Zombie Mode

[Lord Lakely]

The most notable thing about Zombie mode (imo) is that the AI looooves building barricades and traps. The Zombies themselves are *never* dangerous though (which is why I am never building traps and barricades), but I do appreciate that it makes late-game wars more challenging.

Removing them afterwards for *actually useful yields* is a small pain though.

 

[Tech Osen]

I think the zombie mode may be worse for low levels.

The AI civs not getting bonus damage at lower levels could indeed be an issue.

 

[Tigranes]

I was meaning to ask people here -- what is the typical mutation strength of zombies in your game, say by the time you enter industrial age? Mine was +37, meaning 20+37=57 strength zombies roaming around.

 

[Socrates99]

I killed a zombie with another zombie I owned (I had the twins, now they are deceased ). Next turn a new zombie spammed in the same place. Then I used my other zombies to soften up the new one, and I finished it with an archer. I had a settler next to a zombie, and he wasn't attacked. I have to watch out if this happens always. Zombies seems to let civilian units alone. Potato noticed that with builders.

I think the zombie mode may be worse for low levels. I'm playing a deity game. This means all city states have walls, and the AI techs faster and gets better units. Even so, at the beginning of the classical age, one AI has its capital overwhelmed by zombies. This AI is the only one that has the same number of techs than me. I may take its capital, no walls can survive that non-stop attack.

It has to be worse on lower levels. I've been reading this thread thinking a lot of the "AI can't handle it" complaints was just more hyperbolic "AI is terrible" stuff. They're thriving and even expanding to islands in my game. Zombies pop up but if you have walls and a couple units near their spawn area they're easily stamped out. The AI obsession with encampments has actually been a boon to them here. I've found myself building more than I normally would in a peaceful game.

 

[lordhaw]

If you mean attack the player make sure they can see you and they will. Lots of us are playing Portugal at the same time and that +1 sight is one-way, so its easy to spot idle zombies from afar. Maybe they should roam, or get +1 sight at a certain point in the game.

They might ignore civilian units entirely, not sure about builders and settlers but Archaeologists definitely so.

They don't attack free cities or their units and they might not attack a nascent City State in barb clans mode, at least not right away.

I don't like the fact they don't attack free cities or their units. They should. In my last game though they attacked city states relentlessly right from the get go. And they always seem to ignore civilian units except traders. And if you have defending units near a city, the zombie will prioritize attacking the city or encampment over the unit or so it seems.

 

[MisterBoomBoom]

Playing a crazy good marathon game right now in apocalypse mode and zombie mode with wildlife thrown in. Soothsayers' sacrifice challenge brought back units as zombies. LOL. weird fun and a real challenge!

 

[blackbutterfly]

I had a settler next to a zombie, and he wasn't attacked. I have to watch out if this happens always. Zombies seems to let civilian units alone. Potato noticed that with builders.

Is this a bug?

Why don't zombies crave workers and settlers brain? Just military units?

Still regular barbs will go for your workers and settlers. (But if playing Barb Mode as well, ransom makes sense cos sometimes you can't get through the swarm of zombies).

Also does anyone know the mechanics of zombie spawn? On some maps they don't seem to be much of a problem. On others they are. IDK

 

[Tigranes]

...And then there were none... Turn 255, right before Portugal's Culture victory against 13 civ who could not expand because of relentless zombies. 1300+ zombies on Prince. Color me annoyed.

 

[Duke William of Normandy]

Ok, so, this is very cool....extracting an artifact has a chance to spawn a zombie! It's happened twice now out of 3 digs. they don't go for my archaeologist though.

Sorry if this was in the patch notes or posted earlier just I did not expect it and I was very impressed.

Tomb Kings, Warhammer 2. Settra the Unperishable.

 

[IsabelBraganca]

<Row>
   <ModifierId>TOWERDEFENSE_ZOMBIE_COMBAT_STRENGTH_FROM_PROPERTY</ModifierId>
   <Name>Scalar</Name>
   <Value>.5</Value>
</Row>

Reading this thread, on lower levels zombies seems to be worse. The parameter TOWERDEFENSE_ZOMBIE_COMBAT_STRENGTH_FROM_PROPERTY might change how zombies mutates based on the number of kills. If that is the case, maybe a mod that makes this parameter equals to 0.075 * level.

On Settler (1), it would be 0.075.
On Prince (4), it would be 0.3.
On Immortal (7), it would be 0.525.
On Deity (8), it would be 0.6.

On Immortal the strength of the zombies would be slight higher, and on any level below immortal lower than it is now.

 

[inquisitive_otter]

I created a test map in order to test some zombie mechanics. Everything was on deity, standard speed and I don't know if these scale. People have also already said some of these, so sorry for repeating information.

• Zombies get +1 mutation strength for every 4 deaths. So everyone in the game would have to kill a total of 440 zombies in order to get them to be as strong as a GDR.
  
• Zombies only attack or move towards things in their line of sight. They'll prioritize attacking adjacent units rather then moving a tile to attack a different one. Otherwise they appear to stand relatively still.
• Zombies don't attack any civilian units. I was able to surround my capital with settlers and workers and they couldn't attack it.
• Zombies created by Hunahpu & Xbalanque count towards the total zombie death count, since you need to kill the unit prior to taking it over.

I'm still curious if you can create zombie corps and armies. I'll be testing that out pretty soon.

 

[Francel]

If your zombie kills a unit, does it spawn a friendly zombie?

Also, I do like the mode but the zombs are far too weak imo. Their strength should go up at least twice as fast. Someone should make a lethal zombies mode.

 

[inquisitive_otter]

If your zombie kills a unit, does it spawn a friendly zombie?

Nope. Would be nice if it did though!

 

[Shadow757]

Nope. Would be nice if it did though!

So I've been running a Necromancer Aztec game on Emperor where I have Vampires and used the Hero twins to get me an army of about 20 zombies and I've learned a few things:

• Zombies killing zombies make more zombies.
• Infinite loop of Zombie killing makes for extremely strong zombies.
• I'm in Renaissance and they all have +52 (currently going up quickly).
• If you're going to try this (because it is fun) make sure you have non-zombies kill zombies because it can get out of hand quickly.
• I'm making full use of barricades and traps.

 

[Francel]

So if I understand correctly, zombies grabbed by heathen conversion don’t keep their mutation strength, but ones grabbed by the hero twins do, and even gain strength over time?

 

[Dedrytus]

Do you have an idea why zombies spawn in some areas? I liberated two enemy cities on my "big" island and after some time I settled on small ice/tundra one, just for resources. This small piece of land was separated by me and ice and I am 100% sure no one fought there. I do understand that liberated citizens and soldiers would like to come back and discuss it, but as I said, small island was very peacful, was even free of barbs. And zombies appear only on this almost useless land.

 

[Shadow757]

So if I understand correctly, zombies grabbed by heathen conversion don’t keep their mutation strength, but ones grabbed by the hero twins do, and even gain strength over time?

That's right. That's the only reason I'm still alive. Though I think they won't take the final city of a civ. I can't even approach China's final city due to the number of zombies around it.

 

[Villager720]

That's right. That's the only reason I'm still alive. Though I think they won't take the final city of a civ. I can't even approach China's final city due to the number of zombies around it.

I actually wish they could destroy final cities - or at least turn them into zombie hotbeds removing the AI from the board. If we're playing up the zombie apocalypse here, having immortal human cities isn't particularly thematic.

 

[Francel]

That's right. That's the only reason I'm still alive. Though I think they won't take the final city of a civ. I can't even approach China's final city due to the number of zombies around it.

Fascinating. Is it possible to put the zombies you resurrected with the twins into a zombie army? And, why do you think your map is overrun with zombies but my maps so far the zombies haven't done much? There's been plenty of conflict.

 

[blackbutterfly]

I'm still curious if you can create zombie corps and armies.

Yes.