BayCon Posted June 18, 2017 Share Posted June 18, 2017 Ok, so that extra part of the title was true lol. I figured some people are tired of threads ranting and complaining about the helicopter event, and if any of you know me, I can be kinda infamous for going on rants pretty easily. I figured those two things might make you guys pass this up. This topic isn't about that though. I need advice for my save of Survival! Sorry in advance for the length of the post, as usual... So, I remembered the heli event leading to the end of several saves recently, and I also remember it happening around the same time in the save (Day 7 - 8). This time, I'm doing VERY well. I'm about halfway done with the frame for my wall, and I have probably more food than I can eat before it spoils. I've got a massive collection of books, etc blah blah blah. So I was like "I'm on a friggin' roll, I'm not about to have that ruined by the heli." I read somewhere that the devs want you to have a second base for emergencies or whatever, so I decided on the afternoon of day 6 to make a second base and hold out there until the helicopter event. Well, I slept, and when I woke up, the helicopter flew right in and I realized I had just done it in time. The problem is, even though I felt like I walked a good distance, silly me barely made it a block away! I don't think I went far enough from my main base for the second base to be worth the investment of resources. Here's the map with my real safehouse on the right, and my backup safehouse on the left (For those of you who don't know, it's an annotated map location. I had already been so I knew the inside would be safe and I wouldn't have to waste time clearing it.): Do you think I went far enough? What should I do? Also, do you think my safehouse will survive any potential damage? My Ideas: - I was thinking I should search the house and place sheet ropes in the room I left off in, and wait for a while for the zombies to gather up, and then escape and run to the North East and lead my heli-horde in that direction. - I also thought I was too close and I should probably just run farther away since the helicopter sound was only just fading in before I exited out. - Another idea was to simply not go outside and wait out the helicopter and then escape, since I've heard that they will leave pretty quickly and just do a pass if you stay inside. What do you guys think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireOnAsphalt Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 I've always found staying in one spot during the helicopter event to be a dangerous choice... Since the zombies will migrate towards where ever you happen to be, what I'll do is travel to a remote location I have no intention of visiting for a long while. These are areas I fall back to for the helicopter event... Spoiler In West Point, I'll head towards the small recreational area with the gazebo towards the east side of the city, near the railroad. It requires a short hike through the forest, but the location is removed from the city enough that you can stay in the general area long enough to allow the aircraft to pass and make your way back home quietly. In Muldraugh, I'll go to either McCoy Logging or the southern-most trailer park. I choose McCoy if I've already looted the place to my satisfaction. It's a good location to herd zombies in an open area and it's far enough from the city that it will take a long while for the horde to trickle back towards downtown. The southern trailer park is more for when I'm unprepared for the helicopter event and I simply need large metaphorical boulders to help part the metaphorical wave of zombies and buy time. In Rosewood, I'll travel to the farmhouses to the east. The fields are completely open for maneuvering and the number of zombies that show up are relatively low to begin with. You can wait the event out there, and any zombies that do show up will have a long trek back to Rosewood. In your case BayCon... I'd say you should probably run away from your main and secondary locations. The secondary location is extremely close to your main base, and it will take only a day or two for them to migrate back towards your main base, depending on what settings you have migration on. You could lure them to the west towards the farmhouses down the river. You'll have to deal with them eventually as they migrate back east along the river, but it'll buy you a week or two of time to deal with that. Whatever you choose, good luck! The helicopter event is, dare I say, full of excitement! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damien Darkside Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 Staying in one spot in the Heli Event is usually suicide. I would highly recommend getting the guns you can, grabbing some food/water and heading off to a part of the map you already looted or someplace far away. Then play "avoid the zeds" until the event is over then get the hell outta dodge. By the time zombies return you should have better ways to deal with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BayCon Posted June 19, 2017 Author Share Posted June 19, 2017 Thanks to you both! I think I'm gonna run as soon as I get in and make my way West as FireOnAsphalt mentioned. Thank you guys. You've given me ideas on how to save my character's life, now all I have to do is not screw it up lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChatNoir Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 The easiest way to avoid the helicopter issue is to be sure to be in an low zombie density area far enough away from your safehouse. Helicopter arrives at 7+-1 days and 14+-1 day although I had some playthroughs with only one helicopter. For Muldraugh I usually go to McCoy and the Lumber Mill and saw some logs till the helicopter arrives, then hide in a building or container there till it is away. Zombies density is low and you have plenty of space to run arround any incoming hordes. For WP I would suggest to go to one of the hunter cabins or the cabin at the lake. I have not yet figured it out for the Rosewood area but the Warehouses out of town next to Muldraugh could be a good option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick H Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 2 minutes ago, ChatNoir said: The easiest way to avoid the helicopter issue is to be sure to be in an low zombie density area far enough away from your safehouse. Helicopter arrives at 7+-1 days and 14+-1 day although I had some playthroughs with only one helicopter. For Muldraugh I usually go to McCoy and the Lumber Mill and saw some logs till the helicopter arrives, then hide in a building or container there till it is away. Zombies density is low and you have plenty of space to run arround any incoming hordes. For WP I would suggest to go to one of the hunter cabins or the cabin at the lake. I have not yet figured it out for the Rosewood area but the Warehouses out of town next to Muldraugh could be a good option. I just go full Rambo when there's a helicopter event. Like stabbing dinosaurs through a fence. Bonus points for those who got the reference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BayCon Posted June 19, 2017 Author Share Posted June 19, 2017 13 minutes ago, ChatNoir said: The easiest way to avoid the helicopter issue is to be sure to be in an low zombie density area far enough away from your safehouse. Helicopter arrives at 7+-1 days and 14+-1 day although I had some playthroughs with only one helicopter. For Muldraugh I usually go to McCoy and the Lumber Mill and saw some logs till the helicopter arrives, then hide in a building or container there till it is away. Zombies density is low and you have plenty of space to run arround any incoming hordes. For WP I would suggest to go to one of the hunter cabins or the cabin at the lake. I have not yet figured it out for the Rosewood area but the Warehouses out of town next to Muldraugh could be a good option. I'm very concerned about the next heli event catching me off guard. I survived the first one, but somehow a horde was in my front yard so I just led the up the street and around a corner. Like I said, I'm doing AMAZING this time around. It's day 8, I already have enough garbage bags for 3 rain barrels, more food than I can eat before it spoils, an almost fully built wall frame (I'm speeding up the process though in case I'm at my base and the heli returns), metal bars or sheets over all my windows, a sack, trowel, shovel, and many types of seeds for farming, a pistol and shotgun with plenty of ammo, at least 3 axes w/ plenty of repair tools 5 boxes of nails, a hammer and saw of course, zero scratches or bites (though I've been hit a few times, I've generally been extremely lucky to have never sustained an injury), 6 jars and 6 jar lids (got lucky at the WP food market to find a box of jars).. Like, the only thing I don't have that I would usually want is a generator, a sledgehammer, and gas for the generator. I've never used a generator before and never gone on a run for gas in any save. At day 12, I'm probably gonna be running off somewhere for a couple of days just in case... I can't have this save ruined. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BayCon Posted June 19, 2017 Author Share Posted June 19, 2017 7 minutes ago, Patrick H said: I just go full Rambo when there's a helicopter event. Like stabbing dinosaurs through a fence. Bonus points for those who got the reference. Awww, no bonus points for me.. Only thing I can think of is that scene from TWD where the gang are stabbing zeds through a fence haha. Anyway, I can't go Rambo during the heli event because I don't have an unbreakable fence surrounding my base lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireOnAsphalt Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 5 hours ago, BayCon said: I'm very concerned about the next heli event catching me off guard. I survived the first one, but somehow a horde was in my front yard so I just led the up the street and around a corner... *snip for convenience* ... Like, the only thing I don't have that I would usually want is a generator, a sledgehammer, and gas for the generator. I've never used a generator before and never gone on a run for gas in any save. At day 12, I'm probably gonna be running off somewhere for a couple of days just in case... I can't have this save ruined. Helicopters are an annoyance, but zombie migration is something we all have to overcome. Getting gas can be tricky, depending on which gas stations you try to visit. What I'll generally do is go to my chosen gas station, and scope the area out. - How many zeds are there? - What avenues of escape can I use in case of an emergency? - Are there any two-story buildings around I can use to collect zombies into and drop out a second story window with a sheet rope? Don't be afraid to bring some furniture to set up around the gas pumps to build a small barricade against some zombies. It doesn't make noise to set up a table and it can buy you some time to fill your cans completely in the event you have make a heated retreat. Additionally, don't be afraid to dump your stash of full gas cans on the ground in case the area gets too hot. With no other players around, you don't have to worry about someone carrying off your hard work and you can come back at a later date to collect them when it's more safe. Also be aware that the pumps won't work without power, and unless the bug has been fixed, you cannot affix a generator to the pumps to get them to work either. If the bug still exists, I would highly recommend the PumpPower mod, as it allows you to hook a generator to the pumps to extract any remaining gas from them after the power goes out. As far as running a generator goes, just make sure you don't put it inside and ensure it's reasonably well defended. I'll often build a second-story patio to store my generator out on so it's not on ground level. They generate a decent amount of noise and with a low electrician skill, you'll need a lot of scrap to maintain it over a long period of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BayCon Posted June 20, 2017 Author Share Posted June 20, 2017 10 hours ago, Deputy said: Concerning the hordes, I think that the farther away you are from your original base - the better. If there is a separate heli event, the best bet is to leave your base and then get back to it once the helicopter event has passed, as zombies will migrate only to the area that you are currently in, and not the area that you were in. Taking a few days' vacation away from your base might be best until either the second event has happened or the timeframe allowing for it has elapsed. Best of luck to you with your save! On a slightly separate note, I just received a photo from a friend earlier from when we were visiting downtown West Point (strange coincidence), and it couldn't help but get me thinking: "How many times has this guy screwed us over?" Aaa! No way you found a heli at ground zero.. That is so cool! I feel like such a nerd right now haha. But yeah, I'm on Day 13, and I've finished my walls. I cleared and burned all of the corpses from inside for Build 38 and farming space. I'm thinking of leaving until day 16, but I also feel like I should get started on farming NOW, since this stuff can take so long to grow, and while I have a lot of food, it's not infinite. Also, 50 pounds of it is perishable.... I even have 3 high-level rain barrels out already (I always play the carpenter profession + handy trait, because I love fortifying in this game). Here is my base now: Do you think I should stay and farm, or leave for a few days just to be safe (as safe as you can be outside of the walls haha)? EDIT: I ran over to my backup base to check the damage from the first heli event and consider staying for a couple of days it was very minimal. Mind you, I did run off as advised as soon as it started. There was a horde beating on the back door and the window next to it, but the window only lost two planks. Nothing broke in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireOnAsphalt Posted June 21, 2017 Share Posted June 21, 2017 I think the majority of the zombies probably chose to follow you out of town during the heli event rather than pound fruitlessly on the second safehouse you boarded up. In reality they probably should have done more damage to your secondary base, but I'll admit, there are some inconsistencies at times when it comes to what I think zombies would be doing while I'm gone versus what they actually did while I was gone, if that makes sense. I suppose that's what I get for expecting the brain-dead to act like they have brains! I'd say that you're probably safe enough to start farming. I've never successfully cultivated anything, so I'm not good at advice concerning farming. I might recommend that it may be wise to corner off a section of your yard with log walls, just to make sure your garden stays safe. But that's just me. Here is an option you may not have considered: Why not tear off your rooftop and build a rooftop garden? All you need is a sledgehammer to do some renovations and a sack to haul dirt upstairs with. You won't have as much space to expand, but it'll be quite a bit safer out of reach of the zombies! This is assuming of course you find a sledgehammer in the near future. I'm a huge fan of tearing off my rooftops to make for more floor space, even building bridges to nearby houses (such as the one neighboring your house in your screen shot, hint hint!) so as to allow for more escape avenues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BayCon Posted June 21, 2017 Author Share Posted June 21, 2017 4 hours ago, FireOnAsphalt said: I think the majority of the zombies probably chose to follow you out of town during the heli event rather than pound fruitlessly on the second safehouse you boarded up. In reality they probably should have done more damage to your secondary base, but I'll admit, there are some inconsistencies at times when it comes to what I think zombies would be doing while I'm gone versus what they actually did while I was gone, if that makes sense. I suppose that's what I get for expecting the brain-dead to act like they have brains! I'd say that you're probably safe enough to start farming. I've never successfully cultivated anything, so I'm not good at advice concerning farming. I might recommend that it may be wise to corner off a section of your yard with log walls, just to make sure your garden stays safe. But that's just me. Here is an option you may not have considered: Why not tear off your rooftop and build a rooftop garden? All you need is a sledgehammer to do some renovations and a sack to haul dirt upstairs with. You won't have as much space to expand, but it'll be quite a bit safer out of reach of the zombies! This is assuming of course you find a sledgehammer in the near future. I'm a huge fan of tearing off my rooftops to make for more floor space, even building bridges to nearby houses (such as the one neighboring your house in your screen shot, hint hint!) so as to allow for more escape avenues. Well, I've only built 2 log walls in all 300+ hour of playtime, and I guess I'm an old guy who prefers what's familiar in that sense, so I built one of my good ole' fashioned wooden walls. I haven't found a sledge, so roof farming isn't an option just yet. Also, I'm beginning to think there isn't one in all of WP in this save, but I'm slowly emptying out the city so we'll see. I decided to start farming on Day 15 after I woke up to the power going out. I quickly panicked and realized I was going to have to seriously ration for the next 2 weeks to a month until something grows. It's also been 3 days and it hasn't rained once, so I'm starting to run out of water since my 4 rain barrels are empty, and trips to Giga and the market in town have yielded no luck for water. I think I'm gonna hit the office building in the city and either move or empty out the water machines there. I may consider building a bridge to another house, but that will require me to push my OCD about looks to the side to do what's best for the survival of my character... I believe I've passed the period of time when the heli would return, so as for now, I'm gonna try to farm. Btw, you said you've never successfully cultivated anything. How have you survived long-term? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireOnAsphalt Posted June 21, 2017 Share Posted June 21, 2017 On my current multiplayer world with a buddy of mine, we've ran into the same problem of having cleared most of our starting city and yet to find a sledgehammer. We started in Rosewood, and we chose the school on the east side of town to create our fort. As of now, there are only two more streets we have to search, and if we can't find a sledgehammer, it's off to Muldraugh for a loot run. Another place we haven't looked yet is the prison, so perhaps we'll have luck there yet. Surviving long term is something I've done through extensive and thorough scavenging, as well as investment into the survival skills (fishing, trapping, foraging). Farming has always struck me as more of a logistical solution to feed a larger group of people rather than just self-sustenance. With the inability to preserve large amounts of food for long periods of time, the return on farming doesn't seem worth it to me if I'm only feeding myself. That being said, I also simply don't like watering crops. So it's more of a flavor thing for me I guess. I should also mention that the longest I've had a character survive was approximately nine months. I can't remember exactly how long, but I was bummed because I was hopeful to hit the one year mark. I'm pretty sure I died because a zombie used a tree as armor to shield itself from my shove. Quote I may consider building a bridge to another house, but that will require me to push my OCD about looks to the side to do what's best for the survival of my character... Envision this: Instead of one house, your fortress consists of two houses. A fortified catwalk between the two allows for extensive vision of both yards sequestered behind wooden walls. An array of water collection cans sit neatly next to a flourishing garden; the space allowed by having conquered two territories allows the survivor to flourish in a way that otherwise would be impossible. One building holds delicate infrastructure while the other allows for mass storage and workshop facilities. In the event of disaster, escape could be had by running from one to the other. Or else, a last stand could take place, using one house as a barricade to fight on the other, splitting the horde into two smaller manageable forces. Or you know, just the one house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Arthur Posted June 21, 2017 Share Posted June 21, 2017 On the Farming topic, you should do this in rotations, the most low maintenance foods are Cabbage and Potatoes in my opinion. Wait until it's raining pretty heavy, then sow one patch of Cabbage seeds and then space out and sow some potatoes, always keep a 'plot' of empty land between your veggies to stop any diseases spreading. After 3 - 5 days repeat the process. One batch of veggies should last you about 3 - 5 days, so if you over seed then you get nothing but waste. You could however plant extra to generate waste and then use the rotten veg as a compost. I'm not an authority on Farming, just some tips I've picked up along the way. Other things to note are that Tomatoes need A LOT of water and Strawberries used to contract disease quite often, Carrots are worthwhile but you should grow those inside as they need less water. You can eat them, but they are also perfect to 'Trap' Rabbits with which you can eat. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChatNoir Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 Sledgehammers in WP are definetly hard to find especially without the lucky trait. But here are some spots I have found one in my playthroughs: https://map.projectzomboid.com/#0.6111481812353188,0.07854460810240767,246.51234519338186 https://map.projectzomboid.com/#0.61146257393685,0.08131776977947965,295.8148142320582 https://map.projectzomboid.com/#0.639791260327221,0.10474687641522952,237.76267862016013 https://map.projectzomboid.com/#0.6658583114838847,0.11432493066259748,731.7026858213617 https://map.projectzomboid.com/#0.6601289591264308,0.116851220302204,731.7026858213617 https://map.projectzomboid.com/#0.665911522305204,0.12764301146730303,273.5510851288073 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm6436 Posted June 23, 2017 Share Posted June 23, 2017 You know, I don't think I've ever had real problems with the heli event. No, I take that back, one time. Generally I'm inside when the helicopter shows up. Last few games, I've rolled over and gone back to sleep when the chopper shows up. It's always seemed to me that if the chopper can't see you, he goes and circles elsewhere, dragging zombies there instead of over your head. Worst rescue/observation pilot evar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshnpk Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 On 19/06/2017 at 0:09 AM, BayCon said: Ok, so that extra part of the title was true lol. I figured some people are tired of threads ranting and complaining about the helicopter event, and if any of you know me, I can be kinda infamous for going on rants pretty easily. I figured those two things might make you guys pass this up. This topic isn't about that though. I need advice for my save of Survival! Sorry in advance for the length of the post, as usual... So, I remembered the heli event leading to the end of several saves recently, and I also remember it happening around the same time in the save (Day 7 - 8). This time, I'm doing VERY well. I'm about halfway done with the frame for my wall, and I have probably more food than I can eat before it spoils. I've got a massive collection of books, etc blah blah blah. So I was like "I'm on a friggin' roll, I'm not about to have that ruined by the heli." I read somewhere that the devs want you to have a second base for emergencies or whatever, so I decided on the afternoon of day 6 to make a second base and hold out there until the helicopter event. Well, I slept, and when I woke up, the helicopter flew right in and I realized I had just done it in time. The problem is, even though I felt like I walked a good distance, silly me barely made it a block away! I don't think I went far enough from my main base for the second base to be worth the investment of resources. Here's the map with my real safehouse on the right, and my backup safehouse on the left (For those of you who don't know, it's an annotated map location. I had already been so I knew the inside would be safe and I wouldn't have to waste time clearing it.): Do you think I went far enough? What should I do? Also, do you think my safehouse will survive any potential damage? My Ideas: - I was thinking I should search the house and place sheet ropes in the room I left off in, and wait for a while for the zombies to gather up, and then escape and run to the North East and lead my heli-horde in that direction. - I also thought I was too close and I should probably just run farther away since the helicopter sound was only just fading in before I exited out. - Another idea was to simply not go outside and wait out the helicopter and then escape, since I've heard that they will leave pretty quickly and just do a pass if you stay inside. What do you guys think? What a lot of people don't realise is the maximum distant zombies can be attracted by noise is actually rather small even if you turn it all the way up in the sandbox options (which I always do). The only time the helicopter can be an issue is if you have a decent number of zeds in your local area but at that point the helicopter is the least of your worries as a meta event such as gun fire etc can produce similar results. The helicopter won't be a real threat until the devs find away to significantly increase the distant zombies can be attracted by noise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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