Hello there! I wanted to open a topic asking people their opinions on Project Zomboid as it is right now. I'm asking because I've seen this game a lot over the years, and I've always been tempted to buy it, but I was hoping to wait for a full release. I do not wish to argue with the logistics of whether or not this game classes as a "full release". It has the tag saying it is not, so in my book it is not.

If possible, I'd ask you to give your opinions on the following bullet pointed areas relating to the state of the game at your time of writing.

*When did you purchase the game and how long have you played it for roughly?

*What is your favourite aspect of the game?

*Has the game made significant progress within recent patches? (F/E major new features, big graphical changes, new modes, things like that. Minor features and bug fixes don't need to be mentioned, just like what they're working on as opposed to what's been released recently)

*Would you consider yourself satisfied with your purchase and the progress at which the game is being developed?

*Could you, without reservations, say you would recommend someone to purchase this game as it is right now?

Thank you in advance for any responses to the questions you may have!

Hello EraztheRogue,

I can tell I bought the game about 18 mounths ago and I still think about it as one of the greatest games I recently played. But of course this is my opinion and everyone has to make their own, so ... let's talk about it.

- My favourite aspect of the game is this survival feeling you get when you build and upgrade your safehouse or safefort to keep the walking bodies out or when you are creeping around the neighborhood for looting houses for food or rare tools. I think they've done great creating this atmosphere. Of course it can become boring over time. But I am playing with a friend once and then and it's always a pleasure.

- About the progress of the game I can say that updates have been relatively rare here on gog. On Steam players have the IWBUMS branch where they can test new features and report back to the devs about bugs and playability. Here on gog there only appear updates the devs consider as stable.
There has been some progress in the past. You can check out
projectzomboid.com/blog/2017/02/buildstatus/
for the features that have been released in the past builds (under "released builds").
I think there haven't been BIG changes since when I bought the game but they were useful.
The last update unfortunately brought a "feature, not a bug". It is the new "world view update" that comes along with some dangerous situations. Under some circumstances.

- I would consider myself very satisfied with the game. Although it is still in development there aren't any features missing for a good gaming experience. There are only those to come.

I never regretted buying this game. But I also saw some people on the forum who said they did. So as I wrote before: This is only my opinion and everyone has to make their own.

I hope I could help a bit with this.

I have it for about a year. Its offline and online good game, however there is one thing bothering me A LOT: its constantly released in broken state.

And when the problem is known, they do not provide OFFICIAL fixes, like "put this file here replacing". Instead they provide only custom solutions, in style of "edit this line here like this".

However, the game engine by default checksums the files on server connect - thus those files WILL cause breakage, meaning that effectively GOG users can either: play locally+online with bugs, or play locally ONLY with bugfixes, online will always fail.

for me project zomboid has been 'one of those games' that have influenced me as far as immersion and leakage into real life (like seeing a shed and get a momentary rush thinking that there might be a sledgehammer in there lol) . Have no idea of when I got it but I have 351 hrs into it. My first run through I played it fully to the point where I had one char that survived for yrs, had 5 forts all decorated and gorgeous, explored other cities. At that time I was perplexed the game still hadnt released. With time I kept having hankerings to start a fresh new game but held off as I was waiting for its final release. Last week after hearing about cars I loaded up a fresh game and havent stopped playing it.

I was disappointed to see its still the same game with some improvements and that all the new features I heard about havent been started yet, but.... I am still having a friggin blast. Just last night had my first creeper and I panicked, wailing away on the keyboard screaming as it grabbed my legs. lolol hubby helpfully screamed at me to RUN! lol good times. And that is what I love about this game. Its scary. Its a builder game that is scary. Its a survivor game that is scary. Its a combat game with final death. Did I mention its scary? Yes, for a low graphic game it is incredibly immersive. The soundscape is top notch. Long stretches of silences broken by the soft moaning of zees, or dogs barking or a scream in the distance. Thudding sounds from trapped zees inside buildings, glass breaking as it all goes crap up and you run for your life. Crescendo of wailing music starts, or a plaintive song of loss. The moment you forget and get complacent is when you get that tearing scratching sound that indicates a bite or scratch.

Last night I went to my safehouse to make dinner. While cooking I hear thudding, thinking it was a house down the street but then a zee broke in, attracted to a light i have left on in an outer room. I didnt even have my weapon equipped. I survived tho.


Or a few days ago, in my warehouse stronghold and that damned helicopter event started. They swarmed, broke in and I went to the roof as I didnt trust the rope ladder from 2nd floor. ( i have broken so many damn bones in this game) My char who had been sawing logs inside was exhausted, in no shape to fight, so I barricaded the roof door, made a tent and slept while the hoard rampaged below. I had no choice, fully expected to be dead when I woke up. but i survived.

One of the biggest attractions is the builder aspect, all actions are based on that vague timer when the power goes out and winter sets in. I frantically get the basics up asap, then with time I start to modify, drag in nice furniture, decorate, really pimp out my forts, all with the ever present danger of insta death. I like the slow build of skills, really enjoy trapping and having my garden running. Sometimes I just enjoy going fishing and watching the trees. By then its near end game with maxed skills and even the mall cleared out for thrills.

In short, I have no idea when this game will go live, but ive played this for years and loved it. I expect that I will start a fresh game when it does. Im not sure how fun cars will be, seems too much trouble when its easier to sneak and run. I do like the idea of npcs as it does get lonely, I hear there will be dogs too...

thanks for sharing that, mintee! enjoyable to read / live viscerally through your playing (:

I've played a total of 20 minutes of this game, just waiting for release because of limited time and not sure how much I'd want to replay it after surviving past a certain point (no specific point in mind, just, after so long, if I die, not sure when I'll have the motivation to get back to it), so I'm waiting until it's released to get into it

really looking forward to NPCs, I don't give a shit about cars and I'm worried they've been catering to fans too much having implemented that (imo all fuel in cars should be cyphoned out by this point being used for more practical things other than driving) - or at least make functional cars/cars with gas a LOT less prevalent than it is seeming to be currently from what I've been seeing

tbh I havent read anything much about future cars, but if they offer some sort of trunk capacity it could be useful when dragging a gennie back to your fort, which I did today btw and it was a trip with zees coming at me, my hands are holding gennie and seriously overencumbered lol

the first time a long term char got bit and subsequently died it was heart wrenching. At the time I didnt know the world stays the same no matter how many deaths you have, (doesnt start fresh with each new char) I stumbled on my walking dead corpse near where she died and it was really one of those gaming moments I wont forget, I just watched her for awhile then gave her 'mercy'.

ohmy!!!!!

I didn't know the world didn't reset either, that is REALLY interesting! I'm not sure if I'd like that or not

it's a bit of a spoil technically but I don't mind it at all (whereas I generally do not like to be spoiled about things) - this is something I'd want to know going in to it, so thanks! pretty exciting actually, and kind of makes the daunting future of "ohshit I'm going to die" a little more bearable but no less 'OH SHIT I'M GOING TO DIE!"

and ya, that's exactly what I was thinking, of course, supplies are gathered and crafted and safehouses made, which is pretty handy and kind of annoying to have to do over and over again without it being cheap or a cheating way - so I'm pretty sure I like it

does your husband play PZ with you at all? multiplayer in the same game sort of thing? that seems like the ultimate awesome - 2 people starting in different locations, knowing the other is out there, surviving finding each other, and then teaming together to face the threat (this is what my ex and I planned todo with the game, before she became my ex)

we couldnt get the multiplayer to work, then decided to just play together but in different games so we could natter and make fun of each others mistakes. Its for the best as im more fussy about buildinng while he is more bigger is better kind of thing. in short we would get on each others nerves in game. lol

that sounds like it'd be taking the immersion to a whole new level !!!

well, how are you liking the game? where are you at? Have you died yet? :P

I refuse to MP here! :P

The only thing that keeps my ass alive is that zombies can't use keys, pick locks, or climb ropes. I don't want any one of you characters anywhere near my fort! :P

staying away from it until it's released, though I might give it some time so I can learn mechanics better so that when it is released I have a better chance of staying alive with my 1st character

hey look .... im on your lawn... nanner nanner.....!


last time I played this I built forts in the air with only rope ladders.... broke so many bones I believe that my total recuperation time for all of them was a game yr..... have ptsd from it all and refuse to use them or make upper lvl forts anymore. :D had a funky event last nite, one of my safehouses was totally gutted and overrun, i wasnt in it at the time. can only think it was those passing mini hordes that are programmed to make your life hell, there were no zees around after. ive seen those tiny hordes running across the landscape in the past.... prob looking for you :P