Project Zomboid - isometric zombie survival indie

[Multi-headed Cow]

Good game - check it out

Bad game. Don't listen to this asshole from 2011, not worth $8:

Ah what the hell. I was originally going to wait to see how fast they pushed out updates and/or when they released a public demo, but I'll throw $8 at 'em. Even though it's going to be a browser game. And even though the city isn't randomized.

Got hopes for this. HIGH HOPES INDEED. So high I'm buying in way earlier than I would for probably any other game.

 

[thesecret1]

It ain't bad. Just don't expect it to get finished any time soon. Maybe not even this decade.

 

[Sranchammer]

 

[fork]

Games that have been 'promising' for a decade are shit.

 

[Jonathan "Zee Nekomimi]

Remember when then told us NPC's are coming, i remember.

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

Remember when then told us NPC's are coming, i remember.

Don't say that word, they'll ban you and then their computers will be eaten by a dog and they'll lose 10 years of development and have to start over again just like they've claimed 3 or 4 times now.

 

[Sandro Botticelli]

There's always the Superb Survivors mod. Now you can recruit a guy named Kyle that will punch through all your barricades.

I would say Cataclysm: DDA is still better and more prone to weird, but cool stuff happening, but Zomboid is still good.

 

[Seigneur Locklear]

Is anyone here playing this? I think MP hit public release recently.

 

[HeyCheckOutHowHardICanPee]

Is anyone here playing this? I think MP hit public release recently.

Wait, what?
I remember playing multiplayer on this game years ago.

 

[Hace El Oso]

The multiplayer for what is essentially a vastly improved game compared to previous versions from years past is in a public test now, with a more stable release set for the end of this year.

I don’t intend to try the multiplayer until it’s released to stable, but Zomboid is finally realizing some of its potential. It really is a night and day difference, and a lot of fun.

 

[Seigneur Locklear]

Wait, what?
I remember playing multiplayer on this game years ago.

IIRC MP was previously a part of the test branch you could opt into but now it's been released publicly with some new content as well.
I wonder if any of the Codexers would be interested to play this - I myself have gotten into a game like a few days ago so I'm far from skilled honestly, but it might be fun.

 

[ELEXmakesMeHard]

Enjoyed this game for a few days, but burned out.

It was very engaging in the beginning, when learning the game and just trying to survive. But once you survive past the two "big events" and get your base settled, the game devolves into extensive micromanagement with nothing in particular to look forward to. Maintaining your diet and exercise, doing grindy resource runs, maintaining your base, repairing your gear, etc. I wish there were more big events that might randomly occur and threaten you, to keep you on edge.

I can definitely see the appeal of multiplayer RP servers though.

 

[Theodora]

Remember when then told us NPC's are coming, i remember.

I thought they had a shitty basic version of NPCs a long time ago? Either way, they're much less intangibly "soon" now, so two patches from the current release is NPC-time.

I can't quite imagine what a "codex server" would be like.

 

[Modron]

I can't quite imagine what a "codex server" would be like.

A few people struggling to keep going after the initial batch of codexers have long moved onto something else.

 

[Jonathan "Zee Nekomimi]

it's simple, we burn the towns in the fist week for the shit and giggles.

 

[thesecret1]

I can't quite imagine what a "codex server" would be like.

One mega base manned by half the server, while the other half is lone wolves in minibases whose sole purpose is to destroy the mega base by any means necessary.

 

[Mexi]

They made this game tougher. I used to be able to fucking destroy legions of hoards with a fucking butterknife/kitchen knife. Doesn't really work anymore, but they made the spear ridiculously powerful, which is awesome. I made one in the earlier builds, and it was about as useful as a fucking cue stick.

Also, the damage to vehicles is insane on normal. Fucking tires got ripped off of almost every car I drove running over zombies.

Not sure what to think. I liked the arcadey feel of the earlier versions. I never liked the infection dynamics, though. I always end up getting suckered by some random zombie that spawned out of nowhere and ruined my entire run. I'll come back when the NPCs come out. I just hope they aren't just mindless drones. They had them for a second, and all they did was literally walk around and walk right into zombies. Unsure how you can program functional NPCs in a game like this outside of scripted events, which I hope modders start doing ASAP. I'd love to have some kind of story or scenario.

That's what I always imagined. Modders make stories/scenarios similar to Baldspot/Kate.

 

[Theodora]

I'll come back when the NPCs come out. I just hope they aren't just mindless drones. They had them for a second, and all they did was literally walk around and walk right into zombies. Unsure how you can program functional NPCs in a game like this outside of scripted events, which I hope modders start doing ASAP. I'd love to have some kind of story or scenario.

They sound pretty fancy, going off what's been implemented internally:

We’ve got a LOT of NPC code, lots of cool systems, from Rimworld style priority and jobs system, personality systems, procedural story event systems, combat systems, autonomous survival behaviours, advanced group behaviour systems, vehicle driving systems, and a whole bunch more. While nothing could be described as 100% complete, the vast majority of the hard work has been done, is functional and is extremely cool.

This teaser video they posted is years old, but already shows some pretty neat behaviours.



The very fact that they're holding off on implementing animals and hunting because they don't want their NPC code to be half-asssed early by modders suggests that they're taking the quality of the implementation very seriously.

 

[Lord Commissar Alexer]

How could they stay in business for over 11 years?

 

[Theodora]

How could they stay in business for over 11 years?

Not a complete answer, but until recently it's been a very small team. Its popularity kinda exploded recently, and the team expanded to several along with the increase of income. Its funny in a way, they're doing most of this off word of mouth and Twitch, as the trailer on Steam is absolutely ancient.

edit: Huh, going off Twitch today PZ is getting super popular with Chinese gamers; that must be raking them in a ton of money from people wanting to play it online with friends.

 

[Mexi]

How could they stay in business for over 11 years?

Not a complete answer, but until recently it's been a very small team. Its popularity kinda exploded recently, and the team expanded to several along with the increase of income. Its funny in a way, they're doing most of this off word of mouth and Twitch, as the trailer on Steam is absolutely ancient.

edit: Huh, going off Twitch today PZ is getting super popular with Chinese gamers; that must be raking them in a ton of money from people wanting to play it online with friends.

PJ Zomboid Streamers get millions of views on YouTube. I think this game is built off Java right? Some of the extensions look like Java is all.