My simple wood base

In my current game I made a simple but effective type of base that I haven't seen anyone else post about.

Here's a 3d view. Legend:

Orange: Wood blocks,

Green: barbed wire on the floor on top of wood blocks,

Dark blue : Anti-spider lip (goes all around, but I ran out of space in this voxel app),

Black: Threshold that prevents cops from seeing me too early,

White: where I stand during horde night.

At some point you can add a roof with bars for vulture protection.

It's not a maze, doesn't exploit loops or fall damage.. Doesn't use excessive traps or anything really. Just a staircase, some blocks that prevent line of sight so cops don't puke at my base, lots of barbed wire to slow them down, and a single line straight to me so that they are really easy to shoot. I basically just shoot at the same pixel for a few minutes during horde night.

So far this design has withstood many ferals, cops, etc. Repair costs were never more than a handful of wood (mostly from when I miss zombies and hit a block) plus some iron for barbed wire.

People say building is dead etc, zombie block damage is too high. Well this has allowed me to have a big supply and crafting base connected directly to my horde defense base (something I'd never do in A16). You can make the base section as big as you want. Anything more durable than wood is not even necessary; it's so cheap to build that you can have the basic layout done by day 2.

I play on medium difficulty because I don't enjoy bullet sponge zombies, but I think it would still work fine on higher difficulties. You might just need a longer barbed wire section.

I think this works too well. One simple fix to this strategy would be to have some of the horde night zombies just always attack the closest player made blocks.

 

[RipClaw]

Test it and see if that is true. I think you underestimate how strong the horde becomes in later gamestages. They will tear through concrete like it is paper.

 

[Kalarro]

Just because there are ways to cheese the AI doesn't mean it's a waste to do a normal base...

because you build and fortify a 360؛ perimeter.... and only 5% of it gets attacked. So doing paths/mazes is much more efficient. I dont do them, b ut it still sucks that my perimeter is only built bc I like it, not bc it's what is needed.

 

[Jugginator]

Test it and see if that is true. I think you underestimate how strong the horde becomes in later gamestages. They will tear through concrete like it is paper.

But, I'm not standing there staring at them, nor are my walls just concrete. Spikes on the wall = both HP on the wall and DPS to zombies. Spikes layered and stacked = more HP to walls and more DPS to zombies. 1x1 moat with spikes = more DPS to zombies, less time to the walls. By the time they get to the walls, they're dead from combat from me and damage to spikes. I don't underestimate ♥♥♥♥, I play tactically lol. I've had similar bases at later game stages in other games with rad zombies, wights, cops coming at me all night and the base stood. Walls ALONE don't work. Walls + carefully placed traps do...

and Kalaroo, read what you type, that made zero sense. Okay so 5% got attacked (in my case, 40% got attacked...), so how is that not efficient? I replace the spikes in that area and I'm done. The other spikes don't vanish at the end of the night... but yes I would like them to attack the entire base, but it doesn't make it worthless and "building a base is pointless, cheesing is the only way to play the game"

 

[Kalarro]

how is that not efficient?

The new horde AI+block damage encourages exploiting that AI to a single point, so you can fortify 1 point only, instead of 360؛ perimeter. Thats what I mean with 90% of the defenses beeing wasted, bc you can easily just build the 10% they are going to attack instead of surro8unding yourself with 360؛ defenses, which is what would make sense and is cool.

I repeat, I still do perimeter defense fortresses, but it sucks knowing that I could do a defense with 20% of the mats Im using if I focus on the new AI instead of still building like if it would be the old AI.

 

[Junuxx]

I want to need a fortress to survive

I think this hits the nail on its head, for me.

Some will argue that the game isn't forcing you to cheese and exploit, true, but not the point.

Limiting yourself to build a fortress when there is no point to that is a very different experience from *needing* good defenses if you want to stand a chance, and the game punishing you hard if you didn't prepare a solid defense.

 

[stasis78]

My simple wood base...

Destroyed by a17 steel smashing zeds. At least this guy didn’t invest the time into mining for nothing.

 

[Cadamier]

I think knowing that they will move along a player designed gauntlet is no more or less exploitive than knowing they couldn’t squeeze between the gaps between columns in A16. Both are designs that are actively tended by the player.
Faatal has introduced some variation so that all zombies don’t do the same exact thing and he’s working on the looping as well. I’ll be interested to see how your base design works in A17.1

Well, all 'we' hope for is that the zed's aren't as smart as they currently are and at least degrade to what they used to be in 16.4.

 

[Jugginator]

I think this hits the nail on its head, for me.
Some will argue that the game isn't forcing you to cheese and exploit, true, but not the point.

Limiting yourself to build a fortress when there is no point to that is a very different experience from *needing* good defenses if you want to stand a chance, and the game punishing you hard if you didn't prepare a solid defense.

Well, if you can't resist the temptation or thought of exploiting the AI then I can see that. If you see building normally is 'worthless' because the exploit is there, then you mustn't actually enough defending a base lol. The game doesn't force you to exploit the AI, you do. If you don't want to exploit the AI, then don't. You'll have a "need" to build a fort if you stop thinking "There are exploits, so I gotta exploit bruh". Just ignore them. Unless you actually have a desire to have an invincible cheese base, then I guess you'll have to use cheats when they fix it lol.

You'll enjoy the game much more if you stop worrying about exploits and etc.

- - - Updated - - -

Well, all 'we' hope for is that the zed's aren't as smart as they currently are and at least degrade to what they used to be in 16.4.

You mean spin in circles and practice ballerina moves?

 

[RipClaw]

But, I'm not standing there staring at them, nor are my walls just concrete. Spikes on the wall = both HP on the wall and DPS to zombies. Spikes layered and stacked = more HP to walls and more DPS to zombies. 1x1 moat with spikes = more DPS to zombies, less time to the walls. By the time they get to the walls, they're dead from combat from me and damage to spikes. I don't underestimate ♥♥♥♥, I play tactically lol. I've had similar bases at later game stages in other games with rad zombies, wights, cops coming at me all night and the base stood. Walls ALONE don't work. Walls + carefully placed traps do...
and Kalaroo, read what you type, that made zero sense. Okay so 5% got attacked (in my case, 40% got attacked...), so how is that not efficient? I replace the spikes in that area and I'm done. The other spikes don't vanish at the end of the night... but yes I would like them to attack the entire base, but it doesn't make it worthless and "building a base is pointless, cheesing is the only way to play the game"

You said you used the base design before but in the Alpha 17 a lot has changed and you have to take that into consideration. In the past, you could pull the zombies nicely through the spikes, as they came in a straight line. If a path has been cleared of traps then take it now because it is the shortest path away. And if a breakthrough already exists in a wall then this passage is also used.

In addition, there were only 3 radioactive zombie models in the Alpha 16. Now almost every zombie also has a radioactive variant. In another thread, someone has written that 60% of all zombies in a PIO are now radioactive at its high gamestage. A horde of 60% radioactive zombies is something other than just a few radioactive zombies here and there. In addition, the zombies start to destroy the base if they can not reach you. The block damage of the zombies has been increased in Alpha 17 and at the same time the maximum HP of blocks has been reduced. That means that the blocks break quicker than before.

Your whole design is based on the use of firearms but there is the problem that you need ammunition. If you stand there without ammunition you are without further options. And since a max gamestage horde endures the whole night instead of just 2 or 3 hours your consumption on ammunition will increase.

That's why I also advised you to test the design for a max gamestage horde. If you rely on the difficulty increasing straightforward you can experience a nasty surprise. I learned that lesson in Alpha 16.

 

[Jugginator]

By other games I didn't mean Call of Duty or something, I meant 7 days to die on A 17. I literally mod the game to make it harder lol. I've used a bigger, concrete/iron version of that same base, later days, higher gamestage. I noted I had rad zombies coming at me the entire night.

Headshots are your friend, so are modded guns. I never run out of ammo, hell on survivalist it takes just a few headshots with a modded AK on rad cops and they're toast. Just a few more for a wight. I've been around the block lol. So no, I don't need to do your testing -- I've done it already. I used an early example because "no bases can defend against a horde" is thrown around way too much. SHotgun shells, 9 mil, 7.62 are easy to stockpile. Hell steel arrows are good for picking off the normals that show up too, saves on ammo. Molotovs too (at least for the outer walls anyway). Plus, mines on the outside help out, too. Barbed wire, plenty of options. Blade traps, electric fencing.

Alpha 16 you could be on insane difficulty with a 4x4 wooden base and be perfectly safe lol

 

[Ghostlight]

Here's a litmus test to see if you are exploiting the AI in A17....if your A17 base faced a A16.4 horde would it survive? E.g the base in this thread would be flattened by an A16.4 horde.

btw I think we found a design that

a) Does not exploit the AI (other than the fact they head to the player in general)

b) Is a classic fortress

c) Has equal defenses on all sides

d) All of it will be used in defense on horde night, not just 5% where they make a hole

I will try to describe it....

Think of a hollow square pyramid about 10 blocks high. The walls are made of ramps. Now cut the top off so you have a "chimney". Inside the pyramid build a kill cage out of iron bars inside the square hole directly below the chimney (so it meets the edges at the top). The top of the cage is open to the sky. This cage is filled with 4 x 4 blade traps and as many spike traps as you can fit. The players can run around outside the kill cage but within the pyramid's walls (access to this "crawl space" is via an underground tunnel). On horde night the zombies will simply climb the pyramid. They won't attack anything as there is nothing blocking their progress. When they get to the top they will fall down the chimney into the kill cage below. If the traps don't mince them, the players are all shooting into the cage from in there too. Since the players are only 3 to 4 blocks away from the zombies they are shooting at, Shotguns are very effective. Eventually the traps in the very center of the cage will be destroyed because that is where all zombies fall in initially. The zombies will then begin to get nearer the cage bars and players. However the players simply rotate themselves steadily around the cage, thus changing the focus of the zombies attacks and distributing them among all traps on all sides until it's all over. Last horde we lost 8 spike traps and 1 blade traps doing this, and zero damage to the rest of the structure, including the iron bars of the cage. For some reason vultures will never fly into the pyramid, and you will have to go out and clean those up after the main horde is dealt with.

For next horde we are installing 4 auto turrets inside the upper lip of the chimney above the cage. Should be fun.

 

[FileMachete]

Ghostlight, that sounds like a pretty nice design. Doesn't sound like you need them but curious why you didn't go w reinforced concrete poles vs. iron bars?

 

[Ghostlight]

Easier to shoot through? I am not entirely sure what you mean by concrete poles (I am not the group builder, another guy loves doing all that, I just hit boulders).

That said, the corners of the kill cage are Steel columns. I believe this was purely done for supporting the main structure.

 

[Maynard69]

Easier to shoot through? I am not entirely sure what you mean by concrete poles (I am not the group builder, another guy loves doing all that, I just hit boulders).
That said, the corners of the kill cage are Steel columns. I believe this was purely done for supporting the main structure.

So you can still melee.

 

[FileMachete]

The poles are about twice the thickness of the plates, or about an 1/8th or 1/10 of a block? And as Maynard said, you can melee through the poles.

Your builder may have choosen not to use poles since the zeds can smack you through them as well and in A17 I've had a few doggys and an occasional z get pushed or wiggle through poles. That's w the poles horizontal. Don't think they stop z's if placed vertically anymore?

 

[new7daylive]

Test it and see if that is true. I think you underestimate how strong the horde becomes in later gamestages. They will tear through concrete like it is paper.

3 of us on the roof of fire station on day 21.... horde opens with yellow dots... everywhere... yellow dots.... glowsticks came at us in big numbers.... maybe 20?? in first wave and it didnt get much better.

the wall on the end of the building where the fire truck bay would be, was completely gone.... 20% of the wall was gone on garage door side and toilet side. much of the roof was gone... the high roof.

And at 4am, we were still alive with 12 or so glowsticks running around under us. Only had arrows - the regen rate on those things made finishing the job almost impossible. I dont mind spitting or flying zeds, but these aluminum and steel eating machines are not much fun.

Day 28, we made a loop and a lot more ammo... didnt like to do it, but property damage capabilities of the zeds is way over powered.