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{{languages|player}}
{{Header|Project Zomboid|Game mechanics|Character}}
{{Page version|41.78.16}}
{{Infobox character
|name=Player
|image=Player Character.png
|image_caption=Customized player character
|sex=Male or female (player's choice)
|occupation=Player's choice, see [[occupation]]
|traits=Player's choice, see [[traits]]
|location=[[Muldraugh]]<br>[[Riverside]]<br>[[Rosewood]]<br>[[West Point]]
}}
{{About|the playable character and is not applicable to the story|the currently removed main protagonist|Bob Smith|general survivors|survivor}}
The '''player''', also referred to as the '''[[survivor]]''', is a character that can be controlled in [[Project Zomboid]], and refers to both singleplayer and [[multiplayer]].


[[File:Character builder physical unmarked.png|300px|thumb|right|Character Creation]]
==Character creation==
[[File:Traits unmarked.png|300px|thumb|right|Traits]]
To play Project Zomboid, a character needs to be created. The character creation screen will allow the player to give the character a name, choose an [[occupation]], as well as select certain [[traits]] (both positive and negative) for the character.


Before starting Project Zomboid, a character will need to be created for the player to use. The character creation screen will allow the player to give the character a name, choose an [[occupation]], as well as select certain traits (both positive and negative) for the character.
Regardless of the mode chosen, whether it be a [[Custom Sandbox]] or [[Game modes#Challenges|Challenge]], a character must first be created or a preset can be loaded if it was previously saved.


The player will need to [[Moodles#Hungry|eat]], [[Moodles#Thirsty|drink]], [[Moodles#Tired|sleep]], [[Moodles#Panicked|medicate]], [[Moodles#Injured|heal]] and [[Moodles#Bored|entertain]] themselves regularly to survive. Players can run, sneak, craft, open/close doors and windows, attack with weapons, equip items and consume items.
===Traits===
[[File:Traits and Occupations.jpeg|300px|thumb|right|Traits Screen. Explanation of numbers to the left]]
{{Main|Traits}}
When creating a character, the player will first be greeted by this screen:


The Player is the only entity in the game with the ability to improve their [[skills]]. Experience is gained in each of the various [[skills]], once a box is filled, the option to "level up" that skill is enabled. However, skill points are only awarded at your characters generic level up, which means assigning the skill points efficiently is important and gets progressively more difficult.  
#Different [[Occupation|occupations]], all of which having different benefits.
#These are the positive traits, which require a certain number of points to take.
#These are the negative traits, which gives the player more points.
#These are the traits the player currently have selected.
#These are the [[skills]], with each dash representing one level of that skill.


==Character Creation==
===Character builder===
[[File:Character builder physical.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Character creation explanation of numbers to the left]]
After clicking the next button on the character builder, the player will be sent to this screen:


No matter which mode you choose, whether it be [[Survival]], [[Sandbox]] or [[Last Stand]], a character must first be created unless you have done so previously. Here is a quick guide to help you through the character creation process before you jump into the game.
#Character’s appearance.
#First and last name.
#Sex (male or female).
#Random (randomizes all options).
#Clothing (choose initial outfit from a variety of colors and garment options – other clothing can be acquired during gameplay).
#Skin color and body hair options.
#Hair style and color (plus facial hair style, if character is male).


=== Character Builder ===
Clicking "Next" will begin the game.
When creating a character you will first be greeted by this screen:


[[File:Character builder physical.jpg|center|thumb|900px|Character Creation Explanation of n.umbers below.]]
==Movement==
{{Main|Controls}}
The players movement is [[Controls|controlled]] with {{Key|W}}{{Key|A}}{{Key|S}}{{Key|D}} keys. The default movement speed is walking, which makes relatively little [[noise]]. Pressing {{Key|C}} will toggle sneak mode, which further reduces noise and chance of being spotted. By holding the {{Key|LSHIFT}} key, the player will jog while crouched or upright, making more noise than walking. The player can also sprint by holding {{Key|LALT}}, creating a lot of noise and increasing the chance of being spotted, while also rapidly [[Exhaust|exhausting]] the player.


#This is what your character looks like.
The player can interact with the environment by pressing {{Key|E}} to open [[Door|doors]] and windows, or holding {{Key|E}} to climb over obstacles such as windows and fences (includes tall fences). Climbing through windows without a floor on the other side will result in the player falling, and causing damage dependent on the distance fallen. This can potentially break a leg or foot bone, becoming [[injured]] and in [[pain]], severely reducing movement speed, taking a long time to heal. This can be mitigated by attaching a [[Sheet Rope|sheet rope]] to climb in and out of buildings through windows.
#This is your character's name.
#This is the character's gender, either male (as shown here) or female.
#Random, this just gives you a character with random choices, if you just want to jump in to the game.
#The clothing your character will start with, with a variety of choices for color as well the type you want vest/ sweater etc.
#Skin color, and where you are growing hair.
#Type of hair, and color of said hair.


===Traits===
Using Sneak Mode will gain experience (XP) for the [[Skills#Agility|nimble]] and [[Skills#Agility|sneaking]] skills. The sneaking skill determines how well the character avoids detection. The player character also gains XP in nimble by climbing fences and moving through windows undetected. [[Skills#Agility|Light-footed]] is leveled by moving at any speed while being undetected, and reduces the amount of noise made by the player when moving.
 
==Combat==
The player can attack while unarmed or with an equipped [[Weapons|weapon]]. To attack accurately, the player can aim by holding {{Key|CTRL}} or {{Key|RMB}}, entering "combat mode", which changes the cursor to the "iso-cursor". Clicking {{Key|LMB}} will cause the player to attack. If unarmed, the player will perform a shove, knocking [[zombie|zombies]] back, which can also be performed with {{Key|SPACE}} while a weapon is equipped. A shove does no damage but can knock zombies over, allowing the player to stomp the zombie's head. There are 9 types of weapons, each has its own pros and cons, these types include: short blade, long blade, short blunt, long blunt, spear, heavy, firearm, throwable or trap.
 
===Ground-targets===
The iso-cursor may help determine character facing when targeting enemies. The player will always prioritise targeting a standing enemy, over a knocked down or crawling one, therefore making crawlers very dangerous.
 
A ground-target can be a zombie that has been knocked down or a crawler. For a bonus to damage, position your character to be standing near the zombie's head, as opposed to the hitbox on their legs or torso, before attacking. Damage done by stomping on a zombie is determined by the shoes worn, with bare feet doing minimal damage (and dealing negligible damage to the character itself). However, barefoot stomping is still viable, considering the damage multiplier to the head.
 
Note that it has been believed that the iso-cursor may be used for targeting grounded enemy hitboxes. As of current build 41 this has proven to be FALSE. This may change in the future, as the devs have stated the iso-cursor used for aiming is intended in their vision. See notes at the bottom of the page for information.
 
==Player stats==
{{Main|Moodles}}<!--
 
NOTE: This is separate to moodles. Moodles are the way the player's current status effects are displayed, whereas this section refers to the stats that CAUSE the status effects.
Does not include: windchill, injured, heavy load, dead, bleeding, and zombie.
Missing stats: anger, fear, morale and sanity.
-->
There are various player stats that need to be managed in order to survive. These stats are not represented as a meter, as they usually are in other games, but instead as a [[Moodles|moodlet]], which displays the player's current status. Player stats include:
*'''Hunger:''' Affects the player's strength and healing rate. Will begin to lose health if left hungry. Restored by consuming food and some drinks.
*'''Thirst:''' Reduces player's carrying capacity when thirsty, and eventually death. Restored by consuming drinks or some foods.
*'''Fatigue:''' Reduces stamina regeneration when tired. Restored by sleeping or consuming [[vitamins]].
*'''Endurance:''' Reduces strength and movement speed. Slowly restored by reducing the amount of physical activity performed, or quickly by sitting on ground or resting on [[Comfort|furniture]].
*'''Drunkenness:''' Increases rate of tiredness and decreases weapon accuracy. Will often move separately to controls. Drunkenness lowers over time and is reduced quickly with rest and sleep.
*'''Pain:''' Reduces speed and weapon accuracy. Restored by [[health|healing wounds]] or consuming [[painkillers]], the player is unable to sleep when over minor pain.
*'''Panic:''' Decreased spatial awareness and accuracy. Restored by changing environmental factors, such as hearing or seeing [[zombie]]s, sleeping, consuming [[Beta Blockers|beta blockers]] or [[alcohol]]. Chance of being panicked reduces daily, until becoming [[Traits#Hobbies|desensitized]] after surviving for 150 days.
*'''Stress:''' Reduces damage and accuracy, and increases rate of unhappiness. Restored by [[Cigarettes|smoking]], reading particular [[Items#Literature|literature]], or fixing the cause, whether it be sickness, zombies or bloody while [[Traits#Negatives|hemophobic]].
*'''Boredom:''' Increases rate of unhappiness. Restored by reading particular [[Items#Literature|literature]], consuming particular foods/drinks, killing zombies, being active outdoors, watching [[television]] or listening to [[ValuTech PortaDisc|music]].
*'''Temperature:''' Core body temperature needs to be maintained at around 37 °C. Being too hot increases rate of thirst and reduces spatial awareness. Being too cold reduces speed, spatial awareness and eventually health, and increases the chance of catching a [[Has a Cold|cold]]. Temperature can be managed with [[clothing]], [[Wet|wetness]] or environmental temperature ([[weather]], [[heat source]] or [[Vehicles|Vehicle AC/heater]]).
*'''Sickness:''' Caused by food sickness or [[Knox Infection|zombie infection]]. Reduces strength, increases core body temperature, and begins to lose health. Restored by staying well-fed, sleeping or consuming [[Lemon Grass|lemon grass]]. Zombification cannot be cured, the effects can only be slowed until death.
*'''Wetness:''' Decreases core body temperature and insulation effect from clothing. Restored by drying self with a [[Dish Towel|dish towel]] or [[Bath Towel|bath towel]].
*'''Unhappiness:''' Increases time to complete most actions. Restored by reading particular [[Items#Literature|literature]], consuming particular foods/drinks or [[antidepressants]].
 
==Character panel==
===Info===
This is the panel where character model is shown and can be rotated. Also an [[occupation]] icon and various stats are shown there.
 
====Weight====
{{Main|Nutrition}}
Weight is a player statistic presented on the Info panel, which can be toggled with {{Key|J}} by default. During character creation, the player can choose between one of four traits which will determine their starting weight; if none are chosen, they will begin with the default weight of 80. Over time the player's weight may begin to vary from its starting value, in which depends on the [[Nutrition|nutritional value]] of the food they have been consuming. As the player's weight fluctuates, their traits will also change depending on their current weight. The game recognises that there are actually five different traits relating to weight, rather than just the four which can be picked up during character creation, whereas the default/normal weight is considered the absence of a trait.
 
The different effects caused on the player, along with their weight ranges can be seen in the table below.
{| class="wikitable theme-red" style="text-align: center;"
!Name
!Weight range
|-
|[[File:trait_obese.png|link=Traits|left|Obese]] Obese || 100 or more
|-
|[[File:trait_overweight.png|link=Traits|left|Overweight]] Overweight || 85 - 100
|-
|Normal || 75 - 85
|-
|[[File:trait_underweight.png|link=Traits|left|Underweight]] Underweight || 65 - 75
|-
|[[File:trait_very underweight.png|link=Traits|left|Very Underweight]] Very Underweight || 50 - 65
|-
|[[File:trait_emaciated.png|link=Traits|left|Emaciated]] Emaciated || 50 or less
|-
|[[File:Moodle_Icon_Injured.png|link=|left|26px|Degeneration]] Degeneration<br>(Damage) || 35
|}
''Note that the emaciated trait and degeneration currently only exists in the game mechanics and therefore have no visual representation in-game.''
 
====Traits====
This window shows the current [[traits]] a character has.
 
====Hair/Beard====
{{Main|Appearance}}
[[File:PZ Player Info.png|right|thumb|200px|The in-game info tab with appearance editing options]]
Allows the player to change the look, for some hairstyles, [[scissors]], [[razor]], or [[Hair Gel|hair gel]] are required. Beard options are only available for male characters.


After clicking the next button on the character builder, you will be sent to this screen:
====Training Materials====
Opens window that shows all read [[skill books]], [[recipe magazines]], watched home and regular [[VHS]]es, and [[CD]]s listened to.


[[File:Traits and Occupations.jpeg|center|thumb|900px|Traits Screen. Explanation of n.umbers below.]]
====Favourite Weapon/Zombies Killed/Survived For====
*''Favourite Weapon'' shows player's favorite weapon, that includes [[Bare Hands]], but doesn't show [[vehicles]] nor [[fire]].
*''Zombies Killed'' – doesn't count kills done by a vehicle, fire, or zombie falling. Damage done doesn't count, only the final hit.
*''Survived For'' – only shown when [[Digital Watch]] or [[Alarm Clock]] are in the inventory.


#Different occupations, all of which having different benefits. See [[Occupation]]
===Skills===
#These are the positive traits, which require a certain n.umber of points to take.
{{Main|Skills}}
#These are the negative traits, which give you points. See [[Traits]]
[[File:PZ Skills.png|right|thumb|200px|A shot of the skills panel]]
#These are the traits you currently have selected.
#These are your skills, with each dash representing one level of that skill. See [[Skills]]


Once you hit next, you will be sent into the game.
As the player improves their skills in the game (carpentry, sprinting, etc.), their skills will level up.


==Combat==
Gold squares are already obtained skills. Skill names that have arrows beside the name indicate that there is a multiplier applied for the XP the player earns in that skill. The player earns this multiplier by reading skill books.
The player requires an equipped [[Weapons| weapon]] to fight, which can be done from the [[Inventory |inventory]]. Holding CTRL will put the player into a combat stance, allowing them to sneak, or aim, clicking the LMB will attack with your chosen weapon. There are three ranges of combat, extreme close combat, close combat and ranged combat.


Extreme close combat refers to small blade or improvised stabbing weapons, such as the [[Kitchen Knife]] and [[pencil]]/[[pen]], the close proximity to the zombie increases likelihood of scratches, bites and infection; this is a high risk strategy and should be avoided at all costs, however, a knife is better than nothing.
====Fitness====
{{Main|Skills#Passives}}
Fitness increases a multitude of player abilities. It reduces endurance loss, increases endurance recovery, increases movement and attack speeds, reduces damage from long falls, increases chance to push a zombie off when attacked and reduces stagger and trip chance when a zombie lunges after falling over a window or fence.


Close combat refers to weapons that can be swung in an arc (such as the [[spiked baseball bat]], [[axe]] etc.) meaning there is still a good distance between your character and the zombie, this is often the optimal method for dealing with zombies as it is quiet, lower risk and relatively low exertion, excluding use of the [[sledgehammer]] which is high exertion and not recommended for combat.
Fitness can be leveled by sprinting, doing [[exercise]]s and using melee attacks while the player is not overexerted.


Ranged combat refers to guns and [[Molotov cocktail]]s; guns are effective in dealing with large hordes of zombies very quickly, especially the [[Sawed-Off Shotgun]], however the large amount of [[noise]] will almost certainly attract other zombies, and possibly close-by hordes this is generally a last ditch solution.
===Strength===
{{Main|Skills#Passives}}
Strength determines the player's carry weight, as well as certain other factors, such as opening locked windows and melee or shove knockback. It increases melee weapon’s damage by 5%, and a flat 0.2 damage from stomping downed zombies. It also increases shove/push knockdown chance.


==Movement==
This can be leveled up mainly by doing strength [[exercise]]s, carrying more than 50% of the carry capacity, and running. Strength experience is also granted when hitting [[zombie]]s or trees with melee attacks.
The players movement is [[Controls|controlled]] with WASD. The default movement speed is walking, which makes relatively little noise unless the player has the clumsy trait. By holding CTRL or Z, the player enters sneak mode in order to make less noise, this mode is also used for attacking. By holding the shift key the player is able to sprint for a limited amount of time before tiring, this also makes much more noise.


Players can interact with the environment, using E for climbing over obstacles such as fences and opening windows, which can be climbed through, 2nd floor and above windows can be jumped out of, which causes severe damage to the player, but can be mitigated by using [[Sheet Rope]] to climb down through open windows.
===Health===
{{Main|Health}}
A characters' health is displayed in the health window, which can be toggled by clicking the heart icon on the top-left of the screen or pressing {{Key|H}}. Once the player's health drops below 80%, an [[Injured|injured moodle]] will be displayed on the top-right of the screen.


With continued use of sprinting, the player levels up his sprinting skill, which directly affects how long the player can sprint for before they become overexerted.
The player can recover from minor injuries without requiring any further attention. These injuries may be shown on the health window as "pain". The speed of recovery can be affected by the [[#Player stats|player's stats]], as displayed by a moodle. Being well-fed will speed up recovery whereas being hungry or catching a [[Has a Cold|cold]] can make it slower. Other moodles, such as being [[sick]] or hungry, can reverse the process - further damaging the character.


Using sneak will increase your nimble and sneaking skill. The sneaking skill determines how well you avoid detection, and while avoiding detection, you level your nimble and light-footed skills, you also gain experience in nimble by climbing fences and moving through windows while undetected. Light-footed is leveled by moving at any speed while being undetected. Light-footed reduces the amount of noise made by the player when moving.
Any wound that breaks the skin will cause [[bleeding]], which will need to be bandaged with either a [[bandage]], [[Adhesive Bandages|adhesive bandage]], [[Ripped Sheet|ripped sheet]], [[Denim Strips|denim strips]] or [[Leather Strips|leather strips]]. Applying a clean bandage and keeping clothing clean reduce the chance of infection. Disinfecting a wound and then applying a [[Sterilized Bandage|sterilized bandage]] or [[Sterilized Rag|sterilized rag]] further reduces the chance of infection, and can even cure the infection.


==Skills==
However, the bandage will become dirty over time, which will not only negate the previous bonuses against infection but will even increase the chance of infection if left unchanged. This requires removing the bandage and replacing it with a clean one. The type and severity of the wound will determine the rate of a bandage getting dirty.


[[File:PZ Skills.png|right|thumb|200px| A shot of the skills panel.]]
====Exercise====
{{Main|Exercise}}
This button allows player to perform various exercises to increase their [[Skills#Passives|strength]] or [[Skills#Passives|fitness]]. Some might require [[barbell]] or [[dumbbell]].


As the player improves [[skills]] in the game (carpentry, sprinting, etc), the player will gain a skill point at each level up. These can be used to improve on a skill (if there is a skill available for improvement). Each time a player gets a skill point or level up, getting the next skill point requires 100 more experince points.
===Protection===
[[File:Protection Panel.png|right|thumb|200px|The in-game protection panel of a player wearing firefighter clothes]]
Wearing clothes provides protection to the player against scratches, bites, and bullets. Different clothing provide different amounts of protection from each source. The protection tab panel shows the player the protection percentage of each body part. The [[Firefighter Jacket]] and [[Firefighter Pants]] provide the highest amount of scratch and bite protection for the areas they cover. The [[Skills#Crafting|Tailoring]] skill can be used to increase the protection and insulation of some clothing.


The next time the Player opens his or her "skills" tab in the UI section, the Skill Point Allocation Panel will appear, allowing the player to distribute Skill Points to the category that has been trained, which will be greyed out but depicting a small plus symbol.
At 100% protection, the clothing will always protect the player from the first attack in that region, making a hole in the attacked clothing.


Gold Squares are already obtained Skills. Black Squares are skills that have yet to be trained. Partially white squares are skills that are being trained but have not been trained enough to get a skill level increase in. White squares with a black cross in the middle indicate that you can spend one of your skill points in it. Skill names that have arrows beside the name indicate that there is a multiplier applied for the xp you earn in that skill. You earn this multiplier by reading skill books.
===Temperature===
[[File:Temperature Panel.png|right|thumb|200px|The in-game temperature tab]]
The temperature panel shows the player the current temperature for different regions of the body between blue for cold and red for hot. It also shows the ranges of the players core temperature, and the players body heat generation. The player can increase their body temperature by wearing appropriate clothes with high insulation, or reduce the temperature by wearing less clothing. The player can see their insulation levels by clicking the insulation tab in the temperature menu.


==Health==
The temperature menu also has an advanced option which allows the user to check their blood vessels, shivering/perspiration, body wetness, clothing wetness, and wind resistance. The wetness of a players body and/or clothes can effect their temperature, especially in the cold. The player can use this panel to regulate their characters body heat to prevent issues caused by extreme temperatures.
See [[Health]]


==Sleep==
==Sleep==
Sleep management is a vital part of the gameplay mechanics, the player will get tired everyday, and the level of tiredness affects the player's spatial awareness, greatly increasing the chance of being caught out by zombies. The player must choose when to go to sleep and requires a [[bed]], [[sofa]] or chair to do so, sleeping will initially get rid of the [[Moodles#Tired|tired moodle]] and then gives between 6-8 hours of regular sleep, provided you are not attacked or otherwise panicked. The only action that can be performed whilst asleep is the assigning of skill points.
{{Main|Sleep}}
Sleep management is a vital part of the gameplay mechanics. The player will get tired every day, and the level of tiredness affects the player's spatial awareness, greatly increasing the chance of being caught out by zombies. The player must choose where and when to go to sleep. Sleeping will gradually remove the [[Tired|tired moodle]], and can take between 6-8 hours of regular sleep, provided the player is not woken by a nightmare or nearby sounds. Sleeping can be done anywhere, such as the ground, a [[bed]], [[Comfort|chair]] or [[vehicles|vehicle]], each of which with a bed quality. A low bed quality can reduce the rate of tiredness and result in gaining damage.


In Multiplayer (as of Build 29), the player does not need to sleep and when a bed or other piece of furniture is clicked on the message 'You're not tired enough to sleep.' will appear even if the player has taken sleeping pills.
In multiplayer, sleep can be enabled or disabled by the server owner. If sleeping has been disabled, the player does not need to sleep, and when a bed or other piece of [[Tiles|furniture]] is clicked, the message "Not tired enough to sleep." will appear even if the player has taken [[Sleeping Tablets|sleeping tablets]].


==Inventory Management==
==Inventory management==
[[File:Inventory.png|400px|thumb|right|Example Inventory of Jimmy Johnson]]
{{Main|Inventory}}
The player can acquire various resources and tools that the player can use or store for future use. Carrying items will encumber the player when carrying beyond their encumbered limit, which is governed by the player's strength. Items are not given weights, but encumbered values, this can be overcome by using baggage. Baggage (such as [[Plastic Bag]] and [[Duffelbag]]) allow for the storing of items in the player's inventory while greatly reducing the encumbered value of the item.
[[File:Inventory.png|400px|thumb|right|Example inventory of Malony Jenkins]]
Managing the inventory is an essential factor in survival. Through it, the player can acquire various resources and tools that can be used or stored for future use. The inventory area also functions as a crafting panel using the context or crafting menus. The context menu is accessed by right-clicking on the object desired to modify, while the crafting menu is accessed using the {{Key|B}} key. Here, the player can view all the recipes available to their character, according to their skill level and known recipes.


The [[Moodles#Encumbered|encumbered moodle]] appears when the total encumbered value exceeds the player's limit, which reduces the player's speed. Food and drink can be consumed by dragging the item from the inventory and from various containers to the player's heart, this can also be done via a right click contextual menu in the item interface. The player can store items in containers to prevent themselves from becoming encumbered.
In the clothes panel, it is possible to see the items the player is currently wearing, this is used to keep the player's body temperature at the proper level. Short clothes allow the character to cool off, and warm clothes keep the character warm and protected from the cold.


The inventory area also doubles as a crafting panel where the player can use a right click contextual menu to modify items. In the clothes panel you can see the items the player is currently wearing, this is used to keep the body temperature of the player at the right level, [[vest]]s allow you to cool down and [[Sweater]]s keep you warm.
The [[Heavy Load]] appears when the total inventory weight value exceeds the player's weight limit - the value of which is defined by the player's strength level - drastically reducing his speed. This can be avoided with the use of baggage. Baggage (such as a [[Plastic Bag|plastic bag]] or a [[backpack]]) is an object that can be carried in the hands or back and allows the storage of items from the player's inventory, reducing their weight. In addition to baggage, objects can also be stored in containers such as cabinets, drawers, shelves, etc. [[Vehicles]] can also be used to store objects and transport them to another place without overburdening the player.


==Safe House Fortification==
==See also==
A safe house is a defensive structure that the player can construct as a base of operation. The player is able to build or secure a safe house with carpentry. It usually started by closing all windows and doors and securing them. The player can secure windows and doors by barricading the with [[Wooden Plank]]s, a [[Hammer]] and [[Nails]] are required to do so. The player can further secure a safe house by putting [[Sheet|sheets]] over the windows. Where there is either a sheet or a curtain on the window, the player will be able to close and open the curtains by right-clicking on them. Players can further refine their stronghold by placing [[Door|doors]], [[Window|windows]], and [[Wall_piece|wall pieces]], in addition to [[Crate|crates]]. Players can also destroy their walls by using a [[sledgehammer]].
*[[Survivor]]
*[[Animal]]
*[[NPC]]
*[[Metagame]]
*[[Weapons]]
*[[Traits]]
*[[Skills]]
*[[Occupation]]
*[[Health]]


==See Also==
==External links==
* [[Weapons]]
*[http://undeniable.info/pz/CharacterPlanner.php Character planner]
* [[Traits]]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAJtl9YGfAU This Is Not A Headshot In Project Zomboid by Retanaru]. Explanation and demonstration on ground-targeting zombies.
* [[skills| Skills]]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6oqRWNaDYs Explaining The Janky Aiming In Project Zomboid by Retanaru]. Expanded explanation on targeting in melee combat.
* [[Occupation]]
* [[Health]]

Latest revision as of 11:49, 25 April 2024

UI Tick.png
This page has been revised for the current stable version (41.78.16).
Help by adding any missing content. [edit]
Player
Player
Customized player character
General
Sex
Male or female (player's choice)
Occupation
Player's choice, see occupation
Traits
Player's choice, see traits
Location
PlushSpiffo.pngThis article is about the playable character and is not applicable to the story. For the currently removed main protagonist, see Bob Smith. For general survivors, see survivor.

The player, also referred to as the survivor, is a character that can be controlled in Project Zomboid, and refers to both singleplayer and multiplayer.

Character creation

To play Project Zomboid, a character needs to be created. The character creation screen will allow the player to give the character a name, choose an occupation, as well as select certain traits (both positive and negative) for the character.

Regardless of the mode chosen, whether it be a Custom Sandbox or Challenge, a character must first be created or a preset can be loaded if it was previously saved.

Traits

Traits Screen. Explanation of numbers to the left
Main article: Traits

When creating a character, the player will first be greeted by this screen:

  1. Different occupations, all of which having different benefits.
  2. These are the positive traits, which require a certain number of points to take.
  3. These are the negative traits, which gives the player more points.
  4. These are the traits the player currently have selected.
  5. These are the skills, with each dash representing one level of that skill.

Character builder

Character creation explanation of numbers to the left

After clicking the next button on the character builder, the player will be sent to this screen:

  1. Character’s appearance.
  2. First and last name.
  3. Sex (male or female).
  4. Random (randomizes all options).
  5. Clothing (choose initial outfit from a variety of colors and garment options – other clothing can be acquired during gameplay).
  6. Skin color and body hair options.
  7. Hair style and color (plus facial hair style, if character is male).

Clicking "Next" will begin the game.

Movement

Main article: Controls

The players movement is controlled with WASD keys. The default movement speed is walking, which makes relatively little noise. Pressing C will toggle sneak mode, which further reduces noise and chance of being spotted. By holding the LSHIFT key, the player will jog while crouched or upright, making more noise than walking. The player can also sprint by holding LALT, creating a lot of noise and increasing the chance of being spotted, while also rapidly exhausting the player.

The player can interact with the environment by pressing E to open doors and windows, or holding E to climb over obstacles such as windows and fences (includes tall fences). Climbing through windows without a floor on the other side will result in the player falling, and causing damage dependent on the distance fallen. This can potentially break a leg or foot bone, becoming injured and in pain, severely reducing movement speed, taking a long time to heal. This can be mitigated by attaching a sheet rope to climb in and out of buildings through windows.

Using Sneak Mode will gain experience (XP) for the nimble and sneaking skills. The sneaking skill determines how well the character avoids detection. The player character also gains XP in nimble by climbing fences and moving through windows undetected. Light-footed is leveled by moving at any speed while being undetected, and reduces the amount of noise made by the player when moving.

Combat

The player can attack while unarmed or with an equipped weapon. To attack accurately, the player can aim by holding CTRL or RMB, entering "combat mode", which changes the cursor to the "iso-cursor". Clicking LMB will cause the player to attack. If unarmed, the player will perform a shove, knocking zombies back, which can also be performed with SPACE while a weapon is equipped. A shove does no damage but can knock zombies over, allowing the player to stomp the zombie's head. There are 9 types of weapons, each has its own pros and cons, these types include: short blade, long blade, short blunt, long blunt, spear, heavy, firearm, throwable or trap.

Ground-targets

The iso-cursor may help determine character facing when targeting enemies. The player will always prioritise targeting a standing enemy, over a knocked down or crawling one, therefore making crawlers very dangerous.

A ground-target can be a zombie that has been knocked down or a crawler. For a bonus to damage, position your character to be standing near the zombie's head, as opposed to the hitbox on their legs or torso, before attacking. Damage done by stomping on a zombie is determined by the shoes worn, with bare feet doing minimal damage (and dealing negligible damage to the character itself). However, barefoot stomping is still viable, considering the damage multiplier to the head.

Note that it has been believed that the iso-cursor may be used for targeting grounded enemy hitboxes. As of current build 41 this has proven to be FALSE. This may change in the future, as the devs have stated the iso-cursor used for aiming is intended in their vision. See notes at the bottom of the page for information.

Player stats

Main article: Moodles

There are various player stats that need to be managed in order to survive. These stats are not represented as a meter, as they usually are in other games, but instead as a moodlet, which displays the player's current status. Player stats include:

  • Hunger: Affects the player's strength and healing rate. Will begin to lose health if left hungry. Restored by consuming food and some drinks.
  • Thirst: Reduces player's carrying capacity when thirsty, and eventually death. Restored by consuming drinks or some foods.
  • Fatigue: Reduces stamina regeneration when tired. Restored by sleeping or consuming vitamins.
  • Endurance: Reduces strength and movement speed. Slowly restored by reducing the amount of physical activity performed, or quickly by sitting on ground or resting on furniture.
  • Drunkenness: Increases rate of tiredness and decreases weapon accuracy. Will often move separately to controls. Drunkenness lowers over time and is reduced quickly with rest and sleep.
  • Pain: Reduces speed and weapon accuracy. Restored by healing wounds or consuming painkillers, the player is unable to sleep when over minor pain.
  • Panic: Decreased spatial awareness and accuracy. Restored by changing environmental factors, such as hearing or seeing zombies, sleeping, consuming beta blockers or alcohol. Chance of being panicked reduces daily, until becoming desensitized after surviving for 150 days.
  • Stress: Reduces damage and accuracy, and increases rate of unhappiness. Restored by smoking, reading particular literature, or fixing the cause, whether it be sickness, zombies or bloody while hemophobic.
  • Boredom: Increases rate of unhappiness. Restored by reading particular literature, consuming particular foods/drinks, killing zombies, being active outdoors, watching television or listening to music.
  • Temperature: Core body temperature needs to be maintained at around 37 °C. Being too hot increases rate of thirst and reduces spatial awareness. Being too cold reduces speed, spatial awareness and eventually health, and increases the chance of catching a cold. Temperature can be managed with clothing, wetness or environmental temperature (weather, heat source or Vehicle AC/heater).
  • Sickness: Caused by food sickness or zombie infection. Reduces strength, increases core body temperature, and begins to lose health. Restored by staying well-fed, sleeping or consuming lemon grass. Zombification cannot be cured, the effects can only be slowed until death.
  • Wetness: Decreases core body temperature and insulation effect from clothing. Restored by drying self with a dish towel or bath towel.
  • Unhappiness: Increases time to complete most actions. Restored by reading particular literature, consuming particular foods/drinks or antidepressants.

Character panel

Info

This is the panel where character model is shown and can be rotated. Also an occupation icon and various stats are shown there.

Weight

Main article: Nutrition

Weight is a player statistic presented on the Info panel, which can be toggled with J by default. During character creation, the player can choose between one of four traits which will determine their starting weight; if none are chosen, they will begin with the default weight of 80. Over time the player's weight may begin to vary from its starting value, in which depends on the nutritional value of the food they have been consuming. As the player's weight fluctuates, their traits will also change depending on their current weight. The game recognises that there are actually five different traits relating to weight, rather than just the four which can be picked up during character creation, whereas the default/normal weight is considered the absence of a trait.

The different effects caused on the player, along with their weight ranges can be seen in the table below.

Name Weight range
Obese
Obese		 100 or more
Overweight
Overweight		 85 - 100
Normal 75 - 85
Underweight
Underweight		 65 - 75
Very Underweight
Very Underweight		 50 - 65
Emaciated
Emaciated		 50 or less
Degeneration
Degeneration
(Damage)		 35

Note that the emaciated trait and degeneration currently only exists in the game mechanics and therefore have no visual representation in-game.

Traits

This window shows the current traits a character has.

Hair/Beard

Main article: Appearance
The in-game info tab with appearance editing options

Allows the player to change the look, for some hairstyles, scissors, razor, or hair gel are required. Beard options are only available for male characters.

Training Materials

Opens window that shows all read skill books, recipe magazines, watched home and regular VHSes, and CDs listened to.

Favourite Weapon/Zombies Killed/Survived For

  • Favourite Weapon shows player's favorite weapon, that includes Bare Hands, but doesn't show vehicles nor fire.
  • Zombies Killed – doesn't count kills done by a vehicle, fire, or zombie falling. Damage done doesn't count, only the final hit.
  • Survived For – only shown when Digital Watch or Alarm Clock are in the inventory.

Skills

Main article: Skills
A shot of the skills panel

As the player improves their skills in the game (carpentry, sprinting, etc.), their skills will level up.

Gold squares are already obtained skills. Skill names that have arrows beside the name indicate that there is a multiplier applied for the XP the player earns in that skill. The player earns this multiplier by reading skill books.

Fitness

Main article: Skills

Fitness increases a multitude of player abilities. It reduces endurance loss, increases endurance recovery, increases movement and attack speeds, reduces damage from long falls, increases chance to push a zombie off when attacked and reduces stagger and trip chance when a zombie lunges after falling over a window or fence.

Fitness can be leveled by sprinting, doing exercises and using melee attacks while the player is not overexerted.

Strength

Main article: Skills

Strength determines the player's carry weight, as well as certain other factors, such as opening locked windows and melee or shove knockback. It increases melee weapon’s damage by 5%, and a flat 0.2 damage from stomping downed zombies. It also increases shove/push knockdown chance.

This can be leveled up mainly by doing strength exercises, carrying more than 50% of the carry capacity, and running. Strength experience is also granted when hitting zombies or trees with melee attacks.

Health

Main article: Health

A characters' health is displayed in the health window, which can be toggled by clicking the heart icon on the top-left of the screen or pressing H. Once the player's health drops below 80%, an injured moodle will be displayed on the top-right of the screen.

The player can recover from minor injuries without requiring any further attention. These injuries may be shown on the health window as "pain". The speed of recovery can be affected by the player's stats, as displayed by a moodle. Being well-fed will speed up recovery whereas being hungry or catching a cold can make it slower. Other moodles, such as being sick or hungry, can reverse the process - further damaging the character.

Any wound that breaks the skin will cause bleeding, which will need to be bandaged with either a bandage, adhesive bandage, ripped sheet, denim strips or leather strips. Applying a clean bandage and keeping clothing clean reduce the chance of infection. Disinfecting a wound and then applying a sterilized bandage or sterilized rag further reduces the chance of infection, and can even cure the infection.

However, the bandage will become dirty over time, which will not only negate the previous bonuses against infection but will even increase the chance of infection if left unchanged. This requires removing the bandage and replacing it with a clean one. The type and severity of the wound will determine the rate of a bandage getting dirty.

Exercise

Main article: Exercise

This button allows player to perform various exercises to increase their strength or fitness. Some might require barbell or dumbbell.

Protection

The in-game protection panel of a player wearing firefighter clothes

Wearing clothes provides protection to the player against scratches, bites, and bullets. Different clothing provide different amounts of protection from each source. The protection tab panel shows the player the protection percentage of each body part. The Firefighter Jacket and Firefighter Pants provide the highest amount of scratch and bite protection for the areas they cover. The Tailoring skill can be used to increase the protection and insulation of some clothing.

At 100% protection, the clothing will always protect the player from the first attack in that region, making a hole in the attacked clothing.

Temperature

The in-game temperature tab

The temperature panel shows the player the current temperature for different regions of the body between blue for cold and red for hot. It also shows the ranges of the players core temperature, and the players body heat generation. The player can increase their body temperature by wearing appropriate clothes with high insulation, or reduce the temperature by wearing less clothing. The player can see their insulation levels by clicking the insulation tab in the temperature menu.

The temperature menu also has an advanced option which allows the user to check their blood vessels, shivering/perspiration, body wetness, clothing wetness, and wind resistance. The wetness of a players body and/or clothes can effect their temperature, especially in the cold. The player can use this panel to regulate their characters body heat to prevent issues caused by extreme temperatures.

Sleep

Main article: Sleep

Sleep management is a vital part of the gameplay mechanics. The player will get tired every day, and the level of tiredness affects the player's spatial awareness, greatly increasing the chance of being caught out by zombies. The player must choose where and when to go to sleep. Sleeping will gradually remove the tired moodle, and can take between 6-8 hours of regular sleep, provided the player is not woken by a nightmare or nearby sounds. Sleeping can be done anywhere, such as the ground, a bed, chair or vehicle, each of which with a bed quality. A low bed quality can reduce the rate of tiredness and result in gaining damage.

In multiplayer, sleep can be enabled or disabled by the server owner. If sleeping has been disabled, the player does not need to sleep, and when a bed or other piece of furniture is clicked, the message "Not tired enough to sleep." will appear even if the player has taken sleeping tablets.

Inventory management

Main article: Inventory
Example inventory of Malony Jenkins

Managing the inventory is an essential factor in survival. Through it, the player can acquire various resources and tools that can be used or stored for future use. The inventory area also functions as a crafting panel using the context or crafting menus. The context menu is accessed by right-clicking on the object desired to modify, while the crafting menu is accessed using the B key. Here, the player can view all the recipes available to their character, according to their skill level and known recipes.

In the clothes panel, it is possible to see the items the player is currently wearing, this is used to keep the player's body temperature at the proper level. Short clothes allow the character to cool off, and warm clothes keep the character warm and protected from the cold.

The Moodles appears when the total inventory weight value exceeds the player's weight limit - the value of which is defined by the player's strength level - drastically reducing his speed. This can be avoided with the use of baggage. Baggage (such as a plastic bag or a backpack) is an object that can be carried in the hands or back and allows the storage of items from the player's inventory, reducing their weight. In addition to baggage, objects can also be stored in containers such as cabinets, drawers, shelves, etc. Vehicles can also be used to store objects and transport them to another place without overburdening the player.

See also

External links

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