Vortex Gaming

• ✅ Complete the tutorial quest for a jump start on game mechanics.
• ✅ Read the survival guide for useful information.
• ✅ Collect stone for an improvised stone axe.
• ✅ Craft a bow and arrows early for ranged combat.
• ✅ Prioritize melee, movement, and construction skills in the skill tree for useful traits like reduced building material costs and increased carry weight.

• ✅ Use the middle mouse button to adjust the camera angle for better visibility, especially indoors.
• ✅ Perform downward attacks on crawlers.
• ✅ Use the kick (V) to one-shot downed or crawling enemies.
• ✅ Crouch to sneak around zombies and perform assassinations (G).
• ✅ Use the interact key (V) for takedowns, but be mindful of stamina consumption and nearby zombies.

• ⚠️ Dying results in losing all items and experience points.
• ✅ Establish a temporary base in a POI or the woods to stash items.
• ✅ Build a spawn point using two scrap metals to avoid random respawn locations.

• ✅ Wear appropriate clothing for insulation. Clothes do not provide armor unless they have a shield icon.
• ✅ Use low insulation clothing in summer to avoid overheating.
• ✅ Use high insulation clothing in winter to avoid getting sick or hypothermia.
• ⚠️ Coughing attracts zombies and can spread to other players in multiplayer. Masks can prevent the spread.

• ✅ Loot containers and drop unwanted items for them to respawn.
• ✅ Use Ctrl + Right Click to quickly move items to your inventory.
• ✅ Tear clothes for rags to heal 10 HP and prevent bleeding.
• ✅ Use painkillers to regenerate 15 health.
• ✅ Build a chemistry station to craft medkits.

• ✅ Use map markers to mark important locations and name them. Right-click to delete markers.
• ✅ Use a pocket watch or compass (press 6 or 7) to display the time and direction.
• ✅ Complete quests from NPCs for rewards, experience, and to discover good POI locations.

• ✅ Trade with traders by selecting items to exchange.
• ✅ Traders favor cigarettes, playing cards, money, and drills.
• ⚠️ Trades are permanent.
• ✅ Traders respawn if killed.

• ✅ Press U to drop your backpack for faster sprinting and stamina regeneration.
• ✅ Press X to drop an item in your hand.
• ✅ Repair weapons using a gun repair kit (for guns) or sharpening stone (for melee weapons). Duct tape can repair blunt weapons.

• ✅ Claim vehicles by providing a belt, battery, starter, motor, and fuel pump.
• ✅ The quality of parts affects vehicle performance.
• ✅ Craft a car repair kit using a screw, gear, and small wrench to repair vehicle damage.
• ⚠️ Avoid hitting zombies or buildings to prevent car damage.

• ✅ Collect dirty water from lakes, ponds, or toilets using an empty bottle (interact key F).
• ✅ Boil dirty water to prevent sickness.
• ✅ Find tents to harvest tarps for making rain collectors.

• ✅ Avoid consuming all water at once to prevent waste.
• ✅ Craft a cooking station for soups and a canning station for preserving food.
• ✅ Obtain food by raiding grocery stores, hunting, fishing, trapping, or farming.
• ✅ Create a farm plot and plant seeds. Shovels create bigger plots. Fertilizer is optional. Check seed descriptions for seasonal growth information.

• ✅ Break down rusted, unusable vehicles for metal sheets, metal scraps, and car parts. Use a sledgehammer for faster breakdown.
• ⚠️ Breaking down vehicles creates noise and attracts zombies.
• ✅ When building, use a hammer to place the blueprint, then unequip it before finishing the build to avoid durability damage.

Different types of zombies (Zekes) and how to deal with them:

• ✅ Bandits may raid your base and can open gates/doors without locks.
• ✅ They come in groups of three or four.
• ✅ They drop their weapon and ammo when killed.

• ✅ Use a car to transport logs by throwing them into the back.
• ✅ Build a log container for storing logs.