FAQ

FAQ

Short answers to the questions people ask most. Commands that change settings need operator permission (level 2). Every setting is listed in the Config Reference.

Getting Started

Which file do I download?

Minecraft	Loader	File
1.21.1	NeoForge	zombieapocalypseaddon-<version>.jar
1.20.1	NeoForge	zombieapocalypseaddon-neoforge-1.20.1-<version>.jar
1.20.1	Forge	zombieapocalypseaddon-forge-1.20.1-<version>.jar

Forge and NeoForge files are not interchangeable. The Home page lists the current version numbers.

Do players need the mod too?

On a multiplayer server, only the server needs it; players can join without it. In singleplayer, install it in your own mods folder, because singleplayer runs a local server.

Do I have to set anything up?

No. A fresh install uses the Standard preset, which is described on Home. Run /za in game to see what is active. If you want a different feel, run /za preset casual or /za preset hardcore.

Which setup should I use?

The Setup Guides have step-by-step setups with the exact commands: casual co-op, hardcore, night-only, event nights, siege servers, long-term worlds, big servers, and modpacks with other zombie mods. Pick the one closest to what you want, then tune it.

Can I use it on my server or in a modpack?

Singleplayer and private servers for you and your friends need no permission. Public, community, network, or monetized servers should ask first: send a message on CurseForge or Modrinth. Players must always download the mod from its official Modrinth or CurseForge page; do not re-host the jar. Configs, datapacks, and add-ons that depend on the mod without copying it are fine.

Does it work with other zombie mods?

Usually, yes. Modded zombies that extend the vanilla zombie are recognized automatically, and the Mod Compatibility page covers spawn-control mods, AI overhauls, and difficulty mods. Run /za compatibility to see what was detected.

Spawning

Why don't zombies burn in daylight?

That is part of the apocalypse: preventSunBurn is on by default. Run /za burn on to let them burn like vanilla zombies again.

How do I keep zombies out of my base?

Light it up. Custom waves need complete block darkness by default, so torches, lanterns, and other lights protect an area. /za spawn maxlight 7 lets waves spawn in dim spots, and /za spawn maxlight -1 ignores light completely. Configs made before 2.4.1 may still say -1; run /za spawn maxlight 0 once to fix that. Vanilla zombies follow vanilla light rules either way.

Can I make it night-only?

Yes: /za spawn daytime off. Night waves, blood moons, and dusk hordes keep working. To only delay daytime waves (and scheduled hordes) at the start of a world, use /za spawn daylightstart <day> instead. By default day 0 is safe in daylight and waves come day and night from day 1.

No zombies are spawning. What do I check?

Run /za and /za spawn. Common causes: custom waves are off, you are in Creative or Spectator, your area is lit (see above), it is daytime on day 0 or during a daylightstart grace, the nearby cap is full, or the spawn area needs open sky. The Troubleshooting page walks through each one.

There are too many zombies, or the server lags.

Lower the pressure with /za preset casual, /za spawn chance 0.25, /za spawn amount 1, or /za spawn max 30. /za spawn nightmax 20 gives nights their own cap, which also holds during hordes at night and during blood moons, unless /za spawn bloodmoonmax gives blood moons their own. Hordes and blood moons multiply the chance, so /za events chance, /za bloodmoon chance, and their amount settings help too. See Server Lag on the Troubleshooting page.

How do I get rid of baby zombies?

/za spawn babychance 0. That also turns vanilla baby zombies into adults.

Hordes And Blood Moons

When do hordes happen?

By default, every 5th day has a 50% chance of a horde at dusk. It lasts about the whole night (10 minutes of play), checks for waves every second at three times the normal chance, and sends 5 zombies per wave. /za events shows the schedule and whether one is active. Admins can start one any time with /za events start.

What is a blood moon?

A random night (15% chance by default) where waves are five times as likely and bigger until dawn. /za bloodmoon start forces one; outside night it starts at the next nightfall.

Can I stop blood moons until a certain day?

Yes: /za bloodmoon startday 10 means random blood moons can only happen from day 10 (bloodMoonStartDay in the config). /za bloodmoon start still works on any day. Presets set it too: Casual uses day 7, Standard and Hardcore day 0, so apply a preset first and set the start day afterward.

Can zombies break and build only during hordes?

Yes. Turn on events for breaking or placing and give them a late start day, and they only do it during hordes and blood moons until that day. The Siege Nights recipe sets up a horde every 10 days that gets harder each time.

Difficulty

How do zombies get stronger?

From day 3 to day 50 by default, they gain up to 20% speed, 10 health (5 hearts), and a growing chance of armor and weapons. /za scaling shows today's strength. /za scaling steps 10 makes strength rise in jumps every 10 days instead of daily, and /za scaling extrazombies 4 adds zombies to every wave as strength rises. /za scaling endless 1 keeps strength rising 1% a day after the full-strength day, forever.

Can zombies wear armor or weapons from other mods?

Yes. Hold the item and run /za gear add <tier>, or add it by ID with /za gear add <tier> <mod:item>. Tier 1 shows up most early on; tiers 3 and 4 become common later. /za gear preview <tier> spawns a zombie wearing that tier. Slots are detected automatically and shields are never used. /za gear dropchance changes how often the gear drops.

Why did the day counter go back to 0?

Vanilla /time set (including /time set day) resets the world's day counter, and the mod uses that counter for its day. Use /time add 12000 to skip ahead, or /za day set <day> to set the day without changing the time.

Base Pressure

Can zombies break blocks, build, or climb on each other?

Yes, but all three are off by default. Turn them on with /za breaking on, /za placing on, and /za towering on. Each one waits for its start day (10, 15, and 20 by default); add dayone instead of on to start today. They respect the mobGriefing game rule and claim or protection mods by default.

Zombies break wood but not stone. Why?

Stone, ores, and metal need the right tool, and those blocks are protected by default. Run /za breaking toolblocks on, and raise the hardness limit with /za breaking hardness 50 for tougher blocks. Bedrock and other unbreakable blocks are never broken.

Can tower zombies stand instead of sitting?

Yes. By default each tower zombie rides the one below, so the game draws it sitting. /za towering pose stand makes them stand on each other's heads instead (zombieToweringStanding in the config). It works on servers without the mod on players' computers. Still towers look solid; moving towers can look a little wobbly, because the game sends mob positions a few times a second. Switching the pose takes existing towers apart, and they re-form in the new pose.

Will zombies break my chests?

Not by default. Containers and other block entities are protected. /za breaking containers on removes that protection.

Settings

Do my settings carry over to new worlds?

Yes. Everything is saved in config/zombieapocalypseaddon-common.toml, which applies to every world in that game instance.

My settings keep changing back to defaults.

Update to 2.7.0 or later (1.10.0 or later on 1.20.1). Older versions had on commands that loaded presets and a file-watching problem on 1.20.1; both are fixed. The Troubleshooting page explains what happened and how to recover old values from the .bak files in your config folder.

Is it safe to edit the config file while the game is running?

In-game commands are the safest way: they save right away and never touch other settings. File edits are picked up while the game runs and operators see an "Applied N changes" message, but editing with the server stopped, or from the title screen in singleplayer, is still safest. If you save a file with a typo, the mod keeps the settings already in use and tells you.

How do I go back to the defaults?

/za config reset <section> resets one section, for example /za config reset horde. /za config reset all resets everything. /za preset standard brings back the recommended spawning, event, and scaling balance without touching other sections.

What does on change?

Only the feature's switch, plus a switch it depends on (hordes need custom waves). If a value would leave the feature doing nothing, such as a 0% chance, on fixes that value and tells you. Nothing else changes.

Other

I get infected even when I block with a shield.

This mod has no infection mechanic. Infection comes from another mod in your pack.

How do I remove the mod safely?

Run /zcleanup uninstall, stop the server, then remove the jar. See Safe Uninstall.

Where do I report a bug or suggest a feature?

Use the issue forms on GitHub, or comment on CurseForge or Modrinth. For bugs, include your Minecraft version, loader, mod version, and the config file.