Zombies pwn me

[thygrrr 1]

I'm having massive issues surviving against zombies. I can't for the love of it kill them without massive ammo wastage, their glitchy movements make them extremely hard to hit. Poor frame rates don't help, either.

How do you guys get all this loot legitimately and live to tell the tale? I'm ALWAYS out of ammo (because 1 small zombie run-in ends up in a medium-large zombie run-in every fucking time). Even with a Winchester, with 60 shells, zombies will eventually overrun me and knock me down (even if I run out of town, up a hill, and try to pick em off one by one)

My average blood level is ~5000, I'm so used to this game being black and white it's not funny any more.

I want harder but less glitchy zombies. I guess I could kill em for their AI alone, I just don't seem to be able to lead properly. (I guess I don't have to lead? I tried to compensate for my low latency of 20-100ms (feels like 2000ms really), but that resulted in even more misses)

I've gotten somewhat good at killing them with the Makarov, and I stay away from Lee Enfields for good. I have only once ever distracted a Zombie with a smoke grenade (flares never work), and it re-aggroed me as soon as the smoke gren burned out.

One thing I'm experimenting with is reducing the mouse smoothing, I realized my mouse input is very indirect and it's much better with the smoothing dialed way down.

[Keurk 4]

go up stairs, enjoy the headshots

[ferrard 0]

Sneak more - I have AKM ammo spilling out of my pack because I sneak too much - play it like a stealth game and you can sneak past a mindboggling number of zeds if you stay at a high crawl or slow-crouch, fast-crouch at most. One thing you can do is move close enough that the zeds get wind of you and start to investigate (it's a further distance than you think), then fast-crouch in a loop around them as they sniff out away from the structure in question.

Prioritize using pistols over long-guns when it comes to PvE, especially in towns where one rifle-shot will pull zeds in from all points on the compass.

Above all, patience is key to avoiding zed aggro - don't be afraid to declare a loot spot "not worth it" because it's swarming with zeds.

EDIT: Also, yeah, like Keurk said, go up stairs, up hills, into buildings, anything to slow them to the shamble - it makes their head movements much more predictable and slows them to the point where they won't glitch nearly as much. And at that close range, don't bother leading - it doesn't matter within about 30 meters, even with low-velocity bullets.

~ Ferrard

[thygrrr 1]

Buildings make the killing easier, but if I kill zombies in a building (even a free standing barn), they never stop respawning, so I have a steady stream of zeds until I run out of ammo.

As for sneaking, I almost exclusively crouch-walk or crawl around prone in cities. Even in 3rd person, zombies spawn right on top of me so every now and then, I get aggro (or I can't go into the town at all because it's gridlocked with perfectly staggered zombie patrols)

[Virfortis 111]

I'm having massive issues surviving against zombies. I can't for the love of it kill them without massive ammo wastage' date=' their glitchy movements make them extremely hard to hit. Poor frame rates don't help, either.

How do you guys get all this loot legitimately and live to tell the tale? I'm ALWAYS out of ammo (because 1 small zombie run-in ends up in a medium-large zombie run-in every fucking time). Even with a Winchester, with 60 shells, zombies will eventually overrun me and knock me down (even if I run out of town, up a hill, and try to pick em off one by one)

My average blood level is ~5000, I'm so used to this game being black and white it's not funny any more.

[/quote']

First off, let's address the basic issues:

Have you run the ArmA2 tutorials? Get a basic feel for the game and how the controls handle, they're a bit different.

Adjusted your settings properly? DayZ is much more demanding than ArmA2. Try messing around with the settings until you find options that help. Don't forget to set the 3D resolution to near 100% though, or you won't be able to tell what's what.

Also, the server may be lagging. A zombie only takes one winchester shot before re-dying. Play on better servers (generally more populated) to cut down on lag issues. If that doesn't work, again, readjust and optimize ArmA2's settings, look up how to optimize them.

Now, it's important to note that damage in DayZ isn't like normal FPS styles of damage. Players do not instantly die the moment their HP hits zero, and conversely most bullets do medium damage but have hefty bleeding (damage over time). Zombies aren't much different, but aiming for the head with your pistol is the only real way to stop them without spraying.

Having trouble aiming? Make sure you aren't winded. ArmA2 has an extensive fatigue system, and any action drains it.

Those are some basic tips I can give, if you need more just relax and try to explain some more. ^^

[Sinaz20 0]

First, you have to work on not aggroing them. Reduce your profile and sound. Watch your visibility and sound icons- if you're too close, go prone (but don't engage zombies while prone.)

Second, you'll fair better taking refuge indoors, as the zombies reduce speed to walking indoors.

Third, understand the power of your weapon and how to use it.

With Makarovs, you can typically get away with a double tap to center mass-- very low risk. If the zombies are lumbering or crawling, you can risk a headshot, which is a one shot kill.

Most high caliber weapons and rifles will kill a zombie in one hit to center mass.

Fourth, if you must fight them in the open, you can run away from them and do a wide loop until you can make a quick 90 degree turn to acquire them, get a site picture, and shoot. If you need a little more jockeying by that point, backpedaling will serve you well. They typically chase after you and stop to attack, allowing you to distance yourself, but they make up for it in bursts of speed.

Happy hunting.

PS: To what Thygrr advised, if you have aggroed a bunch of zombies and can get inside, yeah-- prioritize small caliber weapons so that you avoid attracting more of them.

PPS: Aim with iron sites, as third person cross hair is hardly every accurate when the zombies get too close due to the camera offset. (If you're playing in 3rd person, that is.)

[dallas 5195]

Ear and eye symbol on the right side of the screen is your friend.

(Ear - means you're making a little noise.

((Ear - means you're walking around wearing tapdancing shoes.

(((Ear - means you're firing a loud shotgun in a library.

Toggle walking, toggle crouching to be less visible/audible to zombies. Don't fire your weapon in crowded areas, when hunted by few zombies, don't sprint towards other zombies.

If a zombie detects you in a crowded area, either enter a building and prepare for a grand shootout or try to draw the zombies away from the town center, before you shoot them. When you've gotten them safely out in a field, turn around, run backwards and when they stop to attack you, take another step back and shoot.

[thygrrr 1]

Sneaking / Visiblilty concept: I totally get that, including the subtle differences between walking close to a wall, into a field, and onto a road at the various postures of the body. I almost never sprint, and most of the time I crouch-jog or crouch-slowwalk (0 ears and 1 eye on soft grass).

My video settings are fine (and yeah, 100% 3D res is a must - too bad my frame rates are only around 30-40 fps on a good server, and 10-15 on a crappy one... I only have a radeon 5850, but a 6950 is in the mail, 15% more raw GPU power ftw).

I've been playing DayZ for a few weeks now, and even though Arma is pretty clunky in terms of playability, movements and aiming, I've played worse (Söldner: Secret Wars anyone?)

I realize you guys aren't fighting much different from me, so I suppose even more patience and aggro avoidance is key. It's going to be harder with zombie spawns inside buildings coming back in 1.7.1 ... I mean, in that case you MUST fight to get the loot, or never loot at all.

Pretty rough for a person with no (DayZ-) friends.

Fortunately, I enjoy losing (as in, meaningful deaths). I was just wondering why the only building I can reliably loot are Deer Stands, because they never have more than 4 zombies and they don't breed/respawn like rabbits, either.

[Virfortis 111]

(Söldner: Secret Wars anyone?)

Oh God...don't remind me :dodgy:

But like you said, it boils down to practice. Good luck with your meaningful death though...that might take time.

[eightiesmullet 0]

Also Thygrrrr - unfortunately lots of people have hacks.

I feel your pain. I have been killed far more from zombies than from other players. Those who tell you it's easy haven't lost characters with full compass, knife, matches to zombies without feeling the pain....

The issue you are probably coming across, if you are playing in EU or UK servers is that by the time you have spawned, people have looted the server and moved on - look for the x loged on, x logged off messages in the bottom left of the screen.

[dissaifer 3]

Put your guns down and sneak. If you have no guns you have to sneak... also it's a lot more thrilling.

[thygrrr 1]

Yeah apart from a Volga and some Bicycles, I never found any interesting loot. Oh wait, someone left (?) a ghillie suit at Castle Zub once.

To me, the most interesting loot is Knife, Matches, and Hatchet. I almost NEVER get em all three together and also find meat (must be the same algorithm that keeps sending me the wrong tetris blocks). That means I don't even have to loot the cities or airfield, I can just stroll through some residential neighborhoods. I usually die to zombies before I can cook my own food though. :-(

My one and only tent invariably gets plundered while I am logged off, hope to be able to set one up in a forest in 1.7.1+. So last time I put in a map, matches and a knife to see how long they last; they got plundered the first night (I spent two hours approaching my tent from multiple directions to see whether it's easily seen, and moving it slightly if necessary)

So I had to move out and look for matches again, only to find my Remington shotgun with pellets and flashlight (970?) completely sucks against zeds and half a mag of M1911 ammo isn't gonna save my life.

[zak757 146]

1. When you enter a town, ALWAYS look for an 'out'. Your 'out' will be the place you run to in case you attract a zombie. This will usually be any indoor area with openable doors that is larger then a shack or gas station.

2. Zombies move very slowly inside. Find a choke points so they all line up. All weapons kill with 1 hit to the head. Rather then trying to follow their head with your sights, put it in a location that their heads will sway to.

3. Zombies can hear your gunshots easier the more you fire in succession. Space out your shots if you have the time.

4. If you are hit, bandaging has priority. Once you get inside the house, bandage up and hope you are far enough.

5. If you have no 'out', run far out of the town first and fire in the direction away from the town. Makarov takes 4 hits, 9x19mm guns take 3 hits, Revolver takes 1 or 2 hits. M1911 is always an instant kill.

6. NEVER run across pavement. ALWAYS walk across pavement. Grass is quieter. Either stand-walk or crouch-run when within 20m of zombies (depending if they are looking at you). Crouch walk within 10m of zombies. Go prone and roll sideways if you get very close, or if you are walking by a hangar you plan to loot (players will know if you move otherwise).

7. If you have alot of ammo (5+ mags) and a gun that has a noise level of "moderate" or lower, pick off zombies near locations you plan to head to.

[thygrrr 1]

Great tips, thanks Zakatak!

[walrus2517 27]

The zombies have gotten me quite a few times too, no matter how stealthy I try to be. I've died far more times from them than bandits. The main thing for me, someone who had no prior Arma experience, was learning the key bindings. Learning how to use shift to walk and alt to look around were a huge help. Also, I always (if the server allows it) use 3rd person when I go prone.

Folks have provided good advice for playing more stealthy, but in my own experience, if I aggro zeds or have to shoot one and think the shot will aggro a bunch, I always start running to the first open field I see (and hopefully away from other non aggro'd zeds). With the recent patches making zombies spawn relative to the player, I've had a few cases where even in a small town a seemingly endless parade of zeds keeps coming if I stay indoors. In the fields I can at least look back with the "alt" key and get a tally of how many I have to try and take down.

I try to stick with the Winchester because I find it to be the best overall combo. You get 15 rounds per box (which are relatively common), its one shot, one kill anywhere on a zed's body from a medium or shorter distance, and half the times a shot doesn't even aggro zombies I can see just a short distance away.

[Castle (DayZ) 23]

Use prone

Always lead zombies to enterable buildings (they cannot run inside)

Only use pistols for killing zombies