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Revision as of 17:07, 6 June 2013
Welcome to the beginner's Survival Guide. This small guide will cover several topics related to Project Zomboid, and is intended for newer players.
Note: There are multiple ways to play Project Zomboid. If you wish to have an original experience without the influence of a guide, try a play-through without a guide first, then try the guide if you are having trouble.
Note: This guide was written with version RC2.9 0007 in mind.
Controls
If you are a new player, you should take a look at the Controls so you can learn how to play. The better you operate your controls, the better chance you have of making it through the day.
Map of RC2.9 and beyond
The events of Project Zomboid take place in the suburban town of Muldraugh (based on real life Muldraugh, Kentucky). Currently, the main town is divided into 8 cells with vast lands of wilderness and rural areas surrounding it. In town, the west side is more populated than the east side. There are more enemies there, but also more buildings and more opportunities to find loot. The player almost always spawns in the east side, where zombies are fewer in number.
The full map as of the moment is 15 cells by 15 cells.
Chronological Tutorial
Character Creation
Moments after creating your character, you will be thrown into the world of Muldraugh.
The Very First Day: Establishing a Safe-house
The start of your adventure can be the toughest part of the game. Check your inventory. You will probably only have a few articles of clothing on you. Look around your surroundings. Have you spawned in a house? If not, break into a house nearby that doesn't have too many zombies around it (See breaking in). If you haven't, close any curtains that are in the house to ensure that you remain undetected (right-click on windows with visible curtains on them). Now you have the privacy required to start looting. Loot the house and look around for weapons, sheets, water containers, and food. Other things come last if you have the inventory space. After scavenging every nook and cranny of the house, evaluate what you have. Depending on where you spawned and how lucky you are, you may have a powerful swinging melee weapon like the baseball bat or a golf club, but most likely a weaker weapon such as a rolling pin or frying pan. Failing that grab a stabbing weapon such as a Kitchen Knife, or if none of these items are available you'll have to start with a very weak improvised weapon such as a pencil, butter knife or fork.
If you have found sheets, improvise curtains on as many uncovered windows as possible - start in the bedroom you plan to sleep in, and then the kitchen, Other rooms that are separated from these two areas by a door are not as urgent. You can do this by right clicking on the window and selecting the 'cover with sheet' option. Even large windows that cannot be opened can be covered by two sheets. If you have all the windows on the bottom floor covered and feel safe, consider staying there for awhile. If you at least have all the bedroom windows covered, stay in the house for just that day and continue scavenging for sheets the next day. If none of the bedrooms have all of the windows covered, consider searching the next house for a sheet and consider staying there instead.
Try to locate a storage device as early as possible, even a Plastic Bag will allow you to carry many more items than you would be able to normally.
Once you have a house with all the windows covered, proceed to the next three steps.
Taking Care of Yourself
Bandage are essential before heading out into the world, you don't want to bleed out after a tiny scratch! Save your sheets for covering windows and tear up some old clothes instead.
Your character is essentially an average person. That means that they need to eat and to drink water to survive. If you are in a safe location and your character is thirsty, drink some water. You can drink directly from the sink without needing a container. Feed your character every time he or she gets "peckish" or "hungry" and always eat perishable food first. Consider saving food which replenishes thirst for last. Sleep at about 9 or 10 PM and aim to wake up at about 7 or 8 AM when there is light outside. Organize your containers so that each container only has a specific type of item in it. The fridge should always contain cookable and perishable food. Being organized and having different bags for each type of item reduces weight, and decreases the amount of time your character will spend moving items into containers. If you can, save an extra weapon just in case your primary weapon loses durability.
Every now and then, your character will either get hot or cold. Take off/put on clothes on when you see this. The last thing you need is your character suffering from hypothermia/hyperthermia in a zombie apocalypse.
Leaving your safe-house is never a safe thing to do. You never know when you'll get a chance to get back into the safe-house. You should have an idea of where you're going, and how you can get back. It is very easy to get lost in the vast world. Avoid forests and long, wide roads like the highway. Always take some rations of food and water when leaving as well as your primary weapon. If you have a backpack, always put your less-needed items in the backpack and essentials in the primary inventory - in moments where every second is important, having to unpack something could be your undoing.
Try to store at least a weeks worth of food and a couple of magazines/books in your safe house, just in case you get sick and to stay indoors for a long period of time to recover.
Also try to horde as many water containing items and fill them from the sink- these can be kettles, pots, bottles, mugs, bowls. Always store them full- because when the water eventually runs out thirst will be your biggest killer.
Getting Armed
Now that you have a safe-house, the next priority is a weapon. Do you have a weapon? If so, what is it? Your primary weapon should be a swinging weapon- firearms make too much noise and stabbing weapons are too risky. Look at the items section in the wiki to find an optimal weapon that suits your playing style. A secondary weapon is another weapon you should have on either yourself or in your safehouse that you can use in case your primary weapon breaks. Furthermore, you can carry a firearm with you but take care not to use it as a primary or a secondary. The firearm should only be used in special circumstances or should be a last resort weapon. Understand that using a firearm will attract zombies towards your location and understand that your firearm can fire only a limited amount of rounds before reloading. If you decide to keep a firearm, try to limit your ammo's weight to about 1-6 units (depending on your carrying capacity).
Until you have a strong primary weapon and a few reliable secondary weapons, look out for weapons when scavenging. Some weapons like the hammer can be used for other purposes as well and shouldn't be ignored even if you have a strong primary weapon.
Ideally you want to have either an axe, a baseball bat, a golf club or a crowbar.
Gathering Supplies
Once you've cleared out all of the closest houses you should have the following-
- A melee weapon
- A Bag of some sort
- Some Bandages
- A weeks worth of food
- A weeks worth of water
Once you have these you will have to go foraging further from your safehouse, a container such as a plastic bag or school bag is essential! Always leave your safehouse early in the morning and time it so you return before it gets dark. To avoid getting lost you can leave a trail of useless items such as forks or spoons lying on the ground, particularly at road junctions, to show you the way home. Most houses will contain food and clothing items, for more specific items you will need to travel west to the town.
There are a few items that you will need to keep an eye out for, as they have unique abilities-
Hammer- Essential for all construction projects, also reasonably good at breaking up doors for planks. Mostly found on zombie corpses.
Nails- Also essential for most construction projects, commonly found on zombie corpses or in crates.
Axe- Awesome melee weapon and door smasher, quite rare, only really found in crates and warehouses.
Saw- Able to turn chopped down trees into planks.
Trowel- essential for farming in the late game.
Improving the Safehouse
Currently in version 2.9 sheet ropes are broken, so avoid sleeping upstairs as you may become trapped. If you have found a hammer and some nails, barricade all your windows with as many planks as possible. You can create planks by breaking interior doors with the hammer- be careful to scout the area for nearby zombies first! As they will be attracted to the noise.
Windows are extremely fragile and create noise when they shatter. A plank added in front of a window will add some time before the window shatters to a million pieces. Once you have done that, look at the "safe house" section to see how you can improve your safehouse to make it the ultimate anti-zombie fortress you need.
Late Game
Weeks have passed after you started. Zombies blood and corpses litter the streets only to reflect your exceptionally effective survival methods. Unlike most people, you managed to survive this far into the game (this is quite a feat). However, this is where the game truly starts. This phase is your transition from a "survivor" to a "rebuilder"- you will have to start building a self-sufficient one-person society.
Farming
Farming is essential for Late game play. See Farming for tips on how to get started.
Wells
Within months or weeks, water will be down as well. You'll have some stockpiled water but that won't be nearly enough for you to live off of in the long term. You'll want to find a well, which will you give you an endless source of water. The only known well is in a farm well out of the city. If you get to the well, consider living in the farm, which is far away from zombies.
Scavenging/Looting Buildings
You'll never have enough supplies to last you the long term, luckily, there are various places you can loot. If you're careful, scavenging expeditions can be only slightly risky and very rewarding.
Picking a Location
Know the type of item that you are trying to find. If you are in need of crafting supplies, find a warehouse or hardware store. If you need food, houses and stores will probably be the best bet. Before entering the building, plan your exit strategy. Make sure that there are at least two entry points on different sides of the building, be it windows or doors. You want to be able to escape easily if zombies become aware of your presence. If you see a broken window be extra careful, as this can be caused by a zombie that's inside trying to get out, or by a zombie that's outside trying to get in!
Breaking In
Before breaking in its a good idea to take a quick look around the outside of the building just to make sure there isn't a horde waiting on the other side of it. Also try to get a good look in though the windows, in case there are already zombies inside. Climbing though a window just to discover that your entering a room full of zombies is not a pleasant experience! Always try to break in as stealthily as possible by going through the side of the building with the least zombies around it. Before you even try to break in check if the door is unlocked. If it is locked you will have to enter though the window, simply move to a window and hold down E until it opens. Never smash a window if you can avoid it, as this will attract zombies. Once you have established that the room is clear close the window again- this will prevent any zombies that may be following you from sneaking in behind you.
Some buildings such as shops will not have openable windows, in this instance you will have to smash and grab! Don't use the right-click command to smash windows, as this may result in cuts. Instead simply swing your melee weapon at the window as if it was a zombie. Be prepared to run after doing this and keep an eye on the window to see if any zombies are attracted.
When entering any building, there is a chance that a burglar alarm will ring. This will quickly attract large amounts of zombies to your immediate area. Run away from the area and try to take shelter elsewhere until the burglar alarm dies down. Burglar alarms will attract zombies from far and wide so be careful not to run into a horde that's on its way to the house. Zombies will also travel 'though' houses that are in the way, by smashing doors and windows. Try running back the way to came to the house, as you already know this route is safe from zombies. Failing that try running towards the east, where there are less zombies (factor the map's tilt). A good tactic for avoiding zombies in these instances is to find an obstacle that's parallel to the alarm house- such as a long wall with no windows in it or an impassable fence. As zombies make a beeline for the alarm house they will have to walk around these obstacles creating a safe pocket to wait in.
Clearing
Unless you have explored the building before, never assume it is safe- whether it is the inside or the outside. Start out by killing any zombies that are inside. It can be dangerous to fight multiple zombies in cramped, small spaces; if you must face them it's best you lure them outside to a quiet area and kill them there. Once the entrance is cleared, close all the curtains on the windows and (if you want) add sheets on the windows without curtains. Enter each room cautiously, have your weapon ready and step back immediately when you open a door. To do this you need to hold down the attack button until your weapon is fully charged and then use the 'E' key to open the door. Pay careful attention to banging sounds. When you finish clearing the inside of a building, check to make sure no zombies outside have been alerted to your presence. Never run while inside of a building unless you are in danger, because running creates noise which will attract nearby zombies.
Encounters
When heading out for a supply run, always be prepared. Only go outside during daylight, as zombies tend to grow in numbers at night. Start your day by eating something, refilling your Water Bottle at your nearest Faucet (if the water works exists) and making sure you're not carrying too much before going out. Grab any weapon you can find in your base.
When outside, try to walk as often as possible. If you ever stumble upon a horde, you'll be able to run and dodge them without being exhausted. Aside from being more quiet, walking will also save up some energy for fighting without getting exhausted too fast. Every now and then, keep your eyes over your shoulder, as you never know which zombies will follow you. Holding CTRL and circling the mouse around the character will make the player look in the mouse cursor's direction, giving you the ability to spot your enemy before they even see you.
If you ever encounter a horde of zombies (let's say more than 6), then you are definitely in danger. If you encounter such a large group of enemies, turn the other way. If you can't, try to sneak past them. But if the vast majority spotted you, RUN to your safe house (if it is safe and faraway) or just to another direction. Try to run 3-10 corners so you can effectively lose the majority and make it very possible to fend off those who are still following you.
Medium sized groups (about 3-6) and small groups (1-2) can effectively be dispatched by a baseball bat or an axe, if fought one by one and carefully. When fighting groups, you should use hit-and-run tactics, as zombies do not have much of an attack range, and you can keep exhaustion at bay every 1-3 zombies you kill. Try to spread them out as much as possible by killing the faster ones first.
You are free to go anywhere you want, however, always try to plan where you're headed, what you'll be taking as loot and where you'll be settling in to make a safe-house.
Moodles
Throughout your adventure, not only does your character gets hungry and thirsty but can also suffer from other conditions such as anxiety or depression. These status effects, called Moodles, can be treated with varying methods from the use of consumables to just letting a wound heal depending on the character's need. In example, a Bored character can be healed by reading a Book or a Magazine. The Moodles will also display signs of injuries, which requires first aid.
For a complete list of each Moodles, their effects and how they can be treated/countered, please see the main Moodle article.
Injuries & First Aid
It's inevitable. One of these days, you'll fall down a window by accident or a zombie will bite you. Depending on which Injury you have, a certain treatment comes with it. Having Bandages and Painkillers on hand can be useful if something ever happens to you. Leaving an Injury untreated can lead to health loss and even death.
To treat a Scratch, a Bite or a Bleeding injury, apply a bandage to the wounded area. To see if you have any injuries, click the heart button and open the "health" tab, this will open the character status window. Sleeping, as well as being well fed will speed up the healing process.
For a complete list of all known injuries and how to treat them, please see the Injuries article.
Leveling Up
To see a character's skill, open the Skill tab after clicking the heart in the UI. The "skills" screen will appear and will show you how much skill points you have, which skills you have unlocked, and how far you are from unlocking a skill if you haven't. If you have a spare skill point and an unlocked skill, there will be a "+", clicking it allows you to distribute one skill point.
It is your choice what skills you need to upgrade, but do so wisely. But the lightfooted and sneaking skills are perhaps the most valuable as it is a fatal to be spotted by a zombie while trying to move stealthily.
For a complete list of each Skill, what they do and how to level them, please see the Skills article.
Crafting
With the right resources, players can mix items together to create new or better equipment. By right-clicking one of the specified items (with all items of the crafting recipe present in the main inventory), players can create food recipes, enhanced weapons and barricades to reinforce their safe-houses.
For a complete list of all crafting recipes, please see the Crafting article.
Barricading and Carpentry
See: Carpentry
In a zombie apocalypse, nowhere is safe. However, that can't stop you from fortifying a safe-house of your interest. Some buildings are safer than others. A two-story house with multiple DOORS and few windows are recommended. In case of an home invasion, you can always escape through a window using a Sheet Rope. For maximum protection and stealth, board up every window with wooden planks and bed sheets. Make sure you barricade your front door, as NPCs can easily enter and steal your stuff if you don't.
Carpenters equipped with a sledgehammer can destroy walls, doors, and window frames to salvage wood.
If you run out of wooden planks, you can use an axe to chop down doors. Chopping down doors will yield one or two wooden planks, along with door hinges and knobs. Another alternative is to chop down trees. Taking down a tree will yield 1-5 logs. You can use a saw to cut logs into wooden planks.
Later in the game, once you have the tools and resources for larger constructions, you should think about the use of wall pieces. A perimeter wall will prevent zombies from seeing you in your house and will muffle sounds further. Furthermore, you will have more time to escape should your safehouse be invaded. A perimeter fence (any material) can be used to slow down zombies during an invasion. If you have the time and resources, you can make makeshift structures.
Please take note that constructing a safe-house will make a lot of noise, which will draw any stragglers nearby. Any carpentry jobs should be done during the day and when the outside is relatively quiet.
Events
Between 0 days and 2 months after world creation, the water works will fail.
The player will no longer be able to drink out of taps and the player won't be able to fill up water bottles. It is up to the player to deal with his own water situation from this point on.
Between 0 days and 2 months after world creation, the power will fail.
Refrigerators will no longer preserve food and lights will no longer turn on. You cannot cook food either. Pretty soon, all perishable foods will go bad and you will have to survive off of your non perishable foods.
Death
A Zombie has bitten you. You've patched yourself up, but as the night sets in, you start feeling feverish, knowing all too well that the end is nigh... You'll be joining them soon...
Or maybe you've been very careful for months, all holed up in a barricaded coffin with your dwindling food and water supply. And you promised yourself to never ever take off these wooden planks off the front door... A slow death by starvation awaits you...
Whatever the case, no matter how long or how hard you try, death seems inevitable in Project Zomboid. When your character dies, the game will scroll a message from bottom to top stating how long the player survived.
Good luck out there. And remember! Aim for the head!