NPC_HINTS

Squirrels are pretty yummy, but if you shoot them with a high-powered gun you'll probably be left with no meat!  Use a BB gun or maybe a .22 rifle.

Ever run into those big worm things?  If you see trails of churned-up dirt, you can be sure they're around.

I got chased last week by some big digging creature.  I couldn't see it, but I could tell where it was by the trail of churned-up earth.

Try to stay on the roads as much as you can.  Giant worms can't cross them!

Don't relax after killing a giant worm.  Little bits of them can break off and still attack!

If you see a big mob of zombies coming, RUN!  Trying to fight them all is suicide unless you have a big tactical advantage.

Watch out for those zombies that shriek; they'll let other zombies know where you are, and will attract them from all over.

Those acid-spitting zombies are pretty nasty, but if you're smart, you can get other zombies to wade through the acid.

If there's a pool of acid blocking your way, trying tossing a junk item into it.  Eating up items will help neutralize the acid faster.

There's this type of zombie that can shoot bolts of lightning!  Stay away from walls and stuff when they do... the electricity can travel along solid surfaces.

Zombie hulks are NASTY, but they're easy to outsmart.  If there's other monsters between you and them, they'll kill the monster for you!

If you run into a zombie hulk, it's probably a good idea to run.  They're fast as hell, but pretty dumb; they'll try to smash through obstacles rather than going around, and that slows them down a lot.

Zombie brutes and hulks have really tough hide.  Don't bother shooting at them with lower-caliber guns, the bullet will bounce right off!

Try not to kill a boomer if it's standing right next to you.  They tend to explode when they die, and that pink goop will get all over you.

Skeletons are a tough target.  They're so skinny and full of holes that bullets fired at them will usually just fly right past.

Skeletons are too delicate to smash through doors or windows.  They also can't smell you, unlike zombies, so if you turn your light off at night you can sneak right past.

Don't try to take on a skeleton with a bladed weapon... you'll just leave scratch marks.  You've got to shatter those bones with a hammer or something.

It's a good idea to butcher corpses if you have the time, even if you don't plan on eating them.  I've seen these weird zombies bring their friends back from the dead!

Triffids are tough.  They've got natural armor, and it takes a lot to bring them down.  I don't recommend getting into a fight with them.

Triffids can't see!  They figure out where you are by your smell, but if you mask it with smoke or something, you're as good as invisible.

I figured out how to take care of those triffids!  Let me just say this: they're made of wood, and wood and fire don't mix.

Have you heard about those queen triffids?  You gotta keep your distance from them, unless you like having a tree grow right through your chest.

I have a buddy who was sleeping in this cabin way out in the woods, when he suddenly woke up to trees and vines growing right up through the floor and walls!  He said it was some kind of huge triffid making it happen...

Oh man, have you gone down into the old subway systems?  I'd be careful... there's these things down there that're like zombies, but tougher.

There's snakes down in most of the old sewer systems.  They're slow on land, but boy, those suckers can swim fast!

If you're planning on wandering around the sewers--not that you'd have a reason too--watch out for those fish.  Those suckers are fast, and vicious too!

Have you seen those eyebots flying around?  It's hard to say, but some faction's controlling them--maybe the military.  All I know is, I don't want them taking my picture...

Ever go toe-to-toe with a manhack?  Tiny little helicopters covered in knives.  Best be packing a shotgun!

They're rare, but molebots are nasty things.  They bore through the ground, then pop up to stab ya.  Still, you're safe from them if you stay on pavement...

Don't fire your gun if you can help it--the noise attracts monsters!

Standing behind a window is a good tactic.  It takes zombies a long time to crawl through, giving you lots of opportunities to hit them.

Zombies are pretty dumb... heck, most monsters are!  If you can get a fire going between you and them, they'll just run straight through it.

I know it's tempting to just go full-auto and unload as many bullets as possible, but don't except as a last resort.  It's inaccurate and wastes ammo.

If there's a bunch of zombies in a straight line, try unloading a burst from your gun.  Be sure to aim at the zombie furthest away; you'll hit more of them that way.

If you shoot a zombie, but don't quite kill it, try to finish it off with a punch or something instead of wasting a bullet.

If you're in a corridor or something, and there's a bunch of zombies chasing you down it, try to wound the guy in front badly.  He'll start moving slow and cause a serious traffic jam!

Here's a trick for taking care of a huge swarm of zombies chasing you: head into a liquor store, shoot out as many bottles as you can, then light the alcohol on fire.  Then duck out the back door, and watch the zombies run into a burning building!

Sledge hammers may seem like a great weapon, but swinging them is really slow, and you won't do much damage unless you're really strong.

For a good melee weapon, you can't beat a machete.  I've seen a guy take down a zombie brute with one!  Of course, if you can find a katana, that might be even better...

You know, a glass bottle can make a good weapon in a pinch.  If you break it over someone's head, the shattering glass will hurt them extra.  Of course, it might hurt your hands, too...

You know what makes a nice weapon?  Take a two by four, or a baseball bat or something, and stick a bunch of nails through the end!

BB guns may seem like a joke, but they've got their uses.  They're good for hunting small game, or getting to know the basics of rifles.

Crossbows are a great weapon for long term use.  Most of the time, you can retrieve the bolt after shooting it, so running out of ammo is less of a concern.

It's good to keep a pistol handy, in case your main gun runs out of ammo or something.  They're also better than most guns at short range.

Shotguns are nice; you can take out lots of baddies with a single shot.  Just remember that they're noisy as hell, and you might end up attracting more than you kill.

A good submachine gun can't be beat.  Most of them use common ammo, they're good at short and long range, and you can burst-fire if you need to!

Hunting rifles are great at long range, but suck close up.  Plus, most of them don't carry many rounds.  Keep a pistol as a sidearm if you use a rifle.

You know, you don't have to go full auto with an assault rifle.  Firing single shots is more accurate and efficient!

I've seen a couple guys running around with laser pistols.  They seem like the perfect weapon... quiet, accurate, and deadly.  But I've never found one, and I bet ammo is wicked scarce...

When it comes to footwear, you've got two basic choices as far as I see it; sneakers, for running extra fast, or boots for durability.  Depends on your style, I guess.

You don't really need to wear gloves most of the time, but once in a while they'll really come in handy.

It's good to keep a filter mask or gas mask handy.  You never know when you'll have to go into a smoke-filled room or something.

There's basically no reason not to wear safety glasses... nothing's worse than taking a hit to the eyes and getting blinded for a few seconds.

Ski goggles are a great choice if you're worried about getting stuff in your eyes.  Perfect for dealing with boomers!

If you get a pair of night vision goggles, hold on to them!  A flashlight will give you away, but with goggles you can be sneaky.

I know they look dumb, but wearing a fanny pack gives you that extra bit of storage without encumbering you.

Backpacks let you carry lots of stuff, but they limit your movement a lot.  If you're an unarmed fighter, don't wear one!

Don't underestimate a good book.  Not only will it keep you company on lonely nights, but you can learn a hell of a lot from some of them.

It's a good idea to carry around a couple of empty bottles.  You can fill them up with water, gasoline, or whatever!

If you need a bunch of rags for making molotov cocktails, take a pair of scissors to an old t-shirt or something.

Carrying a lighter is something all veterans do.  It takes up almost no space, and can easily save your life.

If you can spare the space, you might want to carry a fire extinguisher along.  Nothing's worse than being trapped in a burning building!

Crowbars not only make a pretty good weapon, they're also useful for opening locked doors and lifting manhole covers.

If you're spending the night in a dangerous area, grab a shovel and dig pits all around your camp.

A chainsaw may seem like a great weapon, but remember that they're slow, unwieldy, and very noisy.

Bubblewrap is pretty harmless, but setting it up around you before going to sleep will keep you from waking up to a zombie punching you.

Beartraps are a nice way to cover an escape.  If you place one in a doorway, the first zombie through will get stuck, and the rest won't be able to get past!

Smoke grenades aren't really offensive weapons, but they'll cover up your scent and hide you from view--perfect for making a quick escape.

Don't use molotovs indoors.  Especially in a liquor store.

If you're going to be playing with molotov cocktails around a gas station, just make sure you're a long way from those pumps.

I once knew a guy who figured he'd survive a night in the subway by setting fires blocking off the tunnel in both directions and sleeping between them.  He wound up asphyxiating on the smoke.

Don't light a molotov until you're ready to throw it.  Not only can they go out, but if you accidentally drop it or something, you're in trouble.

If you're weak or clumsy, it might be a good idea not to mess with molotovs or grenades.  Accidentally dropping them when you meant to throw them could be deadly.

If you're wandering in the wilderness, or following a road, keep an eye out for wild strawberries or blueberries.

Be careful eating wild mushrooms.  Some are poisonous, and others can make you hallucinate.

Try to go around swamps, if you can.  Some of them have sinkholes that can pull you right underground.

I heard about this group that raided a bee hive a while ago.  Everyone got massacred but one, and he came home with this weird, magic honey stuff.

If you need to, you can swim across a river to escape; most monsters can't swim.  Just make sure you drop as much stuff as possible first, and maybe strip naked, or you'll sink like a rock.

Houses can be a surprisingly good resource for all kinds of stuff; clothing, medication, food, books, and more.

While there's not much to loot, gas stations are a good source for gasoline, to power tools or to make molotov cocktails.

It's not like in the movies--shooting a gas pump won't make it explode.  But it WILL make it leak all over the place, which is a definite fire hazard.

I know grocery stores and stuff are full of fruit, but be careful, it's probably rotten.

Next time you visit a grocery store, load up on canned goods.  They never go bad!

I've found more good weapons in hardware stores than anywhere else.  Except gun stores, of course.

Liquor stores are a great place to pick up non-alcoholic beverages, too.  Not that I mind alcohol!

Most gun stores follow pretty similar layouts.  The restricted stuff--SMGs, assault rifles, and most importantly ammo--are always behind the counter.

I've spent many nights in the changing rooms at the back of clothing stores.  Walls on four sides, far from the store's entrance, a corridor for easy defense... it's perfect!

If you're getting chased by a hoard of zombies, try ducking into the subways and traveling a block or two, then coming back up.

Have you seen those weird science labs out in the middle of nowhere?  I think you need some kind of special ID card to get in.

I've thought about raiding an ant hill before, but I realized it wasn't worth the risk.  I doubt they have any loot beyond some scraps of food, you know?

This guy I know was walking through the subway when he came across a giant rift in the earth, with lava far below.  Weird, huh?

In a lot of places, there's little hallways connecting the subways with the sewers, with heavy metal doors on both ends.  It's a perfect place to sleep!

Be careful of drinking water from rivers and stuff, it's a good way to get sick.  But if you have a water purifier, it'll make it safe.