Suggestions for stealth and animal tracker

[Zale87]

I enjoy the stealth gaming style, but it is just so slow. To do a P.O.I. without being detected, with reduced speed and making sure you don't step on something that increases noise, you take at least twice if not more time then just running through it and killing everything. In a game where you are on a constant 7 day timer this feels weak. You will be behind on xp, items and quests achieved. So i thought of some things that might help.

Hidden strike bonus xp - the hidden strike perk could also grant you bonus xp for stealth kills

From the shadows bonus - taking this perk could give you bonus rewards(xp, special currency for extra rewards, items) for doing quests without being noticed. Maybe with a counter on how often you have been noticed. The more you get noticed, the lesser the bonus reward.

Stealth quests - Since there are quests, where combat is unavoidable, maybe create trader quests that need to be done without being seen, for a big xp and item reward... or make those P.O.I. just very small, so they can be done as fast as others.


For animal tracker, it also just feels weak. 100 m doesn't seem that good. Usually i only spot animals with that perk while on a P.O.I. and not when i go out to hunt.
My solution would be one of the following:
-Increase the range for every point of the perk
-make it a passive skill (no need to crouch)
-if you don't find an animal, you find tracks, that point into a direction

I'm still kinda new to the game, so maybe i'm overseeing something and i also read about the hunting traps, that might solve animal tracking. Love this game and hope stealth willl get some attention.

 

[meganoth]

About stealth: Generally the enemies level with you, so unless you want to compare with other players it doesn't matter how fast you level. You are at the same time progressing in gear/items, so if you are leveling faster but scavenge less materials and magazines (because you are slower), your gear progression may fall behind your XP/level progression.

For example some players set the config option to get double XP gain. Some because they have less patience with the game, some because they think it makes the game easier. The latter idea is a fallacy though as your gear probably won't keep up with your level while the zombies will get better in step with your level

Stealth is my favourite playstyle by the way and even in multiplayer co-op with a few friends I don't care that they usually have a higher level. It could be different on an open server, but I would guess there the players are at random progression levels anyway because they didn't start at the same time or play more often or less often.

 

[Zale87]

I am only playing single player right now, so i'm mainly comparing to youtube channels doing let's plays. I still like playing in stealth and it's fun, i just end up feeling that going for stealth is too slow, since i'm also investing in perks. Maybe it's something that you shouldn't do in early game or i just wish there could be some benefit for going unseen.

 

[zztong]

To do a P.O.I. without being detected, with reduced speed and making sure you don't step on something that increases noise, you take at least twice if not more time then just running through it and killing everything. In a game where you are on a constant 7 day timer this feels weak. You will be behind on xp, items and quests achieved. So i thought of some things that might help.

It does take me longer to stealth a POI, though I do enjoy thinking/puzzling my own way through the POI instead of just following the path.

As far a relative times, the 7 Day timer isn't pushing me very much, but if you're going heavy on horde base building then I could see where you are having trouble managing your time. Otherwise, I kind of like that the relative enemy strength is matching my pace. I don't have to worry about being outclassed, except perhaps if I join up with friends.

Stealth quests - Since there are quests, where combat is unavoidable, maybe create trader quests that need to be done without being seen, for a big xp and item reward... or make those P.O.I. just very small, so they can be done as fast as others.

I'd be interested in some kind of Stealth quest. I recall a quest in an MMO where to pass the test you had to avoid killing a certain number of the monsters. Maybe that doesn't make much sense with zombies, but with Bandits it might.

 

[4sheetzngeegles]

For animal tracker, it also just feels weak. 100 m doesn't seem that good.

Do you use headphones? If so you will hear a chicken ever so often, that is the direction of prey.
Cop a squat, and look on the map, then head in that direction about 15 or so paces per tracker check.
Like hunting. When you hear that sound unless you on on another task, just run in that direction a bit
And you may see the animal before a next check.

I'm still kinda new to the game,

Learning the weaknesses and strengths, of the play style should be part of the fun.

Stealth quests - Since there are quests, where combat is unavoidable, maybe create trader quests that need to be done without being seen, for a big xp and item reward... or make those P.O.I. just very small, so they can be done as fast as others.

I like this idea, but would if it were applied like the kill 50 Marlenes challenge in the open, or like your
quote below have a counter for stealth nonstealth kill, per basic quest you do, then it would be
incorporated in all quests, and it gives a choice of how to respond an not feel limited.

Maybe with a counter on how often you have been noticed. The more you get noticed, the lesser the bonus reward.

There is a mod that kind of caters to the counter, Rebirth The purge. It is mainly a sweep and clear scenario.

Side note: You don't have to do a full poi in one visit, just should clear it before the zombies respawn in a few days
then you can do a kind of round robin play, and still accomplish more tasks. Just mark incompletes, and completes
and it will sort of feel more flexible. Also day and night play not tethered to a base, opens up xp opportunities.

Either way you choose, Good luck and welcome to the forum.

 

[Zale87]

For animal tracker, it also just feels weak. 100 m doesn't seem that good.

Do you use headphones? If so you will hear a chicken ever so often, that is the direction of prey.
Cop a squat, and look on the map, then head in that direction about 15 or so paces per tracker check.
Like hunting.

I'm using speakers, my ears also might not be that good. I noticed chickens by sound. But almost never by using the animal tracker perk (except when i was sneaking in P.O.I.). Is the means of the perk that once you found an animal by sound, that you won't lose it? Reconsidering my suggestions i think that always finding tracks or something would take the challenge out of finding food, but right now i feel like taking this perk doesn't do enough.

Stealth quests - Since there are quests, where combat is unavoidable, maybe create trader quests that need to be done without being seen, for a big xp and item reward... or make those P.O.I. just very small, so they can be done as fast as others.

I like this idea, but would if it were applied like the kill 50 Marlenes challenge in the open, or like your
quote below have a counter for stealth nonstealth kill, per basic quest you do, then it would be
incorporated in all quests, and it gives a choice of how to respond an not feel limited.

Those were all suggestions, i don't really know what would even be possible. When it comes to quests, i might have one example:
I read that farm animals might get implemented. There could be a quest where you sneak into a barn to shut in the cows and prevent them from being attacked by zombies, who might wake up and attack the cows if you are noticed. Once the cows are secured you can kill the zombies.

With the counter for detection in all quests, that was me trying to implement rewards into the "from the shadows" perk.

From what i've read so far it seems the xp idea is the most unnessecary one, at least in single player. So maybe there could be other rewards. My thought behind the post was to make stealth feel more rewarding.

Thanks for all the posts so far. And sorry if I might use quotations wrong, still trying to figure it out.

 

[Adam the Waster]

Idk how you do stealth its such a pain at times then again I got feral sent on

 

[4sheetzngeegles]

If you don't have the tracker perk then the sound is just a directional to find game visually.
With the perk, if they are not on your map then going toward the sound will help you find their
marker. If on pc, you can adjust the parameters for distance and remove the map marker
so it only shows on the compass. I removed the markers for traders and quests, so I only
have distance. Makes things a bit more interesting.

Just because you find an animal, does not mean that it stays tracked, only for twenty seconds as
you approach, then it resets the 20 seconds if you squat down again or it disappears, but if it moves
beyond the range you have to look for it again.

Also they added the subtle sound of animals footsteps in the brush.

I liked your suggestions. Because of the way the game is designed anything is possible, just not
all is probable. But keep thinking and posting that is what this section is for.

If you get a chance, take a look at the Rebirth Purge, and look at how Furious Configured it, this may
give an idea how to use it the way you need.