Post by Sevyrs on Nov 9, 2017 15:44:10 GMT
Hey guys! I'd like to discuss some of the basics and a few more advanced things involving building structures in the 7 Days to Die world.
As some may have noticed, building can be a pain if you don't know the rules to the structural integrity system. Everything is affected by gravity in this game but that doesn't mean there aren't a few handy tricks that can be used to spice things up a bit.
Structural Integrity:
by this I'm referring to the the blocks ability to adhere to others, the weight it can bear so on, so forth.
All building blocks will have related stats associated with it that can be viewed by selecting the block in the menu or inventory and pressing triangle. In the description you'll see that it has a specific weight or mass, and also how much it can support. I.E. concrete has a mass of 10 but can support up to 120. This means that if you build up (in which weight is not factored in since you can build all the way up regardless of material or weight) it can horizontally support 12 blocks of concrete (meaning it can go out to the side up to 12 blocks).
Knowing what blocks you're using, what it's capable of handling, and how much damage resistance it has is necessary for surviving against an undead horde. Concrete has 3000 hit points and is actually a good block to use but it isn't invincible. I personally like to build underground but if I'm above ground then a minimum of 3 blocks thick concrete wall 4 high with the 4th block having an overhang on the outside to keep spider zombies from crawling up is a must.
As you build your base or if you use an existing structure be aware of the fact that the zombies will be attracted to the weakest point in the outside surface. These points are traditionally doors, windows, building blocks in that order. The method for determining how they attempt to enter an area you are in is largely decided by these three poi's (point of interest). Doors typically are about 2 blocks high and windows only 1 block. Due to this the simplest route to the player, even if heavily fortified, is through the door however if they cannot get to the door then they will try the next best option.
It's important to be wary of how you build your structures as different elements in the game will affect you and your structures differently. A good example is terrain, water presence, temperature, and elevation. If you build above ground but don't want to expend the resources on a fortified wall then building above but off the ground is the next best option. To do this there are several possibilities. The most effective option is to build a structure on "stilts". It's important to be sure that no supports are directly below where you will be during a horde night. Ideally having an area of 9x9 in the center without any supports to destroy is best as it will eliminate any chance for the basic zombies to attack the supports and bring your structure to the ground.
When making the stilts it's best to use the thinnest possible block in order to create a smaller area of damage that is available to the zombies. The bigger the block, the easier to hit. Another option is to build on a thin birch tree. These trees are easily identified by their thin, white and black appearance. If you build at least 4 blocks up with the tree as a base support then you should be able to survive up to 5 hordes before you have to relocate. Remember, a horde comes every 7 days and at night most settings allow the zombies to run so this tactic can be quite handy when just starting out or while out foraging. Setting up several of these ahead of time while looking for loot is always a good idea as trees rarely get damaged by zombies and only a few types even possess the ability to reach you but mostly don't show up until horde night.
more to come in future updates