If you had a little warning....

[shunkan]

What if your character had a few days to prepare for the zombie invasion? I was thinking along the lines of the character + or - of abilities; I think it would be interesting to have a few things at your immediate grasp. Maybe I just don't want to lug gas cans or generators in future builds, but how about a similar point spend system that you could get a few items to start. Maybe tie to your profession, cop has gun, plus 5 pts toward gear. Construction has hammer and such and such equipment points.

[Rathlord]

The devs have mentioned that starting items is one of the things they never plan to add to the game. One of the big points about PZ is that you start with nothing, as an average guy. They feel (and I do, too) that starting with items detracts from that experience.

 

It is certainly possible, however, to mod this. It's quite easy, really, if you'd like to learn how I'm sure you could go into the mod support subforum and someone could help you.

[TinnedEpic]

The basis of each character is that they are an average person, doing average things. So one would imagine that, like everyone else they had no idea this was coming.

[TheBuzzSaw]

Buuuuut I have food storage and guns in real life. I have wood planks, hammers, and nails. WHY CAN'T I PLAY AS MYSELF? ARE YOU SAYING I GET GANKED AT WALMART?

[Rathlord]

Maybe. Maybe your family got turned and you were forced to flee.

Besides, I HIGHLY doubt you keep those things on your person. That's why there are things in houses, including the house you start in. Those would be the things you had "stockpiled."

[cdaragorn]

That's the whole point. The devs idea of what ppl stockpile and of how much doesn't fit with current reality, at all.

 

Even if it is months into the apocalypse, that doesn't explain the huge lack of guns and other weapons. I'm ok with the fact that we can change this using the modding api, but I get a little frustrated at times because it feels like the game's designers have created their own twisted idea of reality just to kill the player off faster.

 

Any argument trying to justify their version of reality with the one we actually live in falls apart at first glance.

 

I don't mind knowing I will die at some point. I hate how hard it is just to get the basic things I need to stay alive past the first week.

[RoboMat]

I don't mind knowing I will die at some point. I hate how hard it is just to get the basic things I need to stay alive past the first week.

 

... and I find it unfair that my soldiers don't hit anything on the first mission of XCOM Ironman Impossible.

 

As was said before, you can use mods to alter your experience. So where exactly is the problem?

[TheBuzzSaw]

Maybe. Maybe your family got turned and you were forced to flee.

Besides, I HIGHLY doubt you keep those things on your person. That's why there are things in houses, including the house you start in. Those would be the things you had "stockpiled."

 

How do yooooou know? HUH? ... OK, you're right. And I wager there is lots of looting going on right at the start of the outbreak. I was just playin'.

 

 

I don't mind knowing I will die at some point. I hate how hard it is just to get the basic things I need to stay alive past the first week.

 

... and I find it unfair that my soldiers don't hit anything on the first mission of XCOM Ironman Impossible.

 

As was said before, you can use mods to alter your experience. So where exactly is the problem?

 

 

There's no problem. We're just toying the reality presented. Obviously, it's a game, and it's balanced according to the experience the creators wish to present (particularly the fact that many people don't make it, and the player is one of those people).

[RoboMat]

Obviously, it's a game, and it's balanced according to the experience the creators wish to present (particularly the fact that many people don't make it, and the player is one of those people).

 

Exactly.

Btw ... why are you talking with yourself?

[cdaragorn]

 

Obviously, it's a game, and it's balanced according to the experience the creators wish to present (particularly the fact that many people don't make it, and the player is one of those people).

 

Exactly.

Btw ... why are you talking with yourself?

 

 

Just because 2 ppl have the same opinions you think they're the same person? Really?

[RoboMat]

Nah but it is quite peculiar if they have the same IPs too

[TheBuzzSaw]

Nah but it is quite peculiar if they have the same IPs too

 

Would you like us to take a picture?

[cdaragorn]

Ah, I understand. TheBuzzSaw and I are actually old friends and both work at the same place. If you check some of our earlier posts from the evening, you should see separate IP's.

[RoboMat]

Hahah not necessary (although it would be nice to see some community faces)

[RegularX]

Definitely the realm of mods.  Custom Professions especially (Xmod professions start with all kinds of gadgets).  There's another mod called Starter Kit in the works, I think.  Not unfeasible for a mod to add something like "pick three items" to start with or the like.

 

I had an Unreal mod which started with three random cards for a random starter boost.  Mystery Box mod might be interesting...

[Rathlord]

I don't find the loot distribution (especially for guns) particularly unrealistic. Given the nice bonus of only having one type of bullets, it might even be TOO generous.

[TheBuzzSaw]

I don't find the loot distribution (especially for guns) particularly unrealistic. Given the nice bonus of only having one type of bullets, it might even be TOO generous.

 

I just hate the games where I either have 200 bullets OR 3 guns.

[RegularX]

I find it odd that I seem to be able to find pistols and bullets easily, but not hammer and nails.

 

Course, I haven't been to Kentucky in a really long time...

[TheBuzzSaw]

I find it odd that I seem to be able to find pistols and bullets easily, but not hammer and nails.

 

Course, I haven't been to Kentucky in a really long time...

 

Maybe the people found guns to be a losing proposition and instantly started hoarding construction materials instead. BUNKER UP!

[Rathlord]

Hammer spawnrate got bumped up recently. It should be a good bit better now, compared to older builds.

[TheBuzzSaw]

Hammer spawnrate got bumped up recently. It should be a good bit better now, compared to older builds.

 

Splattercat had a hard time finding hammers and saws.

 

(How's my IP now, mods? LOLOLOLOL)

[cdaragorn]

Hammer spawnrate got bumped up recently. It should be a good bit better now, compared to older builds.

I'm curious as to how recently? I know I've always felt like I can never find one or the other (hammer or saw).

[TinnedEpic]

Additionally on topic it's highly unlikely the house you spawn in is your house. I mean I spawned in a house with lipstick and skirts. Now unless my character is leading a secret life walking around in pubs....

 

as for hammers i've never really had trouble finding one. Axes on the other hand I can go an entire game without spotting a single one. I often have to resort to using sledgehammers to cut down trees.

[CylonBookworm]

The utter randomness of what's in your house is something I've found slightly annoy/unrealistic as well. If an outbreak was actually happening, you certainly see something about it on your local news. It might be a news story about a bunch of people coming down with West Nile, and the next story would be that the hospital was swamped with cases, etc.   The first thing that you're going to do when you realize what's coming, (and believe me, if you're a regular person in the US, especially Kentucky, you WILL realize what's coming. Or have a general idea) is make a beeline to Walmart, or your local grocery store, or a camping supply store, or the gas station, etc. etc.

It's a fact about America. The second we have the slightest tingle of our "Oh Shit" senses, we riot and make a run for stores. TWD got around this by having their main character be a guy in a coma who wakes up quite a while after the outbreak. Stores have already been picked clean, most of their contents sitting in houses or cars full of zombies. If PZwere to accurately portray Kentucky, then the stores would have to have less loot, the houses more, etc. etc.

That's assuming PZ = Outbreak Day 1. If you start a couple days or a week after the initial outbreak, then the situation kind of makes more sense, but then you'd have to spawn with a basic weapon, like a kitchen knife, and some chips or something. *shrug* Can't please everybody though, and it doesn't have to be realistic, because even as it stands now it's still a good game with the potential to be a great game.

[Rathlord]

The way I see it is, massive amounts of people ran to the store... and massive amounts of people in a zombie apocalypse don't usually blend well.

 

So yes, mass hysteria, a beeline for the store, and every single person who did that got massacred by the massive wave of zombies waiting for them there.

 

I wouldn't put any faith in anyone successfully looting the store.

 

Also, it's been suggested by the devs/game (but not necessarily confirmed) that Muldraugh is actually where the outbreak began. In that case (depending on infection speed) you might be under attack before the news had even noticed.