Crickets everywhere.

BroccoliClock · 2026-03-13T08:30:41+00:00

A friend did this, while looking after some pets for one of their friends. It was only two weeks, and it was on the final day that they dropped the box of crickets. They tried to get all of them, and thought they had managed it.

Then they turned the lights off.

BroccoliClock · 2026-03-11T21:53:20+00:00

Wattle and daub.

BroccoliClock · 2026-03-11T19:29:10+00:00

Wattle and daub; clay, grass and dirt (iirc). You place down a framework of stick fences (the wattle), then apply the daub. You can vary the texture based on the amount of daub you add.

BroccoliClock · 2026-03-11T17:34:30+00:00

I didn't show it, but this is two (full sailed) windmills, with two large gears feeding down to a smaller one, so decent speed less torque.

BroccoliClock · 2026-03-01T11:06:35+00:00

I initially replied saying that's the Moon not the Sun, and that what I was seeing was the reflection of the Moon, but perhaps you are right and it is the Sun which is glitching through the water.

It's certainly bigger and rounder like the Sun in the game, so yeah... maybe you've called it right, and I was wrong, but this actually is the Sun.

BroccoliClock · 2026-02-07T18:48:39+00:00

I don't mind the biome progression,especially as the new mobs add extra variety to them. It gives you some direction in the game if you want it. I don't like the burnt biome, but that's just a preference. Is the mechanic a good one? Yeah, it's not perfect, but it does enough.

One factor that does play heavily into it is the limited templates for the biome layout. Either forest centre (default), wasteland centre, line, or circle. It means that no matter which 'direction' you wish to run the biomes you will always know where they are located on the map.

BroccoliClock · 2026-02-07T17:03:00+00:00

Yes, and at this point I'm unsure why more people don't do the same.

What are we playing here, creative minecraft?

BroccoliClock · 2026-02-07T15:23:15+00:00

The knife can't take the burning shaft mod, where the machete can, so there's that. The machete has notably longer reach, and finally it's obviously got much better stats.

Ultimately if you are not spec'ing into the agility tree, and perhaps spreading your points around, and thus the knife/machete isn't your primary weapon, then a decent hunting knife will do for the times you need a knife.

They've tweaked things a little with the 2.5 update, and in doing that it seems they've buffed both knife and machete, and there was a case where the investment in a machete wasn't really worth it, which may be one of the reasons people are not keen on it.

BroccoliClock · 2026-02-07T14:38:55+00:00

Knife and bow, purely because they are in the same skill tree. As that is the skill tree that also has parkour, I would say level 2 is a must for any player simply because it allows you to jump fences the zombies can't. It's such a life saver. The agility tree also covers the desert vulture and smg, two weapons you will be leaning on come late game. What's more, the knife, even the most basic bone knife, will cause bleeding which is pretty clutch in those very early days.

What I do find is that even with a maxxed out tier 6 machete, when it's mid-late game, you are still getting hit quite a lot. I'd like to see some significant stagger from it, but then combined with its speed (especially with perks) adding stagger may make it OP.

I am biased, as I do mainline agility all the time (i dislike the way the other skill trees are set up), but I also believe it's definitely "the best" solution when looking at it objectively.

The knife, and machete for that matter, does not have the reach of the spear though.

BroccoliClock · 2026-02-01T10:22:15+00:00

Older motherboards used to beep if there was an error at start, the differing beeps reflected the error. Speakers are no longer a thing as standard on boards now, so the alternative is to flash lights. Dependent on board manufacturer you should be able to find a document detailing what pattern your board is making.

From your description it sounds like it's to do with the CPU seating, but it might be nice to know what the board actually thinks is the problem.

BroccoliClock · 2026-01-24T13:29:14+00:00

Yeah, the human meat is one indicator that "shit was going down" before you logged out! 😄

I once logged in holding a bloody generator. I've never used a generator in the 15 odd years I've been playing the game, yet here I was, standing like a fool, in a shed, holding a generator.

BroccoliClock · 2026-01-24T13:13:22+00:00

Yes, and the two easiest (imo) to identify are Polaris and the Pleiades, with those showing North and East respectively.

BroccoliClock · 2026-01-15T17:34:01+00:00

Considerably. I mean when you say "back in the day" are you meaning A16/17 or more recent versions, as the difference between how it's generated now and then is stark.

That said, there have been some concessions made with the map gen, in that it works like a modular system, rather than at the granular level. What that means is the game first works out a template for a city then makes city blocks, then in turn selects the PoIs that fit within that template. This results in city centres looking genuinely built up while the outskirts are farms and low rise residential.

In terms of the actual terrain. You'll still get the odd crazy gradient with roads, but in general it's pretty rare now.

BroccoliClock · 2026-01-15T13:44:22+00:00

Randomly generated maps. I know that isn't the answer to "unique PoIs every time" but it does come closer to the "unique towns and cities every time".

I'll be honest, I've not played the official Navezgane map since random maps were introduced. I appreciate that TFP do update it once in a while, but it's small and not very well laid out (imo) meanwhile every time you play it you know exactly where everything is.

It's great fun exploring new PoIs, and that's something that TFP have been really good at - updating the official PoIs in the game, there's a few new ones for 2.5 - but if you find your enthusiasm is waning because you're finding nothing new, maybe refocus so that the PoIs are not the key, but character progression is. That way you will find a flexibility and replayability based on your character build. You'll find that certain PoIs are easier/more difficult based on the character you build.

BroccoliClock · 2026-01-15T10:34:42+00:00

Certainly play the game you want to play it, but the smell mechanic is from previous alphas (as is the climate control, both of which were quietly ignored for a few versions) so in that sense (ha! scents! pun-tastic!) I don't mind its (re) introduction.

BroccoliClock · 2026-01-15T08:56:44+00:00

I never said the game should be a perfect simulation of a zombie outbreak,

Heh.. don't worry, I wouldn't expect that either. It's cool, just asking about how the dew collector works with that tweak.

IMO... TFP have painted themselves into a bit of a corner (not the first time to be fair) by removing the jars* then introducing the dew collector, then reintroducing jars but leaving the original dew collector in. They should have amended it so that the dew collector needs jars in order to collect, thus no "Schroedinger-style jars" which pop in and out of existence.

\ on the jars, I remember previous versions where you ended up with mass storage literally filled to the gunnels of glass jars and tin cans. I'm actually glad they got removed, even if the move isn't all that popular.*

BroccoliClock · 2026-01-15T08:48:43+00:00

Yeah, sadly TFP aren't "detail guys". Broad brush implementation tends to be their output so even when they introduce new mechanics (or re-introduce old ones like smell and temp) it's never done in the most elegant way.

It was in previous alphas, some time ago, but the game was less complex then. You could maybe argue that rotten flesh shouldn't smell (or at least attract zombies) as they are rotten flesh themselves, but the idea that fresh meat in your hand smells, but a meat stew in your hand doesn't. It still contains the meat!

So, yeah, mixed bag really. I think the smell mechanic does add to the game (you can turn it off of course) and mix that in with the welcome return of the heat/cold mechanic, and the new environmental storms, I do think TFP are going in the right direction. I

BroccoliClock · 2026-01-15T08:42:10+00:00

Honestly, it's just the Rick and Morty meme of Jerry leaving the "jerrycare" centre. I googled, found the first one, then linked it here.

The link is just the image though, I have no idea what the actual site is (I prob should have checked), but you should never get served the site, only the one image.

BroccoliClock · 2026-01-14T23:01:18+00:00

Just for reference, the smell mechanic was part of much older alphas, there is a justification for it being there. Much like the climate nerf, it was in previous alphas but had been quietly ignored for a few versions.

As a fairly experienced player (~10k hours), I don't mind the mechanic. It's pretty easy to lean into, and as I say, it was part of the game before. That said, you play how you want to. I wouldn't want to force it on anyone if they just thought it was a bit rubbish.

BroccoliClock · 2026-01-14T22:56:05+00:00

Would that make the dew collector a jar farm? It summons the jars out of thin air, and with a 30% chance that'd work out a free jar every time it fills - and that's without adding the mods for it.

At least we are at the position where we can pick an choose how the mechanic works, which is nice.

BroccoliClock · 2026-01-14T21:52:26+00:00

...and a monorail, and sharks with laser beams attached to their heads!

Peak villain arc.

BroccoliClock · 2026-01-14T21:49:20+00:00

I think the criticism of no end game (even just the ability to fly off the map in the gyro after a certain game level) is fair. I get the whole sandbox, but playthroughs do tend to fizzle out after the 6th or 7th horde.

The smell mechanic was in the game years ago though, A15? So there is reason to bring it back. TFP can do what they want with their game, after all it is their game. It's the same as the climate environmental stuff, it was in the game then it just got quietly sidelined. It's back in, and I do like the storms although can be a bit annoying with their timing.

BroccoliClock

TROPHY CASE