Optimism Posted July 8, 2021 Share Posted July 8, 2021 (edited) 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. Edited July 9, 2021 by Optimism Added a few more items to hiker, lumber worker, and bandit zombies Faalagorn, Geras, ulysses and 4 others 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geras Posted July 8, 2021 Share Posted July 8, 2021 Love this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoPizzaSad Posted July 8, 2021 Share Posted July 8, 2021 Hello! From what I've read, I understand that they are actually working on more specialized loot tables for the next versions, so hopefully something like what you suggest will happen for backpacks too. More organized and thematic loot will definitely add immersion to the game and make looting more comfortable. This is the link for what's coming next update https://pastebin.com/4w9SazYT It doesn't mention backpacks specifically but I'd guess they are aiming for that as well eventually Optimism and Tails 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Optimism Posted July 8, 2021 Author Share Posted July 8, 2021 2 minutes ago, NoPizzaSad said: Hello! From what I've read, I understand that they are actually working on more specialized loot tables for the next versions, so hopefully something like what you suggest will happen for backpacks too. More organized and thematic loot will definitely add immersion to the game and make looting more comfortable. This is the link for what's coming next update https://pastebin.com/4w9SazYT It doesn't mention backpacks specifically but I'd guess they are aiming for that as well eventually Awesome, man! I do hope something similar to this makes it in when they start looking at those looting changes. Tails and NoPizzaSad 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tails Posted July 8, 2021 Share Posted July 8, 2021 This is a good idea since I have wanted some better loot on zombies with more better loot items that would make it feel more rewarding. Military zombies Military backpacks should have some realistic loot like some ammo , higher end guns such as an assault rifles like the M16 and M14. They could add some handguns as well. Student zombies Other items for those backpacks like lunch boxes with random amounts of food and snacks to have even some cookies as well. Optimism and Geras 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Optimism Posted July 8, 2021 Author Share Posted July 8, 2021 7 minutes ago, Tails said: This is a good idea since I have wanted some better loot on zombies with more better loot items that would make it feel more rewarding. Military zombies Military backpacks should have some realistic loot like some ammo , higher end guns such as an assault rifles like the M16 and M14. They could add some handguns as well. Student zombies Other items for those backpacks like lunch boxes with random amounts of food and snacks to have even some cookies as well. Thanks! Those are both good suggestions. I'll add them to the main post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VASH581 Posted July 10, 2021 Share Posted July 10, 2021 Cool ideas! Definitely will make killing zombies more rewarding! I also have some new ideas as well! Paramedic zombies Carry first aid kits like band-aids or alcohol wipe, sometimes carry antibiotic, beta blockers, suture needle or other rare medical supplies. Hunter zombies Carry ammo, water, beef jerky and stuff. Sometimes carry hunting rifles, animal traps, wild eggs and live/dead animals. (He got infected while carrying game.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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