Starting to get used to this game but I still make mistakes!
Silver Linings...
State of Decay 2 has a learning curve, and for me this has been something of a bumpy curve, to say the least! 😆
Because of the integral base management system and the multicharacter swapping feature my poor old brain just can't keep up with all the things there are to do. It is a me thing though, as my daughters seem to have caught on to the game's mechanics very quickly.
Still, the up side is that I've finally got into the rhythm of at least the basic combat element of the game. So, at least I can protect my survivor community whilst they are out and about scavenging and doing the missions.
I'm Getting There! Sorta!
One of the key aspects of State of Decay 2 is the map (you start out in a region called Providence) and it doesn't take you long to realise that the map is BIG!
Therefore, vehicles become a very important element in your community building, not only to ferry you across the map but also to carry the enormous amount of loot that you collect back to your base (and believe me, there is NEVER enough space to carry everything you want)!
StaceFiona, Leigh and myself have all gotten ourselves our personal rides and have learned a lot about the advantages and disadvantages of the available post-apocalyptic automobiles. Each type of car or truck has it's own foibles which dictate how good a piece of transport that it is in the game. This ISN'T GTA5 and 'sporty' isn't necessarily the best...
On top of this driving itself is fraught with problems, from the 'state of decay' of your car (they degrade quite quickly), to sourcing fuel to negotiating road hazards. There's a lot that can ruin your day and potentially result in the loss of a vehicle which could leave you stranded a log way from home and/or in the middle of unfriendly territory!
Neither is this game 'Death Race 2000' and while running down the Zeds seems like great fun - at first - you soon realise that there is a price to pay and that your car is not invulnerable...
There is NO Satnav!
Navigation - we have found - is pretty important, particularly as more and more missions crop up and some of these can be time restricted. Fail to fulfil a job request by one of the isolated friendly communities could see them turn hostile if you aren't careful. So, knowing how to get from A to B quickly is a very handy skill. (Another occasion that this is essential is if you or one of your team become heavily infected, or if your vehicle is in a bad state of repair or nearly out of full...That trips home can suddenly seem a very long one!)
Here's a map of the initial region, Providence...
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| Above: Main locations in Providence, transport is essential! Source: State of Decay 2 Wiki |
As said, there is no Satnav, navigation is pretty much a manual affair (though you can reference a map ('M') and set waypoints. Driving just with the minimap to help can be problematic as the roads are winding and some are obstructed! 😬
I have taken to printing out the above map.
Last Night's Team Beaty Session
All this came very much into play during our co-op session last night, and everything I have mentioned that could go wrong did go wrong! But that makes for some very exciting and entertaining play!
We joined Leigh as out game host, which meant that Stace and I were pretty much Leigh's back-up and gofors for the night! Because this was Leigh's game we were working on building her base and expanding her influence over the map.
Working as a team takes some effort and we thought it logical that Leigh was 'the boss' and took our mission cues from her, that said there was still an element of chaotic team shenanigans going on...
But, by the end of the night we had ourselves pretty well sorted out and even 'had a plan'! 😮
One of the big scores of the night - aside from destroying a couple of 'Plague Hearts' (infestation 'hives') - was that we found a minivan, which sounds pretty boring until you realise that the van had a astonishing and very useful 15 loot slots in it (StaceFiona's tiny sports car only had 3 and even the beefy pickup truck only has 9, which very soon fill up during a raid)!
So, I acted as van driver and carried the bulk of our team's foraging which Stace and Leigh drove as 'point' in something a little more aggressive and hard hitting!
> Link to the SofD2 Wiki section on VEHICLES (Opens in new window.)
Despite spending the evening working for Leigh, Stace and I did receive 'multiplayer rewards' for our collaboration, so along with what we personally scavenged the session wasn't without benefits. We just missed out of working on building our own base/community, but we agreed to take turns in hosting co-op sessions so that we all - eventually - benefitted.
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