Do Zombies Dream Of A Good Nights Sleep? (Zombie feedback)

[Happtor 2]

Okay, in my opinion these fast zombies from the last patch are pretty good, before the zombies weren't a threat, they just were annoying if you didn't had an decent melee weapon, now they are much more dangerous, even in small groups(like 3-5),BUT i still  can't have any fun with these new zombies with the broken zombie mechanics, like being able to see/hear me from far and going through walls/doors etc. as a lot of people said, it's not fun to try go stealth if they can notice you that easy. As long as you guys fix these simple mechanics i think that the zombie will be a much more interesting part of the enviroment even with a few zombies on the map.

[zfleming12 395]

I feel like its slightly too fast but at the same time I understand the challenge here. My thought would be to mix it up, have some fast zombies, have some slow zombies, mix it up a bit. For a basic respawn mechanic it works but as the game evolves I believe it should be developed (and if I remeber correctly this has been mentioned by devs) that the zombies won't respawn in front of our very eyes rather out of sight. Additionaly thoughts include further and new sounds, crawling zombies, additional dangers of facing zombies, etc but that stuff should come later.

[Gugolas 228]

We can't give a real feedback on this particular changement. There are too many disturbing elements, as already stated:

Spawn mechanic is still rudimental, zombies hear everything (even the Amphibia S) and see everything and run through walls, see you at a distance you cannot see them (or barely), lag makes them difficult to avoid and hit, melee at the moment supports only raised position, and so on.

It is nice to have harder zeds, and it is what they should aim for, but in this phase of development for many players/testers (in particular those with low PCs) it can be a serious problem more than something fun.

So, it is too difficult to judge this implementation.

[alferret 45]

My 2c's worth, I have really enjoyed this game for the last 4 weeks. I play solo and take my chances and generally get 2+ hrs gameplay (yes I'm a noob) but since the last update things are extremely dire to say the least.

Z's are more prolific, harder and faster than I can generally deal with. It takes the fun out of the game,I understand that some find this a challenge and rise to it and others don't.

What bugs me is that their intelligence, hearing and sight have increased exponentially. It needs to be toned down a little, longer spawn time for zombies. Other than that all is good, a game like this has been a long time coming and now it's here it's gotta be right for all levels of gamer, if that means having tiered servers (that you can't hop between with equipment) then that'll be great, hard-core gets their own zombie fest, mid level etc etc.

[soapmak3r 677]

The single worst bug of the mod and it still hasn't been fixed. In fact, you have made it much worse because now rather than slowing to a walk when clip through walls and objects, then just run through them like they aren't there...

 

How was this not the No.1 priority on the bug list? How is it that 4 months after the alpha has launched, this hasn't been addressed?

 

You roll out a patch that increases the amount of zeds, but haven't bothered to fix zed clipping yet? Your priorities are completely wrong. The failure to address and fix this bug above everything else makes the devs look completely incompetent.

 

The failure to fix this one glaring, game breaking bug does not inspire any kind of confidence in the DayZ dev team. Sort it out.

 

 

[kichilron 8550]

The single worst bug of the mod and it still hasn't been fixed. In fact, you have made it much worse because now rather than slowing to a walk when clip through walls and objects, then just run through them like they aren't there...

 

How was this not the No.1 priority on the bug list? How is it that 4 months after the alpha has launched, this hasn't been addressed?

 

You roll out a patch that increases the amount of zeds, but haven't bothered to fix zed clipping yet? Your priorities are completely wrong. The failure to address and fix this bug above everything else makes the devs look completely incompetent.

 

The failure to fix this one glaring, game breaking bug does not inspire any kind of confidence in the DayZ dev team. Sort it out.

 

 

It's being worked on. Make sure to use the searchfunction regarding this, as it's being covered about 5-10 times every day - plus there's a dedicated thread for Zombie-Feedback for the changes of the last patch:

 

http://forums.dayzgame.com/index.php?/topic/181561-post-patch-zombie-feedback/

[quobble 175]

If you wont stop crying the Boogyman will get you!

[bajsooooon 3]

Guys, you need to chew on this before you decide:

 

Current zombies are not zombies really, they do NOT transmit a zombie virus onto a player. This is why you do not feel the threat of a slow walking pack, or from individual zeds that pop out of nowhere.

Imagine if a single bite or a scratch could infect you unless you immediately amputated limb that was bitten. Imagine if a clan member that you're traveling with suddenly jumped on you to chew on your ear because he was infected without knowing it...

 

Rocket and the rest of devs must to go back to the basics of this genre if they want to deliver an awesome zombie game and I really wish they do find the inspiration and new energy needed for the job.

 

 

I totally agree with you. 

 

About patch thing, zombies should be zombies, they are dead and hungry, their bones are fragile and weak, they are not running/jumping/flying machines.

We should be able to sneak behind them, but now thats impossible, they will trigger you from 2km away, even if you dont make any noise. They will attack you instantly as they spawn ( which is 5 seconds ) all over again until we ran away till next city... I am down for more zombies, group aka massive zombies at one place, circling around and reacting at noise ( shoots etc.. )

 

That tv show above is in my opinion the best way that how zombies should be and overall experience will be amazing.

   I do like their attack damage, and I do like server performance ( game runs really good at this point ).

[headdyhd33 0]

I love how fast the zombies run now, feels like a proper zombie survival game. All you need to do now is fix the respawning issue and add more zombies.

[OrLoK 16185]

The single worst bug of the mod and it still hasn't been fixed. In fact, you have made it much worse because now rather than slowing to a walk when clip through walls and objects, then just run through them like they aren't there...

 

How was this not the No.1 priority on the bug list? How is it that 4 months after the alpha has launched, this hasn't been addressed?

 

You roll out a patch that increases the amount of zeds, but haven't bothered to fix zed clipping yet? Your priorities are completely wrong. The failure to address and fix this bug above everything else makes the devs look completely incompetent.

 

The failure to fix this one glaring, game breaking bug does not inspire any kind of confidence in the DayZ dev team. Sort it out.

merging

[Caboose187 (DayZ) 3036]

Well it's a good thing they aren't zombies then.

[MagneticToast 102]

Well it's a good thing they aren't zombies then.

So why is the game called DayZ lol

[Caboose187 (DayZ) 3036]

So why is the game called DayZ lol

Z stands for Zero, not zombie.  They are infected humans

[kitthegreat 43]

I have no issue with the new zed's. They respawning needs working on but the speed and increased damage adds another level of danger to the game. I think perhaps the issues people are currently having with them is getting used to the new axe animation, you need to be accurate now. 

 

I lost a 20+ hour fully geared char to a zombie today, she punched me 4-5 times while I was trying to combat knife her. She killed me outright without going unconcious first, I tested this again at respawn and had the same result. So sure they are stronger and faster but maybe that's a little too powerful but I like a challenge.

[psyelf 2]

I love the new Z, the speed and damage they deal now sounds good. The Z spawn need to be fixed, will be nice that they spawn far away from where you are.

 

Maybe the aggro distance should to be tested and fixed a little, sometimes they can aggro at you even when you are really in "stealth mode".

 

When the "glitch trough object, buildings" is fixed I hope to see big hordes of Z around the city, so people need to cooperate if they wanna clear a city and find loot.

Another issue will be at this point spawn: they need to spawn after a while outside a cleared area, not right where you just get rid of them.  

es: you cleared a little city, after a while you see a groups of Z coming from the forest, going in the cleared area direction

[Magodark22 31]

The zombie speed is nice, just need to fix zeds respawn time/position and zeds agroo too, has said earlier stealth past then is sooo much fun and you cant do this now.
But the speed is a great addition

[HazZarD87 166]

It's being worked on. Make sure to use the searchfunction regarding this, as it's being covered about 5-10 times every day - plus there's a dedicated thread for Zombie-Feedback for the changes of the last patch:

 

http://forums.dayzgame.com/index.php?/topic/181561-post-patch-zombie-feedback/

He does not state a problem with whether or not it's being worked on. He states a problem with the zombie's athletic skills being upgraded like this before the work is done. In which he is completely right.

[NoBoady 6]

5h with the new patch:

Zombies respawning is great because now  there are much more of them, even if a place was already visited.

BUT: They should not spawn near the players (one just popped up in front of me) and of course the Zombie-going-through-wall-issue should be fixed soon ;)

 

As a fresh-spawned player the coast is very dangerous now because loot doesn't respawn but afaik this will be fixed too?!

Edited March 23, 2014 by NoBoady

[Highlander007 249]

So why is the game called DayZ lol

He's a character. If I had a dime each time Rocket uttered ''zombie'' in his press events and live streams B)

[Admiral_69 78]

The new zombie speed is slightly too fast. Why? Because they will catch up to you if you did not put up your fists before you started running. So if you want to outrun them, you need to:

1 - Put away your weapon which at best you can do at walking speed (if walking) or while standing still (if you were running). Then put up your fists. Then start running.

2 - Running along and forgot to put up your fists, and you only realized it because the zombie was catching up to you. Well, you have to come to a complete stop, get hit, and then start running again.

 

I am completely for having the zombie run at the fists down speed.

 

 

(Personally, I hate having to put up my fists to run slightly faster. I would prefer if you ran the same speed regardless of fists up/down.)

 

 

Spawning Zombies:

The ideal case is to have all the zombies spawn in when the server resets, and have zombie replenishment occur at the west/north edges of the map. Then have the replenished zombies migrate towards the coast.

 

If it is not possible to have sufficient zombies spawn when the server resets, then spawning zombies is the next best alternative.

 

 

 

Note: I think once private hives are available, it makes sense to let the hive owner specify the type of zombies they want a la Project Zomboid.

[ibherb 38]

I don't mind the speed so much as long range hits...exceptional vision that can see through anything which prevents sneaking completely (also causes them to follow for extreme distance) .... super spawn rate and at extreme close to your location (prevents any chance to bandage or loot an area with constant spawning on top of you). 

 

 

Maybe fix pathing and AI before beefing them up ...   like one guy said, make them adhere to same physics as us. Like walls blocking and doors preventing entry. They also don't have to zig zag going uphill to continue to run.

 

EDIT:  also forgot  to add that its almost impossible to hit them indoors in close quarters....they have no problem hitting us though. And knocking us through walls and such is quite a hassle as well.

Edited March 23, 2014 by just4me

[mjf6866 22]

zombies are a bit too fast in my opinion.  i'm all for having them be more of a threat, but when you are running with a weapon and they are running faster than you, thats a bit much.  i realize they are infected and not rotting dead, but still its too much.  at least make them a tad slower than us so if you are not paying attention they can still get you easily.

[w00kie 42]

To be honest, the speed is not a problem. The main problem is that they just clip though everything. So they can just run in a straight line to you yet while you can not. So if you want this sorted, vote it up on the bug report and keep voting it up!

[kitthegreat 43]

The new zombie speed is slightly too fast. Why? Because they will catch up to you if you did not put up your fists before you started running. So if you want to outrun them, you need to:

1 - Put away your weapon which at best you can do at walking speed (if walking) or while standing still (if you were running). Then put up your fists. Then start running.

2 - Running along and forgot to put up your fists, and you only realized it because the zombie was catching up to you. Well, you have to come to a complete stop, get hit, and then start running again.

 

I am completely for having the zombie run at the fists down speed.

 

 

 

 

Not wanting to sound like a dick; but you know putting your fists up doesn't make you run faster any more, right? That went out with the memory leak patch iirc. 

[bauertschi 254]

After some more playing and completely going through everything in Svetlojarsk, I want to write my thoughts about the zeds. I considered zeds something that should generally be handled in melee, shooting them does and should attract more. At the beginning I had a Machete. Slowly getting up to them from behind I was able to onehit two zeds with it. The problem is that that doesn't seem to be reproducible behavior as with most that just seemed to p*** them off resulting in the well known hack-fest of twenty-hitting them until the are finally done. Combining that with the now seemingly higher chance of them destroying gear and their sharpened finger nails that result in bleeding convinced me to use a fireaxe again, even if I might be easier spotted. Ii find it strange how fast they are. I mean really, they look like five generations of flies have already used them for their maggots, so I think one should be able to easily outrun them, but that's not something I would go to war over.

 

I have two main problems with zombies at this point concerning how they are developing.

 

1. Zeds == melee for me and the melee weapons at least in my opinion are highly unbalanced. There is the fireaxe, onehit. Then there is a normal axe, can't really say anything about how it is now as I haven't had one in a long time. Then there is nothing. And at the very bottom are your fists. Where are all the nice little melee weapons not listed? Not quite sure, but I would say they are probably as useful as fists. Ignoring the onehits with the machete described above I really don't think you can take care of zombies faster with all the goody weapons than with your fists. Onehitting them from behind using stealth should be possible with practically everything more dangerous than manicure scissors. And regular melee with anything of some weight should also put them down faster as should something like driving screwdrivers through their head.

 

2. Melee is time critical.

2a: Zeds don't adjust to user actions fast enough. It seems to me as if they get a path to your place and an attack action when they finally get there. So you simply move somewhere else and they will continue running where you have been and even sometimes try to attack not caring about the fact that you are long gone. This also results in my (not only mine) tactic of sprinting towards them and hitting them while they are happy to continue running where you were before. Every one knows what I'm talking about, so no need to continue AND I don't know how relevant point 2b is here so I'll just continue there.

2b: Rubber-banding is mostly gone. Only happened once to me. The problem is that it sucked me back into a house where  two zeds where hitting me. They hit me even though I was running and they were nowhere in sight. I guess while I was running on my client I wasn't doing so on the server... . But that's just a symptom of the real problem as far as I am concerned:

 

The real problem:

----------------------

When I started to play, everyone had the same problem and everyone knew it: Where are the beans I just dropped??? They magically appearrd about 30 seconds later, sometimes faster, sometimes slower, sometimes not at all. That is fixed now. But why did that problem exist? Fighting with zeds, other players, it's always somehow funny, a zed might be standing before you, his back turned to you, hitting away from you and you get damage and start bleeding. Watch some fight club nonsense on youtube and you see people running around each other like headless chickens trying to hit each other. I would hazard a guess that the major problem is still synchronization. My first ever FPS was Unreal Tournament. The real one ;). I can not recall ever being shot by someone while his/her back was turned to me. Yes, they were able to turn reallllly fast, it was unrealistic extreme-twitch shooting, but people were facing the correct direction when they put a bullet into your ear channel. They are not facing the correct direction in DayZ, simple and easy. It might even be changed with players, have not really encountered a lot of them since the update, but it is not with zeds.

 

Maybe my interpretations are wrong, but if they are not and synchronization is a problem then there is simply no way to get the zeds to behave smart in any (what I would call) acceptable way unless they are dispatched to the clients. And I seriously don't know how that should work when you are not the only player in the area.

 

If synchronization is the problem then I think zed behavior will change dramatically when that issue is solved and it's probably not useful to discuss their AI now when the possibilities change later on.

 

All in all I think they have really improved, but I encountered thwo problems that should not have to do anything with synchronisation:

- The invisible zombie whip they use when you are several meters away, they do their attack thingy and hit you from reaaaallly far away. I want an invisible whip too...thinking about it maybe I have one and just don't know it?

- The extremely brittle zombie-ankles. Sometimes when they chase me down a - let's call it hill, but not really that steep - they all of a sudden overtake me lying flat on their backs. I can only guess that they tried to jump, missed, landed a little bit down the "hill" (I mean really, it was not that steep at all), broke their ankles, a little pice of bone broke loose and somehow shot directly into their frontal lobe resulting in their imidiate death. Then through threir kinetic energy the continued on and overtook me. They actually kept sliding for quite some time, so they are probably quite greasy. I get queasy just thinking of it... .

 

At the end let me stress that I don't want it seem like there is no good development going on, I saw a lot of improvements since I bought the game, thank you for your work!