Moving Hordes

[DirectorPr]

I've noticed hordes just like to sit there, and just take a break when they move around. They just sit in one spot like a sleeping horse. While I like this concept that they're a sort of road block, it displeases me when I see them just standing there like they're not a diseased rabid human that isn't tired and starving for flesh just sitting down in-front of a house for a spell. I understand the helicopter sounds, and random gun shots are there to keep them moving, but I would like to see the restless zombies I saw back in 2.0.0q where they moved relentlessly keeping me tossing and turning all night hearing their deathly bodies grind against my apartment. I would like to see this come back for hordes and zombies just standing there.

 

( Looking back on the title I probably should've changed it to something that makes more sense like, "Bring back the relentless moving dead back.")

[CyberspyXD]

I've noticed hordes just like to sit there, and just take a break when they move around. They just sit in one spot like a sleeping horse. While I like this concept that they're a sort of road block, it displeases me when I see them just standing there like they're not a diseased rabid human that isn't tired and starving for flesh just sitting down in-front of a house for a spell. I understand the helicopter sounds, and random gun shots are there to keep them moving, but I would like to see the restless zombies I saw back in 2.0.0q where they moved relentlessly keeping me tossing and turning all night hearing their deathly bodies grind against my apartment. I would like to see this come back for hordes and zombies just standing there.

 

( Looking back on the title I probably should've changed it to something that makes more sense like, "Bring back the relentless moving dead back.")

Zombies move when something grabs their attention they are brain dead not rabid infected people like in 28 days later. I think your concerns are gonna be addressed when NPCs come out and distract zombies or lead them to your home.

[Capn_Jamerica]

Ya Cyberspy explains it all, i used to think this too but now i have noticed that after 2.9.9.10 zombies actually started moving around without the gunshot, helicopter or plain sounds.

[DirectorPr]

Well I'm asking for the restless stumble they have in search of their next prey like they had in The Walking Dead. Can't find a clip of it, but its where Shane and Otis sneak to the High School to get medical supplies, but there's zombies in their way. They're there as a road block, but they're not just standing around, they're stumbling around bumping into each other, but they aren't standing there like they are in the current build of Project Zomboid. Mainly I just want them stumbling around in their little group instead of standing there. Add some feel to it that they're not static placed there.

 

Essentially instead of them standing in their group, have them slowly stumble around in their group.

I'm not complaining that they're not moving around the entire map enough, I'm saying I'd like to have that eerie sound of their bodies dragging around in their little group outside my window when they decide that their group is gonna stumble around my house.

[k12314]

Well I'm asking for the restless stumble they have in search of their next prey like they had in The Walking Dead. Can't find a clip of it, but its where Shane and Otis sneak to the High School to get medical supplies, but there's zombies in their way. They're there as a road block, but they're not just standing around, they're stumbling around bumping into each other, but they aren't standing there like they are in the current build of Project Zomboid. Mainly I just want them stumbling around in their little group instead of standing there. Add some feel to it that they're not static placed there.

 

Essentially instead of them standing in their group, have them slowly stumble around in their group.

I'm not complaining that they're not moving around the entire map enough, I'm saying I'd like to have that eerie sound of their bodies dragging around in their little group outside my window when they decide that their group is gonna stumble around my house.

 

Yeah, I'd like for them to move around a bit too. Not CONSTANTLY move around the whole map, but sorta stumble around the area. And I'd like them to moan nearly constantly like they did too. That freaked me the fuck out when a horde was passing by.

[PombeGeek]

Fire a few shotgun rounds each night before bed - that'll keep 'em moving.

[DirectorPr]

Yeah like they move around in their little horde where they're at moaning creating an eerie sort of setting which is much more enjoyable instead of having them standing outside my window sleeping standing up being dead quiet.

[Ziggylata]

I hate it when I sleep and open a door and theres a horde all standing there facing the opposite direction of me, not moving.

God damnit  :L

 

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=178000619

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=178000638

[EnigmaGrey]

As it has been, I'm sure it will again.

Where's DatKid to say /thread?

[tomga1]

I'll do the honours.

/thread

[doomblood66]

IMO npcs will keep em moving... when they come out :/

[ToastedFishSandwich]

I thought I said /thread?

 

I think they do this anyway don't they? Move about in their groups that is.

 

/thread

[EnigmaGrey]

I thought I said /thread?

 

I think they do this anyway don't they? Move about in their groups that is.

 

/thread

MESSAGE END

 

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[Rathlord]

This has been discussed in about a dozen threads lately =\

 

 

Right so:

 

1) Zombie spawning is the next thing we're looking at. 

 

2) This is how the system works. There is a zombie density map over the entire map, high to low zombie population. The first time you load a chunk of the map (10x10) it works out the density of that square and populates it with that many zombies. this can be anywhere from about  10 to about 1/100 (there's only a zombie on every 100 of them) to 0.

 

When you leave the area and the chunk unloads, it creates a virtual zombie object with that # of zombies. Any zombies within a distance will all aggregate into the same virtual zombie, but this distance is quite small.

 

When you reapproach, it turns virtual zombies back into real zombies (of that #)

 

The 'tileyness' is because we are placing zombies within the context of a single chunk, so a high density will eventually fill out that 10x10 chunk.

 

The only time a zombie is ever 'spawned' is when a meta event (inc alarms) occur. All zombies in the vicinity (streamed in area) are lured to the sound, but also a horde is created as a virtual zombie at the nearest high density zombie grid square, if in range, such as the west of town, and slowly moves toward the source of the sound. If at any point the player comes across the virtual zombie (aka the chunk streams into memory, it will turn into X zombies all walking toward their target)

 

This is how it works, though I've disabled the meta horde stuff for now since it's the only possible cause of the issues people are experiencing, and I think it's more a case of virtual zombies moving too fast or something.

 

 

Emphasis mine.

[Rathlord]

That's exactly the same thing. Spawning and hordeing are completely tied together as you can see from Lemmy's post. The horde mechanics are part of what he meant about working on it, and they're just a placeholder anyways for when the real meta game comes. There's no sense wasting time fixing a placeholder when you're just going to replace it anyways.

[Rathlord]

There's not really any times when a horde would be spawning on screen, though. If they're on the screen, then they're already either horde-or-not. There's not that much room for a horde to actually form while you watch. And if they're off screen, they wouldn't be making noises or moving anywhere. They'd just be simulated. Which will come with the meta game.

[DirectorPr]

OP here,

 

/thread

[Ketsu]

Some random irratic movement among the horde would be nice, but the fact that I like about zombies is that they are stationary as long as noone gets smart and start firing shells. Since the last time I played this game, was during the time I was saving Kate and no matter how hard you barricaded your windows, the horde always found your door. This is so much better now. I can actually be safe, in my safe house as long as I got supplies.

[Realmkeeper]

 

That's exactly the same thing. Spawning and hordeing are completely tied together as you can see from Lemmy's post. The horde mechanics are part of what he meant about working on it, and they're just a placeholder anyways for when the real meta game comes. There's no sense wasting time fixing a placeholder when you're just going to replace it anyways.

 

I am not talking about while they are off screen though, I am talking about while they are loaded up walking around and making noises.

 

I see your logic here, but you seem to fail to realise that as soon as they are off-screen, they have essentially 'despawned' as individual entities, and are back in the pool of zombie area densities.

So, say you're running along, past some zombies, then them moving together and gradually hording (as your mechanic seems to conceptualise) is pretty much pointless because by the time they move any meaningful distance together (read: gathered in enough of a group to pose a challenge to the player), you've already moved past them and they've gone off-screen - going back into the pool of zombie densities.

 

To pose a suggestion to change this mechanic would be suggesting a complete overhaul of the zombie positioning system, the density mechanic, and the zombie reactions to external influences (each other, in this case). While not entirely impossible, I would have to say that it is highly unlikely that they would change what appears to be a perfectly good system already in place (keeping in mind that none of us have yet seen the full potential of the existing system, because the external influence of the meta-game has not yet been unleashed in public releases. That, and there's no NPCs to throw in the mix yet...)

 

Lastly, the variables of your idea would need to be highly balanced, else you would end up with an AI flocking situation - which would result in a single massive horde moving around collecting the stragglers as it moved. Not ideal in any scenario.

(Read up on flocking-related pathfinding AI if you want more in-depth details on the hows and whys a single horde would likely emerge, I don't know how knowledgeable you are already on the subject so I won't bore you all here)

[EnigmaGrey]

As we seem to be covering the same ground as covered by the "Zombie spawning might need some work" thread (a nice, detailed read at 8 pages), I am now going to lock this and point you here:

http://theindiestone.com/forums/index.php/topic/1843-zombie-spawning-might-need-some-work/

Topics also merged.