What's with the lazy zombies?

[ZombieBisque]

Not sure if this is something I missed in the settings or if this is intended, but where are all the zombies? The streets are practically empty minus a handful of weak wandering types, and all the rest are just pretending to be dead or hiding in closets in the houses, waiting until I walk too close before waking up to attack me. I only started playing again recently (last played in 2016 lol) so not sure what's normal anymore. Are there noisemakers or something I can use to draw zombies out of buildings? All of the zombies being asleep and acting more like traps in a dungeon crawl instead of a persistent world threat is a really weird vibe.

[Krynnost]

Not really, but good idea. It'd be great if we could set off a pack of firecrackers and aggro every zed within a 100m.

[MiSFiT77]

Yep dungeon crawl is what it is now. Very quest oriented. If ya wanna play the old way as abase builder, miner etc then truth is not very much is going to bother you until horde night. A few people have commented that they don't even bother putting spikes around their bases (bases not horde night bases) because there is no point. Worst case scenario you get a wandering horde of about 8 Zs, which any experienced player can deal with easily.

[Tahnval]

It's worse than that in POIs that are new in A21 or have been changed to incorporate the A21 magic zombie teleporting system. Some of the zombies aren't even there until you trigger an undetectable teleport trap that teleports the zombies in. Into areas you've already cleared. Sometimes you can see them appear from nothing. If you're playing multiplayer and another player is in the right place they will definitely see the zombies appearing from nothing. In the area you just cleared.

It's all as intended, no bug. 7DTD is now primarily a dungeon crawl looter-shooter orientated around NPC traders who provide repetitive radiant quests.

[God Bless The Dead]

Unfortunately the Devs removed pretty much all the random roaming zombies, it made the game feel completely different and totally barren, there are only really zombies in poi's now, that spawn in the exact same position every single time.. Once you know where they all spawn it's pretty much game over.

But you can roll back the versions when you right click the game in steam, so you can still play the older versions with zombies everywhere.

[Gen-Eric]

All of this is undeniably the accurate answer. Hopefully the TFP proposed 'Event System' is more in line with the old random horde spawn and drive-by threat or other perceived world/external threat and not one spawned via LOS breaks in a POI so as to try and make the world appear somewhat populated again. But considering how amazing the 'Hazards' system was when introduced in A21... ooh, fire, fire in path, follow red pipe to valve, DONE!
I can't help but expect the same level of quality and dedication to whatever TFP interprets an Event to be at the time that said feature is ready for inclusion. (Don't wanna make any assumptions...)

Counterpoint, we now know that 7D2D exists in the Italian Zombie Movie Multiverse (TM). I'm guessing an unofficial sequel to Nightmare City, but am open to other suggestions.

Yes, Italian zombies, the infamous apex ambush predators among their zombie-kin, hiding in the rafters, in wardrobes, in the cabinets, leaving their own decapitated heads in pizza ovens so that they can fly out and bite the next person foolish enough to open it! And that's not all! They're shark punchers, sometimes blood drinkers, avid worm collectors and far too often conquistadors for some reason.

This + the previously announced 'Duke' = Spaghetti Western crossover for truly amazing things for the lore/story when that comes along.

[NHL12]

because some genius thought it would be a great idea to remove zombies out of a zombie game

you could literally shoot rounds in the middle of a city at night and aggro a handful at best... even having a full heat source with machinery going 24/7 will only generate the occasional witch, so even that system is broken

but you know, it's so popular so anything we say has no validity

[Harold_The_Trespasser]

Roaming zombies were the fun of this game. No idea why players said those were annoying. Just balance the game for them to not spawn in so much as they do late game or with 100+ forges build. The game is just blank and empty now. No, you can't draw zeds out, since most of them spawn in only after they are triggered. Done to improve the "performance". I swear, most devs have no idea what they are doing with games today.

Absolutely removing fun.

[THE HOLY PRINCE]

I think it's Dispersion but in the trailer for 1.0 there is lots of them

[Yak]

To add them back, add the 'Improved hordes' modpack, or play Ravenhearst overhaul mod. Vanilla is simply unplayable to me, I would not have played this game beyond 100 hours if it weren't for mods.

[stinkin badges]

Originally posted by Gen-Eric:

This + the previously announced 'Duke' = Spaghetti Western

Like 'The Treasure of the Sierra Madre'?

[Tahnval]

Originally posted by THE HOLY PRINCE:

I think it's Dispersion but in the trailer for 1.0 there is lots of them

It's a trailer. Not actual gameplay. It's easy to enter creative mode and spawn lots of zombies in for a screenshot or trailer.

A22/1.0 will probably be out soon. Streamer weekend is probably some time next month, so we'll see how it is soon.

There's always mods, thank goodness. Many overhauls have far more roaming zombies and there are mods for just adding more roaming zombies. I generally play with much bigger and more frequent wandering hordes, usually as part of an overhaul mod.

On the other hand, much older alphas had more wandering zombies but no zombies in POIs. Literally none.

[Alkpaz]

I'm still playing 20.7. If you don't like the changes, rollback.

[Trooper Bri]

Originally posted by Tahnval:

Streamer weekend is probably some time next month, so we'll see how it is soon.

Bite your tongue... That's a whole other box of tissues for this group. I can already hear it...

[Mithrandir]

Originally posted by Tahnval:

- snip for space -

On the other hand, much older alphas had more wandering zombies but no zombies in POIs. Literally none.

I indeed prefer the present POI situation, even with the bad A21 idea of teleporting triggers in a few POIs. As for the better outdoor wandering zombies, yes it was immersive, but without ferals, irradiated and some other new ones, they were just annoying IMO, not very challenging.

So, I agree the best of both world is the latest version with mods for those who want more wanderers or features.

[stinkin badges]

Maybe it gets worse as you continue gameplay? My snow biome base is attacked pretty regularly if I'm crafting, more so at night. I'm repairing the perimeter more than I want to.
My game settings are set on weak as well. Loot boxes refill and zombies respawn, but I thought it was normal. I've only played A21 though.