PC Are Screamers ruining your games?

[WarMongerian]

For me, a guy with disabilities, both hand and eye coordination are limited, and getting worse, ~30 or so zombies just randomly dropping in for some up close and personal time, is a bit much.  Especially if it happens whenever, or where ever my little digital dude is, or what he is doing.  Even more so, when it happens over and over again.

And most especially, when it overlaps my beloved Horde Night, and causes me to have to lose out on my weekly event.

I love my Horde Night, but it is partially customizable, and I can set the max number of zombies to whatever works for me.  For the last year, I have worked with this setting set to 8 zombies.  Last night, my Horde Night was once again ruined by Screamers showing up and doing their thing. 

End result?

My little digital dude, faced with ~30 zombies (with more being summoned as the first batch are getting cleared out), while armed with the best shovel and blade I have got, is forced to abandon my Horde Night base, as that many zombies degrade my game performance, and is just to much to handle with my limited capabilities (Vision/Fingers).

This has happened multiple times.

I love my Horde Nights, just as I love 7 Days to Die, but something needs to be done about this random flood of zombies, just showing up out of nowhere, over and over again, especially when it ruins Horde Night!

I have had Screamers show up when my guy is working on my base, or when I'm trying to mine minerals, or working a PoI.  The intense, prolonged combat that ensues, is NOT welcome!  I don't need/want, random encounters that are harder than Horde Night, just happening whenever/wherever my guy happens to be.

The easiest way to stop this, would just be a single toggle switch, a "Screamers On/Off" type of switch, so that, when players don't feel like intense (and meaningless, and repeated) zombie combat, they can just hit pause, flip the switch, and presto, no more randomly spawned zombies.  Leaving such a notional switch set to 'ON' would allow Screamers to do their worst, while setting it to 'OFF', would clean out any currently spawned Screamers, and prevent any more from spawning in, until the switch is set back to on.

A more interesting potential control, that preserves the whole secret/random/possible Screamer mechanic, would be to treat these events just like the "Maximum daily quest progression" option, that was added in back about the time 1.0 was released (I think), that allows the host player the ability to set how many quests they want folks to be able to do in a day, in their games.  Using this exact same kind of 'control' would make the problem of repeated Screamer outbreaks more manageable, and custom fit every players playstyle and capabilities, be they physical, computer, or connectivity.

The best option, in my opinion, would be a bit more complex.  I don't dislike the concept of the whole Screamer game mechanic, but I intensely dislike it's overuse right now, and especially it's ability to overlap/ruin Horde Night, or suffer repeated, back to back outbreaks.

So how about something like this:

1)  A setting that allows a limited number of outbreaks/game day

2)  A setting that institutes a 'cool down' period between outbreaks.

3)  A setting that limits when an outbreak can occur, say for instance, no Screamers on Horde Night, between 2000 hrs and 0600 hrs.

A set of options like the above are needed, and soon.

To my thinking, this is entirely a reasonable ask, as it enables host players (single or multiplayer) to set their game up to provide a custom experience tailored to their and their friends wants, and doesn't just toss a host players' setting out with the bathwater, like currently done right now.



The underlined is the problem, as a host player cannot, as thing stand right now, set up a multiplayer game with settings that would impact the "Screamer Insanity", and all players must submit to "Max alive" Screamer outbreaks! 

Even back to back.

Even on Horde Night!

Keep in mind, folks, this post is also for people that don't have a great computer, or a great internet connection, or a healthy body, and not just for those that have none of these three concerns.

 

[zztong]

1. I don't mind the current screamers, but I do appreciate having options.

2. What do I pick if I don't mind the current screamers but would appreciate having options? I chose there would have to be some selectable options.

3. Maybe min and max screamers. Maybe some way to express how the number of screamers and the number of zombies responding to scream scales with difficulty level. Maybe some way to enable feral sense but only for the responders so that feral sense would be off for regular zombies. Maybe a way to increase the number of screamers and/or the number of responders depending on the fog level or perhaps if it was night time. Maybe a way to so express how many screamers and how many responders based on heat values. Maybe a way to express or influence heat values based on time of day, weather, biome. Maybe a way to say at some heat level the responders act like a horde night. Maybe a way to say at a low heat level you don't get a screamer, but just a random horde.

 

[Dead Smarty]

I don't have problems with current settings. Indeed, a few times the hordenight started a bit early due to screamers but it was no issue.

 

[WarMongerian]

I don't have problems with current settings. Indeed, a few times the hordenight started a bit early due to screamers but it was no issue.

Do you have any issues?

Health?

Computer?

Internet connectivity?

My health (eyesight, fingers) are an issue for me personally, and I am forced to fight with a shovel, or a machete, with a bow for hunting.

My computer maybe a problem, or maybe it's my internet connection, but when the 'Max Alive' Screamers pop, my game get laggy.

~30 zombies, is just to much.  For healthy folks, using guns, I can see folks saying there isn't any problem.  Try fighting without guns, and see how "no issues" your game is then. 

does your playing experience include play without guns?

 

[BFT2020]

Poll is biased.  If you don't have any issues with the screamers, you can't finish it.

 

[WarMongerian]

Poll is biased.  If you don't have any issues with the screamers, you can't finish it.

Guilty as charged, and proudly so.

This thread/poll is for the folks that are having a problem.  Folks that have their health, good computer, good internet connection, are the folks that will most likely say "I don't have a problem".  For them, that may well be true, but for others, that do have any of these problems, something needs to be done.

Only way I can see for folks to see this, from the perspective of those of us that do have issues, is to ask them to try to play without guns through a Horde Night or two, and several Screamer outbreaks, fought only with gathering tools, Knives/bows.  It will give you a different perspective.

 

[Riamus]

There's no value in a biased poll.  You will never know how many people like things as they are and how many do not.  It's less useful than no data at all.

That being said, my answers are somewhat like ZZTong's.

1) I am fine with them as they are, but I support having options for a lot of things in this game, including screamers.

2) They are mostly fine as they are.  I think they could scale based on game stage or at least day, such that you won't get more than one screamer in the first couple weeks or so, but will get 2 or even more as you get further into the game.

3) If there are settings, all I feel that would be needed is an option to enable/disable screamers when starting a game (not in the middle of a game) and perhaps an option to set the min time between screamers (I think faatal stated it was 21 real time minutes within the same area, but it's been a while, I may be remembering incorrectly).  It could perhaps also include the max number or a number range for how many screamers at once.

Screamers are not difficult to deal with if you put up even mediocre defenses.  And even without defenses, they are nothing more than an annoyance that you can defeat within a minute or two at the most if you go out to deal with them right away.  As far as them appearing at a POI... I have never had a problem with that.  They rarely reach me when that happens, and if they do find a way to reach me, it just means more interesting fights in the POI.  That's a positive rather than a negative.  Them being outside the POI doesn't matter.  If I don't want to fight them, it's easy to leave them behind.  And if I do want to fight them, it's hardly a negative to have them there.

Now, what I will agree with is that screamers can sometimes spawn too close to horde night.  It's never an issue for me as I just kill them in 15 seconds or less as it's easy to shoot them quickly once you hear them.  But if someone has trouble dealing with them, then it's obviously better to not have them spawn within a couple hours of horde night starting.  I see no issue with them spawning after horde night ends, though.  Maybe you can't collect all your bags if you can't kill them quickly, but I don't really see that as a big problem.  After all, I play 2 hour days, which means many bags despawn before I can loot them every horde night I play.  I don't consider it a problem.

 

[Dead Smarty]

Do you have any issues?

Health?

Computer?

Internet connectivity?

My health (eyesight, fingers) are an issue for me personally, and I am forced to fight with a shovel, or a machete, with a bow for hunting.

My computer maybe a problem, or maybe it's my internet connection, but when the 'Max Alive' Screamers pop, my game get laggy.

~30 zombies, is just to much.  For healthy folks, using guns, I can see folks saying there isn't any problem.  Try fighting without guns, and see how "no issues" your game is then. 

does your playing experience include play without guns?

On PS5, solo, getting older and slower, no guns.
My base is craft/ horde combined so it's just a mini hordenight if they show up. When out mining it is a bit more challenging, spear can deal with them but some antibiotics is needed after.

 

[RipClaw]

Screamers annoy me more than they pose a real threat. However, in my opinion they are bugged. On more than one occasion spawned the screamer a hordes without having line of sight and they spawn hordes without actually screaming.

The thing that needs to be fixed is that there is no limit to the size of the screamer horde. A screamer can spawn a screamer which spawns a screamer and soon you have a screamer horde so big that you have less than 15fps. There should be a hard limit to how many zombies can be alive in the screamer horde.

 

[WarMongerian]

On PS5, solo, getting older and slower, no guns.
My base is craft/ horde combined so it's just a mini hordenight if they show up. When out mining it is a bit more challenging, spear can deal with them but some antibiotics is needed after.

I have to ask, how long does it take you to clear a "Max Alive" outbreak?  I don't get just a couple, I get the whole 9 yards.  And then, I get them again, and again, and again.

I build a big base, and I try to pave the entire center, so I have a nice smooth, level battlefield.  I still often miss my mark during an uncorrupted Horde Night, because my eyes and fingers fail me, add in ~30 zombies instead of 8, and I spend much more time running around than killing zombies.

 

[WarMongerian]

Screamers annoy me more than they pose a real threat. However, in my opinion they are bugged. On more than one occasion spawned the screamer a hordes without having line of sight and they spawn hordes without actually screaming.

The thing that needs to be fixed is that there is no limit to the size of the screamer horde. A screamer can spawn a screamer which spawns a screamer and soon you have a screamer horde so big that you have less than 15fps. There should be a hard limit to how many zombies can be alive in the screamer horde.

I've stepped back from the game for a week, because my health is bad and I need the rest anyway, but I will see if TFP have taken notice and fixed this issue.  I end up with my base crawling with zombies, after several minutes of fighting the 'Karens' (Screamers & friends), and then I have to just run away to get some peace and quiet.

I start off getting the pair of green Screamers, and then, once the other ones start showing up, and they start summoning more and more...

It isn't something I can deal with in 15 seconds, like others are claiming/boasting.  Then again, perhaps they are not seeing what I am seeing.

 

[Treb]

I've stepped back from the game for a week, because my health is bad and I need the rest anyway, but I will see if TFP have taken notice and fixed this issue.  I end up with my base crawling with zombies, after several minutes of fighting the 'Karens' (Screamers & friends), and then I have to just run away to get some peace and quiet.

I start off getting the pair of green Screamers, and then, once the other ones start showing up, and they start summoning more and more...

It isn't something I can deal with in 15 seconds, like others are claiming/boasting.  Then again, perhaps they are not seeing what I am seeing.

I think limiting yourself to the shovel/knife/bow is one of the reason why you are struggling with screamers and large groups. 

 

[Grandpa Minion]

The thing that needs to be fixed is that there is no limit to the size of the screamer horde. A screamer can spawn a screamer which spawns a screamer and soon you have a screamer horde so big that you have less than 15fps. There should be a hard limit to how many zombies can be alive in the screamer horde.

You are 100% correct on this, screamers work off heatmap:  The Heatmap is a mechanic that controls the spawn of zombies depending on the player's activities. It does not have a literal implication towards temperature but it does affect a certain area around the affected zone. 

What we do is reduce the heatmap of campfires, candles, workstations, weapons, explosions and some sounds... but yeah any server should run some kind of heatmap reduction to prevent screamer loops causing lag. 

 

[Riamus]

I've stepped back from the game for a week, because my health is bad and I need the rest anyway, but I will see if TFP have taken notice and fixed this issue.  I end up with my base crawling with zombies, after several minutes of fighting the 'Karens' (Screamers & friends), and then I have to just run away to get some peace and quiet.

I start off getting the pair of green Screamers, and then, once the other ones start showing up, and they start summoning more and more...

It isn't something I can deal with in 15 seconds, like others are claiming/boasting.  Then again, perhaps they are not seeing what I am seeing.

To clear screamers quickly requires mainly understanding how to do so.  You'll hear them outside your base before they call additional zombies.  If you immediately go outside and sprint to them (or get close enough to kill them from a distance), you can target the 1 or 2 screamers and often kill them before they call additional zombies.  I usually run up on them with a spear and kill them in one power attack to the head before they can summon anyone.  Even if you don't do so in time, you focus on killing the one or two screamers immediately.  If they happen to call another screamer, you also focus on killing them immediately.  Only after you finish killing the screamers should you worry about anything else that might have been summoned.  At that point, the summoned units will be limited to a single summon of something like 6-8 additional zombies (I have never counted to see exactly, but it's somewhere around there), which should not take much effort to kill.  15 seconds is to wipe out just screamers before they summon anything.  If there are summons, you maybe take another 15 seconds to do them.  It really shouldn't take much more time than that.

However, you have chosen a very limited set of weapons that are generally not very efficient.  Because of that, you're going to suffer far more than almost all other players.  That is a choice you made, and I understand your explanation of why you made that choice.  But it is going to have a noticeably negative effect on you compared to everyone else.  If you want to have better luck against the screamers with your choice of weapons, you're going to need to put in the effort to have defenses in place that will kill the screamers for you.  Setting up spike traps around your base will automatically kill screamers that aren't feral easily.  In most cases, this happens without anything else being summoned unless you're outside or on the roof where they could see you.  Other things like turrets can also deal with them.  Using more than a single row of spike traps can work for even the feral screamers.  Other kinds of traps, especially if you have a kill zone that zombies will always enter, can also be used.  However you look at it, you'll need to adjust how you play or how you handle screamers if you're going to stick to limited/weaker weapons.  It's just how it is.

I do think that screamers should scale based on game stage.  Only one initial screamer for the first part of the game, then 2, and perhaps even increasing more as the game stage increases.  But I don't know if they'll consider that, and it doesn't help you after it scales to 2+ anyhow.

They may adjust screamers some again before gold, but I don't know that they'll make them easier after you're out of the early game.  They are meant to be a challenge.  Just remember that you do play the game differently than the majority of players and they balance things based on the average way people play, rather than the outliers.

And, just as a reminder, if you don't want to deal with them, just get in a vehicle (or run) and leave the area far enough that they despawn.  Go back and you're all set until they spawn again.  It's definitely more hassle than killing them, but if you're having trouble killing them, then it's an option you can consider.  I don't know if they have the same timer between spawns that they have if you kill them, though.  So you may get a new spawn sooner than if you killed them.  I just don't know.

Also, remember to keep your heat generation as low as possible so you aren't getting screamer spawns as often.  Don't run workstations unless you need them (sometimes people leave things burning after the crafting/forging/smelting is done).  Keep torches to a minimum or don't use them.  Keep dew collectors away from your base.  Etc.  The lower your heat generation, the longer it will take to get screamers, though you'll still get them.  It might not be a significant reduction in time, but if you average a new screamer spawn every 30 minutes and can reduce heat to change that to every 40-45 minutes, it will still be better.

Anyhow, just some things you can do to try and help your situation.

 

[WarMongerian]

I think limiting yourself to the shovel/knife/bow is one of the reason why you are struggling with screamers and large groups. 

It isn't by choice, that I am limited.  My health is what causes me to be limited.  Fingers that are stiff and numb, and don't always go where I tell them, and eyes that cannot see clearly anymore, are what force me to play without ranged weapons, and it makes the game far harder.

I can try to use a bow/crossbow, but only for hunting 1v1 type situations, for combat, I have to go toe to toe.  Guys that mow down an entire corridor in a couple seconds, using guns, have no idea what taking out that entire corridor full of zombies is like, without the guns.

 

[Riamus]

Screamers annoy me more than they pose a real threat. However, in my opinion they are bugged. On more than one occasion spawned the screamer a hordes without having line of sight and they spawn hordes without actually screaming.

The thing that needs to be fixed is that there is no limit to the size of the screamer horde. A screamer can spawn a screamer which spawns a screamer and soon you have a screamer horde so big that you have less than 15fps. There should be a hard limit to how many zombies can be alive in the screamer horde.

I think the limit is your limit for max alive.  I think that's probably good enough for most people.  If your computer can't handle the max alive value, reducing that should also reduce the max screamer horde.  Focusing on killing screamers quickly (ignoring other zombies) will keep them from summoning very many zombies (if any).  When it may be a challenge to do that is if you're in a POI (especially a higher tier POI where you can't run out to kill the screamers).  But if they aren't visible, they shouldn't have much effect on your FPS, so that shouldn't be an issue.  And you can always ignore them when you leave and avoid the issue entirely in those situations.

For reference: My computer is over 6 years old now, and it was only a low- to mid-level gaming desktop at that time.  My only change to it was increasing RAM to 32GB from 8GB (which I used to play this game on, without a problem) and adding an additional SSD for space.  I have never experienced any FPS slowdown for zombies.  I've come out of a POI after completing it, when I knew screamers were outside for a long time.  I had what was probably 30-40 zombies outside the POI when I got out.  No FPS problems.  I've played horde night with 7-8 players with default zombie count per player (8, I believe), so that's 56-64 zombies at once, and no FPS slowdown there either.  I do get a lot of problems with things like cars or trees or other objects popping in when I'm in the middle of large towns, and I keep my FPS synced to half (30FPS) instead of full (60FPS) so that it stays consistent.  I notice more slowdown issues if it's constantly going up and down between 40 and 60 FPS than if I have it limited to 30FPS.  It's just a much smoother experience for me that way.  I do get lower FPS at times, especially with certain surfaces, but it's not at all related to zombie counts.  But that's just my specific hardware.  Some hardware (even older, slower hardware) handles certain things better than other hardware, even if that hardware is better.  I may have no issues with zombies, but others who do have issues with zombies may not have the issues I have with stuff popping in.

It isn't by choice, that I am limited.  My health is what causes me to be limited.  Fingers that are stiff and numb, and don't always go where I tell them, and eyes that cannot see clearly anymore, are what force me to play without ranged weapons, and it makes the game far harder.

I can try to use a bow/crossbow, but only for hunting 1v1 type situations, for combat, I have to go toe to toe.  Guys that mow down an entire corridor in a couple seconds, using guns, have no idea what taking out that entire corridor full of zombies is like, without the guns.

I rarely use guns except on horde night, where I use a sniper just because I enjoy that.  I'll clear even Tier 6 Infested with only my spear, though certain ones I'll have to pull out a gun at certain points because there are so many zombies at once (the prison, for example).  If you can use a melee weapon, you can use a spear.  A spear is far better than a shovel.  Knives (machete) are fine if you like them, and they are fast, which can make it easier to quickly kill a screamer.  But you shouldn't try to do so with a shovel or bow, especially if you have the troubles you mention.  Sprint up to them and hit them in the head.  A machete should be enough to kill a regular screamer in one hit to the head, and a feral in two.  It *might* take 3 hits if you aren't perking into knives or if you are using low quality knives.

As far as guns, that's up to you.  That really doesn't have much to do with any health issues, though.  If you can shoot a bow, you can shoot a gun just as easily.  In fact, they are even easier to aim because there's no drop off.  They shoot more quickly and have better range.

Oh, and if you have trouble with running away when things get too overwhelming, just reduce the zombie speed in the game options.  Set them to walk, or at least to no faster than sprint.  It'll make it easier for you to get away from them if needed.

I want to be clear that I'm not trying to suggest that your health problems aren't a big deal or anything like that.  I'm trying to give you options that may help you to better handle screamers.

 

[WarMongerian]

I do "run up to" the screamers, when I can find them, and try to take them out.  Ever when I do kill them, their first reinforcements are already on the way.  At night, I cannot tell which moving green blob is a screamer, and which is something else.  On a side note, the spitting attack of the cop zombies totally blinds me when they hit me, and then I cannot see anything until I move.  I can never see the cop zombies in the dark, until they shoot, because they have a very long range, far longer than I can hit with a bow.   My fingers stiffness and twitching, mean that, when trying to use a bow, sometimes I get lucky, and hit a deer on the first shot, but most of the time, it takes either very close range, or multiple shots/misses, before I can land a hit.  For that matter, even the shovel/machete often get thrown off target, even when I try to keep the fight off uneven/unpaved ground, so killing zombies takes more swings than they could sustain from well aimed blows.

Once we add it the need to run, the darkness, incoming cop zombie "spit in the eye" attack, from long range/beyond my ability to see them...

Horde night, what once was THE premiere zombie attraction of the game, is most often surpassed by what is supposed to be a minor annoyance.  I agree, that the Screamers need to scale properly, but right now, they just ruin the game by repeatedly spawning in, time after time, and when they take over Horde Night, something need to be done, so that player can just opt out of these random outbreaks, and get back to playing/enjoying the game.

In their current state, the Screamers annoy and pester me to the point I no longer want to play.  Tone them down, a whole lot, and then the game returns to a fun and enjoyable pass time.

I'm currently taking a week off from the game, so next wednesday, the 26th, I'll try again.  I really hope that, by that time, we can have an "opt out" button added, so that players can just turn off the whole Screamer mess as it currently is, and then play in peace until they get them working properly.  As I play on the easiest game settings, the Screamers I am seeing, should not be like what I see in my games.

 

[8_Hussars]

Guilty as charged, and proudly so.

This thread/poll is for the folks that are having a problem.  Folks that have their health, good computer, good internet connection, are the folks that will most likely say "I don't have a problem".  For them, that may well be true, but for others, that do have any of these problems, something needs to be done.

Biased polls are not something to be proud of.  Alienating, responders with "Have you stopped beating your kids?" type questions which are meaningless and do not further the discussion, other than to reinforce predetermined narratives and stereotypes.  Asking for input, and then surreptitiously qualifying that input by "only if you agree with me" is childish.  If you want support you need it from all sides.

Without an approximate scale to the issue there is no impetus to proceed.  Sorry, but five percent of people having a common issue is far more significant and deserving of attention than 0.5 percent.  If you are not prepared to accept that an issue "may" not be an actionable request, then its just self-serving.     
 

Only way I can see for folks to see this, from the perspective of those of us that do have issues, is to ask them to try to play without guns through a Horde Night or two, and several Screamer outbreaks, fought only with gathering tools, Knives/bows.  It will give you a different perspective.

In the process of completing your challenge (with your settings) as we speak.  I don't suffer from anything but age.  I really hate to say, screamers are not an issue, especially since they were reportedly toned done in 1.3 (just updated for Day 14 horde).  Run outside kill the screamer(s) and the minions for some XP, rinse repeat.  Even running both Red Mesa and Army Post #7 with melee in the same day was trivial on those settings.

 

[theFlu]

Spikes. Two rows around your base, and if you like, mine shafts. Even better if you make a little entrance tower to any mine, 3x3, ladder down the mid, or larger if you like. Screamers are mostly dead without you even noticing them; well, maybe with the new audios.

 

[logout]

Misclicked no 1 unfortunately. That should be "nope"

Anyway, I'd like to have that for radiated too. And Z animals. And the number of Zs in the streets.

The more options the better in the game.