Starting houses viable?

[Japzzi]

So I've been working with the idea of making my base in one of the starting houses. But then again there certainly are better places.

What does the ''pros'' think? Starter houses viable?

[JuiceySpice]

No, if you go into a starter house make sure it is 2 stories. Then destroy the stairs and stay upstairs

[YamaKami]

If you are taking over a POI. Pick something made of sturdier stuff than wood. Zombies get a damage bonus against wood.

[Myrkana]

Originally posted by YamaKami:

If you are taking over a POI. Pick something made of sturdier stuff than wood. Zombies get a damage bonus against wood.

they do? this is nice to know :p guess it makes sense why the cobblewall stood up so much better than our wood walls then.

[Andi]

Well, i'm certainly no pro with my nearly 200 hrs, but in one playthrough i fought the first three hordes from a pre-fab with brickwalls. If i remember it right, you can upgrade brick to cobblestone, cement, reinforced cement and steel. Correct me if i'm wrong. But i assume you're talking about the burnt wood ones near your spawnpoint? I think that's a bad idea, since they're weak as ♥♥♥♥ and it takes too much time and ressources to upgrade them to something usefull imo.

[Nightstrasza]

Bricks can't be upgraded to cobble, they are upgraded to concrete and are weaker than cobble. As for op question, POI rarely are usefull, if playing insane rather avoid cities to live in and search for lonely POI somewhere, it needs to be made of flagstone, cobblestone or concrete to be usefull, it atleast 1-2 lines of blocks are not made of stony things, loot and go away. Could take prison in city bcs is made of bricks and concrete with minimum of 4800 hp to go in for zombies (except entrance, it have only 1400 hp in total and should be walled immediately). Aswell there inside are 3 wall safe and 1 gun safe + bunch of containers arround and some space inside with fence 600 hp in total to get thro.

[Vinyltavia]

If you're going for a starting house I do in fact recommend a big burnt one with water in the basement and here's why.
Good access for water.
Reinforcing the wood gives construction xp.
It's already got a proper roof that you don't have to fangled with.
It feels like a home.
You can always focus more on a stronger outer perimeter with a cobble wall and spikes if need be.
You've probably got access to sand early seeing how there's usually a gravel path to you.

That being said a forge cabin is also pretty godly as well due to the forge but can be harder to build around.

[Ragequit Inc.]

In my current SP, I'm on day 80-something (Insane, max spawns, 25% loot, no loot respawn) and I'm still living/doing hordes in the red brick-prefab I picked as my what was supposed to be a "temporary base" at around day 5.

(sidenote; this tends to happen to me in every world. pick something as a temp base, but end up living in it forever. but atleast i've been making the materials to make a "proper" base this time :P )

Of course, by now the 4 lowest layers of the walls are reinforced concrete and I have about 10 rows of spikes around it :) But the first few weeks went fine with just some spikes. And I'll be fine with this setup for the next coming weeks atleast, I'd think. The zeds have rarely even damaged the walls so far.

[YamaKami]

Originally posted by Andi:

Well, i'm certainly no pro with my nearly 200 hrs, but in one playthrough i fought the first three hordes from a pre-fab with brickwalls. If i remember it right, you can upgrade brick to cobblestone, cement, reinforced cement and steel. Correct me if i'm wrong. But i assume you're talking about the burnt wood ones near your spawnpoint? I think that's a bad idea, since they're weak as ♥♥♥♥ and it takes too much time and ressources to upgrade them to something usefull imo.

Any wooden block burnt not or reinforced zombies do bonus damage too. Also if I am not mistaken brick upgrades to concrete though not cobble.

[YamaKami]

Originally posted by Vinyltavia:

If you're going for a starting house I do in fact recommend a big burnt one with water in the basement and here's why.
Good access for water.
Reinforcing the wood gives construction xp.
It's already got a proper roof that you don't have to fangled with.
It feels like a home.
You can always focus more on a stronger outer perimeter with a cobble wall and spikes if need be.
You've probably got access to sand early seeing how there's usually a gravel path to you.

That being said a forge cabin is also pretty godly as well due to the forge but can be harder to build around.

That's actually a poor choice. Maybe even the poorest choice. Go find a forge house upgrade it with clay then cement if not brick but flagstone. Water is stupid easy to come by so that should not even be a factor in the decision.

Basically you want a non wood 1st floor at least, if not solid brick or concrete. A small footprint your bed roll will spawn block. And then get to upgrading and defending it.

You also want to be able to see around 360 degrees around to shoot anything coming your way (arrows or bullets whatever you have). So while walls are nice, they do impede line of sight. So things like putting barb wire truss out further to slow down anything coming to the walls, and give more time for that head shot help. Or leaving a space in the solid wall for iron bars which can be shot through. Going crazy with spikes never hurts either.

[No emaN]

I'm trying to see in how far I can get with a wooden base. The zeds have a hard time getting past my one layer of wooden log spikes 5th horde night Ferals suck by the looks. All they do is break my one layered wall and sent a little bit in the house. Not even attacking them in the slightest.

[Andi]

Originally posted by YamaKami:

Originally posted by Andi:

Well, i'm certainly no pro with my nearly 200 hrs, but in one playthrough i fought the first three hordes from a pre-fab with brickwalls. If i remember it right, you can upgrade brick to cobblestone, cement, reinforced cement and steel. Correct me if i'm wrong. But i assume you're talking about the burnt wood ones near your spawnpoint? I think that's a bad idea, since they're weak as ♥♥♥♥ and it takes too much time and ressources to upgrade them to something usefull imo.

Any wooden block burnt not or reinforced zombies do bonus damage too. Also if I am not mistaken brick upgrades to concrete though not cobble.

Yea, you're absolutely right! I closed the doors and windows with cobblestone and upgraded it later. Bricks upgrades directly to concrete. It's been a while 😂👍

[Vinyltavia]

Originally posted by YamaKami:

Originally posted by Vinyltavia:

If you're going for a starting house I do in fact recommend a big burnt one with water in the basement and here's why.
Good access for water.
Reinforcing the wood gives construction xp.
It's already got a proper roof that you don't have to fangled with.
It feels like a home.
You can always focus more on a stronger outer perimeter with a cobble wall and spikes if need be.
You've probably got access to sand early seeing how there's usually a gravel path to you.

That being said a forge cabin is also pretty godly as well due to the forge but can be harder to build around.

That's actually a poor choice. Maybe even the poorest choice. Go find a forge house upgrade it with clay then cement if not brick but flagstone. Water is stupid easy to come by so that should not even be a factor in the decision.

Basically you want a non wood 1st floor at least, if not solid brick or concrete. A small footprint your bed roll will spawn block. And then get to upgrading and defending it.

You also want to be able to see around 360 degrees around to shoot anything coming your way (arrows or bullets whatever you have). So while walls are nice, they do impede line of sight. So things like putting barb wire truss out further to slow down anything coming to the walls, and give more time for that head shot help. Or leaving a space in the solid wall for iron bars which can be shot through. Going crazy with spikes never hurts either.

Given some choices in the past, lady luck doesn't always smile on us. You gotta make due with what you got until you at least get on your feet.
That being said I always go crazy with the spikes. It's only crazy if you think it's just enough because wandering hordes come by and hear you have an opinion about that defense detail.
I'll send a snapshot of my base later as its defense is more like "natural" roofing.
I like to call it a death slide because most things that come rom the top slide into death death and more death going down :P
(

[YamaKami]

Originally posted by Vinyltavia:

Given some choices in the past, lady luck doesn't always smile on us. You gotta make due with what you got until you at least get on your feet.

Very true that ^

[No emaN]

Originally posted by Vinyltavia:

Given some choices in the past, lady luck doesn't always smile on us. You gotta make due with what you got until you at least get on your feet.

Luck favors the bold. Though stright up intelligence and skill can counter luck. Even when luck runs out you have to own up and take the problem head on directly or indirectly.

Though having luck is great, we all need a backup plan on the end. The more we open ourselves the more opportunities and the more effect luck will have on an individual.

[YamaKami]

Originally posted by No emaN:

Originally posted by Vinyltavia:

Given some choices in the past, lady luck doesn't always smile on us. You gotta make due with what you got until you at least get on your feet.

Luck favors the bold. Though stright up intelligence and skill can counter luck. Even when luck runs out you have to own up and take the problem head on directly or indirectly.

Though having luck is great, we all need a backup plan on the end. The more we open ourselves the more opportunities and the more effect luck will have on an individual.

Many things in this game come down tro RNG. Which no amount of smarts, voodoo, or other hogwash,will negate. Roll with your rolls and adapt is your only choice short of dying.