Starting Versus: Count Players First, Then Pick a Ruleset

Count heads first

Versus configs are split by both sides. Use standard for 4v4, and 3v3 / 2v2 / 1v1 when short. Head count changed, vote again. Do not force the wrong cfg. Caps, supplies, and Boss rules are tuned per size.

ZoneMod: this server's baseline

Standard ZoneMod, Retro, plus zm1v1 / zm2v2 / zm3v3. Fastest start by head count. Want the old feel, pick zoneretro. Other packs make the most sense against it.

The value of using ZoneMod as your reference: when someone says a ruleset is "tight on supplies" or "the Tank comes early", you can translate that into tighter or looser than ZoneMod. Without a reference you re-learn every ruleset from scratch.

How a versus round unfolds

The first time you play versus, what confuses people is not tactics but the sequence. Roughly:

1. Setup phase：Both sides form up, grab weapons, and read the rule prompts. Nothing is scored here, so do not rush to hit ready.
2. Survivor round：One team plays survivors and pushes forward while the other plays specials and blocks, until the end is reached or the team wipes.
3. Side swap：The teams swap and play the same map again.
4. Scoring：Calculated from distance pushed and survivors remaining. So even when a wipe is inevitable, pushing a bit further still counts for something.

That is why "we're dying anyway, so push" is sometimes right in versus — distance converts to score. But when teammates still have a chance to survive and push further, save the people first.

Other rulesets

• NextMod：Full 4v4-to-1v1 set. Easiest when the head count keeps changing.
• EQ（Equilibrium）：One rule family covering 4v4 to 1v1. Common for fixed-team warmups.
• Acemod RV：Pick acemodrv for 4v4 and amrv1v1 / amrv2v2 / amrv3v3 for smaller games.
• NeoMod / Apex：Standalone 4v4 match packs. Supplies and pace differ from ZoneMod.
• Promod Elite / Deadman：Match rulesets. Geared toward fixed teams.
• ZoneHunters：Hunter theme. Position and callouts matter more. zh1v1 through 4v4 exist.

Your first time on the infected side

Plenty of people who have played co-op for a long time have no idea what to do their first time as infected. The basics:

• Do not go out alone：One special jumping into four survivors is a free kill for them. Wait for teammates — two or more entering together is what makes it work.
• Spawn ahead of them：Spawn behind the team and by the time they get there your position is already useless. Find a spot ahead.
• Call your class and position：The infected side needs to communicate too. Deciding who opens and who follows beats four people each looking for their own chance.
• Do not rush after dying：Respawning takes time, and throwing yourself away means your teammates fight this wave one short.

After a few rounds you notice the infected side depends on coordination even more than the survivor side. Learn to wait for people first, mechanics second.

Which ruleset should you actually pick

Eight or nine rulesets in one menu is dizzying the first time. The practical way to choose is not to compare their details but to ask what you want out of this round.

You just want to start quickly

ZoneMod, with the suffix matching your player count. It is this server's baseline and most people know it.

Your player count keeps changing

NextMod or EQ. The same rule family covers 4v4 down to 1v1, so switching does not mean re-adapting.

You want to drill a fixed team

Promod Elite or Deadman. Stricter rules and a higher bar for communication.

You want a change of feel

NeoMod or Apex. Independent rulesets whose supplies and pacing differ noticeably from ZoneMod.

You want to drill one class

ZoneHunters. A Hunter-themed set that magnifies the demands on positioning and calling.

You miss the old feel

zoneretro。

Whichever you pick, do not rush ready on the first round. Read the rule prompts in the setup phase, focusing on supplies, boss rules and scoring — those three are where carrying experience across rulesets usually goes wrong.

How to start

!match opens the menu to pick a cfg. If a match is already loaded, !rmatch first. Use !inf only in rooms that allow the SI team.