Zombie migration

[My Killer Shack]

Ive been wondering how this works

So zombies off screen will slowly migrate into the areas I clear right?

Lets say I clear a zone and the zones around it, does that mean slowly zombies will migrate to the outer zone, then they will migrate to the inner zone I cleared?

If this is true does that mean over a long enough time the entire maps population of zombies could migrate to where you are?

I am playing with no respawns and notice street corners keep refilling themselves. I know the map has limited zombies so I am curious how far it draws from.

[MATOSCH83]

Yeah i would like to know as well.
I found a house outside of town with only 1 zombie. Stayed there and prepared to go back to town the next day.
For 5 days i tried to go back to town and everytime i go back the same way, more and more zombies are coming ................ as if they can smell i killed the zombies there on the highways in nowhere.

[WillieSea]

Migration works with respawn. So your question can have different answers if you have respawn turned on or off.

If we assume respawn is turned OFF, then no, all the zombies will not migrate to you.
They will 'thin' out from the whole map and fewer and fewer will show up at your base over time. But remember, there are probably several hundred thousand zombies on the whole map, so killing a few thousand is not that many.

[Snake]

I've been trying to research the advanced zombie options for a specific style of sandbox. and there has been some differing opinions on how certain features function.
So first what I'm after:
Fewer zombies at start.
Urban focused
I'd like to be able to mostly clear out an area and have it stay clear except for zombies moving in from edges. Ok with large groups migrating.

So want a high cell desired zombie number but almost no respawn inside the area.
Ideally having the zombies migrate in from other cells.

First question: The "Redistribute hours" setting says "migrate to empty parts of SAME cell" so do zombies migrate from other cells or not?

Second question: if i set respawn hours to 1 but set respawn unseen hours to Max then zombie will pretty much never spawn in an area i have traveled but will spawn until peak amount is reached else where. but still goes back to will they move into my area ( desired out come)?

[TrefanSVK]

Originally posted by Snake:

...
First question: The "Redistribute hours" setting says "migrate to empty parts of SAME cell" so do zombies migrate from other cells or not?...

I actually tested this in debug by completely clearing one whole cell. It seems that zombies indeed don't migrate from other cells.
Only a few who were near the cell border and passed through the border during their random little walks actually tried to spread themselves behind the border, but still near it.
So without respawn, your zombie fighting fun would be just at the mercy of meta events and your own loudness after some more zombie clearing.

[WillieSea]

Zombies do not migrate with you in the cells. When cells are no loaded into memory, zombies become a 'number' for the cell. And those numbers move from one cell to another.

[TrefanSVK]

Originally posted by WillieSea:

Zombies do not migrate with you in the cells. When cells are no loaded into memory, zombies become a 'number' for the cell. And those numbers move from one cell to another.

So empty cell could be possibly repopulated without both respawn and meta events acting?
You'd just have to leave far enough away from the cell? So it's not loaded?

edit: just tried that as well, no respawn, no meta events, zombie distribution 6 hours - cleared a cell, leaving the ones around it populated, teleported few cells away, sped up time... after month the cell is still cleared

[WillieSea]

Originally posted by TrefanSVK:

Originally posted by WillieSea:

Zombies do not migrate with you in the cells. When cells are no loaded into memory, zombies become a 'number' for the cell. And those numbers move from one cell to another.

So empty cell could be possibly repopulated without both respawn and meta events acting?
You'd just have to leave far enough away from the cell? So it's not loaded?

edit: just tried that as well, no respawn, no meta events, zombie distribution 6 hours - cleared a cell, leaving the ones around it populated, teleported few cells away, sped up time... after month the cell is still cleared

I don't think game time has anything to do with zombie respawn or zombie migration. It is all real time.
And I see respawn for sure working. And when I have respawn turned off, I see zombies slowly migrating into empty cells.
If you don't see that, then you either have a mod, or another setting stopping that activity.

[TrefanSVK]

The zombie distribution sandbox setting sets the migration within each cell every X hours, so I'd think time also has to do something with migration among cells, if there is any.
Or what do you mean real time? All other stuff (day time, peak day, overgrowth, shutoffs...) can be moved towards with the speeding up.

We're trying to figure out how migration works without respawn. (by "no respawn" in the other comment I meant I have it turned off)

Cells are those 300x300 tiles set squares all around the map, right?
How do you "see" zombies migrating into empty cells?
I'm using that zombie population map in debug mode and I can't see zeds marked/moving anywhere but in the square that moves with the player or anytime there is a loud noise/meta event - that's the only time I can see them moving even outside the player-square... that is, until they stop moving - after which they can be found where they stopped.

And I'm not using any mod, despite few maps mods. But those wouldn't have effect, would they?
Also no setting that would thwart that. I don't think there is any setting for migration despite the "zombie distribution" anyway. And like I said, I have that set to 6, so it's not turned off.

[IronSides]

Its so wonky though.... I have 3.0 zombie pop so TONS. Spend 3 days nothing but fighting to clear a LARGE area around. Drive to new neighborhood loot for less than a day. Come back zombies outside front door.

This is with no respawn for 1 month, like 730 hours.

So either they walked like 2 miles Straight to my door while I was away or something is off.

[NotReally]

Boiii, is this reason why I got almost no zombies in my cell? They don't enter it? Like 200-300 away I got plenty of smaller groups and 400-600 I even got large groups. Read books for like 2-3 days in row and only like 2 zombies came to my doorstep... ran around and did find couple more but they were solo zombies.

Edit: In a way I am glad that I dont have to deal with zombies all the time. Meanwhile on muldraugh road, thats goes through town, there are two hordes... like 60 zombies each :D

[Nordil(Hun)]

Originally posted by NotReally:

Boiii, is this reason why I got almost no zombies in my cell? They don't enter it? Like 200-300 away I got plenty of smaller groups and 400-600 I even got large groups. Read books for like 2-3 days in row and only like 2 zombies came to my doorstep... ran around and did find couple more but they were solo zombies.

Edit: In a way I am glad that I dont have to deal with zombies all the time. Meanwhile on muldraugh road, thats goes through town, there are two hordes... like 60 zombies each :D

No.
there is a respawn and population heat map. You can check where the highest density is, it also seems to affect respawn rates.
If your base has some built tiles, like floorboards etc, then those also prohibit respawns, however do not prohibit migration so zombies can migrate there.
But depending on the heatzone it can take a while.
Once i built a long road took me weeks or months in Rosewood, actually did not finish it. And i had cuz of it nearly half of Rosewood empty and have no spawn of zombies, even with the migration if i saw one zombie a week i would say much. So i could keep on building my road. Was a huge project, which i may return to in my current build later:D

[Nordil(Hun)]

Just encountered a huge migration. Thunderstorm after effect likely.
I am having my third thunderstorm this october.

I was going to check upon my bunnies when first i encountered a few zombies. A day later more. And on the third en mass heading north, Or were until they noticed/heard my car.
Thereafter i levelled up 2 levels with shooting and 3 with reloading.
And they are still migrating northward, so i took down my traps and went the other way to trap.
Is ridiculous though was like over 300 zeds i killed. (Shotgun, finally got to use it for something along with my m1911 and m9-es.) No ammo or gun on them, just 2 axes, a nightstick, a machete a handaxe. Some kitchen knives, one hunting knife, 3 screwdrivers and a scissor. But over 30 digital watches.
One of them also miraculously teleported over my blockade and trashed all my windows....(might be i will need to move to another of my prepped gas stations, since not sure how broken windows affect heat. Will see once i start up the antique oven.)

[WillieSea]

Guns make a lot of noise, so if your going to use them, expect every zombie within miles of you to come to your dinner bell.

[Radiosity]

Originally posted by WillieSea:

Guns make a lot of noise, so if your going to use them, expect every zombie within miles of you to come to your dinner bell.

That's the best use for 'em. Light fire, shoot off shotgun, kite the horde until it dies. Job done.

[WillieSea]

Originally posted by Radiosity:

Originally posted by WillieSea:

Guns make a lot of noise, so if your going to use them, expect every zombie within miles of you to come to your dinner bell.

That's the best use for 'em. Light fire, shoot off shotgun, kite the horde until it dies. Job done.

Not really.
With zombie respawn on, killing zombies is a temporary thing, that expends a lot of time and resources.

The best use for guns is to lure zombies away from where you want to loot. Then loose them, circle back around, and loot in a cleared area.