Build 42

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Project Zomboid > Development > Version history > Build 42

Expanded Crafting and Balance

Update name

Expanded Crafting and Balance

Latest release

Unreleased

Stable release

Unreleased

Beta release

Unreleased

◄ Build 41

Build 43 ►

This article is about the game version. For PZwiki project, see PZwiki:Project Build 42 Preparation.

Development roadmap towards full release as of January 2022.

Build 42 is an upcoming update for Project Zomboid focusing on expanding "crafting and balance". The update is being worked on in conjunction with the first stage of NPCs (build 43). While this will not be as significant of an update as the first iteration of human NPCs, build 42 will still be a fairly beefy update in terms of what it brings to the game.

Balance will be focused around existing mechanics that have been neglected since they were introduced, specifically traits, professions, skills, the medical system, and reducing exploits during character creation, along with loot balancing and more.

Additional content is expected to focus around expanding the metaphorical 'tech tree', to provide a richer late game by creating a way to reproduce items, reducing the need to respawn loot. This may also expand on professions, allowing them to use their pre-apocalypse skills to rebuild in the post-apocalypse. Further features include those that could not be added in Build 41, such as improved fire graphics/mechanics and potentially a range combat overhaul, as well as a new fishing minigame by Aiteron, improved key system by Blair Algol, new human voices for survivor breath sounds as well as server-side ownership of items in multiplayer.

This update will include the first visual and interactable animals, however with very basic AI. The first batch of animals will be those that compliment the new 'tech tree', such as leather or wool. Therefore, other animals such as dogs are unlikely to be added in this version.

Hunting update

Build 42 was previously planned to be the "Hunting update", focusing on the inclusion of wildlife roaming the countryside, including deer, mice/rats, feral dogs and more, along with complimentary mechanics, such as expanding trapping. Animals were going to be the first feature utilizing Lemmy's AI code, prior to implementation of human NPCs (build 43). Instead, animals will still be added in build 42, however with basic AI.

Hunting is one of the oldest planned updates that have not yet been added, behind NPCs (Kate & Baldspot), mentioned as early as October 2012. The addition of hunting has been among the list of features to add prior to 1.0, however hasn't been feasible until the Animation Overhaul (build 41).

Confirmed features for build 42

• Engine improvements
  • Advanced interactions between 3D and 2D elements with a depth buffer.
  • The ability to interact and sit down on furniture from all four sides with the new 3D depth buffer.
  • Better and more efficient chunk caching for improved performance and visuals.
  • New lighting system for natural ambient light effects, bouncing off walls and leaking through spaces.

• New crafting machines and methods
  • New crafting systems
    • Pottery
    • Blacksmithing
    • Stone working
    • Brewing
    • Weapon crafting
  • New crafting workstations

• New items
  • Dozens of new clothing items, including SWAT uniforms and football player outfits.
  • Varied containers and tents, sleeping bags that can be packed away.

• Animals
  • Domestic and wild animals such as sheep, chickens, pigs, cows, rats, rabbits, and deer.
    • Animals provide resources like meat, leather, eggs, and milk.
    • Wild animals can be tracked by paw prints and droppings with a new hunting system.

• Farming
  • Advanced crop farming with new crops and realistic growing seasons.
  • New crops: corn, peas, garlic, barley, flax, hemp (industrial), hops, rye, sugar beets, sunflowers, tobacco, hot peppers and many herbs like rosemary.
  • Introduction of slugs, snails, and the need for regular weeding.
  • Plants benefit from rosemary and chickens for slug infestation control.
  • Food preservation
    • Drying racks

• Map updates
  • Knox Country expansion with three towns and numerous smaller map locations.
  • Borderless exploration beyond the premade map with random wilderness generation.
  • New challenge map 'Many years later' focused on post-apocalyptic crafting and survival.
  • Map’s previous height limits exceeded, allowing for basements and very tall buildings.
  • Introduction of bunkers, panic rooms etc.

• Audio
  • Enhanced OST with adaptive exploration soundtrack by Formosa.
  • Original arrangements and stems provided by Zach Beever.
  • Four male and four female voices available at character creation.
  • Character-specific sounds for actions and exertions.

• Fishing overhaul
  • Procedural determination of fish groups' locations, sizes, and behaviors.
  • Fishing zones react to noise and can be attracted with chum.

• Discord integration
  • Improved integration features for roleplay servers and gameplay events.
  • Discord commands to trigger Lua code on the server.

• Fluids
  • Fluid transfer system for mixing drinks and concoctions with new fluid containers.
  • Fluids defined in a global registry for modding flexibility.

• Weapon parts
  • In-depth melee weapon part system for detailed weapon maintenance and crafting.
  • Separate tracking of handle and head conditions, and sharpness for melee weapons.

• Game polish
  • Introduction of a new cleaning system.
  • New vehicles with liveries specific to towns, like a local sheriff car.
  • Expansion of environmental storytelling through fliers, newspapers, vehicle liveries, and decorative items.
  • Official mod manager and UI adjustments for high-resolution monitors.
  • Thousands of bug fixes, typo corrections, quality of life changes, and networking improvements.