Zombies can lead their target (pathfinding) without line of sight?

[BoogieMan 188]

I've noticed that zombies can choose shorter routes to pursue you if you run behind an obstruction like like a shed or a house, knowing your movement even after you leave their line of sight and make course adjustments that they cannot see. They will choose the shortest route based upon your course and speed in real time. It seems like it has a cut off time, like after a certain point they lose awareness of your location it seems like once they are aware of your presence, they continue to be for a period of time even if you're not providing any stimulus to attract them.

 

It could just be my interpretation of zombie intelligence but that seems like that should be beyond their comprehension. Well, they shouldn't be able to know your exact location when they can't see you, but beyond that it seems like they should continue moving where they last saw you, provided you aren't making any noise that they can hear or something to alert them to where you are.

 

I know AI in games often have to "cheat" to remain competitive, but sometimes it feels like they are too good at tracking you even when you take erratic paths that would confuse even another intelligent person. Would the sandbox setting for zombie Memory have the most impact on this? Does anyone know what the difference is between each setting?

[Furente7 26]

I wouldn't mind this as an optional zombie AI difficulty in Sandbox. But in PZ, the zombies don't really need to cheat, they're meant to be mindless beings travelling in hordes, using a super high infection rate and their unending body count to eventually make you succumb to them.

 

That being said, Low zombie count with this AI override and super strength might prove an interesting sandbox experience, as opposed to using Insane zombie count with very weak zombies

[BoogieMan 188]

I wouldn't mind this as an optional zombie AI difficulty in Sandbox. But in PZ, the zombies don't really need to cheat, they're meant to be mindless beings travelling in hordes, using a super high infection rate and their unending body count to eventually make you succumb to them.

 

That being said, Low zombie count with this AI override and super strength might prove an interesting sandbox experience, as opposed to using Insane zombie count with very weak zombies

Yeah, maybe like an advanced pathfinding option..

 

I recently tried a game like that, made the zombies strong and lethal, but I reduced their numbers. I could tell a big difference early on and it was a pretty nifty. Reminded me of playing Left 4 Dead with very few common infected, but a lot of special infected with a high respawn. Gets intense. But after upwards of a week or two in game their numbers got high enough to make it unmanageable. It's hard to find a balance, that's for sure. Worth a shot though if you're looking for a change of pace.

[EnigmaGrey 6219]

Since you're moving, you're making noise . . . it's all they need to course correct.

[BoogieMan 188]

Since you're moving, you're makin gnoice . . . it's all they need to course correct.

They can make the corrections even if you're out of footstep hearing range, like if they aggroed on you with sight. So it's not as simple as just that.

[CreepyD 37]

Indeed once you're out of sight, they know where you are by sound.

If you're still running, they will know where to go.

 

Once you're out of sight you need to start sneaking - quickly around another corner or something.

That way they will go to where they last heard you running, but by the time they get there you're out of sight of that location and they can no longer hear you, so they will simply stop and have no clue where you went.

 

I think it also matches the fact that zombies in all kinds of lore seem to have fairly good hearing but poor vision.