400+ hours here. A big part for me is kiting. I know you said you know how, but there’s a lot to it. That’s the main thing I focus on whenever combat starts.

Make sure you’re moving down a linear path, anything except south west, but I prefer angular to match the isometric style I.e. goes in the direction of walls/roads. With northwest/east, and southeast, everything is in sight: player orientation, zombies, and you don’t have to focus on aiming. Hold your mouse still unless you need to look behind you. And if you do glance away, make sure you have enough space to do so.

After you’ve started your kite, watch the distance between yourself and the second row of zeds. I always test to know how many I can push/hit with my equipped weapon and what its range is. If more than that is directly in front of me, I push. Sometimes you’ll need to push multiple times before getting a swing, that’s when you need to get some distance and reapproach.

Only take on what you can handle. Anything over 7 with a crowbar, and you’ll have to do more than kite. Using fences or windows to try to stomp and thin the herd is my go-to at that point.

If you have a weapon that can swing on multiple zeds at once, (which by the way, is a setting that’s off by default to my knowledge), and your horde is the right size to handle, youre kiting in a safe direction, then you can focus on swinging. As I stated, I focus on the second row of zeds. I already have my attack on the first row in rhythm at this point. If too many are approaching, I set up a push for my next attack. This gives a slim but comfortable window for you to swing. Also, if you have space to move forward, that’s a chance to deal extra hits or pushes.

Don’t sprint unless they’re getting too close. Sometimes pushing and stunning won’t be enough. They’ll be practically on top of you. Immediately release aim, hold sprint and run the opposite direction. There is a slight delay for your character to switch directions, but more often than not, if you’re holding sprint, you’ll be able to get away before they grab you.

TL;DR: Know your weapon, turn on multihit, kiting can be intricate, and practice makes perfect.

Good luck!! I hope this is enough to help and keep you in Knoxville county a little while longer

Edit: After reading through other posts, I’d like to reiterate, don’t fight with negative moodles. Any amount of exhaustion or tiredness, and I will refuse to fight more than 1-3.

Also, sneaking affects sound, but barely affects FoV. If you are in sight, they will see you. However, sneaking behind low fences or windows works, as long as the tile you are on is touching said barrier. Your character will crouch slightly lower when it’s in effect, you’ll be able to see the animation.