Zombie behavior patterns?

[对不起我只会说英语]

Hi! I have around 70 hours of gameplay in 7DTD and I still consider myself as a complete newbie. For that there are things I'd like to ask from the "more experienced" community regarding how zombies behave because sometimes, I am utterly confused and think that I'm doing things inefficiently :/

Here's a list of my questions about zombie AI behavior:

1. Why are zombies breaking through my door at night even though I'm undetected? - yes I know that I am emitting heat or maybe smell and is attracting them to my general direction, but ffs are they really programmed to break through doors just to investigate what is causing the heat?
   
   
2. People break 1 row of stairs to "prevent" zombies from going upstairs in Youtube. Does this really work? or is it just a way to discourage them from going upstairs?
   
   
3. Back to door questions again XD zombies tend to break through the door. What if I had no doors and just parkour my way into the building? Will it stop them from attacking my building on a non horde night?
   
   
4. People in youtube have torches all around their large base (yes they looked large) but they don't seem to have problems with hordes constantly attacking them on a non horde night, whereas I get ambushed a lot even though I pick up most unused torches in my base... I can hardly fortify, farm, and hunt because of this What kind of sorcery?
   
   
5. Zombies can't dig :D can somone bunk this theory please? XD Dunno if this is updated or not.
   
   
6. So zombies can jump only 1 block high, but how many blocks wide?
   
   
7. (New Question) Is it possible to lure zombies just a bit outside my base with torches (or other heat source) so that they wander there instead of wrecking my low heat home?

Please help this noob thanks in advance!

[Uberdude]

1. Yes, they will usually make a B-line straight to the heat signature. If theres am option between going through the wall or the door, they'll usually go for the door. I think its in the programming.

2. Yes it works. But if you're above them, they will usually break whatevers below you in an attempt to get to you. You can use this to your advantage if you have spikes all around your base, stand along the wall above spikes, and if they start breaking the wall, move and theyll also move to the section of the wall below you.

3. If theres no door on your building, they'll just start smacking the walls. They're relentless.

4. Not sure about this one. Candles emit the lowest heat signature ( I believe), but also the least light, followed by torches, and the forges. If you've got a bunch of forges going in your base with no torches anywhere, it'll still produce a huge heat signature; the dinner bell for zombies.

6. I havent seen any zombies jump lengthwise besides dogs. They only need 1 block size to get through, even if its one block high.

Hope this helps!

[DthBlayde]

1) They tend to go after doors due to the AI programming. I've sat in a room crouched in darkness, watched one completely smash the door to come in, not detect me, then turn around and walk away.

2) Yes it works. Also, knocking out the bottom rung of a ladder prevents them from climbing them too. Useful for setting up camp in attics.

3) Maybe. They may start punching and smacking the walls a few times if they detect you, but once you drop out of detection range, then tend to wander off

4) Those videos may not be recent. Player placed torches adding to the heat map is new with A16. If those videos are A15 or older, then no it had no effect.

5) They can dig in the sense of , if they get stuck in a hole or pit, they'll begin digging and clawing their way in. But generally speaking? No they cannot dig straight down or at angles..... yet.

6) 0. They have no horizontal leap and will just run right off cliffs, upper floors, out of windows etc. Crawlers and dogs however, can get through1 block high like Jelly mentioned

(( yes, we both posted at the same time ))

[对不起我只会说英语]

Originally posted by Jellytime:

1. Yes, they will usually make a B-line straight to the heat signature. If theres am option between going through the wall or the door, they'll usually go for the door. I think its in the programming.

2. Yes it works. But if you're above them, they will usually break whatevers below you in an attempt to get to you. You can use this to your advantage if you have spikes all around your base, stand along the wall above spikes, and if they start breaking the wall, move and theyll also move to the section of the wall below you.

3. If theres no door on your building, they'll just start smacking the walls. They're relentless.

4. Not sure about this one. Candles emit the lowest heat signature ( I believe), but also the least light, followed by torches, and the forges. If you've got a bunch of forges going in your base with no torches anywhere, it'll still produce a huge heat signature; the dinner bell for zombies.

6. I havent seen any zombies jump lengthwise besides dogs. They only need 1 block size to get through, even if its one block high.

Hope this helps!

Originally posted by Jellytime:

1. Yes, they will usually make a B-line straight to the heat signature. If theres am option between going through the wall or the door, they'll usually go for the door. I think its in the programming.

2. Yes it works. But if you're above them, they will usually break whatevers below you in an attempt to get to you. You can use this to your advantage if you have spikes all around your base, stand along the wall above spikes, and if they start breaking the wall, move and theyll also move to the section of the wall below you.

3. If theres no door on your building, they'll just start smacking the walls. They're relentless.

4. Not sure about this one. Candles emit the lowest heat signature ( I believe), but also the least light, followed by torches, and the forges. If you've got a bunch of forges going in your base with no torches anywhere, it'll still produce a huge heat signature; the dinner bell for zombies.

6. I havent seen any zombies jump lengthwise besides dogs. They only need 1 block size to get through, even if its one block high.

Hope this helps!

Thanks to both of you! Very informative :D and yes I think those videos are from A15 and below. No wonder. I'll add a number 7 if it's okay.

#7: "Is it possible to lure zombies in an area filled with torches, just a bit outside my base so that they wander there instead of my base?" I plan on making it so that the heat map there is greater and more "attractive" (lol, dunno which term to use) than the one inside my home..

[Andi]

#7: "Is it possible to lure zombies in an area filled with torches, just a bit outside my base so that they wander there instead of my base?" I plan on making it so that the heat map there is greater and more "attractive" (lol, dunno which term to use) than the one inside my home..

This will work for screamer ladys, not for roaming hordes though, since they're programmed to walk towards the last known player position when spawning. Here's a short video of how heat map works :
https://youtu.be/CPq39U5zRNw

And another one :
https://youtu.be/I_0oVww8kNo

But again, that doesn't affect roaming hordes.

[对不起我只会说英语]

@

Originally posted by Andi:

#7: "Is it possible to lure zombies in an area filled with torches, just a bit outside my base so that they wander there instead of my base?" I plan on making it so that the heat map there is greater and more "attractive" (lol, dunno which term to use) than the one inside my home..

This will work for screamer ladys, not for roaming hordes though, since they're programmed to walk towards the last known player position when spawning. Here's a short video of how heat map works :
https://youtu.be/CPq39U5zRNw

And another one :
https://youtu.be/I_0oVww8kNo

But again, that doesn't affect roaming hordes.

Jgh, watching it rn. Thanks!

[War3zuk]

Zombies can ONLY attack whats directly in front of them, A standing zombie will & can damage the blocks directly in front oddly catching the block below by accident, If you remove their legs then they will damage the block directly in front which from a hand point of view will be a floor block so YES they can dig down if their legs are damaged.... There are instances that break this rule but for the most part thats how it works.... from my own understanding