Mod «NPC Survivors» for Project Zomboid

NPC Survivors introduces autonomous human characters into Knox County. These survivors are fully simulated entities with inventories, skills, needs, and temperaments. They operate on the same survival loop as the player: maintaining hunger and thirst levels, treating injuries, and avoiding threats.

This mod is currently in beta. It is playable and receives frequent updates. Survivors persist across saves, and updates are safe to apply mid-playthrough.

Autonomous Behavior

• Survival: Survivors eat, drink, bandage wounds, take medication, and sleep indoors when possible.
• Scavenging: They search buildings and containers for useful items. Their inventory is accessible for trading or looting.
• Combat: Decision-making regarding fighting or fleeing depends on bravery, health, equipment, and the number of zombies, rather than random chance.
• Communication: Survivors speak to the player and each other via color-coded speech bubbles indicating their attitude.
• Memory: Interactions affect relationships. Providing aid improves relations, while threatening or killing allies creates enemies.

Companion System

Players can recruit survivors by right-clicking them. Companions accept various orders, including following, waiting, keeping watch, searching areas, working zones, resting, or healing. They can enter vehicles with the player if seats are available.

Standing Instructions

Orders such as moving quietly, avoiding firearm use, or avoiding combat remain active until changed. These instructions persist alongside task-specific commands.

Work Zones

Players can designate rectangular zones for specific tasks. Survivors assigned to «Work the zones» will perform the following actions within the area:

• Chop Wood: Fells trees (requires an axe).
• Stockpile: Collects loose items and stores them in the largest container in the zone.
• Board Up: Secures windows and doors (requires a hammer, planks, and nails).
• Patrol: Walks the perimeter of the zone.

Survivors stop working when fatigued, starving, exhausted, or if threats are nearby while under orders to avoid combat.

Character Profiles

The «About [Name]» panel displays real-time data including attitude, health status, hunger, thirst, fatigue, specific injuries, temperament, skills, and current inventory.

Limitations

• Single-player Only: The mod disables itself in multiplayer environments due to engine limitations.
• Simulation Distance: Survivors near the player are fully simulated; distant survivors are managed as data to maintain performance.
• Pathfinding: Survivors use the game's native pathfinding system.
• Scope: Survivors do not farm, cook, or manage bases automatically.

Settings and Compatibility

The mod includes fourteen sandbox options for adjusting population, simulation distance, hostility, and other behaviors. It supports multiple languages including English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

Built for Build 42.20.4. It is safe to add or remove from existing saves. Incompatible with other mods that spawn survivors.

Technical Information:

Workshop ID: 3799395966
Mod ID: NPCSurvivors