how do the zombie-spawns work?

[Lycan]

So I got about 20 marine-guys, sent them out to clear zones and it seems like some zones cant ever be cleared? the zombies keep spawning from out of the darkness to the point where they just stream infininitely, do zombies spawn extra's off screen or can you literally clear the whole map with enough troops?

[Sivart1307]

They don't spawn infinitely they spawn at map generation. Soldier create noise which attracts the zombies which creates more noise causing an endless cycle. To clear the map early you need rangers. Later when you can get a mass of over 20 snipers you can clear the map with them, but have to be careful about specials.

[Stormsong]

I'm very new, so take everything I say with a dose of "yeah, but you're new."

20 marines, do you mean the soldiers with rifles? Those guys are very loud. Outside of the full on hordes, the probing parties, and towns of the dead, I don't believe new undead spawn. What I think happened is that your marines were waking everyone up for miles around.

[Enola Gay]

I have noticed they seem to spawn where ever there is fog of war on the map.

[MelhemX]

infected on the do only spawn once as you start a new survival game, only hordes spawn out of the map

[Lycan]

Yeah same, it seems like.. maybe the map has lets just say 1000 zombies but as you clear them out, more zombies spawn in off screen, so if you killed like 200, it wouldn't drop to 800, it'd add maybe an extra 100 so really you get left with 900 zombies, maybe something like that.

[MelhemX]

Originally posted by Lycan Jack:

Yeah same, it seems like.. maybe the map has lets just say 1000 zombies but as you clear them out, more zombies spawn in off screen, so if you killed like 200, it wouldn't drop to 800, it'd add maybe an extra 100 so really you get left with 900 zombies, maybe something like that.

well according to the developers one map can hold more than 20000 infected

[Klingenmeister]

Originally posted by Lycan Jack:

the zombies keep spawning from out of the darkness to the point where they just stream infininitely, do zombies spawn extra's off screen or can you literally clear the whole map with enough troops?

Originally posted by Padpaw:

I have noticed they seem to spawn where ever there is fog of war on the map.

Originally posted by Lycan Jack:

Yeah same, it seems like.. maybe the map has lets just say 1000 zombies but as you clear them out, more zombies spawn in off screen, so if you killed like 200, it wouldn't drop to 800, it'd add maybe an extra 100 so really you get left with 900 zombies, maybe something like that.

Zombies do not spawn past map generation. After the first wave, random zombie groups come in from the map borders and either attack your base or fill the spots you emptied but didnt wall off.

[Drunetovich]

They Are Billions, don't you get it?

[Antiga]

Villages of doom can spawn zombies. Not entirely sure on the mechanics and limitations. Suffice to say, if you are able to take out buildings while they are still spawning, you'll face less total zombies. They'll only spawn when activity is near, however. And during the end-game I believe villages will reinforce the final wave, along with every other remaining Z on the map.

[Klingenmeister]

Originally posted by Antiga:

Villages of doom can spawn zombies. Not entirely sure on the mechanics and limitations. Suffice to say, if you are able to take out buildings while they are still spawning, you'll face less total zombies. They'll only spawn when activity is near, however. And during the end-game I believe villages will reinforce the final wave, along with every other remaining Z on the map.

Yes, they spawn a finite amount of zombies and will attack together with the final wave if you didnt clear them.

The most important thing is: They get triggered by ANY near activity. If you are building near to it and triggered 1-5 runners and you kill them with rangers, thats a small activity and will spawn 1-5 more. If you get into that loop, dont panic, but build a wall and a ballista. If you dont build a wall and a ballista, you are pretty dead pretty fast, because normally there is no way out of that loop.

I found a funny early game solution. Build a ballista and some wooden towers next to the VoD. Put your snipers into the towers and trigger the village. You will get veteran snipers in no time and an empty village you can loot :D

[Antiga]

Originally posted by Klingenmeister:

Originally posted by Antiga:

Villages of doom can spawn zombies. Not entirely sure on the mechanics and limitations. Suffice to say, if you are able to take out buildings while they are still spawning, you'll face less total zombies. They'll only spawn when activity is near, however. And during the end-game I believe villages will reinforce the final wave, along with every other remaining Z on the map.

Yes, they spawn a finite amount of zombies and will attack together with the final wave if you didnt clear them.

The most important thing is: They get triggered by ANY near activity. If you are building near to it and triggered 1-5 runners and you kill them with rangers, thats a small activity and will spawn 1-5 more. If you get into that loop, dont panic, but build a wall and a ballista. If you dont build a wall and a ballista, you are pretty dead pretty fast, because normally there is no way out of that loop.

I found a funny early game solution. Build a ballista and some wooden towers next to the VoD. Put your snipers into the towers and trigger the village. You will get veteran snipers in no time and an empty village you can loot :D

The loop is especially dangerous near your own city. Otherwise you can slowly retreat your units to end the loop, as noise/activity will be further away, slowing down and eventually stopping the spawns.

My problem with trying to get any defenses up near villages is often Z being too close. And clearing those Z will start the loop.
So usually i'll end up at a safer distance and just slowly drain the village of Z with units behind walls. No towers or defenses, as those are funds I can't get fully returned, while my units can be redeployed.