Optimism

Absolutely adore these additions to the cooking recipes. It gives me hope that one day soon chef and burger flipper will be stronger profession choices for the start of a game. Unfortunately it doesn't seem so, but hopefully soon. I'm still waiting on the recipe for fried chicken...

I don't think there's currently a recipe or right click function to slice onions into rings, making it impossible to use the homemade fried onion rings recipe. More of an oversight than a bug, but I don't think it's been mentioned so I figured I'd leave it here. If anyone knows a way to acquire onion rings that I missed, feel free to correct me.

I like pretty much all of this update except the replacement of the male underwear with briefs. My boxers, nooo...

Thanks for the update! It's been great exploring the game again after a bit of a break. I really appreciate the new sounds, and I'm sure with a bit more tlc it'll iron out any kinks that have cropped up. I'm a bit skeptical of the idea of a player map that is integrated into the UI personally, as I've always kind of liked navigating the map using well... map items! I would far prefer a map item that covered a larger area of the world that could be found. However, I'm willing to give the feature a try and see if I like it. I've also been doing some exploring to check out the new updated loot tables recently. I have to say that for the most part I like it a lot! Chicken in the fried chicken place, burger ingredients in Spiffo's, dough and cheese in Pizza Whirled (could probably also use marinara), but wait- Oh no. No no no no no no! There's still no PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANCAKES at Pile-O-Crepe! Day ruined.

I want to offer a counter perspective to what OP said. I think there's plenty to enjoy about the new build. I've gotten the majority of my Zomboid hours in it, and before it dropped I can't say I found myself particularly enthralled by the game. The addition of new visible clothing, more weapons, and the revamping of the combat system were all good choices to make the game feel more immersive and like a sandbox-style simulation of what a survivor's experience would be in a zombie apocalypse. The update to zombie appearance and animations are also welcome changes. However, I DO also have some criticisms of combat for the current beta branch. Criticisms I wish that swinging heavier weapons (especially blunt weapons), would still have a chance to knock zombies back and over as they did in the older build. This would allow more crowd control with blunt weapons and maybe make fighting small groups of zombies more dynamic than constantly strafing backwards with the left mouse button held down. I still don't like the current implementation of the zombie fence attack. The stun lasts too long for my liking and the distance it pushes even a high strength character back is comical. Firearms seem far too useless now at low levels considering the noise many of them make. The skill requirements don't feel like they quite line up to me either. It should be possible for even a beginner to line up a shot with a scoped long rifle. I could understand pistols being difficult. The shotgun is mostly fine where it is. I'm fine with the character tripping and falling if they try to run past too many zombies. What DOES bother me is that zombies never stumble and fall themselves when your character pushes past them. They should have a chance to fall over when your character shoulders them aside at a jog, and probably be almost guaranteed to fall over if a sprinting character shoulders into them. I do think that scratches cause way too much slowdown to both fighting capability and movement for my liking. A bleeding scratch isn't fun sure, but I don't think it should reduce the character to walking at a limp or swinging weapons at what feels like a 25-50% reduction in speed. A laceration is much more reasonable for causing this sort of degradation in performance. Please stop nerfing small blade weapons so much. Stop, he's already dead... Some weapon classes still could use more variety: Long Blades (Only has machete and katana) For how expensive the trait is, I wish Thick Skinned still reduced infection chance. Beyond trapping animals, the player should be able to use the trapping skill to make traps designed to maim or stop zombies (or maybe even other players...) There really should be more zombie states than the following: moving and fully functional, crawling on the ground, dead. Blunt weapons fracturing bones, sharp weapons dismembering limbs, and guns crippling zombies are all things I would like to see. The combat loop that is there is fairly solid, but it needs more variety. I don't think the decision to have zombies break sirens on cars was particularly fair to the player. I hope it will eventually be replaced with another mechanic, such as the zombies eventually losing interest in the siren and wandering off after an hour or so. That way it can still be used to clear an area temporarily, but maybe not for several hours. The above criticisms aside, the build is still a work in progress and I'm sure some or all of the issues I pointed out above will eventually be addressed. The devs have already said that the firearms system will get a revamp in the next build that will focus on hunting. I can also offer plenty of praise to the new build for features that I think have benefited the game. Praise Jogging, sprinting, jumping over tall fences, and being able to crouch are great additions to allow for more movement options. Despite my previous criticism, I do appreciate that there is a LOT more weapon variety compared to the previous build. There are far more melee weapons and firearms to choose from. Much more character customization. More hairstyles, visible clothes, visible backpacks, idle movements, cosmetics. Crawlers have a proper attack animation now and are a lot less dangerous overall. More specialized loot tables for locations, with loot that generally makes sense for the place you are looting. Tailoring system and clothing armor system that allows you to almost fully immunize yourself to at least a few zombie attacks. The new default combat experience is a lot more grounded without multihit. It makes picking fights and using the environment to split larger groups much more important. Zombies will now potentially cripple themselves and turn into crawlers if jumping down from building windows. 3D models for all the items in the game makes decorating a base much more visually appealing and allows for more interesting building stories. Sound Update while still a work in progress, does a lot for the ambience of the game. Noise when walking over wet surfaces and snow, hearing the stove bubble when you cook soup, more zombie noises, environmental noises, etc. Car trailers for hauling more loot, or just for style. More zed stories in general: Abandoned camping spots in the wilderness, police barricades, etc. Character insulation and temperature play a more important but not completely ridiculous role. Character will sweat more and may overheat if ridiculously bundled up in the summer, but can get away with several layers of clothing in the winter. The above list is just a few things I could think of, and I'm sure it will only get longer over time. I'm sure the foraging update, release of Louisville, and map update to make roads have curved turns are all things that will improve the game as well. Anyways, end of long post. TLDR: There's definitely still things that could be improved in the new beta branch, but I think that it is adding plenty that is improving the overall experience of the game as well.

Nope, they were as brand new as could be in Zomboid! A few blood stains, but no other holes or prior patching.

While I don't currently have a screenshot, I've gotten this somewhat amusing but also humiliating problem at least twice now. Rarely zombies will hit your survivor's groin when attacking you from a standing position, and in the most recent build I've noticed that this will INSTANTLY reduce the durability of a pair of jeans to zero... from a single hole in the groin. While it may be embarrassing to be wearing a pair of jeans with a hole in the groin, it is surely better than having those jeans instantly disappear from your body, leaving you half naked. I'm also pretty sure a pair of jeans shouldn't be instantly destroyed by one hole in the groin area. Please look into this if possible! SPD victims everywhere like myself would be grateful. Let me know if any further information is required.

Thanks! Those are both good suggestions. I'll add them to the main post.

Awesome, man! I do hope something similar to this makes it in when they start looking at those looting changes.

Hello, Zomboid players! I have a small immersion qol suggestion that I think would be enjoyable and could also be reasonably balanced. Right now in-game, there's various zombies that can spawn with backpacks (satchels, school bags, duffel bags, hiking bags, and big backpacks), which are quite a nice find, but it's always bothered me how few of these backpacks spawn with anything of note in them! It makes it difficult to imagine what it was used for by its unfortunate owner before zombification. Therefore my suggestion is as follows: More backpacks should have unique loot tables based on the former occupation of their zombified owner. Below are a few sections describing different zombie types that can spawn with backpacks and my suggestions for goodies or junk that should be able to spawn in their bag. Office Worker Zombies (Spawn with satchels or duffel bags): These poor folks were the white collar backbone of rural Kentucky before the Knox event, so it seems only natural they should carry some office supplies in their bag, along with some occasionally more interesting loot... Common Loot Items Pencils and pens Glue, scissors, rubber bands, adhesive tape Sheets of paper and notebooks Books, magazines, newspapers Rare Loot Items A bottle of bourbon (for those weeks when your Friday feels like a Monday) A random skill book of beginner or intermediate level (Maybe they had a hobby at home!) Coffee (It might be their turn to fill the pot at work) Hiker Zombies (Spawn with hiking bags): Sometimes you spot these unfortunate campers outside of the more urban areas of the map. While I know their stories usually spawn with some food items, I think a hiker with a backpack should carry some of their own nonperishable snacks and maybe a few other useful items for roughing it. Let's gather around the campfire and groan our zombie song... Common Loot Items Peanuts, sunflower seeds, or beef jerky (I find it hard to believe a hiker with their own backpack wouldn't have some dry snacks!) Water Bottle Tent pegs Notched wooden plank, lighter, or matches Sturdy sticks A paperclip (Dean said to always carry one!) Kettle Tea bags Rare Loot Items A copy of "The Herbalist" A saw Some medicinal herbs Student Zombies (Spawn with satchels or school bags): Kentucky's graduating class of '93 really did have it rough. I imagine students would carry lots of various knick knacks, many of which aren't immediately useful, similar to what you can find in a school locker. Common Loot Items Pencils and erasers Glue, scissors, adhesive tape Sheets of paper, notebooks, or a journal Books, magazines, comic books Baseball, basketball, football, golf ball, or tennis ball Earbuds, headphones, CD player, or video game Rare Loot Items A baseball bat, hockey stick, tennis racket, or golf club Chocolate, chips, or another nonperishable snack A lunchbox with some random food items (suggested by Tails) Bandit Zombies (Spawn with large backpacks): These zombies can be spotted in rare road events after more time has passed since the Knox Event. They would be much worse news if they hadn't gotten themselves infected. A former bandit should carry some ammunition and/or various survival items. Common Loot Items Ammunition boxes: .308, 5.56, or shotgun shells Maps Some canned nonperishable food and/or TV dinners Water Bottle or Alcoholic Beverage Cigarettes Lighter or matches Flashlight or Hand Torch Batteries Rare Loot Items Tactical Walkie Talkie Molotov Cocktail McCoy Lumber Workers (Spawn with satchels): These guys are a lot more common now that McCoy's is less safe. Since they were hardworking lumberjacks before the infection, their satchels could carry some woodworking gear. Common Loot Items Wood Glue Saw Box of Nails Rope Safety Glasses Rare Loot Items A spare Hand Axe A bottle of Beer or Bourbon Military Zombies (Spawn with Military Backpacks): These men and women died for their country, but it'd be a shame to let Uncle Sam's gear go to waste! Military zombies with backpacks should carry some of the most valuable loot for someone with a character focused on firearms. (suggested by Tails) Common Loot Items Ammunition Boxes: 5.56 Various weapon attachments Hunting Knife Spare M16 magazines Spare M14 magazines First Aid Kit US Army Walkie Talkie Rare Loot Items (These should probably spawn attached/holstered to the zombie rather than in the backpack, but would still be nice to see) M16 Rifle or M14 Rifle An M9, M1911, or D-E pistol I could probably go on and on, but I think that's a good place to stop to let curious eyes judge my suggestion. Let me know what you think about the idea, and feel free to suggest some changes of your own if I forgot a type of backpack zombie.

Thanks for the patch, good stuff as always. However, I've noticed an issue crop up that I'm pretty sure is related to the above change. It seems to have applied to high and low fences both, so now spears are the only weapon class capable of attacking across any kind of fence, including the low fences that should be fair game for the other weapon types. Would appreciate this getting looked at when possible. Thanks again!

That's one sad cabbage.

There's some unusual behavior that seems to happen when filling an empty sack with dirt. Here (in the screenshot above) I'm based up at the north warehouse of Muldraugh, I put some dirt in a sack and now in my character's inventory the full dirt bag is shown to be in his main inventory, but the empty sack is still shown in the equip bar and inventory tab. Climbing the sheet rope back into my base then causes the game to crash, requiring restart. I'd be grateful for help/confirmation that this is indeed a bug. Thanks!

Very much look forward to seeing more outdoor stories, especially since it could help fill in some of the vast emptiness in the woodland between the towns. Hiking groups who escaped the towns and initial outbreak but turned later or starved out would be great, and also a fun gameplay way to find hiking bags like how duffel bags can be found on office workers. Can't wait for this to go live in an update!

Hi there, very much enjoying the new update. I'd like to highlight a concern with the above however. I'm pretty sure these changes have made the player also prioritize zombies standing on the opposite side of a fence/window or climbing over more than ones that have already fallen over the fence. This makes combat on fences or windows even more dangerous and unreliable than before as the character will attempt to target the zombie still not climbing over the window while a prone one on the floor lunges and stuns the character or knocks them over with impunity. I'm not sure if higher priority to zombies doing the lunge attack over standing zombies would solve this or is viable for the devs, but would appreciate anything that could be done to tighten up targeting in this aspect. Thanks again for the update! I've never been more glad that the days of tree-pushing are over.