Should I Be Using Torches Inside My Base Walls, Will They Attract Zombies?

[Just Another Jinx Main]

Hi! Somewhat new to the game, and my friends (who have more time in the game) and I found an old abandoned facility for our base. It has a building and a fence-type-thingie surrounding it. Now, we have torches in the inside of the base itself.

First, should I board up the windows to block the light from going out? Will that light attract zombies?

Also, I'm not sure but it seems like zombies may be spawning in the area between the building and the fence (it is filled with facility structures that don't really do anything). Should I put torches out there? Only thing is it is outside, and I'm worried this will attract more zombies.

And last, is there anything else about light/AI Heat I should know about? I'm still trying to balance stopping zombie spawns with not attracting more zombies with my light.

Thanks!

[Ad Massive]

Torches generate heat over time, the more you have the quicker and more often screamers will show up, but other than lighting you up light a christmas tree (less stealth) Zombies won't automatically be attracted to light, only the screamers who are attracted to heat.

For your second part, lights, forges, work benches, cement mixers are your biggest heat sources, followed by gun shots, farming, and regular actions like pickaxing stuff and so forth.

[Greg]

Torches don't build up the heat map, but candles do. Zombies were suposed to be attracted to light now, but I'm not seing it. But I have no outside facing lights, old habits die hard, that's from the single digit alpha were zombies were actually attracted.

Your zombies issue could be two things, it could be the PIO I assume you took over, POIs spawn zombies, only way to keep that from happening is placing a bed. Only the active bed (the one that appears on the map) blocks zombies from spawning withiin a few blocks sqaure.

You could sort of extend the range of that effect with player made blocks, like for instance sod, to replace the normal dirt, or other naturally occuring terrain blocks. But this only works in a structure you built yourself.

All of that doesn't keep screemers for spawning, they'll always get to you.

And as Ad MAssive said, your biggest concerns with the heat map will be, usually the forge, but also the chemstation and camp fire. Cemet mixer and workbenches are usually negligible, unlesss you run 20 of them, because they build up way less heat and you run them for way less time.

[BroDimm]

also dont forget to clear up carcasses near your base

[Lemming]

Originally posted by Greg:

Torches don't build up the heat map, but candles do. Zombies were suposed to be attracted to light now, but I'm not seing it. But I have no outside facing lights, old habits die hard, that's from the single digit alpha were zombies were actually attracted.

Your zombies issue could be two things, it could be the PIO I assume you took over, POIs spawn zombies, only way to keep that from happening is placing a bed. Only the active bed (the one that appears on the map) blocks zombies from spawning withiin a few blocks sqaure.

You could sort of extend the range of that effect with player made blocks, like for instance sod, to replace the normal dirt, or other naturally occuring terrain blocks. But this only works in a structure you built yourself.

All of that doesn't keep screemers for spawning, they'll always get to you.

And as Ad MAssive said, your biggest concerns with the heat map will be, usually the forge, but also the chemstation and camp fire. Cemet mixer and workbenches are usually negligible, unlesss you run 20 of them, because they build up way less heat and you run them for way less time.

They didn't before, but they absolutely do now.

<block id="1351" name="wallTorchPlayer">
	<property name="Extends" value="wallTorch"/>
	<property name="CreativeMode" value="Player"/>
	<property name="CustomIcon" value="wallTorch"/>
	<property name="Stacknumber" value="50"/>
	<property name="Class" value="TorchHeatMap"/>
	<property name="HeatMapStrength" value="4.05"/>
	<property name="HeatMapTime" value="1200"/> <!-- str1, t600, f5 = 2.5; str1, t900, f5 = 4; str4.05, t1200, f15 = 4.05-8.1; -->
	<property name="HeatMapFrequency" value="15"/>
	<property name="DescriptionKey" value="torchPlayerGroupDesc"/>

Compare to Forge (which is the same as campfire n' such now)

<block id="556" name="forge">
	<property name="Class" value="Forge"/>
	<property name="Material" value="Mstone_scrap"/>
	<property name="MaxDamage" value="800"/>
	<property name="StabilitySupport" value="true"/>
	<property name="Shape" value="ModelEntity"/>
	<property name="Model" value="Entities/Crafting/forgePrefab"/>
	<property name="Place" value="TowardsPlacerInverted"/>
	<property name="OnlySimpleRotations" value="true"/>
	<property name="IsTerrainDecoration" value="true"/>
	<property name="ParticleName" value="forge"/>
	<property name="ParticleOffset" value="0.5,0,0.5"/>
	<property name="ImposterDontBlock" value="true"/>
	<property name="Stacknumber" value="1"/>
	<property name="HeatMapStrength" value="1.5"/>
	<property name="HeatMapTime" value="1200"/>
	<property name="HeatMapFrequency" value="25"/>
	<!-- <property name="BuffsWhenWalkedOn" value="burningSmall"/> dont think the forge class supports this -->
	<property name="ActiveRadiusEffects" value="+heatSource(3)"/>

So yeah...first place I set up in 16 I lit with like 10 torches. I had screamers on a regular basis.

Electric lights, on the other hand, have no heatmap value on them.

Edit to actually be somewhat helpful to op:
Interestingly enough, generator banks also have no heatmap value. I assume this is an omission, but at the moment it is what it is. So I'd suggest someone specializing some science and getting generator bank and lighting, then light the place up. When you find a battery bank schematic you can run lights off of that and just top them off again with generator to save gas.

Zombies will continue to spawn outside your bedroll protected zone, which must not currently reach the perimeter fence. I'm not sure if land claim blocks stop spawns currently, but that and distributing bedrolls may help with those close spawns.

As far as the stealth and detection system go...I'm still figuring that one out myself. I do know that when I was digging at night with a torch nearby so I could see I got rushed by a zombie that came from a good distance away, while without light or using NVG I can basically walk right up on zombies at night and not be detected. I don't think light attracts them, but it absolutely seems to aid them in detecting you at night...so be aware of that.

...but yeah, I would not put a lot of torches around unless you want screamers knocking on your door regularly. In fact, I've just stopped using them. Maybe a candle here and there for orientation, but for the most part I just use a flashlight or miner's helmet in my base until I get electric lights going now. Also night vision...your game changes immensely the second you get those now. They went from worthless to insanely worthwhile in one major update.

[Zlobsic]

At the endgame i actually like to attract as much zeds as i can.

[kkitts]

Endgame tip: Once you get your base solid and you manage to get a lot of money rolling in, go to a trader and grab a solar array and top-level solar panels. Then hook them up into a battery bank, and you can run lights without gas. Not sure for how long, though...haven't run a timed test yet. No heat-map...but somebody tell me why solar panels and a battery bank HUM. They shouldn't, and it's annoyingly loud.

[Ghostlight]

We have some 30+ torches around the outside of our base (ie on the outer walls) and it has little to no effect as far as I can see. Inside the base is well lit with electric lights. We can easily go a day or more with no screamers. However turn on a Forge for a time and they start to show up almost like we summoned them. With 3 or 4 Forges running we get 6+ screamers per day. So....shrug? If torches are adding heat in A16, I haven't noticed.

Looking at those stats above, what is that one "Stacknumber" which is set to 1 for Forge and 50 for Torches? Could that mean you need 50 Torches to have a significant effect??

[Thera]

how many in a pile in your backpag of holding

[hevymetal13]

Originally posted by Ghostlight:

Looking at those stats above, what is that one "Stacknumber" which is set to 1 for Forge and 50 for Torches? Could that mean you need 50 Torches to have a significant effect??

I believe it ref's backpack and belt slots. Torches stack in inventory, Forges don't.