Question about the official game lore

[razab]

Hi! I have a question about the Project Zomboid lore, especially about the actions of the US-government during the first days of the Knox Infection and how they affected the everyday life of the ordinary Knox Country population.

 

As far as I know, Knox Country has been set under quarantine since 3 days when you choose the earliest start date in game (which is July 9). Is it supposed that there has still been a somewhat normal life for the Knox Country population during those 3 days meaning that a lot of people were still working at their regular jobs? Or is the assumption that there was a complete shutdown and all people where told to stay at home (except for police officers or firefighters maybe)?

 

Some occupations have a chance to spawn at an occupation-specific location. Examples are cooks who could spawn at restaurant kitchens or construction workers who could spawn at construction sides (there are further examples like this). This would suggest that some people still did their regular jobs during the 3 days of quarantine. Another explanation would be that those occupation-specific spawn points are more a result of Indie Stone's work in progress while the official idea is that people didn't went to work anymore.

 

Thanks for any replies!

Edited March 8 by razab

[DiegooLoquii]

On 3/7/2024 at 3:52 PM, razab said:

Hi! I have a question about the Project Zomboid lore, especially about the actions of the US-government during the first days of the Knox Infection and how they affected the everyday life of the ordinary Knox Country population.

 

As far as I know, Knox Country has been set under quarantine since 3 days when you choose the earliest start date in game (which is July 9). Is it supposed that there has still been a somewhat normal life for the Knox Country population during those 3 days meaning that a lot of people were still working at their regular jobs? Or is the assumption that there was a complete shutdown and all people where told to stay at home (except for police officers or firefighters maybe)?

 

Some occupations have a chance to spawn at an occupation-specific location. Examples are cooks who could spawn at restaurant kitchens or construction workers who could spawn at construction sides (there are further examples like this). This would suggest that some people still did their regular jobs during the 3 days of quarantine. Another explanation would be that those occupation-specific spawn points are more a result of Indie Stone's work in progress while the official idea is that people didn't went to work anymore.

 

Thanks for any replies!

 

In the lore, the first 3 days before 9 of july the people was supossed to be on lockdown with higly military presence. In some of the profession spawns I think what is more of the early accces, but maybe and just maybe, you were working there and when the lockdown started, you were forced to stay there because if not military will shoot you on sight.

[Red-Unicorn]

I recently started playing a chef, who spawned in a restaurant kitchen. I figure that the restaurant was closed, but once it became clear that the “official” response had failed and survivors had to fend for themselves, she went back to scavenge for food.

 

In the same game (single player, but with multiple characters) my firefighter spawned in the firehouse. That’s easy to justify, as emergency responders would’ve stayed on duty as long as possible even after non-essential jobs closed. But by July 9th, my guy was the only one left. Saving the town was a lost cause, but the station could be fortified into a base for fellow survivors… If there are any.

[SilentLight]

On 3/7/2024 at 2:52 PM, razab said:

This would suggest that some people still did their regular jobs during the 3 days of quarantine.

The radio and TV shows are more specific than this. So they don't specify a quarantine (which means nobody in or out), they specify a curfew (which starts at 6PM, according to the in-game TV and radio messages), this then gets extended to other states.

 

Curfews are a little different to a quarantine.

 

Curfews mean you only stay at home during a certain period of time. So it is more likely the individuals went to work during the hours when the curfew does not apply (E.G. before 6PM). It isn't stated when the curfew ends during the daytime, but one might reasonably assume any time between 9AM to 12 noon, given they repeat that the curfew is at 6PM on subsequent days, suggesting they re-apply it each day.

 

We also find out in-game the quarantine only applies at the various checkpoints and borders. This is made evident by the various roadblocks, concrete blocks and metal fencing deployed, with the use of force preventing those from leaving and resulting in people being detained. So those within the quarantined zone could still move about freely.

 

Given there were no military inside the quarantine zone, and it is likely emergency services were busy dealing with call-outs, there is effectively no means by which either the curfew or a quarantine could have been effectively enforced. People  have got to eat, and so they go to work to earn.

 

Your question is probably 'how did they get into a restaurant surrounded by zombies?'. There's a few ways we could explain this:

 

1. We take control of the character just as they realise zombies are entering the building after a suspiciously slow work day, or
2. The airborne infection vector has rapidly turned the vulnerable people into zombies around the character, and the transformation is extremely recent, with the character only just realising, and at this point the game 'begins'
3. Your character recently fled their house in terror on account of the zombies, and went to the only other place they're familiar with - work - and managed to sneak inside, only to find more zombies, at which point we take control

 

My personal headcanon is they just turned up to work for an early start, around a time when few people (and thus, few zombies) are about, were the first to arrive (entrusted with the key to open the building etc), got changed into their work clothes, and are prepared to do a day shift, when they notice there's a lot of abnormally injured people shambling their way, drawn by all the noise they're making inside. Pick whatever feels consistent for your personal worldbuilding.

Edited April 2 by SilentLight