Strategies for dealing with Child Zombies

dotASC · 2013-02-28T17:40:24.000Z

I haven’t had a chance to fully figure out my beginning game strategy with the introduction of child zombies, but here’s a couple of thoughts.

They’re an interesting beginning game challenge for sure. They tend to spawn in mini-hoards (lol @ the playground / park and library spawning), they’re almost as fast as the player, they’re difficult to hit and they cause remorse when killed. Finally a use for the cold-blooded trait?

They place more (unwanted?) emphasis on early game melee combat (assuming your don’t want to blow them away with firearms so early, attracting attention before you can reap your starting supplies). This makes bandages, first aid kits and clothing a bigger early game priority. Compounded with the new body temperature mechanics, this makes juggling your early looting sprees a lot different, and challenging, than before.

On top of causing noise and attracting grown up zombies, these guys are an interesting pain in the ass.

Again, I’ve only been able to play about an hour of the new release, so my strategy is hypothetical for now.

I’m feeling like instead of widely roaming the town, I might now need to immediately focus on military rucksack / backpack and warm clothing, replacement clothing + extra t-shirts and scissors for bandages, then get a couple of molotov cocktails ready for these bastards. Also, finding a vehicle to outrun the resultant hoards is more of a priority than before.

I never really used mollies or clothing before. It’s a new dynamic to me.

Anyone else have any thoughts or strategies for dealing with these changes?

uzername · 2013-02-28T20:43:03.000Z

Nice.
@TheDarklingWolf Maybe we should lower spawning rate of them and make them to spawn as often as fast zombies?

AseaHeru · 2013-02-28T21:59:03.000Z

ooh, and there is an added plot point.
and a reason for no zombie babes.

namely, the virus is more lethal but less effective on younger persons.

Tase · 2013-02-28T23:15:24.000Z

I never knew you could make bandages with rags and scissors!

Someone needs to make a new wiki

Is there a place in the source where you can see all the crafting recipes.

Anyway, as for children-z, I just stay away from parks (I never noticed them in libraries), using buildings to break LOS if I spot one in safe-mode.

Pallbearington · 2013-03-01T07:42:59.000Z

[quote=“Tase, post:4, topic:287”]I never knew you could make bandages with rags and scissors!

Someone needs to make a new wiki

Is there a place in the source where you can see all the crafting recipes.

Anyway, as for children-z, I just stay away from parks (I never noticed them in libraries), using buildings to break LOS if I spot one in safe-mode.[/quote]

I don’t know about looking in the source, but a quick fix is to edit options.txt to give yourself loads of points to spend in the character builder and give yourself heaps of points in all of your skills. Then just check your crafting recipes.

If you want to be able to reference the recipes with a non cheaty game then I guess you could use a separate install of Cata running alongside the cheaty one.

EDIT:
Actually, try crafting.cpp
The recipes will look like this:
RECIPE(itm_pipebomb, CC_WEAPON, “mechanics”, NULL, 1, 750, false);
TOOL(itm_hacksaw, -1, itm_toolset, -1, NULL);
COMP(itm_pipe, 1, NULL);
COMP(itm_gasoline, 200, itm_shot_bird, 6, itm_shot_00, 2, itm_shot_slug, 2,
NULL);
COMP(itm_string_36, 1, itm_string_6, 1, NULL);

jimboblordofeskimos · 2013-03-01T09:43:46.000Z

you can edit the amount of starting points in the ingame options now, up to 24 starting points. Ive been grabbing fast learner, fast reader and optimist as bonuses to make the game less grindy.

As for child zombies,

Find bathroom window
Stab, smash, poke.
???
profit.

Jack_Slinger · 2013-03-01T12:00:25.000Z

The child zombies are a pain in the ass not because they are great at combat, but because they destroy all your clothes and you die of cold the first night.

dotASC · 2013-03-01T12:54:26.000Z

[quote=“Tase, post:4, topic:287”]I never knew you could make bandages with rags and scissors!

Someone needs to make a new wiki

Is there a place in the source where you can see all the crafting recipes.

Anyway, as for children-z, I just stay away from parks (I never noticed them in libraries), using buildings to break LOS if I spot one in safe-mode.[/quote]

I thought I also read somewhere that one can deconstruct some clothing (at least t-shirts) with the “(” key to make rags, which can be used as (less effective?) bandages. Then apparently they’ve added a function where rags used as bandages get “bloody” and can then be boiled in water to clean them for reuse.

I deconstructing the t-shirt once, but lost the results text in a flood of text and couldn’t find the t-shirt, nor the rag, in inventory. Like I said, I was rushing through on the gameplay so I don’t know what happened, but apparently it’s an option.

Also, yes a new wiki would be great, but it would be hard to keep current with all the new dev.

Also also, scissors + t-shirts (and curtains, and really anything) to make rags is a recipe in the old wiki

dotASC · 2013-03-01T13:04:36.000Z

[quote=“jimboblordofeskimos, post:6, topic:287”]you can edit the amount of starting points in the ingame options now, up to 24 starting points. Ive been grabbing fast learner, fast reader and optimist as bonuses to make the game less grindy.

As for child zombies,

Find bathroom window
Stab, smash, poke.
???
profit.[/quote]

Quite a few “edit the ingame options” responses to my OP. Not sure if I consider that a valid strategy or an outright cheat. I’m hoping we can find some less cheaty solutions here, and have some general gameplay chat - but thanks

And of course the standard “one window strategy” can be applied, but that places a higher priority on taking Mechanic skill 1 at start to make a crowbar, or else hoping for a rare unlocked-spawned house, or being forced to smash a door and attracting more zombies. Seems like there’d be a more elegant way of dealing with them…

@Jack Slinger
"The child zombies are a pain in the ass not because they are great at combat, but because they destroy all your clothes and you die of cold the first night."

Exactly. That’s why I was thinking one had to re-evaluate one’s initial looting strategy.
I’m not sure of the mechanics yet, but it appears being “Cold” also adds more encumbrance which compounds the difficulty. Especially considering I seem to start every game of the new build as “Cold”. One would also assume running around town collecting gear and running from zombies would “warm” the player a bit. Especially in 66 F weather. Probably a tweak could be added there…

Lastly, I like the child zombies, don’t want them removed, love the “lair” aspect of finding a bunch of them at a playground, but do think they need some rebalancing or spawn changes. Maybe they could only spawn at playgrounds, and once killed only respawn at playgrounds, or a couple of kids spawn with an occasional zombie parent. Right now, there’s probably too many of them in the wild.

jimy · 2013-03-01T13:59:34.000Z

The only real problem with those child zombies is that they have such a high dodge rate.
Even the one-window tactic doesn’t work on those bastards.

When I imagine a child zombie I think of the little girl at the beginning of “The Walking Dead”…

dotASC · 2013-03-01T14:55:15.000Z

[quote=“jimy, post:10, topic:287”]The only real problem with those child zombies is that they have such a high dodge rate.
Even the one-window tactic doesn’t work on those bastards.

When I imagine a child zombie I think of the little girl at the beginning of “The Walking Dead”…[/quote]

Yeah, the dodge rate is ridiculous. Especially when you’re fighting them at the beginning with, presumably, 0 skill in melee, throwing or firearms. Then consider killing them causes negative morale on top of that. Bad combo.

Wonder what the exact stats are on these (devs?). Seems like they do very little damage, but are impossible to kill. Would be nice to maybe lower their hit points so they are still hard to hit, but you can one shot them a well placed back hand slap (JUST LIKE REAL LIFE!).

Small note: it’s funny to me when the Child Zombie corpses leave behind Playboy magazines.

Jihelu · 2013-03-01T15:24:46.000Z

[quote=“dotASC, post:11, topic:287”][quote=“jimy, post:10, topic:287”]The only real problem with those child zombies is that they have such a high dodge rate.
Even the one-window tactic doesn’t work on those bastards.

When I imagine a child zombie I think of the little girl at the beginning of “The Walking Dead”…[/quote]

Yeah, the dodge rate is ridiculous. Especially when you’re fighting them at the beginning with, presumably, 0 skill in melee, throwing or firearms. Then consider killing them causes negative morale on top of that. Bad combo.

Wonder what the exact stats are on these (devs?). Seems like they do very little damage, but are impossible to kill. Would be nice to maybe lower their hit points so they are still hard to hit, but you can one shot them a well placed back hand slap (JUST LIKE REAL LIFE!).

Small note: it’s funny to me when the Child Zombie corpses leave behind Playboy magazines.[/quote]
Just read the porn to get your morale back!

iceball3 · 2013-03-01T16:33:28.000Z

[quote=“Jihelu, post:12, topic:287”][quote=“dotASC, post:11, topic:287”][quote=“jimy, post:10, topic:287”]The only real problem with those child zombies is that they have such a high dodge rate.
Even the one-window tactic doesn’t work on those bastards.

When I imagine a child zombie I think of the little girl at the beginning of “The Walking Dead”…[/quote]

Yeah, the dodge rate is ridiculous. Especially when you’re fighting them at the beginning with, presumably, 0 skill in melee, throwing or firearms. Then consider killing them causes negative morale on top of that. Bad combo.

Wonder what the exact stats are on these (devs?). Seems like they do very little damage, but are impossible to kill. Would be nice to maybe lower their hit points so they are still hard to hit, but you can one shot them a well placed back hand slap (JUST LIKE REAL LIFE!).

Small note: it’s funny to me when the Child Zombie corpses leave behind Playboy magazines.[/quote]
Just read the porn to get your morale back![/quote]
“What’s the point of reading? (your morale is too low!)”

Jack_Slinger · 2013-03-01T16:37:43.000Z

Personally I like them as a flavor thing, my main annoyance is that they spawn before the 9:30 cut off. Although this has lead to me grabbing the bare essentials and running to come back a night. Before I could gt everything I needed in one day then never come back.

The_Darkling_Wolf · 2013-03-01T16:41:19.000Z

[quote=“iceball3, post:13, topic:287”][quote=“Jihelu, post:12, topic:287”][quote=“dotASC, post:11, topic:287”][quote=“jimy, post:10, topic:287”]The only real problem with those child zombies is that they have such a high dodge rate.
Even the one-window tactic doesn’t work on those bastards.

When I imagine a child zombie I think of the little girl at the beginning of “The Walking Dead”…[/quote]

Yeah, the dodge rate is ridiculous. Especially when you’re fighting them at the beginning with, presumably, 0 skill in melee, throwing or firearms. Then consider killing them causes negative morale on top of that. Bad combo.

Wonder what the exact stats are on these (devs?). Seems like they do very little damage, but are impossible to kill. Would be nice to maybe lower their hit points so they are still hard to hit, but you can one shot them a well placed back hand slap (JUST LIKE REAL LIFE!).

Small note: it’s funny to me when the Child Zombie corpses leave behind Playboy magazines.[/quote]
Just read the porn to get your morale back![/quote]
“What’s the point of reading? (your morale is too low!)”[/quote]
That bug was fixed ages ago.

Jihelu · 2013-03-01T17:47:23.000Z

[quote=“iceball3, post:13, topic:287”][quote=“Jihelu, post:12, topic:287”][quote=“dotASC, post:11, topic:287”][quote=“jimy, post:10, topic:287”]The only real problem with those child zombies is that they have such a high dodge rate.
Even the one-window tactic doesn’t work on those bastards.

When I imagine a child zombie I think of the little girl at the beginning of “The Walking Dead”…[/quote]

Yeah, the dodge rate is ridiculous. Especially when you’re fighting them at the beginning with, presumably, 0 skill in melee, throwing or firearms. Then consider killing them causes negative morale on top of that. Bad combo.

Wonder what the exact stats are on these (devs?). Seems like they do very little damage, but are impossible to kill. Would be nice to maybe lower their hit points so they are still hard to hit, but you can one shot them a well placed back hand slap (JUST LIKE REAL LIFE!).

Small note: it’s funny to me when the Child Zombie corpses leave behind Playboy magazines.[/quote]
Just read the porn to get your morale back![/quote]
“What’s the point of reading? (your morale is too low!)”[/quote]
Who said anything about reading? -Fap fap

int · 2013-03-01T18:11:14.000Z

It doesn’t make sense that children spawn in playgrounds either though. Presumably everything bad happened the night before, what kind of children are at the playground at night???

jimy · 2013-03-01T19:17:25.000Z

Lol, a kid just dropped cigaretts.
I’m going to tell his mom of this.

After she has finished lunch of course.