This game is just far too hard!!!

[Big Papa Jay]

The fighting mechanics need a lot of work. Compared to the first game, where you could survive an encounter of a few green strain zombies without any weapons, it is damn near impossible to do so now. I really hope the game becomes more balanced once the single player campaign is released.

Does anyone have any tips for combat? How are you guys surviving this game? Are people using a controller or a mouse and keyboard? Any tips would be helpful!!

[rikashiku]

Like others have said, yet past people mocked, you go for the legs. Zombies can't put up much of a fight if they can't run or pounce. Better yet, without legs, they can't defend themselves.

For a good start, go with an Axe, or even a Bow an Arrows, two stars on archery in your skills to be lethal to unarmored enemies.

stealth works. Watch for Wind direction, as Enemise and Bunnys can smell your scent in the wind. Be ready to push Spacebar when you initiate an Assassinate attack with the Hunting Knife.

Axe is a good melee weapon to start with though, and there are superior weapons to it that cause critical damage and instant kill for head shots, like the Golf Club and Spiked Bat, which can be picked up from Raiders.

The Katana is the best weapon though. It does critical damage and weighs 3lbs so it doesn't take much space.

Be smart when starting out. Avoid large groups of enemies and find a friendly settlement. Try not to anger Looter Settlements.

Build your base near a friendly settlement so you have easy access to water and Trading. Either that, or fence off an area on top of a River.

I built my base on a Hill. Enemies have difficulty climbing it and I can snipe them from further away.

Unlike in the First game, there is no Bunker to store your gear or sleep in, so first thing to build is a Shack, or if your Construction is too low, a Storage Box.

[Mr Grimlock]

I think one of the biggest issues that people are facing is that the combat system is unlike anything they have played before. It feels different to the original Survivalist, and it requires some getting used to. BUT, once you’ve got to grips with it, it’s great. There will be times when you have to reload because you’ve aggro’d a full swarm by accident, or made a silly mistake, but save scumming isn’t necessary. That being said, if that’s how you enjoy your games - crack on, save all you like.

All I would suggest is that you give it some time - make mistakes, reload, get used to the combat system. It’s a reward in itself when you start to feel competent at it.

<disclaimer: this is not me saying “get gud” - I hate the phrase... just get yourself stuck in until you get a solid feel for how it all works> Good luck!

[Roofer619]

Just assassinate a few wandering traders and you're good to go...

[Clamdigger]

Originally posted by 123:

Just assassinate a few wandering traders and you're good to go...

lol!!

[Curse]

Honestly you can blues and greens just fine with a hunting knife and a point in hand to hand. Pick your battles carefully until you are well equipped. Wait for the dodge and break their legs while kiting and conserving stamina. Once they're all crippled you can hang back and catch your breath before targeting their heads and taking them out carefully. Eventually you'll get camo gear+stealth books, then you can use the hunting knife to assassinate hordes and raiders.

[Darlandra]

Also, a bow/arrow, even for a 0 star archer, is almsot always going to hit the legs and you can immobilize 15+ zombies easily.

[Koi]

No, you're just bad at it.

[Toddy[ABC]]

Im having same problems way to hard for beginers dont matter how many legs u hit down they seem to send for back up very quick and randon zombies spawn in the dozens i was enjoying the game untill i became stuck due to how hard it is even with the new settings

[sausages]

Which is why you scout the area before thinking about shooting arrows. When your level is low you should aim for knife stealth kill until you find more archery books that boost your aiming speed.

It seems that people have been treating this game like Dead Rising, imaging you can rambo both Zombies and Humans... instead you should treat this as Project Zomboid with always run zombie setting.

[Ravayen]

one thing that would make it easier is a weapon hotkey 1=melee 2=ranged because i've died trying to navigate too many items in that weird ui you get to select things (i know pausing is a thing), that said when you get used to the combat it actually becomes quite trivial (whites sometimes get me).
All in all i wouldn't want the combat easier but new players could do with an introduction fight against a green with tutorial tips on screen etc for that 1st fight just so they learn how to target different body parts and to watch stamina.

Come to think of it didn't the first game have one just down from the bunker when you started? i swear it did.

[Sunshine]

Zombies cycle through their animations way too fast, any time I'm having to fend off more than one, the lock on mechanic decides it doesn't want to behave correctly.

[Mr Grimlock]

Originally posted by Ravayen:

one thing that would make it easier is a weapon hotkey 1=melee 2=ranged because i've died trying to navigate too many items in that weird ui you get to select things (i know pausing is a thing), that said when you get used to the combat it actually becomes quite trivial (whites sometimes get me).
All in all i wouldn't want the combat easier but new players could do with an introduction fight against a green with tutorial tips on screen etc for that 1st fight just so they learn how to target different body parts and to watch stamina.

Come to think of it didn't the first game have one just down from the bunker when you started? i swear it did.

You’re exactly right. The original had a tutorial built into the storyline. The Dev has stated that he will add something similar when story mode is completed in IS as well.

[Zhenja1]

The only zombies that really give me a hard time are the ones that kill you instantly and the red strain, other zombies i can handle fairly well but I don't dare take on the others unless I've got guns or they are by themselves. That being said the number one thing killing me is food, it's scarce really scarce and growing crops takes forever and if it's winter you're just ♥♥♥♥♥♥. My situation got so bad in my camp that my A.I survivors were just stealing food from bandit camps on their own and they got away with this for awhile but then the bandits just massacred them all.

[Nirnroot]

Game has lock on target. You can evade attacks and focus legs. You can even throw radio, wait for the gathering and throw molotov/bomb. And yet they whine.

[Ravayen]

you can even slice flesh off of corpses and use it as bait avoiding fights altogether, i think too many games let you play as a god character that people come into games like this and can't understand that dying is part of the learning curve lol, plus if you don't want to see the game over screen......don't use your main char.