Post-apocalyptic survival game makes zombies a little less scary. NPCs and trading may soon hit Project Zomboid
The next Build 42 update for Project Zomboid develops crafting, improves controls, and adds some new details. The „unstable” version of the game may soon leave the beta.
The developers of has been added to the "unstable" version of Build 42. The update brings more improvements to the gameplay, changes in balance, and develops the crafting system, introducing new items and recipes.
Crafting
A key aspect of the update is the new clothing items that can now be crafted from materials like leather, denim, rags, or tarpaulins. In the game, we will even find a punk fashion magazine, from which we will learn how to make a dress out of garbage bags. There are many more new recipes, and they don't just cover clothing items.
Attention is also drawn to the possibility of producing gold and silver coins, which—although they probably have no use in the game at the moment—may be a subtle harbinger of bigger changes on the horizon. Trade? NPCs? Time will tell.
Interface and control improvements
The update also introduces many improvements to the interface and controls, particularly for players using a controller. Enhancements have been made to interactions during plant cultivation, including a new system that enables seamless switching between functions (like watering, harvesting, or treating plants) and provides clear on-screen hints. The changes also include crafting. The crafting window has been enriched with the ability to highlight elements and additional options for interacting with the list of ingredients.
Details that make a difference
A new patch for the "unstable" version of Project Zomboid, apart from a few minor additions, once again improves the game world with small but important details. The corpses (or rather "lying" zombies) now have visible chest movement, which allows players to more easily recognize if the undead are just "pretending" to be dead. The sounds of breaking mesh fences and new audio effects for quartering hunted animals have been added.
Also noteworthy is the return of the dome-shaped smelting furnace, which now allows for the production of coke from charcoal—a key component in steel production.
Changes in balance
There were also changes in the balance. Many blacksmithing recipes have been made easier - now a lower skill level is enough for many of them (1 instead of 4), to begin the journey with blacksmithing and craft basic tools. The weight of certain weapons was reduced, and the combat parameters for selected clothing sets (e.g., chest rig) were refined. Significantly more items are now also subject to the option of being melted down into other resources.
Build 42 seems to be almost finished - this is especially evident in the developers' reduced emphasis on revolutionary changes and their growing focus on details and improving the existing content.
You can find the instructions on how to install the beta version of the discussed update to Build 42 on the game's Steam card.
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