Opinions on Zombie Hearing and Aggro in 1.7.2.4

[thewanderer 16]

Noticed a big difference. The biggest problem I have with it is this... no really good melee weapons to counter the noise.

No really good melee weapons?? the hatchet is almost a guaranteed one shot kill, silent, unlimited ammo (effectively) and you trip over them they are so common...

[thewanderer 16]

I do know whats good for me. However, when you're stuck in a building with 20 Zombies blocking the way out, Running around in a forest and not shooting them, doesn't really work.

that's the point. going in a building to loot is risky as you can get trapped by a horde. that's how it should be!

[v.turpeinen@hotmail.com 8]

Yesteday I aggroed loads of zombies while I was CROUCHING in the grass atleast 150 meters away. That seems totally fair doesnt it.

[sausagekingofchicago 4711]

I have noticed lag and desync causes the zombies to spaz out and react to me at a larger distance or sometimes not at all. It's weird.

[davidecibel 55]

unlike most of the posters here i do realize the Zs in this game are not undead, but infected living humans, kinda like 28 days later... but still, their sight and hearing is WAY TOO FUCKING GOOD NOW. I've had trouble in the woods, I don't wanna know what they can do in a town...

[rushcrush 20]

I can go to elektro crouching without aggroing alot of zombies, and if I did, I just outrun them through entering a building that has 2 exits.

Zombies are the easiest challenge of the game, imo.

[thewanderer 16]

Zombies are the easiest challenge of the game, imo.

and i think thats where the problem is.

The people who are only interested in a PVP shooter and not the survival element have it too easy at the moment because the zombies, apart from very rarely, are not a real threat.

If they were and ammo was scarer (or damage lower god forbid!) then the thought of trying to shoot a player would be far less appealing. if we get to the point where there is an actual risk from shooting a player (or an zombie) then we will be on the way to a truly brilliant survival game

[CommodoreFrank 13]

I'm not a fan of running with zombie trains, but it looks like a better option every patch.

Edited July 29, 2012 by CommodoreFrank

[Deadend197 8]

It's too much way to much, I shoot my Winchester once and fucking every single zombie in the game comes for me I barely have enough ammo for them all.

[HollowDizzi 3]

This will turn into a game where they super-charge zombies since everyone think they are too easy, then it'll ruin it due to the difficulty caused by Zombies and then everyone will cry again.

[McLovinCR 29]

Yesterday I was walking into Electro thru the road that leads to Prigorodky. I move uphill to finish some zeds with my lee enfield. I'm always using that weapon but yesterday i fired it and, well, i regretted. Im just telling the story, I think it was about time to raise the bar and give the game a little more difficulty.

Also a douche sniper were finish every guy who walked near the power plant. I know, is my fault to be visible to other players. But my point is, if you killed something at least loot him/her ffs. And before the patch there was 0 zeds around him, I want to know what will be the result of the same situation with this patch.

Edited July 30, 2012 by McLovinCR

[v1ktor 59]

Children,children,children please....

1) These are the 'infected humans' not "zombies", so they have exact same capabilities of a human

2) It's in the patch notes, the infected can now hear gun shots as a decent distance (like a human player would)

3) Get a silenced gun? With this update it makes them very effective

4) Ya... sorry, but by not moving while crouched 5m away from someone does not make you invisible.

[Teiwaz 45]

Yes i do think they really need to tone down the zombies hearing range. The textbook definition of a zombie is a dead corpse reanimated. Dead corpse rot no? So i highly doubt a rotting ear should be able to hear me from so far away, completely devoids from the realism.

Edit: Also eyes rot on a dead corpse so that's something to think about.....

Also Gurren Lagann is da best

You're talking textbook definition of Zombies and realism in the same post? Dafuck?

Zombies are whatever you make them to be - Rocket chose the, for a shooter more compelling, (what I call it) "28 Days Later" style of Zombie . It's just a term.

[KField86 237]

Noticed a big difference for sure. I think they are on the right track, but they are just a *touch* over the top really. Especially combined with the great weapon nerf of July. Put the .45s back to 1 shot zed stoppers and I'd be fine with how the zombies are now. They should see you, but at the distance they do is simply a little too far. I think the behavior should change a little. If you're in there line of sight, but a good bit aways, they should start moving in your direction. Out of curiousity because they think they see something. If you allow them to get close enough to you, say 15-20m, that curiosity will then turn to target identification and they'll aggro and start chasing. Even though they're not "dead" and just "infected" I think a zombie of any sort would react this way. That predatory instinct in us all is the same. Animals of pray don't usually just charge straight away at something. They approach it slowly, identifying it more and more along the way until it clicks in their brain "Ok, that's food. Time to go get it!". If zeds worked in this way, It'd be perfect in my eyes. I have no problem with the guns being as powerful as they are now with the nerf, but with the jerky motion due to the engine and the alphas stage, getting the much needed headshot on a zombie with a smaller caliber weapon, or handgun is pretty much impossible unless they are in a building, or if they are right in front of you already hitting you/munching on you. And with the nature of the game, and the constant threat of players, it's not often wise to bust out a high caliber rifle in a town that can be heard for hundreds of meters. Generally you use a pistol which is only heard within 50-75m in most cases.

Although, now I have a reason to use my favorite pistol in the game again, the G17. Since the 1911 isn't the player/zombie stopper it used to be, I run with a G17 simply because it fires extremely fast, has low recoil, 17 rounds per magazine, has great iron sights and is incredibly accurate. Though I like the M9-SD as well for the bling bling factor to be sure. If I find one, and have enough ammo for it, I'll keep it... but most times if I already have a G17, I'll give the M9-SD to someone else who wants it if I come across it.

Edited July 30, 2012 by KField86

[MountaineerWR27 0]

I was playing yesterday and I was in the field in front of the SW airfield. I was laying down and laying still (which means no bars on sight, none on hearing) trying to look into the hangars and control tower to see if anyone was there. I heard something that sounded like a zombie being aggro'd, so I turned to see what aggro'd it. From a good 100m+ away, the zombie was running after me and had already made it to me. Due to the fact that I had no bandages, I died with all kinds of loot on me....wasn't happy

[KPopp 9]

I'll approach a town and see zombies run out of cover towards me. Or if I shoot in a town... 15 zombies come out of no where. Also find I am getting knocked out by single zombie punches or broken legs much easier. It's all manageable though with some adjustments to play style.

[Gogster (DayZ) 626]

I like it a lot, it was just a bit of a shock when we first fired in a town!

[The_Man 393]

It creates some very intense moments. We had a firefight in the market and it attracted at least 20 zombies in under 30 seconds. It was madness.

[PeteOfButcherBay 17]

"Welcome to the apocalypse"

[sausagekingofchicago 4711]

Still too easy but it's nice to see them change occasionally.

[The_Man 393]

Still too easy but it's nice to see them change occasionally.

Challenge yourself then! Use barn weapons and no backpack or just a czech vest. It is more fun than it sounds!

[freak367 24]

I became a pretty good judge of how not to be detected, so I was able to mostly jog everywhere without alerting zombies, always keeping an eye on how much sound I'm making but mainly ignoring how visible I am. After the patch though, I seem to be able to alert zombies at random from the sort of range where even a gunshot wouldn't be heard, I just see this dot in the distance sprinting at me when I am making 0 or 1 bar of sound, but quite visible.

Sort of throws my playstyle off a bit, I'm so used to getting around quickly outside of hearing distance, which lets me navigate towns and cities safely, but now I can stand up and alert a zombie who is 500 yards away. Not always, but I played for about 2 hours today and it happened roughly 6 times from those sorts of distances, and a few more times nearby when making no noise.

I think the eyesight has been improved a lot, not sure about the hearing though, I was well outside of hearing distances and I got aggro.

Edited July 30, 2012 by FreaK367

[Heiduk 265]

My main issue is that Zeds are random. Sometimes you can run past and they don't care, or sometimes they'll just stop aggro, then sometimes they'll spot you from ages away and will never stop the aggro.

Heh, zombies are people too. Just because a large portion of the humans in Chernarus are psychopathic snipers doesn't mean that the zombies don't just want to be left alone. Sure, some of them are rage fiends, but others are more than happy wandering about town munching on beans, so lets not start stereotyping. How would you feel if people kept breaking into your house trying to steal your carefully collected beans and empty soda cans?

I played for a couple of hours yesterday on the new patch and I think the new zombie behavior is much better. It does make it tougher on new players but I think there are better ways to adjust that than nerfing the zombies.

[Shaimou 49]

Zombies are pretty good now, the only downside with them is that they dont hear gunshots at any range. If their hearing is going to be fixed sometime in the far future, then I'd like them NOT to aggro on you instantly, instead make them look for you around the area.

[andy_uk15@hotmail.com 70]

Ever since 1.2.4....I've fallen in love with my silenced M4.

Loud guns now have an appropriate reaction from zeds.

Edited July 30, 2012 by ScramUK