Zombies VS flashlights

[omgwtfbbq (DayZ) 1069]

When playing at night:

Do flashlights affect zombies? by this i mean, if you shine a flashlight right at a zombie, will they aggro? what if you're standing in front of a zombie, with it facing you, and you turn your light on? then what? i would test it myself, but i'm afraid of what will happen. if they aren't affected, then the only downside to a flashlight is that other players can see you.

Edited August 1, 2012 by omgwtfbbq

[HomelessRomantic 1]

From what I've experienced, no. They won't act any differently than if you have your light off. If you are in their line of sight however, they may see you. But then again, they may see you with the light off anyway.

[xXxCrackSmokerxXx 4]

nope, sound and movement. light somehow doesn't register to zombie brains.

[Nyz 42]

Im not sure. When playing at night, visibility is reduced to almost 0. Not sure if a light source increases it or not.

[Sandwichx 103]

Zombies do not see flashlights.

[hatfieldcw 184]

Do they see chemlights? I've thrown them to distract zombies, and had about the same results as a tin can. I know that flares attract them, same as smoke grenades, but is that due to light or sound? I tried carrying a flar around a couple times, and zombies love that, but can I carry a chemlight to illuminate interior rooms? The flashlight's no good for going room to room in the school, due to the narrow beam and lack or diffusion.

[omgwtfbbq (DayZ) 1069]

Do they see chemlights? I've thrown them to distract zombies, and had about the same results as a tin can. I know that flares attract them, same as smoke grenades, but is that due to light or sound? I tried carrying a flar around a couple times, and zombies love that, but can I carry a chemlight to illuminate interior rooms? The flashlight's no good for going room to room in the school, due to the narrow beam and lack or diffusion.

don't know about chemlights; never pick them up. but i wonder if?

[DemonGroover 8836]

At the moment, jack shit. I've wondered the same about Ghillie suits, they dont appear to have an affect on Zeds either.

[omgwtfbbq (DayZ) 1069]

At the moment, jack shit. I've wondered the same about Ghillie suits, they dont appear to have an affect on Zeds either.

can someone else confirm? that yes, zombies are unaffected by flashlights? (and yeah the ghillie suit does nothing with zombies)

[samjwbrowne@gmail.com 15]

Zombies definitely don't see flashlights. Im guessing it's just something that's difficult to code. Having them be attracted to a separate object that is thrown must have been relatively easy.

[M O N S T E R 599]

Chemlights can be seen effectively from around 30 meters away. They light up about ten meters in diameter. I don't think this is enough to aggro dem zombiez. On the other hand, I do think flashlights aggro zombies - under certain circumstance. Say you accidentally light up your buddy with the flashlight - that means everyone can see him within a kilometre. Zombiez included.

-MONSTER

[Dingus (DayZ) 429]

Chemlights have different ranges I thought. Reds could be seen from 80, greens from like 40, and blues for 20 or something like that. Is this wrong? I do know that zombies can react to chems. When I don't want to use flares, I use red chems.

[M O N S T E R 599]

Chemlights have different ranges I thought. Reds could be seen from 80, greens from like 40, and blues for 20 or something like that. Is this wrong? I do know that zombies can react to chems. When I don't want to use flares, I use red chems.

No, you're right. I totally forgot!

BLUE is 30 meters. I actually don't know the rest.

-MONSTER

[#BASEDGOD 27]

Flashlights are an excellent way to end up with a rifle bullet in your head.

[samjwbrowne@gmail.com 15]

Chemlights can be seen effectively from around 30 meters away. They light up about ten meters in diameter. I don't think this is enough to aggro dem zombiez. On the other hand, I do think flashlights aggro zombies - under certain circumstance. Say you accidentally light up your buddy with the flashlight - that means everyone can see him within a kilometre. Zombiez included.

-MONSTER

Unless something has changed in recent patches (haven't played on night servers in a while, all the Aus ones seem to nearly be perma-day whenever I'm playing), shining a light onto someone has no effect on their visibility to zombies. Obviously it does for players, but the visibility indicators definitely do not go up when someone shines a torch (or car headlights) at you.

[Dingus (DayZ) 429]

No, you're right. I totally forgot!

BLUE is 30 meters. I actually don't know the rest.

-MONSTER

It's probably 30,60,90 then. I use a lot of chemlights, helps my group stay close at night when traveling on foot. One bluechem leads.

[omgwtfbbq (DayZ) 1069]

Flashlights are an excellent way to end up with a rifle bullet in your head.

exactly why i'm wondering if i'm at double the risk from zombies and players, or just players

[Dingus (DayZ) 429]

exactly why i'm wondering if i'm at double the risk from zombies and players, or just players

Just players. Zombies seem completely unaffected by them.

[necroslord 73]

From what I have experimented, flashlights have no effect on zombie behaviour. However zombies have very erratic behaviour, sometimes you can be just one step from a zombie with flashlight on and nothng happens, but sometimes you can be pitch black and hear a zombie aggro at 100m away from you. Also in the day I sometimes get zombie aggro from really really far for no apparent reason.

Bottom line: Flashlight doesn't affect zombies in any way but don't trust them, they behave very randomly.

P.S: I would really like to be able to run without flailing the flashlight all around so I could see where I'm heading. I would still play during nights that way.

[hatfieldcw 184]

The zombie raycasting math is opaque, I can't figure it out. I had a hopper gorilla-walk right over me one time and not aggro, and on several occasions I've been spotted from considerable distance when I thought I was totally invisible. Their hearing is sketchy, too. I like that there don't seem to be hard and fast rules for how and when you get detected, so you can find the best practices for avoiding aggro, but you're never totally safe.