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They're Crawling Out!


zoyd

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They're Crawling Out! PZ Mod v 0.1

 

Killed all zombies in the area? 

Happy with your impenetrable fortress? 

Bored with living in a backwater all your life, cultivating carrots and daisies?

(grim laughter)

The forces of darkness have risen coprses lying for many years below ground.

The dead and buried come to life.

They are emerging from under the ground, crawling out, searching for the only survivor, smelling fresh meat!

The deeper their grave is, the longer their way out from down below, and the stronger they are.

 

-------------------------

 

Well, enough pathetics :)

 

The purpose of this mod is to vary the late game a bit. After some days of gameplay (their number can be modified in settings) new zombies start to appear not far from the player. Because they can't appear out of nowhere, I've decided that they should appear from under the ground, cause it's the only place (in theory) where corpses can be found after you cleared the area (yeah, I know, it's dragged in by the head and shoulders, but .. why not?). So be careful, they can appear inside your fortress. Anyway, they can't break through house floor or asphalt road. If there's much asphalt/floor/water in the area, it would be unlikely for a zombie to find the way out. The plants also stay intact (because the soil was digged up already and no corpses were found).

The time between zombie appearances can be modified in mod settings. New zombies walk towards player position. 

As time goes by, new zombies become more tough (this can also be turned on/off in settings).

 

A little bonus: as the groung becomes digged up while zombie is crawling out, sometimes a worm or two can be found near.. :)

 

 

Installation:

Unpack into \Users\<Username>\Zomboid\mods\

 

Settings:

Mod settings are kept in file "settings.ini" in mod folder. 

 

Notes:

As it's my first mod and I spent only a couple of days making it, it's a bit ugly and must have some bugs. So be careful with your long-played-games. Anyway, it works for me.

As i play only single player, I have no idea how it'll work in MP.

As I'm using VirtualZombieManager, the zeds are not permanent. If someone could help me making them permanent on the map and/or modifying their stats (except health), that would be very much appreciated :)

 

Download:

Latest version v0.3 is here.

 

Thanks:

To all modders & devs, I learned a lot from their source code :)
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  • 4 weeks later...

A little funny addition. Sometimes it's not a single zed crawling out, but a little horde goes by.. (or not too little..)

So don't forget to carry your favourite shotgun, just in case! :)

Hordes can be also turned off in settings.

V 0.2 is here

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You know what might be even better instead of spawning new zombies make it so the existing corpses have a random chance to get reanimated. So after you waste a zombie with a bat it's corpse lies with a random chance to wake up until you dismember or completely burn the corpse. The chance to wake up could be controlled with a curve like:

 

day 1= 0% chance, day 2= 5%, day 3= 10%, day 4= 20%, day 5= 30% day 6= 50%

and then tapering down day 7= 45%, day 8=40%, day 9 35%, 30%, 25%, 20%, 15%, 10%, 5%, 1%

 

Or if that doesn't give an endless stream of zombies just make every corpse have a 25% chance to reanimate each day forever. So if you wasted 8 zombies on day 1, 2 zombies would rise up on day 2, on day 3 another 2 would wake up etc etc.

 

And if you want to completely stop them from waking up you should have to dismember them with knives or axes or a chainsaw or whatever you got, or burn them up with gasoline or lighter fluid. Because when I think of zombies I think of them like this creature that's already dead, what's wacking it or shooting it going to do, it should keep coming after you until you completely immobilize it. I wish the zombies would crawl to get after you too that would be pretty cool.

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Hey zoyd, sorry I haven't given feedback on this yet. I had to start a new character after my last was bitten due to stupidity on my part. I will be giving this a go soon enough, I just want to finish establishing a base first so I can get a sense of how it works from inside the walls. Will post due feedback after that :)

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Alrighty, I finally had a chance to install and test this mod for a few hours last night.  Backed up my save, cranked the zombie reanimation time to 1 hour in the settings, and set time before reanimation begins to 1 day.  I then spent a few days in my stronghold, reading books, staying fed, and sleeping, just to let the mod do it's business and see what happens.

 

Within two or three days, there were about two dozen zeds banging on my windows and doors.  Not enough, were I to manage them as they showed up, to pose a serious threat...but enough to take time away from daily tasks in order to keep the population down.

 

A few small things I noticed: 

 

Zombies brought to life with this mod do not seem to handle speeding up time well, repeatedly getting "stuck" in a back and forth motion after spawning in.  Click back to real-time and they correct themselves, functioning normally once more.  This may also be true of "vanilla" zeds; I couldn't honestly tell you since I don't think I've ever upped the speed with zombies around before.

 

There were a few that "reanimated" inside of my walls, but that's only because the eastern end of my parking lot is a garden, with one tile in between each row of potatoes.  I assume they are supposed to pop up ANYWHERE there is dirt or grass, so this seems to function as intended.

 

I'm pretty sure that every time a new zed popped up (or a group, hard to keep track of exactly how many come each cycle), the game emitted a very loud, player-centered zombie sound effect.  This may be my biggest gripe with this mod.  There isn't much surprise or sense of unknown danger when there's a (seemingly) automated audio cue along with each reanimation.  Remove this (if you can) and you're a step closer to what some of us are looking for.

 

The "dug-up" look in the terrain around my stronghold is just...ugly.  I would personally prefer there be no effect on the landscape.  I understand WHY you added that in, since obviously a zombie digging up through the earth is going to mess with the ground, but it isn't visually pleasing to see perfectly square patches of dirt where they came from.  I'd rather this function be removed altogether.

 

 

It should be noted that, while this seemed to function pretty well for my needs, I built my base in the warehouse on the south-east end of West Point.  Hardly any grass within my walls, which pretty much forced the zeds to spawn outside of my walls, adding to that "they're coming from out there to get in here" feeling we all know and love and hide from in zombie lore.  A person that build their base in the middle of the forest, for example, would probably find themselves with zombies within the walls almost constantly.  That does fit the "lore" of the mod, but I think is one of the things people are trying to stay away from with zombie repopulation: we want INSIDE our walls to be safe, with the OUTSIDE pressing in.

 

All in all, this mod fixes the complacency that comes with sitting inside of your base, since they WILL come to get you.  The spawn mechanic is a little too game-y, but compared to the vanilla system (build, clear, farm and boil water while you wait for...um...nothing...) it adds a bit of pressure back to being home.  If at all possible, remove the "alert" moaning when reanimation happens. That's my biggest gripe.

 

I may start a new save, set the reanimation to happen after a week or two, and see how it feels when the mechanic is in place from the start of the game.  If I do, I'll let you know how it feels.

 

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Hi!

 

I agree, the sound is unnecessary here, and it becomes annoying when the time is speeding up.. As for dirt squares.. yeah, it's ugly. I fixed sounds and dirt squares in v0.3 (download here). Anyway I think I'll add something in the future instead of dirt, like some clods for example on the tile.

 

As for spawning inside of the base, it was the idea of the mod, to make the game more risky. In fact zombies always respawn in a distance from player to reduce the risk of a sudden attack. I can increase this distance a little.

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All the changes you made sound great, Zoyd.  I have a few errands to run, but when I get back if I have some spare time with my evening I'll check the new version out and get back to you with more input.  Thanks for your work, mate!  Definitely gives the game a bit of something it needed, at least until the Devs figure out what to do about hordes and such. :)

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I managed to survive the last month in game with They're Crawling Out installed, and I must say it genuinely changed the experience for the better.  My characters first month was spent rounding up supplies and fortifying the south-east warehouse in West Point.  After I was somewhat established (walls and a small garden, a single rain collector, and enough dry stock to last maybe a week), the mod took over and zombies started finding their way to my walls.

 

I had the respawn set to every two hours, which created enough of a zombie problem that I'd have to go out once or twice a day and clear the walls to keep them from building up.  I had the south-east side of the warehouse walled in, with the hallways cut off.  I occupied the storage room, locker room, and shower room.  

 

Clearing the walls was typically more than managable, though every now and then I'd peek off the roof to see a few clusters of zombies around the parking lot, with stragglers banging at my barricades.  It seems like the zombies do indeed spawn and head towards you, but they're easily distracted by metagame and grouping mechanics.  This can make it seem like all is well outside your walls until you actually have a look.

 

Since I only really cared about keeping my walls clean, over time the zombies would build up along the north side of the building.  After a few days of construction, without concern for what was happening outside, the area outside became pretty much entirely repopulated, and making runs for food and tools required I use the rooftop to shout and draw them away from one entrance or the other.  Once they shambled away from my doorstep, I'd make a break for town.

 

Removing the moan-alert when new zombies spawn in was definitely the right move, the mod feels much more organic now.  I also appreciate that the ground doesn't get destroyed in the process.  The worms popping up occassionally became a bit excessive, since with two hour respawn I really didn't get a lot of time for lawn maintenence. 

 

In the end, I managed to survive for two months and 6 days (I think), and my inevitable downfall came at the hands of a construction accident.  I fell off the warehouse while preparing materials for an expansion, and fractured my right foot.  Hobbled, clearing the zombies on the walls became a much longer, more dangerous process.  I would have to go out every four to six hours and kill them, one by one if possible.  I alternated between sawing a few logs, reading a book, eating, sleeping, and keeping my walls clear. 

 

The first two mornings after the accident went as planned, waking up and eating a potato on the way to clear the half dozen zombies that accumulated while I was sleeping.  Painstakingly, I'd step out, shout to the farthest one, and lead him or her into my courtyard.  Rinse and repeat until the walls were clear.

 

On the third day I awoke to a few dozen at my walls, and as I was moving to a window to get a better look they broke through.  Somehow I managed to lose them on the stairs and get some distance between me and them before they flooded the roof.  I rounded the corner just in time to evade the group, and they took an interest in my new construction project, proceeding to rip it apart.

 

Trapped on the roof, I decided to keep with my tactics of lure and kill.  One by one, I pulled them away from the group, around the corner, and killed them.  This process went on from early morning until around eleven at night, until I was exhausted, totally overexerted, and down to my last potato.  Finally, the roof was clear.  I grabbed a half dozen planks from my construction pile, and proceeded to board my windows up.  No skimping on that last board this time.

 

Life went on normally for another two days, keeping fed and rested, letting my fractured foot heal and clearing zombies away as needed. 

 

On the sixth day, I again woke up to fevered banging on my walls.  Munching on a fresh potato, I ran up the stairs to my rooftop perch to see a massive group of zombies piled against my walls, and just as I started back down the stairs, they broke through.  Three groups poured in through the three windows, and merged together at the bottom of the stairs, forcing me back onto the roof.  I hobbled back to my escape rope, but the parking lot below was littered with strays, and not an option.  In desperation, as the rooftop filled up with zed, I threw myself over the skirting around the roof and into my courtyard, fracturing my left thigh on landing.

 

Frantic, I burst inside my storage room and slammed the door.  Needle, thread, treebranch.  Sweater turns into the makings of a splint. Stitch the cut, get the splint on there, you're dying and they're at the door.  It's on, I'm still losing the battle.  I'm out the north entrance as they break open the courtyard door.  Slam the door behind me and limp down to the closet off the main hallway, leading into the machine room. Shit, I took both the doors off earlier, I'm still exposed.  Breaking glass, breaking doors.  Nowhere to go, and I'm dying anyway.  Clip goes in, chamber a round, and I'm in the hallway with them. 

 

I didn't make it out.

 

 

All in all, this mod added a sense of urgency and priority to the game.  As I said before, though, I walled off an area that was almost entirely paved.  SInce the zombies only rise from the grass tiles, I always had them trying to get in from outside, rather than spawning inside my walls.  A person living in the middle of the woods would probably have a different experience with this mod.

 

My only real suggestion is to add variable settings.  By this I mean, instead of setting the zombie respawn to every 2 hours, be able to set it to every 2-4 hours, leaving room for variation. 

 

Maybe remove the worms altogether. I dunno, I'm on the fence with that one.

 

Thanks for a great playthrough, your mod changed the way my game played out in a great way! :)

 

RIP, Danny Miller.

 

screenshot_11-04-2015_14-05-36_zps1ckxyj

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Frantic, I burst inside my storage room and slammed the door.  Needle, thread, treebranch.  Sweater turns into the makings of a splint. Stitch the cut, get the splint on there, you're dying and they're at the door.  It's on, I'm still losing the battle.  I'm out the north entrance as they break open the courtyard door.  Slam the door behind me and limp down to the closet off the main hallway, leading into the machine room. Shit, I took both the doors off earlier, I'm still exposed.  Breaking glass, breaking doors.  Nowhere to go, and I'm dying anyway.  Clip goes in, chamber a round, and I'm in the hallway with them. 

 

Very nice story :)

 

I have a short question to about this mod..

If i take a look into the sandbox mode Im able to see options like "spawn every day" or something.

Doesnt it mean that zombies already are spawning?

 

What is the difference between the ingame option and this mod?

 

Do not get me wrong! I dont want to say your mod isnt good - i didnt tried it, so i cant say..

It seems I didnt understand how/where the zombies are spawning normally..

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My only real suggestion is to add variable settings.  By this I mean, instead of setting the zombie respawn to every 2 hours, be able to set it to every 2-4 hours, leaving room for variation. 

 

Maybe remove the worms altogether. I dunno, I'm on the fence with that one.

 

 

 

Hi! Thanx for the story! OK, i'll fix this. By the way, were there any hordes or just lone zeds?

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I have a short question to about this mod..

If i take a look into the sandbox mode Im able to see options like "spawn every day" or something.

Doesnt it mean that zombies already are spawning?

 

What is the difference between the ingame option and this mod?

 

Do not get me wrong! I dont want to say your mod isnt good - i didnt tried it, so i cant say..

It seems I didnt understand how/where the zombies are spawning normally..

 

 

As far as I know, sandbox respawn option doesn't work in the area where the player is located. New zeds respawn in other ares, so usually you won't see them if you don't travel..

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Mathematically, there had to be hordes. I would go to sleep with the walls clear, and wake up to more than a dozen outside. Since I had it on 2 hour respawn, and typically sleep 8-10 hours, lone zombie spawns would only yield 5 tops. Definitely woke up to more than that (although they could have wandered around from the north, I suppose).

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I have a short question to about this mod..

If i take a look into the sandbox mode Im able to see options like "spawn every day" or something.

Doesnt it mean that zombies already are spawning?

What is the difference between the ingame option and this mod?

Do not get me wrong! I dont want to say your mod isnt good - i didnt tried it, so i cant say..

It seems I didnt understand how/where the zombies are spawning normally..

As far as I know, sandbox respawn option doesn't work in the area where the player is located. New zeds respawn in other ares, so usually you won't see them if you don't travel..

In the vanilla game, currently zombies won't spawn if:

A) the player is in the cell

Or

B) there are player made structures with the cell (walls, barricades, a tent, etc).

This mod seems to override both those qualifiers to do what it does.

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I have a short question to about this mod..

If i take a look into the sandbox mode Im able to see options like "spawn every day" or something.

Doesnt it mean that zombies already are spawning?

What is the difference between the ingame option and this mod?

Do not get me wrong! I dont want to say your mod isnt good - i didnt tried it, so i cant say..

It seems I didnt understand how/where the zombies are spawning normally..

As far as I know, sandbox respawn option doesn't work in the area where the player is located. New zeds respawn in other ares, so usually you won't see them if you don't travel..

In the vanilla game, currently zombies won't spawn if:

A) the player is in the cell

Or

B) there are player made structures with the cell (walls, barricades, a tent, etc).

This mod seems to override both those qualifiers to do what it does.

 

 

Ahh thank you - this seems to make it harder to stay safe in my house.

Is the number of enemys higher than before too?

It sounds like that.

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I have been following this mod for a few weeks now. This is something I have been looking for.. but I could not get it going in multiplayer. Even tho the server wrote that it is loaded. (It was the 0.2)

I heard the sounds, and seen the dirt.. but didn't really see the zombies.

 

It would be awesome have it in Multiplayer. It would add a lot to the required challenge. (I only play multiplayer with my wife & some friends)

 

 

Anyway, thanks for the effort! This is the closest thing to what I am missing from the vanilla game.

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In order to run it on multiplayer, there have to be some changes in the mod-code.

 

On your local client, you can not spawn any zombies (because only the server can spawn zombies),

and the server does not spawn zombies because the mod is written for local computers.

 

This could be done with clientcommands:

 

If the mod is running on your client, then the client can send a clientcommand to the server instead of trying to spawn zeds himself.

Then the server has just to spawn a zed on the requested square.

 

But this should be done with all changes.

Because I think otherwise, the changes are only on your local map (like probably at the moment).

If you run around the block and the map-tiles are reloaded from the server, they will be overwritten and there will be no dirt on the floor.

If the changes are made by the server, the changes will be safed on the map.

 

So perhaps the autor of the mod will try to do these changes.

(But I can tell you, it is more difficult to test it, because you need your local server, two clients to check errors with more than one player in game, ...)

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In order to run it on multiplayer, there have to be some changes in the mod-code.

 

 

 

As far as I never played multiplayer, I really don't know how it works... Thanks for the hints, i'm going to look for some multyplayer mods to see how they function.

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Here is a example Blindcoder has send to me a while ago:

 

On Client:

if isClient() then   --sendClientCommand(player, module, command, args);   sendClientCommand(playerNumber, "testMod", "testCommand", {foo: 1, bar: "abc"});end

 

On Server:

testMod = {};testMod.OnClientCommand = function(module, command, player, args)  if module ~= "testMod" then return end;  if command == "testCommand" then    print("Player: "..player..": Foo: "..args.foo.." Bar: "..args.bar);endEvents.OnClientCommand.Add(testMod.OnClientCommand);

 

I also found some more functions in the vanilla lua-files. But I don't know yet how they work exactly. (I have to check the files how it is done there and test it for my planned servermod.)

Might eventually also be interesting for you.

vPlant.gridSquare:transmitModdata()thumpable:transmitCompleteItemToServer()object:transmitUpdatedSpriteToClients()self.thumpable:transmitUpdatedSpriteToServer()object:transmitCompleteItemToClients()sq:transmitRemoveItemFromSquare(object)

 

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  • 2 months later...

unfortunately this mod does not work on community maps. At least it appears to me that in New Denver it doesnt change a thing. No more zombies, no dirt, no sounds. I would appreciate it, if you could find me a solution ! Btw: my character survived more then 30 Days. Or does this "countdown" start when the mod activated for the first time?

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