Blocking Mechanic?

[Strawbunneh]

I'm sure this has been mentioned before, but I really think blocking should be added to the game.

It doesn't have to be a button that constantly blocks all attacks. Maybe when you press the block button you only block a full second then stop.

It could use stamina, can't block when you have no stamina left. You take either less damage or it stuns the zombie so you can counter. When you successfully block you could get the effects of it hitting you like bleeding out or infected, but take less damage.

A lot of (if not all) zombie attacks are swinging their arms at you, not grabbing you and biting you. In real life, a lot of people can counter that, hitting the arm away and kicking them in the chest, knocking them back to get some breathing room.

I'm sure everyone can agree that there should be a way to knock zombies back without a gun. Maybe add a kick that knocks zombies back and anyone behind them? Maybe add a counter skill that when you block, the more you increase that skill, the better chance of knockback?

There has to be a way to keep a zombie back rather than using a gun or weapon, hoping you'll hit that special spot to knock a zombie away, if it does at all.

The other day I was mining, then without warning I get hit by a zombie from behind. I got out my Iron Reinforced Club, hit him in the head several times, and it didn't knock him back at all. He just keeps stunning me and wailing on me till I died. I didn't have a gun, all I had was that club. A simple block, kick, or countering move could have saved me instead of hoping and praying that hitting him in a special spot will stagger him long enough to get some breathing room.

TLDR:

Kick: Knockback move that uses stamina. When used on a zombie, it can knock back one zombie and any behind it, staggering them all for you to get a chance to get some breathing room to attack.

Block: Uses stamina and cannot be used if out of stamina. Could be constant, or for a second. When used, you take less damage but can still get "Bleeding out" or "Infected".

Counter move: Uses stamina, cannot be used if out of stamina. When used, your arms go up for only a second before going back down. When used successfully, you can counter a zombie attack and knock it back a few feet.

Thank you for your time.

[Kasa]

Bumping (/necroing) this instead of making a new topic since I feel it's a mechanic that would be a good addition to the game.

[George Droyd MK77]

FOUL NECROMANCY!

Yeah would be nice to see this but if they arent working on it now its unlikely to happen i think.

[Kasa]

Well currently in the base game it's possible to punch with your right hand so that means there are controls for using individual hands.

It's not impossible in the future to mod in a item that allows for reduced damage specifically.

[Zordiark Darkeater]

1: why block when you can just out right hit them and kill them while avoiding 100% their hits with movement ?

2: blocking does not make sense against zombies they don't really HIT you they more about grabbing you and chew on you and infect you some way...this game just don't have the engine and tech to do it so its simpler to make them "hit" you lol

Also we are not some kongfu heroes that jump onto hordes of zombies with our bare hands doing blocks and "counter moves" lol no sane person would do that especially when they can infect you.

We Grab Hammers and Craft Clubs to bludgeon the ♥♥♥♥ out of the damn things like a normal person.

[JimmyIowa]

Originally posted by Zordiark Darkeater:

1: why block when you can just out right hit them and kill them while avoiding 100% their hits with movement ?

Pretty much this. Taking one step back to avoid all hits, or hitting a zombie instead, will almost certainly be a better use of time and stamina in combat than simply blocking.

Since blocking would use stamina and you wouldn't be accomplishing anything useful at the same time, it's not even clear what blocking would accomplish except make combat take longer while burning stamina not doing anything.

[Crashtian]

A riot shield style item would be cool, that allows you to crouch in a door way holding the shield, holding back zombies from grabbing/biting at you, while a ally pokes over your shoulder, or shoots over top of you.

Something a little more active than a hatch.

The topic of blocking is definitely a "I want realism here, but not realism there" discussion. Still funny where we choose to apply realism and where to suspend it.

[Kara]

I hate having to move backwards, and they stop you from sprinting backwards but dont allow you a way to dodge a hit. It's a fact the combat is sloppy. Even games like Green Hell have block and if you are moving left or right + jump you quickly dodge. The zombies in this game do not bite and grab, they do in fact punch you.............

Hey not to mention there will supposedly be human NPCs someday. Think people, think lol!

[Kasa]

Indeed, It's more for when you are in closed areas such as houses or trailers where you don't have as must room to maneuver around to dodge the zombies attacks.

[JimmyIowa]

Originally posted by Kasa:

Indeed, It's more for when you are in closed areas such as houses or trailers where you don't have as must room to maneuver around to dodge the zombies attacks.

Even then it doesn't seem to accomplish anything other than waste stamina. If, for example, you don't have room to step backwards, then blocking simply uses stamina while delaying the inevitable while the zombies surround you. Why not move and fight instead while you still have stamina to do so?

[Kasa]

Because losing a bit of stamina to block a attack while you move the fight instead of taking damage is better?

To clarify I don't mean blocking as turning this into skyrim where you are trading blows back and forth but instead as an option to avoid damage while you reposition.

For example lets say you ender a house you can keep your shield up while rounding a corner or entering a room and block damage from an unseen zombie while you pull back to give yourself more room to fight.

As oppose to eating the damage and then retreating.

[JimmyIowa]

Originally posted by Kasa:

Because losing a bit of stamina to block a attack while you move the fight instead of taking damage is better?

As already stated, if you can move, then just move instead of taking the time to raise a shield. Or hit and thus stagger or decap the zombie threatening you. And better yet don't get yourself trapped in the first place. (I don't remember ever getting trapped like that in my last few games, and I do quests pretty much full time.)

I suspect you are picturing something in your mind that would make this useful that isn't being stated in these posts. I'm not trying to be antagonistic, so don't take it that way. But I honestly deep down swear I'm just not seeing how this would be a useful addition to the game.

Even if it was maaybe useful in some extreme corner case desperate situation you are describing where you somehow got yourself trapped, would people really use up a toolbelt slot to carry something around they use once or twice per game? And is it worth adding a whole new combat mechanic for something 1% of people use once in a blue moon?

[Kasa]

@JimmyIowa

No worries I don't think you're being antagonistic.

I did mention a situation where it may come in handy for example room exploration in homes where zombies tend to pop out from no where or around a corner into a room.

[JimmyIowa]

And I did mention that taking one step backwards while swinging a weapon will be preferable to using stamina and not accomplishing anything 999 times out of a thousand.

[Kasa]

I feel like we just disagree on the point of how play style of offensive vs defensive.

[JimmyIowa]

Originally posted by Kasa:

I feel like we just disagree on the point of how play style of offensive vs defensive.

Hmmm, taking a step back (my suggestion) is defensive. No, I think we disagree quite specifically only on whether a blocking maneuver makes any sense. It doesn't have to be made more abstract than that. I certainly think defensive actions can be useful. In fact, someone playing defensively wouldn't get themselves badly surrounded on a regular basis in the first place.