How in the ♥♥♥♥ do I avoid spending over a week in-game watching TV and reading books, just to die as soon as I do anything other than hopping between residential houses?

[Eqqsquizitine Buble-Schwinslow]

So, I have the early game pretty much nailed.

I find the best backpack I can get my hands on.

I make sure to pick up food, water, weapons, medical supplies, skill books, you name it.

I spend most of my time training skills, watching TV, searching for incrementally better loot, all while making sure not to draw the attention of more than a handful of zombies at a time.
(With some exceptions. After all, ♥♥♥♥ does go south every now and again, and I might end up running from a horde, losing them by barreling through buildings and closing every door/window I can manage after passing through it.)

After the skill shows stop, and the helicopter has passed, and I've leveled carpentry, tailoring, cooking, and foraging, along with a few melee skills, movement skills like sneaking, and sometimes a few others along the way, I set up a goal.

This time, I was planning on getting to the Rosewood fire station, boarding it up (I had 6 carpentry and nails to spare) and using it as my base of operations for the foreseeable future.

HOWEVER

On my way there, I get swamped by 30 zombies. The areas I previously cleared have since had a metric ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ of new deadheads spawn in, so running through residential houses in order to lose them is no longer an option.

I run, and I occasionally smack a zomboid over the head, and I run again.
Now, I'm exhausted, so exhausted in fact, that I can barely walk.
Still, I manage to barely keep myself out of the gnawing, fetid maws behind me.

I make a mistake, I get lacerated on the head by a walking corpse.
25% chance of unavoidable death is pretty awful.
It's bleeding a lot.
♥♥♥♥.
But I have a disinfectant-soaked bandage in my pack, so somehow, I manage to put enough distance between me and the rotters to wrap my noggin and keep on truckin'.

"If I can just make it past these buildings, I KNOW I can reach either my intended goal, or at least the police station, either way I might be able to use furniture to barricade myself off and sneak in some rest, allowing me a fighting chance. I can do this."

I can't continue down the parking lot I'm currently traversing.
There are several gaggles of gnashers in front of me, and over a dozen right up my ass.

I duck into a store, trying to close the door behind me.
I do, but the adrenaline has me double-tapping the E key.
"OH ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ CUMGUZZLING GOD ALMIGHTY I OPENED THE DOOR AGAIN AND THEY'RE RIGHT ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ THERE WHY IS THIS THE WAY IT DOES WHAT IT DO"

They don't manage to grab me. I keep walking, but now I can either go left, or right.
But I don't know the layout of this building, and even if I did, I'm panicking.
I choose left.
I am, officially, ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ retarded.
I run down, and find myself behind the counter of the store.

I debate ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ myself with a powerdrill as the zombies catch up to me.
My leather jacket is like paper to their teeth.
My hopes and dreams, like nougat filling.

I have wasted yet another day playing this ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ game.

When I inevitably decide to once again punish myself with this game tomorrow, what can I do to steer away from my current path of slowly developing clinical schizophrenia,
a path undoubtedly culminating with me breaking into my local church and lighting my gasoline-covered self on fire?

[Undefined]

Originally posted by Eqqsquizitine Buble-Schwinslow:

How in the ♥♥♥♥ do I avoid spending over a week in-game watching TV and reading books, just to die as soon as I do anything other than hopping between residential houses?

By not wasting time watching TV/reading books/leveling up. You wait until you can prove that you can survive two months and have a solid grasp of the game, and then you can start reading books / leveling up early in the game.

[DarkFenix]

Simple. You're expending a lot of effort preparing for the long game when you haven't even grasped the basics that will let you reliably survive a single day. Don't do that and you'll succeed.

Stop reading all those guides about how to make the optimal metagamey start, instead look to ones that teach you the basics of how to survive your first week in game. Learn the basic skills required to do that and work upwards from there.

[dustbiter]

I never go after watching the TV shows and never use the VHS tapes, my characters can survive well without using them. In the first days I don't read books much, usually there's a lot of zombie clearing to do, and other tasks like getting a working car. You don't need to board up where you stay, keeping a large area around your home clear of zombies is enough to secure it.

[bayaholic]

Nice write up. I like your story. It had my attention like a zombie movie. I am also a noob.

In my current play through, my character is 2.5 days old and I have been in the same house for 1 whole day reading books. Time to move on after reading these other posts. I am wasting time.

Thanks all for posting your ideas.

[Ashling]

You could set up a goal which doesn't require you to use any skills. Heck, make stupid goals that don't matter in the slightest: start wearing nothing and try and find a fancy suit, make a cake, burn a city to the ground. Maybe all three of those in one life. Go wild!

[Psycha]

Use the journal mod.

Can recover recipes learned and skill xp. Using a simple crafting recipe that is easily achieved minutes after spawning. Get a pen/pencil and write down exp you learn and recipes if option is enabled.

[Chrono]

Originally posted by Eqqsquizitine Buble-Schwinslow:

So, I have the early game pretty much nailed.

I find the best backpack I can get my hands on.

I make sure to pick up food, water, weapons, medical supplies, skill books, you name it.

I spend most of my time training skills, watching TV, searching for incrementally better loot, all while making sure not to draw the attention of more than a handful of zombies at a time.
(With some exceptions. After all, ♥♥♥♥ does go south every now and again, and I might end up running from a horde, losing them by barreling through buildings and closing every door/window I can manage after passing through it.)

After the skill shows stop, and the helicopter has passed, and I've leveled carpentry, tailoring, cooking, and foraging, along with a few melee skills, movement skills like sneaking, and sometimes a few others along the way, I set up a goal.

This time, I was planning on getting to the Rosewood fire station, boarding it up (I had 6 carpentry and nails to spare) and using it as my base of operations for the foreseeable future.

HOWEVER

On my way there, I get swamped by 30 zombies. The areas I previously cleared have since had a metric ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ of new deadheads spawn in, so running through residential houses in order to lose them is no longer an option.

I run, and I occasionally smack a zomboid over the head, and I run again.
Now, I'm exhausted, so exhausted in fact, that I can barely walk.
Still, I manage to barely keep myself out of the gnawing, fetid maws behind me.

I make a mistake, I get lacerated on the head by a walking corpse.
25% chance of unavoidable death is pretty awful.
It's bleeding a lot.
♥♥♥♥.
But I have a disinfectant-soaked bandage in my pack, so somehow, I manage to put enough distance between me and the rotters to wrap my noggin and keep on truckin'.

"If I can just make it past these buildings, I KNOW I can reach either my intended goal, or at least the police station, either way I might be able to use furniture to barricade myself off and sneak in some rest, allowing me a fighting chance. I can do this."

I can't continue down the parking lot I'm currently traversing.
There are several gaggles of gnashers in front of me, and over a dozen right up my ass.

I duck into a store, trying to close the door behind me.
I do, but the adrenaline has me double-tapping the E key.
"OH ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ CUMGUZZLING GOD ALMIGHTY I OPENED THE DOOR AGAIN AND THEY'RE RIGHT ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ THERE WHY IS THIS THE WAY IT DOES WHAT IT DO"

They don't manage to grab me. I keep walking, but now I can either go left, or right.
But I don't know the layout of this building, and even if I did, I'm panicking.
I choose left.
I am, officially, ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ retarded.
I run down, and find myself behind the counter of the store.

I debate ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ myself with a powerdrill as the zombies catch up to me.
My leather jacket is like paper to their teeth.
My hopes and dreams, like nougat filling.

I have wasted yet another day playing this ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ game.

When I inevitably decide to once again punish myself with this game tomorrow, what can I do to steer away from my current path of slowly developing clinical schizophrenia,
a path undoubtedly culminating with me breaking into my local church and lighting my gasoline-covered self on fire?

it's really a matter of needing to learn the combat to the point where you can fight like 30 zombies with a frying skillet and making sure you never get stuck in a super exhausted state because exhaustion is the real killer in this game and needs to be managed heavily until you have great fitness or start with great fitness

PS nimbleness is broken and if you can pick up a feat that raises it for increased exp gains you will be golden within like 2 weeks in game after leveling it up to 3 to 4

[D4CR33P3R]

i usually turn up the multiplier to 2.0 at 300 days or so and i always turn off respawn.

[Ykario]

Well, from what I read in your post and others :

- Don't spend that much time reading books etc. It's not worth the time wasted when you don't know how to survive longer than that.

- For the exhaustion : Don't run. If the zombies are not sprinters, you can out-walk them. So, just walk, jog if you really need to, and run... never ?

- The only survival skills you should concentrate on in early game are combat ones, really. Being a good carpenter, fisherman, forager etc won't save you in the short run. Levelling up your sneakiness, nimbleness, maintenance and fighting skills with X weapon will. I recommend using a crowbar if you can find one. They're perfect for leveling up Maintenance, have a decent durability, range and damage.

- Do NOT use the skill recovery journal mod just yet. You can't survive long enough to use it, and you won't learn how to efficiently level up your skills if you can just find a book with all your skills back after a death. (Well, do as you please, I just find it not really helpful for new players)

- If you really have problems : Sandbox, play with the options, like zombie respawn etc. I personally always turn off the respawn, but add more zombies, bigger hordes etc to balance it, for me it makes no sens for zombies tu just appear out of thin air.

[Armagenesis]

Sounds like you are playing default apocalypse setting.

Catching up to Life and Living is good but shouldn't be a centerpiece of your first week. Zombie respawn is fast in that mode, so I personally prefer to be Pied Piper on the first week and kite the all zeds far away from where I want to set my base. Then slowly wall-up.

[william_es]

One thing I've done repeatedly in different playthroughs is make a 2nd story raised path, that connects different buildings through the town. Have various points with windows and escape ropes.

This works best if you have found a sledgehammer, and you can knock out all the stairs in each building, so there's NO way zombies can reach the second floor.

Here's some screenshots from my current playthrough.


This is my character leaving the "riparian" restaurant in riverside. I've knocked the stairs out of the restaurant, and the motel to the south. The second floor of both is completely safe. And yes, I haven't added any "supports" under the walkway. I usually do for believability's sake. Just short on wood and time at the moment (you'll see why).

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2871112277

Southeast corner of motel to the stripmall to the east. Escape rope access point for getting up and down. There are ropes EVERYWHERE.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2871112333

Taking a stroll through the neighborhood across the roofs of the stripmall.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2871112525

The gap between clothing store and pharmacy. I have to jog along the side of the pharmacy, because any attempt to step from walkway to roof of the pharmacy causes my chacter to fall INTO the pharmacy. I stopped fighting it and just went around.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2871112476

in front of enigma bookstore in riverside.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2871112432

the end of the second stripmall. The bank and gigamart are directly south of this. This is as far as I've gotten in this playthrough. The bank and gigamart have already been prepped (stairs removed, and ropes galore out of every window on the 2nd floor). I plan to connect them too.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2871112452

The point of all of this is that I have a raised, totally safe, zombie free "road" i can take through town. If I'm being chased, I only have to make it to the nearest access point, climb a rope, and I'm freeeeeeee.

I started this nonsense in early playthroughs because I got repeatedly killed trying to carry back super heavy things (propane grills, couches, etc).

Like in this playthrough, I JUST found a generator in a toolshed. I only had to carry that generator 2 blocks, to the last screenshot above, and I was homefree.

Got up on top of the stripmall, and it was a nice sunday stroll to my base after that, safe as kittens. I could stop, drop the generator, and rest as much as I wanted.

[Eqqsquizitine Buble-Schwinslow]

Originally posted by Armagenesis:

Sounds like you are playing default apocalypse setting.

Catching up to Life and Living is good but shouldn't be a centerpiece of your first week. Zombie respawn is fast in that mode, so I personally prefer to be Pied Piper on the first week and kite the all zeds far away from where I want to set my base. Then slowly wall-up.

I am. I have some kind of disorder where I feel heavily inclined to play a game "the way the devs intended", basically an extension of my compulsive tendencies.

Originally posted by bayaholic:

Nice write up. I like your story. It had my attention like a zombie movie. I am also a noob.

In my current play through, my character is 2.5 days old and I have been in the same house for 1 whole day reading books. Time to move on after reading these other posts. I am wasting time.

Thanks all for posting your ideas.

Glad I brought enjoyment to you. That's at least one silver lining.

Originally posted by Chrono:

it's really a matter of needing to learn the combat to the point where you can fight like 30 zombies with a frying skillet and making sure you never get stuck in a super exhausted state because exhaustion is the real killer in this game and needs to be managed heavily until you have great fitness or start with great fitness

Can fighting 30 zombies at a time with a skillet actually be done on Apocalypse?
As soon as I start needing to juggle more than 3 or 4 at a time, my attack speed becomes a major issue.


Thanks for the advice guys.
I'm going to throw myself head first into the trenches with your tips in mind.
I'll try to refrain from rage-posting in the future.

[DarkFenix]

Originally posted by El Pulpy (Ykario):

Well, from what I read in your post and others :

- Don't spend that much time reading books etc. It's not worth the time wasted when you don't know how to survive longer than that.

- For the exhaustion : Don't run. If the zombies are not sprinters, you can out-walk them. So, just walk, jog if you really need to, and run... never ?

- The only survival skills you should concentrate on in early game are combat ones, really. Being a good carpenter, fisherman, forager etc won't save you in the short run. Levelling up your sneakiness, nimbleness, maintenance and fighting skills with X weapon will. I recommend using a crowbar if you can find one. They're perfect for leveling up Maintenance, have a decent durability, range and damage.

- Do NOT use the skill recovery journal mod just yet. You can't survive long enough to use it, and you won't learn how to efficiently level up your skills if you can just find a book with all your skills back after a death. (Well, do as you please, I just find it not really helpful for new players)

- If you really have problems : Sandbox, play with the options, like zombie respawn etc. I personally always turn off the respawn, but add more zombies, bigger hordes etc to balance it, for me it makes no sens for zombies tu just appear out of thin air.

Yeah, books, TV, that kind of thing, they're a long term investment. You'll appreciate having done them when you're surviving into your 2nd+ month and you actually want to do advanced activities, but none of them actually help you with the "not getting eaten by zombies" skills so they're decidedly a secondary priority.

Very much so. For a 'normal' character you'll be walking most places, running is for an emergency. The caveat to this is a character with 9 or 10 fitness (which you'll only have if you start with it), which has a massive reduction (something like 80-90%) in run stamina consumption, they can actually afford to just run more or less everywhere.

Carpentry is quite useful in the pretty short term. Not a super high level, but having enough to make walls and such is very nice. So we're talking like level 2-3, beyond that can wait. You also can't predict when the water will shut off, so being closer to the threshold for rainwater collectors is nice.

[Shady Allie]

Originally posted by Eqqsquizitine Buble-Schwinslow:

I have some kind of disorder where I feel heavily inclined to play a game "the way the devs intended", basically an extension of my compulsive tendencies.

I need to point out that the dev's intention was for players to use the sandbox settings. It wasn't an accident that we have full mod support and extreme sandbox settings to use.

The Developers intended for us to use the sandbox settings. They made a conscious decision from the very beginning to have the players use the sandbox.

You need to think of the presets they added as an introduction to using the sandbox settings. Apocalypse setting is NOT "this is how we want you play" it is an example of settings to try out.

If they did not intend you to be able to set many many things how you like, they would have never spent the time to add all those toggles and switches. Same goes for modding. They intended from day one for players to mod this game. It was a design choice.

So tell me how do the dev's intend you play? Exactly how you want.

Do not be afraid to explore the developer given gift of the sandbox settings, that is how they intended you to play.

[ddemsul]

my characters try to watch TV at 6, 12, and 6 PM. (getting any watch/time device is important) In between I loot. Book reading occurs when it's dark out and I'm chilling in the safe house.