Okamikurainya

I like anything that resembles realism, and think that's why most of us keep coming back to this game... That said, shooting on the move is a thing... Tactically speaking, you're putting rounds down range while not being a static "target" for anyone shooting back at you... Or simply being able to do two things you need to do simultaneously... those being "Get somewhere" and "Fight"...
 
So I applaud the incorporation of this feature in the Animations update, and hope that it's balanced realistically. I trust since the original combat system so far as gun-play is involved, already calculates severe movement penalties, they already have an idea how to take that a step further to make hit percentages a realistic representation of skill level, movement speed, weapon type, etc... maybe even degree of rotation of the torso...
 
That said, IMO.... it's a trade off, being able to move while striking or firing... You *DO* get to continue moving and not be a static target for zombies, or attackers.... But your effectiveness so far as putting rounds on target is far less when compared to firing/striking from an ideal stance...
 
Similar to firing from a moving vehicle... Anyone can do it... and it should be possible since it reflects reality... but the penalties should be extremely severe to create the balance of wasting ammo which is already a commodity...
 
Being that melee weapons do not expend ammunition, one penalty for moving while striking with a melee weapon could be damage penalty... This would make sense to any baseball player, in that without the feet planted firmly and properly, power is lost... So the trade off to doing this is basically :
 
A) You swing while moving to maintain distance, but it takes 2-4 times as many connects to take out the zombie.... vs
B) You just stop for a second and give it a couple good whacks and be done with it...
 
Option (B) may not be an option if you're getting surrounded...  and option (A) may sometimes feel like you're just spinning your wheels not getting any results... Which costs you time... could be considered a commodity as well if you're trying to get out of somewhere before you get surrounded...
 
This all reminds me of putting severe hit chance penalties on Full-Auto fire... I added that to the version of SuperSurvivors I'm using, and Mr. Fenris Wolf added it to the ORGM options menu so it could be reflected upon the player as well...
 
So all in all, this is an exciting feature IMO....  But Yes, Balance is the key!!
 
 
 

Yes - its one feature you don't see in most zombie movies because its done by real actors. Meaning there is a potential for a lot of injuries.
So you only see it in CGI handoff movies - Train to Busan as I mentioned does the scenes beautifully in a few occasions. 
 
The Korean TV Series - Kingdom also does it really well.
 

I've seen a lot of people making the same oversight.
If you read what the devs have said, the combat in the current developer build is insanely difficult. They aren't making it easy compared to what we have so far, they're making it easier than what THEY have so far.

I've seen a lot of people making the same oversight.
If you read what the devs have said, the combat in the current developer build is insanely difficult. They aren't making it easy compared to what we have so far, they're making it easier than what THEY have so far.

"
A big aspect in build 41 has been the combat balancing. We wanted to make the one on one combat feel a lot easier, where fighting with groups would be much much more deadly.
This however has been too successful if anything, and we ended up with groups being SO deadly it was actually near impossible to survive a few fights with small groups, which ended up way too punishing even for ours, the most masochistic of gaming communities. (Sorry)"
 
To reiterate, you haven't played build 41. You're comparing it to 40, but as we've stated repeatedly, the entire combat system has been 100% replaced, rewritten from scratch, from what you're playing already, so we're balancing based on that, not what you're currently playing. Where you can get grabbed and bitten at a moment's notice. Where if at any point three zombies get close to you they will right there and then drag you to the ground and kill you instantly? Where any zombie that sneaks up behind you is almost guaranteed to take a chunk out of your neck? Where basically ANY 1v2 fight are not only difficult but ends 99% with you getting a bite the moment you swing at one of them, are unable to move, and the other gets into range during your swing?
 
Without the strafe moving, build 41 was literally about 10x harder than build 40 that you're playing, and everyone including extremely seasoned players in closed testing agreed it was way too punishing and would piss everyone off, and every one of them to a man/woman were celebrating the strafing combat as 'that's the last piece of the puzzle, and exactly what was needed', and you're making judgement calls on balance we're doing to build 41 based on 'it already being too easy' in build 40 - its kinda frustrating as I said above we're considering the ramifications of strafe moving on kiting etc to make sure it doesn't break the difficulty, just provides more scope for players to avoid certain death within their first few encounters.
 
We already stated we're going to ensure that difficulty is not compromised by kiting, we're balancing hit damage, zombie reactions, chance of knockdowns, speed of backward strafing, all manner of things to make sure strafing is not OP. But the game being IMPOSSIBLE to survive for a decent playlength was not good balance either. Our end goal for the balance is it will be deadly to try and fight against 3+ zombies with a start character. But taking on a couple of zombies at once you'll have a chance of getting away alive, and killing a single zombie on its own will be not too bad providing it doesn't get the jump on you. We have a very specific plan for balance and the goal is that groups will be much scarier than they are in build 40, but if we go too far (how it was prior to this addition) it will turn off all but the most skilled players and even those may get extremely frustrated before long.

I've seen a lot of people making the same oversight.
If you read what the devs have said, the combat in the current developer build is insanely difficult. They aren't making it easy compared to what we have so far, they're making it easier than what THEY have so far.

We'll make sure it's balanced so kiting isn't something that keeps you safe. If by dumbing down you mean 'allow someone to survive more than a day' I'd agree with that no one here has any idea how unbelievably difficult the game is compared to 40 with the rebalanced combat. Thanks for your concern and we'll definitely bear this in mind.

Will give it a shot when I get the chance. Been wanting an excuse to make a thatch roof.

I cracked it!

the correct way to do it is:
function WhichWorld() local player = getSpecificPlayer(0); local where = getWorld():getMap(); if where == "Madhbih Oasis" then --Name of the map's Lots player:Say("I am in the desert."); else player:Say("I have no idea where I am."); end end Events.EveryHours.Add(WhichWorld); This opens up so many possibilities... Map based loot tables, individual map climates... Woo!

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
Occam's razor.
Survivors will be out trying to survive, eventually, and they'll very possibly attempt to raid your base. More options to defend yourself from other survivors, whether player or NPC, is important. Not nonsensical, but deductive reasoning based on issues at hand with other players as well as case studies such as Super Survivors where an unlocked door can spell your doom. It would lengthen the time taken to break into a well fortified base and so give more opportunities for the base owner to return and catch the other player/survivor in the act. It would also give you more time to prepare and plan if you're inside the base.
 
Sounds like incentive to lock your doors... (shrugs)
I get where you're coming from though, but I still disagree. Making sure you're secure is part of the thrill of the zombie apocalypse for me, it's the small mistakes that will be the end of you. It incentivizes base building and post-self-sufficiency gameplay. You might not have the keys to your base and it will give you the option of going out, dismantling doors, finding the parts and keys you need, building or modifying the doors in your base to be as secure as possible.
 
Not at all, latches enhance Lock Strength whilst door bars enhance Structural Strength, leading to different methods for different players for securing and breaking into buildings/bases.
 
I disagree entirely with this... There are locks, they require keys, keys aren't always available, the locks can be picked, it enhances gameplay and there is a Burglar occupation prebuilt into the game... For a survival game with locked doors, it makes more sense to be here than nearly any other game. Again, it would be entirely optional and far from overly-complicated.
Burglar occupation? Well you got the ability to pick locks from the get go. How to do it, right click on door, pick lock. Otherwise you'd need to find a magazine to teach you.
Different types of lockpicks makes as much sense as two different kinds of axe or hammer. You have the easily breakable ones used by necessity and you have the higher quality and more focused ones for longer term use.
I legit can't see what you mean here.
 
Personally disagree, as it takes away a fair bit of the idea, such as seeking out individual locks and using the best ones for the construction or renovation of your doors, which was what set me on the path to this suggestion in the first place. It also isn't intuitive as the material of the door has no effect on a locks pickability.
 
Or simply the higher the Lock Complexity, the harder it is to lockpick. The higher quality the door, the harder it is to break.
 
I think we'll have to agree to disagree on this.
But, speaking of food, thanks for giving me food for thought. No idea is free from the need for refinement at first and there are probably ways in which this one can be refined.

Does this only relate to melee weapons, or can you shoot while strafing as well?

All is looking great so far! Getting more and more excited each week.

You wouldn't have to (right click - select: Latch - wait), it would be no different than it is now, you just lock the door and the latches add to the lock strength, it may cause the locking progress bar to move a little slower if you have a latch, but hardly noticeable. Perhaps you could maybe even have four latch "slots" on the door info screen?
But regardless, nothing unnecessarily annoying, plenty of optional gameplay enhancements.
 
Not everyone can pick a lock, it's actually a very tricky practice and simply having everyone capable of doing so at the start would be OP and also negate the point of locking for things like multiplayer and NPCs.
Disassembling the door rather than attempting to pick it is a perfectly valid option with its' own, and very different, advantages and drawbacks.
 
What if there is no window? The various sheds dotted around sometimes lack them and you may not wish to destroy the door. Again, it's additive, not detrimental. Those who wouldn't kick down a door wouldn't and those who would can.
And yes, kicking it open destroys the lock, that is the caveat and something the player should weigh up.
 
Again, it would all be optional and add to the flavour of the world.
You don't have to pick a lock, but you could. Latching should be part of the normal lock action in anycase, though barring should be a separate option.
 
It's incredibly possible. Zombies are graspers, if they hook their hands on the handle, they'll most likely pull it down. Still, I think it shouldn't be possible with knob locks, only deadbolt locks which have the traditional handle rather than a doorknob. But yeah, wouldn't be very common.
 
Exactly! It will be a very important mechanic and will become moreso as the game develops.
Added!
 
Already in.
 

No, but we're hoping for a couple weeks tops.

After last week’s big vid bonanza it’s something of a ‘techie’ behind the curtain blog today, but hopefully there’s enough to keep your proverbial up.
CROWD RENDERING
With the animated rotation tech front largely under control, we are now working on the next big ticket item we’ve been wanting to get in pre-IWBUMS.
Any good apocalypse needs a good healthy horde of ravenous undead. That said, please ignore the fact that all the above ones are bald. Call it a comeback I guess, or more likely a bug.
Zac’s current challenge is to be able to draw large quantities of articulated, walking, shambling, crawling, eating, and swarming zeds at a reasonable frame rate. Right now it’s okay-ish on a decent system, but wouldn’t stand up to a huge amount of zombie horde herding – which we know is a favourite pastime of PZ players.
Crowd Rendering is a collective term that involves a number of techniques that take advantage of the large numbers of crowds to make the process much more efficient.
To know where to aim, however, it’s a big help to have intimate knowledge of just how the PZ engine is performing, and where the hot-spots are. Toward this end, we are adding a Performance Analyzer module to AnimZed.
Instead of a general list of hot-spots from a broad sampling of the running game, this will allow us to see a sequence of frames and the story of each rendered frame from start to finish.
We will know what happens in the RenderThread and the UpdateThread, from start to finish, and will be able to measure the cost of each step, and validate the benefits of any optimization technique on a step-by-step basis.
Or, at least that is the hypothesis. The initial implementation is the bare bones required to get us some useful data. If it proves useful, it will be allowed to stay and get improved as we go along through the builds of the future – not to mention help us optimize in other areas of the game.
COMBAT IMPROVEMENT
A big aspect in build 41 has been the combat balancing. We wanted to make the one on one combat feel a lot easier, where fighting with groups would be much much more deadly.
This however has been too successful if anything, and we ended up with groups being SO deadly it was actually near impossible to survive a few fights with small groups, which ended up way too punishing even for ours, the most masochistic of gaming communities. (Sorry)
As such, due to the new animation system’s ability to allow animations to play only on the top half of the body, RJ has made a change that allows you to strafe while shoving and swinging your weapon.
The upshot now is this has added a whole new element to combat, instead of being rooted to the spot for the duration of the swing, the player has more tactical options for positioning. It still needs some further bug fixing and balance (we may consider applying some malus to damage when moving during a strike if it’s necessary) but overall it’s working really well.
OTHER STUFF
We’ve clearly got a lot of internal testing going on at the moment – and it’s spotlit a few issues we need to clear up. (Although they’re arguably not IWBUMS-delaying at the minute, so don’t worry about that aspect of it). A prominent one is looting not playing nicely with rotationals, and causing a ‘Robocop turn’ at the end of player pathfinding to cupboards, lockers etc. Elsewhere we’re polishing a lot of the changes between movement states and bickering about keypresses, toggles and other aspects of player input. All the fun of the fair. Yuri is back on his work on improved fire visuals. This won’t be a part of the initial IWBUMS release, but we probably will want to be integrating it during the IWBUMS beta process – as it’s the last graphical overhang from the earliest days of PZ and currently looks ugly as sin on the new models. Internal testing of the extremely WIP (many builds far distant) Louisville map went really well, with a good variety of buildings being felt and general city size seeming expansive. It has, however, also been fruitful in showing us that to ‘feel’ built-up then things have to be tighter on-screen – so we will be removing a lot of the parking lots we previously had in downtown areas, so it all feels more compressed. Radio silence, bar the very occasional screenshot, on our version of Louisville shall now recommence! This week’s boardroom meeting from VOVKA. A general list of stuff added to PZ, and vids of features being worked on, is kept here – so you don’t have to plough through endless dev blogs for info. The Centralized Block of Italicised Text would like to direct your attention to the PZ Wiki should you feel like editing or amending something, and the PZ Mailing List that can send blogs like this and patch notes direct to your mailbox. We also live on Twitter right here! Our Discord is open for chat and hijinks too!

My suggestion is for doors to have some new variables added to them.

Lock Type:
The lock type is exactly what it sounds like, the type of lock the door has.
These could be:
Dead Bolt -
The most common type of lock, requires a key to lock and unlock from both sides. Knob Lock -
For some interior doors, a simple switch on the door handle. Can be unlocked without a key provided you are on the right side of the door. (this is how all, aside from the black magnet lock doors, doors currently function in game) Magnet Lock -
A rare type of lock that will lose functionality when the power goes out. Can be unlocked with a Security Key Card found in the building or on a local zombie. This type of lock cannot be broken, but comes with the caveat of needing power.
Lock Complexity:
A determining factor in the player's ability to pick a lock.
 
Lock Strength:
The structural strength of the lock.
 
Door Strength:
The structural strength of the door itself.
 
These would all be viewable through a "Door Structure" screen, ala the "Vehicle Mechanics" for vehicles.
 
With that out of the way, we can work off of that to suggest some new mechanics...

Lockpicking:
The ability to pick locks. You could use a variety of items to pick locks, including...
Paperclip -
Breaks easily but fairly common. Bobby Pin -
Not as common, but abundant in hair salons. A little more durable than paperclips. Crafted Lockpick -
Crafted using tweezers and a nail. A little more durable than a bobby pin. Lockpick -
A very rare item, can be found in police stations most commonly. The most durable of all. Bump Key - (Octopus)
Maybe crafted with a hammer and a key, these are pretty noisy though. Snap Gun - (Octopus)
High chance of picking a lock, but requires a sort of "ammo", and may damage the lock. Wire Hook - (Octopus)
A lockpick specifically for car doors. You'd find Coat Hangers in bedroom closets which you'd then "Craft" into the Wire Hook. Alternatively you could craft them from rolls of wire. Easy to make, easy to break. Slim Jim - (Octopus)
A lockpick specifically for car doors. Very rare but very durable, you might find one in a repair shop or hardware store.
Door Latching:
Crafting an add-on for a door that enhances Lock Strength. If a player tries to open from the opposite side from the latch, they'll say "The Door is Barricaded".
This would come in a few flavours...
Simple Wooden Latch -
Not very strong, but gets the job done early on. Chain Hook -
A bit stronger than a Wooden Latch. Metal Latch -
The strongest of the latches.  
Door Barring:
Crafting an add-on for a door that enhances the Structural Strength of a door and prevents the lock from taking damage from kicks. As with Door Latching, a player will not be able to open the door from the opposite side of a barred door. You'd first craft a Door Bar Frame which you could then put a variety of objects into that will increase the amount of Structural Strength by varying degrees. A metal bar would work better than a plank, etc. When you unbar the door, the item that was being used to bar it will be added to your inventory.
 
Lock Breaking:
Door Kicking -
Door kicking will have a chance to break the lock of the door without affecting the door's structural strength. Doing this would work relative to your strength and the Lock Strength of the door. This becomes harder if the door is latched or barred. While you may be able to get into houses more easily, this makes a lot of noise and a door may take a few kicks to break the lock. It will also render the door lockless, something you may not want if you're thinking of making that building a base. Door Breaching - (Tails)
Similar to kicking down the door, but with a higher success rate. Requires a crowbar to do so.  
Zombie Opening:
An unlocked, unlatched or unbarred door will be at risk of being accidentally opened if a zombie starts pounding at it.
 
Door Materials:
Seems all doors are made out of wood at the moment... But in reality, they have a wide variety of materials.
Plywood -
The weakest kind of door. Wooden -
Okay strength, easy to make and disassemble. PVC -
Okay strength, difficult to make and disassemble. Metal -
Good strength, makes a lot of noise when hit at.  
Door Windows:
Some doors have windows in them, you'll be able to see through them and smash them to attempt unlocking the door in that way as well.
Ninja Rocks - (Octopus)
Crafted from spark plugs, can be used to quietly break car windows.  
If I missed anything or y'all have any other suggestions, let me know.

My suggestion is for doors to have some new variables added to them.

Lock Type:
The lock type is exactly what it sounds like, the type of lock the door has.
These could be:
Dead Bolt -
The most common type of lock, requires a key to lock and unlock from both sides. Knob Lock -
For some interior doors, a simple switch on the door handle. Can be unlocked without a key provided you are on the right side of the door. (this is how all, aside from the black magnet lock doors, doors currently function in game) Magnet Lock -
A rare type of lock that will lose functionality when the power goes out. Can be unlocked with a Security Key Card found in the building or on a local zombie. This type of lock cannot be broken, but comes with the caveat of needing power.
Lock Complexity:
A determining factor in the player's ability to pick a lock.
 
Lock Strength:
The structural strength of the lock.
 
Door Strength:
The structural strength of the door itself.
 
These would all be viewable through a "Door Structure" screen, ala the "Vehicle Mechanics" for vehicles.
 
With that out of the way, we can work off of that to suggest some new mechanics...

Lockpicking:
The ability to pick locks. You could use a variety of items to pick locks, including...
Paperclip -
Breaks easily but fairly common. Bobby Pin -
Not as common, but abundant in hair salons. A little more durable than paperclips. Crafted Lockpick -
Crafted using tweezers and a nail. A little more durable than a bobby pin. Lockpick -
A very rare item, can be found in police stations most commonly. The most durable of all. Bump Key - (Octopus)
Maybe crafted with a hammer and a key, these are pretty noisy though. Snap Gun - (Octopus)
High chance of picking a lock, but requires a sort of "ammo", and may damage the lock. Wire Hook - (Octopus)
A lockpick specifically for car doors. You'd find Coat Hangers in bedroom closets which you'd then "Craft" into the Wire Hook. Alternatively you could craft them from rolls of wire. Easy to make, easy to break. Slim Jim - (Octopus)
A lockpick specifically for car doors. Very rare but very durable, you might find one in a repair shop or hardware store.
Door Latching:
Crafting an add-on for a door that enhances Lock Strength. If a player tries to open from the opposite side from the latch, they'll say "The Door is Barricaded".
This would come in a few flavours...
Simple Wooden Latch -
Not very strong, but gets the job done early on. Chain Hook -
A bit stronger than a Wooden Latch. Metal Latch -
The strongest of the latches.  
Door Barring:
Crafting an add-on for a door that enhances the Structural Strength of a door and prevents the lock from taking damage from kicks. As with Door Latching, a player will not be able to open the door from the opposite side of a barred door. You'd first craft a Door Bar Frame which you could then put a variety of objects into that will increase the amount of Structural Strength by varying degrees. A metal bar would work better than a plank, etc. When you unbar the door, the item that was being used to bar it will be added to your inventory.
 
Lock Breaking:
Door Kicking -
Door kicking will have a chance to break the lock of the door without affecting the door's structural strength. Doing this would work relative to your strength and the Lock Strength of the door. This becomes harder if the door is latched or barred. While you may be able to get into houses more easily, this makes a lot of noise and a door may take a few kicks to break the lock. It will also render the door lockless, something you may not want if you're thinking of making that building a base. Door Breaching - (Tails)
Similar to kicking down the door, but with a higher success rate. Requires a crowbar to do so.  
Zombie Opening:
An unlocked, unlatched or unbarred door will be at risk of being accidentally opened if a zombie starts pounding at it.
 
Door Materials:
Seems all doors are made out of wood at the moment... But in reality, they have a wide variety of materials.
Plywood -
The weakest kind of door. Wooden -
Okay strength, easy to make and disassemble. PVC -
Okay strength, difficult to make and disassemble. Metal -
Good strength, makes a lot of noise when hit at.  
Door Windows:
Some doors have windows in them, you'll be able to see through them and smash them to attempt unlocking the door in that way as well.
Ninja Rocks - (Octopus)
Crafted from spark plugs, can be used to quietly break car windows.  
If I missed anything or y'all have any other suggestions, let me know.

You wouldn't have to (right click - select: Latch - wait), it would be no different than it is now, you just lock the door and the latches add to the lock strength, it may cause the locking progress bar to move a little slower if you have a latch, but hardly noticeable. Perhaps you could maybe even have four latch "slots" on the door info screen?
But regardless, nothing unnecessarily annoying, plenty of optional gameplay enhancements.
 
Not everyone can pick a lock, it's actually a very tricky practice and simply having everyone capable of doing so at the start would be OP and also negate the point of locking for things like multiplayer and NPCs.
Disassembling the door rather than attempting to pick it is a perfectly valid option with its' own, and very different, advantages and drawbacks.
 
What if there is no window? The various sheds dotted around sometimes lack them and you may not wish to destroy the door. Again, it's additive, not detrimental. Those who wouldn't kick down a door wouldn't and those who would can.
And yes, kicking it open destroys the lock, that is the caveat and something the player should weigh up.
 
Again, it would all be optional and add to the flavour of the world.
You don't have to pick a lock, but you could. Latching should be part of the normal lock action in anycase, though barring should be a separate option.
 
It's incredibly possible. Zombies are graspers, if they hook their hands on the handle, they'll most likely pull it down. Still, I think it shouldn't be possible with knob locks, only deadbolt locks which have the traditional handle rather than a doorknob. But yeah, wouldn't be very common.
 
Exactly! It will be a very important mechanic and will become moreso as the game develops.
Added!
 
Already in.
 

pretty cool idea.
 
I was thinking of some door breaching methods like using a crowbar to pry a door open kinda like what a burglar would do to break into a house or a car.
 
 
Another idea is breaking the window on the door without destroying the entire door to find a way in.

Firstly not every door would be locked. Not a lotta Americans lock their houses apparently.
Secondly, why do you have to lock/latch a door when you enter a house? Even if zombies would be to open doors (which I really doubt), it will happen very rarely and won't be possible for zombie if you have to pull the door, not to mention you have to do it anyways in MP/Once NPCs come out.
Thirdly, you don't have to pick a lock to enter your house, and if it's not your house, why'd you lock the door?
And finally, when you exit the house, unlocking and unlatching can be done automatically, like it is right now if you have a key for a house.

My suggestion is for doors to have some new variables added to them.

Lock Type:
The lock type is exactly what it sounds like, the type of lock the door has.
These could be:
Dead Bolt -
The most common type of lock, requires a key to lock and unlock from both sides. Knob Lock -
For some interior doors, a simple switch on the door handle. Can be unlocked without a key provided you are on the right side of the door. (this is how all, aside from the black magnet lock doors, doors currently function in game) Magnet Lock -
A rare type of lock that will lose functionality when the power goes out. Can be unlocked with a Security Key Card found in the building or on a local zombie. This type of lock cannot be broken, but comes with the caveat of needing power.
Lock Complexity:
A determining factor in the player's ability to pick a lock.
 
Lock Strength:
The structural strength of the lock.
 
Door Strength:
The structural strength of the door itself.
 
These would all be viewable through a "Door Structure" screen, ala the "Vehicle Mechanics" for vehicles.
 
With that out of the way, we can work off of that to suggest some new mechanics...

Lockpicking:
The ability to pick locks. You could use a variety of items to pick locks, including...
Paperclip -
Breaks easily but fairly common. Bobby Pin -
Not as common, but abundant in hair salons. A little more durable than paperclips. Crafted Lockpick -
Crafted using tweezers and a nail. A little more durable than a bobby pin. Lockpick -
A very rare item, can be found in police stations most commonly. The most durable of all. Bump Key - (Octopus)
Maybe crafted with a hammer and a key, these are pretty noisy though. Snap Gun - (Octopus)
High chance of picking a lock, but requires a sort of "ammo", and may damage the lock. Wire Hook - (Octopus)
A lockpick specifically for car doors. You'd find Coat Hangers in bedroom closets which you'd then "Craft" into the Wire Hook. Alternatively you could craft them from rolls of wire. Easy to make, easy to break. Slim Jim - (Octopus)
A lockpick specifically for car doors. Very rare but very durable, you might find one in a repair shop or hardware store.
Door Latching:
Crafting an add-on for a door that enhances Lock Strength. If a player tries to open from the opposite side from the latch, they'll say "The Door is Barricaded".
This would come in a few flavours...
Simple Wooden Latch -
Not very strong, but gets the job done early on. Chain Hook -
A bit stronger than a Wooden Latch. Metal Latch -
The strongest of the latches.  
Door Barring:
Crafting an add-on for a door that enhances the Structural Strength of a door and prevents the lock from taking damage from kicks. As with Door Latching, a player will not be able to open the door from the opposite side of a barred door. You'd first craft a Door Bar Frame which you could then put a variety of objects into that will increase the amount of Structural Strength by varying degrees. A metal bar would work better than a plank, etc. When you unbar the door, the item that was being used to bar it will be added to your inventory.
 
Lock Breaking:
Door Kicking -
Door kicking will have a chance to break the lock of the door without affecting the door's structural strength. Doing this would work relative to your strength and the Lock Strength of the door. This becomes harder if the door is latched or barred. While you may be able to get into houses more easily, this makes a lot of noise and a door may take a few kicks to break the lock. It will also render the door lockless, something you may not want if you're thinking of making that building a base. Door Breaching - (Tails)
Similar to kicking down the door, but with a higher success rate. Requires a crowbar to do so.  
Zombie Opening:
An unlocked, unlatched or unbarred door will be at risk of being accidentally opened if a zombie starts pounding at it.
 
Door Materials:
Seems all doors are made out of wood at the moment... But in reality, they have a wide variety of materials.
Plywood -
The weakest kind of door. Wooden -
Okay strength, easy to make and disassemble. PVC -
Okay strength, difficult to make and disassemble. Metal -
Good strength, makes a lot of noise when hit at.  
Door Windows:
Some doors have windows in them, you'll be able to see through them and smash them to attempt unlocking the door in that way as well.
Ninja Rocks - (Octopus)
Crafted from spark plugs, can be used to quietly break car windows.  
If I missed anything or y'all have any other suggestions, let me know.

ISOZOID

 

 
 
I struggled immensely with trying to make floor tiles for Project Zomboid, no image editor seemed capable of doing what I needed without warping the texture and breaking the seamlessness of the tile... So I made a tool to cleanly map a 64x64 flat texture to an isometric Zomboid tile (2x variation).
 
I'm not a great programmer and there isn't really much in the way of a GUI, so you'll have to forgive me in that regard.
 
Instructions for use:
Replace the respective input.png of floor, wall or reverse with the texture of your choice and run IsoZoid. IsoZoid will then show you how the conversion turned out. Hit Enter to export the tile to the Output folder, hit Escape to quit. Clicking "Refresh" will reload the texture file.
Floor textures work best at 64x64.
Wall textures work best at 64x193
 
Changelog:
0.6
Added "input_floor.png", "input_wall.png" and "input_reverse.png" for each respective type to use. 0.5
Fixed a minor export bug with exporting flat textures. 0.4
Fixed minor GUI issues Added a reverse mode for getting flat textures from floor tiles 0.3
Expanded GUI Added blends for floor tiles Added ability to make wall tiles IsoZoid no longer closes after export. IsoZoid will adapt the texture if the dimensions are incorrect rather than giving you a prompt 0.2
Spiffed up the GUI Tiles are now exported as transparent PNGs The tool recognizes invalid input tile measurements and will give you a prompt  
Download:
IsoZoid 0.6.rar

Damn! I approve all of those.
 
There ARE already electric/magnetic doors in the game (check on the self storages and police stations), at least graphic-wise, same goes for doors with windows on top, and I always found annoying you couldn't just shatter the glass and stick your arm in to unlock them.

This may be slightly outside the purview of this topic (seeing as how it deals with doors on buildings), but what about a slim jim for breaking into cars? Or even a plain old wire coathanger?

My suggestion is for doors to have some new variables added to them.

Lock Type:
The lock type is exactly what it sounds like, the type of lock the door has.
These could be:
Dead Bolt -
The most common type of lock, requires a key to lock and unlock from both sides. Knob Lock -
For some interior doors, a simple switch on the door handle. Can be unlocked without a key provided you are on the right side of the door. (this is how all, aside from the black magnet lock doors, doors currently function in game) Magnet Lock -
A rare type of lock that will lose functionality when the power goes out. Can be unlocked with a Security Key Card found in the building or on a local zombie. This type of lock cannot be broken, but comes with the caveat of needing power.
Lock Complexity:
A determining factor in the player's ability to pick a lock.
 
Lock Strength:
The structural strength of the lock.
 
Door Strength:
The structural strength of the door itself.
 
These would all be viewable through a "Door Structure" screen, ala the "Vehicle Mechanics" for vehicles.
 
With that out of the way, we can work off of that to suggest some new mechanics...

Lockpicking:
The ability to pick locks. You could use a variety of items to pick locks, including...
Paperclip -
Breaks easily but fairly common. Bobby Pin -
Not as common, but abundant in hair salons. A little more durable than paperclips. Crafted Lockpick -
Crafted using tweezers and a nail. A little more durable than a bobby pin. Lockpick -
A very rare item, can be found in police stations most commonly. The most durable of all. Bump Key - (Octopus)
Maybe crafted with a hammer and a key, these are pretty noisy though. Snap Gun - (Octopus)
High chance of picking a lock, but requires a sort of "ammo", and may damage the lock. Wire Hook - (Octopus)
A lockpick specifically for car doors. You'd find Coat Hangers in bedroom closets which you'd then "Craft" into the Wire Hook. Alternatively you could craft them from rolls of wire. Easy to make, easy to break. Slim Jim - (Octopus)
A lockpick specifically for car doors. Very rare but very durable, you might find one in a repair shop or hardware store.
Door Latching:
Crafting an add-on for a door that enhances Lock Strength. If a player tries to open from the opposite side from the latch, they'll say "The Door is Barricaded".
This would come in a few flavours...
Simple Wooden Latch -
Not very strong, but gets the job done early on. Chain Hook -
A bit stronger than a Wooden Latch. Metal Latch -
The strongest of the latches.  
Door Barring:
Crafting an add-on for a door that enhances the Structural Strength of a door and prevents the lock from taking damage from kicks. As with Door Latching, a player will not be able to open the door from the opposite side of a barred door. You'd first craft a Door Bar Frame which you could then put a variety of objects into that will increase the amount of Structural Strength by varying degrees. A metal bar would work better than a plank, etc. When you unbar the door, the item that was being used to bar it will be added to your inventory.
 
Lock Breaking:
Door Kicking -
Door kicking will have a chance to break the lock of the door without affecting the door's structural strength. Doing this would work relative to your strength and the Lock Strength of the door. This becomes harder if the door is latched or barred. While you may be able to get into houses more easily, this makes a lot of noise and a door may take a few kicks to break the lock. It will also render the door lockless, something you may not want if you're thinking of making that building a base. Door Breaching - (Tails)
Similar to kicking down the door, but with a higher success rate. Requires a crowbar to do so.  
Zombie Opening:
An unlocked, unlatched or unbarred door will be at risk of being accidentally opened if a zombie starts pounding at it.
 
Door Materials:
Seems all doors are made out of wood at the moment... But in reality, they have a wide variety of materials.
Plywood -
The weakest kind of door. Wooden -
Okay strength, easy to make and disassemble. PVC -
Okay strength, difficult to make and disassemble. Metal -
Good strength, makes a lot of noise when hit at.  
Door Windows:
Some doors have windows in them, you'll be able to see through them and smash them to attempt unlocking the door in that way as well.
Ninja Rocks - (Octopus)
Crafted from spark plugs, can be used to quietly break car windows.  
If I missed anything or y'all have any other suggestions, let me know.

My suggestion is for doors to have some new variables added to them.

Lock Type:
The lock type is exactly what it sounds like, the type of lock the door has.
These could be:
Dead Bolt -
The most common type of lock, requires a key to lock and unlock from both sides. Knob Lock -
For some interior doors, a simple switch on the door handle. Can be unlocked without a key provided you are on the right side of the door. (this is how all, aside from the black magnet lock doors, doors currently function in game) Magnet Lock -
A rare type of lock that will lose functionality when the power goes out. Can be unlocked with a Security Key Card found in the building or on a local zombie. This type of lock cannot be broken, but comes with the caveat of needing power.
Lock Complexity:
A determining factor in the player's ability to pick a lock.
 
Lock Strength:
The structural strength of the lock.
 
Door Strength:
The structural strength of the door itself.
 
These would all be viewable through a "Door Structure" screen, ala the "Vehicle Mechanics" for vehicles.
 
With that out of the way, we can work off of that to suggest some new mechanics...

Lockpicking:
The ability to pick locks. You could use a variety of items to pick locks, including...
Paperclip -
Breaks easily but fairly common. Bobby Pin -
Not as common, but abundant in hair salons. A little more durable than paperclips. Crafted Lockpick -
Crafted using tweezers and a nail. A little more durable than a bobby pin. Lockpick -
A very rare item, can be found in police stations most commonly. The most durable of all. Bump Key - (Octopus)
Maybe crafted with a hammer and a key, these are pretty noisy though. Snap Gun - (Octopus)
High chance of picking a lock, but requires a sort of "ammo", and may damage the lock. Wire Hook - (Octopus)
A lockpick specifically for car doors. You'd find Coat Hangers in bedroom closets which you'd then "Craft" into the Wire Hook. Alternatively you could craft them from rolls of wire. Easy to make, easy to break. Slim Jim - (Octopus)
A lockpick specifically for car doors. Very rare but very durable, you might find one in a repair shop or hardware store.
Door Latching:
Crafting an add-on for a door that enhances Lock Strength. If a player tries to open from the opposite side from the latch, they'll say "The Door is Barricaded".
This would come in a few flavours...
Simple Wooden Latch -
Not very strong, but gets the job done early on. Chain Hook -
A bit stronger than a Wooden Latch. Metal Latch -
The strongest of the latches.  
Door Barring:
Crafting an add-on for a door that enhances the Structural Strength of a door and prevents the lock from taking damage from kicks. As with Door Latching, a player will not be able to open the door from the opposite side of a barred door. You'd first craft a Door Bar Frame which you could then put a variety of objects into that will increase the amount of Structural Strength by varying degrees. A metal bar would work better than a plank, etc. When you unbar the door, the item that was being used to bar it will be added to your inventory.
 
Lock Breaking:
Door Kicking -
Door kicking will have a chance to break the lock of the door without affecting the door's structural strength. Doing this would work relative to your strength and the Lock Strength of the door. This becomes harder if the door is latched or barred. While you may be able to get into houses more easily, this makes a lot of noise and a door may take a few kicks to break the lock. It will also render the door lockless, something you may not want if you're thinking of making that building a base. Door Breaching - (Tails)
Similar to kicking down the door, but with a higher success rate. Requires a crowbar to do so.  
Zombie Opening:
An unlocked, unlatched or unbarred door will be at risk of being accidentally opened if a zombie starts pounding at it.
 
Door Materials:
Seems all doors are made out of wood at the moment... But in reality, they have a wide variety of materials.
Plywood -
The weakest kind of door. Wooden -
Okay strength, easy to make and disassemble. PVC -
Okay strength, difficult to make and disassemble. Metal -
Good strength, makes a lot of noise when hit at.  
Door Windows:
Some doors have windows in them, you'll be able to see through them and smash them to attempt unlocking the door in that way as well.
Ninja Rocks - (Octopus)
Crafted from spark plugs, can be used to quietly break car windows.  
If I missed anything or y'all have any other suggestions, let me know.