How to deal with high population?

[Zinkoner]

I've been playing the game for a while but always on custom sandboxes with lowered zombie spawns. I've done a few large clears, but always with firearms.

Recently I decided to try some of the vanilla challenge maps, which are all based on Six Months Later (from what I can tell). It... hasn't gone well. I just can't cope with the way that I get swarmed the moment I go outside. I can't fight them because I don't have good weapons; I can't run from them because when I run I just end up in the same situation five houses down the road.

How do people handle high population?

[8Squirrels]

You can use the old distract and grab strategy. The basic idea is you make enough noise to get the attention of everyone in the neighborhood, then you walk them off behind a nearby building or even better - into the woods. Remember, walk, don't run. You walk them there so you don't lose the back edge of the herd. Only run when you've got them to the location you want them to bunch up.

Once most of the zeds are off wandering around somewhere else, you desperately gather food and weapons. Eventually you have to to focus on leveling combat skills - that is to say, you have no choice, no matter how much you corral the herd the migration mechanic will drag them back to your location.

And good luck!

[Armagenesis]

Originally posted by Zinkoner:

I've been playing the game for a while but always on custom sandboxes with lowered zombie spawns. I've done a few large clears, but always with firearms.

Recently I decided to try some of the vanilla challenge maps, which are all based on Six Months Later (from what I can tell). It... hasn't gone well. I just can't cope with the way that I get swarmed the moment I go outside. I can't fight them because I don't have good weapons; I can't run from them because when I run I just end up in the same situation five houses down the road.

How do people handle high population?

Since you said vanilla challenge map, I'll have to assume you are either playing CDDA, winter is coming, a storm is coming, or descending fog.
These challenges will always spawn you in the north end of Muldraugh, near a trailer park.
The population there is pretty insane, almost as bad as the highway.
Your best bet is to either immediately head north towards the farmhouse or east towards the isolated house.

Just make sure to do it by going around the forest north of your spawn house, where there are less amount of zombies around. You can use the trees to slow down the zeds to lose them as well. After you get decent enough supplies, just use herding tactic to draw the zeds far away from where you want to be before running back to said location.

The biggest issue with storm and fog challenge, though, is having your vision extremely limited. Just be triple, quadruple more careful than you usually are. Running is a bad idea, and sneaking doesn't help much, so just make sure to walk carefully. Enter combat stance and do a 360 + pan the camera every now and then just to be super safe.

[Zinkoner]

Originally posted by Armagenesis:

Originally posted by Zinkoner:

I've been playing the game for a while but always on custom sandboxes with lowered zombie spawns. I've done a few large clears, but always with firearms.

Recently I decided to try some of the vanilla challenge maps, which are all based on Six Months Later (from what I can tell). It... hasn't gone well. I just can't cope with the way that I get swarmed the moment I go outside. I can't fight them because I don't have good weapons; I can't run from them because when I run I just end up in the same situation five houses down the road.

How do people handle high population?

Since you said vanilla challenge map, I'll have to assume you are either playing CDDA, winter is coming, a storm is coming, or descending fog.
These challenges will always spawn you in the north end of Muldraugh, near a trailer park.
The population there is pretty insane, almost as bad as the highway.
Your best bet is to either immediately head north towards the farmhouse or east towards the isolated house.

Just make sure to do it by going around the forest north of your spawn house, where there are less amount of zombies around. You can use the trees to slow down the zeds to lose them as well. After you get decent enough supplies, just use herding tactic to draw the zeds far away from where you want to be before running back to said location.

The biggest issue with storm and fog challenge, though, is having your vision extremely limited. Just be triple, quadruple more careful than you usually are. Running is a bad idea, and sneaking doesn't help much, so just make sure to walk carefully. Enter combat stance and do a 360 + pan the camera every now and then just to be super safe.

Winter is Coming.

I also tried Six Months Later outside the challenges, but ran into the same problems.

[Armagenesis]

Originally posted by Zinkoner:

Winter is Coming.

I also tried Six Months Later outside the challenges, but ran into the same problems.

If you play the regular SML, try spawning in Rosewood.
The amount of zeds is still pretty high, but won't be as extreme as the other starting towns.
If you are lucky enough, you can spawn in the house southeast of the town, where there are less zombies around.

Or in police station/fire station, where you can arm yourself as soon as possible. If you spawn in either building, you can try thinning the zeds population down by picking your fight. Kill one or two of them, then walk away from the horde, kill another one or two, rinse and repeat. No need to try killing every single zeds in the horde.

Or use fire. Fire gud.

[StormSpiritGB]

I die a lot even die spawning in just keep at it you will get better at the not trying to die part just takes time to get used to it now I see hordes of 40 to 60 and go yeah i can take that on.

[Quill]

Originally posted by Armagenesis:

Originally posted by Zinkoner:

Winter is Coming.

I also tried Six Months Later outside the challenges, but ran into the same problems.

If you play the regular SML, try spawning in Rosewood.
The amount of zeds is still pretty high, but won't be as extreme as the other starting towns.
If you are lucky enough, you can spawn in the house southeast of the town, where there are less zombies around.

Or in police station/fire station, where you can arm yourself as soon as possible. If you spawn in either building, you can try thinning the zeds population down by picking your fight. Kill one or two of them, then walk away from the horde, kill another one or two, rinse and repeat. No need to try killing every single zeds in the horde.

Or use fire. Fire gud.

PURGE THEM IN HOLY FLAME!

[Smokey]

Custom sandbox will give you bad habits, it's best to practice on Vanilla apocalypse before trying the challenge maps. You'll have a better starting off point. Good luck

[ProtecTron]

True Smokey, i'm having trouble whit CDDA game mode, the only zomboid mode I like to keep "if I die restart" policy. In these scenarios, you'll be 70% of the time walking, running or sneaking lol. The epic fIghting comes better at a later date.

OP as people said above, try to lure zeds to the forest, Idk how is the hearing setting on CDDA zombies but they seem to have quite good hearing.

After 800hrs i'm enjoying uncontroled fires in towns lol, I love the look of burned down civilization, ¿Do you? Not to mention, the sound of fire attracts nearby stragglers.

[Animalman]

Switch the microwave on. Chuck something burnable in the oven is a good start.
Yeah

Eagle Eye is the best friend you can have.
And you understand sometimes you'l take like gaps that are like one |______| this big and you will stagger when you take those gaps.

Loop around. So sometimes you run back towards the scary horde and take a tiny gap just so you can ball them up tighter, Sometimes you do that over and over.
Until they are managable. Then you can offload them somewhere and get in a quiet room for a rest sleep or loot, or you can guide them to a burn spot. Or get into the siren vehicle or whatever it might be.

If there is no opportunity. Then you are forced to go and look for it. Its really the only way. Some opportunities you can pass on, depends how the scattering of the zombies were and how intimidating the situation was.

Even on highest pop. out of town is quieter and more manageable.

[rmemech]

i always use insane population, no respawns on my playthroughs (dang it, i said stay dead!) i use to try to start in rosewood, but on insane, i just died a crapton while not gaining any traction. lately i have been running to isolated houses near water and just slowly and methodically clearing zombies in an increasing radius with crappy spears/bows (I use a mod for the bows) until i get better stuff. it's a seriously rough time for the first month or so, until you find some decent books/car/tools/etc. it just makes those finds all the sweeter. i wish you luck in your playthroughs!