Harder to kill zombies?

[Troblin]

As the devs are only planning to extend the number of combat animations, guess it's not a completely wrong time to ask of two things: Do you want zombies to die harder, (rarely while standing, more different types of finishing after disabling), or do you want to keep them relatively easy to kill while standing? If you agree to complicating and randomizing the carnage a bit - could you please share some ideas? If you'd actually like to leave them relatively easy to kill as they are right now - could you please say why and possibly what else can be done to make daily stuff more fun?

 

My ideas are simple - to turn killing each zombie if not into a set of minigames with partial impalings etc, then maybe just to a set of different animations, dealing progressively more damage as the zombie gets more and more disabled, possibly with a few random twists allowing a lone zombie to rarely break your combo and make you react. Why? Because imho killing one zombie should be fun, but it should come to a lag when you can't finish it when another one's near, making killing zombies exponentally more difficult based on their number, like it is now for bare handed or weak melee weapon combat. It would also add more value to melee skills since those would havefer a limited chance to crit the buggers without going throgh the whole disabling sequence. Beginning of this mechanic is already in game - tackle them and kick them, just want to know if you people would support complicating this process a bit or just have moar of dem zombies?

[Deadend]

how else could you complicate the process? No point in going karate on these zombies. A simply bash in the head with a melee weapon should put em down. If not literally then at least on the ground. What I would like to see is the character kicking the zombie once the zed is dropped to the ground instead of further using up my melee weapon or ammo (if I'm near the fallen zombie, without me actually having unequip my weapon and smashing its head with my feet).

Kind of like how daryll will smack a zombie in the head with his crossbow, drop it to the ground, and smash its head with his boot.

 

EDIT: In terms of complexity though. Actually being grabbed or tipped over (with zed falling on top of you) would be interesting mechanisms to see. Specially in hordes which would make them that much deadlier. With these maybe the chance of tripping if walking backwards and panicked.

I definitely think the current system of 360, and circling zeds to take them down is too easy.

[Serrate Bloodrage]

The skull isnt very easy to penetrate in reality, so I wouldnt mind things being tougher. When vehicles are in, Id like to see Z's who changed while wearing motorbike helmets etc.

There is quite a number of ways to add a bit of complexity without going into 'special power' zombies, which I am very glad, wont be added to the game

[Troblin]

Well for anyone who ever chopped wood - presumably killing a zombie equals to 1-3 blows capable of chopping 1 piece of wood apart. Chopping a dozen of wood pieces is tiring already, now the fun part - you must land a hit --exactly-- on target, or else it takes a dozen of hits instead of one. And on target means that zombie has to be either against the wall or exactly where you want it to be during a full on swing of something heavy if you're strong, which has to be assured via some preparatory moves. Of all the stuff I could remember as an easy example would be Witcher 1 game where each next move does more damage then the previous, unless you are interrupted, having to start all over.

[Bolgfred]

Not sure if this is what OP is talking about, but here's a little litti from myself:

I think it could be nice if you could cripple zombies moreWhen I cut off his arm he can't attack/grab me that good, chopping of a leg will force him to crawl, smashing his chest will make him tumble more than he already does.

Hitting the head/instantly kill a zombie should become more special. When I can hit somebody who stands in front of a wall I can hit him hard between my weapon and the wall, but if he stands loose around I can't put all energy of my attack into my opponent and probably just push him away/hit around him or something. 

Beyond that I am quite happy with zombie strength as it is, but I'd love to see my weapon stuck in a zombie if I am not  striking completely through. There are always ways where an axe or golf bat sticks into something where you need to pull it out.

[Migoxiss]

The skull isnt very easy to penetrate in reality, so I wouldnt mind things being tougher. When vehicles are in, Id like to see Z's who changed while wearing motorbike helmets etc.

There is quite a number of ways to add a bit of complexity without going into 'special power' zombies, which I am very glad, wont be added to the game

But aren't Zambies decaying the hole time?

[Troblin]

Zombies have strength which is a direct function of tissue durability, even if it's freaking out mutated tissue. If they naturally decayed (including bones) then they'd be unable to even shamble, not speaking of grabbing and biting. Naw - they have durability and decreased amount of vital spots, which results in having to deliver very strong or precise hits to take them out for good.

[Serrate Bloodrage]

If skull integrity was lost they simply wouldn't be able to bite. A bite doesn't just happen in the jaw, pressure is applied across the whole structure of your head and neck.

Certain things can rot (skin is fine), however, as Troblin stated, loss of durability means loss of function