How do you guys survive for more than a week?
Once you get Tailoring online so you can stop your gear from being torn apart and sew a
decent cloth outfit, the game stops being as difficult. Special zombies or bullets can still kill you dead, but you're more likely to have something to kill them with if you have more volume. Molotov cocktails in particular are easy to make and pretty effective for the mid-tier enemies[Don't try using one on a bio-operator or a hulk or something].
A
decent weapon and some[2-3 usually works] Melee, weapon skill and Dodging helps a lot with combat survivability. Don't bite off more then you can chew and show ampersands the customary amount of caution.
As for food, a decently-sized forest has more then you'll ever need if you forage through the undergrowth enough. Most of this food requires water to cook properly though, so it works best if you've found a
sustainable water source. You can usually get by just from looting refrigerators and basements, although this can be more dangerous.
Literature is important. Books are how you begin propelling yourself through the mid-game, since they're full of skill boosts and crafting recipes. Thus, libraries are a pretty big priority for raiding.
Tools are also important. Garages have them in abundance, but they're found most anywhere, even as random zombie drops. A knife is the most important tool, followed shortly after by a pot. You can make some basic ones out of rocks, sticks and string, but stuff like wrenches and welders will be harder to come by.
Not sure how all this interacts with hordes/NPCs, since I'm still playing the stable version. An NPC with a gun is an incredibly dangerous threat, although a Molotov or two to the face will probably still take them down[Albeit not always before you're riddled with holes]. Hordes make things trickier. You'll probably want to have a more mobile base. A shopping cart[Ctrl+G to drag it] and a tent make you pretty mobile, but an actual vehicle is irreplaceable, and you can run all sorts of things off of their battery.