Zombies "agro" from ridiculous distances

[Coebear33 0]

Me and my friends were looting around stary and we were crouched and out of nowhere a zombie would spot us from like 2-300 feet away, also what makes me the most unhappy Day-Z player is when zombies bug out and you load a clip into their chest and they still keep running at you, and not to mention the random appearance inside of walls and you either A: break your leg or B: get knocked out. They still have a lot to fix but it seems like the update yesterday didnt make anything easier, but all this being said Day-Z is one of the best games out right now

[tsandrey 379]

I don't mind the spotting distance, but I mind the Zombie speed and Zig Zaging. Impossible to outrun or shoot!

[n_findlay14@yahoo.co.uk 45]

play at night, zero visibility unless you're next to a flare.

[P1nbaK 4]

I don't mind the spotting distance, but I mind the Zombie speed and Zig Zaging. Impossible to outrun or shoot!

Yeah if they were to run straight and at a moderate speed it would be easier, hell I hope they put triple the amount of zombies in the game further on in development if they fix how the zombies aggro.

Nobody likes looking to their left and seeing zombie Usian Bolt running after you lol

[Quagmire (DayZ) 119]

Oh, it's this thread again.

[shazbot04 34]

The agro is meh to me. I just hate when you stop turn to shoot and they fucking Berry Sanders my ass and juke to the right and start smacking me like a whore who owes her pimp money

[NightRipper 284]

Here's what I noticed last night: If you increase your visibility setting in the Video Options, you increase the aggro distance as well.

Why this makes sense (my theory): Zombie aggro is handled client side, not server side, which is also why zombies "path" so weirdly (i.e. zig-zagging) when they aggro. It would seem that view distance/visibility for zombies is dictated by the client's video settings.

[Abnormal 0]

play at night, zero visibility unless you're next to a flare.

Maybe for other players... zombie still aggro the same at night time...

[Abnormal 0]

Here's what I noticed last night: If you increase your visibility setting in the Video Options, you increase the aggro distance as well.

Why this makes sense (my theory): Zombie aggro is handled client side, not server side, which is also why zombies "path" so weirdly (i.e. zig-zagging) when they aggro. It would seem that view distance/visibility for zombies is dictated by the client's video settings.

Wrong... the view distance doesn't affect the distance a zombie could aggro you from. And as far as the AI goes, Rocket already said they zig-zag and run fast to keep up with player the zombies AI doesn't allow them to smoothly turn so they zig-zag on grids to get to a player.

[johnnylamerton (DayZ) 2]

stop, face them, wait for them to get close, take a couple steps back, shoot.

Don't break a leg.

[MasterZ 90]

I kind of agree with the original post.

Right now zombies aren't exactly nice to deal with. The zigzagging and extreme running speed, combined together with them seeing you from sometimes 300 meters away when crouching is hardly fun.

Now I'm fine with the fast variant of zombie that did not lose all that much of their motor skills. Not all zombies need to be slow walking and faceplanting every 10 seconds. Making them run somewhat is fine, but sprinting as fast as a sprinting surviver is not the best in terms of gameplay.

I would say that it's best if they run only as fast as a running crouched surviver. This way it's still possible to outrun them, while them still getting to you fast if you aren't paying attention. (As for the zigzagging I realize they need entirely new pathfinding so that can wait till standalone.)

Now for the sight, I think it would be better if hearing was more important than seeing. Make their max aggro sight range only 25 meters but make sound a lot more problematic. At the same time, running should make a lot of sound but crouching or crawling should make almost no sound unless on asphalt and other terrain types that make sound.

Now we have zombies that are easier to deal with in terms of running speed and sight, but hearing is a lot more important. This will make day more pleasant and nights more dangerous. (Seriously, at night I can go right up to a zombie and they wont notice me.)

In the end, the amount of deaths by Zed should stay the same.

[Kin0 21]

I can mirror most of the grievances of the OP.

I was playing a game last night on a night-server, it was pitch black, I had gamma up so I could see without the flashlight and remain stealthy. There were NO zeds around me, when I saw in the way off distance a hopper zed break-dancing at light speed towards me.

He then proceeded to beat the living hell out of me, cause I *just* respawned and had no weapons.

Zero visibility, I was prone, how the hell did he notice me when I was 3 football fields away?

I only ever seem to have this kind of issue with the crouched over, hopping type of zombies. It makes it really difficult to stay interested in the game, or at least staying honest and not trying to cheese everything.

[elim (DayZ) 0]

The zombies aggro is wierd sometimes, but it also may be something your doing. If your crouched on a road, your more visible and make more sound then normal. Sound makes just as big a difference as sight does. Remember that crouching is NOT prone, your still visible and unless your walking you still make a decent amount of sound. Also remember just because a zombie is turned around on your screen, doesn't neccesarily mean he is turned around on the server. Lag, amongst other things, can cause some wierd issues as well. Ive noticed more "random" aggro on higher pinged servers.

If you absolutely, positively don't want aggro, go prone. Your almost stealthed while prone to zombies, you all but have to touch them to aggro.

[Izziee 128]

Phew, thought it was just me.

Haven't played in a couple weeks and this never happened before. Today one comes running from miles away, no reason to! I was crouched down and walking slowly and just saw him charging towards me, thought it must had been another player, but nope. Right at me.

Strange thing is, there's a bunch more far far closer to me, facing me and what not, yet completely phased by me being there..just doesn't make sense.

[justwrath 23]

Yeah if they were to run straight and at a moderate speed it would be easier, hell I hope they put triple the amount of zombies in the game further on in development if they fix how the zombies aggro.

Nobody likes looking to their left and seeing zombie Usian Bolt running after you lol

it takes about a half hour dealing with aggro'd zombies to realize they aren't a threat.

run at full speed. find 2 doored building

lead them in

run away.

repeat as needed.

You can also lose zombies zigzagging through trees and going up steep hills.

You can also lead them out of town, begin backpedalling, then shoot them easily.

[Kin0 21]

it takes about a half hour dealing with aggro'd zombies to realize they aren't a threat.

run at full speed. find 2 doored building

lead them in

run away.

repeat as needed.

You can also lose zombies zigzagging through trees and going up steep hills.

You can also lead them out of town, begin backpedalling, then shoot them easily.

I can agree to a point, however I've been in situations where I try to run and for whatever reason my character doesn't run. I've also tried to double-tap the direction key and start a run, only to have the Zed pace me and smack me enough to make me bleed profusely.

That, paired up with the lack of open buildings can make it very difficult unless you're near a pier or a hill to ditch a zed that's booking it olympian style at you.

[Kin0 21]

That being said... IDGaF when I have a hatchett. I go straight for them and take them out with relative ease... It's just difficult when you're starting out, and don't have any means of defending yourself.

[jay.pis 32]

out of nowhere a zombie would spot us from like 2-300 feet away, also what makes me the most unhappy Day-Z player is when zombies bug out and you load a clip into their chest and they still keep running at you

Haha, this happened to me last night. This zombie was tough as shit too, I emptied a clip on him but still kept coming he was able to get some good hits on me so I started bleeding. He chased me for a good while until I finally died.

[Swineflew 480]

I get mad at this, but I figure if I can see him, why couldn't he theoretically see me?

[philippschreier@web.de 4]

Since the last update its 10 times harder to lose zombies by turning around corners or trees/bushes. Also sometime when crouched zombies aggro from anywhere even if there was NO line of sight! Needs to get fixed!!