Zombies

Zombies are bs_zombies. It’s the biggest resource by far. The short version of how it works: the server keeps a list of every walker (the registry), their health, and who is hosting them. Players only ever see peds for walkers near them. Everything is in resources/[beyond]/bs_zombies/config/.

Types

Three types in Zombies.Types (config_zombies.lua): walker, brute, crawler. Crawlers need the nutria_crawl_anims resource started before bs_zombies or they stand up.

Mode: networked or legacy

-- bs_zombies/config/config_net.lua
Zombies.Mode = 'networked'   -- or 'legacy'

• networked (default) - one real OneSync ped per walker, created by the server. Everyone sees the same zombie at the same spot. OneSync migrates ownership to a nearby client, and only the owner runs its AI.
• legacy - the old way. Each client builds its own local peds and reports positions back. Use it if networked mode gives you trouble, it’s a restart of bs_zombies, nothing else.

You can switch it from the F1 console too (Zombies category), needs a restart of bs_zombies.

Networked caps (Zombies.Net)

How many walkers get a real ped at once:

cap = min(hardCap, baseCap + perPlayerCap * (players - 1))

Key	Default	Meaning
promoteRadius	300	a walker within this of any player gets a ped
demoteHysteresis	60	ped removed when nobody is within radius + this
baseCap	24	with one player online
perPlayerCap	18	added for each extra player
hardCap	160	never more than this
perPlayerNear	34	max around one player
perfBudgetMs	70	if the server’s average frame goes above this, the cap scales down
perfMinFactor	0.35	…but never below this fraction
entitySoft / entityHard	1400 / 1900	total peds+objects+vehicles. Between them the cap shrinks, at hard the farthest walkers get removed
fpsGood / fpsLow / lowFpsFactor	45 / 25 / 0.5	a player with low FPS gets fewer walkers around them
corpseSeconds	120	networked corpse lifetime
simDensityScale	0.35	sim population is scaled by this in networked mode (restart)

If you raise hardCap also raise Streaming.PoolGuard.maxNetworked (default 96), it limits how many walker records exist at all.

Spawning and distances

From config_streaming.lua:

Key	Default
Streaming.spawnMin / spawnMax	200 / 300	walkers spawn in this ring around a player
Streaming.PoolGuard.minSpawnDistance	100	nothing spawns closer than this to any player
Zombies.Settings.spawnDistanceMin	100	same floor, sector side
Streaming.PoolGuard.maxPerPlayer	28	walkers counted around each player
Streaming.PoolGuard.clientPedLimit	180	client stops creating peds at this ped pool size
Streaming.PoolGuard.clientMaxLocal	40	max walker peds one client holds (legacy)
Streaming.cleanupDistance	480

The spawn floor is the biggest of spawnDistanceMin, minSpawnDistance and 100. So zombies don’t pop in your face, ever, except the staff force spawn.

Nothing spawns inside safe zones (config_zones.lua). Zombies also don’t climb, at all. That’s Zombies.Mobility, please don’t turn it on, they climb onto roofs and get stuck.

Sectors

The map is split into sectors that wake up and sleep. You edit them in the sector map panel, a web page the nodes resource serves. On first boot it prints the URL with a key to the console. If you want your own key:

set bs_sectormap_key "your-own-long-random-token"

Use set, not setr. setr sends the convar to every client and then every player has your key.

Staff also have /atlas (bs_atlas), a live map of the simulation in game.

Hordes and noise

Gunshots, cars, the decoy gadget, events: they all make noise and noise pulls walkers (config_noise.lua, Zombies.NoiseSources). Suppressors cut weapon noise a lot (Weapons.Effects.suppressor.noiseScale = 0.28). Hordes are in Zombies.Horde, world event horde waves are in World events.

Debug commands

Command	Side	What
/znet	server, staff	networked count, cap and why, frame avg, entity census, your near count
/zsync	server, staff	per player, server walkers nearby vs peds the client really has
/zdiag	server	general state, includes the /znet lines
/zstatus, /zsim, /znodes, /sector	server	director, simulation, nodes, your sector
/zclear	server	clear walkers
/znetc, /zgait	client	adopted networked walkers, owner, gait
/pools	client	ped pool usage
/safezones	client	draw safe zone circles

The full list is on the bs_zombies API page.

Rollback if networked mode breaks

1. Set Zombies.Mode = 'legacy' (F1 or the file), ensure bs_zombies. Done.
2. Report what you saw with the /znet and /zsync output, that’s the first thing I’ll ask.