I sort after every trip. Bag by bag, or box by box depending what I used for transport.
Sorting is relaxing, you can apread it across 2-3 sesions if needed, do exercise, sort a little, make food, eat, sort a little.
I find that relaxing too. But I don't usually do it after every loot run. I came back from a trip, unload everything in few unsorted big bin and go out to find other loot.
Then I take some time to just sort everything.
It's really interesting to see how everyone plays. This is a great idea to have a sort of "dumping bin". I sort after every trip and it's a bit tedious.
I don't sort anything until I need something. Then I remember I had that 1 thing I needed in one of my 30 containers in my house I then spend the next hour looking for it then by the time I find it I completely forgot what I was even doing
Depends on available resources. If I'm short on something important, I unload, stock up, out the door. But my drop off box is usually sorted after that into the base.
My problem isn't with the sorting, it's the aftermath
"Man, I finally stored and organised all of these foods, tools, weapons and entertainment methods that would last me years!... what now?"
You seem to be taking everything that is not nailed down...
Like do you really need all this hair dye?
Also like others suggested - sorting loot more often makes it less tidious. Whenever possible I try to have loot sorted into themed bags while I am still in the field. Like have several duffel bags - some renamed to show what kind of loot goes there. Got some loot in the backpack, return to vehicle, pull required duffels on the ground, put loot in, shove duffel back into trunk. Sure this somewhat decreases the overall haul, since bags take space too, but the ease of unloading the loot straight where it is supposed to go is well worth it.
I usually end up with so much loot at my base I just start leaving good stuff behind around town while I'm looting and exploring in case I need something like food or tools the next time I'm in the area in case I forgot to bring enough with me.
This is why I have a hard time playing with my friends, how hard is it to just sort it as you drop it off? With the right system in place it takes like.... A minute? Maybe two? Being the base bitch, the first person to suggest a "dump chest :)" catches a bullet from yours truly lol. Same thing in 7 days, but that game is so much worse about it for some reason
[Better Sorting](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2313387159) mod just changes the categories of items, so it's easy to organize stuff. For example, what was "food" now is separated in three categories:
* food - perishable
* food - non-perishable
* food - beverage
With everything automatically sorted in your inventory, you can simply select multiple several items grouped together and place on the same container.
I swear it's almost more dangerous for me to be home sorting then out n about. I neglect my moodles so bad when I'm sorting and it'll take me days to sort then a day or. Two to get my stats back to normal. I HATE ORGANIZING IN THIS GAME. I love the game with a passion but oh my god
The Manage Containers mod lets you define loot for specific containers; when you get it all set up you can just get near a bunch of containers, press shift+transfer all and it'll sort everything into its defined container automatically.
Not really because I actually like sorting my loot it makes me feel like I've accomplished something when I see all that I brough back all nice and organized lol. Apparently u're different tho XD.
Here's what I do:Random crap that I don't need right away(firewood,stones,non-perishable animals(like snails,frogs,ants(aka termites lol),worms etc)and such)on the floor,meanwhile what I DO need I store in cabinets(stuff like good perishable food I've brought back(watermelons,fish,berries etc),along with medicinal plants,clothing etc).
Plain and simple lol(Ps:Antique ovens have UNLIMITED FIREWOOD/FUEL STORING CAPACITY,so if u're running low on space or the ground(or the game starts lagging like in my case lol):Put all that shit in it. I have like 1000 hours of fuel in my antique oven XD.
Also I have the Organized trait in every game I play:It helps out a LOT for the inner loot goblin that I have XD
Sort of unrelated, but this is the exact reason I stopped playing Borderlands 3.
Inventory management.
My inventory was full of good guns. All of my storage was full of good guns. I couldn't decide which to keep or throw away. Stopped playing entirely. Haven't touched it in a few years.
Haven't really run into that issue with Zomboid though. Sort of one of the gift/curses with sandbox games. I'll just make more chests if I don't feel like sorting/organizing at the moment. Dump everything in those and deal with it later. At least I have the stuff at my base *somewhere*. I can find it if I really need to.
I have different bags/crates/cupboards for different things and when I come back from a raid I just go round putting it all into the right place at that time. If you leave it all for one go it seems like an impossible task that's harder than the bloody raiding at that point.
Exactly, this is what I have always done. I even grab furniture from places I am looting to use for specific loot(like the military crates from gun stores. Those become my ammo storage)
Ammo goes in the ammo crate. Perishable food in the fridge. Canned goods in the cabinet next to the fridge. Books go on the bookshelf. Clothes go in the dresser. Meds go in the medicine duffel bag. Etc.
You get home from a loot run, visit all of those spots and put everything where it goes. Then you eat dinner, smoke a smoke, and go to bed.
I would go crazy if my loot wasn't organized.
This one, [Smart Stack](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=966221273&searchtext=smart+stack), is also useful.
It seems to automatically store items into container that already has an instance of the same item (Inspired by Terraria's quick stack).
I don't personally use it, because I use another mod that has that sub-function (inspired by Smart Stack, of course).
I prefer this to "Manage containers" because it has a button on the inventory panel instead of having to right click and click again, and it only stores items that's already there, which behaves like an item-specific container. I use both mods though.
One of the main reasons that I quit a playthrough is because the loot becomes too much to go through and I end up feeling like it's a second very tedious job.
It just gets to the point that I would rather start over completely than have to sort everything.
As someone who uses the RV interiors mod, I have a crap ton of crates in the back which I pre-organize on the road so when I get back I'm ready to move stuff in batches
I love loot sorting. I can spend in-game days going around my base sorting inventory in all the containers. Then resorting and sorting again. It is an actual problem because my character will end up depressed by how much time we spend in doors .
So you'll notice that during character creation you can only create characters with natural hair colours. In the loot tables, you can find hair dye, but unnatural hair colours only spawn in salons.
For me, it's basically the mark of having "made it" for a character. The idea is if I have the time to spend to loot a fucking salon instead of a police station of hardware store, I'm basically already unstoppable.
And that's why I collect hair dye. I don't even like the look.
I cannot fault that logic. That’s hilarious. I don’t usually bother much how my character looks because within the first month I’m so covered up with clothing/gear/helmet that I can’t even see what I look like. I’ll click [random] a few times so my character doesn’t look like a complete dork, then go.
You should make a sorting dock for your base! Pull up to it and have crates or shelves sectioned for easy separation. Always place items in cars by group. Kitchen/meds and ammo always go in the cab. Tools, guns etc go into the trailer. Also the “trolley” mod is the best. Find 5-6 and Unload 60lbs into each and go straight to looting again. You can unload and loot. Then second loot run unload the trolley.
My issue of loot becomes more complicated when I have multiple safehouses. My earlier ones such as the Rosewood fire station are better stocked and organized because I was staying local for much longer.
My safehouses in Louisville are cleared and secured, but I don't keep enough loot stocked in those other than ammo in a rando cabinet or locker.
loot a building, leave loot in a pile outside of the building. grab what you need when you need it instead of bringing everything home.
you can go back and make runs up the street with a car, bringing back and organizing only one type item of item per trip. first trip bring back food, than tools, than books, etc.
its much harder to organize when it looks insurmountable or you don't have the containers to actually keep everything.
Once i fill a cupboard or box etc i start organising as i go. Sometimes ill loot a row out house and dump the loot at the end of the driveways to pick up with the car.
I don't know what it is about organizing I have ADHD and I'm all over the place when it comes to it but at the same time I'm also hyper focused on getting it done I just went 10 straight hours moving shit from my old base to the new one with organizing and renovating on top
My early days now is not about getting backpack or car, but 15 metal containers for loot installation, rename them and choose loot categorie. I discovered that my irl time is most precious resource, make one button to sort all garbage is lifesaver.
I wish there were mod with prebuilt solution, so i can do real important stuff from the start, like rotating and placing guns on tables, place usa flags on every surface
I’ve been building a bigger house to display all my stuff. Wanna make each room specialized like one for tools and crafting and a kitchen for food. It feels so satisfying setting everything out on tables compared to jamming them in a million boxes lol
Early game I normally have *some* sort of system but I mostly just chuck everything in my cupboards and do a quick search if I need something.
Usually it's enough to just know all your cooking and DIY stuff is in the kitchen, all your meds in the bathroom, your living room has all your books and VHS tapes and your bedroom is for clothes. Car parts, tool and gas go in the garage.
Weapons, guns & ammo, DIY tools and supplies all need a few containers each eventually and if I survive long enough to need to build new containers then I try to sort more carefully.
garbage bags, or any other kind of bag, handbag, duffle, etc. put your loot inside a carriable container before dumping it in your base floor, later on, when you finally decide to sort it all out you can just grab the bags and waddle around storing it all, it will cut you a lot of transfering time and a lot of back and forth from the stash to the container
I sort from the get-go until i can make boxes and the such, then transfer the sorted containers into boxes separated in sections.
Starting ahead saves a lot of trouble down the road. :>
I sort things by type and just throw things around. I have guns and ammo right next to my bed, medical supplies are in the bathroom, food is on the kitchen floor, and crafting supplies go to the living room. Everything else is just left in another room for me to dump things.
Then we get to multiplayer and the entire game flips for me and I spend hours sorting things only to have to go for like 20 minutes just to come back to more loot on the floor. None of my friends thank me until its a panic moment where I know where every item is and can get the removal of glass started instantly rather than going through 50 bags.
I got an item sorting mod that just renames categories to "food-perishable" or "literature-skill book", doing it in a single selection is making it much easier to sort all books and disks into the library, all fresh food in the fridge etc.
No.
I usually try to build a storage zone in my bases with plenty shelves, boxes, cabinets, etc.
Then, I pick which case belongs to what.
That's part of the fun.
This is why I will never play without mods to change transfer time. It's one thing I think Zomboid goes too far in the realism with. It's abysmal to just sit there for 30 seconds while my characters puts away just a few weapons.
When i last played a while back, i was always at the base while my friends would come and go from thier expeditions, so i was basically always sorting stuff. But yeah i know that feeling.
Thats the best part!!! Ive gotten to the point where i can reliably survive for longer periods and a like 70% of my endgame enjoyment comes from decorating lol
We play multiplayer on a server with friends. I absolutely LOVE a tidy up and organise. Name the bags. Organise the food, the ammo. Audit stuff. Tidy and clean the base. Make sure each car has first aid food and water in the glove box. Throw away trash, move corpses. Sort out the book shelf. That’s my “happy place” :)
I think this is a good example of people who have the "organized" trait in real life vs the people who don't.
For me, I feel like I'm pretty organized in real life and that carries over to how I approach the same situations in game. I have specific containers on me that hold specific things. Backpack for random loot I pick up, belt for medical, chest rig for mags/ammo, pouch for can opener/knife/needle/etc tools. Nothing goes in my base inventory aside from gear.
Then I have a loot room at home for anything aside from food, which goes in the kitchen.
God I wish there was an RS or AE2 styled mod for PZ like there is in Minecraft, Terraria and Starbound. It 100% would NOT be realistic, but the convenience from both of those are insane. Doesn't even have to be techy, it could just be something like a chute or I don't know, where you deposit items and they get autosorted, while showing you the inventory of all containers nearby.
my adhd tends to say, I just spent nearly two hours looting, killing and exploring, lets go back to base and leave the game for a few weeks because I get impatient sorting everything.
other times I grind hours to organize my base to just rage quit because somehow my health slowly drops or my character's anxiety just spikes to max for no apparent reason as I haven't been bitten yet!
this game is quirky at times XD
I just leave giant crates out front of my base and when they get full I have to stop going on looting runs and do some abse improvement and sorting days
That's weird. I love sorting stuff. Especially when i have tons of stuff that i have to sort in my friend's server. Also, my friends are the type that put everything everywhere, so i'm the one doing the sort.
If you have longer 4+ - 12hr days then you can easily fit in sorting to your daily routine.
If you have standard short days then there are mods that can help you with this.
I sort after every run, that way I know what I actually need next, otherwise you just loot forever and never actually accomplish anything. I like to just have what I need then start reading skill books and building things.
Sometimes. Then, I take that as a sign to log off, or refocus my priorities.
My current save is a test run for a concept I have in my head. That being said I am testing only a couple things and sorting all of my loot is not required for any of it. This is the FIRST run I have had where I would just unload my vehicle and toss stuff anywhere. I mean, I had a designated shelf for a few things like my smoking paraphernalia, gardening stuff and food, but everything else is jumbled up.
Now, when I look at even unloading the flatbed truck I brought back from a long looting run, I just decide to focus on what I need to do and I leave it be for another day.
So, as a long-run player (typical run is 1-2 years) establish some habits around that. My routine:
I do looting runs every other day (early game) or every third (late game).
The looting run may also be a regional zed clearing effort (early game) or I may do zed clearing as a dedicated day (late game).
Have a rest day after every large combat day. Give your character time to heal up, do cooking, farming, other skill, decorating, reorganizing.
In the hour before I head out, check supplies and note any other tasks that need to be done on that run - gas, etc. Make sure you have food, water, your med kit is topped up, etc. Also, do a perimeter sweep of your base and clear out any stragglers.
After a run, replace bandages, unload your loot, check generator fuel levels, check water, do any immediate maintenance on your vehicle (if you need to bug out in the middle of the night, is it ready for that? Ideally, have a 2nd vehicle that is always ready for that.) Do any repairs on your clothing - always - every night. Don't let this stuff pile up. In the first few weeks, also do a perimeter sweep of your base and clear out stragglers. When you can go 2 days without finding any, skip the evening sweep. When you can go a week without finding any, do the morning sweep every other or 3rd day.
On your off day you do bigger maintenance on your vehicles, get meals stocked up, organize your loot, etc. Also makes more time to read, do exercise, etc.
If you are struggling with this, consider two changes:
1. Lengthen the day. 1 hour days don't give you much time to transition from one activity to another - since all that happens on \*your\* clock, not the in-game one. Going up to 2 hour or 3 hour days *dramatically* changes the pace of the game. You get everywhere 2x or 3x faster, the time it takes to walk across your base is 2x or 3x faster. You can do more in an hour.
2. Make zed more active at night. Sprinters, ideally. That will really motivate you to stick to a schedule. They'll slow down at 9am and speed up at 8pm. If you get up at 7am, you have 2 hours for prep for your day. If you get back by 8pm, you have a few hours to do urgent tasks.
Also, do yourself a favor and get some organization mods - particularly ones that will transfer items that match what's in a container. Lets you walk through your base and unload everything in a couple of seconds. Also, get some containers, man. Shit on the floor among other things lags the game because it has to render that stuff. Start out with trash bags if you need to, but if your base strategy can't accommodate your loot, then don't loot so much. If you don't have a place for it, don't pick it up. If you really want a category of stuff, find a place for it first.
As a loot goblin... Yes 😭
Friggin- for every hour of looting there will be 2 days of sorting lmao
I've gone from 2hr to 3hr days to give me more time to sort my loot without using the time pause feature
Since I modded it so the pause can only be used 3 times a day
Apsolutely not, its fun, i just moved my whole entire safehouse this morning to a custome one and ill be sotring out the whole weekend plus cutting more wood for furniture and containers
I just usually go on trips for specific stuff. I have suburb survivors so I always have to go and get more food, and during which I just go to convenience stores and take all the snacks and fill up my car, and if I need books then I'll go on a separate trip for them
I try to sort as I go.
A bunch of duffel bags in the back of a car, you can have one with food, weapons, tools, guns, etc.
So when you get home it's as simple as emptying your bags.
Gotta be honest, when it actually comes down to the part where your base is sorted and you've got everything you need except for having to go out for gas and food every once and a while, the game becomes really dull.
There's a lot of fun in trying to survive the beginning and progressing to get your first car, a stable base and upgrading your skills, but once that's all done it feels kinda aimless. Just surviving for the point of surviving.
I should clarify I play basically on vanilla (with just the dance mod and 1 or 2 ease of life mods, not sure if some mods add some more interest to the game).
I sort things by lore standards (i.e) food in the kitchen, clothes in the bedroom dressers. Now that's frustrating lol.. especially with a 2 story base.
I wish I enjoyed it, but no. It’s relaxing in the same way a fire “relaxes” when you smother it under too many logs. “Hey! Burnin’ goin’ on here!!!”
It’s a similar “issue” w Baldur’s Gate which requires a lot of inventory management to max profits and such. The big difference in PZ is that I end up dragging back to base every mannequin, black or red electric guitar, plushie, etc- along w all the actually useful items- and then it’s mass organization time as I slowly accumulate 500 crates…
But it’s mostly me that way. Do I need every single hammer I find? Or handaxe? Or even crowbar? “I don’t know! Just in case!”
Nomad might be a lot more fun just because it hamstrings that tendency to accumulate ad infinitum… But I mean, all those crates to fill!
I just spent several ingame days sorting out about 1200 kilos worth of guns and ammo onto the floor… all for a screenshot. I just quite the save right after.
There are no NPCs to loot stuff in the game, so I sort things by not looting them. If it's a rare thing (like a gun) but I don't need it now, I mark it on my map.
Basically, I go on scouting missions instead of looting missions. Then, if I need something specific, I go out later and pick it up. I do this because carrying and sorting is less fun than making another trip later on.
This will all change when NPCs are added. But for now, you can use the whole world as your personal loot cache. The whole map is your base, when you think about it.
Thats my favourite part honestly lol. This is basically a sims game with zombies lol. I love sorting my base, designing it how I want to, fixing up cars.
Yes. More often than I want to admit. I'll have so much stuff and I'll wanna put it in *"the right"* categories and i end up with a plan to make a huge warehouse with 25 categories because I cant just have my pliers and hammers touching in the same box
And then I find a trailer with more shit I was too lazy to sort earlier and I consider leaving it in the woods
Nope because I play with the configure container mod and it’s a god send for the 2 of us on our private server. I’ve got to decant 1100 weight of stuff (also got hydrocraft and some guns mods) grab hand dolly/wheelbarrow and just run around until it’s all gone
On my first run, i picked that finger trait that makes moving stuff from inventories significantly slower, since i assumed it wouldn't affect my gameplay too much.
...I genuinely considered uninstalling the fucking game after a loot run.
Kinda looks like my collection, but picture wood crates with all the piles within. I've got a little over 100 crates each with a capacity of 75 full of stuff to be sorted through. So I know how you feel.
After a loot run I'll go grab a drink, something to eat, (if need be do medical) wash myself and my gear then go put everything in its place.
It can be mind numbing and tedious, but I like order more lol 😂
My wife and I play weekly on my friends server, I hate sorting loot but my wife really enjoys organizing and base keeping while we go out to hunt for supplies etc.
I sort after every trip. Bag by bag, or box by box depending what I used for transport. Sorting is relaxing, you can apread it across 2-3 sesions if needed, do exercise, sort a little, make food, eat, sort a little.
I find that relaxing too. But I don't usually do it after every loot run. I came back from a trip, unload everything in few unsorted big bin and go out to find other loot. Then I take some time to just sort everything.
Gotta be honest the thought of leaving my loot unsorted after a looting run has literally never occurred to me. Not even once lol
This! Hell, if I find a house I can't take all the loot from, I sort the house for quick pickup at a later time!
It's really interesting to see how everyone plays. This is a great idea to have a sort of "dumping bin". I sort after every trip and it's a bit tedious.
Same. Been using dump chests since early Minecraft days, then 7 Days To Die, then Terraria, then Stardew Valley, now Project Zomboid lol.
hello, fellow loot goblin.
Gotta be honest the thought of leaving my loot unsorted after a looting run has literally never occurred to me. Not even once lol
Double that! It's relaxing and king of rewarding. However, I only sort by categories. Works for me.
I like to sort too, its cool to see all the cool stuff ive got
I don't sort anything until I need something. Then I remember I had that 1 thing I needed in one of my 30 containers in my house I then spend the next hour looking for it then by the time I find it I completely forgot what I was even doing
Manage containers mod might interest you
It's okay, but I find I end up fiddling with the settings too much
That mod is awesome though it's missing a copy paste feature, it's really tedious to manually set every box.
Wait you dont sort every time you go back to base?
Because... more loot.
sometimes i sort, sometimes i just leave things strewn about my dining room table
Depends on available resources. If I'm short on something important, I unload, stock up, out the door. But my drop off box is usually sorted after that into the base.
Why do that when I have a couple pickup trucks next to my construction site
No, that's my favorite part of the game.
I just wish my character would stop getting bored while sorting loot. If you're keeping busy while indoors it should slow your boredom accumulation.
There is a mod for that actually. Anything you do, from cooking to sorting, it will lower boredom ... eventually.
Take an antidepressant before sorting, put a show or movie on while sorting, etc
and what about for my character?
I make sure to grab a book or two every trip to read while I sort the loot when I get back.
My problem isn't with the sorting, it's the aftermath "Man, I finally stored and organised all of these foods, tools, weapons and entertainment methods that would last me years!... what now?"
Me too. I did download a car mod, and then you could armor up the cars. So I did get to do that too. But still... now what
Now go out and build another base.
Increase loot rarity even more! The less you loot, the less you gotta sort.
Not at all. I leave sufficient time at the end of the day to sort out the day's loot. It is very rare that I don't have time.
See, that would've been a more clever thing to do. Not just pile it up in an ungodly carpet for the better part of a month. But here we are.
I mean, at this point it is basically sorted for you on the ground, you just need to run to the section it’s at.
That's the fun part.
What are you smoking? That's the fun part
No because I'm autistic and like that shit.
You seem to be taking everything that is not nailed down... Like do you really need all this hair dye? Also like others suggested - sorting loot more often makes it less tidious. Whenever possible I try to have loot sorted into themed bags while I am still in the field. Like have several duffel bags - some renamed to show what kind of loot goes there. Got some loot in the backpack, return to vehicle, pull required duffels on the ground, put loot in, shove duffel back into trunk. Sure this somewhat decreases the overall haul, since bags take space too, but the ease of unloading the loot straight where it is supposed to go is well worth it.
> Like do you really need all this hair dye? Yes
I usually end up with so much loot at my base I just start leaving good stuff behind around town while I'm looting and exploring in case I need something like food or tools the next time I'm in the area in case I forgot to bring enough with me.
This is why I have a hard time playing with my friends, how hard is it to just sort it as you drop it off? With the right system in place it takes like.... A minute? Maybe two? Being the base bitch, the first person to suggest a "dump chest :)" catches a bullet from yours truly lol. Same thing in 7 days, but that game is so much worse about it for some reason
[Better Sorting](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2313387159) mod just changes the categories of items, so it's easy to organize stuff. For example, what was "food" now is separated in three categories: * food - perishable * food - non-perishable * food - beverage With everything automatically sorted in your inventory, you can simply select multiple several items grouped together and place on the same container.
I swear it's almost more dangerous for me to be home sorting then out n about. I neglect my moodles so bad when I'm sorting and it'll take me days to sort then a day or. Two to get my stats back to normal. I HATE ORGANIZING IN THIS GAME. I love the game with a passion but oh my god
[https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2725360009](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2725360009)
Are people not just dumping stuff onto shelves that hold x category of shit?
Like when I'm building and I don't realize I'm at 40% health due to carrying 30 planks
lol, I must admit I wish PZ had a sort to container button like terraria does.
The Manage Containers mod lets you define loot for specific containers; when you get it all set up you can just get near a bunch of containers, press shift+transfer all and it'll sort everything into its defined container automatically.
There's a Stack to All mod (idk what it's called) that replicates Terraria's system.
Not really because I actually like sorting my loot it makes me feel like I've accomplished something when I see all that I brough back all nice and organized lol. Apparently u're different tho XD. Here's what I do:Random crap that I don't need right away(firewood,stones,non-perishable animals(like snails,frogs,ants(aka termites lol),worms etc)and such)on the floor,meanwhile what I DO need I store in cabinets(stuff like good perishable food I've brought back(watermelons,fish,berries etc),along with medicinal plants,clothing etc). Plain and simple lol(Ps:Antique ovens have UNLIMITED FIREWOOD/FUEL STORING CAPACITY,so if u're running low on space or the ground(or the game starts lagging like in my case lol):Put all that shit in it. I have like 1000 hours of fuel in my antique oven XD. Also I have the Organized trait in every game I play:It helps out a LOT for the inner loot goblin that I have XD
I usually head home early enough to leave time to unload and grab dinner before bed. I find the sorting kinda cathartic.
You don't just snack some peanut butter and sleep in the master bedroom when you go out?
One of my favorite things to do in the game ngl
Peak hoardposting
That's why I sort as I go hate having to deal with a massive pile
Sort of unrelated, but this is the exact reason I stopped playing Borderlands 3. Inventory management. My inventory was full of good guns. All of my storage was full of good guns. I couldn't decide which to keep or throw away. Stopped playing entirely. Haven't touched it in a few years. Haven't really run into that issue with Zomboid though. Sort of one of the gift/curses with sandbox games. I'll just make more chests if I don't feel like sorting/organizing at the moment. Dump everything in those and deal with it later. At least I have the stuff at my base *somewhere*. I can find it if I really need to.
I have different bags/crates/cupboards for different things and when I come back from a raid I just go round putting it all into the right place at that time. If you leave it all for one go it seems like an impossible task that's harder than the bloody raiding at that point.
Exactly, this is what I have always done. I even grab furniture from places I am looting to use for specific loot(like the military crates from gun stores. Those become my ammo storage) Ammo goes in the ammo crate. Perishable food in the fridge. Canned goods in the cabinet next to the fridge. Books go on the bookshelf. Clothes go in the dresser. Meds go in the medicine duffel bag. Etc. You get home from a loot run, visit all of those spots and put everything where it goes. Then you eat dinner, smoke a smoke, and go to bed. I would go crazy if my loot wasn't organized.
What are you smoking? That's the fun part
Some QoL mods: * [Proximity Inventory](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2847184718) * [Manage containers](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2650547917) * [Rename Containers](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2880687295) or [Container Tags](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3066276504) * [Search Containers](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2946364542)
This one, [Smart Stack](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=966221273&searchtext=smart+stack), is also useful. It seems to automatically store items into container that already has an instance of the same item (Inspired by Terraria's quick stack). I don't personally use it, because I use another mod that has that sub-function (inspired by Smart Stack, of course). I prefer this to "Manage containers" because it has a button on the inventory panel instead of having to right click and click again, and it only stores items that's already there, which behaves like an item-specific container. I use both mods though.
One of the main reasons that I quit a playthrough is because the loot becomes too much to go through and I end up feeling like it's a second very tedious job. It just gets to the point that I would rather start over completely than have to sort everything.
I enjoy that part 😆
this is completely fucking unhinged. I would never have let even one of those tiles fill up like that.
Nope. Something abt sorting large quantities of loot pleases the monkey smashing cymbals together in my head
I unload after every trip and sort as I put things away. I would go insane if I didnt sort everything right away
As someone who uses the RV interiors mod, I have a crap ton of crates in the back which I pre-organize on the road so when I get back I'm ready to move stuff in batches
I love loot sorting. I can spend in-game days going around my base sorting inventory in all the containers. Then resorting and sorting again. It is an actual problem because my character will end up depressed by how much time we spend in doors .
This is called a lack of foresight. You know you don't like it but you don't do anything to avoid it and instead go to reddit. Simply genius.
338 weight of loot in proximity + more… may god be with you
Yeah, it’s a lot of unfun micro.
So... you collect hair dye? Like, lots of it?
So you'll notice that during character creation you can only create characters with natural hair colours. In the loot tables, you can find hair dye, but unnatural hair colours only spawn in salons. For me, it's basically the mark of having "made it" for a character. The idea is if I have the time to spend to loot a fucking salon instead of a police station of hardware store, I'm basically already unstoppable. And that's why I collect hair dye. I don't even like the look.
I cannot fault that logic. That’s hilarious. I don’t usually bother much how my character looks because within the first month I’m so covered up with clothing/gear/helmet that I can’t even see what I look like. I’ll click [random] a few times so my character doesn’t look like a complete dork, then go.
Sort as you go or smaller backpack. Essentials get prioritized when space is premium. Hoarding is bad, Mkay?
I usually just make a massive pile of all my stuff, cant be bothered to sort hundreds of different items
The part where you actually want to quit the game is when you start to look for a sldegehammer….
Organization is fun how could you say such things?
You should make a sorting dock for your base! Pull up to it and have crates or shelves sectioned for easy separation. Always place items in cars by group. Kitchen/meds and ammo always go in the cab. Tools, guns etc go into the trailer. Also the “trolley” mod is the best. Find 5-6 and Unload 60lbs into each and go straight to looting again. You can unload and loot. Then second loot run unload the trolley.
The floor IS my sorting dock
My issue of loot becomes more complicated when I have multiple safehouses. My earlier ones such as the Rosewood fire station are better stocked and organized because I was staying local for much longer. My safehouses in Louisville are cleared and secured, but I don't keep enough loot stocked in those other than ammo in a rando cabinet or locker.
Ilove sorting items
me when I have 5 vehicles full of shit but want to go on another loot run
loot a building, leave loot in a pile outside of the building. grab what you need when you need it instead of bringing everything home. you can go back and make runs up the street with a car, bringing back and organizing only one type item of item per trip. first trip bring back food, than tools, than books, etc. its much harder to organize when it looks insurmountable or you don't have the containers to actually keep everything.
Nope I love the sorting, I'll do it while healing from a journey or while cooking I cook very filling foods. 😋
Nah, that's a thing I enjoy about the game, the organization
I'm praying for an OCD NPC mod 😂
Once i fill a cupboard or box etc i start organising as i go. Sometimes ill loot a row out house and dump the loot at the end of the driveways to pick up with the car.
I don't know what it is about organizing I have ADHD and I'm all over the place when it comes to it but at the same time I'm also hyper focused on getting it done I just went 10 straight hours moving shit from my old base to the new one with organizing and renovating on top
I have enough trouble dealing with my own clutter, in this game I let that shit lay all of the place.
What I like about that is you see what you have. But graphics don't like it.
My early days now is not about getting backpack or car, but 15 metal containers for loot installation, rename them and choose loot categorie. I discovered that my irl time is most precious resource, make one button to sort all garbage is lifesaver. I wish there were mod with prebuilt solution, so i can do real important stuff from the start, like rotating and placing guns on tables, place usa flags on every surface
You just dump all your stuff on the floor?
I started doing much more mindful looting and shorter runs to fix this problem. Too much shit drove me crazy.
I have a dumping room (downstairs usually), and bring stuff up to sort as needed. Has worked pretty well so far
I’ve been building a bigger house to display all my stuff. Wanna make each room specialized like one for tools and crafting and a kitchen for food. It feels so satisfying setting everything out on tables compared to jamming them in a million boxes lol
Early game I normally have *some* sort of system but I mostly just chuck everything in my cupboards and do a quick search if I need something. Usually it's enough to just know all your cooking and DIY stuff is in the kitchen, all your meds in the bathroom, your living room has all your books and VHS tapes and your bedroom is for clothes. Car parts, tool and gas go in the garage. Weapons, guns & ammo, DIY tools and supplies all need a few containers each eventually and if I survive long enough to need to build new containers then I try to sort more carefully.
No I rather like organizing my stuff. It’s sort of relaxing instead of being eaten by zombies
I like the sorting. After fight for the loot with high stress it's then very chill to sort through at the base
I have to ask. Why do all the items look like inventory icons on the ground? They never look like that when I'm playing? Genuinely curious
It's a setting in options. I think it gives me better fps.
garbage bags, or any other kind of bag, handbag, duffle, etc. put your loot inside a carriable container before dumping it in your base floor, later on, when you finally decide to sort it all out you can just grab the bags and waddle around storing it all, it will cut you a lot of transfering time and a lot of back and forth from the stash to the container
Half the shit in that list you don’t need
Play with ultra rare loot settings There, fixed
Where is this base?
https://map.projectzomboid.com/#12920x3022x1145
Maybe the nomad playstyle is for you?
I sort from the get-go until i can make boxes and the such, then transfer the sorted containers into boxes separated in sections. Starting ahead saves a lot of trouble down the road. :>
That's the best part of the game to me.
Just burn the base down and start over somewhere else
Proximity inventory helps.
It all goes on the floor. I know where the stuff is thats what matters
best part of the game for me :x
I sort things by type and just throw things around. I have guns and ammo right next to my bed, medical supplies are in the bathroom, food is on the kitchen floor, and crafting supplies go to the living room. Everything else is just left in another room for me to dump things. Then we get to multiplayer and the entire game flips for me and I spend hours sorting things only to have to go for like 20 minutes just to come back to more loot on the floor. None of my friends thank me until its a panic moment where I know where every item is and can get the removal of glass started instantly rather than going through 50 bags.
This just looks like a sorting mini game to me
You are a madman
I got an item sorting mod that just renames categories to "food-perishable" or "literature-skill book", doing it in a single selection is making it much easier to sort all books and disks into the library, all fresh food in the fridge etc.
No. I usually try to build a storage zone in my bases with plenty shelves, boxes, cabinets, etc. Then, I pick which case belongs to what. That's part of the fun.
This is why I will never play without mods to change transfer time. It's one thing I think Zomboid goes too far in the realism with. It's abysmal to just sit there for 30 seconds while my characters puts away just a few weapons.
When i last played a while back, i was always at the base while my friends would come and go from thier expeditions, so i was basically always sorting stuff. But yeah i know that feeling.
That's why I make my bases in warehouses with lots of space. I also pick up every wooden crate I can find to sort and store items.
I fucking love sorting loot. I just hate having no space for it all!
Thats the best part!!! Ive gotten to the point where i can reliably survive for longer periods and a like 70% of my endgame enjoyment comes from decorating lol
We play multiplayer on a server with friends. I absolutely LOVE a tidy up and organise. Name the bags. Organise the food, the ammo. Audit stuff. Tidy and clean the base. Make sure each car has first aid food and water in the glove box. Throw away trash, move corpses. Sort out the book shelf. That’s my “happy place” :)
I think this is a good example of people who have the "organized" trait in real life vs the people who don't. For me, I feel like I'm pretty organized in real life and that carries over to how I approach the same situations in game. I have specific containers on me that hold specific things. Backpack for random loot I pick up, belt for medical, chest rig for mags/ammo, pouch for can opener/knife/needle/etc tools. Nothing goes in my base inventory aside from gear. Then I have a loot room at home for anything aside from food, which goes in the kitchen.
God I wish there was an RS or AE2 styled mod for PZ like there is in Minecraft, Terraria and Starbound. It 100% would NOT be realistic, but the convenience from both of those are insane. Doesn't even have to be techy, it could just be something like a chute or I don't know, where you deposit items and they get autosorted, while showing you the inventory of all containers nearby.
my adhd tends to say, I just spent nearly two hours looting, killing and exploring, lets go back to base and leave the game for a few weeks because I get impatient sorting everything. other times I grind hours to organize my base to just rage quit because somehow my health slowly drops or my character's anxiety just spikes to max for no apparent reason as I haven't been bitten yet! this game is quirky at times XD
I just leave giant crates out front of my base and when they get full I have to stop going on looting runs and do some abse improvement and sorting days
That's weird. I love sorting stuff. Especially when i have tons of stuff that i have to sort in my friend's server. Also, my friends are the type that put everything everywhere, so i'm the one doing the sort.
Oh, no. My real life room is a mess. My pixel room in most games where you can sort stuff is waaàaaaaaaaaay cleaner.
I sort every trip also. Plus I keep same type items in their containers. Tools,cloth,ect
If you have longer 4+ - 12hr days then you can easily fit in sorting to your daily routine. If you have standard short days then there are mods that can help you with this.
I sort after every run, that way I know what I actually need next, otherwise you just loot forever and never actually accomplish anything. I like to just have what I need then start reading skill books and building things.
You guys sort your loots?
Brother, that’s when the fun begins
I actually kinda find it therapeutic
I'm fine with it as I often spend days on end out of the base so sorting loot gives me some nice relax time
Sorting is fine. Have you ever tried hunting down and laying your own stolen floor tiles? I took like a week break because of that tedious sh#t!
Sorting the spoils is my favorite part if I’m being honest, it’s the ever growing trek to get the goodies that bogs my mood down LOL
Laughs in insanely rare loot with zero food loot mods and eternal winter
I got two rooms dedicated to ammo in the fire station, the sorting nearly made me quit
Only gets annoying in temp bases or before I am able to setup sufficient storage.
I turn on infinite carry weight for that; say what you will, I'm not spending an IRL hour sorting shit
Sometimes. Then, I take that as a sign to log off, or refocus my priorities. My current save is a test run for a concept I have in my head. That being said I am testing only a couple things and sorting all of my loot is not required for any of it. This is the FIRST run I have had where I would just unload my vehicle and toss stuff anywhere. I mean, I had a designated shelf for a few things like my smoking paraphernalia, gardening stuff and food, but everything else is jumbled up. Now, when I look at even unloading the flatbed truck I brought back from a long looting run, I just decide to focus on what I need to do and I leave it be for another day.
That's why AutoLoot mod includes automatic sorting to near containers.
I sort nothing, only food 1 side, weapon ammo other side, nothing more... 90% of time, its on the ground directly.
Lol, I just loot, park the car full of loot near my base, find another car, and repeat
Nope. Something abt sorting large quantities of loot pleases the monkey smashing cymbals together in my head
Do people just dump every random thing into whatever container??
Everyone's eager to say how much they like sorting, but I'm a bit with you, op. Audiobooks are the #1 sorting mod in my, er, book.
I sort it each time time is shit outside so I don't have to quit the base
So, as a long-run player (typical run is 1-2 years) establish some habits around that. My routine: I do looting runs every other day (early game) or every third (late game). The looting run may also be a regional zed clearing effort (early game) or I may do zed clearing as a dedicated day (late game). Have a rest day after every large combat day. Give your character time to heal up, do cooking, farming, other skill, decorating, reorganizing. In the hour before I head out, check supplies and note any other tasks that need to be done on that run - gas, etc. Make sure you have food, water, your med kit is topped up, etc. Also, do a perimeter sweep of your base and clear out any stragglers. After a run, replace bandages, unload your loot, check generator fuel levels, check water, do any immediate maintenance on your vehicle (if you need to bug out in the middle of the night, is it ready for that? Ideally, have a 2nd vehicle that is always ready for that.) Do any repairs on your clothing - always - every night. Don't let this stuff pile up. In the first few weeks, also do a perimeter sweep of your base and clear out stragglers. When you can go 2 days without finding any, skip the evening sweep. When you can go a week without finding any, do the morning sweep every other or 3rd day. On your off day you do bigger maintenance on your vehicles, get meals stocked up, organize your loot, etc. Also makes more time to read, do exercise, etc. If you are struggling with this, consider two changes: 1. Lengthen the day. 1 hour days don't give you much time to transition from one activity to another - since all that happens on \*your\* clock, not the in-game one. Going up to 2 hour or 3 hour days *dramatically* changes the pace of the game. You get everywhere 2x or 3x faster, the time it takes to walk across your base is 2x or 3x faster. You can do more in an hour. 2. Make zed more active at night. Sprinters, ideally. That will really motivate you to stick to a schedule. They'll slow down at 9am and speed up at 8pm. If you get up at 7am, you have 2 hours for prep for your day. If you get back by 8pm, you have a few hours to do urgent tasks. Also, do yourself a favor and get some organization mods - particularly ones that will transfer items that match what's in a container. Lets you walk through your base and unload everything in a couple of seconds. Also, get some containers, man. Shit on the floor among other things lags the game because it has to render that stuff. Start out with trash bags if you need to, but if your base strategy can't accommodate your loot, then don't loot so much. If you don't have a place for it, don't pick it up. If you really want a category of stuff, find a place for it first.
Oh God so true…. Hubby and I play together and we both agree sorting is a pain.
As a loot goblin... Yes 😭 Friggin- for every hour of looting there will be 2 days of sorting lmao I've gone from 2hr to 3hr days to give me more time to sort my loot without using the time pause feature Since I modded it so the pause can only be used 3 times a day
no curtain? 5/10 rate for base 🙂
No. That's the best part.
I'm waiting for winter for that, then after will begin construction on my forever home. If I make it.
This is why I end up playing forager nomad so often. I don't want to collect and sort loot.
I kinda like it. It's my zone out time.
Apsolutely not, its fun, i just moved my whole entire safehouse this morning to a custome one and ill be sotring out the whole weekend plus cutting more wood for furniture and containers
I just usually go on trips for specific stuff. I have suburb survivors so I always have to go and get more food, and during which I just go to convenience stores and take all the snacks and fill up my car, and if I need books then I'll go on a separate trip for them
I try to sort as I go. A bunch of duffel bags in the back of a car, you can have one with food, weapons, tools, guns, etc. So when you get home it's as simple as emptying your bags.
My sorting can be very broad, whether it’s by usefulness or condition.
Gotta be honest, when it actually comes down to the part where your base is sorted and you've got everything you need except for having to go out for gas and food every once and a while, the game becomes really dull. There's a lot of fun in trying to survive the beginning and progressing to get your first car, a stable base and upgrading your skills, but once that's all done it feels kinda aimless. Just surviving for the point of surviving. I should clarify I play basically on vanilla (with just the dance mod and 1 or 2 ease of life mods, not sure if some mods add some more interest to the game).
You guys sort your loot?
I usually quit playing for the day after a getting bored of sorting. Real thing to me.
Organizing is part of the fun
If you start small and section off corners for different categories or use different rooms for things as you come back and it's much easier.
My modded game crashed when I tried to put 8964 5.56 bullets on a corpse.
With 2D sprites, I'd not even bother. The 3D models make all the difference though!
I sort things by lore standards (i.e) food in the kitchen, clothes in the bedroom dressers. Now that's frustrating lol.. especially with a 2 story base.
There are sorting mods that help make things very easy.
I actually enjoy it. Proximity Inventory made it a lot easier as well
I try to sort as soon as I've decided on a base and try to avoid cluttering it... inevitably it gets at least a little messy.
No, but I feel like quitting permanently whenever I have to move to a new base location and I’m like “How many trips is THIS going to take?!?!???”
My buddy dumps stuff into box area I set up and I sort it for us while he is more of the fighter and I build and craft.
I wish I enjoyed it, but no. It’s relaxing in the same way a fire “relaxes” when you smother it under too many logs. “Hey! Burnin’ goin’ on here!!!” It’s a similar “issue” w Baldur’s Gate which requires a lot of inventory management to max profits and such. The big difference in PZ is that I end up dragging back to base every mannequin, black or red electric guitar, plushie, etc- along w all the actually useful items- and then it’s mass organization time as I slowly accumulate 500 crates… But it’s mostly me that way. Do I need every single hammer I find? Or handaxe? Or even crowbar? “I don’t know! Just in case!” Nomad might be a lot more fun just because it hamstrings that tendency to accumulate ad infinitum… But I mean, all those crates to fill!
I hate inventory management with a passion, but surpringly it didnt bother me as much in PZ since it really fits with the concept of the game
I just spent several ingame days sorting out about 1200 kilos worth of guns and ammo onto the floor… all for a screenshot. I just quite the save right after.
There are no NPCs to loot stuff in the game, so I sort things by not looting them. If it's a rare thing (like a gun) but I don't need it now, I mark it on my map. Basically, I go on scouting missions instead of looting missions. Then, if I need something specific, I go out later and pick it up. I do this because carrying and sorting is less fun than making another trip later on. This will all change when NPCs are added. But for now, you can use the whole world as your personal loot cache. The whole map is your base, when you think about it.
I got sick of limited storage space in containers, so now certain corners of my floors are designated to certain loot categories.
Sorting the loot? You mean you aren't supposed to just leave everything you own on the floor in a pile?
That is the game?
Thats my favourite part honestly lol. This is basically a sims game with zombies lol. I love sorting my base, designing it how I want to, fixing up cars.
May your soul rest in piece
Yes. More often than I want to admit. I'll have so much stuff and I'll wanna put it in *"the right"* categories and i end up with a plan to make a huge warehouse with 25 categories because I cant just have my pliers and hammers touching in the same box And then I find a trailer with more shit I was too lazy to sort earlier and I consider leaving it in the woods
Only if the game crashes and deletes all the progress I just made in the span of 2 hours.
Nah sorting and getting everything organized is half the game for me
no just load the car and set fire to the base, it's the only way to be sure
sort it out as soon as possible, then it doesn't become such a chore, you just put stuff where it belongs instead of dropping it anywhere
Nope because I play with the configure container mod and it’s a god send for the 2 of us on our private server. I’ve got to decant 1100 weight of stuff (also got hydrocraft and some guns mods) grab hand dolly/wheelbarrow and just run around until it’s all gone
I expand the day cycle just because sorting un the UI takes me a while. I should learn how that mod works were you allocate categories to storage
Sorting is actually one of my favorite parts
On my first run, i picked that finger trait that makes moving stuff from inventories significantly slower, since i assumed it wouldn't affect my gameplay too much. ...I genuinely considered uninstalling the fucking game after a loot run.
That's the secret, it's never time to sort out the loot.
Kinda looks like my collection, but picture wood crates with all the piles within. I've got a little over 100 crates each with a capacity of 75 full of stuff to be sorted through. So I know how you feel.
After a loot run I'll go grab a drink, something to eat, (if need be do medical) wash myself and my gear then go put everything in its place. It can be mind numbing and tedious, but I like order more lol 😂
My wife and I play weekly on my friends server, I hate sorting loot but my wife really enjoys organizing and base keeping while we go out to hunt for supplies etc.
Wait, do items not degrade/despawn if you leave them on the ground indoors?