

Predeterminded spending for first 20 levels? Can you retitle the thread "How to suck the fun out of your first 20 levels"

[Slingblade2040]

Predeterminded spending for first 20 levels? Can you retitle the thread "How to suck the fun out of your first 20 levels"

 

Can you explain how it sucks the fun out of the game? Or are you just here to troll? I showed how i have my starter quest and perk points spent up to level 20 and asked others how they spent theirs in hopes of maybe it helping out others who might be struggling with the game because they went with a different build on perk points. If this makes the game easier for some folks and takes away from a bad view of the game is difficult and I can't survive and turns it into a oh the game isn't as tough and more enjoyable then good with this build then that's good. But if you're the elitist type and think this takes the fun out of the game well my dude thats like your opinion.

[SnowDog1942]

Can you explain how it sucks the fun out of the game? Or are you just here to troll? I showed how i have my starter quest and perk points spent up to level 20 and asked others how they spent theirs in hopes of maybe it helping out others who might be struggling with the game because they went with a different build on perk points. If this makes the game easier for some folks and takes away from a bad view of the game is difficult and I can't survive and turns it into a oh the game isn't as tough and more enjoyable then good with this build then that's good. But if you're the elitist type and think this takes the fun out of the game well my dude thats like your opinion.

 

Im a big green fat, and horny, troll.

 

Naa its all good man. I just like leveling and feeling what I happen to need at the time and i put the point there. I dont feel the need to find the best path and put the same ones in everytime. Variety is fun.

[Whorhay]

Starter quest:

Agi +2

Cardio +2

Skull Crusher +1

 

level point order:

Regeneration +1

Pack Mule +1

Str +2

Skull Crusher +1 (2)

Pack Mule +1 (2)

Sexy Rex +2

Fort +2

Regeneration +1 (2)

Int +3

Forge +1

Vehicles +1

 

Pick up as needed:

Cooking +1

Lucky Looter +1

Daring Adventurer +1

Barter +1

 

I feel that Cardio and raising agility right off is critical because the trader is often a long ways off, and even if not you want to get your stamina cap up there.

 

The points there at the end I pickup as I need them. Cooking gets picked once I have a pot. Lucky Looter is taken as soon as I take a diggy diggy quest, it cuts down on the amount of digging in a huge way. Daring adventure before finishing first quest, having a third quest reward to pick from is awesome, more points would be even better if you plan to do lots of quests. I take barter as soon as I have a good stock of stuff to sell, and or the trader has something I need to really scrimp and save to afford.

 

Once I get iron tools or a Sledge I'll start getting Miner69 to speed up harvesting and busting into stuff, but that might not happen until after lvl 20. Overall this whole strategy leaves me with a few points to spare and use as seems appropriate given whatever RNGesus throws my way.

[Kam R.]

Im a big green fat, and horny, troll.

 

Naa its all good man. I just like leveling and feeling what I happen to need at the time and i put the point there. I dont feel the need to find the best path and put the same ones in everytime. Variety is fun.

 

You'll notice there's going to be variety in what people think is "the way" to spend the first points and for some it's fun to find "the way" and discuss builds down to the tiniest details.

 

I tend to end up somewhere inbetween picking some "standard" perks (pack mule, always double pack mule right away – #lootwhore4life) and then whatever I feel like or need at the time.

[babspsol]

If 50 people post here you will get 50 load outs, I just don't think builds in these type of games can be as cookie cutter as mmo's

 

I have restarted 3 times playing differently and with each play style the same perk can be critical or useless.

[Royal Deluxe]

made a oversight you can use for planing

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/941713065218908793/BF8E323C59C8E6BBFC2D53199F9E57B48642D324/

[Royal Deluxe]

If 50 people post here you will get 50 load outs, I just don't think builds in these type of games can be as cookie cutter as mmo's

 

I have restarted 3 times playing differently and with each play style the same perk can be critical or useless.

 

Thats the point, in the final there are good and bad skills, but the way until then can be very different.

YOu start i a desert and have no clothes means you WANT well insulated, even if after level 30-60 when you have good clothes it becomes completly irrelevant

 

 

Non the less my plan. (means i spend my points in the skills i want, dependent on situation)

[LuckyStar]

You and your gifs lmao!

Still no build order from you

 

Here's the thing, I have no specific build order.

 

I base my point spending on what I loot.

 

One game I got a level 3 Compound bow in the first hour.

Based my points around that.

 

Another game I got tons of animals in the first couple days so spent a little extra on cooking and harvesting.

 

I'm more of an opportunist.

Adapt to what the game is giving me, kinda thing.

[omegarte]

I think those first 5 levels post-tutorial quest should be focused primarily on stamina/health/not dying. I did the following on the new exp build: Agility attribute, Slow Metabolism, Sexual T-Rex, Healing Factor. Last point was Pack Mule because I like to scavenge early game. One could argue that point should have gone to Fortitude attribute or Pain Tolerance or Rule 1:Cardio.

[PinkLed5]

I think the first 5 points are more telling than the first 20. Here's how I spend my first 5 points.

 

Starter quest:

 

1) Hidden Strike

2) Boom Headshot!

3) Health Regen

4) Mother Lode

5) Pack Mule

[Aldranon]

-Melee (for me) is only good against slow moving zombies, fast zombies pile up on you too fast and limited stamina only allows for short duration, low intensity combat. So no melee perks until I find a sledgehammer, then max the perks ASAP.

 

-A wooden club is enough for normal zombies. (don't waste metal if you don't have to)

 

-I focus on building up stockpiles of ammo, which leads into needing good mining perks.

 

-Later game or when I start quests in earnest, I find the best heavy armor I have, with the perks keeps me alive in the death traps.

 

-Bacon and eggs until the crops kick in.