How to Get a Good Start in State of Decay 2: A Comprehensive Guide

Getting a good start in State of Decay 2 is crucial for long-term survival. The game throws you into a zombie-infested world where community management, resource gathering, and combat proficiency are all essential. A solid beginning sets the stage for a thriving community and helps you avoid early game pitfalls. The key to a good start lies in understanding the game’s core mechanics and prioritizing effectively. This includes selecting the right starting survivors, choosing the best map, establishing a solid base, managing resources wisely, and knowing how to deal with various threats. By following a strategic approach, new players can navigate the apocalypse with confidence and build a resilient community capable of surviving any challenge.

Selecting the Right Starting Survivors & Traits

Your initial group of survivors significantly impacts your early game experience. While you don’t have complete control over who you start with (unless you customize your starting group), understanding the importance of certain traits can help immensely.

Key Starting Traits

• Volunteer Coordinator: This trait is considered one of the best for its influence boon which helps in resource gathering and base building.
• Can Sleep Anywhere: This trait removes the need for a bed slot from the survivor. This can be very handy in early games when bed space is often limited.
• Bright-Eyed Recruit/Patient Caretaker: These provide buffs to morale which can be very important for early game community morale
• Officer Material: Improves fighting skill, making them more effective in combat
• Eats Like a Bird: This is a great trait for resource conservation since this character will consume significantly less food than other characters.
• Indefatigable: This trait grants increased stamina, helping you to explore further and fight longer, a great asset in the early game.
• Unbreakable: This trait gives the survivor a much needed buff for early game combat, significantly lowering injury chance
• Red Talon Operative: An amazing trait that can give a free skill point to the character

Trait Considerations

Avoid characters with traits that cause negative effects such as “easily depressed”, “unreliable” and especially “unstable”. While you can improve characters over time, negative traits can cause headaches you would rather avoid early on.

Choosing the Best Starting Map

Your starting map affects your overall experience by varying the available bases, resource locations, and level of challenge. For beginners, Meagher Valley is often recommended.

Why Meagher Valley?

• Varied Environments: It offers a good mix of urban and rural settings.
• Numerous Combat Scenarios: There are plenty of opportunities to learn and improve combat skills.
• Decent Selection of Bases: It provides a manageable array of bases suitable for beginners.

Other Maps

While Meagher Valley is great for new players, consider exploring other maps like Cascade Hills for a good mix of challenges, or Providence Ridge for unique base locations such as the Prescott Fire Station, a great starter base.

Establishing a Solid Base

Your base is your community’s heart, and choosing the right one is essential for a successful start.

The Importance of Base Features

• Facility Slots: Look for bases that offer a variety of facility slots to support an infirmary, workshop, and other essential buildings.
• Built-in Facilities: Some bases come with unique pre-built facilities.
• Location: Aim for a base that is centrally located, making it easier to access different parts of the map.
• Defensibility: The higher the defensibility of the base, the easier it is to defend from the early game sieges

Base Recommendations

• Prescott Fire Station (Providence Ridge): An ideal base for beginners with a level 3 workstation and running water and power.
• The Bridge Fort (Cascade Hills): An easily defended base requiring only four survivors. It lacks small facility slots, but the large slots offer room for expansion.

Managing Resources Wisely

Resource management is paramount in State of Decay 2. Scarcity is a constant companion, so making the best of available resources is key.

Prioritize Essential Facilities

• Infirmary: Necessary for healing injuries, curing diseases, and preventing community-wide illnesses.
• Workshop: Crucial for repairing weapons, crafting items, and making essential upgrades.

Gathering Resources

• Rucksacks: These contain vital resources. Prioritize looting them from buildings.
• Outposts: Claiming outposts provide a steady income of necessary resources. Prioritize claiming them based on what your community is lacking.
• Avoid Wasting: Only loot what you need to avoid over encumbering yourself and wasting time.
• Scavenging Effectively: Clear areas thoroughly, but be mindful of the noise you’re making.

Trading and Enclaves

• Trading: Trade with enclaves to gain much needed supplies.
• Enclave Quests: Complete quests for enclaves to gain their favor. This is a great way to make them an ally and even potentially get them to join your community.

Mastering Combat and Stealth

Survival in State of Decay 2 relies on your ability to handle the zombie threat effectively.

Know Your Enemy

• Standard Zombies: Slow and manageable, but dangerous in large numbers.
• Ferals: Fast and agile, requiring quick reflexes.
• Bloaters: Explode upon death, releasing toxic gas. Maintain distance.
• Screamers: Alert nearby zombies with their cries. Prioritize taking them out silently.
• Juggernauts: Heavily armored and incredibly strong. Use powerful weapons or tactics like Molotov cocktails to weaken them before engaging.

Stealth is Your Friend

• Avoid Direct Confrontations: Stealth can help avoid unnecessary battles, saving resources and time.
• Silently Takedowns: Utilize stealth attacks to eliminate lone zombies.
• Crouch Movement: Reduce visibility and noise by moving while crouched.

Combat Tactics

• Headshots: Aim for headshots to kill zombies with fewer hits.
• Instant Kills: Utilize finishing moves to dispatch downed zombies quickly.
• Manage Stamina: Avoid sprinting constantly to prevent exhaustion during battles.
• Melee Weapons: Useful in close quarters, but be mindful of durability.
• Firearms: Effective at range but create noise, potentially drawing more zombies.

Understanding the Endgame

The ultimate goal in State of Decay 2 is to eliminate every Plague Heart and complete your Leader’s Legacy.

Destroying Plague Hearts

• Stock Up: Gather resources, ammunition, and health items before taking on a Plague Heart.
• Plan Strategically: Approach each Plague Heart with a planned strategy to minimize risks.
• Be Prepared: Plague Hearts spawn hordes of zombies, so be ready for large-scale combat.

Leader Legacies

• Choose Wisely: Select a leader that aligns with your community’s goals.
• Complete Leader Projects: Each leader has unique projects that must be finished to complete the game.
• Aim for 100%: To complete the game fully, you have to beat all 4 legacies.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What are the best skills for new players to focus on?

For beginners, prioritize cardio, wits, fighting and shooting. These skills improve your character’s core effectiveness in combat and exploration.

2. How do I recruit new survivors to my community?

Completing quests for other enclaves is the primary way to gain their favor, eventually allowing you to recruit them into your community.

3. When should I move to a bigger base?

Move once you have a stable resource supply and a few additional community members. Larger bases have more facilities and can support a larger community.

4. How often should I repair my weapons?

Repair your weapons regularly, ideally after each major scavenging run. Maintaining weapon condition is crucial in combat.

5. What is the best way to deal with a Juggernaut?

Juggernauts are tough, so use powerful weapons, Molotov cocktails, or explosives. Utilize cars to run them over.

6. How do I handle infestations?

Infestations spawn in areas with high zombie activity, remove them promptly to prevent them from becoming severe. Throwing a firecracker near them will draw out most of them to make it easier to clear.

7. Should I move to a new map after completing a legacy?

Moving to a new map resets the world but keeps your community, allowing you to experience the game with a new level of challenge. You will still keep all of your stored gear.

8. What is the “unbreakable” trait?

The unbreakable trait prevents your character from being injured in combat, an amazing asset in early game when medical supplies can be hard to find.

9. How many bases can I have?

You can only have one main base but you can have several outposts.

10. Can I change the difficulty of the game?

Yes, you can adjust the difficulty settings which affects the quantity and difficulty of zombies, as well as the availability of loot.

11. What should I do if I have too much loot?

If you have too much loot, stash items in your locker located in your base. You can also trade excess items with enclaves.

12. Is it better to use melee weapons or firearms?

Melee weapons are quieter but less effective against hordes, while firearms are effective at a distance but attract more zombies with noise. Use both as needed.

13. How do I keep my community’s morale high?

Ensure your community has enough beds, food, and a comfortable base. Treat injuries and try to prevent internal arguments amongst your survivors.

14. What are the best base upgrades?

The infirmary is vital for health, the workshop for repairs, the garden for food and a training facility for increasing skills.

15. What happens if a survivor dies?

If a survivor dies they are gone forever. Make sure you are careful and play strategically.

By applying these tips and prioritizing strategically, players can have a thriving community in State of Decay 2. Remember, patience and adaptability are key to surviving the zombie apocalypse.