PC Advice needed for a returning player

H

Huzya

Refugee
Hi all.... returning to the game after taking about a year off from playing.

When I left, I had a maxed out base and pretty much every item in the game. Now I'm starting over to play with my son (who just got into playing the game) and need some advice to refresh my memory.

1. Are underground bases still viable early on? In the past, I could dig a long, winding tunnel and the AI couldn't navigate it. Is this still viable? If no, what's a good way to hide for the first 1-2 weeks as you build up a walled base?

2. I can quickly gather the mats for the initial stone items (axe/shovel/club), but how do I quickly make the jump to the next tier of items (I'm totally spacing on this one)?

3. What's the quickest way to farm up a good supply of food/water? The only way that I can remember is to get yucca plants (if you're lucky enough to be in a desert area).

4. Are walled-in forts (with spikes) still viable during early-mid game (during non-horde nights)? I usually try to build up a walled area (with heat-generating production items being positioned a ways off from the area) and then just run off to an underground bunker during horde nights.

Anyways... thanks in advance for any advice that can be provided. My son is only 11, so he's usually running off to kill stuff while I hang back and build up a town to make him better weapons. It should be fun. :)

 
best current advice for a returning player. Wait a month till A17 drops. It will be a complete new game.

1. You can still hide underground.

2. If you find leather for a forge and mine some iron within a few days.

3. I survive on corn bread & water.

4. Never tried this, but I always build inside a prefab and surround it with 3 rows of wooden spikes the first horde night. After that I will start digging around with log spikes and use wooden poles (upgraded) placed on their side (3 high) zombies not able to pass through and for me to hit them trough the gaps between all poles.

 
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Food/water depends on the map/seed.

If playing the basic Navezgane, get near the corn farm. There is a LOT of corn.

Water: snow. dig. snowballs. :)

The house near the farm (the one before the tower), there is a huge claypit.

Below that is an absolute insane amount of iron I'm finding out.

3 rows of woodspikes works for first hordenight (4 is a bit better)

The conical ones, upside down with hedgehog style on top, even better.

Leather is easy enough to get, either from animals (hide), or chopping couches etc.

IF you find a wrench early, then scrapping cars/beds for the iron pipes.

Clay and stone, well duh.

I'm using the prefab house in my Navezgane playthrough (never tried the original map before, so...) otherwise, I normally

go with a blockhouse build.

10x10 cobblestone 4 high, then wood above that. Build on, yep, a clay pit.

At night, I dig down. Gets me points, mats, and un-eaten.

A17 though? gonna have to see. :D

 
If you're going to base underground, try to find some mushrooms first and make a farm. They take care of hunger and thirst and they should grow without light. Obviously, not going to help with wellness, but you won't starve or dehydrate.

 
a17 is about to drop, try not to stay underground or on stilts

the new alpha rework the AI and those option will not be safe anymore

a walled base surrounded by metal spike log (3-4 row for first horde night) works pretty good

for food and drink yucca is still the best option early game

to level up fast there are two choices, shovel in the desert or fight every zombie you run into

 
#1 You can still bury yourself underground all you like.

There's nothing that tunnels down..... yet.

#2 Traders have one of each:

Cement Mixer

Forge

Workbench

Chem Station

Though most of them don't work.... but you might get lucky.

Also still good idea to get forge running on your own.

Clay, Rocks, and leather are all you need for your forge.

[No longer need hides to craft bellows, only leather, so kill some sofas.]

#3 Yucca plants are still the best early on food.

You are collecting Aloe for bandages at the same time.

Also, the Dessert is still the easiest place to find nests.

Don't really need to worry about water do you?

Eat your first can of food and you have a can to boil water in.

Lakes, Backyard pools and other sources are pretty abundant.

Though if you want to stock up on water in early game you can grab snow.

It stacks and it works as a good early water source.

#4 Walled in forts are okay but better to just build on top of pillars and put spikes around them.

If you're building with just wood you don't want a span of more than 5 blocks between pillars.

Also, why move forges off site??

Screamers have low HP and make a nice source of loot.

Keep them in your base and put a row of spikes around.

Free stuff!

Anyway, enjoy playing 7DTD with your son.

Hope you have a wonderful time.

I got my kids into this game for awhile as well and it was a ton of fun!

Cheers!

~Lucky

Tribute-and-Farewell-to-A16-Plus-bonus-tips-video

 
Thanks all for the replies! It's much appreciated.

It seems that a few folks are recommending taking an existing house and surrounding it with spikes (a few layers deep). Is that fairly easy to do during the first day (with just stone equipment)?

Traders were introduced after I last stopped playing. Can you buy the Mixers/Forges/etc from them, or are they just set up in the area and available for use? If purchasable, does it take a long while to be able to afford them?

I know that I can use my axe to mine wood, rocks, metal and whatnot. Don't I need a wrench to get leather from cars and sofas?

And LuckyStar, in answer to your question about off-siting the forges and whatnot. I do that so I don't accidentally get surprised by screamers (I get really focused and times and forget to look around). This way, they show up at the forge area (which'll be fortified) and usually just wander off. If I see them there, I can always run in and drop them quickly enough. I usually just set a bunch of items to craft and then wander off to explore.

Again, thanks all for taking the time to respond. It's going to be fun to get back into the game. :)

 
Have fun playing this with your son. It is literally the best video game I have ever found for good father/son bonding time. Its also great for brother/brother bonding and I even play it with my own Mom and it is great. There is just something about working together to survive and defend against the zombies with your loved ones that is like magic.

And welcome back!

 
Have fun playing this with your son. It is literally the best video game I have ever found for good father/son bonding time. Its also great for brother/brother bonding and I even play it with my own Mom and it is great. There is just something about working together to survive and defend against the zombies with your loved ones that is like magic.
And welcome back!
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LOL! I hear you! My son and I played for about 30 minutes this weekend. He started the game and then I joined in. I'm trying hard just to survive (why re-learning the basics). We finally meet up during day 2 at a small town. I start breaking into buildings when I hear a huge explosion behind me. Turns out, it's my son with a rocket launcher. He forgot to tell me that he had access to everything. It was amusing and all.... but I need to show him how much more fun it is when you actually work a bit to get your items (as opposed to just typing in a few codes to get them).

 
Thanks all for the replies! It's much appreciated.
It seems that a few folks are recommending taking an existing house and surrounding it with spikes (a few layers deep). Is that fairly easy to do during the first day (with just stone equipment)?
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Getting wood can be a pain early on unless you get lucky and get an iron axe, but even that will drain your stamina without beers or coffee to supplement. Also be on the lookout for clay, stone shovels suck, but clay + stone = cobblestone rocks which will make flagstone that can be upgraded to cobblestone with more cobblestone rocks. Flagstone is 500 hp, I think and then cobblestone is 1200, much better then wood. And once you get concrete it is a simple upgrade. Be careful placing flagstone though especially with only stone tools, once you set it down, it's there to stay until it is destroyed.

Traders were introduced after I last stopped playing. Can you buy the Mixers/Forges/etc from them, or are they just set up in the area and available for use? If purchasable, does it take a long while to be able to afford them?
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They should be set up in areas for you to use, the workbench I've found is almost always working, and is usually indoors in one of the buildings the trader is not inside. They are fairly easy to make I'd say, I usually have the parts before I can build them. Small Engines being the worst item for me to obtain due to rngjesus hating me.


I know that I can use my axe to mine wood, rocks, metal and whatnot. Don't I need a wrench to get leather from cars and sofas?
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Wrench for cars, office chairs, filing cabinets, empty carts, large beds, and tables with lamps on them, oh yeah toilets and a/c units too. I usually use a stone axe or regular axe on sofas.

And LuckyStar, in answer to your question about off-siting the forges and whatnot. I do that so I don't accidentally get surprised by screamers (I get really focused and times and forget to look around). This way, they show up at the forge area (which'll be fortified) and usually just wander off. If I see them there, I can always run in and drop them quickly enough. I usually just set a bunch of items to craft and then wander off to explore.
Again, thanks all for taking the time to respond. It's going to be fun to get back into the game. :)
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I tend to set my forges out at least 40 blocks, and once I have the materials I elevate them as well, but the screamers will try to tear it down, especially if they go with the zombies eventually attacking "load bearing" pillars. Once I have a sniper rifle I tend to be more relaxed about screamers.

 
Wrench for cars, office chairs, filing cabinets, empty carts, large beds, and tables with lamps on them, oh yeah toilets and a/c units too. I usually use a stone axe or regular axe on sofas.
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There are a lot more things than that to use the wrench on. Lights, power conduits(conveyor belt in the crack a book tower), electrical boxes, control panels, shopping baskets(the blue plastic ones), ANY mattress or bed frame, faucets, fridges, stoves, UNLOCKED safes, sinks... There may be more but I can't think of them while I'm not playing and seeing them.

And yes, you can get leather from a couch or leather chair(not office chair) with a knife. But better to use a stone axe or fire axe, depending on your Bad Mechanic or Miner 69er perks.

 
LOL! I hear you! My son and I played for about 30 minutes this weekend. He started the game and then I joined in. I'm trying hard just to survive (why re-learning the basics). We finally meet up during day 2 at a small town. I start breaking into buildings when I hear a huge explosion behind me. Turns out, it's my son with a rocket launcher. He forgot to tell me that he had access to everything. It was amusing and all.... but I need to show him how much more fun it is when you actually work a bit to get your items (as opposed to just typing in a few codes to get them).
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That's all well and good, but... look at your questions. You ask about avoiding horde night and screamers, about getting food, water, & good tools quickly, and about getting an easy base on Day 1. So while you buy into the idea of making progress by working for it, you also want to know all the shortcuts up front and use them. It seems like you and your son are doing the same thing, just to different degrees. Don't get me wrong: it's a sandbox game, and there's no right or wrong way to play. But I guess I can't relate to your play style.

 
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That's all well and good, but... look at your questions. You ask about avoiding horde night and screamers, about getting food, water, & good tools quickly, and about getting an easy base on Day 1. So while you buy into the idea of making progress by working for it, you also want to know all the shortcuts up front and use them. It seems like you and your son are doing the same thing, just to different degrees. Don't get me wrong: it's a sandbox game, and there's no right or wrong way to play. But I guess I can't relate to your play style.
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Actually, there's no comparison at all. My son was using console codes to get free equipment... bypassing the entirety of the game. In my case, I'm doing all of the work.... but just looking to be as efficient at it as I can be. For example, I'd rather not be spending 2 weeks with a stone axe when I can work hard to get an iron one much sooner

As for my play style, it goes as follows:

1. Find an initial place to hide out... be it a house or a tunnel that I dig. This is to survive the first week or so while I start to get better equipment than stone. Defenses are bare minimum as I'm concentrating on building up my tools and resources.

2. Once I have better equipment, I start working on a cave base. If my first base is a fortified house, I start building a winding tunnel down to an area that I can expand and put in the stuff that I'll need to continue production. If I bypassed an initial house and started with a tunnel... then I'm already good to go. This protects me from most zombies.

3. Next step is to work on my outdoor base. This takes forever as it tends to be huge and have a ton of fortifications. Once the initial wall is in place, I'll usually stay here unless it's a horde night.... and just go back to the tunnels to get more supplies. On horde nights, I go to the tunnels. It's safer as I don't have great weapons yet... and I really don't want them destroying my base.

4. Once the main base is defensible (walls are up and spikes are laid), I'll set up full production a ways off (in range of a sniper rifle... but far enough away that I don't run into unexpected zombies while I'm returning from exploration).

5. Once the supply chain is up and running, I tend to build at night and then explore/scavenge during the day. At this point, I've basically beaten the game. I've survived and can move about without fear. From here on out, it's all about just trying out new things that the devs put into the game.

 
From the first base, I dig down to bedrock at night. Simple 3 block wide drop. (makes it easier to put the ladder in).

Then I go out about 5 chunks and then dig out my main production room. Forges/workbenches etc.

I do have a forge/bench in the first part, but move that forge down below. The workbench stays. (for combining loot, and crafting weaps/tools/armor).

Then I start working on the drop pit, which is near where the production center is. So the zombies that get attracted to the heat.. well...

:)

A lot will depend on what map you're on too. Random map, um.

However, there is a good vid about building a small base from scratch by Vedui (I think I spelled it right).

Flagstone/wood, easy to do on day 1. Upgradeable easily enough.

Most POI homes are much larger, so defences require more mats.

Something smaller gives you a good starting point, AND you get to pick where it is.

So many ways to play... :)

 
It seems that a few folks are recommending taking an existing house and surrounding it with spikes (a few layers deep). Is that fairly easy to do during the first day (with just stone equipment)?
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in MP this isn't a good idea, the bedroll works only when the player is online, so if another walk near your base sleepers can spawn

in a day(120 min) you can gather enough wood, clay and stone to build a decent base (flagstone and log spike)

 
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