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The Ultimate Thread of Traps and Distractions!


Aardman55

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I've been playing a while now, and it might just be me, but I found that the only way to get zombies away from some place is to distract em, but that would be to you by screaming at them.

 

 

Now, my idea was, that there would be firecrackers, or however you call them, its this bunch of small firework sticks bunched together and then lit and then they'd all go and explode but not in a big explosion but small sparks that would all go "click click click" and such. Back to the topic,

I thought it would be cool if that was another way to distract zombies away from a place instead of screaming.

Imagine youre low on food, and theres that store. One problem, a group of 20 - 50 zombies is standing all around it.

I thought you could then go to someplace safe, light and quickly throw a firecracker to another place like 50 meters away from that store, then all the cracking would distract the zombies and make them move there while you can quickly sneak inside the building get the food and get out safely.

 

Okay so here others ideas:

Traps:
Barbed Wire trap:

Requires: Wood plank x4, Barbed wire x2.

A small patch of barbed wire laid down on the ground.

Zombies and npcs walking over it will slow down heavily and get scratches every second, perfect for slowing down hordes and gaining time and injuring to killing uncareful survivors poor enough to run over it. Group members will ignore this trap and find other ways to walk around it / even take no damage walking over it at all. Can be removed with gloves shall they ever be implemented.

 

Spike hole trap:

Requires: Shovel (duh), nails x20.

Can only be placed on grass and dirt.

A small hole covered with leaves, when someone runs into it (s)he will fall into a medium deep pit full of nails and most likely result dead. 1 time use only.

 

Bear trap:
Ideal for animals and humans alike, will severly injure a humans leg and kill an animal, can be used to hold off some zombies as theyll feast upon whatever poor thing ran into it. He...hehheeehehehehahahhahahaha.....

 

 

Distraction:
Bottle

A bottle of whisky or just a normal bottle, can be thrown up to 25 meters, any zombie 10-20 meters near it will hear the glass shatter and shamble / jog / run to that position.

 

More ideas to come!

 

 

 

We had this in the old game so might as well now. Pour fourth all of your ideas about traps, home made bombs, distractions for zombies, etc. here so that we can keep track of all of them without having the suggestions forum overrun with them! 

 

-Rathlord

Edited by Aardman55
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I don't like the dynamite idea personally because I don't think dynamite would be found commonly. But, I do like the fact that 99% of the time something would go wrong. That'd make it all the more realistic and would be a benefit rather than a hindrance in my opinion.

 

I do like the alarm clock idea a lot though.

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I don't like the dynamite idea personally because I don't think dynamite would be found commonly. But, I do like the fact that 99% of the time something would go wrong. That'd make it all the more realistic and would be a benefit rather than a hindrance in my opinion.

 

I do like the alarm clock idea a lot though.

Well i know you could find C4 at a cop station, and be able to blow open the city wall to fuck up the military, but when the wall is added it probably will be really far back.

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I personally dislike the alarm clock bomb idea intensely. Handed dynamite and an alarm clock 99% of people would either have a tragic accident or never make anything go boom.

 

 

That's what electronics skill or something similar is for.    Most people can't build a three story house either.    Or perform surgery.    Or fix a car.    if the rules support their use they can add all kinds of skills.   Or a perk that allows explosive handling.

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That's what electronics skill or something similar is for.    Most people can't build a three story house either.    Or perform surgery.    Or fix a car.    if the rules support their use they can add all kinds of skills.

 

No you've missed it entirely. This game is supposed to be about what a completely normal person could do with himself in the apocalypse. I've built a house and while yes, it was a learning experience, pretty much anyone can do it if they put the time in. There's no surgery in the game so I'm not sure why you said that.

 

Yes, you can learn to do things but cobbling together dynamite with an alarm clock is pretty challenging and not something that you can really just pick up from a book. Even if it's possible you'd probably still need a go between from the alarm clock to the dynamite, a way to turn the electric signal into a flame. Counting on a spark is impractical. Let me quote the "How to write a good suggestion" thread a bit:

 

 

  • Is it somewhat realistic? No, it's impractical and hard to do
  • Does it fit with the spirit of PZ? Yes/maybe
  • Would it make the game too easy? No (although in any case it would be easier than real life)
  • Would it require rewriting the entire game (like changing the camera view, for instance)? No
  • Would it add enough to the gameplay that it would be worth taking the time to add? Doubtful, it could be accomplished in other ways that actually make sense.
  • Would it be found in Muldraugh, Kentucky common enough to be added? Probably not, there might be one place in Muldraugh where you could find dynamite, if that.
  • For zombies: Does it fit at least somewhat into Romero/Brooks zombie lore (the basis for 'proper' zombies)? N/A

 

So it fails ~4 of the criteria. It's just a bad idea, and if you could only do it after learning some kind of electronics skill that makes there even fewer applications where it would be used by players, devaluing it even more.

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Tiger Trap/Pit: Use spade to dig a hole, put some pikes on the bottom, cover with leaves and make a much of noise to cause zombies to fall in.

 

Human Bomb: When one of your NPCs gets bitten, knock him out, tie him up with a bomb and leave him someplace. When he wakes up he'll scream in confusion alerting zombies. When they start chewing on him you detonate the bomb.

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Tiger Trap/Pit: Use spade to dig a hole, put some pikes on the bottom, cover with leaves and make a much of noise to cause zombies to fall in.

 

Human Bomb: When one of your NPCs gets bitten, knock him out, tie him up with a bomb and leave him someplace. When he wakes up he'll scream in confusion alerting zombies. When they start chewing on him you detonate the bomb.

Tiger Trap/Pit: Ahhh, reminds me of back in 'nam '67!

Jokes aside thats the idea I had with nails but I think it can be implemented with the nail thing and be similiar to the fence or wall thing, build a nail pit for 20 nails or a Tiger Pit for lets say 4 wood. Nails are more common than wood but the tiger pit could do more damage and be more durable than the 2 time use of the nail pit.

 

Human Bomb: Holy hell dude thats just friggin unfair brutal gritty and disgusting.... I so want that in the game :3!

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So it fails ~4 of the criteria. It's just a bad idea, and if you could only do it after learning some kind of electronics skill that makes there even fewer applications where it would be used by players, devaluing it even more.

 

That you personally don't like it means a great deal to you and nothing to me.    Learn the difference between those two things and you'll be alright.

 

Rare explosives in general could add something to the game.   Dynamite and propane tanks are certainly used in zombie fiction.   To say nothing of the fact that a military base is nearby.   They'll have all sorts of explosives that could require a general explosives code if included.    Once there is explosives code you can easily add many variations.    I can think of a lot of things that would require mechanics and electronics skill.    Mechanics and Electricians arent rare in the world.    This is familiar territory for games and hardly new.    It's just a question of what they choose to include and that's not for me to say.      But if they have explosives,  improvised devices seem quite natural.   It's fine with me either way.   Just an idea.

 

Plus tree clearing companies still use dynamite when it's appropriate.   Lots of forests and cleared areas around.Muldraugh.

http://helenair.com/news/local/explosive-forestry-dynamite-fells-day-s-worth-of-trees-in/article_b32a2d04-a950-11e1-9d7f-001a4bcf887a.html

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I wasn't using 'bad' as a term of personal feeling, I was using it because as I said it fails most of the relevant criteria for a good suggestion. I've seen one recorded case in histroy where a man used an alarm clock with dynamite and he had weeks in advance in a non-apocalyptic world to learn how and prepare it. I don't really see the need to be rude about what I'm trying to point out about it- I'm not being rude about how you feel about it, just trying to demonstrate why I don't think it's a fitting idea.

 

Dynamite isn't used particularly prevalently by professionals anymore, and it now requires heavy licensing and contract agreements to buy (the government can go to the property where you're using it any time they want to without letting you know to check up on you). I actually looked into buying some for clearing some stumps and it's a miserable process. I'm not saying there wouldn't be dynamite, just that it likely wouldn't be found around Muldraugh. Just out of curiosities sake, I checked around the town I live in to see how hard it would be to get some (my town is rougly the size of Muldraugh) and no one can provide it. The closest I can get is tannerite.

 

Once Knox gets implemented I think more commonly used explosives would be found for sure, though. C4 and many of the newer jellied explosives would probably be found there, as well as gunpowder which can be used for things like shaped charges if you're desperate.

 

I'm not saying I'm against explosives, or even timed explosives. The alarm clock + dynamite thing just bugs me because it's impractical. Chances are if you've found the dynamite you'd find a roll of slow burning fuse with it making the alarm clock irrelevant anyways. Plus, as I said before, you'd still need a way to transfer the electrical signal to the fuse and, once again, like I said before trying to rely on a spark from an alarm clock is most likely not going to work.

 

If you want to argue that I'm wrong or show me how it can be made easily, that's fine, but please don't tell me that I'm just saying no because I don't like it after I post a well thought out, factual post about why I think it's impractical.

 


 

If people criticize your idea: Please listen to constructive criticism. I know it can be very hard sometimes, but many times people are just doing and saying what they think is right for the game. They may even be right sometimes. It's perfectly fine to have a back and forth banter discussing the idea, but if it becomes heated or you're both posting the same thing back and forth in circles it's a good idea to either stop responding to them or just leaving the thread all together. Sometimes that great idea just turns out to be a rotten egg- it's happened to the best of us.
 

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Propane tanks.   Leave them somewhere and then shoot them with a rifle.   Boom.

 

Gas can in the oven.  Turn oven on.  Shoot gun.  Escape.    Let zeds swarm building.

This is hollywood stuff, wouldn't normally work in real life - especially the first one.

 

You could use gas to set a house on fire or something, but that's a bit extreme for distraction, isn't it? Gas is rare and heavy and it wouldn't be a quick process. You also have no way to put out the fire afterwards. I remember in the 0.1.5 build when I burned down half a street with a molotov. Sure, I got some zombies in the process but it was hardly worth it.

 

However, I do like the idea of more commonplace, sensible distractions using everyday items. Alarm clocks / egg timers, firecrackers, neon store signs (switched on at night, while there is electricity), air horns, car / house alarms, rocks thrown at windows, smoke / tear gas grenades (from police stations), road flares, flashlights set on blinking mode (and left on the ground or thrown), glowsticks etc. could attract nearby zombies, letting you sneak past.

 

Most of these items could reasonably be found in several residential / commercial locations and used to distract / bypass a horde. They would mostly be one-shot items but not heavy, dangerous or complicated.

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Clocks have been used to trigger bombs in the world so i don't have to argue the details of an abstraction of that reality in a game.     Presumably some chain of events can be created to trigger a blasting cap.   Or whatever method is used for a cell phone to trigger an IED.   I also don't have to explain how generic "car parts" are used to repair all makes and models of cars in games,   or how soup immediately regenerates health like a healing potion.    These are all unrealistic abstractions of more complex realities.

 

Anyway,  it seems fine to me with the appropriate skills.   But your mileage may vary.

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Good points GSC. I don't really mind the second suggestion (since at the least it could be plausible). I actually like seeing things that let players accomplish bad ideas in game. If they get trapped in a firestorm because they caught the world on fire... oh well! Personally I'd save the fuel and go for something a little easier like you said.

 

Shooting propane tanks isn't really like it is in the movies. See the relevant Mythbusters episode for scientific proof if required.

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Clocks have been used to trigger bombs in the world so i don't have to argue the details of an abstraction of that reality in a game.     Presumably some chain of events can be created to trigger a blasting cap.   Or whatever method is used for a cell phone to trigger an IED.   I also don't have to explain how generic "car parts" are used to repair cars in games,   or how soup immediately regenerates health like a healing potion.    These are all unrealistic abstractions of more complex realities.

 

Anyway,  it seems fine to me with the appropriate skills.   But your mileage may vary.

 

Clocks absolutely, but they're usually specifically crafted for bombs with a controlled sparking mechanism built in. The cell phone, similarly, triggers a piece of electronics that sparks the fuse.

 

I'll admit that you do have to simplify things for games a bit, but in this case I just personally don't see the need. Like I said, why not just use a fuse? It's probably more reliable anyways.

 

Edit: And feral, please don't hold any punches discussing this with me. If you feel I'm wrong feel free to go ahead out and say it. I'm not the kind of moderator that bans someone for disagreeing and I enjoy a good (insult free) back and forth. I'm sorry if I came on a bit hard in my previous posts.

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For boobytraps or passive defense I was thinking of logs / planks studded with nails or axes swung down when triggered, though these would probably be complicated to build and endanger me as much as the zombies or rogue NPCs.

 

I would be more inclined to use traps that are essentially a harmless early warning system (e.g. a cooking pot balanced on top of door / window frame or tied to a string, which makes noise if something triggers it.

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 I also don't have to explain how generic "car parts" are used to repair all makes and models of cars in games,   or how soup immediately regenerates health like a healing potion.    These are all unrealistic abstractions of more complex realities.

Because trying to sort through thirty different kinds of spark plugs to get an engine running is more of a chore than it is a gameplay mechanic? And at least the soup doesn't automatically heal your health all the way full, like it does in most games. Here it just gives you some regeneration over time. Though I admit I'd kinda like the health regen to be quite a bit slower and the food bonus to last longer than five seconds....

 

As for traps, I kinda want the old fashioned standby of tying a string to a door and connecting it to a shotgun.

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You could use gas to set a house on fire or something, but that's a bit extreme for distraction, isn't it? Gas is rare and heavy and it wouldn't be a quick process.

 

Hopefully it doesnt stay rare or the talk of including cars won't get far.    The idea wasnt to distract but to lure them into a house that then endures a gas can exploding in the oven,  leading to a fire and some confused flaming zeds.   

 

 

 

Clocks absolutely, but they're usually specifically crafted for bombs with a controlled sparking mechanism built in. The cell phone, similarly, triggers a piece of electronics that sparks the fuse.

 

Blasting caps just need an electric current,  they handle the "sparking".    They are commonly used with dynamite.  You just have to give them sufficient current,  the level of which is well beyond my knowledge.     But if a licensed contractor was in town,  either with McCoy logging or someone else,   they could have some.    I'd put it in the possible but not probable category but it's beyond my knowledge.

 

If a demolition company or tree clearing crew is using dynamite,  they are triggering it electrically today,   not with lit fuses.

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Shooting propane tanks isn't really like it is in the movies. See the relevant Mythbusters episode for scientific proof if required.

Exactly. Same with shooting / trying to blow up vehicles' gas tanks, fuel pumps, oil drums etc. These things are much safer than TV and movies would have us believe.

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