What is the problem with SCUM

[Osuros Xenon]

Üdv! My name is Xenon.
I thought I should write down my thoughts about SCUM, even if, in the end, it won’t change anything. I planned this "analysis" to be long, so I'll use headers to clearly separate the different sections, making it easier for everyone to jump to what interests them.

First, I will talk about how I got into SCUM, what my experiences are – this way, it might be easier to judge how knowledgeable I am. After that, I’ll discuss the elements of the game that I like. Finally, I’ll move on to the problems and try to offer solutions.

IMPORTANT: This "analysis" is mostly subjective, based on my experiences and encounters. I tried to look into general problems, but I will mainly focus on the ones that I personally felt were issues. So, if you feel like something is missing, it could be because I didn’t see it as a problem or didn’t encounter it due to my playstyle.

If the English sounds a bit off, I apologize, I’ll try to make it as clear as possible. (I know the game calls them puppets, but for simplicity, I’ll refer to them as zombies.)

How I Found SCUM
There’s a content creator I follow on YouTube. He and his friends made videos and live streams about the game. They were playing on their own server, and I laughed a lot at all the silly things they did in the game.

Most things worked against me buying the game:

I don’t usually play these kinds of games, although I do enjoy open-world survival games.
The only game I’ve played that specifically counts as a zombie survival game is Unturned. So, I didn’t have much attachment to the genre.
I had no one to play with, so the group fun from the videos was off the table.
I specifically don’t like PvP, so the DayZ-style server PvP gameplay was out.
Despite all of this, I decided to buy the game. In March 2023, I went ahead and did it, just before the Hell’s Kitchen update.

[Osuros Xenon]

My Experiences with the Game
When I bought it in March 2023, I downloaded it and immediately started playing in a single-player save. Although the game wasn’t very exciting at first, I chalked it up to being new and not knowing the mechanics.

I still remember, I spawned on a field near D2. I couldn’t find much in the nearby villages, was constantly starving, didn’t know how to craft basic things, and would die from the smallest injuries.

The biggest problem was a bug where I couldn’t treat my injuries. I could see my own wounds, but the "unknown" option was selected for the patient, and I couldn’t click it off. So, anytime I got hurt, I had to wait until the injury healed by itself. The problem was that I caught a bunch of infections, and I didn’t know how to treat them yet, and couldn’t find antibiotics or alcohol anywhere.

So, at the end of the day, I either bled out or got killed by infections. After that, I took a break from the game, and when I came back, I decided that at the very least, I would build a house.

Unfortunately, that function was also broken, and I couldn’t place anything – no flag, nothing. I logged in a few more times, tried to explore things, but didn’t get far.

Then came the denial phase – whenever I thought about playing again, I just thought, "Ah, it’s probably still broken, they haven’t fixed it."

So, the next time I decided to play again was October 2024.

This time, I was a bit more prepared, adjusted the multipliers, took out the robots, and hoped that the two main issues were fixed. Everything was set for a watered-down, simple, but fun experience.

And I got it.

I didn’t play anything else for weeks, and I think I put in 200-300 hours in a month. Finally, the game worked, I understood the mechanics, and there were things to find in the settlements.

Overall, I had a great time, despite seeing the game’s flaws, and I didn’t visit a lot of places.

Currently, it’s January 29, 2025, and I have 500 hours in the game. I’ve been on a PvP server (until I was shot, and lost all my gear), been in abandoned bunkers, tricked robots, and although I haven’t visited radiation zones or the killbox, I feel I have a decent understanding of SCUM.

What Do I Like About the Game?
Short answer: Fighting (zombies) and building.

Long answer:
I really love the character progression and metabolism system in SCUM. I’ve never seen this level of realism in these mechanics in any other game before, and I think this is what specifically sets SCUM apart from DayZ. It’s kind of like the relationship between War Thunder and World of Tanks:

In one, you feel like, "That’s it, I took down its HP,"
In the other, you feel like a multi-kilogram shell is traveling at a high speed through several tens or hundreds of millimeters of thick armor, destroying key components in the tank, rendering it inoperable (if the snail wants to).
At this point, I think there's no comparison.

In an average survival game, the survival aspect is simplified to just three bars:

One showing your health,
Another for hunger,
And the third for thirst.
Keep all three at max, and you’re good to go!

Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with most games simplifying this aspect of the survival genre. But that’s exactly why SCUM stands out – no one can take its metabolism system away from it. It’s outstanding, unique, and it offers more than its competitors – that’s what makes it refreshing.

Another thing I really love about the game: the shooting.

Although I’ve never played Tarkov, I’ve always admired the firearm combat in that game. Again, there you could really feel that a weapon has weight and recoil – unlike in other games where you take precise shots while running, and slide around the map as if it’s covered in oil.

Although I don’t have any experience with combat against people in SCUM, I really enjoy shooting because I feel that the weapon I’m holding has weight. And just as a side note: the gun sounds in the game are really good.

Although I mentioned base building, in this regard, the game isn’t exceptional – I’d place it more in the "it’s fine" category. I just like watching something permanent rise from the ground.

Now that I’ve mentioned what I like about the game and why, I’ll try to gather everything I considered a problem and explain why it’s an issue – plus, I’ll offer some solutions as well.

I have quite a few points, and I’m writing them from memory, trying to place them logically. But if something seems out of place, I might have moved it, deleted it, or added to it – or I could have just written it wrong.

Sometimes, I may come off as personal or malicious, but I’m criticizing the game because I like it, and I want it to improve so more people will enjoy it.

IMPORTANT! I’ll be talking in terms of PvE in every case. If I think it’s necessary, I’ll mention what the PvP implications could be.

Zombie Respawn
I’ll start with a fundamental issue that both I and many other players have: the zombie respawn system. The story is simple – when you enter an area that could have zombies (like a city, bunker, etc.), the game spawns zombies within a radius of 70-90 meters (but usually less) around the player. You might ask, "What’s the problem with that?"

Apart from the fact that there’s no point in having any large-caliber sniper rifles (other than in PvP), the game has the capability to respawn zombies in an area you’ve just cleared. You could clear out an area, walk 20 meters away while facing the opposite direction, and then the zombies will be respawned in that cleared area. I think I don’t need to explain why it’s a problem when you clear out a hangar, turn to leave, and upon hearing a soft laugh, you look back to see a cheepy whit smile face charging at you for a hug.

This system needs to change because it’s not right to have to clear a bunker both when you enter and when you leave. I don’t have a precise suggestion for this, as I don’t know how much server code can handle in terms of load. But it would be nice if zombies respawned at least 200, ideally 500 meters away, with the game prioritizing areas where the player has a line of sight. Additionally, there should be a delay, like half an hour, before zombies respawn in an area.

Zombie Behavior
Although not as critical, this also includes the zombie movement animation, but primarily the pathfinding is what’s problematic. Often, they move in extremely unpredictable ways, in the bad sense. If they get stuck on a 10-centimeter curb, they jump two meters in the air. They slide toward you during hit animations, and so on.

Furthermore, their damage behavior is almost inconsistent. An average zombie takes a single shot to the head, but there are "variant" zombies that require more hits. One of these variants is the fat zombie, which is essentially just a fatter version of the normal zombie. Why does this variant need more headshots from a 9mm pistol? It makes sense if I hit its body and it can take more damage, but there shouldn’t be such a difference to the head.

Plus, there are armored zombies, in police and military variants, that take more damage. But why? If I shoot a kevlar zombie in the chest, it doesn’t die, but armor doesn’t increase their health; it protects specific areas. This is well done for players, and while it doesn’t need to be as detailed for zombies, it shouldn’t be that I shoot a zombie in the head with a .308 round from 10 meters away and it doesn’t die from a single shot. At this caliber and distance, it shouldn’t matter if I hit its helmet or the bare head.

Weapons
This point is essentially a continuation of the previous one. It doesn’t matter whether you shoot a zombie with a 9mm pistol or a .308 SCAR (I can’t speak for AWM or Barrett rifles), 90% of the time, the effect is the same. I’ve often noticed that I can kill a kevlar zombie with a single shot from a pistol faster than with an automatic rifle or sniper rifle.

Then there are suppressors. If I fire 30 rounds from a weapon and its durability drops to 87%, what’s the point of that? This was good before the Fame Seekers update because previously, only suppressors on automatic weapons would wear down quickly, and the rest had roughly the same durability as its weapon (except for AKs, but let’s not talk about that). But now, if the weapon doesn’t come with a suppressor from the factory, you have to keep attaching and replacing it because it breaks immediately.

Not to mention that I think it reduces its effectiveness based on percentage – as the durability decreases, it suppresses less. If the bow and sword are currently the best weapons in the game, then why do you put firearms in the game?

One could argue, “Well, PvP balance requires it.” Here’s my issue with that:

Firearms didn’t come into existence because they were so balanced; they came into being because they’re incredibly effective. I don’t think a suppressor is overpowered in PvP. I watch videos, and everyone is running around with bows and bayonets. You can’t put a suppressor on a bayonet anyway, and I think it’s a bit irrelevant if someone sprays me with a full magazine of ammo with or without a suppressor (but feel free to share your experience if you disagree).

Why implement a questionable feature that negatively impacts those of us who just want to enjoy PvE?

Then there are robots and rocket launchers. I have the same issue as with zombies: why do I need to shoot a mech with a dozen cumulative grenades? Recoil-less anti-tank guns and ammunition don’t work like that. A mech would crumble with a single RPG shot, based on its appearance.

Arguing that it would be too easy to take them out is nonsense. Sure, I’ve never been in a killbox in Brenner’s warehouse, but I’ve never seen an RPG or Barrett rifle after 500 hours of play, despite playing on a 5x multiplier.

Personally, I have no interest in sneaking around chickens where I can’t do anything about them, and once they alert, they stay in an alerted state until the end of time.

The robots are more frustrating than challenging. This isn’t how you maintain balance and challenge – you give the player the option to solve the problem in their own way, either loudly or quietly. It would be far more enjoyable if there were actual tools to overcome the robots, with consequences for take out one – the same applies to Brenner.

Base Building
I mentioned this earlier, but now I’ll explain it in more detail. Although I really like the upgrade system, it could be more complex because right now it feels more like a farming system than a complex one. Not to mention that if you're playing on a server, it all depends on the server owner's to keep the setting whether a dropship will be dancing over the ruins of your home alongside a mech. The more I think about it, the more problems I see.

Let’s start with the new turrets. To be honest: I haven’t used them (even seeing the materials, building one seemed impossible), but based on tests I saw on YouTube, the first word that comes to mind about them is disappointing. Weak range, low damage, inaccuracy, slow firing rate – I just don’t see in what situation they could be useful. If a dropship drops a mech, I think the turret will be destroyed before it could do any serious damage. Players simply stay out of range, and it's faster and cheaper to take care of the zombies on your own. So there’s really no point in making one.

Additionally, the biggest problem with base building is that there are too few elements available to the player, and even those are limited. Why does something like wells or weapon racks need to be limited? I know the limit can be raised to 10, but that’s still not enough. If I want a room full of weapons racks, I can’t do it in my own world. Why isn’t this entirely in the hands of the server owner? If I overload the game, it crashes, and I can adjust the settings, but at least I’d have the option.

Another problem is the horizontal placement of building elements. If I place the foundation too high, the stairs and ramps don’t reach the ground. If it’s too low, all kinds of weeds show through the floor, which is incredibly annoying. Also, if I chop down a tree, it grows back the next time I load in, and if build that place tree will grow inside my house – the same thing happens with bushes.

I would really appreciate a proper triangular element for the corners. The current solution isn’t bad, but it offers far fewer building possibilities. And finally: lighting. I can assemble a rocket turret, but the most I can achieve in terms of lighting is a torch.

Other
Now that I’ve roughly outlined my main issues, there are a few small things that I’d like to mention that interest me in the long run. It might be a bit all over the place, but of course, addressing the above issues would be the priority.

First of all, regarding development, please don’t add new features thoughtlessly. What do I mean? For example, with the turrets – I’ve already explained above why I feel they’re half-baked. Similarly problematic is the zombie horde spawn system and the quest system, which is currently completely lackluster. Modular vehicles also caused a lot of issues in the past.

It’s fine if you add new things to the game on an experimental basis, but the purpose of the experiment shouldn’t be just to see if “Oh, it can be added without causing a crash.” The quest system, for example, is currently meaningless because it resembles the secondary quests of a third-rate MMORPG: “Bring ammo,” “Bring soap,” “Kill three zombies with a bow.” It would have been much better if this was implemented with a couple of bigger quest chains, such as the one for turrets.

It would have been great if the weapon dealer and the mechanic had a shared questline where they work together on developing turrets. For example, first, we’d need to map out a mech’s parts, then gather materials for the weapon dealer. After that, the mechanic would come up with a new surveillance system, and we’d need to gather materials for that too. Later, there would be a test mission, followed by a defense against a horde, and news of this would reach the weapon dealer, so they would work together on a defense system that uses robot parts and the surveillance system. Then they make the turrets and teach you how to build one

With this, we wouldn’t just get a simple story, but the entire quest system would gain meaning. Right now, the system does nothing but: “Get this, you get money and fame,” “Kill this, you get money and fame.” But this could be a fantastic tool for telling small and big interesting stories, as well as unlocking new abilities and blueprints.

And since we’ve touched on the story, it would be great if you could work on that too.

[Osuros Xenon]

Story
How was it? SCUM is a TV show run by a company called TEC1, where people watch criminals fight for their lives.

Although my previous writing was also subjective, I want to emphasize this again: this story is trash. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing particularly wrong with it, and I might even say it's a creative, caricatured portrayal of today's society. My biggest issue with it is that it doesn't explain anything in the game. The puppets, mechs, new dropships, monsters in abandoned bunkers, the operation of trader towns – nothing is explained.

At least I thought nothing was explained, until I decided to fact-check myself while writing this. Although I couldn't find a video that delves deeply into the details, I got answers to almost everything. Now, why do I have to learn all this 500 hours into the game, during the writing of a critical text? Why didn't I see any of this in the game? Scattered notes with story bits thrown around the bunkers, a few intact computer with emails between TEC1 and their suppliers – anything!

At this point, I would like the developers to take the time to provide an easily accessible roadmap for the entire game, outlining in broad strokes what they want to do with it. I have no idea what's on the table, but I would really like to know. And by this, I don’t mean that they should promise big things they can't deliver – I just want to see roughly what can be expected.

If you don't mind, I’d still like to tweak the story a bit because I’m running out of space. On its own, the cyberpunk-like, corporation-based dictatorial system isn't bad, but I would still discard the TV-show idea. I’d rather take it in the direction that TEC1 originally did want to help people with the BCU chip. The island where the game takes place was the primary test site for this chip. For years, the research went well, and society widely implemented the BCU chip as it expanded with new features – messaging, metabolism display, etc.

However, the island remained the primary test site to further develop the chip and add new features. One day, when a major update for the chip was released, people on the island suddenly began to turn aggressive – that's how the puppets were born. The goal of the BCU chip was to help people with physical disabilities regain control over their bodies. However, as the chip ran more complex software, people’s brains and minds couldn’t keep up. The latest BCU update showed no major changes in labs and research centers, but when it became widely available to the average person on the island, their brains couldn't handle it. As they started downloading the update, thousands of people lost control and turned into bloodthirsty beasts. Later, their new primal lifestyle and the BCU chip also changed their appearance – that's how the distinct puppet came to be.

Only a few hundred researchers and soldiers managed to escape the island. What happened on the island shook the world, but despite the massive tragedy caused by the BCU chip, neither TEC1 nor the world wanted to let it go. The research continued in a smaller testing environment. Meanwhile, TEC1 created a military division to blockade the island in case the BCU chip's program forced the puppets to escape. For this, they stationed new self-operating mechs at bunkers, airfields, and some ports.

These mechs did not target the puppets because TEC1 hoped that they might still be able to help them, or at least continue experiments to figure out what went wrong. However, any being with a BCU chip who used a weapon, drove a vehicle is smart enough to leave the island posed a threat – so the mech immediately opened fire.

In the smaller testing environment, they were no longer just experimenting with the chip but also with how the body could safely accept it. These experiments were dangerous, and since people no longer trusted TEC1, they could only continue them with two groups: prisoners and TEC1’s devoted employees.

The company’s leaders did everything they could to restore society’s trust and correct their mistakes, so they decided to take part in the research themselves. This marked the start of the development and testing of the second BCU chip model, now also involving body transformation. The prisoners were primarily experimented on with biological mutations, while TEC1 leaders and employees tested robotic implants. While the prisoners turned into mutants, TEC1’s people slowly drifted away from human traits and began resembling empty machines.

Machines in which the slightest trace of regret or humanity had disappeared. People who wanted nothing but to burn the world for their own amusement. From this point on, TEC1 fully committed to secretly creating all kinds of mutant monsters and combat robot prototypes – and software that would prepare people for the transformation. A few who worked for TEC1 during the island tragedy and continued their work at the company noticed this. They tried to warn the leaders of the countries, but no one listened to them. They didn’t want to listen, as they didn’t want to give up the convenience offered by the BCU chip for a threat that had no evidence to back it up.

Eventually, that small group of researchers formed a team in the hope that they would be able to create software in time that would disconnect people from the network, preventing the mind-controlling program from downloading automatically. They used an AI prototype, developed on the island, designed for companionship, as the basis for this.

Although this greatly aided their progress, TEC1 quickly developed its own version. In the end, the rescue program could only protect the population of a few countries, splitting the world into two halves.

On one side stood TEC1, which either turned people into slaves through mind control or mutated them to fight those who had been saved thanks to the AI. TEC1 periodically captured prisoners, who were whimsically dropped onto the island – for the purpose of satisfying their brutal desires and testing new mutants and combat machines. The island where it all began.

The Future of the Game (In My Opinion)

Honestly, I probably expect more from this game than it ultimately intends to be. That’s why it would be great to clarify with the developers what I can expect. I don’t want to see just a slightly enhanced DayZ thrown onto the market, but to be honest, I don’t see this game as just a regular zombie survival game. I see it more as an MMORPG.

It might sound strange at first, but right now, I see SCUM heading in this direction – just a bit timidly. It seems like it’s trying to be a DayZ-style zombie survival game with a focus on PvP while also sneaking in RPG elements into the gameplay. You essentially start the game by distributing points that define your character’s abilities. Then you earn more points to buy better gear from traders and continuously upgrade your character.

I would love for the game to go in this direction. It would be a massive wake-up call for the gaming industry if they created a realistic post-apocalyptic MMORPG – and I think it would be unmatched. I want version 1.0 to be built on this foundation. However, I doubt it will be ready this year unless they secretly already developed everything they want to include.

Right now, we’re at the point where they’ve created an unprecedented, realistic metabolism and progression system in survival games. But at the same time, the muscles and bones are made of rubber, most of the organs are missing, and the ones that are there barely function. It feels like the game is being developed by throwing in ideas without proper consideration or testing.

There’s a need for a proper quest system, functional NPCs, and the full map. Honestly, I don’t see the end of this tunnel yet – but I hope they do.

My Thoughts

Even now, at the end, here are some of my dreams for what I would like to see in the game:

Don’t be afraid to be realistic. Very few do it well, and the genre isn’t overcrowded, so it can afford to become even more realistic.
More weapons. I’m not just thinking of firearms but also melee weapons, such as the GM6 Lynx, Zweihänder, and shields – be it a police riot shield or medieval variants.
More vehicle types. Plenty of car models, planes, helicopters, and maybe armored vehicles.
A refined, complex base-building system.
Dozens of zombie variants.
A sprawling underground cave system. A The Forest-style network, but more reminiscent of MMO dungeons, filled with mutants and some major bosses.
A huge TEC1 facility on a separate island. A place swarming with robots – a perfect story location.
A new skill unlock system. Not to replace the current one, but skills that can be unlocked through quests, or blueprints must be found for specific structures – like cookbooks.
Final Word

Well, this turned out incredibly long. I spent about 7-8 hours writing it, totaling 28,300 characters. I hope that, even just a little, this helps the game’s development.

Finally, a reminder: these are my personal thoughts about what I think of the game. I don’t believe everything is true or has to happen the way I see it. I just needed to get it off my chest. If anyone wants to comment or discuss something, feel free to do so – of course, in the appropriate tone.

Wishing continued success to this game and the team! I hope they achieve the goal they’ve dreamed of.

Üdvözlettel,
Osuros Xenon

[kritze]

tl;dr.
Iam sorry xD

[Osuros Xenon]

Originally posted by kritze:

tl;dr.
Iam sorry xD

I know. I just want to speak out everything whats in my mind about scum.

[Krannog]

Hi OP! This was quite a read and you did a really nice job writing this based on your experience in the game! Sadly I cannot say anything regarding the future of SCUM but we do take suggestions into consideration. You can always join our official discord channel where there is a specific channel for our community to leave their own suggestions. We cannot promise that the suggestions will come true but we do take them into consideration!

[Osuros Xenon]

Originally posted by Krannog:

Hi OP! This was quite a read and you did a really nice job writing this based on your experience in the game! Sadly I cannot say anything regarding the future of SCUM but we do take suggestions into consideration. You can always join our official discord channel where there is a specific channel for our community to leave their own suggestions. We cannot promise that the suggestions will come true but we do take them into consideration!

That's fine. I don't expect, anything I wrote to actually happen. It was more of a "shouting into the wind" kind of thing. Either way, I'm glad you read it. Thank you and keep up the good work.

[Scooter2shoes]

That was an amazingly well written and well thought out post! If any devs are reading this, i believe you need to hire Ozuros Xenon to get you guys back on track to be able to deliver a decent survival gaming experience to us players, as for the last year and a bit, every single update has been a large step in the wrong direction and a huge slap after huge slap in the face to your playerbase. You seemingly have lost all direction and this guy could quite possibly save this dumpster fire.

[X]

TL;DR

[EvilMonk]

Biggest problem is the Puppet spawn system, that you have to visit an area first for Puppets to even spawn there.
As long as they don't roll that back, it is not even worth installing.

[tienpauh]

Tldr??? You guys afraid of text. Or go copy paste into a chatbot so you don't have to cry about it here.