Overview
I want to share what I have learned about optimizing the music in game. I will cover 3 topics with tips & screenshots: 1. Musically inclined survivors 2. Arranging Duets and Trios3. Tips for funding a “Shelter Band”
Introduction & Contents:
Music is the great leveler regardless of economic circumstances. Neither nationality, race, poverty, nor even war can drown out the music. In my opinion, the music in this game is the thing that makes it survivable. Since I know you want some good chords strumming through that big old house in all that war-time drama, I want to share what I have learned about optimizing the music in-game.
1. Musically inclined survivors
2. Arranging Duets and Trios
3. Tips for funding a “Shelter Band”
Musically Inclined survivors
Not all Survivors are Created Equal. I’m sure you have heard Boris play already :-/
There is a random factor at work to a small degree, but about 95% of the time in my experience, the survivors show consistency in how & what they choose to play on the guitar.
The Audience:
Marko, Bruno, Boris, Cveta, Marin, Anton & any of the customizable characters you create will do a poor job of trying to play the guitar. Let them sit in a comfy chair nearby & enjoy the show.
The Musicians:
Katia, Arica, Emelia, Pavle, Zlata, & Roman all play very well on most days.
Pavle is one of my favorite musicians!
He is the fastest runner, and he can
carry more than any of the other musicians,
making him “The designated Scavenger”
when building a band.
Arranging Duets and Trios
Of course, there is a soundtrack available free with the game, which includes the guitar solos that the survivors play. But, it is totally feasible to have as many as 4-5 guitars set up & playing at the same time. But, that won’t sound well.
Optimally, you will want to aim for duets, or even the occasional trio on evenings with spare time on the clock. This will alleviate some of the horrors of war for them, and they seem to remain in a good mood from sharing the music. Though they will occasionally surprise you by playing something different, what each artist usually chooses to play is outlined in the table below. That is the key to setting up a duet or trio. Select two survivors who will have a good chance of playing the same tune, and stand them beside their stools until you are ready to send each one to the guitar at the same time. To get three playing the same tune requires trial & error, & patience. Just keep taking them off the stool & sitting them down again until they are playing the target song. If you time it right, they will play in sync. And, it will sound good.
Tips for Funding a Shelter Band
Four guitars are not easily obtained or repaired in wartime Sarajevo. The guitars seem to spawn at the easier locations in drops of 1-3. The best places to look are in the cottages & flats, the new locations, and in the Construction site.
The strategies I use to be able to repair them all involve providing a steady income for the survivors early game, and are basically the strategies we use to survive any long scenarios. I’ve done this on scenarios anywhere from 3 weeks to the 90 day harsh Winter siege I am currently half way through.
To do that I use only the survivors who can carry the most to scavenge every night.
I concentrate on bringing home wood & components most of the time, for the 1st 3 weeks. I try to use only two slots for other most valuable trade items. And, I keep bandages at home when possible.
Though we don’t eat the first day, and probably not the second, I usually keep them fed 90% of the days to avoid sickness, depression, & exhaustion. But, I will sacrifice food to build & upgrade equipment first.
I share beds on two shifts, and everybody else guards at night unless they are dying.
Optimally, having two veggie gardens is great, so you can have 8 new veggies every day & a half. By upgrading all equipment, I can keep veggies & cigarettes to trade. I keep the trader standing at the door while I make & sell him produced items from the natural resources he just sold me. By the time the day ends, I have most everything he brought with him. And, I did not have to carry it home.
As you can see, it will be a tight fit to get it all in there…
The garage is the best place to trade meds, & I scavenge all the wood in the yard & on the roof to trade him as well. I keep a stash near the exit for what I can’t carry out in one trip.
Of course, the Soldiers are not very good with Math, or something. So, sending Katia to the base to trade 30-40 cigarettes & 3-5 bottles of moonshine will allow you to trade back & forth repeatedly, until you have rifles, meds, & food in one night. Stash what you can’t carry out in the drop near the exit to claim later. In this way, you always have a stash to raid at different locations on bad nights. An injured survivor can manage to walk in and grab a load without dying, & will have a better chance of survival scavenging than staying at home to face the raids.
Finally, home security is the most important factor. It is important to keep a number of weapons at home that exceeds the number of survivors you leave there. Always, even if you have to take the scavenger empty handed, (which leaves him more room in his backpack) leave them well protected at home. I try to leave two guns. Assault rifles are best. Pistols can result in melee wounds apparently.
I hope you found something you did not know in this guide. If I left something out, add it in the comments below. Thanks and enjoy the music in this war of ours!