Making the Comb Useful and Other Hairstyle Ideas

[TrailerParkThor]

The hair growth system is pretty near perfect atm, and the new hairstyles we just got are amazing. However, I do think there is one simple thing that could make it a little more realistic. The comb is basically a useless item, and I think a function could easily be implemented into the current system without many changes. Very few people have naturally straight hair, especially if they aren't showering and brushing their hair everyday. Players should have to utilize the comb if they want to maintain straight and well-kept hair. I have a basic concept and a few further ideas on how this could be done.

 

The most simple way this could be added to the game would be to not add anything else. Simply lock a few hairstyles behind 2 walls. Require that a certain category of hairlength is met, and then require that a comb is in a nearby inventory. For example, you have a Fabian hairstyle and you want a Right Parting. You cut your hair into a Short hairstyle and then use the comb. There aren't too many hairstyles this would cover, but it would be a nice realism addition.

 

If the devs were willing to take it further, I have long thought that a second checkbox next to chest hair should be available in character creation. Hair should default to straight, but players should be able to select Curly hair as an actual branch of hairstyle instead of an option they can always grow. This would lock certain survivors to certain types of hairstyles, and would probably mean adding a few more curly styles to make it work. However, we definitely need a Full Afro, Dreadlocs, and a Long Curly anyways so might as well build a cool system around it. By default, straight-haired survivors will start to grow either messy or curly hair variants if they don't comb their hair for a long time. After combing, it will return to normal and stay straight until the threshold is met again. Curly-haired survivors, on the other hand, will start to grow a Short Afro, Cornrows, or Dreadlocs depending on how long their hair is. Cornrows would not be able to be combed, but can be undone with a little time the same way a Ponytail can, just takes longer. Dreadlocs cannot be combed, and must be cut to return to normal hair. Perhaps there could even be a Long Dreads style that can only be grown if left for over a year.

 

A few other little thoughts I had. Firstly, it would be nice if a Rubberband was required to pull hair back into a Ponytail, Bun, or to put in Cornrows. This could also be applied to the potential Dreadlocs I mentioned. If the Straight/Curly hair system was implemented, then this would be the only way for straight-haired survivors to change to these hairstyles. I also thought that maybe there was a way to work Hairdryers into it, but I figured it was too micromanagey and couldn't think of a good use for it. Finally, there would be an opportunity to add a few other hair-related items here. A Hairbrush could be added, to serve the same functionality as the Comb, but for longer hair. You wouldn't comb a Curly Fabian into a Straight one, you would brush it. I can't recall ever running into a brush, but it could already be in the game so someone tell me if it is. Hair Clippers could also be a fun idea if the devs made it possible to cut yourself while using a Razor or Scissors. Obviously a razor would have a much higher chance of cutting than scissors would, and the chance of it happening would be affected by things like Panic level and the All Thumbs trait. Hair Clippers would require a battery and could only cut certain short hairstyles like Buzz Cut and Goatee, but would have no chance of slicing a nervous survivors head.

 

All in all, I think these are pretty simple ideas. Even the more "complex" ones are straightforward and shouldn't require much other than models and textures. Some of this could fall too hard under the category of life sim, but I always find that the small sim-like aspects of Zomboid are the ones that sell you on the realism and ground you in the pixelated hell we all love. So I hope some of this is added someday, if not all of it, because I think it would make the game just a little more special and make the RP just a little more engaging.