u/Carldwen20

So I’ve started a new 7d2d game and decided to go brutal with The Wastelands overhaul as well as walkersim for some massive hoard action. I’ll also be incrementally increasing the max spawn count and shortening the blood moon as I go on to keep things entertaining. But in the interests of the learning experience I thought I’d start a comms thread with logs of encounters along with questions about upgrades to defences. Essentially like a comms log between shelters.

Entry 1: It’s day 1 of the apocalypse. I appeared in naught but my boxers in a field. Upon crafting some bush pants I ventured to a local town, infested with zombies. After some prowling around I located an abandoned church with stone walled courtyard, this will do while I get a starting position. Over the next few days I’ve advanced to plastic pistol level although cannot afford to fire weapons. There are 3 zombie bears prowling around. I scraped together enough metal for a wrench and have successfully set up an electric trip wire to slow incoming walkers.

Day 5: a wandering hoard walked past the base, initially it was fine until a local gang who happened to be next door appeared and starting shooting. This attracted all 3 bears, I faint creepy wolf and what looked like a giant mole. The electric fence did its job and gave me the space to kill them however bears are brutal. The church isn’t a safe place.

I’ve scouted the area and selected a flat location between 3 cities, approximately 500m from each. I spent day 6 digging out a ramp tunnel down and lining it with wood. Going down 12m zombies now are only approaching down the entrance. I reused the electrics to set up a 3 wire fence to protect the entrance while I mine. I’m inside if fighting uphill is a good idea at present but for now it’s the safest option given hoard high is set to day 10 initially. There is ample fuel, food and as of now I can start to make concrete. With no firearms we will only have the fence when the hoard hits at this rate.

So ive been playing 7D2D for about 3 weeks, on day 70 on first attempt. I decided to go for a random map 8kkm across so it would be a exploration. First few nights were in buildings, baracading and staying quiet to avoid zombies, Slowly I grew in confidence and come Hoard Night my temp building was swiss chees but I made it!

Over the course of the next 20 or so days I advanced and scavanged, eventually building my own bunker base after working out the mechanics of how the zombies AI works. 3 block thick Concrete walls in a cylinder around me, 1 entrance in, was a slaughter every hoard night. So to keep the difficulty up I increased the frequence of the hoards to every 3 days. Still grand, in fact I was now getting all the magazines I needed and even recouping ammo! So I started increasing the spawn limit on zombies, initially at 8, then 10, 16, now at 24. Even at 24 limit It was fairly straight forward as by this point I was using AP rounds and could drop a line of zombies with 1 desert eagle round!

So im browsing here and find a post about a mod, WalkerSim2. Simulated a continual hoard. I read this and immediatly thought of the whisperers in The Walking Dead leading massive hoards, so obviously decided, screw it, gonna put that on and see how I get on!

So I installed it, opened my save and immediatly there are 20 zombies on my front lawn. Shotfun in hand I mow the grass. I then open console to take a look at this new mod as per instructions. the MAP looks like its bleeding!

For those that dont know, the mod simulates zombies as red dots and when they are within range they are spawned, simulating passive hords attracted by sound and alike. Well a shotgun is clearly loud as Ive got some 300+ red dots maybe 30 seconds out from my spawning circle.

Now, Im a cautious guy, I dont just have a single defencive line, ive got 2. Ive got ammo crates at each too for restocking. There is a perimiter electric fence the give me a warning and then the traps get thick as they come inside. Well, I run back tot he main base and swap to some big boy ammo, AP shotgun rounds and head to the main gate and go through about 200 rounds holding this massive wave on my door. Loot bags are like a carpet, the day goes on, its about 1600 hours now, and finally the wave has cleared and there are no more enemy within about 1km. I look at this mountain of loot and think "goodie", glance up a little more and "shit" the day number is red... its a blood moon in 6 hours, which equates to a little over 10 minutes.

Thankfully the outer wall was undamaged for the most part, traps were shot so I rush inside to grab parts and start nail gunning and duct taping the trap tunnel together, the sky turns red and it starts, I have just enough time to empy my inventory and fill it with M60 Ammo. I can tell this is not going to be a cake walk so the Big Gun is coming out. 1200 AP rounds on the M60. I head to the front rampart and look out just as it starts... At first I thought the grass had a wind animation.... it wasnt the grass... I opened the map and holy hell, 24 was not the limit, they were cueing up to spawn like it was a free giveaway at a sports car dealership.

2 hours in and abotu 400 bullets, they are being held, the gun is smoking but im holding them at the main gate, didnt realise that the little buggers were soming in so fast they climbed up a 3 block high wall by standing on each other and were flowing like water ofer the eastern wall. I find this out when my armour goes ding as it defelcets to see a blue walker in my face! I may have over reacted and emptied half the clip into them but looking forward saw a flood of undead pouring over the walls.... The outer courtyard is lost, I cant hodl them from 2 sides so fall back into the inner chamber. 5 blocks thick concrete, a 3x3 tunnel fulled with electric fencing angled to catch anythign jumping. Demolishers are leading the charge! thankfully none exploded as no turrets were up to shoot them. I hear the outer gate disengage as the electric fence on the outer well gives way, the inner corrided is solid zombie, even with AP rounds and the perks the bullets arnt making it to the far end. The Molotoves get taken out and the hall turns into a fire den as a Perimiter Burn is activated.

By the time 4am arrives there are over 150 loot bags on the floor, i dont know their drop rate but I know for the first time im down to double digits of all ammo. I went through 25 repair kits, 3000 fuel in the generators and all but 1 line of fencing is out of commision. It could have easily been the final episode of a season of the walking dead...

As for the loot... more or less got all the ammo back, a ton of magazines and plenty of food, although my iron supply is shot, im low on parts for repairs and upon inspection have a few tunnels in the outer wall were they burrowed through 3 blocks of concrete.

Plus side, not a single red dot anywhere near me! This mod should be part of the base game, it was traumatic as hell but made it a proper survival experience!