How to kill zombies?

[panpiper]

I took me a couple of minutes just to figure out that you have to first press the right mouse button "and keep holding it down" while pressing the left mouse mutton to swing. I 'think' that is how you are supposed to swing a weapon. I died once already before figuring out even that much.

I've died two more times within minutes of starting, because it seems there are invariably two or three zombies lurking right outside the starting location. I cannot kill them fast enough. Frying pans, golf clubs, even baseball bats, require apparently many, many swings to knock down a zombie, and they will promptly get up again. If you try to swing at the one fallen, the others simply chew away at you.

Is there some keyboard-ninja trick that I am too old to master? Running is not an option, they are right outside my door, the only place to run to is inside, whereupon they corner me and eat.

[Jocy010]

With right click(hold) + space(press),You can push the zombies back.

[print]

You gotta build your skills then the weapons will be more effective.

[Death]

For starters try to sneak around by holding RMB or ctrl if that's more comfortable and you'll avoid a lot of issues early on. Next or the eventuality that you do have to fight, charge your attacks by holding RMB for a couple of seconds before each swing and while you're doing this make sure to keep spinning around every now and again to watch your back and sprint only short distances if you need to put a little space between you and your friends. I also recommend bats or axes as you can hit 2 zombies at once. Also if you get a chance use the spacebar to stomp on them while they're on the ground to help conserve the durability of your weapons. Spacebar also pushes if there's nothing on the ground, so you can use that to push them away for a bit of space as well, but I don't recommend pushing when fighting larger groups. It's better to use the aforementioned sprint a short distance away and ready another attack. Don't forget to just keep moving and circling the group while watching your back.

[Desert-Mammoth]

If it's 1 - 3 zombies, I use space bar to push them, I don't use weapons. Even my feeble character can pull this off. Just keep pushing them until they fall over, and then press space bar to step on their heads. Can take a bit of doing if your character is weak like mine, but even fresh zombies are too slow to catch you if you walk in circle around them.

Isolate.

Push.

Stomp.

If you're taking on a horde, don't. The zombies are not the smart brand in this game, nor are they the kind with developed senses, so running through a couple of trees, or around a house, is normally enough to lose the majority of them. I usually run in a wide horse shoe to lose them.

Death has mentioned sneaking as a viable method, and I agree to an extent. My fragile/weak character depends on stealth to get around, but my strong/warrior character wouldn't think twice about taking on 10 zombies inside a house with his axe skills. So if you're a lover more than a fighter, then sneaking can be a viable option up until there's a zombie parked in front of where you need to go.

Still, sneaking combines with the golden combo:

Isolate.

Push.

Stomp.

That's about all I have to add. Happy hunting!

[Death]

Originally posted by Pamster:

If it's 1 - 3 zombies, I use space bar to push them, I don't use weapons. Even my feeble character can pull this off. Just keep pushing them until they fall over, and then press space bar to step on their heads. Can take a bit of doing if your character is weak like mine, but even fresh zombies are too slow to catch you if you walk in circle around them.

Isolate.

Push.

Stomp.

If you're taking on a horde, don't. The zombies are not the smart brand in this game, nor are they the kind with developed senses, so running through a couple of trees, or around a house, is normally enough to lose the majority of them. I usually run in a wide horse shoe to lose them.

Death has mentioned sneaking as a viable method, and I agree to an extent. My fragile/weak character depends on stealth to get around, but my strong/warrior character wouldn't think twice about taking on 10 zombies inside a house with his axe skills. So if you're a lover more than a fighter, then sneaking can be a viable option up until there's a zombie parked in front of where you need to go.

Still, sneaking combines with the golden combo:

Isolate.

Push.

Stomp.

That's about all I have to add. Happy hunting!

Well even with my strong guy I use a lot of stealth as I sneak through the houses/buildings clearing them. The stealth is about picking your fights strategically. It's a waste of time to fight everything regardless of character strength.

[Sachiel]

spacebar will be your friend. once tehy're on the ground stomp them out.
The training module also notes that if you give sufficient time between attacks you'll build strength while holding your weapon at ready.

So Rclick (hold) (wait) swing.
or you can just spam swing but successive attacks will be less effective.

[WillieSea]

I have athletic to run past them all.
I have strong to break things open, smack zombies backwards when hit, and deal more damage. With my axe skills now maxed, I 95% of the time one hit kill zombies.

When attacking zombies, you need to figure out the sweet spot of attack. For the axe, it is the distance, when you swing the axe, the head of the axe would hit their head. So a good distance away.

[Desert-Mammoth]

Originally posted by Death:

Originally posted by Pamster:

Snip

Well even with my strong guy I use a lot of stealth as I sneak through the houses/buildings clearing them. The stealth is about picking your fights strategically. It's a waste of time to fight everything regardless of character strength.

I don't disagree with what you're saying. You probably play a bit more rationally than I do.

My strong character is more about evasion OR confrontation. He has the conspicuous perk, so sneaking has never really been his thing. Either I think I can take on a group of zeds, or I don't. If I don't, then I sometimes try to lead them away by sprinting through them, or I leave matters be. Usually though, I will lure them forwards a group at a time, with a few stone axes in my bag. I have axeman too, and my combat skills are getting on a bit, so a single swing normally sends the zeds flying.

Don't get me wrong though, I wouldn't advise anyone to take on more than 10 zombies, especially if they are bunched up. It's suicide from whatever angle you look at it. I've lost a few characters through underestimating the zeds' abilities to get inside the axe swing, or by timing an attack wrong, so it only catches 2 of them and not 3, leaving me open to an imminent attack.

My weak character is all about not being seen, and as you say, taking on zombies strategically. I'm not saying I play my strong character like a pro, but for me their two different approaches to problems keeps my game refreshing. I constantly change them in and out of my SP world; it's like having a turn based NPC system, in this way.

[Death]

Originally posted by Pamster:

Originally posted by Death:

Well even with my strong guy I use a lot of stealth as I sneak through the houses/buildings clearing them. The stealth is about picking your fights strategically. It's a waste of time to fight everything regardless of character strength.

I don't disagree with what you're saying. You probably play a bit more rationally than I do.

My strong character is more about evasion OR confrontation. He has the conspicuous perk, so sneaking has never really been his thing. Either I think I can take on a group of zeds, or I don't. If I don't, then I sometimes try to lead them away by sprinting through them, or I leave matters be. Usually though, I will lure them forwards a group at a time, with a few stone axes in my bag. I have axeman too, and my combat skills are getting on a bit, so a single swing normally sends the zeds flying.

Don't get me wrong though, I wouldn't advise anyone to take on more than 10 zombies, especially if they are bunched up. It's suicide from whatever angle you look at it. I've lost a few characters through underestimating the zeds' abilities to get inside the axe swing, or by timing an attack wrong, so it only catches 2 of them and not 3, leaving me open to an imminent attack.

My weak character is all about not being seen, and as you say, taking on zombies strategically. I'm not saying I play my strong character like a pro, but for me their two different approaches to problems keeps my game refreshing. I constantly change them in and out of my SP world; it's like having a turn based NPC system, in this way.

For sure and traits will play a part in how you play. I just build stealth into all my characters whether weak or strong with inconspicuous and or graceful. Not to mention stealthing around all the time also keeps you ready for an attack at any moment. No needing to wait for the charge up.

[TheZedSurvivor]

I usually hold left CTRL because holding RMB takes a bit longer, and that bit can sometimes cost you...

[panpiper]

Does left CTRL cause you to sneak, to ready your weapon swing, or both? I have tried walking around with the right mouse button held down. There is no visual indicator that I can see that I am in fact sneaking when I do so however. For all I know, holding the right mouse button does nothing for sneak and I have simply misunderstood everything (again).

Is there a setting that sets 'always sneak'?

[Death]

Originally posted by panpiper:

Does left CTRL cause you to sneak, to ready your weapon swing, or both? I have tried walking around with the right mouse button held down. There is no visual indicator that I can see that I am in fact sneaking when I do so however. For all I know, holding the right mouse button does nothing for sneak and I have simply misunderstood everything (again).

Is there a setting that sets 'always sneak'?

Both, the same as RMB. Having your weapon at the ready is the indicator of sneaking at this time, but that will probably be changing when the new animations drop.