Smiley

Just some ideas I'd really like to see - started thinking on it in the Erosion announcement thread and figured I'd start something more in-depth here on the PZ Suggestions area:
 
New Tools:
 
- Garden Shears:
Could work as a Short Range Melee Blade Weapon in a pinch.
Relatively quiet, good for taking out small bits that are in the way without resorting to louder means.
Gets rid of grass clumps and small brush slowly (About as long as cutting a tree)
Loses durability swiftly.
Repairs similar to Knives.
 
- Weedwacker:
Decently loud.
Uses Gasoline as ammunition.
Could be used as a Melee Blade Weapon, but is not its best use.
Gets rid of grass clumps and small brush swiftly with low durability loss.
Repairs can use Twine, Wire, and similar items.
 
- Chainsaw:
Very loud.
Uses Gasoline as ammunition.
Definitely capable of being used as a Melee Blade Weapon, especially in situations where noise doesn't matter any longer (last stand?)
Gets rid of grass clumps, small brush, even trees very swiftly and with low durability loss.
Repairs can use a variety of items, especially Oil if it is added for automotive stuff later.
 
New Item Functionality:
 
- Weed Killer:
Now works on grass clumps and small brush, in addition to its current use. Not strong enough to kill trees.
 
- Concrete:
Functionality extends to also restoring cracked road tiles to normal road tiles.
 
- Bag of Plaster:
Functionality extends to also restoring cracked/decaying walls to normal walls.
 
New Recipes:
Improvised Weed Killer = Bleach, Salt, Water Bottle, Sprayer

This is one of the things PZ has really needed - seeing the world change around you gives you a sense of 'wow, I lived long enough to see the nature overtake civilzation.' I sincerely hope though that there are ways to reverse said erosion in small amounts using things like garden shears (Large bushes/plantclumps), axe (trees, just like vanilla), concrete (fill in cracks in roads), and so on, so as to tidy up areas inside safehouse perimeters. It would be a great time to add in that Chainsaw, too - if you are setup enough to be able to withstand the attention of the noise.
 
It would be nice to see hold outs cropping up on multiplayer servers and to be able to recognize them by well kept grounds. Outposts of lost civilization. After all, the safehouses are likely to outlive individual characters.

Just some ideas I'd really like to see - started thinking on it in the Erosion announcement thread and figured I'd start something more in-depth here on the PZ Suggestions area:
 
New Tools:
 
- Garden Shears:
Could work as a Short Range Melee Blade Weapon in a pinch.
Relatively quiet, good for taking out small bits that are in the way without resorting to louder means.
Gets rid of grass clumps and small brush slowly (About as long as cutting a tree)
Loses durability swiftly.
Repairs similar to Knives.
 
- Weedwacker:
Decently loud.
Uses Gasoline as ammunition.
Could be used as a Melee Blade Weapon, but is not its best use.
Gets rid of grass clumps and small brush swiftly with low durability loss.
Repairs can use Twine, Wire, and similar items.
 
- Chainsaw:
Very loud.
Uses Gasoline as ammunition.
Definitely capable of being used as a Melee Blade Weapon, especially in situations where noise doesn't matter any longer (last stand?)
Gets rid of grass clumps, small brush, even trees very swiftly and with low durability loss.
Repairs can use a variety of items, especially Oil if it is added for automotive stuff later.
 
New Item Functionality:
 
- Weed Killer:
Now works on grass clumps and small brush, in addition to its current use. Not strong enough to kill trees.
 
- Concrete:
Functionality extends to also restoring cracked road tiles to normal road tiles.
 
- Bag of Plaster:
Functionality extends to also restoring cracked/decaying walls to normal walls.
 
New Recipes:
Improvised Weed Killer = Bleach, Salt, Water Bottle, Sprayer

Just some ideas I'd really like to see - started thinking on it in the Erosion announcement thread and figured I'd start something more in-depth here on the PZ Suggestions area:
 
New Tools:
 
- Garden Shears:
Could work as a Short Range Melee Blade Weapon in a pinch.
Relatively quiet, good for taking out small bits that are in the way without resorting to louder means.
Gets rid of grass clumps and small brush slowly (About as long as cutting a tree)
Loses durability swiftly.
Repairs similar to Knives.
 
- Weedwacker:
Decently loud.
Uses Gasoline as ammunition.
Could be used as a Melee Blade Weapon, but is not its best use.
Gets rid of grass clumps and small brush swiftly with low durability loss.
Repairs can use Twine, Wire, and similar items.
 
- Chainsaw:
Very loud.
Uses Gasoline as ammunition.
Definitely capable of being used as a Melee Blade Weapon, especially in situations where noise doesn't matter any longer (last stand?)
Gets rid of grass clumps, small brush, even trees very swiftly and with low durability loss.
Repairs can use a variety of items, especially Oil if it is added for automotive stuff later.
 
New Item Functionality:
 
- Weed Killer:
Now works on grass clumps and small brush, in addition to its current use. Not strong enough to kill trees.
 
- Concrete:
Functionality extends to also restoring cracked road tiles to normal road tiles.
 
- Bag of Plaster:
Functionality extends to also restoring cracked/decaying walls to normal walls.
 
New Recipes:
Improvised Weed Killer = Bleach, Salt, Water Bottle, Sprayer

Just some ideas I'd really like to see - started thinking on it in the Erosion announcement thread and figured I'd start something more in-depth here on the PZ Suggestions area:
 
New Tools:
 
- Garden Shears:
Could work as a Short Range Melee Blade Weapon in a pinch.
Relatively quiet, good for taking out small bits that are in the way without resorting to louder means.
Gets rid of grass clumps and small brush slowly (About as long as cutting a tree)
Loses durability swiftly.
Repairs similar to Knives.
 
- Weedwacker:
Decently loud.
Uses Gasoline as ammunition.
Could be used as a Melee Blade Weapon, but is not its best use.
Gets rid of grass clumps and small brush swiftly with low durability loss.
Repairs can use Twine, Wire, and similar items.
 
- Chainsaw:
Very loud.
Uses Gasoline as ammunition.
Definitely capable of being used as a Melee Blade Weapon, especially in situations where noise doesn't matter any longer (last stand?)
Gets rid of grass clumps, small brush, even trees very swiftly and with low durability loss.
Repairs can use a variety of items, especially Oil if it is added for automotive stuff later.
 
New Item Functionality:
 
- Weed Killer:
Now works on grass clumps and small brush, in addition to its current use. Not strong enough to kill trees.
 
- Concrete:
Functionality extends to also restoring cracked road tiles to normal road tiles.
 
- Bag of Plaster:
Functionality extends to also restoring cracked/decaying walls to normal walls.
 
New Recipes:
Improvised Weed Killer = Bleach, Salt, Water Bottle, Sprayer

Just some ideas I'd really like to see - started thinking on it in the Erosion announcement thread and figured I'd start something more in-depth here on the PZ Suggestions area:
 
New Tools:
 
- Garden Shears:
Could work as a Short Range Melee Blade Weapon in a pinch.
Relatively quiet, good for taking out small bits that are in the way without resorting to louder means.
Gets rid of grass clumps and small brush slowly (About as long as cutting a tree)
Loses durability swiftly.
Repairs similar to Knives.
 
- Weedwacker:
Decently loud.
Uses Gasoline as ammunition.
Could be used as a Melee Blade Weapon, but is not its best use.
Gets rid of grass clumps and small brush swiftly with low durability loss.
Repairs can use Twine, Wire, and similar items.
 
- Chainsaw:
Very loud.
Uses Gasoline as ammunition.
Definitely capable of being used as a Melee Blade Weapon, especially in situations where noise doesn't matter any longer (last stand?)
Gets rid of grass clumps, small brush, even trees very swiftly and with low durability loss.
Repairs can use a variety of items, especially Oil if it is added for automotive stuff later.
 
New Item Functionality:
 
- Weed Killer:
Now works on grass clumps and small brush, in addition to its current use. Not strong enough to kill trees.
 
- Concrete:
Functionality extends to also restoring cracked road tiles to normal road tiles.
 
- Bag of Plaster:
Functionality extends to also restoring cracked/decaying walls to normal walls.
 
New Recipes:
Improvised Weed Killer = Bleach, Salt, Water Bottle, Sprayer

Brilliant idea - it'd make the moodle system quicker to read. If something is really heavily affecting your character, you'll see it on your character's face indicator and look to the moodles to see what it is exactly. If it's not super important, you might be able to put it off... maybe.
 
It could even be helpful if it could be applied to the NPC system later on, if you end up in some sort of close dialogue mode you can try to read their expressions.
 
- Did they agree with your request/order?
- Are they bit/sick/pained?
 
Reading an NPC would be very helpful in figuring out if they're just fluffing you up to stea from/kill you. They did mention that they're gunning for a system as treacherous as Crusader Kings 2, yes?
 
Finally: Make it modable - people could probably make/install their own facepacks. I could even see some people taking some slides with webcams to add themselves into the game (or maybe making their own NPCs for Storybased stuff, depending on how all that goes).
 
As for difficulty of implementing such a system, I could imagine it could hook into the same lines as the moodles and just pretty much act as an indicator. Not too terribly complicated, but it could take some time (modders could go wild with it, only offer a few default presets to switch through). It wouldn't necessarily need to be actually animated - maybe do it as a .png file with referenced frames that can be swapped triggered by active/inactive moodle combinations. Kind of like some of those wierd Japanese dating simulator things.

One of my favorite and long missed game features (due to the prevalence of multi-platform games being designed for being played without a mouse) was back in the old Black Isle games Fallout 1 & Fallout 2, where you could click on inanimate objects in the game and get a text 'description' your character utters.
 
It'd be great for fleshing out the world and adding some more personality to it. It'd also be a great way of scoping out if an NPC looks friendly or strung out and ready to turn you into barbeque - or even to gauge roughly the health of another player or NPC;
 
"That guy/lady doesn't look like they're feeling so good..." / "That guy/lady looks like they've been dragged backwards through hell twice." / "<Name> is looking as anxious as a rat in a room of full of cats."
 
You could even tie different textual descriptions based on the background you'd chosen for your character. It'd also have some handiness for server roleplaying/storytelling - especially if it is easy for modders to tweak to their liking.
 
Another Example:
 
You right click on one of the old mattresses in the Trailer area of Muldraugh.
 
"Even the bugs crawling on this bed get better sleep than you do..."
 
Could tweak it for more atmopsheric somberness or more sarcastic/gallows humor. I'd recommend the latter, really - as it could help lighten the intensity of all the other survival brutality and the player's innevitable demise.

One word: Clementine.
 
I know the creators of the game want to skirt the idea of a violent zombie apocalypse somehow averting children being harmed, but I have consistently found it to be immersion breaking to just deny they exist (especially when TellTale Games has done such a wonderful job showing some kids are not as helpless as they seem). I think there should be something, and having heirs - a reason to try to survive - would be a great way to add depth to survival when it comes to NPC juggling.
 
It would be bad enough losing your character ("this is how you died"), but imagine coming back in as a new stranger, eventually running into your growing, possibly bitter, orphan child. What if they become an enemy or raider? Interesting opportunities for server storytelling.
 
Honestly, though, it'd be something I'd rather see as a mod after we get more insight into how the NPC stuff is going to work out  - that way it'd be optional for people rather than force the idea on them. That way, everyone wins.

Around the area I live (I live in Northern Kentucky) I can think of a great amount of creatures that'd make great additions to the game as huntable/trappable food sources:
 
(The Obvious) Deer
Deer are very populous around here and would only get moreso without more hunters. They're also very quiet and would not rouse attention from wandering stiffs. Deer meat is absolutely awesome for cooking, but there is a danger one should be wary of - in certain seasons, Lyme disease is a huge risk. If the inherent danger of contamination is taken into consideration, this could make hunting deer in Project Zomboid risky but rewarding, as that is probably going to be the only source of red meat available after power goes out. Deer meat could go toward any recipe that uses raw red meat.
Potential Loot: Deer Meat, Antler, Hide, Innards [Fishing/Compost?]
 
Wild Turkeys
Wild turkeys range all around the area I live, one can even see them crossing roads sometimes in their little flocks. Good meat, and plenty more on them than any chicken. There's also less disease risk than, say, Deer - but eating raw would still be higher chance of sickness than starter, fridge found meats. A zombie might have a hard time even getting close to a Turkey given how easy to spook they are.
Potential Loot: Whole Turkey, Feathers, Innards [Fishing/Compost?]
 
Hungry Coyotes & Feral Dogs
Kentucky, and many other places, are lousy with Coyotes since they got reintroduced after about being wiped out. Now, especially in my county, there's literally open hunt on Coyotes to keep the populations in check (and it's still not very effective). Also, tons of people keep Dogs here - they're a lot more popular than Cats, at least in my area, and there'd be a ton of ownerless dogs turning feral. Depending on how lore is determined for Project Zomboid, these wild dogs could be more hungrier or less hungrier. In the Walking Dead Comics, most predators like feral dogs or birds can still eat Zombies, so they'd be a lot less on the hungry side and breed in large numbers. If we're going by Max Brooks/NoTLD staple, animals avoid stiffs like the plague they are, so they'd be a lot more hungry and brazen (and likely dangerous to players). Either way, Coyotes and Feral Dogs could be a source of red meat that might keep a player alive - as well as a threat while travelling, especially in wooded areas. Given that they are capable of being very fast, relatively social, and might have been eating zombies (or at least, scavenging filth), bites could cause all range of diseases and death. Big survival challenge.
Potential Loot: Dogmeat, Hide, Innards [Fishing/Compost?]
 
(Feral) Cats, Rabbits, Groundhogs, and Squirrels
As unpalatable as it may be, there will be tons of feral housecats in a Zombie Apocalypse. While cats aren't as popular in my area, there are many spots I do know of where stray cats are extremely common and would be a much more accessable food source than most game (let's not get soft here, folks, this game is about survival). Consider also that cats will undoubtedly be trapped in houses when their owners are zombified and could turn quite feral without food. Scratches from feral cats could get infected easily and be a challenge to the player. I'd imagine that most cats would generally flee zombies to mixed effect, and do breed fairly rapidly. Likewise, small mammals like Rabbits, Groundhogs, and Squirrels are common even in towns out here. They'd be very spookable and flee from zombies or non-stealthing players, but with the right means (Such as traps) could provide handy foodsources.
Potential Loot: Mystery Meat, Pelt, Innards [Fishing/Compost?]
 
(Feral) Chicken & Wild Fowl
Many people near me have chickens they just let freerange on their land, and the things usually stick to yards. Zombies would be attracted to eating the chickens and could overwhelm them, but most chickens will flap/flutter away easily without anyone to keep their wings trimmed.  Likewise, Ducks/Geese are common, but so are ground Pheasants and other small birds that are quite edible. It'd be nice to include nests with lootable eggs, so that players can have access to such things after power goes out. As cliche as it is, one shouldn't have a game that takes place in Kentucky without the ability to make Fried Chicken.
Potential Loot: Whole Fowl, Feathers, Innards [Fishing/Compost?]
 
Pondlife & Fish
A fishing system should definitely be included in Project Zomboid, maybe even with its own skill. Fishing is very common around Kentucky. There's plenty to catch, from Bluegill, Catfish, Bass, to Gars (*which aren't very useful for meat, but hey, they're there to annoy), even large Crawdads. Heck, there are bullfrogs in my ponds that weigh as much as cornish hens with legs like small drumsticks. I'd absolutely love for these kinds of things to be catchable in Project Zomboid for a character to survive off of. Zombies would not have access to most of these creatures and thus could provide a relatively safe foodsource for players willing to invest the time/luck.
Potential Loot: Fish, Fish Bones, Innards [Fishing/Compost?], Dead Frog, Crawdad
 
I'm hesitant to include Wild Boar and Elk on here, as they don't to my knowledge tend to get close to suburban/urban centers. I do know that Wild Boar are getting brazen and would only get moreso during a Zombie apocalypse, though - they might be an additional consideration.

Hello, I'm new here. I live in Northern Kentucky (I've met and talked with the peeps who created the Zombies!!! boardgame) and absolutely adore Project Zomboid. It's one of those games with a huge amount of potential that a lot of games just haven't reached out to grasp despite countless tries.
 
What follows is one (of many) suggestions I hope make it into PZ, though if it doesn't - well... I'm definitely going to work with the modding community on no few of my other ideas.
 
Sound Pings
 
For those who have played Starcraft 2, as a Terran, you can build a radar tower that shows little red blips with exclaimation marks on them to express unknowns outside of your visible fog of war. It's very helpful.
 
I think a system that is similar to show temporary indicators for peripheral noises outside of your line of sight arc would be most helpful for immersion and survival. I found it somewhat less immersive that you as a player have no representation of peripheral threats outside your vision. This would give the player a reasonable way to keep on their toes in situations (which they would have) where they could get surrounded that is sensible and fits the theme of survival.
 
Some Idea Bullet Points:
 
- Gives you brief red rings with a exclaimation marks to indicate near noises of interest outside your LoS, like blips on radar (Exactly like Starcraft 2 Radar Towers). This can potentially be zombies, NPCs, players, etc; or even impactful noises in the environment (You could get an idea of what direction that window shatter came from). These blips might move if they continue making noise or simply vanish.
 
- The beauty of this is, unlike actually seeing in your line of sight arc, you are not sure what the ping is, just that it is a "something". It could be a player ally coming up behind you as much as a zombie.
 
- A player could get up close to a door and hope to catch some pings from a room they haven't opened yet. (Assumption that sound pings will work in a fashion similar to LoS, but with some bleed over from walls or obstacles)
 
- Modified Negative Trait: "Hard of Hearing" (-4. Decreases the range you see these red ping rings)
 
- Modified Positive Trait: "Excellent Hearing" (+6. Increases the range you see these red ping rings, maybe even beyond what your LoS would normally be)
 
- Negative Trait: "Paranoid" (-4. Sometimes see false Sound Pings that appear right near you, keeping you on edge.)
 
- A good idea could be making Listening itself a skill. Higher Listen, better range of hearing. It is a skill that would make sense to develop as one survives longer and longer in a zombie apocalypse. 
 
- Zombies thumping on windows/doors might ping automatically if within hearing range
    - Doors opening, glass breaking, etc.
    - Shambling or bumping around into another zombie.
    - Anything moving through forest or tall grass can ping if in range (this would be particularly paranoia inducing when huntable wildlife is added; what if you're afraid of a little rabbit or deer?)
    - (Potentially) Different surfaces might impact the pings of movement
        - Plain Grass muffles the sound (Can't hear it until it's practically up on you, near melee)
        - Carpet muffles the sound (can't hear it until it's practically up on you, near melee)
        - Dirt / Dirt Road has mild sound range (About half the normal; crunching dirt. Close.)
        - Road has decent sound range (Clacking of shoes on asphalt. Able to hear a decent bit away.)
        - Wood floor has very noticable sound range (Clacking of shoes on wood. Very good distance.)
 
Any thoughts?

Remember, historically people starting spicing food to hide the fact that it was partially rotten/going bad.
 
Notice how edible foods start to increase sadness and boredom right before they go off? It's edible, but doesn't taste that good. Add spices, bam. Stretch your food just a little bit further. That said, if you're stupid enough to marinate a rotten steak before you eat it, you deserve the lethal stomach cramps that follow

An interesting twist would be risk. If the player recieving the CPR was, say, bit - and carrying the Zombie Disease - that could go very badly for the person blowing into their lungs and potentially coming in contact with spit or blood. Heck, they could be carrying any disease - all of which could negatively affect the rescuer.
 
That could make the would-be rescuer have to really consider if they want to step up and recussitate or if they'd want to see if the other player can just walk it off. That would make stepping up a bit more heroic, yes?
 
However, the implementation of one of those little squeeze bag + facemask things you see in paramedic vehicles or hospitals might allow disease-free means. But one would have to be lucky to find them and know what they're for. (Medical Skill?)

Around the area I live (I live in Northern Kentucky) I can think of a great amount of creatures that'd make great additions to the game as huntable/trappable food sources:
 
(The Obvious) Deer
Deer are very populous around here and would only get moreso without more hunters. They're also very quiet and would not rouse attention from wandering stiffs. Deer meat is absolutely awesome for cooking, but there is a danger one should be wary of - in certain seasons, Lyme disease is a huge risk. If the inherent danger of contamination is taken into consideration, this could make hunting deer in Project Zomboid risky but rewarding, as that is probably going to be the only source of red meat available after power goes out. Deer meat could go toward any recipe that uses raw red meat.
Potential Loot: Deer Meat, Antler, Hide, Innards [Fishing/Compost?]
 
Wild Turkeys
Wild turkeys range all around the area I live, one can even see them crossing roads sometimes in their little flocks. Good meat, and plenty more on them than any chicken. There's also less disease risk than, say, Deer - but eating raw would still be higher chance of sickness than starter, fridge found meats. A zombie might have a hard time even getting close to a Turkey given how easy to spook they are.
Potential Loot: Whole Turkey, Feathers, Innards [Fishing/Compost?]
 
Hungry Coyotes & Feral Dogs
Kentucky, and many other places, are lousy with Coyotes since they got reintroduced after about being wiped out. Now, especially in my county, there's literally open hunt on Coyotes to keep the populations in check (and it's still not very effective). Also, tons of people keep Dogs here - they're a lot more popular than Cats, at least in my area, and there'd be a ton of ownerless dogs turning feral. Depending on how lore is determined for Project Zomboid, these wild dogs could be more hungrier or less hungrier. In the Walking Dead Comics, most predators like feral dogs or birds can still eat Zombies, so they'd be a lot less on the hungry side and breed in large numbers. If we're going by Max Brooks/NoTLD staple, animals avoid stiffs like the plague they are, so they'd be a lot more hungry and brazen (and likely dangerous to players). Either way, Coyotes and Feral Dogs could be a source of red meat that might keep a player alive - as well as a threat while travelling, especially in wooded areas. Given that they are capable of being very fast, relatively social, and might have been eating zombies (or at least, scavenging filth), bites could cause all range of diseases and death. Big survival challenge.
Potential Loot: Dogmeat, Hide, Innards [Fishing/Compost?]
 
(Feral) Cats, Rabbits, Groundhogs, and Squirrels
As unpalatable as it may be, there will be tons of feral housecats in a Zombie Apocalypse. While cats aren't as popular in my area, there are many spots I do know of where stray cats are extremely common and would be a much more accessable food source than most game (let's not get soft here, folks, this game is about survival). Consider also that cats will undoubtedly be trapped in houses when their owners are zombified and could turn quite feral without food. Scratches from feral cats could get infected easily and be a challenge to the player. I'd imagine that most cats would generally flee zombies to mixed effect, and do breed fairly rapidly. Likewise, small mammals like Rabbits, Groundhogs, and Squirrels are common even in towns out here. They'd be very spookable and flee from zombies or non-stealthing players, but with the right means (Such as traps) could provide handy foodsources.
Potential Loot: Mystery Meat, Pelt, Innards [Fishing/Compost?]
 
(Feral) Chicken & Wild Fowl
Many people near me have chickens they just let freerange on their land, and the things usually stick to yards. Zombies would be attracted to eating the chickens and could overwhelm them, but most chickens will flap/flutter away easily without anyone to keep their wings trimmed.  Likewise, Ducks/Geese are common, but so are ground Pheasants and other small birds that are quite edible. It'd be nice to include nests with lootable eggs, so that players can have access to such things after power goes out. As cliche as it is, one shouldn't have a game that takes place in Kentucky without the ability to make Fried Chicken.
Potential Loot: Whole Fowl, Feathers, Innards [Fishing/Compost?]
 
Pondlife & Fish
A fishing system should definitely be included in Project Zomboid, maybe even with its own skill. Fishing is very common around Kentucky. There's plenty to catch, from Bluegill, Catfish, Bass, to Gars (*which aren't very useful for meat, but hey, they're there to annoy), even large Crawdads. Heck, there are bullfrogs in my ponds that weigh as much as cornish hens with legs like small drumsticks. I'd absolutely love for these kinds of things to be catchable in Project Zomboid for a character to survive off of. Zombies would not have access to most of these creatures and thus could provide a relatively safe foodsource for players willing to invest the time/luck.
Potential Loot: Fish, Fish Bones, Innards [Fishing/Compost?], Dead Frog, Crawdad
 
I'm hesitant to include Wild Boar and Elk on here, as they don't to my knowledge tend to get close to suburban/urban centers. I do know that Wild Boar are getting brazen and would only get moreso during a Zombie apocalypse, though - they might be an additional consideration.

Around the area I live (I live in Northern Kentucky) I can think of a great amount of creatures that'd make great additions to the game as huntable/trappable food sources:
 
(The Obvious) Deer
Deer are very populous around here and would only get moreso without more hunters. They're also very quiet and would not rouse attention from wandering stiffs. Deer meat is absolutely awesome for cooking, but there is a danger one should be wary of - in certain seasons, Lyme disease is a huge risk. If the inherent danger of contamination is taken into consideration, this could make hunting deer in Project Zomboid risky but rewarding, as that is probably going to be the only source of red meat available after power goes out. Deer meat could go toward any recipe that uses raw red meat.
Potential Loot: Deer Meat, Antler, Hide, Innards [Fishing/Compost?]
 
Wild Turkeys
Wild turkeys range all around the area I live, one can even see them crossing roads sometimes in their little flocks. Good meat, and plenty more on them than any chicken. There's also less disease risk than, say, Deer - but eating raw would still be higher chance of sickness than starter, fridge found meats. A zombie might have a hard time even getting close to a Turkey given how easy to spook they are.
Potential Loot: Whole Turkey, Feathers, Innards [Fishing/Compost?]
 
Hungry Coyotes & Feral Dogs
Kentucky, and many other places, are lousy with Coyotes since they got reintroduced after about being wiped out. Now, especially in my county, there's literally open hunt on Coyotes to keep the populations in check (and it's still not very effective). Also, tons of people keep Dogs here - they're a lot more popular than Cats, at least in my area, and there'd be a ton of ownerless dogs turning feral. Depending on how lore is determined for Project Zomboid, these wild dogs could be more hungrier or less hungrier. In the Walking Dead Comics, most predators like feral dogs or birds can still eat Zombies, so they'd be a lot less on the hungry side and breed in large numbers. If we're going by Max Brooks/NoTLD staple, animals avoid stiffs like the plague they are, so they'd be a lot more hungry and brazen (and likely dangerous to players). Either way, Coyotes and Feral Dogs could be a source of red meat that might keep a player alive - as well as a threat while travelling, especially in wooded areas. Given that they are capable of being very fast, relatively social, and might have been eating zombies (or at least, scavenging filth), bites could cause all range of diseases and death. Big survival challenge.
Potential Loot: Dogmeat, Hide, Innards [Fishing/Compost?]
 
(Feral) Cats, Rabbits, Groundhogs, and Squirrels
As unpalatable as it may be, there will be tons of feral housecats in a Zombie Apocalypse. While cats aren't as popular in my area, there are many spots I do know of where stray cats are extremely common and would be a much more accessable food source than most game (let's not get soft here, folks, this game is about survival). Consider also that cats will undoubtedly be trapped in houses when their owners are zombified and could turn quite feral without food. Scratches from feral cats could get infected easily and be a challenge to the player. I'd imagine that most cats would generally flee zombies to mixed effect, and do breed fairly rapidly. Likewise, small mammals like Rabbits, Groundhogs, and Squirrels are common even in towns out here. They'd be very spookable and flee from zombies or non-stealthing players, but with the right means (Such as traps) could provide handy foodsources.
Potential Loot: Mystery Meat, Pelt, Innards [Fishing/Compost?]
 
(Feral) Chicken & Wild Fowl
Many people near me have chickens they just let freerange on their land, and the things usually stick to yards. Zombies would be attracted to eating the chickens and could overwhelm them, but most chickens will flap/flutter away easily without anyone to keep their wings trimmed.  Likewise, Ducks/Geese are common, but so are ground Pheasants and other small birds that are quite edible. It'd be nice to include nests with lootable eggs, so that players can have access to such things after power goes out. As cliche as it is, one shouldn't have a game that takes place in Kentucky without the ability to make Fried Chicken.
Potential Loot: Whole Fowl, Feathers, Innards [Fishing/Compost?]
 
Pondlife & Fish
A fishing system should definitely be included in Project Zomboid, maybe even with its own skill. Fishing is very common around Kentucky. There's plenty to catch, from Bluegill, Catfish, Bass, to Gars (*which aren't very useful for meat, but hey, they're there to annoy), even large Crawdads. Heck, there are bullfrogs in my ponds that weigh as much as cornish hens with legs like small drumsticks. I'd absolutely love for these kinds of things to be catchable in Project Zomboid for a character to survive off of. Zombies would not have access to most of these creatures and thus could provide a relatively safe foodsource for players willing to invest the time/luck.
Potential Loot: Fish, Fish Bones, Innards [Fishing/Compost?], Dead Frog, Crawdad
 
I'm hesitant to include Wild Boar and Elk on here, as they don't to my knowledge tend to get close to suburban/urban centers. I do know that Wild Boar are getting brazen and would only get moreso during a Zombie apocalypse, though - they might be an additional consideration.

Around the area I live (I live in Northern Kentucky) I can think of a great amount of creatures that'd make great additions to the game as huntable/trappable food sources:
 
(The Obvious) Deer
Deer are very populous around here and would only get moreso without more hunters. They're also very quiet and would not rouse attention from wandering stiffs. Deer meat is absolutely awesome for cooking, but there is a danger one should be wary of - in certain seasons, Lyme disease is a huge risk. If the inherent danger of contamination is taken into consideration, this could make hunting deer in Project Zomboid risky but rewarding, as that is probably going to be the only source of red meat available after power goes out. Deer meat could go toward any recipe that uses raw red meat.
Potential Loot: Deer Meat, Antler, Hide, Innards [Fishing/Compost?]
 
Wild Turkeys
Wild turkeys range all around the area I live, one can even see them crossing roads sometimes in their little flocks. Good meat, and plenty more on them than any chicken. There's also less disease risk than, say, Deer - but eating raw would still be higher chance of sickness than starter, fridge found meats. A zombie might have a hard time even getting close to a Turkey given how easy to spook they are.
Potential Loot: Whole Turkey, Feathers, Innards [Fishing/Compost?]
 
Hungry Coyotes & Feral Dogs
Kentucky, and many other places, are lousy with Coyotes since they got reintroduced after about being wiped out. Now, especially in my county, there's literally open hunt on Coyotes to keep the populations in check (and it's still not very effective). Also, tons of people keep Dogs here - they're a lot more popular than Cats, at least in my area, and there'd be a ton of ownerless dogs turning feral. Depending on how lore is determined for Project Zomboid, these wild dogs could be more hungrier or less hungrier. In the Walking Dead Comics, most predators like feral dogs or birds can still eat Zombies, so they'd be a lot less on the hungry side and breed in large numbers. If we're going by Max Brooks/NoTLD staple, animals avoid stiffs like the plague they are, so they'd be a lot more hungry and brazen (and likely dangerous to players). Either way, Coyotes and Feral Dogs could be a source of red meat that might keep a player alive - as well as a threat while travelling, especially in wooded areas. Given that they are capable of being very fast, relatively social, and might have been eating zombies (or at least, scavenging filth), bites could cause all range of diseases and death. Big survival challenge.
Potential Loot: Dogmeat, Hide, Innards [Fishing/Compost?]
 
(Feral) Cats, Rabbits, Groundhogs, and Squirrels
As unpalatable as it may be, there will be tons of feral housecats in a Zombie Apocalypse. While cats aren't as popular in my area, there are many spots I do know of where stray cats are extremely common and would be a much more accessable food source than most game (let's not get soft here, folks, this game is about survival). Consider also that cats will undoubtedly be trapped in houses when their owners are zombified and could turn quite feral without food. Scratches from feral cats could get infected easily and be a challenge to the player. I'd imagine that most cats would generally flee zombies to mixed effect, and do breed fairly rapidly. Likewise, small mammals like Rabbits, Groundhogs, and Squirrels are common even in towns out here. They'd be very spookable and flee from zombies or non-stealthing players, but with the right means (Such as traps) could provide handy foodsources.
Potential Loot: Mystery Meat, Pelt, Innards [Fishing/Compost?]
 
(Feral) Chicken & Wild Fowl
Many people near me have chickens they just let freerange on their land, and the things usually stick to yards. Zombies would be attracted to eating the chickens and could overwhelm them, but most chickens will flap/flutter away easily without anyone to keep their wings trimmed.  Likewise, Ducks/Geese are common, but so are ground Pheasants and other small birds that are quite edible. It'd be nice to include nests with lootable eggs, so that players can have access to such things after power goes out. As cliche as it is, one shouldn't have a game that takes place in Kentucky without the ability to make Fried Chicken.
Potential Loot: Whole Fowl, Feathers, Innards [Fishing/Compost?]
 
Pondlife & Fish
A fishing system should definitely be included in Project Zomboid, maybe even with its own skill. Fishing is very common around Kentucky. There's plenty to catch, from Bluegill, Catfish, Bass, to Gars (*which aren't very useful for meat, but hey, they're there to annoy), even large Crawdads. Heck, there are bullfrogs in my ponds that weigh as much as cornish hens with legs like small drumsticks. I'd absolutely love for these kinds of things to be catchable in Project Zomboid for a character to survive off of. Zombies would not have access to most of these creatures and thus could provide a relatively safe foodsource for players willing to invest the time/luck.
Potential Loot: Fish, Fish Bones, Innards [Fishing/Compost?], Dead Frog, Crawdad
 
I'm hesitant to include Wild Boar and Elk on here, as they don't to my knowledge tend to get close to suburban/urban centers. I do know that Wild Boar are getting brazen and would only get moreso during a Zombie apocalypse, though - they might be an additional consideration.

An interesting twist would be risk. If the player recieving the CPR was, say, bit - and carrying the Zombie Disease - that could go very badly for the person blowing into their lungs and potentially coming in contact with spit or blood. Heck, they could be carrying any disease - all of which could negatively affect the rescuer.
 
That could make the would-be rescuer have to really consider if they want to step up and recussitate or if they'd want to see if the other player can just walk it off. That would make stepping up a bit more heroic, yes?
 
However, the implementation of one of those little squeeze bag + facemask things you see in paramedic vehicles or hospitals might allow disease-free means. But one would have to be lucky to find them and know what they're for. (Medical Skill?)

Around the area I live (I live in Northern Kentucky) I can think of a great amount of creatures that'd make great additions to the game as huntable/trappable food sources:
 
(The Obvious) Deer
Deer are very populous around here and would only get moreso without more hunters. They're also very quiet and would not rouse attention from wandering stiffs. Deer meat is absolutely awesome for cooking, but there is a danger one should be wary of - in certain seasons, Lyme disease is a huge risk. If the inherent danger of contamination is taken into consideration, this could make hunting deer in Project Zomboid risky but rewarding, as that is probably going to be the only source of red meat available after power goes out. Deer meat could go toward any recipe that uses raw red meat.
Potential Loot: Deer Meat, Antler, Hide, Innards [Fishing/Compost?]
 
Wild Turkeys
Wild turkeys range all around the area I live, one can even see them crossing roads sometimes in their little flocks. Good meat, and plenty more on them than any chicken. There's also less disease risk than, say, Deer - but eating raw would still be higher chance of sickness than starter, fridge found meats. A zombie might have a hard time even getting close to a Turkey given how easy to spook they are.
Potential Loot: Whole Turkey, Feathers, Innards [Fishing/Compost?]
 
Hungry Coyotes & Feral Dogs
Kentucky, and many other places, are lousy with Coyotes since they got reintroduced after about being wiped out. Now, especially in my county, there's literally open hunt on Coyotes to keep the populations in check (and it's still not very effective). Also, tons of people keep Dogs here - they're a lot more popular than Cats, at least in my area, and there'd be a ton of ownerless dogs turning feral. Depending on how lore is determined for Project Zomboid, these wild dogs could be more hungrier or less hungrier. In the Walking Dead Comics, most predators like feral dogs or birds can still eat Zombies, so they'd be a lot less on the hungry side and breed in large numbers. If we're going by Max Brooks/NoTLD staple, animals avoid stiffs like the plague they are, so they'd be a lot more hungry and brazen (and likely dangerous to players). Either way, Coyotes and Feral Dogs could be a source of red meat that might keep a player alive - as well as a threat while travelling, especially in wooded areas. Given that they are capable of being very fast, relatively social, and might have been eating zombies (or at least, scavenging filth), bites could cause all range of diseases and death. Big survival challenge.
Potential Loot: Dogmeat, Hide, Innards [Fishing/Compost?]
 
(Feral) Cats, Rabbits, Groundhogs, and Squirrels
As unpalatable as it may be, there will be tons of feral housecats in a Zombie Apocalypse. While cats aren't as popular in my area, there are many spots I do know of where stray cats are extremely common and would be a much more accessable food source than most game (let's not get soft here, folks, this game is about survival). Consider also that cats will undoubtedly be trapped in houses when their owners are zombified and could turn quite feral without food. Scratches from feral cats could get infected easily and be a challenge to the player. I'd imagine that most cats would generally flee zombies to mixed effect, and do breed fairly rapidly. Likewise, small mammals like Rabbits, Groundhogs, and Squirrels are common even in towns out here. They'd be very spookable and flee from zombies or non-stealthing players, but with the right means (Such as traps) could provide handy foodsources.
Potential Loot: Mystery Meat, Pelt, Innards [Fishing/Compost?]
 
(Feral) Chicken & Wild Fowl
Many people near me have chickens they just let freerange on their land, and the things usually stick to yards. Zombies would be attracted to eating the chickens and could overwhelm them, but most chickens will flap/flutter away easily without anyone to keep their wings trimmed.  Likewise, Ducks/Geese are common, but so are ground Pheasants and other small birds that are quite edible. It'd be nice to include nests with lootable eggs, so that players can have access to such things after power goes out. As cliche as it is, one shouldn't have a game that takes place in Kentucky without the ability to make Fried Chicken.
Potential Loot: Whole Fowl, Feathers, Innards [Fishing/Compost?]
 
Pondlife & Fish
A fishing system should definitely be included in Project Zomboid, maybe even with its own skill. Fishing is very common around Kentucky. There's plenty to catch, from Bluegill, Catfish, Bass, to Gars (*which aren't very useful for meat, but hey, they're there to annoy), even large Crawdads. Heck, there are bullfrogs in my ponds that weigh as much as cornish hens with legs like small drumsticks. I'd absolutely love for these kinds of things to be catchable in Project Zomboid for a character to survive off of. Zombies would not have access to most of these creatures and thus could provide a relatively safe foodsource for players willing to invest the time/luck.
Potential Loot: Fish, Fish Bones, Innards [Fishing/Compost?], Dead Frog, Crawdad
 
I'm hesitant to include Wild Boar and Elk on here, as they don't to my knowledge tend to get close to suburban/urban centers. I do know that Wild Boar are getting brazen and would only get moreso during a Zombie apocalypse, though - they might be an additional consideration.

Around the area I live (I live in Northern Kentucky) I can think of a great amount of creatures that'd make great additions to the game as huntable/trappable food sources:
 
(The Obvious) Deer
Deer are very populous around here and would only get moreso without more hunters. They're also very quiet and would not rouse attention from wandering stiffs. Deer meat is absolutely awesome for cooking, but there is a danger one should be wary of - in certain seasons, Lyme disease is a huge risk. If the inherent danger of contamination is taken into consideration, this could make hunting deer in Project Zomboid risky but rewarding, as that is probably going to be the only source of red meat available after power goes out. Deer meat could go toward any recipe that uses raw red meat.
Potential Loot: Deer Meat, Antler, Hide, Innards [Fishing/Compost?]
 
Wild Turkeys
Wild turkeys range all around the area I live, one can even see them crossing roads sometimes in their little flocks. Good meat, and plenty more on them than any chicken. There's also less disease risk than, say, Deer - but eating raw would still be higher chance of sickness than starter, fridge found meats. A zombie might have a hard time even getting close to a Turkey given how easy to spook they are.
Potential Loot: Whole Turkey, Feathers, Innards [Fishing/Compost?]
 
Hungry Coyotes & Feral Dogs
Kentucky, and many other places, are lousy with Coyotes since they got reintroduced after about being wiped out. Now, especially in my county, there's literally open hunt on Coyotes to keep the populations in check (and it's still not very effective). Also, tons of people keep Dogs here - they're a lot more popular than Cats, at least in my area, and there'd be a ton of ownerless dogs turning feral. Depending on how lore is determined for Project Zomboid, these wild dogs could be more hungrier or less hungrier. In the Walking Dead Comics, most predators like feral dogs or birds can still eat Zombies, so they'd be a lot less on the hungry side and breed in large numbers. If we're going by Max Brooks/NoTLD staple, animals avoid stiffs like the plague they are, so they'd be a lot more hungry and brazen (and likely dangerous to players). Either way, Coyotes and Feral Dogs could be a source of red meat that might keep a player alive - as well as a threat while travelling, especially in wooded areas. Given that they are capable of being very fast, relatively social, and might have been eating zombies (or at least, scavenging filth), bites could cause all range of diseases and death. Big survival challenge.
Potential Loot: Dogmeat, Hide, Innards [Fishing/Compost?]
 
(Feral) Cats, Rabbits, Groundhogs, and Squirrels
As unpalatable as it may be, there will be tons of feral housecats in a Zombie Apocalypse. While cats aren't as popular in my area, there are many spots I do know of where stray cats are extremely common and would be a much more accessable food source than most game (let's not get soft here, folks, this game is about survival). Consider also that cats will undoubtedly be trapped in houses when their owners are zombified and could turn quite feral without food. Scratches from feral cats could get infected easily and be a challenge to the player. I'd imagine that most cats would generally flee zombies to mixed effect, and do breed fairly rapidly. Likewise, small mammals like Rabbits, Groundhogs, and Squirrels are common even in towns out here. They'd be very spookable and flee from zombies or non-stealthing players, but with the right means (Such as traps) could provide handy foodsources.
Potential Loot: Mystery Meat, Pelt, Innards [Fishing/Compost?]
 
(Feral) Chicken & Wild Fowl
Many people near me have chickens they just let freerange on their land, and the things usually stick to yards. Zombies would be attracted to eating the chickens and could overwhelm them, but most chickens will flap/flutter away easily without anyone to keep their wings trimmed.  Likewise, Ducks/Geese are common, but so are ground Pheasants and other small birds that are quite edible. It'd be nice to include nests with lootable eggs, so that players can have access to such things after power goes out. As cliche as it is, one shouldn't have a game that takes place in Kentucky without the ability to make Fried Chicken.
Potential Loot: Whole Fowl, Feathers, Innards [Fishing/Compost?]
 
Pondlife & Fish
A fishing system should definitely be included in Project Zomboid, maybe even with its own skill. Fishing is very common around Kentucky. There's plenty to catch, from Bluegill, Catfish, Bass, to Gars (*which aren't very useful for meat, but hey, they're there to annoy), even large Crawdads. Heck, there are bullfrogs in my ponds that weigh as much as cornish hens with legs like small drumsticks. I'd absolutely love for these kinds of things to be catchable in Project Zomboid for a character to survive off of. Zombies would not have access to most of these creatures and thus could provide a relatively safe foodsource for players willing to invest the time/luck.
Potential Loot: Fish, Fish Bones, Innards [Fishing/Compost?], Dead Frog, Crawdad
 
I'm hesitant to include Wild Boar and Elk on here, as they don't to my knowledge tend to get close to suburban/urban centers. I do know that Wild Boar are getting brazen and would only get moreso during a Zombie apocalypse, though - they might be an additional consideration.

Rats would boom after power goes out and with more food spoiling. That might make it a good idea to make things harder later in the game. While rats wouldn't affect zombies (Except that zombies might go after rats they see, causing migrations) they could 'loot' food items and replace them with disease causing rat poop (or even replacing food items with dead rats). How irritating it would be to go looking for that stash of chips and dried ramen to find one dead rat and a handful of rat poo!
 
Keeping your place free of rats would be a pretty important survival test - making bite proof containers with Advanced Carpentry and killing/trapping the little buggers would keep the game interesting when zombie threats seem less. You could fortify all you want, but rats - they'll just move right in. Of course, if you're completely out of food - you could take your chances eating the rats. So, life, lemons, lemonade kind of situation. Only with more disease.
 
I could even picture the rats being a pain to people's farms.
 
On the subject of that, I think that birds - if implemented - should be more of a threat to crops rather than noiseboxes, with players given several different options with varying levels of effectiveness to keep the winged pests out. Keeping pests out of farms could be the difference between life and death in late game.

Maybe moving could increase ping fade? Sneaking could decrease the speed pings fade. I was thinking that the ping would flash quickly in some cases, especially if the player is moving - maybe persist a little longer. Maybe get the Orienteering skill in on this, keeping the ping visibility time longer (thus making it easier to visually trace the location/direction of a sound)?

Hello, I'm new here. I live in Northern Kentucky (I've met and talked with the peeps who created the Zombies!!! boardgame) and absolutely adore Project Zomboid. It's one of those games with a huge amount of potential that a lot of games just haven't reached out to grasp despite countless tries.
 
What follows is one (of many) suggestions I hope make it into PZ, though if it doesn't - well... I'm definitely going to work with the modding community on no few of my other ideas.
 
Sound Pings
 
For those who have played Starcraft 2, as a Terran, you can build a radar tower that shows little red blips with exclaimation marks on them to express unknowns outside of your visible fog of war. It's very helpful.
 
I think a system that is similar to show temporary indicators for peripheral noises outside of your line of sight arc would be most helpful for immersion and survival. I found it somewhat less immersive that you as a player have no representation of peripheral threats outside your vision. This would give the player a reasonable way to keep on their toes in situations (which they would have) where they could get surrounded that is sensible and fits the theme of survival.
 
Some Idea Bullet Points:
 
- Gives you brief red rings with a exclaimation marks to indicate near noises of interest outside your LoS, like blips on radar (Exactly like Starcraft 2 Radar Towers). This can potentially be zombies, NPCs, players, etc; or even impactful noises in the environment (You could get an idea of what direction that window shatter came from). These blips might move if they continue making noise or simply vanish.
 
- The beauty of this is, unlike actually seeing in your line of sight arc, you are not sure what the ping is, just that it is a "something". It could be a player ally coming up behind you as much as a zombie.
 
- A player could get up close to a door and hope to catch some pings from a room they haven't opened yet. (Assumption that sound pings will work in a fashion similar to LoS, but with some bleed over from walls or obstacles)
 
- Modified Negative Trait: "Hard of Hearing" (-4. Decreases the range you see these red ping rings)
 
- Modified Positive Trait: "Excellent Hearing" (+6. Increases the range you see these red ping rings, maybe even beyond what your LoS would normally be)
 
- Negative Trait: "Paranoid" (-4. Sometimes see false Sound Pings that appear right near you, keeping you on edge.)
 
- A good idea could be making Listening itself a skill. Higher Listen, better range of hearing. It is a skill that would make sense to develop as one survives longer and longer in a zombie apocalypse. 
 
- Zombies thumping on windows/doors might ping automatically if within hearing range
    - Doors opening, glass breaking, etc.
    - Shambling or bumping around into another zombie.
    - Anything moving through forest or tall grass can ping if in range (this would be particularly paranoia inducing when huntable wildlife is added; what if you're afraid of a little rabbit or deer?)
    - (Potentially) Different surfaces might impact the pings of movement
        - Plain Grass muffles the sound (Can't hear it until it's practically up on you, near melee)
        - Carpet muffles the sound (can't hear it until it's practically up on you, near melee)
        - Dirt / Dirt Road has mild sound range (About half the normal; crunching dirt. Close.)
        - Road has decent sound range (Clacking of shoes on asphalt. Able to hear a decent bit away.)
        - Wood floor has very noticable sound range (Clacking of shoes on wood. Very good distance.)
 
Any thoughts?

Hello, I'm new here. I live in Northern Kentucky (I've met and talked with the peeps who created the Zombies!!! boardgame) and absolutely adore Project Zomboid. It's one of those games with a huge amount of potential that a lot of games just haven't reached out to grasp despite countless tries.
 
What follows is one (of many) suggestions I hope make it into PZ, though if it doesn't - well... I'm definitely going to work with the modding community on no few of my other ideas.
 
Sound Pings
 
For those who have played Starcraft 2, as a Terran, you can build a radar tower that shows little red blips with exclaimation marks on them to express unknowns outside of your visible fog of war. It's very helpful.
 
I think a system that is similar to show temporary indicators for peripheral noises outside of your line of sight arc would be most helpful for immersion and survival. I found it somewhat less immersive that you as a player have no representation of peripheral threats outside your vision. This would give the player a reasonable way to keep on their toes in situations (which they would have) where they could get surrounded that is sensible and fits the theme of survival.
 
Some Idea Bullet Points:
 
- Gives you brief red rings with a exclaimation marks to indicate near noises of interest outside your LoS, like blips on radar (Exactly like Starcraft 2 Radar Towers). This can potentially be zombies, NPCs, players, etc; or even impactful noises in the environment (You could get an idea of what direction that window shatter came from). These blips might move if they continue making noise or simply vanish.
 
- The beauty of this is, unlike actually seeing in your line of sight arc, you are not sure what the ping is, just that it is a "something". It could be a player ally coming up behind you as much as a zombie.
 
- A player could get up close to a door and hope to catch some pings from a room they haven't opened yet. (Assumption that sound pings will work in a fashion similar to LoS, but with some bleed over from walls or obstacles)
 
- Modified Negative Trait: "Hard of Hearing" (-4. Decreases the range you see these red ping rings)
 
- Modified Positive Trait: "Excellent Hearing" (+6. Increases the range you see these red ping rings, maybe even beyond what your LoS would normally be)
 
- Negative Trait: "Paranoid" (-4. Sometimes see false Sound Pings that appear right near you, keeping you on edge.)
 
- A good idea could be making Listening itself a skill. Higher Listen, better range of hearing. It is a skill that would make sense to develop as one survives longer and longer in a zombie apocalypse. 
 
- Zombies thumping on windows/doors might ping automatically if within hearing range
    - Doors opening, glass breaking, etc.
    - Shambling or bumping around into another zombie.
    - Anything moving through forest or tall grass can ping if in range (this would be particularly paranoia inducing when huntable wildlife is added; what if you're afraid of a little rabbit or deer?)
    - (Potentially) Different surfaces might impact the pings of movement
        - Plain Grass muffles the sound (Can't hear it until it's practically up on you, near melee)
        - Carpet muffles the sound (can't hear it until it's practically up on you, near melee)
        - Dirt / Dirt Road has mild sound range (About half the normal; crunching dirt. Close.)
        - Road has decent sound range (Clacking of shoes on asphalt. Able to hear a decent bit away.)
        - Wood floor has very noticable sound range (Clacking of shoes on wood. Very good distance.)
 
Any thoughts?

Hello, I'm new here. I live in Northern Kentucky (I've met and talked with the peeps who created the Zombies!!! boardgame) and absolutely adore Project Zomboid. It's one of those games with a huge amount of potential that a lot of games just haven't reached out to grasp despite countless tries.
 
What follows is one (of many) suggestions I hope make it into PZ, though if it doesn't - well... I'm definitely going to work with the modding community on no few of my other ideas.
 
Sound Pings
 
For those who have played Starcraft 2, as a Terran, you can build a radar tower that shows little red blips with exclaimation marks on them to express unknowns outside of your visible fog of war. It's very helpful.
 
I think a system that is similar to show temporary indicators for peripheral noises outside of your line of sight arc would be most helpful for immersion and survival. I found it somewhat less immersive that you as a player have no representation of peripheral threats outside your vision. This would give the player a reasonable way to keep on their toes in situations (which they would have) where they could get surrounded that is sensible and fits the theme of survival.
 
Some Idea Bullet Points:
 
- Gives you brief red rings with a exclaimation marks to indicate near noises of interest outside your LoS, like blips on radar (Exactly like Starcraft 2 Radar Towers). This can potentially be zombies, NPCs, players, etc; or even impactful noises in the environment (You could get an idea of what direction that window shatter came from). These blips might move if they continue making noise or simply vanish.
 
- The beauty of this is, unlike actually seeing in your line of sight arc, you are not sure what the ping is, just that it is a "something". It could be a player ally coming up behind you as much as a zombie.
 
- A player could get up close to a door and hope to catch some pings from a room they haven't opened yet. (Assumption that sound pings will work in a fashion similar to LoS, but with some bleed over from walls or obstacles)
 
- Modified Negative Trait: "Hard of Hearing" (-4. Decreases the range you see these red ping rings)
 
- Modified Positive Trait: "Excellent Hearing" (+6. Increases the range you see these red ping rings, maybe even beyond what your LoS would normally be)
 
- Negative Trait: "Paranoid" (-4. Sometimes see false Sound Pings that appear right near you, keeping you on edge.)
 
- A good idea could be making Listening itself a skill. Higher Listen, better range of hearing. It is a skill that would make sense to develop as one survives longer and longer in a zombie apocalypse. 
 
- Zombies thumping on windows/doors might ping automatically if within hearing range
    - Doors opening, glass breaking, etc.
    - Shambling or bumping around into another zombie.
    - Anything moving through forest or tall grass can ping if in range (this would be particularly paranoia inducing when huntable wildlife is added; what if you're afraid of a little rabbit or deer?)
    - (Potentially) Different surfaces might impact the pings of movement
        - Plain Grass muffles the sound (Can't hear it until it's practically up on you, near melee)
        - Carpet muffles the sound (can't hear it until it's practically up on you, near melee)
        - Dirt / Dirt Road has mild sound range (About half the normal; crunching dirt. Close.)
        - Road has decent sound range (Clacking of shoes on asphalt. Able to hear a decent bit away.)
        - Wood floor has very noticable sound range (Clacking of shoes on wood. Very good distance.)
 
Any thoughts?