This game is too frustrating and unbalanced.

[Aghro]

I am sure I am just the 12412541515 guy that posts something like this, but Here I go...
This game is too hardcore. I love the concept, the detail, the world, the rpg elements, the inventory managing, the leveling, the maps, etc. everything is so well done and makes me want to play.

Yet I have this game for years now, coming back now and then but I can't seem to enjoy this. This makes me feel like a souls games but without the reward of overcoming. Hell this game doesn't give a single inch, not anything. Maybe some people find this amusing, but I'm not a masochist. I play games as a form of escapism, not to get constantly frustrated because I can't even walk arround and loot.

This game is too hardcore/unbalanced because of zombies being some kind of robocop that can sense/see you through walls or 10 miles away. I searched for tips, and people says well, walk aorund try to lose them in corners or inside of buldings. I would try to do that only if it wasn't everything so infested by zombies that can see and hear you from a mile away.

Once you get spotted, you are ♥♥♥♥♥♥. If you try to walk away to another place you only end finding 50 zombies more with x-ray vision, eagle sight and sensors instead of ears that will add to the chase. Then you end up luring a massive horde without any chance to do anything but walk walk and walk and luring more zombies.

I'm so frustrated with this game and I read and watched several guides to no avail.
I'm pissed because I try to enjoy this and I really want, but I can't.

For the record I try play on sandbox mode.

That was a rant, yes. But if you want to give some tips feel free.
Also feel free to "git gud" me, I just had to vent.

EDIT: Thank you guys for all the tips and all the feedback I found there are some really useful things. Such a great community.
I'm motivated to keep trying for now, hope I git somewhat gud enough.

[Torpex]

You can start with playing on easy (builder) first and may be later on hard (apocalypse).

Sandbox game requires you to know what you wish to change.

I'd recommend to install the only mod first, https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2894296454&

It allows you to change the game settings without a restart. Start the builder difficulty and then tweak difficulty upwards.

As general tips go. If you like a long term char, police officer is best, short term - burglar/lumberjack/firefighter are better. Overall chars with 9 str, 9 fitness are easiest to play.

P.S. I think I have around 1500+ hrs on two accounts and I still die. I can go for months without any problems and then just one slipup and it's over.

[Shurenai]

Honestly, You need to learn how to avoid the zombies.... I know that's easier said than done. But it is what it is. The zombies don't have LIDAR or radar or anything like that.

Unlike other games, their sight range is NOT artificially gimped into nothingness. Their line of sight is just like yours- If you can see them and you're standing out in the middle of an open field, they can see you. You need to duck behind things, stay behind corners, stay out of their line of sight.

Similarly, their hearing is not artificially gimped into nothingness. If you're making noise, they can hear it. This is not limited to but includes running, sprinting, jogging, walking, swinging weapons and striking things, etc, etc, etc... You need to sneak, and be careful of what you're doing so they can't hear you.

The thing that most often trips up new players is zombie Memory. If you cut a corner, they keep track of you for about 1-1.5~ seconds after you break line of sight. In this way it simulates them tracking you through the obvious spaces behind the corner... You need to cut a corner, and then ideally cut another corner before they round the first, repeat till you've lost them.

It takes practice. The biggest thing I can tell you is to stop running everywhere; You literally walk faster than the zombies. Walk. It's quieter, it gives you more time to think and plan, it doesn't exhaust you so if you're forced into a fight you still have stamina.

[Puppers]

Sandbox settings that might help you:
Transmission: Saliva
Vision: poor
Hearing: poor
Strength{i think this is how much damage they do per attack} set to low
Rear Vulnerability set to low
multi-hit.

Make sure outline while aiming for anyweapon is on if it isnt.
Skill journal mod saves your skills if you are looking for something like that.
I tottally understand pz is not easy at first. But once you get the hang of the combat style its snicklefritz.

Those might help. Best thing to do is to try settings until you find your slice of apple n trimmings that work for your playstyle.

I live in westpoint in this playthrough and setting the vision to poor has really helped me. I die A LOT.

[Khan Boyzitbig of Mercia]

Zombies can only see about 20 tiles in front of them, and aren't guaranteed to spot you inside that range.

[gay]

The zombies have two types of tracking and it's a bit unintuitive, but if there's something solid between you and the zombie and they havent seen you for a couple of seconds, they will go to where they think you are, and that's when you can sneak away properly.

Other than that I echo the sentiment of the other people in this thread. Change the settings and make the game easier and more fun for yourself- It's a sandbox, do whatever you want with it.

[Quasimofo]

If I had a single critique it's that bites on clothed bodyparts, ESPECIALLY leather-covered bodyparts, should never be guaranteed. So many hours have been lost when the first mistake was a bite to my leather-gloved hand or the all-too-common groin bite.

Go try to bite through a leather coat that's in perfect condition with your healthy teeth and gums. Do Zomboid Zombies have titanium teeth, or hydraulic jaws? What's going on here?

[Armagenesis]

Originally posted by Quasimofo:

If I had a single critique it's that bites on clothed bodyparts, ESPECIALLY leather-covered bodyparts, should never be guaranteed. So many hours have been lost when the first mistake was a bite to my leather-gloved hand or the all-too-common groin bite.

Go try to bite through a leather coat that's in perfect condition with your healthy teeth and gums. Do Zomboid Zombies have titanium teeth, or hydraulic jaws? What's going on here?

On some media, zombies are considered to have stronger physical force compared to living humans because they no longer have their limiters. So maybe that?

Their bite strength is so strong it could tear a thin layer of leather and skin. Or stuff like that.

[[HTLR] Arthur Moregank]

Skill issue.

Jokes aside, as said by #5, combat can be a bit janky. That doesn't mean it's hard, though, i.e., you can hammer hordes just by backpedaling and hitting and pushing zombies that come close. Everything else is elementary.

[Quasimofo]

Originally posted by Armagenesis:

Originally posted by Quasimofo:

If I had a single critique it's that bites on clothed bodyparts, ESPECIALLY leather-covered bodyparts, should never be guaranteed. So many hours have been lost when the first mistake was a bite to my leather-gloved hand or the all-too-common groin bite.

Go try to bite through a leather coat that's in perfect condition with your healthy teeth and gums. Do Zomboid Zombies have titanium teeth, or hydraulic jaws? What's going on here?

On some media, zombies are considered to have stronger physical force compared to living humans because they no longer have their limiters. So maybe that?

Their bite strength is so strong it could tear a thin layer of leather and skin. Or stuff like that.

To each their own and I always adjust it for singleplayer through mods to make bites not death sentences. I understand the game is brutal and unforgiving and even then only so much before you mod it to make it harder but I can't help but feel dressing for the occasion should stop your first ever wound from being the final wound and ending of your 100+ hour run when there was nothing more you could have done to mitigate damage in the eventuality it happens.

Players should be rewarded for wearing clothing that offers protection rather than being left to feel as thought they should throw on shoes and run around naked should the weather permit it and be just as safe. RNG is RNG, but the groin bite is specifically brought up to show the very worst of this mechanic.

Jesus christ apparently I have 1,035 hours in this ♥♥♥♥ and if I truly had one major criticism, it's entirely around how many times a bite has been the very first wound in a very long run, after I've 10-capped stats at vanilla rates. That's not fun. God forbid it happens in a multiplayer environment.

[hardy_conrad]

Heh if rants weren't allowed we'd lose ninety percent of the comments on anything, not just video games. Honestly I get it. This is a freaking hard game, especially without mods. But one thing I'd suggest is giving multiplayer a look. With a good community people will absolutely go out of their way to help you find your feet. Even with high zombie respawn rates if an area has enough player traffic the numbers can be culled considerably. Provided a server has been running for a while Rosewood is surprisingly empty, I think it's a function of how migration works.

So long story short give multiplayer a try, might help.

[disa4ster]

Originally posted by Aghro:

I am sure I am just the 12412541515 guy that posts something like this, but Here I go...
This game is too hardcore. I love the concept, the detail, the world, the rpg elements, the inventory managing, the leveling, the maps, etc. everything is so well done and makes me want to play.

Yet I have this game for years now, coming back now and then but I can't seem to enjoy this. This makes me feel like a souls games but without the reward of overcoming. Hell this game doesn't give a single inch, not anything. Maybe some people find this amusing, but I'm not a masochist. I play games as a form of escapism, not to get constantly frustrated because I can't even walk arround and loot.

This game is too hardcore/unbalanced because of zombies being some kind of robocop that can sense/see you through walls or 10 miles away. I searched for tips, and people says well, walk aorund try to lose them in corners or inside of buldings. I would try to do that only if it wasn't everything so infested by zombies that can see and hear you from a mile away.

Once you get spotted, you are ♥♥♥♥♥♥. If you try to walk away to another place you only end finding 50 zombies more with x-ray vision, eagle sight and sensors instead of ears that will add to the chase. Then you end up luring a massive horde without any chance to do anything but walk walk and walk and luring more zombies.

I'm so frustrated with this game and I read and watched several guides to no avail.
I'm pissed because I try to enjoy this and I really want, but I can't.

For the record I try play on sandbox mode.

That was a rant, yes. But if you want to give some tips feel free.
Also feel free to "git gud" me, I just had to vent.

Massive skill issue. If your not willing to learn, stick to sandbox mode where all the noobs go to. If you are, dm me and I can give you advice on what your doing wrong.

[[B&E] Killer Pineapple]

Set the game to an easier level
Spawn in Rosewood
Build your skills with a stealth focus
Use the burglar profession so you can hotwire a car for chopper event.
It's not a zombie fighter game. Every meter (yard?) gained is a win.
Jog to a house corner then sneak. Sneaking AFTER you break line of sight seems to be what breaks a zombies "heat seeking" lock on you.
Slowly slowly
Good luck

[Leokas]

I felt the same way when I started. Honestly its not so much the difficulty its the really steep learning curve with no hand holding. As others have suggested putting the settings lower can increase your enjoyment while you learn. I stuck it out and kept them a bit higher than default and I tell ya it was a slog. Once you learn it though it is easy to loose hours playing and never have that feeling of being overwhelmed. Unless you blind jump a high fence...

That being said, I'm coming up on my 100 hours and like 10th survivor who has been alive like 60ish days. I am rooky af. So as a non hardcore non masochist here is a few tips that helped me.

#1 - The hardest part of the whole thing is the start. Don't pick fights early on. Sneak everywhere. Even once you have a weapon, don't pick fights if you can avoid it and my rule is any zombie number larger than 3 is a "is it really worth it?" moment.

#2 - Spears. Once you find a knife and get planks, spears are easy to craft and give you ranged attacks. They break easy early on but they are still my goto weapons. Can also use them to fish.

#3 - Don't loot everything early. My first few characters died from greed. Look for somewhere easy to defend/fortify and base up. Gather in the nearby area then start making loot trips.

#4 -Learn the zombies. This was tough for me because all my other zombies games from 7days to Dying Light they are just straight forward. Like someone else already said, they see and hear just like you do. Use fences and trees. Put sheets on windows and keep quiet. The memory is really what makes it feel like they are always hunting you once spotted. I spent a bit of time learning the area around my hub and have a few different spots to ditch zeds. If you cut line of sight remember to do it a second time. Always 2 Corners. Don't sprint if you can avoid it.

#5 - My last character died because I spent too much time messing around before water and power went out. Try not to waste too many days doing nothing.

Lastly - Fitness and Gear. Your character needs good food and good exercise. If you plan to take on large hoards guns help alot. Or if you do it melee, fireman gear will help protect from bites and scratches. This is a bit up to RNG but keeping your character fit and fed will lead you being able to handle large groups later with relative ease.

Sorry for the text wall, hope some of these tips help you have some fun.

[william_es]

Yeah, the game has a steep learning curve, and it can be brutal at times. You're not wrong on that.

Sometimes the only thing you can do is try to focus on one small section of the game, and try to do better in that one subject. Maybe you die, maybe you live. Eventually you'll get good at that one thing, then you start on another. I can remember when I first started playing and I died a lot. It was frustrating.

If you run into a threat, and need to run way, you only go back into the territory you came from. Running in other directions will often be a death sentence like you described. Sneak all the time, every time, everywhere. Running is for an emergency only.

And if you retreat, be prepared to find a lone straggler wandered in behind you. Sometimes when you walk through a deserted street, there might be a single zombie sitting against a wall... it will get up and follow you. You might not even see it. If you move fast enough, you can outdistance it and it will eventually give up as it can't detect you anymore. It will just go into idle mode, maybe right in the middle of the street.

Because of this, I often stop and check behind me. Most of the time there's nothing. But every once in a while I have those OH @^%# moments when I realize I've got a little mob behind me I've been leading around.

And concentrate on good weapon skills. Stick with a single class until you get it to 3 or 4 skill. I like short blunt. I build a lot in zomboid, so I have a hammer in my hand frequently. I frequently pick an occupation with lots of short blunt weapon skill.

[kongkim]

The game is hardcore, and im in the same boat. don't always like it to be too hard as i often just like to build.
But there are A LOT of settings in the game to tweak it :)
So what i often do is lower the zombies sight, no fast runners and low memory. That make them a bit easier to avoide and get aways from but not to easy as the game in general still is very hard.