Weapons and combat basics

Match the weapon, its ammunition and your exit route before starting a fight. The released Apocalypter store lists melee and ranged weapons with different stats and calibers. Enemies use these weapons too and can drop ammo, weapons or healing items.

Before a fight

1. Read the caliber of the gun you intend to use and keep its ammunition together.
2. Equip body armor deliberately: hold F to wear or change it, following the October 9 interaction change.
3. Keep healing items accessible rather than buried among spare car parts.
4. Decide whether you can withdraw to the vehicle before engaging several enemies.
5. After the fight, inspect the drops and your vehicle's condition before taking another one.

Armor is equipment, not a fixed extra-hit allowance: damage depends on the encounter. The old demo's handmade weapons are examples of early gear, not a complete catalog for the released game.

Demo examples and release weapons

The demo's community material describes pipe firearms, a muzzle-loader, crossbows and improvised weapons. Keep those examples within the older demo build. Its restriction to handmade guns does not establish that every release weapon has that restriction.

The full game's weapon-collection achievement is a separate goal from simply surviving an encounter. Use the achievement reference to track that goal; do not infer a weapon's spawn location, drop chance or purchase price from the achievement.

Make the loot useful

An enemy drop is a chance to resupply, not a guaranteed return on the ammunition spent. Check the actual item and caliber before keeping it. A trader's buying and selling stock is randomized, so a spare gun is not a guaranteed sale at the next camp.

If the immediate problem is thirst, coolant or a damaged radiator, a fight does not automatically solve it. Prioritize the supply route described in survival and keep a way out.

A fight is over but the interface or damage persists

• The September 26 update fixes boss music and boss UI persisting in peaceful mode.
• The September 30 update fixes explosion-radius damage lingering and continuing to hurt the player.
• October 9 fixes a dead enemy's name remaining on screen, and also addresses the general interaction failure.

These are distinct faults. Update before treating a stuck nameplate as a living enemy or repeated invisible blast damage as a new attack pattern. September 30 notes · October 9 notes.

Equipment and next steps

Backpack and armor changes use a hold interaction, while the car's attached storage carries spare parts and supplies. Character equipment explains that split. For boss and faction context, continue to factions and warlords; for the older trial's limits, use demo scope.