Defending and Falling Back
The basic essentials to know in progressing through a map!
Defending and Falling Back
In essence, Zombie Escape is just shooting and running. However, the game mode has a huge "tug-o-war" feel where the Human team will be given ground to either push back or hold off the Zombies, and the Zombie team will be given chances to charge and overwhelm the Humans. It's a game of defending and falling back. The Human team does have opportunities to apply some strategy to these two things for their own benefit should they be coordinated or smart enough to do so.
Defending
Defending is primarily just holding areas until new ones open up, until people hit triggers, to protect objects, etc. Usually, there will be a timer that will pop up to let you know how long to hold until you can fall back or until something happens. There's not much to it other than shooting to protect yourself along with the team, and hunker down into an area with your eyes open for enzymes or flanks until it's time to leave.
Over-Defending
In order to properly over-defend, you will need to have a solid understanding of the map or a good leader who'll ensure you won't defend 'til an unexpected death. But, to Over-Defend at your own discretion or rally others to help, you should know the following:
The timings of the map (extent to which you can hold before TP or death.)
Locations of zombie TPs.
The ratio of potential defenders to the amount of zombies.
Whether or not people will actually defend with you.
Whether or not the pros outweigh the cons.
That being said, the bonuses of Over-Defending in the right situations can make a massive difference in the flow of a round:
Proper execution of an overdefense can majorly lessen the pressure on the Human team, resulting in fewer deaths.
Sometimes it'll be significantly easier to overdefend previous or current areas rather than newly opened ones. A tight chokepoint is significantly easier to defend than a wide open area after all.
It may even be a necessary strategy to beat the round - such as sending only a few people to the end area.
In some cases, you'll be able to do it yourself with an item, while in other cases, it'll be a team effort.
These strategies always pose the risk of your own or even the team's death if some of the conditions above aren't met or considered. As a result, try to get a good feel for the map and the game mode before you try to do anything independently.
Sacrifices
During this type of over-defense, you will be expected to die. Be it heroic or merely desperate, it's a way of making a last stand to ensure other survivors live or that the round will be won. You can expect these strategies to be employed when the team has so few numbers to reliably defend final areas or if the team absolutely wants to guarantee the win in a round. As long as the cause is met, you may find solace in your contribution.
Falling Back
Similar to how one needs to know the timings of the map to over-defend, one must understand the timings for when to fall back. A team needs to hold or stall for an appropriate amount of time before booking it to prevent the event of being cornered and overwhelmed.
But, if you fall back too late, you'll be swept up by zombie TPs and other events contributing to your death. Luckily, TF2 ZE offers a bunch of ways to speedboost those falling back, so try consider utilizing them to ensure the team's safety. If you are new to maps, you may want to fall back a bit earlier to get a better understanding of what you can get away with or where you need to go.
Stalling
Stalling consists of slowing the zombies down to give more breathing room for your team. This is especially prevalent if your team is low on numbers and can't hold the defense in the next area. It's really something you should only do if a leader says it's safe to do so or if you know the map well enough to not backpedal into anything dangerous.
Triggering
Some people may fall back early to look for triggers to allow the team to progress to the next area. These may be comprised of objects you have to interact with or merely areas you need to enter - and depending on the case, may commonly be in the path of several death traps, NPCs, and more.
Mechanically these will consist of several differing methods:
Trigger Buttons/Levers (+Use/Melee needed.)
Entering Specific Area (Ex. Bottom of Mako Reactor, Past the first Frostdrake tree log.)
Similarly, simply touching Specific Map Doors or Obstacles can also trigger them.
Destroying a Breakable Object/NPC.
Using Map Item to Activate (Ex. Shroomforest2 key.)
Triggering will also forcefully move Zombie Spawns forward to prevent them from falling too far behind as a threat. (Unless the map doesn't move teleports or gives Zombies a new route instead.)
With that in mind, be mindful when any leader communicates to NOT trigger right away - as the team may be imminently within the zombie teleport range/area from either missing a fall back or purposely over-defending an easier area.
(Ex. Past the SECOND Frostdrake tree log, V0u0v post-S3/S6 boss door.)
There should only be as many people going for them as there are the amount of triggers; so two players for two buttons on two sides.
So, if you're already familiar with where they are and how to get them, and if you notice too many people who also know what to do for them running back to trigger, it may be best to defend with the rest of the team!
Trigger Classes
Although any person can usually go trigger - there's a few sub-loadouts or weapons that will allow you to compete for triggers/items much more reliably than any 'random' player holding W into Ultima and using it immediately - sometimes you'll have to beat those kinds of players by using the exact same loadout or deviate a bit.
Ordered albeit messily, each has their own niche or usage across the board in competing here.
[ANY] (Medi-Gun) (PLUS+) (BFB) Scout
Reliant on having a BFB Scout - Medics can Medi-Gun beam a Scout using the BFB to become even faster than the Scout. Commonly called 'leeching' and scummy to do, but sometimes a necessity to secure important items from the wrong hands. BFB isn't a necessity - as the speed increase on beam works on any Scout or fast class really.
Independently one of the most consistently fastest classes in ZE at both triggering and item grabbing - Does lose out to any other method here if items spawn round-start as you need to wait for Zombies to spawn to gain Boost.
(Atomizer) Scout
The Atomizer (+3% Speed When HELD) gives you JUST enough of an edge that when held you'll outpace default Scouts, without the whole flaw of running BFB in general.
(Sapper) (AND) (Dead Ringer) Spy
Spies with the Sapper (+2% Speed when HELD) will find similar speeds to default Scouts - but combined with the DR and taking any damage, can speed-run through a specific area with the feign death speed boost selfishly outpacing most players.
(Splendid Screen) (AND) (Pain Train) Demoman
Demoman in TF2 ZE is by far one of the slowest classes in the mode - but he does come with the niche of Pain Train (+10% Speed when HELD) - giving Demoknight having one of the most consistent short-range mobility bursts even with a nerfed charge. This will reliably let him beat out even pesky BFB scouts within a door that just opened - or on the turn of a corner into an item by charging into it.
Honorable Mentions (Concherer) & (Bonk)
Both of these speed-boost you, yes. But does that really matter for getting items when everyone around you is also gaining that boost too? If anything, this should really only be used for triggers, as BFB + Conch can get some crazy speed gains in conjunction.
Doorhugging
Most people are tempted to fall back as far away from the zombies as possible at all times. It's a rational thought, but ninety-nine times out of a hundred, it'll lead to your team becoming overwhelmed by them and dying.
It's best to avoid this if you're not triggering or if there's a defense you're completely ignoring. Though some players will just hold Sapper + DR out and kiss a non-objective door even if you do ask them to defend - it can't really be helped sometimes. If your team or a leader explicitly says they can hold it for you, you can fall back if you're new to the map or game mode. Certain situations will call for doorhugging entirely, but those are few and far between.
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