Living on the march: An extensive Guide (85% complete)

This guide is likely as finished as it's going to be. I havent really played this game much in a year or so. Unless drasticly new content comes out, please use my guide as a basis for beginning if you are having issues,

I will however update any parts that anyone contributes to as usual.

Overview

This is my first steam guide so I will try to make it as ordered as possible. I am writing it because there is a distinct lack of information on this game and guides to anything.

If there is anything you'd like to see, post it in the comments and I'll work on it.

First and foremost, this game is extremely simple, but if you do not grasp the basics or try to build too quickly, things can go wrong very quickly ( Very Quickly).
In this guide I will attempt to give as much information as I can, but understand there is still a lot about specific things that I do not know such as uses for specific items or which events trigger what. Furthermore, there is an element of RNG that I cannot account for and there is modding and finally (at the time of writing) I have only completed the game 3 times with the first 2 characters. I will update as soon as I complete with all characters of course.

Thanks to commenters for their input and additions.

• Here's Johnny !
  
• Katori
  
• Duskrose

Anyway, onto the guide.

Tips for getting started

Okay, lets go over some gameplay basics.

You are a newly started character in a world changing zombie event. Yay you! But you need to know how to survive. Firstly, you need to know how to fight and not die or get bitten and become infected.

Some basic tips to know.

• Food is your life blood. You can explore only as long as your food can hold you over between cities.
  
  
• Guns kill faster, but Melee preserves valuable ammo which can be used for trading. Plus you will need your ammo at later stages of the game.
  
  
• Always buy food from traders, never trade food unless you have an extreme surplus (10 days or more)
  
  
• Always spend 60 minutes searching in cities. Really, by the time you finish my advanced tips section, you'll be fine in cities. (there is an exceptionto this rule, ill go over it in advanced tips)
  
  
• Either be a jerk the entire game or be nice the entire game. Don't sit on the fence, no one likes a fence sitter.
  
  
• More followers is not always better. You need at least 3 to finish the game safely. I'll go over this in advanced tips.
  
  
• Pause the game often and configure your team on the fly. Sometimes you'll need to pop a zombie in the face with a pistol and all you'll have is your tank to do it. Space bar is your friend.
  
  
• Kill screamers first and from range, then biters, Then grabbers generally, but sometimes rotters can go before grabbers. Screamers and Biters HAVE to go first.
  
  
• You'll get in sticky situations. You'll run out of food, things will go wrong, you'll miss multiple shots in a row. Reposition and compensate. As long as you focused on the danger zombies first, you'll be fine.
  
  
• Humans die with 1 shot from a rifle on it's standard shoot setting. Run your melee at them so they can't be targeted and let a rifle do the work.
  
  
• There's probably more but I'll add it later if i think of them or if someone puts something in the comments.

Characters (work in progress)

Main Characters
Derek- An old man, killer with a shotgun. His story is the hardest start by far (so far)

Betty- Derek's, I find her more baggage than actually useful, plus she eats into your early food gains.

Brody- This guy here. He comes along with Derek. He's your gunner. He excels in gunning. Let this man gun late game.
Authors notes- appears to become fatigued much faster than anyone else. Unknown as to why.

Bill- Scientist that is part of Derek's Campaign. Useless in the group.

Greg- You start the game with him. He's a sweet guy, just wants to save his family. Pretty good with a rifle. I usually use him as melee early on and backup rifle late game.

Blake- Expert in rifle and pistol, He is pretty much the pinnacle of awesome. Unfortunately his campaign is by far the hardest. Use the rubber banding method (bringing your people back and forth over the map to make this campaign easier.) I've not yet finished this one, but I suspect double barreled shotguns will be crucial in this campaign.

Obtainable Characters
Olivia- Obtained by following a quest to leave the territory of a group of people. She will ask to join when you reach the map marker. Brody's Twin (in spirit) I always get her if I can. She is a main gunner. She guns better than she does anything else.

Sarah- Obtained by exploring the rising smoke in the woods. Choose to stay and eat the rabbit, then say you mean no harm. She will join you. She makes a good backup gunner as she is moderate in both rifle and pistol. She is also a hunter.

Chad- Obtainable if you offer him smokes (or booze? I'll modify after I am sure, I only obtained him once)

Charles- Obtainable if you offer him a bobblehead. Pistol Expert, Shotgun Novice and Rifle Intermediate. Appears to be insane. Thank you Blackthorne

Elliot- Obtainable by asking the sherriff about him and then freeing him. He will join you afterwards. He is an expert with a shotgun, mechanic and a good liar. He can used to rig cars into explosives for some encounters.

Sten- Obtained by siding with the unarmed man against the two armed men. He is intermediate with all weapons and resilient. He makes a good front line fighter.

Tara- Obtained after you come across a situation with a vehicle and choose to kill the walkers, She has Soothing Personality, Intermediate rifle skill, and Novice skill in both Pistol and Shotgun. -Confirmed by Ovolon.

Marlene: rescued from a barn (don't remember specifics) Cook, Light eater, Pistol Intermediate, Shotgun Novice, Rifle Novice (Credit to Ryuu for the information)

Weapons (in progress)

Melee weapons
In order of usefulness

• Combat Knife
  
• Machete
  
• Axe
  
• Baseball Bat
  
• Pipe
  
• Hammer
  
• Frying Pan

Ranged Weapons
Automatic Rifle (I Haven't Gotten this yet)
In order of usefulness

Automatic Rifle (I Haven't Gotten this yet)
• Rifle
  
• Double Barrel Shotgun
  
• Shotgun
  
• Semi-Automatic Pistol
  
• Revolver

The ranged weapons come in 3 types.
Rusted- The worst modifier
Old- Half as bad as rusted
Normal- It's normal, did you expect something else?

I realize that the order of usefulness is subjective, but being that this guide is mine, this is my usefulness order, get your own.

Items (Very early progress, this section is the most in the works)

I will post the items that have a use that I have found so far first and then the ones that are stickly for selling. If you have gotten a use, please post it and I'll modify the guide. (I'll even cite you!)

Useful Items

Healing Items

• Acetaminophen- Heals 1 HP
  
  
• Antibiotics- Heals 1 HP and is used in certain events.
  
  
• Bandages- Heals 2 HP and is used in certain events.
  
  
• First Aid Kit- Heals 4 HP and is used in certain events. Also worth 10 credits to traders.

Other Items

• Blanket can be exchanged for weapons or food. Confirmed by sqrt(53)
  
  
• Radio- Can start an event (i've yet to have it start an event and I've held onto it every playthrough)
  
  
• Fishing Rod- Used in a repeatable until you catch event. Gets 4 rations.
  
  
• Matches- Used in certain events. Never had a result that gave me anything from it's use.
  
  
• Nails- Used in an event to stop a car which has enemies aiming at you. Confirmed by Katori
  
  
• Bobblehead- Charles wants it. Pistol Expert, Shotgun Novice and Rifle Intermediate. Appears to be insain. Confirmed by Blackthorne.
  
  
• Toy Hand Grendade- Used in an event with robbers. Gets you away safely but trying to rob them back has resulted in failure every time I've tried. Here's Johnny !- Successfully Robbed the robbers after using the item during the event.
  
  
• Teddy Bear- Calms down a child. He's calmed but still never had a positive outcome after.
  
  
• Wedding Ring- Used in a random encounter with a man wanting the ring. According to Duskrose, he will attack if you don't have it.
  
  
• Keys- Can be used to unlock a hidden bomb shelter in a very rare event. thanks to toomanynights for discovering this.

Unknown Use Items

Sell them unless you want to see if they can be used in any events

• Wallet
  
• Cell Phone Earpiece
  
• Perfume
  
• Shoe
  
• Diamond Ring
  
• Rope

On a side note, the axe is also used in certain events and can get you food from elderly couples.

Advanced Tips

These tips are my collected and personal tips for surviving this game.

1. Starting the game, go to every spot in the first map. It's tedious but you will be much better set up for the rest of the game.
   
   
2. Try to keep your followers to under 4 for the first map. Use the first map to build up food. It'll save you headache later in the game.
   
   
3. When you sell at traders, pistol rounds are pretty useless as far as ammo is concerned. Sell them for rifle ammo and food if you have nothing else you are willing to sell.
   
   
4. Try to have a flashlight for everyone. It'll really help at night.
   
   
5. Don't use guns on the first map except for humans or if you are in serious trouble. Save those bullets for trading.
   
   
6. When using melee, get in 1 strike then back off if you are targeted. Do not melee Biters or screamers. Grabbers are okay when you back off after 1 strike.
   
   
7. Always search 60 minutes in town and rest in town after the last section is searched. You might get in a fight and get a lot more loot. The exception to this rule is if you are set on anything except for food, search for 20 min or skip it.
   
   
8. Always trade for rifle bullets and food. Rifle bullets are your lifeblood on the third map. You must end the game with at least 75 Rifle Bullets to be safe.
   
   
9. You need a minimum of 3 characters to easily win at the end. 3 Rifle users will, almost easily, handle all fights
   
   
10. Eat at 150% hunger as much as you can. Food restores 150% so you'll save food. A general rule of thumb is when food reaches red (100%) rest then eat.
    
    
11. Most items are useless, This includes healing. Keep enough healing carried to heal half of your followers for half HP. 3 or 4 first aid kits.
    
    
12. Rest and eat before the end of the last map. Do it or it will be much harder on you.
    
    
13. Always take Olivia. She is amazing as a gunner. Put her at about 40% on the map and let he be your Rifle girl. Put her on headshot, She will hit almost every time.
    
    
14. If you have 3 rifle gunners at the end, position them at 40% and 2 at 45%. Anyone who isnt rifle Expert can use aimed headshot to increase their hit chance. Keep a second rifle loaded incase you are in a situation where reloading isn't safe.
    
    
15. If there is blood on the flood in a cabin, do not search it. I've been bitten every single time.
    
    
16. Loot every single city, all of them.
    
    
17. You can return to a trading post if you need to sell stuff or get more food, just don't go too far out of your way.
    
    
18. Never accept a ride or fix a car. It will drop you off somewhere you probably don't want to be and probably hungry and fatigued.
    
    
19. My best setup for end game so far has been 3 Rifle gunners. 2 Shot gunners with double barreled Shotguns and 1 Pistol gunner. The shotgunners and pistol guy are my Melee and I only used their guns in very bad circumstances. For the final fight, I only had to shoot 1 zombie with the pistol.

If i think of more I'll add them. If someone posts and good one I'll add it and cite them.

[Azgarod]

It's been quite a while since i even looked at this game. If i get some time or a wild hair i can maybe dive back into it and look to update the guide

[Nobodyn88]

What about dlc?

[Ryuu]

character Juno:
savage energy (+15% melee hit chance)
pistol, shotgun, rifle — novice

A girl with a bloody axe, approach her and go with her to a stash.

[Azgarod]

updated to have keys usage. Nearly done with ff7 remake then ill be diving into this game again

[toomanynights]

@Ryuu Nothing that peculiar. A few items of food and a handful of ammo, if I remember correctly.

[Ryuu]

Interesting, what's inside? I would rely on crowbar instead though, i hope it's as reliable.

[toomanynights]

Turns out there is some use to the Keys item after all.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2065684920
It's really rare though. I've managed to beat all 4 scenarios, and only one have I seen this event.

[toomanynights]

@Ryuu The balance, as it happens, is right there. About in the middle of the first map, having around 30 food, I got an event in which my 6-members team was robbed point blank, leaving me exactly 0 food to go with.

[Azgarod]

clearly there was some significant additions since I last played because some of these things i dont remember. ill add the crowbar and the farmer event soon

[Ryuu]

Melee weapon list lacks crowbar
Damage:5
Hit chance: -10%
Attack delay: +10%
Fatigue: 1%
Pretty weak but they say it can be used in events