(2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3.,2.4) Not a bug. However, I do not remember zombie dogs being this terrible after 1.9. in Insane difficulty and Insane Nightmare.

[ForexleRebexOfficial]

Version

2.0 2.1 2.2. 2.3 2.4

Platform

Windows

I tried doing a one life challenge to myself, only once I have made it to day 8 without getting myself deleted. But it is plausible to beat all the way to the the wasteland without being deleted, but it is extremely hard to pull this off in one run. It does not make any sense why the zombie dog has 200 hp which is more than the average low level zombie out there. Once encountered and engaged, there is not much to do to defend yourself other than just running with a full stamina. I am not sure if others have the similar problem in early game runs, which most of my runs I have ended to a buffed version of a dog. Especially they are sprinkled all over the map. I can absolutely can beat that challenge, if it wasn't the part where the zombie dogs are abysmal. And at least the dogs can be changed to 1.9 stats- for me would be fine... but I am sure many had that similar problem. Fun pimps, please read this. But don't just take me as an example.

Let me know in the comments if you have that similar problem.

 

[Fritzl]

Git Gud

 

[White-Gandalf]

This looks like a settings problem: If you want to be able to defeat any enemy on day 1 with bare fists in the hardest areas, you are obliged to set the difficulty and speed to minimum.

If you are looking for a real challenge with high difficulty, lightning fast enemies and then going into the hardest biome in the game, you simply can not go toe to toe with enemies. You have to use cunning tactics and strategies to overcome your abysmal inferiority against your enemies. Or you need to have drastically outstanding reflexes and a lightning fast PC, because each error in the timing (versus lag in the game engine), even after you became an expert in fighting techniques, means certain death.

This is intended. In my opinion. I like it that way.

If you go into the wasteland on day 1, want to survive a horde on day 7 already with cops and a lot of ferals and puking vultures (assuming a vanilla game), and you are not even able to defeat a mere dog, you clearly are not up to that challenge.

The scaling of HealthMax is oriented at the different categories of enemies throughout the game, without making the easiest ones like rabbits, chickens and coyotes so drastically easy that the players decry their easyness, and without making the most difficult ones into something that players decry as "bullet sponges". It's a system of mutual compromises with the dogs and wolves sitting somewhere in the middle of the animal difficulty range.

I remember it being so since Alpha 13. If you dared to encounter dogs in the villages or in the burned forest without proper attack and defense measures at those long gone times, they ripped you apart. Despite having their health modified between 80 and 200 points over the releases of the game. (In the earlier versions where they had less life, they were more vicious with the player unable to outrun them once encountered.)

A13, 14: 100, speed 1.6
A15: 80, speed 1.6
A16, 17: 120, speed 1.6
A18: 120, speed 1.3
A19 - R2: 200, speed 1.3

 

[Riamus]

The zombie dogs aren't really that difficult if you're not just trying to shake hands with them. They are not usually in low tier POI and don't usually appear in the wilderness except for rarely with wandering hordes, so you should have at least a decent weapon before having to deal with them. There are a very limited number of POI under tier 3 that have the zombie dogs, so you can avoid those and not have to deal with them before you're ready. In any case, with mostly default settings (anything related to damage given or received is default), I'll fight them with a stone spear within the first few days without any real problem. I normally avoid going head to head with them that soon because I don't want to deal with debuffs due to having poor armor and so I'll normally get on top of something and attack them that way, but I can do it on the ground with them if I need to. By the time I have a Q1 iron spear, they aren't even remotely dangerous, though they can still be annoying when part of a group of zombies because you have to aim down to hit them, which means not doing headshots on the rest of the enemies for the time it takes to deal with the dogs.

Now, that is with a spear, which has a longer reach than many other weapons, so that does help. It would probably be more challenging if you tried with a knife or something like that. And don't forget that you can always use a ranged weapon. If you can't afford a gun and ammo in the early game, a bow and arrows are very cheap to make and there are plenty of places to get high enough that the dogs can't reach you.

But it's really just a matter of getting used to dealing with them. Once you know how to handle them, they are very easy to defeat once you get to mid level tier 1 (stone) weapons or at least by the time you reach tier 2 (iron).

 

[Gamida]

Early game I tend to try to avoid doghouses and pet carriers.

 

[BFT2020]

High ground is key for dogs early game. Always be aware of your surroundings and have a way to get up high quickly if you come across dogs. Not every threat should be taken head on.

 

[Riamus]

Early game I tend to try to avoid doghouses and pet carriers.

Yeah, when you see either of those, you know there will be a dog somewhere nearby. Make sure you are prepared before continuing.

 

[Jugginator]

Well, you yourself said this isn't a bug so why post it in the bug reports

But yeah, the game is intended to not be fair when playing on the hardest difficulty; to be fair, you did have a lot of opportunities to take care of that zombie dog in the clip. I guess I'll move this to general discussion then if you'd like?