Question about the Bells

[Amogus]

So I've just picked up the game and haven't really had much luck with figuring this out myself. Are the bells kind of like a timer, where you would ideally want to be out of the area before the timer goes off or you're gonna be stuck dealing with hordes, or do they eventually go away after a while and the timer resets? I was curious about it and was sitting around in the upstairs of a house for about 10 minutes with no luck.

I'm just curious so I know whether to try and wait it out or just rush to get things done before it happens.

[-Rabid67-]

It is a timer when it goes off get back to base do some forging get some rest and repeat

[TallerGame7856]

the tower will ring the bells to "stir the herd", and when that happens, the area will be crawling with walkers and sick beats. no matter when you leave the area, bells or not, it will be night time.

[Amogus]

Originally posted by aidansg2005:

the tower will ring the bells to "stir the herd", and when that happens, the area will be crawling with walkers and sick beats. no matter when you leave the area, bells or not, it will be night time.

And there's no way to wait out the herd? If the bells ring when I'm out, I have to just deal with getting out while the herd is riled?

[Brochelle]

This isnt complicated - at all. You have a watch - it counts down and beeps to let you know you are running out of time. You want to be half-way/most of the way back to your skiff before the bells.

[Amogus]

Originally posted by BROCHELLE OT:

This isnt complicated - at all. You have a watch - it counts down and beeps to let you know you are running out of time. You want to be half-way/most of the way back to your skiff before the bells.

All I'm asking is if it's an event that triggers every once in a while and fades away over time or a mechanic that basically ends a leisurely mission and turns it into a "get out of here before the timer ends" sort of mechanic. Not misunderstanding anything whatsoever, since it's a valid question. I wanted to know if I could hide out in a house for a while and let it pass or if I have to build my time around the watch if I want to avoid the herd at all costs.

[Masamune27858]

it tells you in game when getting on the boat that all events started will be gone forever. so yea, the whole point is they dont want you to camp around and feel like you can tip toe your way through everywhere.
honestly the herd usually isnt that bad, and if you use items you can get back east. the zombie guts almost always gets you to the boat. but no once the bells go off, the herd willl stay until you leave
since there isnt a real downside to dying, the herd wont really be a problem. now if they patch some difficulty in that may change.

[Brochelle]

Originally posted by  Sir_Mossy :

Originally posted by BROCHELLE OT:

This isnt complicated - at all. You have a watch - it counts down and beeps to let you know you are running out of time. You want to be half-way/most of the way back to your skiff before the bells.

All I'm asking is if it's an event that triggers every once in a while and fades away over time or a mechanic that basically ends a leisurely mission and turns it into a "get out of here before the timer ends" sort of mechanic. Not misunderstanding anything whatsoever, since it's a valid question. I wanted to know if I could hide out in a house for a while and let it pass or if I have to build my time around the watch if I want to avoid the herd at all costs.

it is a mechanism to make you wrap up the level and leave. it isnt a "ride it out" type of thing.