Traits
Traits are modifiers, positive and negative, available to player. Some traits are chosen individually (indicated here as 'positive' and 'negative' traits) and players are also given one or more traits, also known as occupation perks, associated with his/her choice of occupation.
The individually-chosen traits must have a sum value of 0 (or less) in order to start the game, so if the player chooses positive traits, they are also required to choose negative ones to compensate.
Traits categorized as "opposites" cannot be taken simultaneously (e.g. "Graceful" and "Clumsy").
Occupation-oriented traits (perks) cost no points, but the player must select one (and only one) occupation.
List of Traits
Image | Name | Type | Opposite | Points | Notes | Effect |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
File:Agoraphobic.png | Agoraphobic | Negative | - | +4 | "Gets panicked when outdoors" | Moving from indoors to outdoors or moving along outside causes sharp increase in the player's panic level. |
File:Athletic.png | Athletic | Positive | Overweight | -6 | "Faster running speed; Can run for longer without tiring" | The player can run faster and for longer than normal. |
File:Axe Man.png | Axe Man | Occupation | - | - | "Doubles speed breaking through doors with an axe. Faster axe swing." | |
File:Brave.png | Brave | Positive | Cowardly | -3 | "Less prone to becoming panicked." | The player does not become as panicked as normal. |
File:Brooding.png | Brooding | Negative | - | +2 | "Recovers slower from bad moods." | |
File:Claustrophobic.png | Claustrophobic | Negative | - | +4 | "Gets panicked when indoors" | Moving from outdoors to indoors or moving between rooms causes sharp increase in the player's panic level. |
File:Clumsy.png | Clumsy | Negative | Graceful | +1 | "Makes more noise when moving." | Zombies can hear the player from a farther distance than normal. |
File:Cowardly.png | Cowardly | Negative | Brave | +2 | "Especially prone to becoming panicked." | |
File:Eagle Eyed.png | Eagle Eyed | Positive | Short Sighted | -6 | "Faster visibility fade. Higher visibility arc." | The player can see further and has a much wider view than normal. |
File:Feeble.png | Feeble | Negative | Stout, Strong | +4 | "Less knockback from melee weapons. Decreased carrying weight." | Zombies and NPCs will be pushed back less when hit by the player with a melee weapon. The player will also be unable to carry as much weight before becoming encumbered. |
File:Graceful.png | Graceful | Positive | Clumsy | -4 | "Makes less noise when moving" | The player must get closer to a zombie in order to get its attention. |
File:Handy.png | Handy | Occupation | - | - | "Faster barricading." | Decreases required time in order to barricade doors and windows. |
File:Hardened Drinker.png | Hardened Drinker | Positive | Light Drinker | -3 | "Doesn't get drunk easily" | The player can drink more than normal without getting drunk. |
File:Hard of Hearing.png | Hard of Hearing | Negative | Keen Hearing | +2 | "Smaller perception radius. Smaller hearing range." | The player must be closer to the source of a sound in order to hear it. |
File:Hearty Appetite.png | Hearty Appetite | Negative | Light Eater | +2 | "Needs to eat more regularly" | The player needs to eat more than normal. |
File:Hypochondriac.png | Hypochondriac | Negative | - | +4 | "May develop infection symptoms without having been infected." | The player may get the queasy moodle and any subsequent moodles without having been infected. |
File:Keen Hearing.png | Keen Hearing | Positive | Hard of Hearing | -6 | "Larger perception radius" | The player can hear sounds from farther away than usual. |
File:Light Drinker.png | Light Drinker | Negative | Hardened Drinker | +2 | "Gets drunk quickly" | Gets utterly shit-faced moodle when having one drink of any sort of alcohol. |
File:Light Eater.png | Light Eater | Positive | Hearty Appetite | -3 | "Needs to eat less regularly" | The player does not need to eat as much as normal. |
File:Lucky.png | Lucky | Positive | Unlucky | -4 | "Sometimes, Things just go your way" | You tend to find rarer objects such as axes and shotguns. Also an increased chance of getting scratched or not getting hit at all to getting bitten. |
File:Marksman.png | Marksman | Occupation | - | - | "Improved gun accuracy. Quicker reload." | |
File:Night Owl.png | Night Owl | Occupation | - | - | "Requires little sleep. Stays extra alert even when sleeping." | Allowed three extra hours before becoming drowsy. |
File:Outdoorsman.png | Outdoorsman | Occupation | - | - | "Not effected by harsh weather conditions. Extra orienteering ability." | |
File:Overweight.png | Overweight | Negative | Athletic | +3 | "Slower running speed. Tire from running more easily." | The player will run slower and will reach exhaustion more quickly than usual. |
File:Patient.png | Patient | Positive | Short Tempered | -4 | "Less likely to get angry." | |
File:Prone to Illness.png | Prone to Illness | Negative | Resilient | +4 | "More prone to disease. Faster rate of zombification." | |
File:Resilient.png | Resilient | Positive | Prone to Illness | -3 | "Less prone to disease. Slower rate of zombification." | |
File:Short Sighted.png | Short Sighted | Negative | Eagle Eyed | +2 | "Smaller view distance. Slower visibility fade." | The player does not see as far and has a narrower view than normal. |
File:Short Tempered.png | Short Tempered | Negative | Patient | +4 | "Quick to anger." | Jumps from not angry to Furious when npc rejects team request. |
File:Stout.png | Stout | Positive | Feeble, Weak | -4 | "Extra knockback from melee weapons. Increased carrying weight." | Zombies and NPCs will be pushed back more when hit by the player with a melee weapon. The player will also be able to carry more weight before becoming encumbered. Base Carry Capacity increased by 4. |
File:Strong.png | Strong | Positive | Feeble, Weak | -6 | "Extra knockback from melee weapons. Increased carrying weight." | Zombies and NPCs will be pushed back more when hit by the player with a melee weapon. The player will also be able to carry more weight before becoming encumbered. Base Carry Capacity increased by 6. |
File:Thick Skinned.png | Thick Skinned | Occupation | - | - | "Less chance of scratches or bites breaking the skin." | |
File:Unlucky.png | Unlucky | Negative | Unlucky | +4 | "What could go wrong for you, often does." | Rare goods become even less prone to spawn. Also an increase in getting bitten by a zombie in combat. |
File:Weak.png | Weak | Negative | Stout, Strong | +6 | "Less knockback from melee weapons. Decreased carrying weight." | Zombies and NPCs will be pushed back less when hit by the player with a melee weapon. The player will also be unable to carry as much weight before becoming encumbered. |
Recommendations
Of course, what traits you pick are your choice, but some are more useful in certain situations than others.
File:Athletic.png Athletic is useful for moving from place to place. As the map is huge and locations are scattered over large distances this can help your lategame adventures. |
File:Brooding.png Brooding is useful as unhappiness has no significant impact on the game. |
File:Clumsy.png Clumsy is useful as sneaking is often subordinate to simply dispatching zombies with force. |
File:Light Drinker.png Light Drinker useful as alcohol consumption has no significant impact on the game. By morning the effects are usually gone. |
File:Light Eater.png Light Eater is useful for conserving your food supplies. |
File:Lucky.png Lucky will increase your chances of finding rarer items in containers, such as firearms and ammunition. |
File:Short Tempered.png Short Tempered affects your interactions with NPCs, however as NPCs have yet to be implemented this trait has no consequence. |
File:Strong.png Strong increases melee knockback and more importantly doubles carrying capacity. |
A suggested character build is as follows:
File:Outdoorsman.png Outdoorsman, File:Strong.png strong, File:Eagle Eyed.png eagle eyed, File:Lucky.png lucky, File:Light Drinker.png, light drinker, File:Hard of Hearing.png hard of hearing, File:Brooding.png brooding, File:Prone to Illness.png prone to illness, File:Short Tempered.png short tempered, File:Cowardly.png cowardly. Outdoorsman will increase your visibility and so will eagle eyed, mitigating hard of hearing entirely. Strong allows you to double your carry capacity and lucky allows you to scavenge easier. Light drinker, brooding, and short tempered are virtually inconsequential as of build 29. Prone to illness is mitigated by outsdoorsman (no illness from being wet) and has no negative consequences as long as you ensure never to eat rotten food. Cowardly can be trained away over time with each new zombie encounter and mitigated by beta blockers.