Short blade users

[Blue_Skies]

I've never used blades but it's time to try new things. I kinda know about the high risk high reward. But with the new animations doesn't the 1hk animation get u insta killed?

Say u take on even just a small group when that animation starts playing, I take it you can't move, don't surrounding zombies just start biting?

[katsuragi]

that can happen. I wouldn't take on multiple zeds with just a knife. It's more of a one on one weapon. You can use a Meat Cleaver to train you skill though since it won't lock you into the takedown animation. It swings like a hammer so it's a safer choice when fighting multiple zeds

[The early worm deserves the bird]

Yeah if you have one or two zeds it's a good weapon to use as you can just take them down in one hit. Spears are kinda like that too. But you are locked into that animation. Getting locked into that animation and possibly losing the weapon IN the zombie are issues. I haven't figured out what the trigger is for that to happen? I think maybe it's how dirty the weapon is? Maybe how sweaty my guy is? I can't seem to pin it down.

My go to is a bat, a insta kill blade like a hunting knife, and then a short blunt of some kind. Short blunt as a immediate back up in case your knife goes into a zombie and there are more around you. That combo I have found is really useful. The knife is great but it's situational big time

[sarrowquand]

Do short blades spray more blood around than blunt weapons?

[Pervy Sage]

You want to have some kind of blunt anyway as backup, so you can kill some zombies that have clothing you need, aka coats/denim shirts and the like. A hammer on the tool belt is good.

[sarrowquand]

Oh! Does hacking a zed apart actually trash its clothes more than bashing it?

[The early worm deserves the bird]

Originally posted by sarrowquand:

Oh! Does hacking a zed apart actually trash its clothes more than bashing it?

Yeah, way more. Also about blood spray yeah it does. A caved in skull doesn't have to have a cut on it. Generally speaking though the best weapons for staying clean or blood free are the longest ranged weapons starting from gun and working down to spear, bat, knife etc

[sarrowquand]

That;s really useful to know. I haven't played much since clothing was updated, and I only just realise that haemophobic works differently now.

[The early worm deserves the bird]

Originally posted by sarrowquand:

That;s really useful to know. I haven't played much since clothing was updated, and I only just realise that haemophobic works differently now.

LOL! Yup! Very true. Instead of hemophobic you might wanna go with smoker. It's easier to handle. Or alternatively set up your base near a water source and use long range weapons and wash yourself and your clothing often

[sarrowquand]

Originally posted by The early worm deserves the bird:

Originally posted by sarrowquand:

That;s really useful to know. I haven't played much since clothing was updated, and I only just realise that haemophobic works differently now.

LOL! Yup! Very true. Instead of hemophobic you might wanna go with smoker. It's easier to handle. Or alternatively set up your base near a water source and use long range weapons and wash yourself and your clothing often

A good suggestion, my first previous two characters (the first two since taking a break) had both smoker and hemophobic and because I didn't know about the change I thought that smoker was doing all the work on the anxiety so I dropped it for this run and then found out after :D

On the upside having to clean clothes and rotate outfits as they become damaged/laundry is a fun new rp element right now and feel like a nice improvement over the old days of wearing the same outfit forever unless you found clothing you liked more.

[Blue_Skies]

Short blades is a rough start, died 3 times before I got through a week, credit to those who main with them. All the kitchenware stuff last 1-3 hits. Not getting the timing right for the 1hk or maybe character isn't high enough yet. Ice picks and screwdrivers fair a bit better but man I miss my axe and spears lol.

Regarding doing laundry I thought devs where taking it too far but I find it so realistic and adds to the survival element, gotta stock winter clothes too. Attention to detail is staggering, heads up though, remember to wear footwear, stepping on broken glass on laundry day is my stupidest death yet.

[Blue_Skies]

Yup need that blunt weapon at the start, found 3 electric guitars I'm good.

[Nordil(Hun)]

Originally posted by hoofharted:

Yup need that blunt weapon at the start, found 3 electric guitars I'm good.

In my current run i have 3 electric a bass and an acustic, also a western piano and trumphet:)

But I use metal pipe and short blade(hunting knife) as main. 50-50 I would say.
I carry 3(!) hunting knives. As sometimes your knife gets stuck in the first zombie when killed it. And there are more coming.

Currently the most i am daring to approach to kill are 3 zombies with short blade. I remember when i was like that with the long blunt too! So it is possible that i may become much more better with it. (Burger flipper is a solid job, due to maintenance and short blade bonus!)
From around level 2 on short blade you have sometimes chances to one stab kill from the front too.
But under it is so slim chance hardly noticeable.

Also as you advance with knife/short blade, later you will kill zombies on the ground with one well placed headstab. From around level 5 you can actually use it as a normal melee weapon since you kill zeds with 3-6 short stabs. Allthough you ruin a lot of clothes this way. But hey ripped sheets are always good!

[katsuragi]

Originally posted by Nordil(Hun):

Originally posted by hoofharted:

Yup need that blunt weapon at the start, found 3 electric guitars I'm good.

In my current run i have 3 electric a bass and an acustic, also a western piano and trumphet:)

But I use metal pipe and short blade(hunting knife) as main. 50-50 I would say.
I carry 3(!) hunting knives. As sometimes your knife gets stuck in the first zombie when killed it. And there are more coming.

Currently the most i am daring to approach to kill are 3 zombies with short blade. I remember when i was like that with the long blunt too! So it is possible that i may become much more better with it. (Burger flipper is a solid job, due to maintenance and short blade bonus!)
From around level 2 on short blade you have sometimes chances to one stab kill from the front too.
But under it is so slim chance hardly noticeable.

Also as you advance with knife/short blade, later you will kill zombies on the ground with one well placed headstab. From around level 5 you can actually use it as a normal melee weapon since you kill zeds with 3-6 short stabs. Allthough you ruin a lot of clothes this way. But hey ripped sheets are always good!

I've never seen an acoustic guitar but they should be terrible as a weapon if they are aiming for realism. Electric guitars and bass are solid body and could crack skulls like a baseball bat but an acoustic is hollow and effectively made of thin plywood. It should explode after one swing and do little to no damage to a human skull as far as a zombie goes.

[Blue_Skies]

I didn't pick up the trumpet, thought it was a joke item or maybe to attract hordes lol. Haven't seen an acoustic yet, I'll probably put that in the corner of base for homely feel. Agree using it as a weapon would be so noisy too.

Yup gone with burger flipper, I'm using all the forks and butter knives just to eek out all the xp. Bit cumbersome always breaking but I don't mind the grind. 3 zombies does feel about the right limit atm, anymore it's time to go which feels realistic.

Not sure if I'm a convert to short blades yet, the 1hk animation seems to be random or I haven't worked out the timing yet but I'm only level2 see if I can make it to level5+. Freeing one hand to carry an extra bag is nice though.

[Nordil(Hun)]

Originally posted by hoofharted:

I didn't pick up the trumpet, thought it was a joke item or maybe to attract hordes lol. Haven't seen an acoustic yet, I'll probably put that in the corner of base for homely feel. Agree using it as a weapon would be so noisy too.

Yup gone with burger flipper, I'm using all the forks and butter knives just to eek out all the xp. Bit cumbersome always breaking but I don't mind the grind. 3 zombies does feel about the right limit atm, anymore it's time to go which feels realistic.

Not sure if I'm a convert to short blades yet, the 1hk animation seems to be random or I haven't worked out the timing yet but I'm only level2 see if I can make it to level5+. Freeing one hand to carry an extra bag is nice though.

I am not about converting folks to short blades:) I am just merely arguing that it is not as bad as some claim it has become. (Like in the previous build it was really OP with the instakills!)

The 1hk animation can be a bit risky, as if you time it wrong, you may not get the kill, but instead get the animation when you are struggling to break free from the zed. Which is even longer.
The 1hk kill is a solid 1 sec animation.

I never use forks, butter knives hell even kitchen knives for short blade kills. Eventually i find one hunting knife and from there it is good. Since you will encounter zeds who have hunting knives stabbed into them. So you can have a solid supply of those. It is good for fighting, cooking lasts quite long, and since you can replace it easily, you can have your maintenance levelled up by it.

I think level 6 was the highest so far i got it, but it really makes a huge difference from level 1 or 2.
I think the 1hk chance is based on your short blade skill level, as i experienced you can trigger it a bit more commonly if you do a stab from within (just barely) the reach and then step one step closer and try to stab again.(Or if you are too close step away a bit)
This way you seem to have a higher chance to 1hk even on lower levels, but it might be just coincidence.

about the guitars: I just mentioned what kinds i found nothing more nothing less:)
I found 2 electric and a bass in the house where in the garage 3 rocker zeds were stuck. (Garage band reference i think.)
They also had one item i have never seen before, but as per description it can be used for defense! A speaker! -> but i have to try it out what it is good for, yet!