Increase knife spawn rate in zombie inventory

[Missing - Presumed Zed]

After looting many, many corpses in my current game I've run across several axes and a half-dozen pistols, but I've yet to see a single knife on a zombie corpse. Checking the spawn distribution, it seems they only drop from male zombies, and at the same drop rate as an axe or pistol.

 

Doesn't this seem off? If an average Kentucky household has, say, four people, one hammer, a third of a pistol and a quarter of an axe (statistics may not reflect reality), I'd assume knives would be the de-facto self defense weapon. And someone using a knife would also be far more likely to get bitten, hence finding them on zombies.

 

Not really a big deal, but I'm a bit frustrated as I just started a knives-only run, haven't found a hunting knife yet and kitchen knives seem to drop at a rate of one every 2-4 houses.

[MadDan]

I think weapons spawning on corpses in general needs some work. Within 1 minute of me joining MP I get a pistol and 30 rounds, way too easy. There needs to be more variety. I personally don't like it at all. :/

[Neltarin]

I've personally never found any weapon besides an Axe and a kitchen knife on zombies bodies.

 

I do agree though, guns should be incredibly rare to be found on zombies, same with axes as they'd both be dropped most of the time when the zombification happens.

Knives could be anywhere from stuck in the zombies voice box to in his pants, so they make a lot more sense to be carried around.

 

Also, Axes are used as a blade weapon, so if you're not using blunt weapons this game they should still be available to you

[Deadend]

After looting many, many corpses in my current game I've run across several axes and a half-dozen pistols, but I've yet to see a single knife on a zombie corpse. Checking the spawn distribution, it seems they only drop from male zombies, and at the same drop rate as an axe or pistol.

 

Doesn't this seem off? If an average Kentucky household has, say, four people, one hammer, a third of a pistol and a quarter of an axe (statistics may not reflect reality), I'd assume knives would be the de-facto self defense weapon. And someone using a knife would also be far more likely to get bitten, hence finding them on zombies.

 

Not really a big deal, but I'm a bit frustrated as I just started a knives-only run, haven't found a hunting knife yet and kitchen knives seem to drop at a rate of one every 2-4 houses.

Seeing how you've managed your way to the distribution files, I suggest you mod the item properties of the knife and make them last as long as hammers or axes. Knives in game break way too easily/fast. I doubt a mushy zombie skull can break one that easily.

 

This of course is just a suggestion to a better experience as a knife wielding scavenger until melee weapons are revamped by the devs.

[Rathlord]

Skulls don't really get "squishy." One of the things I hate most about TWD is that people now think that zombie heads are like water balloons- bone doesn't decompose like that, and stays strong (albeit much more brittle) for years, depending on climate and such. Further, kitchen knives are quite likely to bend/break (I've done this before) even after a single use on something like bone. I don't really think that the break rate on those in inaccurate at all. For hunting knives it'd be a bit different, though.

[ApolloDiaspora]

I agree kitchen knives are a bit on the fragile side, but that's the point. A butter knife can kill maybe a zombie or two if you get the under-the-jawline strike, kitchen knives can kill I think 20 at the most (haven't played for a while). Consider the tradeoff: Instead of carrying a heavy, bulky bat, you've got a light, quick knife. Just don't expect to go hoard cleaning with it.

 

Something similar to a trench knife/spike being available in game, as a drop, or craftable from scrap metal (i.e: Cutting a crowbar in half and sharpening the point, NOT smelting) would be nice though. Instead of coming up and under the jawline to get to a zombie's gooey centre, you could slam it down hard into their forehead. Hell, just being able to cram the pointy end of a crowbar into a zombie's skull would be nice.

 

But remember what Rathlord said, and use a little common sense. The brain is the most valuable organ in the human body, so it's the only one wrapped almost entirely in the toughest material in the body. Taking out the brain requires you to get through the skull. Under the jaw, in through the temple, or smashing down hard with great force onto the top are really the only ways to go.

 

Unless you can somehow charge a zombie with a bandsaw of course

[MisterRice]

I think adding a smaller, weaker version of the axe (hatchet?) to replace the common axe drop would be nice to allow players to chop trees but less effectively as an axe which would still be available through killing zombies but at a much lower drop rate.

[Rathlord]

Been suggesting hatchet and machete as key survival tools for almost 2 years now. I finally did get the "hunting" knife added, though, so that's something.

[Deadend]

okay guys, before talking about human skull weaknesses lets take a close look at the human skull. The human brain is fully encased by bone with the exception of the eye sockets, an insertion for the spinal cords to connect to the brain and several small insertions around the backside of the mouth. If you stab a human skull under the jawline you still have to break through the bone mass encasing the brain. With enough force you can easily plunge a sharp/pointy object (knife) through the human skull (i.e. the bone mass encasing the brain). The plunging-into-the-brain action is very unlikely to break your knife. What breaks the knife is the person trying to remove the knife. When you plunge a knife into the human skull the blood and lack of air will create a suction that locks in the knife. As the person tries to remove the knife it could break. But that's not only because of the suction but because the strong structure of the bone mass helps to make that suction. If the bone mass was weak/brittle that suction would be weaker. This is why a good lot of hunting / combat knives have holes/groves along the length of the blade, it makes removing the blade from your opponents much easier no matter where it strikes.

Now, the other issue is bone infection. Yes, just like any other part of your body your bones can get bacterial or fungal infections. Even more likely is that infection from nearby skin or muscles, or even the bloodstream can spread to your bones. People are at a much higher risk of bone infection due to poor circulation or recent injury to the bone. And we all know that the zombie body, no matter how you put it is a pile of decaying matter with infection all over it. Bone infection makes bone mass weaker and can trigger Osteoporosis, reducing even further that bone mass. So unless this zombie virus is deflecting bacterial or fungal infection from the bones the bone structure will be much weaker than regular human skulls. Pretty much neglecting any suction of knifes or any object for that matter into the skull. Hence my point of "mushy" skulls very unlikely to break a knife, even more unlikely that the person doing the stabbing will break it as they remove it.

[Dobbs]

I don't really see why finding guns on zombies should really be that rare. They were people before they were zombies, some capable enough to defend themselves with a gun/axe or whatever.

[Serrate Bloodrage]

The groove in a blade is called a fuller, and was primarily designed to reduce blade weight while retaining strength. The most likely thing to damage a blade is when force is not applied in the direction the blade is strongest, so a poorly executed strike.

On skull weakness, any real loss of integrity would simply mean that the zombie would probably kill itself biting. The way pressure is applied though the temperomandibular joint would either shatter the joint due to weakening or apply pressure further back in the skull. However, there is quite significant research in which viruses don't allow other infections to take hold. Hell, they are even looking at using herpes simplex to cure cancer. (not saying that PZ zombies are virus related...makes me so happy they are leaving it ambiguous).

 

I feel I'm starting to ramble.

So:

Weak skulls means no bite without skull breakage

A knife is less likely to be damaged with greater skill, although the rounded edges of a skull would make it hard to land a well placed hit regardless of skill