User:Acoustic Pie/Tips

Well here are my tips for a Pro-survivor! New or Old these tips should help you, however it is designed for players who have been playing for a few months that have got the grasps of the basics. Sorry that it's rather long, but it is worth the read,. If you want to know more on the 'basic guide to surviving' then go here. Still, these tips/guide should help you survive in extreme conditions and not-so extreme conditions (bearing in mind that this is done at the time of 'the dead's rampage' so although this may seem a little extreme, I've tried to make sure it's best in all cases):

Before you start (communication)

Right, so you've been around for a while, you know the ropes, so you'll know not to do the stupid things in the world. But from what I've learnt, speaking crap in game will get you killed. So if you're a survivor, be polite, don't go round shooting people for fun then running away. It's much easier to be courtious than to be a jackass. So make sure your profile isn't something which is offensive to people, nor your name. Ask for a heal if you need it and there are enough survivors present to give you one and you should get it no problem. Don't spam up the radio and don't go outside to taunt zombies, as remember they're players too and if/when they break in, they will kill you for pissing them off. This guide is designed to keep you alive and rule number 1 starts with an attitude adjustment before you even log on! So please, now feel free to read on...

The Basic Moves

Sleeping

Quite probably the biggest part of Urban Dead, so you're going to want to make sure you survive the night! Here are simple but effective guidelines for choosing a good place to sleep:

1. Before going somewhere plan your route and plan your end destination!
2. Check the wiki suburb news and suburb map! It may have something on the suburb page which shows you how many zedz are in the area.
3. Safe enough? Then get provisions. You need at least 3 FAKs. 3 is the bear minimum because you need 1 for healing an infection and 1 for healing again, if you don't have first aid then the third is for healing yourself again, if you do then it's incase you get infected again.
4. Once you are in the area do not go and sleep in a TRP, because you checked the wiki before you should know where the TRPs are. Go non-descript and away from TRPs. Do not choose churches. The best ones are buildings surrouded by a fair few other buildings so you can move away quickly.
5. But everything is ruined! Simple, sleep in a ruined building and don't close the doors. Unless you have enough AP to move to a 'safe' suburb then disguse is your best defence. Sleeping rough may be risky but it's worth it.
6. AH, there's a zombie inside! Don't worry, first of all do not DNA scan them as they will probably have a scent skill allowing them to trace you. Your best bet is to either find a building close by or sleep with the enemy. If there are more than one zombie and/or you are below 80% health then move on out of there and find somewhere else.
7. Under no circumstances sleep outside any buildings, ever. You will most likely be killed otherwise. If you are stranded outside a building which is HB+ then check the suburb on the wiki and see the local barricade plan. Hopefully it should give you an idea of where to go. This is the time where you should search for churches to enter as they will most likely be VSB (TRPs such as Police stations are most likely EHB given the current situations).
8. Finally, stay out of Forts! They may seem big and bad, but trust me, too much Pking goes on there and your screen will be spammed to death by Trenchcoaters. Overall it's not good and you don't want it to happen to you, so stay out. Forts are also huge targets for zombies, so if you find yourself near one and with little AP, don't risk it, go back on yourself as at least you'll have seen where may be safer.

If you're in a safer suburb and you stay in a non-descript building, put the 'cades up to EHB, find a building with no more than 4 people inside to spend the night (based on a moderate danger level). And if a suburb is dangerous and an attack is imminent, then move on out of there.

Fighting

No matter what, in this game at some point you will be forced to fight. It could be a zombie, it could be another human, here I'll go into the basic rules of what you should do, check the tactics bit in the advanced section for more detailed fighting tips. Combat reviving is also in the tactics section.

1. Have enough AP! Do not leave it to chance. If you don't know about how powerful you are, then use the Combat Calculator to see which weapon is most effective, on paper.
2. Choose enough weapons! Malls are best for finding ammo and guns, but are big targets. So if possible use a mall to stock up (if available) and then move on out of the mall to sleep (see sleeping section for more information). If not mall is available, use a police station to find ammo.
3. Always have a back-up. Whether it's zombie or human you're fighting have a second weapon. Once again, use the combat calculator to find out which is best in your circumstance
4. Dump the body! If you're by yourself and run out of AP, and leave the body, it will stand up and most likely kill you out of revenge. So dump it outside.
5. Once you have won your fight find somewhere else to hide. If it is in a heavily guarded building (15 plus people minimum) then stay, but any less and you're probably best off moving on.
6. Don't be a 'hero'. If you are by yourself do not go into a zombie filled room go 'Yippee Kai Yay Mutha Fuckas' and let it rip. As you will be labelled as a trenchie and killed forever more. If you find yourself out numbered in a zombie infested building with others in there then heal yourself and move on out.
7. But my group is in there too! Check the groups section for this bit.

These are the basic fighting guidelines to keep you alive during/after you have fought an opponent. Remember, if you've killed a Pker, some people dont' know, so state why you killed them and provide evidence to their crimes if possible. It'll save you being killed later on.

Groups

As you may have seen from the stats page, there are plenty of groups in Malton. If you're thinking of strating a group of your own then don't expect it to go up instantly, pro-survivor groups usually take a lot of time to get together. Hence why the main groups in Malton at the moment are zombie ones. Still, some people prefer not to be in a group, however for those that do here's the guidelines for a good group to be in.

1. Members, how many does it have? If it has more than 10, then good, it's becoming to be an estalished group. Once you know, add them to your contacts profile (elaborated later on)
2. Where? Where is the group based. This is an interesting part because some people prefer to be in a nomadic group (one that travels) while others prefer to be in a smaller one looking after a few buildings for example. For the best chances of survival you want to be in a group that moves about a bit. This means that you can easily move out of an infested suburb without worrying about taking back a building.
3. But I want to be in a smaller group! Fine, no problem there. Yes there is a higher chance of you dying but if you want small then follow the same principles as above.
4. What about groups who have a safehouse? Okay, lets take The Elson Building Caretakers as an example. With about 9 members they have looked after the phone mast for the last 2 and a half years. As a rule, groups of this kind are easy targets, but there are ways to survive while you're in them
   1. Communicate. Get a forum sorted so you can easily talk without wasting AP
   2. Change your supplies. Get more FAKs, as you will need them.
   3. Have more than one fall back point. This is beause if it's found then you'll need to move, fast. So have an escape planned at all times. These are basic rules for a small group.
5. Carry at least 6 FAKs and 3 syringes. You may need them for healing friends, also if you have 3 syringes, you can revive them if/when they die. Also, because you have added your group to your contacts then they should show up easily in a pile of zombies so you can syringe them without wasting AP trying to find them. Obviously you may not have a fall back point, but check out the wiki (which you should do before you go anywhere) and find a suitable building.
6. Oh no my 'safe'house has been breached! Right, first of all think back to the fighting part of this guide. If you are heavily outnumbered then heal some of friends who look infected (leave at least 1 FAK for yourself). Then move back to a fall back point. DO NOT heal yourself while you're in the building if you have 1 FAK because if you get infected and you have no FAKs then you may not make it to the hospital.

Equipment

The last few sections will determine what equipment you carry with you, but if you want to see what you could have then use the Encumbrance Calculator. I'll go into more advanced equipment parts in the advanced section, but here are the basics:

1. FAKs - already mentioned, carry 3 at all times
2. Weapons - always always always have your weapons fully loaded. Make sure you carry at least 4clips and 4shells so you have some back-up if you need it
3. Back-up. As stated before make sure you have a back-up. For the unskilled, a knife is best, but for those who are skilled, then the fire axe is a much better choice. However I suggest you carry a knife too because if someone has 1HP you have 1AP a knife is a much better choice.
4. Syringes - Depending on what you choose to do determines how many syringes you should have. However in all cases you should carry 1 syringe and 1 DNA extractor with you.
5. Communications - Carry at least 1 handheld radio with you. If you are a nomadic survivor this is key. Have it tuned to the external military frequency (25.96) normally, but if you're in a suburb with a mall frequency, change it to that. Once you're moving out then change it back to the external military report. If possible, take two, one for the suburb's mall status (as most people will use it) and one for the external military.
6. Defence. A Flak jacket is a must have. Some zombies give up because you have it and some Pkers might not finish you off if you've got one on. Overall it increases your life expectancy, a lot.
7. Sight, Binoculars. If you sleep in a ruined building, use them to see what's next door to you and what's around you. these are invaluable and will serve you well.
8. Where am I? A GPS unit is vital to find out where you are. It also means you can see where you are in relation to things said on the radio.

Advanced Moves

These are the more advanced moves for those who have a better understanding of the game and game mechanics. They are not written in Bullet points so require a bit of reading. However I deem them well worth it.

Sleeping

So you know the basics. Right, quite simply this action takes up the majority of the day, recharging the AP. So you're going to want to be safe. As instructed before, go non-descript but bear in mind a few things. Mainly the types of buildings. Any hardened survivor knows what's safe and what isn't, but you can also break it down a step further. When going non-descript think of a few things. Junkyards, they are un-ruinable, some say this is an advantage, however I have learnt now that it's not. Newbie zedz will look inside to see what's going on and if you didn't 'cade then you're free lunch to someone who notices a non-ruined square. Churches, no doors, ideal. WRONG, churches are assosiated with death, hence they are usually next to cemeteries, and if you're in a suburb full of ruins and you come across a church it may well be empty inside, but if you have 20 odd zedz with full AP bored waiting for a revive, they will act as zedz and hunt you down, and what better place than next door? The only, the only time churches are useful is if you need a FAK because they can be found inside there. Even then the search rates aren't great but you're less likely to be attacked looking there than in somewhere such as a hospital. This may sound odd, but look at the names of the buildings. People will more than likely go to a hotel than a motel, so go in motels! Psychology can be applied here to figure out the best places to sleep. If you're in a set of buildings and see a railway station, go into the railway station. They are seen as useless mainly and lets face it, a building is a bit more descript than a railway station. However because buildings are more common, more people stay inside them. Finally, when you're inside, log in a while afterwards to see how you are, see what's going on, if the doors are closed then unfortunatley you can't open them so you can either wait and hope a zed with MoL doesn't come inside or you can move on. If you're central in a suburb and the doors are closed, then move on, however if you're near a border surrounded by a few buildings, stay where you are as you'll be safer. As a rule if you are near a border not surrounded by building on at least 3 sides then do not stay in it. If you have to, then leave the doors open and make sure your building is ruined. Simple as.

Dark Buildings

Possibly one of the greatest advantages which Kevan has given people in the game. Dark buildings include; Banks, Clubs and Cinemas and should be treated as extremely good places to stay, regardless of whether or not they are in a zombie infested suburb or not. Personally I choose Cinemas over other buildings, simply because they aren't as obvious and do not stick out very much. One good thing with these buildings is the ability to make a very good fort. If you are down on your luck and are in the worst possible situation, search out a cinema, make sure it is dark and leave the doors open. If you're in a suburb which has a small to moderate infestation, then keep the doors shut.

The reason these dark buildings are very useful, is the fact that the attack %s are halved whenever you go inside, thus making you a lot safer from zombies and from Pkers alike. This is not to say that these buildings are truly the best though! As the fact is that you may still be found in them regardless of how well you hide.

So now you know the more advanced tactics/places for sleeping. This way you should stay safe. But remember the basics! Hopefully this way you should stay alive.

Tactics/Fighting

Here I will touch upon things such as combat revives and other fighting tactics to keep you alive. Same as sleeping it will be written normally.

Right, first of all your weapon choices. Quite frankly, although the combat calculator says shotguns are the best, for sheer weight and practicality, pistols are better. Your choices as what you do (group or not) will determine your weapons. But for the best results carry 4 pistols 2 clips and 2 fully loaded shotguns with 2 shells. This is good for fighting as you won't need that much ammo if you are nomadic. This is because you shouldn't actively fight a zombie or a person unless it is for a specific reason, you should use your weapons accordingly. However the best way is to use the pistols first, then if you're struggling, use a shotgun to get their health down some more. If you want a quick kill use all the shotguns towards the end, this way you should be able to wipe them out fast. As stated in the basics, carry a back-up. Now I only stated a fire axe and knife, however there is a reason for that 1 syringe. That is a combat revive. This is a real last ditch attempt. If you have run out of ammo and don't have enough AP to kill the zed with your back-up weapons then have 11AP for this. 10 to syinge and 1 to dump. Then once you get the chance move on out of the area. If it is a career zed then it is doubtful they will have got free running so you should be safe if you're in a well 'caded building. However I strongly advise against this tactic because it means the zed can get body building, a flak jacket and give the other zedz some free food to get more XP on.

Overall you need to know the basics and must respect the idea that you may not kill your target, in which case plan an escape. If it's a zombie then move away, log back in later and move on again. Hopefully by this time the scent you left will have been picked up by the zombie, but because you have moved it won't say it. So be careful. If you're fighting in a group then make sure you have more ammo and more FAKs because you may need them to protect your friends.

General tactics will change depending on who you are, but normally you should adapt to your situation. This is the greatest tactic of all, hopefully some of the last guide sections whould help you in what to do but one thing I haven't mentioned is what to do in a suburb over-running situation. In this case go back on the horde. Find out where they have just been as chances are they're leaving for your suburb. It's like jumping over a vehicle. As you jump higher than the car it passes under you and you get past the car. If you veiw the car as the horde you should miss it. But only stay in the suburb overnight then move on to where the horde had been before that. Although it may sound strange, do not go to a safe suburb, as this is where the horde will most likely strike next and you will die. Also, it's not necessarily a tactic, but look at the wiki, research your target's moves and see what they do. If you can pre-empt the move then lucky you, but otherwise just have an awareness of what will happen and roughly where they may go next.

Equipment

As before, depending on what you do, depends on what equipment you have. However if you are in a recently reclaimed suburb then my suggestion is you take 2 syringes extra and a fuel can. In most cases generators are easier to find than fuel, and fuel takes less % encumbrance. There isn't much else to add here other than if you're in a group, carry more ammo, FAKs and Syringes, if you are nomadic don't carry as much ammo and syringes as those in groups, but take more FAKs, as your main concern is you. No-one else. Also if you are in a group, carry round a spray can, it'll be useful in advertising your group. But don't spray where you're going. Common sense will be your friend so embrace it!

If you are in a group and are retaking a suburb, then take a toolbox with you. You'll have to change your inventory accordingly, but it's because you have to. If you're nomadic then it's less likely you'll need one, so can stock up on more supplies.

What do I do if I'm a Zombie?

This is a common one because lets face it, no-one lives forever. In this case use the wiki, find a good active suburb to go to. If there are none nearby then go to a revive point and see if you can request a revive from a local group. If you're patient enough then this should work. Also if you took a radio and had it to a local frequency then there may be a message about revives, so keep an eye out on the broadcasts. If you get tired of waiting, then see if you can travel to a more active suburb. Bear in mind that if your suburb was crushed then it is doubtful you'll get a revive there because everyone is dead and won't be able to revive you and about 200 survivors will be waiting at RPs just like you. If you don't know where a local RP is, then go to a cemetery. Most people follow the Sacred Ground Policy, so you have a better chance of getting a revive.

Also, if you have full XP don't waste it, level up (unless you needmore survivor skills, in which case wait until you're revived and then get them) and follow the guidelines above and if you have spare AP check out any buildings you may want to stay in once revived to see if they're infested or not. If you are dead, or alive for that matter, look out for feeding groans! They will tell you where survivors are being eaten and where you should avoid.

The End/Disclaimer

Right, well these were my tips, I hope they have helped, sorry it's so lengthy but you deserve to have some tips on what to do! Hopefully these tips will have let you survive as long as possible, however because of the nature of the game, at some point you will die. Don't blame the guide if you do, because at the end of the day, it's a set of tips/a guide and not to be taken exactly down to the letter. But the idea is to adapt, if you have a better idea then please tell me and I'll add it with a mention to your name, or make a guide yourself. Still, If you have died then I suggest you follow the tips above this.

Also, something that I have picked up while I've been in UD is courtesy. If you heal someone who is injured then they may pay it forward. Likewise with revives, however if you are a nomadic survivor by yourself then don't worry about this, survivors will generally heal you if you're injured. If you're in a group then this will help your group's image, just make sure you're not healing a Pker!

If you have any questions then please ask me and I'll answer them, if you want to find more guides on pro-survivor then look

XP/Levelling

The reason I haven't included much (if anything) about this, is because this is designed for a player who has been playing for a while so knows the ropes and thus will most likely know what to buy (if they need to buy anything that is). However in all cases buy Body Building. The extra 10HP may become invaluable to you as it's 2 more shotgun blasts (with a flak jacket and you only being hit with shotguns) and a fair few more zombie claw attacks. Overall it's very useful, so I suggets you get it. If you haven't already got it free running is a must, it should be one of your first skills you get. But bear in mind that you don't free run off ruined buildings it's pointless, a waste of AP and you don't get inside the other ruined building.

Summary

SO, here's a quick re-cap

1. Know where you're going
2. Choose the right Building
3. Use the wiki
4. Have the right equipment
5. Know your group
6. Common sense!
7. Use these tips/guide to your advantage.
8. Know your foe.

Thanks for reading and I hope this helped you!