Climbing on top of vehicles (Like the guy on the game cover!)

[Nowthere27]

Okay so get this, the guy on the cover of Project Zomboid is a on car and yet we can't climb vehicles in the game?

 

 

I mean if we could climb up cars that would add some protection from the zombies. You know, in a "I have the high ground!" kind of sense.

 

The zombies would either not be able to climb up making you completely safe but surrounded; not able to climb up but able to pull you down if you're too close to the edge making it so you should go inwards on top of the car as much as possible; or they can climb up and maul you to death in addition to pulling you down.

 

If they can't climb up but you're surrounded it would give you the opportunity to pick them off with your gun or strike them dead downwards with a melee weapon. Same thing if they could pull you down which is a bit more challenging. It the most extreme case they can climb up or pull you down making it so you have to attack the most immediately threatening zombie. Like the one that gets up first, that's who you kill.

 

The most extreme case would force you to fight quickly and sequentially to at least endure a bit longer.

 

Might want to add some kind of move to knock off climbing zombies or swat away zombies trying to pull you down.

 

Personally I prefer it if they couldn't climb or grab you down. The balancing factor would still be that if you're out of gun(s) rounds you got to pull out your melee weapon. If your melee weapon(s) breaks then you could very well be screwed. Screwed because you'd essentially be stranded on your car which would eventually lead to your death due to hunger and dehydration not to mention you probably could sleep too well. I mean a horde of zombies growling at me inches away while I'm on a hard cold car roof ain't exactly a sleep number bed experience. 

 

The car could also serve as a temporary barrier between you and the zombies. For example, they're chasing you, you quickly vault over a car (or climb it and jump off the other end) and now the zombies have to go around rather than just making a beeline for you. That could buy you some time which is always of the essence in the game in every conceivable way!

 

So yeah I want to be able to use a car roof to my advantage as well as be like the chad on the cover!

[CaptKaspar]

Yeah kinda hard to argue against something thats on the cover art of the game being added to the game 

[knightshousegames]

I think the trouble with this is verticality, which doesn't really exist in Zomboid, at least in real terms

 

As far as I can tell, Zomboid is 3D models on 2D "pre rendered" backgrounds, akin to games from the late PS1 era like Resident Evil and Final Fantasy, so the backgrounds are actually totally flat and just rely on perspective illusions to give a sense of depth. This makes actual "climbing" a real challenge, which is why I am guessing it hasn't been implemented, especially with other 3D bodies like cars, which I feel like is already tricky enough to interact with

 

In terms of the strategic viability of the move? Probably not wise, mobility is your big advantage over the horde, so stranding yourself on a car roof is mostly strategically akin to trying to climb a tree to get away from a bear, or hiding in a closet, basically a tier above suicide. Even if they couldn't reach you at all, you are essentially allowing them to cut off any chance of escape on purpose. I think they use this imagery on the cover specifically to convey a sense of futility, given the game literally tells you "this is how you died" when you start it.

 

Now if you could climb on the roof of a car to use it to climb up onto things, like second story windows or fire escapes to get away from the horde, that would be a different story. But that again dives into the pre rendered nature of the environment vs the 3D nature of the character and cars and it makes me a little nauseous just thinking about how one might program that kind of parkour into a tile map

[Papa Juliet Whiskey]

Let's not forget crawling under cars. If Z can do that, why can't I?

[duh7]

I love all ideas. 

Yes we shuld have option to get on roof of car same as zombies shuld have option to go after us after destroing car doors, mask or Hood they shuld have option to climb. New animations needed.

 

We shuld have option to crawl like zombies. There is animation for that the only problem i see is with backpack. We shuld not have option to crawl under anything untill We have stuff on out back. 

 

Parkour i great option but we dont have animation for that. I dont see reason why skilled acrobat shuld not climb on wall to get to Windows on 1st floor or run thru walls over some zombies that is siting near wall. If we are not overencumbered and fit and know how to get in odd places (a occupation or trait) there shuld be an option to that. New animation needed.