Can zombies attack chests?

[2_sp@wn_u_go]

Are zombies able to break any block in order to get to the player or are there certain blocks that zombies can't target?

[Shurenai]

Zombies can break anything. Chests included. Don't put chests anywhere a zombie can reach them; Or if you do, don't store anything important there.

To be clear, they will not Prioritize chests over attempting to reach the player. But they will absolutely break a chest if it impedes their progress.

There isn't anything in the game zombies cant break except the trader zones.

[aY227]

They can attack chests. Im pretty sure there they can attack everything.
There are some blocks called "forcefields" that AI will try to avoid - but will still attack if no other solution will be possible.

[ShadedMJ]

Related question : I've dug a 1 block deep trench and put the storage boxes (not chests) in the trench. Ground level and zombies appear to just walk over them. Good idea or terrible idea?

[Rio]

I wouldn't be surprised if the new crawling mechanic leads to loot/chests getting attacked that used to be safe. Had a zombie in a crack a book the other day just decide to destroy a book stack before I got to look in it. Maybe I'll see a crawling zombie destroy a main loot crate one day. But those 7000 chests, hard to imagine a zombie destroying that before you reach it.

[Rio]

Originally posted by ShadedMJ:

Related question : I've dug a 1 block deep trench and put the storage boxes (not chests) in the trench. Ground level and zombies appear to just walk over them. Good idea or terrible idea?

Bad idea if a demolisher explodes on it, or I suppose or a cop. Can't think of much else that might hurt it or wanna hurt it besides the acid puddles.

[mathaniel]

I have always put my storage at least two blocks up on walls of any storage room. But, I never fight Z`s at my base.

[Crater Creator]

Originally posted by ShadedMJ:

Related question : I've dug a 1 block deep trench and put the storage boxes (not chests) in the trench. Ground level and zombies appear to just walk over them. Good idea or terrible idea?

It's an okay idea. Late game, they may take damage from cop/vulture spit, explosives if you use them, or God forbid a demolisher exploding. But basically they'll only take as much wear and tear as the terrain blocks around them do. I put single chests on the open ground, unprotected, all the time (not in a hole/trench) and I never worry about them.

[Tomw]

Alpha 21.4(b42) horde took out a storage chest and lost everything in it. I now have no food. Maybe try to build a tower out of cement.

[Amins]

I'm going to piggyback off this and ask a question I've been curious about. What exactly do screamers attempt to do with your base when they're attracted from all the activity. I always kill them as soon as possible, but I've also seen them wander in when I've left the door open. Do they attempt to destroy your workstations or just start wrecking everything around them?

[Shurenai]

Originally posted by Amins:

I'm going to piggyback off this and ask a question I've been curious about. What exactly do screamers attempt to do with your base when they're attracted from all the activity. I always kill them as soon as possible, but I've also seen them wander in when I've left the door open. Do they attempt to destroy your workstations or just start wrecking everything around them?

Really should start your own thread. But since it is technically adjacent to the main topic, I'll answer.

When spawned, Screamers are internally given an exact coordinate value that pertains to the exact center of activity within the cell- to the object that generated the tick of activity that lead to her spawning. Her singular goal is to reach the specific coordinate and destroy whatever it is be it a torch or, more frequently, a forge or campfire you left running.

That is all they do. Any destruction that occurs on the way is purely to achieve the goal of reaching the coordinate they want to reach. And after reaching that point and destroying the source object, they behave as a normal wandering zombie and just wander about at random, only occasionally smacking something a couple times if it happens to get in the way.

At all points from start to randomly wandering finish, if the screamer SEES the player, she will scream and summon zombies.