Base building a worthy progression to late game.

[Charlypizza]

Currently all the options to build a base are separated and there is no well-defined connection between the skills carpentry, metal work and electric to create walls around the base. 

 

Metal walls are hard to built in early game, the quantity of work needed, doesn’t match the benefit from them. There is a reason you don’t see metal bases showcasing at the forums. Carpentry works fine due to having trees everywhere, makes it easy to build anywhere in the map. Electric have a relevant part to move appliances and preserve the generator but not on construction on 41.

 

The way to integrate the 3 skills could be this way:

 

-Carpentry walls can be reinforced with metal sheets. Improving in 3 stages the amount of metal sheets the wood wall can hold, according to the metal work level of the player to built metal walls. Wood wall level 1 with holds level 1 reinforced metal sheets stage, same with level 2 and 3. After reaching the stage 3 metal reinforced wall, it will have enough metal to be connected to the electric grid with level 4 electric skill and would be able to slowly electrify zombies to dead or stunt them.

 

-The electricity will not instantly kill the zombies it will drain slowly their hp until they die. During that time they will keep banging the walls, so the player may still need to go outside to kill the zombies. // The other option is that the electrified wall will randomly stunt the zombies so they don’t break the walls to fast, preventing constant attacks on it. 

 

-The more metal walls you have connected to the grid will make the generator consume extra gas. So at some point could be better having 2 generators one for the house and another for the perimeter to be turned on/off when the base is under attack.

 

-The advantage of still building a full metal wall is that it will be immune to fire since level 1 but still need to be a metal wall level 2 to be connected to the grid. Reinforced level 3 wood walls with reinforced metal sheets stage 3 would be fully protected to fires only at this point. 

 

-If there are to many zombies at the electrify wall, it will drain more gas from the generator with a chance of overheat and making the generator shut off.

 

-At some point you could use the crafted remote control to turn on/off the electric wall and control the future electric systems once develop in the game. 

 

-Having these possibilities will extent the base building phase to late game combining skills in a more progressive and rewarding way for the player. 

 

-In a multiplayer scenario this would integrate 3 players with different professions each to build a wall. Same with npcs in the future. I think the late game base deserves to hold dozens of zombies banging the walls for longer periods.

 

Is this realistic? Is more realistic than breaking the stairs of a house in 5 seconds with a sledgehammer, adding sheet ropes and be able to climb up those with a backpack full of loot.

[TrailerParkThor]

Yeah, the biggest problem with longterm MP and even SP is that there is no real depth to the late-game. Currently, Early and Mid game are very complex and have a lot of content and progression. But once you build your own base, fix up a car, get a farm and a generator, there's no real incentive to keep building. You either set some crazy goals for fun, or you just see how long you can survive in your fortress. I like the idea of reinforcing wooden walls with metal. I think it would instantly add late game progression and cool new wall textures. Metal walls should just be a matter of skill or preference rather than seen as an upgrade. I don't think it's super unrealistic, but I would rather see electric fences added to the game rather than electrifying walls. Especially since I don't see electricity killing zombies, just stunning them as you said. Still, electrical should be more prominent than just moving appliances around and gen maintenance. Maybe if they made it so that you actually had to wire things and hook them up to the electrical grid. Finding wires or making homemade wiring would be a fun new late game challenge. I've always though high level electricians should be able to uninstall and reinstall light fixtures and switches. Obviously adding new power generation options like wind turbines, water wheels, and scrap generators (made from old car engines) would also enhance this skills usefulness. As for metalworking, it's hard to find new uses for it. Maybe building cages and prison cells for animals and NPCs when they come? I would like Smithing to be its own skill someday, but O think it will have to be combined with metalworking to keep the skill useful.