What changed in Project Zomboid in 2023

New challenge map designed as a testbed for revamped post-apocalyptic crafting.

Added agricultural stations such as herb and crop drying racks, stone quern, and mill, along with new crops like Barley, Flax, and Hops.

New system allows for exploration beyond the existing map with random wilderness generation.

Spears have been rethought and rebalanced to improve crafting and performance.

Resolved an issue with chickens that were spawning infinitely.

Introduced a new system for weapon upkeep and breakage, affecting sharpness and conditions of weapon parts.

New workstations including a standing bandsaw, drill press, and arc furnace added for advanced metalworking.

Added four male and four female voice sets for character creation, enhancing role-playing experiences.

Improved graphics for higher resolution displays, allowing better visibility of game elements.

Improved clothing models to reduce clipping issues with crafted items.

New blacksmithing recipes and items added, with multiple tiers and improved crafting mechanics.

Doors now have animated opening and closing mechanics, enhancing immersion and potential future gameplay mechanics.

Players can now customize gasoline storage options at gas stations, including infinite pumps and spawn rates.

Raccoons and wild turkeys added to the game alongside existing farm animals.

Increased variety in map details, including new signage and elements for exploration.

Introduction of new team members to enhance game development and future updates.

Allows players to create alcoholic drinks and preserve food.

Introduction of new canteens and backpack sprayers for liquid management.

50 music tracks rewritten for the new dynamic music system.

Players can now craft metal items using primitive and modern workstations.

Expanded building options with clay and stone for player-built communities.

Random chance for homes to appear looted with items scattered around.

New features for mod load order, sharing presets, and compatibility tags.

119 new randomized basements and bunkers added to the game.

Improvements to sprite caching and rendering methods.

Rats will now procedurally spawn and appear in randomized 'rat stories'.

Addition of military webbing and SCBA gear with functional features.

UI will be resized to better fit higher resolution monitors.

Addition of visible holsters in multiple colors and types.

Introduction of a 32 floor skyscraper to the game map.

Integration of new crafting stations into the game.

Increased impact of alcohol intake on player behavior.

Addition of new voice recordings for character variety.

Introduction of visible holsters and a new shoulder holster item, along with military webbing that provides additional hotbar slots.

Addition of new professions and skills that enhance gameplay, particularly in engineering and electronics.

New gameplay mechanics involving components like power inputs and crafting components for machines.

Progress update on the animal tracking system, with improvements in visual variation.

Introduction of Patrick, a new software engineer focused on implementing ragdolls into the game.

Introduction of a new crafting system that allows for more varied and interesting crafting and devices.

Introduced tools to help modders manage script assets and create translation files.

Re-balanced all firearms for better audio coherence and improved ambiance sounds.

Introduced various new containers including picnic baskets, fishing baskets, and musical instrument cases.

Tagging the map for better event and spawn management.

Enhancements to the new visibility polygon and tile depth addition to reduce character/wall clipping.

Added ability to fully wash grime from walls.

Finalizing machine and crafting station systems to maximize utility for developers and modders.

Two coders dedicated to server-side player inventory operations and fixing general multiplayer bugs.

Resolved various issues caused by foundational changes, including door animations and muzzleflash visibility.

Enhanced zombie vocalizations to prevent audio issues during intense encounters.

Continued enhancements to farming systems including fertilizers, compost, and pest management.

Tech improvements include basements, a 32 floor limit, and a new light propagation system aimed at enhancing performance.

Enhancements to the mod UI including search functions, category filtering, and favorites.

The B42 map expansion covering 430 cells has entered its first round of testing.

Grunts, groans, and wheezes of survivors have been recorded and added to the game.

A new system for line of sight information that improves visibility and accuracy without sacrificing FPS.

Commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Knox Event with a real-time Twitter experience.

Redesign of the Main Menu UI and sandbox settings for improved usability.

Added new cosmetic items including masks and hats.

Updated Discord integration for better chat functionality and server command triggers.

Introduced a new machine scripting system for crafting stations and machines, allowing for unified UI and complex interactions.

Redesigned sandbox menu with added search function and simplifications for easier navigation.

Remaking farming interactions and associated UI for improved information display and animation corrections.

Implemented unique interactions for vending machines, including item stocking, money transactions, and a custom UI.

New clothing, hats, and items for players and zombies are being added.

Resolved issue with zombies spawning on water.

Existing areas of the map are receiving visual improvements.

The crafting station code has been rewired to allow benches/machines to have 'parts' items that degrade on use, viewable via a maintenance tab.

Added ease-of-use controls for farming actions, allowing players to use farming tools more intuitively.

Fixed issues with savefile thumbnail creation being borked.

RJ is working on integrating deer tracking with the foraging/search mode from Build 41.

Players can now pick up flyers that advertise places of interest on the Knox Event map, revealing those locations on their personal map.

Fixed issue with the tops of tall tiles showing through the floor above.

Ongoing work on a significant map expansion expected to be part of Build 42 or its beta updates.

Introduction of 600 additional sprites for 15 crops and 8 herbs representing various growth stages.

Plants will have specific planting seasons, affecting yields and survival based on seasonal planting.

New animal behavior system for rabbits, including migration tied to the existing animal system.

Introduction of vehicle spawns that are specific to certain areas in the game.

Players can now remap mouse buttons to different actions in the bind menu.

Resolved an issue with carrots in the game.

Players can follow animal tracks and mark potential sleeping or eating spots on their map.

Two new team members have joined to enhance multiplayer and art development.

Wild animals like deer will be implemented, allowing players to hunt for survival and advanced crafting recipes.

New crafting recipes and systems being implemented, including the use of clay for various items.

Significant FPS improvements achieved, with plans to optimize fog and puddles for better performance.

A new system will ensure appropriate newspapers and vehicles spawn in their respective towns.

Six new TV channels and a new radio station will be introduced, along with 75 new VHS tapes.

Newspapers with articles about the Knox Event and town news pamphlets will be added for players to loot.

Books and magazines will have a cooldown period before they can be re-read, instead of disappearing.

New recordings of survivor sounds such as huffing, puffing, and shouting will be added to enhance immersion.

Illiterate characters can now interact with certain literature items visually, but cannot read or write notes.

Players need sufficient light to read or interact with printed materials and maps.

New vehicles for local businesses will spawn in specific towns, enhancing loot opportunities.

1500 different books, magazines, and comics will now have unique titles to enhance storytelling.

Introduction of an adaptive exploration soundtrack that adjusts based on in-game events.

The first stage of moving player inventories to the server is complete, allowing for deeper control over player actions.

Currently focused on bug fixing and optimization related to chunked rendering and variable height systems.

The new crafting code systems have been merged into the internal test build, focusing on fixing broken recipes and functions.

Cows, pigs, and sheep have been improved for gameplay, now featuring sounds like mooing, oinking, and baaing.

Tents can now serve as containers and beds, with enhancements for sleeping quality using mattresses and pillows.

Artists are creating new visuals to enhance locations beneath the ground, increasing depth and height limits.

A major rework of the crafting system, introducing deep crafting trees and new post-apocalypse professions.

Support for networks of items, power, liquids, or gases, impacting building systems like power and plumbing.

Integration of server authoritative codebase to enhance multiplayer security and functionality.

A more complex and customizable recipe system for crafting processes.

Upcoming tech upgrades including basement support and optimizations to tile rendering.

Items will have varied statistics and unique properties, providing deeper gameplay variety.

Introduction of multi tile machines and crafting stations for enhanced gameplay mechanics.

New sound effects for fishing activities, including different sounds for reeling in speeds.

New names for food, drinks, and snacks along with a new eating animation.

New storage feature associated with the updated tent functionality.

Tents can now be placed and picked up like normal decor/furniture objects.

Introduction of new camping gear including matchboxes, insect repellent, and more.

Merged work from various mappers is now being tested for playability and design feedback.

New SFX for pigs, chickens, breaking furniture, and more.

Introduction of new titles and names for literature items.

Action music duration post-zed-escape will be reduced.

Introduction of a unique random seed for fish locations, with visual splashes indicating fish presence.

A new lighting propagation system has been introduced, enhancing ambient light effects and resolving room-based lighting issues.

New garden pests such as slugs and snails have been added, requiring players to implement pest control measures.

A depth buffer has been implemented to optimize rendering, allowing for more efficient drawing of tiles and reducing the need for repeated tile rendering.

New contextual actions have been added for farming tools, allowing players to perform actions like digging and planting more intuitively.

Farming mechanics have been reworked to include realistic growth times, seasons, and new pests, enhancing the gameplay experience.

Introduction of various fish types including largemouth, smallmouth, and crappies.

Improved control system for fishing to provide a more relaxed gameplay experience.

Work in progress on crafting improvements showcased in a video.

Transitioning player inventory actions from client to server to enhance security and sync.

Work continues on the fire rewrite branch to improve fire spread, size, and duration mechanics.

Experimentation with fire visuals to better match the game's colored iso-world.

Real-life recordings of human actors to enhance audio realism for survivor interactions.

Build 42 will include crafting/animals update, map expansion, optimization/lighting/basements engine upgrade, and server-side inventory interactions.

Developing systems for livestock area designation and fence building to prevent escapes.

Current iteration of fishing mechanics being tested, including strain animations.

A variety of new items being added to enhance gameplay realism and world immersion.

Fenris_Wolf, Amz, and Pat_Bren officially join the Project Zomboid team to enhance development and community engagement.

Enhancements to the animation system for smoother character movements.

Fixing various rendering issues as part of the engine upgrade to prepare for the test build.