Boosting 101
The terminology section just wasn't enough to cut it for boosting, so...
Boosting!
Off the get-go, boosting in Zombie Escape is an action of launching zombies towards a defending team - or the map's objective in enough of a way to hinder a team into losing a defense, or even the round. Even if it was done unintentionally, it's still widely regarded as a 'boost,' such as a Soldier who just wants to build a Conch to help the team healthy, but launches a zombie into the backlines of defense with explosion splash or into an area where zombies will have a height advantage. Generally, boosting can be highly detrimental and this is here to give insight as to how to do it less.
Z-Velocity Stats?
Minus Z-Velocity is an attribute that can be found on several custom weapons (and this is explained on their respective pages too) to outright circumvent boosting concerns; (Direct Hit, Loose Cannon, Flare Gun, and Mannmelter.)
But what does it do? Instead of 'boosting' the zombies vertically into the sky or onto a ledge where the zombie will have an advantageous momentum - Minus Z-Velocity will effectively 'spike' them downwards upon taking damage from any weapons with this attribute. Incredibly useful if you need to deny zombie(s) from jumping over an object or ledge as they'll be repeatedly be forced down!
Whose to blame?
Boosting in TF2 ZE is most commonly correlated with the Soldier class the moment a zombie goes flying into an overhead spot or spells the end of a vital defense - but they're not the only one that can do it!
In fact, technically any class can 'boost' in certain conditions, such as a zombie standing overhead and directly shooting them from beneath to fling them into an unfavorable position or causing a boost via wind items.
Though, some classes can do this more prominently than the others, here's most of the main culprits.
Soldier
Rockets
Pyro
Airblast
Flares
Demoman
Grenades
Engineer
Mini-Sentries
Speed-Boosting
In most connotations, a speed-boost isn't necessarily a bad thing - it can allow for players or classes to make their retreat into a safer defending area much quicker.
However, at times people might speed-boost or also just 'boost' for the sole purpose of trolling to by throwing off player movement (as the extra speed can be unpredictable if you don't know when it'll wear in and out); commonly causing teams to fail on parkour segments of maps.
There's about three main ways this can happen to BLU team for the moment - and only two that are 'controllable' - the server will relay anyone using those in the console if problematic enough to call them out on it.
Scout Bonk-Atomic-Punch. Or just known as bonk - scout bonk only affects humans within the initial boost and does not linger onto any people that miss it.
Soldier Concherer. Or just known as conch - soldier conching is significantly more noticeable due to both an audio cue in them blowing the horn; the green outlines, and speed increase sound. The problem is that conch, unlike bonk - follows the user in a radius, buffing those that even miss it. And it wears out within a certain radius too. So having your movement increase and decrease vastly before any jump...
Dying! Yes, humans dying will temporarily increase the speed of all people around them for a tad burst - just enough to escape any zombies behind you. This has the same effect as bonk - but with a way shorter duration.
Utilizing Boosts (Zombie)
In the event that you happened to meet the misfortune of perishing and wish to seek vengeance upon all; as a zombie you can intentionally keep an eye out for any of these methods of boosting and turn them into your favor by getting hit or splashed around your feet and jumping frequently to send yourself flying airborne over defenders, making them spread out their focus into shooting you or even landing an aerial-drop-infect.
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