Zombie Mode

[OmegaDestroyer]

I know it's only been available for 3 hours or so, but for those of you who have tried it, how are you liking Zombie mode? I'm pleasantly surprised at what a consistent threat zombies are. With each killed zombie raising the global zombie states by +1, they ramp up at a steady pace. I'm finding in the classical era, they are a major concern, currently sitting around 42 strength on Epic.

 

[Blaskowitz01]

I find the Zombie mode to be strangely fascinating.

 

[Nerevatar]

Very much to my surprise I find it enjoyable. After having watched the stream I had to make a mod that reduces zombie strength against AI, otherwise they will be wiped out as we saw in the video. If anyone is interested you can find it here: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2435653089

Without that mod I don't think I would really play with the mode, since I prefer the AIs to not be destroyed in the medieval era. Seeing 3-4 cities wiped out in the stream made that much clear.

 

[Rotomagus]

the Zombs seem pretty weak ...

 

[lordhaw]

I honestly didn't think I'd like it, but the zombies aren't that bad to be honest. I assumed this would either be a try it out and never use again mode or an every now and again mode. But I actually like having them around. Now I haven't played a full game with them because Mapuche just wiped me out (bad start) but I like the constant threat. Now I probably won't play every game with them but I am surprised I like the mode and will likely use them more than I thought. But from what @Nerevatar stated earlier I obviously have not seen the full threat they can pose.

 

[Zyxpsilon]

So far -- So good!
I might even pickup Nere's latest mod to further exercise personal twists once i've controlled the basics "default" systems to satisfying gameplay conditions.
The trick here is to adjust certain situations based on more rational but personal limits (similar to what i could do with Barbarians flowing into CS too fast), AFAIC.

 

[Yig]

Perhaps its a bug or the devs got it wrong in the stream but iv had instances where zombies choose to attack my city rather than an adjacent unit instead. Thought I heard them say they will always prioritize units over cities. Kinda makes then much deadlier if they do get to a city.

 

[KyivanRusCivPlease]

If anyone tried already: do Zombies deal full damage to city walls? As seen from the livestream, that's what it looks like.

 

[Tech Osen]

I wonder if this mode is winnable.

 

[Pietato]

Huge maps with lots of civs are going to get annihilated.

 

[nauberry]

Has anyone tried combining the mode with a huge map and dramatic ages? The free cities pump out units so often, that it would lead to even larger hordes I assume. Gotta try this out after first testing out Portugal!

 

[OmegaDestroyer]

Has anyone tried combining the mode with a huge map and dramatic ages? The free cities pump out units so often, that it would lead to even larger hordes I assume. Gotta try this out after first testing out Portugal!

I'm running my Portugal game with those parameters. The AI started out strong but is in rough shape now. The zombies cannot finish off capitals but seige them, preventing the AI from launching much of a counter-attack. Germany and Japan are a in a permanent decline. England was doing well but was ultimately eliminated due to loyalty drops. The other civs are hanging on. I'm doing the best due to defenses and units, but a lack of niter has been a big problem, forcing me to settle far away on tundra to get some.

 

[walkerjks]

I wonder if this mode is winnable.

Islands... small continents, archipelago, whatever gets you to fully controllable landmasses. It's definitely interesting.

 

[brewgod]

Hello Fellow Civ 6 fans...

First game I was playing Archipelago on Settler level just to try out Portugal and the Zombies were spawning like crazy where I had barbarians and zombies surrounding my capitol non stop. Once a zombie was killed they come back the next turn. If it takes 4-6 turns to get an archer how can you get rid of the zombies. They don't have a camp or specific home base? Just from the rough first start I see players will need to have about 8 military units ready to attack and defend your cities. I know you can also opt to have them under your control if needed but that takes time too in turns.

I play on King and moving up to the next level but when a new drop of the NFP comes out I play on Settler just to see how the new dynamics and changes work. Found first 120 turns of my first Portugal game intense.

Brew God

 

[lordhaw]

There's a barb camp up in the snow north of me in my current game that is producing an insane number of barbs (I'm using barbarian mode) but that area is also producing an insane number of zombies. One thing I don't like about the zombies is that they are treated like barbs so real barbs won't attack the zombies when they frigging well should be...unless their shamans are summoning the zombies

But I'm now in the classical age in this game and they are starting to ramp up dramatically. Walls and archers are my friends, lots of archers with some horsemen and foot soldiers to back them up. But my military at this stage in the game is far larger than usual due to the zombies that's for sure.

I've been using dramatic ages a lot but I am really afraid that dramatic ages and zombie mode are not a good combo so not using it in this game.

 

[Tech Osen]

...unless their shamans are summoning the zombies

Barbarian camps generate zombies as well.

 

[Roblord]

I played on a Huge continents map as Babylon on King level and chose civs I thought would have the best chance of fighting off the hoard (strong defensively, good early unique units, etc.) and the AI civs got demolished. Almost all of them down to 1-3 cities with no military to speak of after only one or two eras. The zombies razing cities really hampers them. Now...on higher levels, the ai may do better as it starts with more cities and units and the city states start with walls if I remember correctly. That said, I'm actually enjoying the mode, but there was zero chance I would lose the game coming out of the Classical era.

 

[lordhaw]

Barbarian camps generate zombies as well.

Which is weird unless as I said the barbarian shamans are summoning or controlling them. Which I guess is possible if you can do basically a turn undead or a dark ritual to control them.

 

[HaloCapella]

Heathen Conversion does work on zombies too. They won't have limited turns anymore and cannot release them since they're permanently yours.

 

[Tech Osen]

Heathen Conversion does work on zombies too. They won't have limited turns anymore and cannot release them since they're permanently yours.

But will those controlled zombies also keep increasing in power with every killed zombie?