Casting Bullets

[Konrad Knox]

So, powering up buildings with generators was being discussed, and looks like approved.

 

This suggestion comes after generators are implemented. 

Once you have one going, it would be cool to make a workshop and cast bullets from all the rings, necklaces, and lockets the zombies drop.

 

Add gunpowder as an item and let the folks load their own bullets.

[syfy]

oh no, not this again

[Realmkeeper]

oh no, not this again

I felt the need to let someone else lead off with this one...

 

*Cue the 'realism' and 'Average Joe' debates

[SuperJack]

Nah.

For the Average Joe, it will suck, which most of us are.

 

Although it does add to realism.

[Konrad Knox]

I don't mean instead of looting ammo, but in addition, once looted ammo runs out.

And to make useful the numerous useless jewelry you can't even wear.

[migulao]

I don't mean instead of looting ammo, but in addition, once looted ammo runs out.

And to make useful the numerous useless jewelry you can't even wear.

Just pick the lucky trait, you'll loot ammo off of zombies.

[mwps]

I don't mean instead of looting ammo, but in addition, once looted ammo runs out.

And to make useful the numerous useless jewelry you can't even wear.

The game is based on average Joe idea which means that nothing an average person cant do wont be added to the game. You need to have special knowledge about casting bullets and know what amount of gunpowder, metal you need to add.

[Rausheim]

I love the idea of casting bullets and is something I would do (and do now atm) if there was a real zombie outbreak (or whatever apocalyptic happening). I suggested reloading ammo before.

 

If the game is only going to what average joe knows, they should not even include guns as most people would shoot themselves in the leg due to inproper training (no, 300+ hours of CoD don't give enough experience in how to load/unload and operate a gun safely).

[SuperJack]

I love the idea of casting bullets and is something I would do (and do now atm) if there was a real zombie outbreak (or whatever apocalyptic happening). I suggested reloading ammo before.

 

If the game is only going to what average joe knows, they should not even include guns as most people would shoot themselves in the leg due to inproper training (no, 300+ hours of CoD don't give enough experience in how to load/unload and operate a gun safely).

 

I really doubt that I will shoot myself in the leg.  That is taking it a little far.

[Strang]

Rasheim has a point, with out proper gun safety traning, you would make rookie mistakes such as keeping your finger on the trigger while holstering your gun. The person who does not respect the gun is the person who gets hurt.

But it is a very complicated process to reload used casings. It would be very hard to find a reloading bench and no average joe would know how to use it

[Rausheim]

If one starts to fondle with a reloading press without reading any books or having any clue about what they do, it might end up as a death trap.

 

It's not too complicated (says the dude who's been reloading for ages) but for ingame, a high aiming/reloading skill should be required in order for it to be safe. Also regarding casting bullets. If one was to do as TS says, it would explode.... using jewelry as casting material Only thing that will work proper is lead (which can be found many places. Weights on wheels on cars, car batteries, certain stores, scrapyards etc).

 

And people with no real experience with guns will shoot or injure themselves, especially the boys in young teens that's been playing videogames. As a firearms instructor, those are the most "dangerous" ones to have at the range cos they already "know everything".

[Konrad Knox]

Sorry, but an average joe would not know how to single handedly build a house.

[ApolloDiaspora]

This topic has been brought up, time and again, and run into the ground every time. Use the search function

 

The TL;DR version is the average Joe won't be able to handload their own ammo without something nasty happening, the player can build a house because of gameplay reasons, and Zomboid really isn't about running around hosing down zombies with bullets.

 

That said, I (my opinion remember) think that being able to reload shotgun/grenade rounds might be worthwhile, seeing as the large shell casing and simplistic weapon design (so, double barrel shotguns, NOT pump) would be more forgiving if the player screws up.

[Krisu356]

Allright, all this "average joe" talk is getting on my nerve for some time. Okay, your character IS average joe. But what when you pick "policeman" as a job? Or meet NPC that actually knows how to do it and is willing to teach? Don't tell me that ONLY average joes survived the zombie apocalypse...

[syfy]

Allright, all this "average joe" talk is getting on my nerve for some time. Okay, your character IS average joe. But what when you pick "policeman" as a job? Or meet NPC that actually knows how to do it and is willing to teach? Don't tell me that ONLY average joes survived the zombie apocalypse...

so somehow a Policeman is more likely to be familiar with casting bullets for some bizarre reason? says who? police departments BUY the rounds they carry and use. most likely through some sort of contractual agreement between them and the ammo manufacturer that will save them a bit of money over buying in bulk from a sporting goods store/ gun shop.

 

and maybe you never realized this, but being a Policeman does not exclude a person from qualifying as an Average Joe.

 

as for NPC's, where did you get the idea that Lemmy will actually give any of them the knowledge to do this?

[Kirrus]

The aim is for you to not be able to pick the human out of a group of survivors you meet, that the NPCs work that well. The average joe talk is all about the players being real people, not superheros able to survive the end of the world.

[Mikhail Reign]

As an average joe, I would have no bloody idea how to grow anything, fish or cook some of the food you can make. It's just not something I do. Give me a book and a little time to read it and I would be able to bash something out though. Make it so my life is on the line and make that doubly so. It's a survival situation, I don't see why character should be unable to learn new skills simply because he use to be an 'average joe'. If he (I) want to invest the time learning something which would improve survival, I don't see why he should be handy caped from doing a relatively simple task because he is average.

[Croak90]

Average, not below average and completely incompetent. No one with half a brain would shoot themselves in the leg with a gun. It's common knowledge to keep the safety on and your finger off.

[Rausheim]

Those simple things are not common knowledge, unfortunately.

[Dryke]

This may again simply boil down to gameplay.  If we're going to have the 'average joe' discussion (which has clearly been hashed out many times before), that can easily be countered by the fact that there ARE instruction manuals out there regarding how to reload ammunition.  Typically, it's found in close proximity to the place where things such as the equipment to do reloads are found.  If you can read books to become a MASTER farmer, or cook, or fisherman, or carpenter...then there is no sufficient argument that would eliminate the possibility of becoming a basic reloader.

 

But...if the wholesale availability of bullets due to player reloading would break the game economy, then I can see a valid argument for not implementing it despite its realism.  That would make it a good and workable suggestion based on realism, but an untenable suggestion based on gameplay.

[ColonelSandersLite]

As far as gameplay balance is concerned, the biggest counterbalance could be limited availability of powder and brass.  Personally, I think it would be kinda neat canibilising once type of ammo to get powder for another type of ammo though. The idea that *the average joe* doesn't know how to do this works, but most reloaders also have books and reference material with their supplies.  I could well see something like requiring firearms skill of 3 and having read a certain book.  The biggest issue I can see with reloading brass in reality is that reloaders, nearly to a man, rely on electronically heated melting pots.  It could be done with a fire as well, but that's obviously more difficult.

 

 

If the game is only going to what average joe knows, they should not even include guns as most people would shoot themselves in the leg due to inproper training (no, 300+ hours of CoD don't give enough experience in how to load/unload and operate a gun safely).

 

Are you nuts?  The household firearms ownership rate in kentucy is about 48%.  And that's just reported.  Negligent discharges *do* happen but they are pretty rare and an nd which causes injury is incredibly rare.

[Snuggler]

I think its totally reasonable to think a person could reload spent shells with the proper equipment and materials. (especially a person who can build a house single handed after reading a book)

 

The only issue I can see is collecting the spent casings. Each shell would appear on the ground after each shot. there would be b

 

Lead could be recovered by melting down fishing sinkers or roofing sheets. a hot camp fire can do this. Then pour it in to a cast and trim with a knife or chisel. did this as a kid, with my uncles instruction. can be a little dangerous (hot lead), but not especially difficult.

 

use the cooking mechanic for the lead melting.

 

don't know if the press should be movable or not. not sure. i know they are movable IRL but i'm thinking for balance. maybe it could be very heavy?

 

*edit:

 

the primers would be the thing that undoes the whole system. you can't really craft them. you would have to find boxes of them. so its still finite resource. may as well just be more boxes of ammo.

[EnigmaGrey]

Lead . . .  roofing sheets

I have a feeling you'll have a great deal of trouble finding that in the US on any homes newer than 40 - 50 years.

[ColonelSandersLite]

 

Lead . . .  roofing sheets

I have a feeling you'll have a great deal of trouble finding that in the US on any homes newer than 40 - 50 years.

 

Older too actually.  If the roof is that old, it's pretty likely that it's been reshingled at some point.

[IronCoffins]

Gunpowder, also called black powder is a simple mixture of saltpeter, sulfur and charcoal. The trickiest part of making blackpowder is sources of three supplies. The finer you can mix the powders the faster it will burn. Im an average joe and work at a gas station, but I know how to make blackpowder bullets as well. The lead part is fairly simple, just get some lead, melt it down into molds, most likey ball shaped. Mind you making an old style musket like gun wouldent be to difficult but just being able to do all of this would be time consuming but yet not impossible. I've made this stuff before but to make normal powder that we use today would be a little more difficult but yet not impossible. Maybe having a gun nut profession would make these special items aviable to just that profession perhaps. Maybe have a skill book you can find called Gun smithing and bullet making. I admit during all the koad from zombies I wouldent make it a prority to find this stuff, and even if you did make it don't expect the bullet to fire accurately either.