Animals?

[kazjuggler]

I would just like to say that I think adding animals to the game would be pretty neat. Both alive and undead animals would make the game a lot more realistic in my opinion.

 

For example: I think having zombie dogs/wolfs would make the game more challenging. Imagine if the zombie dog barked while chasing your character and could draw zombies to your location. Or while running through the woods you encounter a pack of hungry wolves. I think this would bring a whole new aspect to the game and how the players survive.

 

Besides bringing more of a challenge to the survival aspect they could also be helpful in ways. What if you could have a dog that could help you carry items and alert you when you go near dangerous areas. What if you could go to the farm and not only plant crops but raise chickens and have cows to milk as well. Perhaps you could also have horses to ride around on? Maybe even in desperate situations you can have your pet distract the zombies while you run away or loot a building. Here are a list of the animals I think would go well in the game. Most are farm animals but I think some of them would fit into the city as well.

 

Dog (zombie) - tries to eat you and can alert other zombies by barking

Wolf (zombie) - a infected and vicious animal that tries to eat you or your other animals. Typically found in the woods and/or at night. Can alert zombies by howling. Perhaps they would travel in packs of 3-5

 

Dog - Man's best friend. Can help carry items if attached with bags. If and when trained is more likely to follow commands. Can be a food source if desperate ....  Can distract zombies by barking. can be a source of entertainment for your character. The dog can also alert you when you walk into a dangerous area or lots of zombies are nearby.

 

Wolf - travels in packs, and mainly hunted for food.

 

Cow - Can be used for meat as well as milk

 

Horse - Can be used for transportation, carrying items, as well as food

 

Bunny - Hard to catch but with traps can make a good small meal

 

Frog/Toad - Mainly used as food.

 

Chicken - Used for chicken and food

 

Perhaps someone could go as far as having infected animals as well that can infect other animals. For example having a cow that has been bitten would cause other cows around it to be infected as well as the meat and milk posing a danger to the person who consumes it.

 

I know that the developers are working hard on lots of other stuff but maybe this is something to consider putting into the game later on. Or perhaps turning into a mod of some sort.

 

What are your thoughts on this? Has this been brought up before? Are there other animals that would be good in the game?

 

[Rathlord]

This has indeed been brought up before! If you check the stickied threads at the top of the forum we've got a thread with the confirmed yes's and no's from the developers. Animals and hunting are a yes, and zombie animals are a no.

[Kajin]

No infected animals. Period. This has been confirmed by the devs. I know they're planning on adding dogs at the very least and I believe there's a hunting update somewhere down the pipes that'll likely introduce a lot of furry friends/edibles. For more information on things that are planned and requests that the devs have chimed in on, please consult the Commonly Suggested Suggestions thread pinned at the top of the suggestions subforum.

 

Though personally I think goats would be preferable over cows. They're smaller and don't take up as much space so it'd be easier to pasture them. And horses are right out because they're much too easily frightened. It'd buck you off and leave you for zombie chow within a second of seeing a zed.

 

EDIT

Dammit, ninja'd

[Rathlord]

Many more cows than goats in KY though XD

[Kajin]

Most of them will get eaten, don't worry. And the number of goats in Kentucky farms is rising continually. I'm even thinking about getting a pair myself. If only so I won't have to take the weed eater to all seven acres of property my family owns. That is a lot of grass to cut, let me tell you.

 

Seriously, a goat would be the go to milk producing animal in a zombie apocalypse, man. Cows just take up too much land and don't even know how to take care of themselves, but you set some goats loose and the zeds will never catch them.