Stop Zombies from Spawning in Your VEIN Base: A Guide to Utility Cabinets & Beds
So you built a nice little shack, maybe looted a pre-existing house, and thought you were safe? Then you logged back in and found three shamblers using your workbench as a dinner table? Yeah, VEIN doesn't tell you shit. Let's fix that.
This isn't Minecraft. You can't just slap down four walls and call it safe. If you want to stop the undead from literally phasing through the drywall and spawning inside your cozy little apocalypse hovel, you need to understand two basic, crucial items: the Utility Cabinet and something to sleep on. I learned this the hard way, probably like you're about to.
Your Magical Zombie Repellent: The Utility Cabinet
The key to claiming territory and telling the game "Hey, I live here now, no zombies allowed" is the Utility Cabinet (UC). This magic box stops zombies from spawning within its radius.
To build one, hit 'B', go to the Utility Cabinets tab, and slap one down. Crucially, you need to fill it with materials. If you have decay enabled in your settings, this acts as upkeep. The more crap you build in its radius, the more materials it demands.
The UC projects an orange circle showing its area of influence. Anything you build must be inside this circle, preferably not right on the edge, or zombies will spawn just outside and immediately start banging on your door. You can build multiple UCs across the map for different safehouses.
Important Caveats: First, placing a UC stops loot from respawning in its area. So if you like the goodies in a specific building, build your UC in the house next door, not inside the loot palace itself. Second, there's a bug where placing a UC in a basement might make the orange circle render under the map, making it invisible above ground. Just be aware.
And finally, this only stops spawns. It does NOT stop hordes generated by noise, nor does it stop zombies you aggro outside from following you home and trying to eat your face through the window. Build some walls, maybe?
Setting Your Damn Spawn Point: Beds & Sleep
Now, you've got your zombie-free zone. But when you inevitably get your throat ripped out, you don't want to respawn miles away. You need to set a respawn point, and you do that by sleeping.
You can sleep on pretty much anything designed for it: existing beds or sofas in houses, RV beds, cots, sleeping bags, or a mattress you craft yourself. If your chosen hovel lacks furniture, just hit 'B', go to Furniture, select Mattress, and build one. You can move it later.
Click on your sleepy spot, choose how long you want to nap (it's instant in solo play). You'll get a notification saying your respawn point is set. Crucially: If you're out exploring, get tired, and nap in some random shack, that becomes your new respawn point. When you get back to your main base, you must sleep there again to reset it. Forgetting this step leads to much cursing.
Why Sleep Matters (Besides Not Spawning Naked in the Woods)
Sleep isn't just about respawns; it affects your mental state. Good sleep makes you "confident." No sleep makes you "tired," which makes you slower and more stressed.
Sleeping for a long time will make you hungry and thirsty, potentially waking you up with negative conditions if you went to bed starving. You might need to read a book, pop some pills, or smoke some "cannabis" (the game's words, not mine) to get your head straight after a bad night or lack of sleep. Apparently, driving also helps your mental state, according to one of the skills. Who knew road therapy worked on zombie apocalypse stress?
So there you have it. Build a UC, feed it materials, and sleep in your designated bed. It's the bare minimum for not having zombies spawn in your kitchen and not respawning halfway across the map after becoming zombie chow. Now get building.
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