EchelontheEyeless

Hi guys! I'm new to both the community and Project Zomboid the game... One of the first things I found ingame was a corpse of some poor soul who obviously couldn't handle survival (which is fair enough) and they had a note/piece of scrap on them...
I was thinking, what if these bodies had bits of scrap or diaries which could be full of notes or survival stories of people who have played Project Zomboid so far. This could be a way for the community to have a bit of input into the game, and it would add a bit of immersion or feeling of there are other stories out there!
Maybe this could be done via a forum thread, competition or YouTube channels that have had a good story behind them etc?
Since stories are what gives this game depth to the community as a whole, as people love having their epic or un-epic moments made public - why not a better way to do this than put these stories on those that have fallen

Currently households do not really contain realistic amount of items. Many tools such as pincers, drill bits, wire cutter, motor oil are missing from garages and tool sheds. The same applies to kitchens and toilets.
The problem here is if mod authors define those items, we have item conflicts. It would be much better if mod authors only defined their mod specific items using the combination of existing typical items.
Second problem is that people can collect those items, even without purpose, because maybe later in game an use will be added for them. If the item is added along with use, they have to extend their search radius to find the items in already looted map.
I can already see some random items popping in game and I think it's great! I just want to express how important I think it is.

Currently, when zombies get bored they start vandalizing everything in their reach. Larger group of zombies quickly wipe away all windows and doors in player's proximity. Which is another thing - zombies only destroy stuff when player is close. When I sneak to a group of zombies even though they don't seem me they will slowly disperse and start destroying surrounding objects. It is very typical of them to find water barrels.
 
Zombies often walk long distances in order to attack player-made objects. This is making me feel the game is cheating on me - especially if zombies walk around the wall to attack said water barrel or door. This is even worse due to A* nature of zombies pathfinder.
 
I see nothing wrong with zombie destroying objects that interfere with it's path, but there must be a motivation for this action! Why would zombie just go to window to destroy it? When I approached the market (lot's of big windows), after just one day all windows and doors were broken.
 
The only upside is that I don't need to break doors to get hinges and doorknobs. I just walk around the city and pick what zombies left behind them.

To make characters more alive, let's add some random food preferences for them. Finding your favorite food is a good way to reduce sadness and boredom.
Also after character reaches a certain level of hunger all food can be tagged as favorite to represent culinary indiscrimination of a hungry person.
It would be also nice to highlight beloved food in inventory menus (kinda adding something to a sprite) - this will make the game more roguelike because of hunting those sweet canned chili.. : ) .
 
 

Neat idea. I'd thought about this before, and here is something else i find balancing. If you have a favorite food or to, there should also be a few random foods you hate, giving you unhappiness if you have to eat them and aren't staving. Also I think if your starving that any food should give you a small moral boost, no mater how nasty.

Yeah exactly. It helps control the rumors and such as you've said, and helps others to be sure of what's really gonna be added. And thank you haha. I saw it on the link and liked it. I've been wanting to change my avatar to a spiffo one of sorts anyways = P HAIL LORD SPIFFO

Always glad to help when I can

Having links for reference seems to make others happy as well so I've started to make a habit of it Also helps control rumors, misinformation and hearsay being spread


Edit: Nice new Spiffo avatar btw

Sweeet. Thank you, you've been very helpful. = ) I'm glad to hear other stuff like beds and everything will be revamped to be able to deconstruct and carry. 

Hi I know that Project Zomboid is in pre-alpha, or alpha? (Not sure of the specific term let me know please ._. ) I digress, I know that everything is still in the works. And TV's were recently added.
I feel that TV's should have some kind of audio to them. Could be just random noises, or even people saying the words. Whatever, goes along with the spirit of Zomboid.  I also feel that some visuals would be nice, or even just a more colorful static image. And, I think the TV should ease boredom. I.e. from an interaction, or a certain aura/moodlet the TV gives off when in the same room.   
I wasn't sure if those things were going to be added to the TV, but just some ideas. = ) I was excited about TV's, but i'm just not really feeling them now that they're out. I'm not very drawn to them. I know it's kind of small details, but I feel the little nuances add to an overall nice feel of immersion to the game. And that makes it worth adding. Also, it doesn't feel too much like "Sims" micromanaging if there's an interaction to watch the TV.
 
That should be all. Let me know what you all think. Cheers.

Link to the most recent Monodid reference for those interested: http://projectzomboid.com/blog/2016/06/strike-a-pose/

"Turbs is coming back onto the main build for a bit – to finish integrating his work on player boredom, the necessity of entertainment, learning from live and recorded TV and radio shows and hopefully a more analogue radio tuning system to help with tuning into secret wavelengths etc."

Having translated the radio-TV content (a few thousand lines of dialogues), I can tell you that as things are right now, I don't think adding more channels would actually bring anything to the game. 
 
Now, about the cosmetic part, well... That's a pretty personal feeling so I have nothing to say
 
Finally, for the boredom, etc... A Mondoid mentioned the fact you will be able to learn stuff from TV shows. Also, boredom and player well-being revamp also seems to be in the pipes (Mondoid again) so TV and radio will most probably get involved in the process. 

Tried to find something more recent (as I'm pretty sure it was mentioned again in a later Mondoid) but here's a Mondoid from around the time furniture movement was implemented that talks about how bigger items will be dragged as opposed to put in your inventory.

http://projectzomboid.com/blog/2015/11/keep-moving/

"we’re having it so that multi-tile items or bulky stuff like fridges have to be moved by pushing/pulling from tile to tile rather than shoved into people’s inventories. No-one has pockets quite that deep!"


My guess is that this will be a feature that trickles in once animations are out and I personally hope that some more of the bigger single tile items (like the fridge mentioned above) get removed from the inventory list and added to the drag/equipped list

It is a planned feature, probably with the animation update so we can drag furniture.

I think more channels would be nice. Also tv channels come and go when it storms, adding some more realism to reception.
I get what you're saying, I was a bit disappointed when tvs came and all it had were captions.

A thing that would be nice (even if its not exactly personal hygiene) is a use for those razors so that those people who first created they character are able to then say shave their beards/hair (if long enough) to help cool them off.

Throw a sheet rope down, build the wall below after. Put a chair or a vending machine in front of it for good measure. If you match the color to the other walls, you've got a completely hidden rope. Secret second floor entrance 

the issue with secret rooms is that the game is isometric meaning most of the time its gonna be really obvious if there is some part of the house you can get into, unless your talking about some non-euclidean type of secret room where its bigger on the inside than outside that you craft or something
 
given the view of the game, it would be pretty easy to spot any part of the house/base you haven't been in, i think it would be a good idea for underground where they wouldn't be as obvious though

Heya guys,   Rathlord here. I'm going to give a few quick tips on how to write a good suggestion for Project Zomboid- some of the pitfalls and traps you can fall into, some of the resources to check before writing, and what makes a good suggestion.   Before You Post!   You know that moment when you're sitting on the can and all of a sudden, the most brilliant idea in the world comes to you? Something that would change PZ forever, bring it skyrocketing to fame and stardom? Good~ now hold that thought.   There's a few things you should do before you post. First and foremost (especially if you don't frequent the Project Zomboid forums) you should read through the other sticky in the suggestions forum, which has a list of commonly suggested and confirmed/denied suggestions:   http://theindiestone.com/forums/index.php/topic/192-commonly-suggested-suggestions-read-before-posting/   Here's the archived old 3 part version written by several community members as well (unfortunately these links no longer work- I'll update if I can ever get them functioning again):         If you've read over these threads and your idea hasn't been suggested before, been said "No" to, or been listed as planned there's one other thing to do; search! We don't ask that you spend hours paging through search results. Just put your main topic (say, "Cars") into the search pane. If you don't see anything, feel free to move on.   Now it's time to take a critical look at your idea!   The last thing you should do before you post is take a good, objective look at what you're proposing. The basic questions you should answer before posting:    
Is it somewhat realistic? Does it fit with the spirit of PZ? Would it make the game too easy? Would it require rewriting the entire game (like changing the camera view, for instance) Would it add enough to the gameplay that it would be worth taking the time to add? Would it be found in Muldraugh, Kentucky common enough to be added? For zombies: Does it fit at least somewhat into Romero/Brooks zombie lore (the basis for 'proper' zombies)?   Posting your idea!   Time to post your idea, finally! (Finally? Oh come on it didn't take that long.) First, your title.   Titles should be short and they should give the basic idea of your suggestion. Three examples to show the extremes people go through with titles:   1: idea 2: Automobiles 3: Devs, add in cars now please and also buses and trains and tanks and bicycles and blimps and zeppelins and submarines and autogyros. Please don't ever make your title just your name followed by the word suggestions (Rathlord's Suggestions!).   Now on to writing the body of your post. Please follow the same basic principles of posting constructively in every forum. Use complete sentences, grammar, and punctuation. You may think it's a waste of time; it's not. It helps people understand you and makes people more liable to agree with you.   Responding to Criticism!   After posting an idea your job is only half done. It's now your job to listen to what the community and/or devs have to say about your idea. It's hard for anyone to listen to their idea being critiqued, but you should do your best to remain calm and positive.   If someone says your idea has been posted before: If they haven't linked a thread, ask them where. If they link you a thread and it's similar enough to your idea, you should consider deleting your thread and posting in the other one instead (even if it's old).   If people add things you enjoy to your thread: It's common courtesy to add things that other people suggest to your original post (for example, when discussing cars if someone mentions trains, and you like that idea, add it to your post using the "Edit" feature and mention that it was suggested by them, not you). This is a good way to make other people feel involved in your idea and help it be shaped by the community.   If people criticize your idea: Please listen to constructive criticism. I know it can be very hard sometimes, but many times people are just doing and saying what they think is right for the game. They may even be right sometimes. It's perfectly fine to have a back and forth banter discussing the idea, but if it becomes heated or you're both posting the same thing back and forth in circles it's a good idea to either stop responding to them or just leaving the thread all together. Sometimes that great idea just turns out to be a rotten egg- it's happened to the best of us.   If people start flaming you or your idea: Please do not respond in kind. It doesn't help anyone to flame back. If you feel they've stepped over a line or are bringing down an otherwise good idea, then report them to a moderator and move on (don't post "Reported" or anything like that- that's just another way of flaming). We all run into these people and the best thing you can do is remain calm and courteous. Most of the time, if you're friendly and firm, they'll get bored and leave.

I'm confused as to why personal hygiene is off the table of future features.  One of the greatest things about this game is having to deal with the struggles of day-to-day life in a zombie apocolypse.  In a sense, in my opinion, one of the best things about this game is that it is almost like "the sims during the zombie apocolypse".  You have to keep yourself entertained, fed, hydrated, and well rested.  But there is more to the day-to-day life of a person than simply reading newspapers, eating chicken, drinking bottled water and sleeping.  What about hygiene?  Surely our survivors need to use the head every once in a blue moon, or take a shower and wash the filth from their bodies?  Surely the zombies would be attracted to the smell of human waste, or the stench of an unwashed survivor?

This feature would throw yet another wrench into the cogworks of your every day plans, which is critical in this game imo.  What if you're out and about in the city and you get the urge to use the restroom in the middle of the city?  Suddenly you are looking for a bathroom, or looking for a tree to quietly squat underneath.  If you don't bring any toilet paper with you (or some sort of aid to clean yourself up afterwards), you have a bit of an odor following you around which zombies can smell and are attracted to.  If you don't use the restroom at all...you end up soiling yourself, which just causes more stench, which again attracts the zombies and makes life rough, it could also impact your happiness (and maybe kill your appetite for the moment!).  Eating rotten food or certain kinds of food would perhaps cause you to have to use the restroom more...things of that nature.

I can't help but feel this was left off the list because it was seen as "gross" and I think that is underselling a potentially interesting feature in the game for a fairly juvenile point of view on the subject.  NPC interactions in the future would not be as favorable if you're stinking to high heaven, or they would at least mention it on the side: "have you ever thought of bathing, mate?"  What if some of the leaves you cleaned your bum with out in the wild turned out to be poison ivy?  It would drive the player to seek out pharmacutical stores in hope of finding rash cream to cure their itchy ailment which is making them perpetually unhappy.

My main point is I think that the best part of these sorts of games are player needs which drive action in the game.  I find this game is at its most boring when you are "accomplished" -- you have everything you need and there is very little reason to leave the house.  Adding reasons to leave the house is crucial.  Food, hydration, entertainment -- these are things you can hoard.  But you cannot hoard the ability to use the restroom.  After the water utility is shut off, you would have to build a water pump for a makeshift shower or bath.  You would have to dig a pit for your restroom functions.
 
Just a few thoughts.  I really think that keeping hygiene as a definite no is pushing a potentially very interesting mechanic off the table for honestly no good reason whatsoever.  I can see why there would be no nukes, no karma meter, no sex, no nudity, no minimaps or overpowered weapons, no rape, respawning or quicksaving, no specific named weapons or unlimited ammo.  But personal hygiene feels very out of place on that list.

As I've mentioned elsewhere, I wouldn't mind having cleaning yourself being something that adds a positive (but never has a negative for not doing it). I think Mash may have also agreed, but I can't recall for certain.

I'm hopeful this is the type of "hygeine" TIS wants to implement.

Hi,
 
I hope to see in zomboid :
 - Allow player to pickup existing door and place in door frame (like windows)
 - add wallpaper for personalize inside of self made house, or way to remove existing wallpaper
 - Allow take big furniture (sofa, shelves, bed), maybe with same constrains as generator (both hands used)
 - Use zombie corpses for fishing crayfishs
 
Idea of hability :
 - sewing (i can't be safe if carpet mistmatch with curtains)
 
 
Survive oui, mais avec un minimum d'élégance ! Et n'ajoutez pas les NPC avant, imaginez leurs réactions si ils découvrent notre incapacité à aménager convenablement notre intérieur !
 
 

How about if you pick up a corpse you can drop it through a right-click context menu, "Drop Corpse" which would automatically select the floor.
 
And maybe even a button for picking up and dropping a corpse; like... umn... C. For Corpse.

I think if outlets were added to this game it would be a bit better. Like you know how you can move electrical appliances anywhere and they work? Outlets would limit where you could place them.

I recently learned that you can remove ash, but you can only do it with a sledgehammer.
 
Does this make sense to anyone?
 
I am glad we can remove it! But, I think it would be more appropriate to do so with a shovel. Maybe a broom or mop?