Game modes

From PZwiki

Survival Mode

Survival mode is the quickest way for players to begin their adventure. In the current version, the only available story is a default scenario placing the character in a random location in the town of Muldraugh, KY. Survival mode zombies are not customizable, and their characteristics are predetermined. Players will be able to choose from a wider selection of stories in the future.

Sandbox Mode

Customization

The player can choose from a selection of heads and skin tones, and a list of professions and traits. Negative traits give positive points while positive traits spend these points, so you must take negatives to obtain positives.

Zombie population can be selected as None, Low, Normal, High, Insane; distribution can be urban or uniform. In the future survivor populations can be altered. Day length can be between 30 minutes or 12 hours, or occur in real-time. Water and electricity shutoff can range from months to years, depending on the selection. Loot rarity options are Extremely Rare, Rare, Normal, Common, Abundant.

Zombie lore (characteristics) are alterable. Proper Zombies (the default) are italicized.

  • Speed: Shamblers (slow moving), Fast Shamblers, or Sprinters
  • Strength: Superhuman, Normal, Weak
  • Toughness: Tough, Normal, Fragile
  • Transmission: Blood + Saliva, Everyone's Infected, None (the player won't be infected)
  • Infection Mortality: Ranges from instant, seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, or never
  • Reanimate Time: Ranges from instant, seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks
  • Cognition: Navigate + Use Doors, Navigate, Basic Navigation
  • Memory: Long, Normal, Short, None
  • Decomposition: Slows + Weakens, Slows, Weakens, No effect
  • Sight: Eagle, Normal, Poor
  • Hearing: Pinpoint, Normal, Poor
  • Smell: Bloodhound, Normal, Poor

Differences

The player is not given any items, and zombie spawn is immediate, unlike Story Mode. It is up to the player to find a base, weapon, tools, food, water in time. Whereas in Story mode, there are quests and events that give the player supplies. In sandbox mode, many of the scripted events are taken away (ex. The raider coming into the tutorial house, or the aggressive guy in the supermarket), and most of the hint buttons (in the tutorial house) are taken away, although some still remain due to a bug.

Events

The game world slowly changes. Zombie numbers slowly grow over 1-4 days, peaking on day 5. Water and power will shutoff eventually, depending on the game options selected; by then the player will need to rely on stockpiled water or find a well, and use up perishable food, since the refrigerators will no longer work.

NPCs

NOTE: NPCs are disabled in RC2.9.

NPCs will roam around the map trying to survive in the apocalypse. These NPCs are able to carry supplies, wield items, use items, get hurt, become zombies, eat, drink, etc. NPCs need food and water for survival, and over time may compete against the player for food. The NPCs can be recruited by the player, to help the player fight, but they also consume the player's supplies. Once recruited, NPCs can be issued the following commands: "follow me", "guard the area", and "stay here". Also, if a NPC rejects a player's recruitment offer, both the player and the NPC will get angry. If the player keeps asking for recruitment, the NPC will eventually get so angry that he will want to duel the player. If NPCs are killed, they drop all of their supplies, which usually includes their weapon (if they have any), some food and water, and some other items. NPCs have "bravery", some NPCs are more brave than others. Those who are brave will stand and fight against numerous zombies. Cowards will run away at the sight of zombies. NPCs are also able to form groups amongst themselves, but these groups are never large or significant to the player, because there are only 7-9 NPCs in the entire map at any point. Because there are so few NPCs, most are loners.