H1Z1 Stream Gives Details on Map Size, Character Customization, and Trapping

There was a new stream yesterday for Sony Online Entertainment’s H1Z1. The zombie apocalypse-themed co-op survival game is coming to the PC and PlayStation 4. 

Within the stream, they answered a number of questions and described new features that have made it into the game so far.

The highlights of the stream include the presence of zombie grappling, the ability to place traps in the game’s environment, zombies being drawn to corpses (to eat them), and the existence of character customization—though not as extensive as a regular MMORPG. 

Additionally, players will be able to craft ammunition for the bow and spear, but not for guns. You’ll also be able to leave notes and signs in the environment for other players to come across. 

For those interested in exploration, the game’s map has been described as 64 square kilometers large. 

Here’s what else that was covered, as transcribed by redditor Worrun:

Q. Will there be quests? A. No

N. Ladders are confirmed for the future

N. Zombies grappling (animals and players) confirmed but very buggy

N. You can stash items in vehicles and containers (no note on despawning)

N. Stick traps confirmed

N. Repair hammer confirmed (repairs structures and vehicles)

N. Salt + Water = Saline + Bandage = First Aid Kit = 100% healing (bandage = 10%)

N. Zombies will recognize corpses and bend down and eat them

N. Immunity Boosting Pills confirmed – boost immunity against H1Z1 virus (inb4 in marketplace)

N. Craft a satchel (small bag) with 6 cloth scraps for extra backpack space

N. Inventory animation confirmed (searching through your pack while in inventory)

N. Friends list question avoided ("just use steam to track your friends") not confirmed?

Q. Can I host my own server in Germany? A. No

N. They want to make forests thicket but they are dealing with performance

Q. Will you be using mo-cap (motion capture) for animations? A. Yes, Sean Johnson is doing it

N. Clegg actually says "Porn seeds" at 29:20 (http://www.twitch.tv/h1z1/b/564173338)

Q. Will there be character customization? A. There will be yes, but nothing extensive like you would see in your average MMO

Q. What is the timescale on farming crops? A. The designer can adjust that

Q. Can you craft ammo for any weapons? A. No, only for the bow and spear (perhaps throwing spear?)

Q. Can you leave notes and signs? A. Yes, but not yet

Q. Can we craft weapons such as a boomstick? A. Liam Neeson was really scary in The Grey

N. Map is currently 64 square kilometers

N. Hordes seem to have been removed

N. Currently only 6 cars per server

Q. Will cars respawn when destroyed? A. Yes

N. Loot works on the basis that "only a certain amount of X can be in the world at once" they call it a 'recycling system'

N. Raven (bird) confirmed – circle overhead corpses and eats dead bodies

N. Ground tiller/hoe – Requires wood stick, 1 pipe, 1 metal shard

N. Farming requires tilled ground via a hoe + fertilizer + seeds

N. When dying you lose all of your items, but you keep all of your learned recipes (hardcore servers will NOT keep recipes as well as items)

N. Micro-transactions will be handled like porcupine sex

Q. Will there be wind? A. Yes but you can't see it

N. Loot spawns are random, there will be no place to camp for the best stuff (military spawns and the odd "good spawn" will just have a chance of NOT spawning them, instead of spawning random items

N. Female characters confirmed – not at release of access but during early access

N. Plastic bottle of river/lake water on a camp fire = clean water (currently takes around 2 minutes) (makes a sound when process complete, no timer)

Q. How will updates be rolled out in EA? A.

Q. Will it ever release? A. No, it was all an elaborate joke

Q. Can you fire guns inside cars? A. Not yet

N. Falling trees will eventually kill you

Q. Will zombies spawn inside buildings? A. Yes and no. They won't if it is barricaded off