Return of the climbing zombies

[Plaster Mind]

I somehow miss the old spiders that could climb and I would like this feature to return in some way or another.

So far my draft for the idea is:

A) If implemented, also make the zombies climbing ability possible to configure in server settings, similar to running speeds, so those who do not enjoy it can turn it off.

- Make it also possible to enable all zombies to climb always, for a different sort of game experience for those who would prefer it.

B) By standard ruleset, limit the climbing ability only to feral non-overweight zombies with no limb damage

- This would make climbing zombies an increasing, but not overpowering end-game challenge (when ferals start appearing reguraly)

- This would bring more challenge (and IMO fun) especially on later blood moon scenarios.

- Climbing zombies could possibly allow them to circumvent some cheese strategies based on abusing pathfinding logic.

- IMO Zombies shouldn't be able to attack walls while climbing. If they can find a platform to stand on (eg. boarded up window with an available ledge) they can then start chewing on the wall

C) Zombies are not excellent climbers

- The intention is NOT to make them run up the wall on steroids

- Crawling animation & speed could be used

- Zombies could have a random chance to fumble and fall on their own

- Any stagger / stun damage would make them fall

PS:

I really like the image of myself standing atop a tower, clobbering zombies crawling up with a baseball bat.

 

[n2n1]

Yes, it was a good feature.

 

[Liesel Weppen]

The climbing was afaik removed for the spider Zs, because it caused a lot of trouble with the pathing. So it was removed and they have been made jumping.

It was also very easily handled by any overhanging block on every wall. They could only climb straight up, but not on "ceilings".

Zombies can not climb, but if they group in one position, they can pile up each other. So on a bloodmoon with lots of Zs a wall 4 blocks high ist NOT safe just because of it's height. Similar to former climbing spiders, this can also be easily prevented by overhanging blocks.

Imho, a spezial kind of Z that can climb (even over ceilings, so REALLY climbing like a spider) would be a nice idea, but every zombie being able to climb imho is anti-immersive. But as said initially, implement pathing for a zombie that can walk on walls and ceilings obviously is hard to do.

 

[Plaster Mind]

Not so well versed on the technical side of pathfinding, but I do remember adding the anti-spider overhang on the bases.

I've had the zombie pile happen a few times for me and it was fun. But I've noticed that basically any Blood Moon can be survived by just climbing on top of any 2 storey building and removing ladders / otherwise breaking pathfinding to the top. Few vultures that might spawn there are a non-issue. It would be nice to have at least some zombies that would be able to get up there.

Another solution completely unrelated to climbing that could work, would be to improve the AI logic so that the zombies would be better at destroying the supporting structures of buildings they cannot reach. (If they cannot find a path to a point,m they could deduce the support point for that point and attack it) That way a Bloodmoon horde, especially together with suicide bombers would have a more realistic chance of bringing down medium buildings, instead of just swarming into a pile in the middle of the room underneath you.