ZA-Z FAQ: quick answers about our Project Zomboid server

The short answers: yes, ZA-Z is lightly modded (vanilla+), the mods download by themselves, a day lasts 3 real hours, the server restarts at 00:00 SAST every night, PvP is on with the safety toggle (except in the Rosewood safe zone), the power is on, and a zombie bite can be survived, rarely. Every answer below links to the page with the full story.

#Joining

#Is ZA-Z modded?

Yes, lightly. ZA-Z is a vanilla+ server with lore-friendly, balanced additions: 24 Workshop items (KI5 vehicles, a flyable Huey, more guns, more food, clothing, music), five of them our own, plus server mechanics we built, like the Knox Antidote and the Rosewood safe zone. The full list is on Mods.

#Is ZA-Z still being updated?

Yes, actively. Game patches land the same day, mods stay current, and new additions ship regularly. Every major update has its own page on Updates.

#Do I have to download the mods myself?

No. The game downloads every mod through Steam the first time you join, about 1.2 GB in all. There is nothing to subscribe to; see Getting started.

#What version of Project Zomboid do I need?

Build 42 on Steam's default branch, the same version as the server (42.21 right now). If you are on a beta branch, set it back to None in the game's Steam properties; Getting started has the steps.

#Is there a password or a whitelist?

No. ZA-Z is public with 32 slots: pick any username and password the first time you join, and that becomes your account. Up to 5 accounts per Steam account are allowed.

#Where is the server, and can I play from outside South Africa?

The server is in Johannesburg, so players in Southern Africa get the best ping. There is no ping limit, so anyone can join from anywhere. Address and steps: Getting started.

#I can't join after an update. What now?

Game updates reach the server by hand, usually the same day, and until then newer clients are refused. Restart Steam and try again; if that fails, work through Troubleshooting.

#Time and restarts

#How long is a day?

One in-game day lasts 3 real hours, with short nights. The game clock stops whenever nobody is online, so the world waits for you. All the time settings are on Server settings.

#What time is the restart?

Every night at 00:00 SAST (22:00 UTC), with warnings in chat at 23:50, 23:55 and 23:59. The server is back about two minutes later. Mod updates can trigger an extra restart, always with warnings if anyone is on; see Server settings.

#Do I need to sleep?

No. Your survivor never gets tired on ZA-Z. If every player online sleeps at the same time, the night fast-forwards, so beds still earn their keep. See Server settings.

#Survival

#Is there a safe zone?

Yes: the town of Rosewood. It is being fenced in with watchtower checkpoints, has no PvP and is kept free of zombies, so it is the place to rest, trade and regroup. See Rosewood Safe Zone.

#Is PvP on?

Yes, everywhere except the Rosewood safe zone, where nobody can hurt another player. Outside Rosewood it runs with the safety system. A player can only hurt another when at least one of them is in PvP mode, so staying out of PvP mode does not protect you from someone in it. House rule: fight if you both want to, and do not camp spawns. Details on Server settings.

#Can I cure a zombie bite?

Sometimes. The rare Knox Antidote, a drink that turns up in fridges, clears the infection at the price of 12 in-game hours of agony. Without it, the Immune System gives some bitten survivors a hidden chance to fight the virus off, but only if they rest, eat and drink indoors while it runs its course.

#Does the power go out?

Not on its own. The grid is on and set to stay on since survivors brought it back (the story), but mains water stops at 07:00 on Day 150. Events can still bring a blackout; see Power and Water.

#Do zombies respawn?

No. What you kill stays dead, but the survivors of a horde wander, and emptied streets slowly fill again from nearby. The population is about 8 times a default world, with 10 % sprinters; see Server settings.

#Does loot respawn?

Yes, in a server-wide wave every 30 in-game days, but only in town containers that were looted down to fewer than 5 items, in areas nobody has visited for 12 in-game hours, and never in safehouses or player-built places. See Loot.

#What happens to my safehouse if I stop playing?

It disappears if nobody from it (owner or member) stands inside it for 14 real days. Your stash stays where it was, but anyone can walk in. Claiming, members and the full rules: Safehouses.

#Can I fly a helicopter?

Yes. The UH-1B Huey spawns at the Brandenburg airstrip, Louisville Airport and the military research facility, and you need to read its operator manual before it will start for you. More on Vehicles and driving.

#Extras

#Where do I get tattoos?

At the tattoo parlour in Rosewood: take a seat, try designs on your survivor, and pick. Tattoos are free, permanent and purely cosmetic, with 81 designs over seven body areas; you can also choose ink from your page on the website. See Tattoos and the Tattoo Parlour.

#How do I get my name on the leaderboard?

Sign in at zazomboid.com/me with your server username and password (or through Steam), switch on Show my name on the leaderboard, and save. Until you do, you show as an anonymous survivor, and your kills still count in the totals. See The ZA-Z website.

#Can I have more than one character?

Yes: up to 5 accounts per Steam account, each with its own username. Your survivor page on the website lists every account you play.

#Where can I report a bug or find other players?

On the ZAGA Discord. Check Troubleshooting first; most join problems have a one-line fix.