Camouflage attack not working

[Dionysus 🐭]

I thought it was supposed to allow you to attack zombies while under camouflage without getting detected, yet whenever I attack a zombie while under camouflage, both the zombie I attacked and every other zombie near me gets alerted for a few seconds, making the skill essentially useless. If I wait a few seconds they will go back to being docile, yet if this is intended then what exactly is the point of this skill?

[jasnxl]

Camouflage is actually just the first part of several important skills in the game.

There's Camouflage[dyinglight.fandom.com], which masks you from most, but not all, Zombies. Then there's Camouflage Attack[dyinglight.fandom.com], which will allow you to attack a zombie while using camouflage. Then there's the very useful Takedown[dyinglight.fandom.com], which when combined with Camouflage allows you to infiltrate groups of zombies and kill them all without even using a weapon.

Lastly there's the Ultimate Survivor[dyinglight.fandom.com] skill which lengthens the amount of time you are hidden by camouflage.

BTW, if you use Camouflage Attack to attack a zombie while using camouflage, or you bump into another zombie while using camouflage, they will attack you, even if you're camouflage hasn't worn off.

[Pigeons555]

The best way to use Camoflauge is to combine it with Takedown, not actually beating things to death under it. You just camoflauge and then run behind zombies and do the prompt to snap their necks, killing them instantly. Rinse, repeat, reapply camoflauge every once in a while and you never have to use anything else if you don't want.

I'm assuming Camoflauge Attack just makes it so that your camoflauge isn't removed when you perform melee attacks.

Camoflauge works on Virals and regular Volatiles too, but evolved Volatiles will see through it. You can't do a takedown on a Volatile obviously. Also don't forget that attacking zombies or otherwise getting physical with them will make them hostile, and shooting guns and swimming completely removes your camoflauge.

You can also use the Bow and Crossbow while camoflauged without breaking it.

[Dionysus 🐭]

Originally posted by jasnxl:

Camouflage is actually just the first part of several important skills in the game.

There's Camouflage[dyinglight.fandom.com], which masks you from most, but not all, Zombies. Then there's Camouflage Attack[dyinglight.fandom.com], which will allow you to attack a zombie while using camouflage, and they won't be able to see you to retaliate. Then there's the very useful Takedown[dyinglight.fandom.com], which when combined with Camouflage allows you to infiltrate groups of zombies and kill them all without even using a weapon.

Lastly there's the Ultimate Survivor[dyinglight.fandom.com] skill which lengthens the amount of time you are hidden by camouflage.

BTW, if you bump into ANY zombie while using camouflage they're able to see and attack you.

Which is what I have. I am not using takedown, just Camouflage Attack, which doesn't work, as I listed above.

Originally posted by Pigeons555:

The best way to use Camoflauge is to combine it with Takedown, not actually beating things to death under it. You just camoflauge and then run behind zombies and do the prompt to snap their necks, killing them instantly. Rinse, repeat, reapply camoflauge every once in a while and you never have to use anything else if you don't want.

I'm assuming Camoflauge Attack just makes it so that your camoflauge isn't removed when you perform melee attacks.

Camoflauge works on Virals and regular Volatiles too, but evolved Volatiles will see through it. You can't do a takedown on a Volatile obviously. Also don't forget that attacking zombies or otherwise getting physical with them will make them hostile, and shooting guns and swimming completely removes your camoflauge.

You can also use the Bow and Crossbow while camoflauged without breaking it.

Thanks for the advice, but my issue is with Camouflage Attack not working (camo is still breaking for a few seconds after attacking).

[Poppi !!]

It'll break instantly if your using guns too.

[Dionysus 🐭]

Originally posted by _Stanley_:

It'll break instantly if your using guns too.

Yep, but I am using melee.

[jasnxl]

Originally posted by aaronth07:

Which is what I have. I am not using takedown, just Camouflage Attack, which doesn't work, as I listed above.

My mistake. It's been a long time since I was going through the skill trees but I just went out and tested this. Using Camouflage Attack and attacking a zombie, if you don't kill it, the zombie can then see you and attack you.

What Camouflage Attack skill provides you, is just the ability to attack a zombie while using camouflage. (Unfortunately the wiki is incorrect). The minute you attack the zombie, if you didn't kill it, it will attack you, even if your camouflage hasn't worn off. (edited my original response above) If you're using camouflage to go into a group of zombies, when you attack one zombie you're almost certainly attacking others too with your swings. At that point all the attacked zombies are able to see and attack you.

So to answer your original question. The only way you can use Camouflage and kill zombies without being detected is to one shot kill them. You can do this with a strong weapon, (but you also risk becoming visible to other zombies in the group if your swing impacts them), however the way that most of us do this, is to use Camouflage, Camouflage Attack with Takedown, which silently kills the zombie and doesn't bother anyone else in the group.

[Dionysus 🐭]

Originally posted by jasnxl:

Originally posted by aaronth07:

Which is what I have. I am not using takedown, just Camouflage Attack, which doesn't work, as I listed above.

My mistake. It's been a long time since I was going through the skill trees but I just went out and tested this. Using Camouflage Attack and attacking a zombie, if you don't kill it, the zombie can then see you and attack you.

What Camouflage Attack skill provides you, is just the ability to attack a zombie while using camouflage. (Unfortunately the wiki is incorrect). The minute you attack the zombie, if you didn't kill it, it will attack you, even if your camouflage hasn't worn off. (edited my original response above) If you're using camouflage to go into a group of zombies, when you attack one zombie you're almost certainly attacking others too with your swings. At that point all the attacked zombies are able to see and attack you.

So to answer your original question. The only way you can use Camouflage and kill zombies without being detected is to one shot kill them. You can do this with a strong weapon, (but you also risk becoming visible to other zombies in the group if your swing impacts them), however the way that most of us do this, is to use Camouflage, Camouflage Attack with Takedown, which silently kills the zombie and doesn't bother anyone else in the group.

Well that explains it, thanks. I do wonder what the use of the skill is (without something like the takedown skill) if the zombie can still attack you.

[Valtiel]

Well that explains it, thanks. I do wonder what the use of the skill is (without something like the takedown skill) if the zombie can still attack you.

I've found it useful for getting left alone by virals, particularly in Old Town where they can chain-spawn. The grappling hook doesn't seem to count as movement for losing the camouflage, so you can zip around the city without having to fight. It's also useful in lockpicking police vans/cruisers when you don't want to fight. Useful on Infamy Bridge, as you can pop open the door, let a couple zombies in, camo from their corpses, and then open all the vans there.

[Dionysus 🐭]

Originally posted by Valtiel:

Well that explains it, thanks. I do wonder what the use of the skill is (without something like the takedown skill) if the zombie can still attack you.

I've found it useful for getting left alone by virals, particularly in Old Town where they can chain-spawn. The grappling hook doesn't seem to count as movement for losing the camouflage, so you can zip around the city without having to fight. It's also useful in lockpicking police vans/cruisers when you don't want to fight. Useful on Infamy Bridge, as you can pop open the door, let a couple zombies in, camo from their corpses, and then open all the vans there.

Well I meant the attack skill specifically, not camouflage in general. Also, virals still follow you even through camouflage (they just don't attack), so I don't think it's too useful for escaping them either.

[DedZedNub]

There is the additional side problem of interaction between Weapon Effects and Enemies with Effects, or the Environment.

Example, early on in DL I liked to try out the different weapon effects. I put Fire on one Melee Weapon, and I put Toxic on another one.

Now, this turned out to be a not so great idea. I wondered why I was being attacked so much when Camouflaged even if doing a Camouflage Attack. I also wondered why so many Virals were coming for me, searching for me, or spawning wave after wave.

Turns out that Virals react to explosive or loud sounds. Well anytime your Toxic Effect meets a Fire Effect, there is a chance it will ignite, and when it does so you will often hear an louder gas ignition sound or explosion -- which attracts a wave of Virals.

Same thing basically happens when your Toxic Effect crafted Weapon meets a Burning Zombie, or one just hit by a Molotov, or one that just got lit up by walking thru a fuel puddle that got lit up by a Firecracker or Burning Zombie, etc, etc.

The worse are these Burning Zombies. The ones that are "born" that way, have a Flaming Aura around them, but they don't seem to take damage from the flames on them. So say you start Lockpicking while Camouflage, but you have a Toxic Crafted Melee Weapon in your hand, or a corpse of a Toxic Zombie beneath your feet that still is giving off gas -- he ignites the Toxic Effect, flames erupt, you get slightly burned, an explosion goes off attracting zombies AND NOW THE COUP DE GRACE -- The Burning Zombie treats your flame ignition as an attack on it and it now sees you as pain and attacks you on sight, because you "attacked" it.


Whoa BABY!! That is BAD NEWS!!

So Flames and Toxic are useful effects but they may not be the best to use when utilizing camo or attacking large groups. In such a case, you may instead want to use effect interaction offensively rather than as a stealth approach.

[MadBone12]

Camo is very useful if used properly. I am almost never without it when out in the open. I move through the world all bloody and it works great. As stated, when camo is fully levelled up, any zombie you attack will see you (or if you stun it or knock if over by bumping into it). However, unlike the first level of camo, no other zombies around will spot you. The best thing is to either use a camo and takedown combo (you can take out limitless zombies while taking no damage), or use camo and a high damage weapon in a crowd of zombies. Even if you don't kill all of them, if you immediately use camo again after chopping into a crowd, even the zombies you attack don't attack back if they are still alive - it's like putting fresh blood on you makes you invisible, even to the ones you just attacked. I have used camo and whirlwind with a high damage axe this way, and cleaned out entire squares in Old Town.

[Dionysus 🐭]

Originally posted by DedZedNub:

There is the additional side problem of interaction between Weapon Effects and Enemies with Effects, or the Environment.

Example, early on in DL I liked to try out the different weapon effects. I put Fire on one Melee Weapon, and I put Toxic on another one.

Now, this turned out to be a not so great idea. I wondered why I was being attacked so much when Camouflaged even if doing a Camouflage Attack. I also wondered why so many Virals were coming for me, searching for me, or spawning wave after wave.

Turns out that Virals react to explosive or loud sounds. Well anytime your Toxic Effect meets a Fire Effect, there is a chance it will ignite, and when it does so you will often hear an louder gas ignition sound or explosion -- which attracts a wave of Virals.

Same thing basically happens when your Toxic Effect crafted Weapon meets a Burning Zombie, or one just hit by a Molotov, or one that just got lit up by walking thru a fuel puddle that got lit up by a Firecracker or Burning Zombie, etc, etc.

The worse are these Burning Zombies. The ones that are "born" that way, have a Flaming Aura around them, but they don't seem to take damage from the flames on them. So say you start Lockpicking while Camouflage, but you have a Toxic Crafted Melee Weapon in your hand, or a corpse of a Toxic Zombie beneath your feet that still is giving off gas -- he ignites the Toxic Effect, flames erupt, you get slightly burned, an explosion goes off attracting zombies AND NOW THE COUP DE GRACE -- The Burning Zombie treats your flame ignition as an attack on it and it now sees you as pain and attacks you on sight, because you "attacked" it.


Whoa BABY!! That is BAD NEWS!!

So Flames and Toxic are useful effects but they may not be the best to use when utilizing camo or attacking large groups. In such a case, you may instead want to use effect interaction offensively rather than as a stealth approach.

Well that is interesting, I wish there was some sort of guide on different interactions like this.