Zombie Exodus: Safe Haven: Part Four Discussion Thread

Brodaxclusiv · February 16, 2026, 11:05pm

Brief summary of issues I’m experiencing with pt.4:

1.) The math for Rachel’s summaries isn’t coding correctly. Even when the game tells me that I gathered x amount of food or water or supplies, the total doesn’t reflect what it says I gathered (see uploaded screenshots for reference).

I actually had this same issue in pt.3 but just decided screw it bc I really wanted to get to pt.4 but now it’s a bummer - especially after that time jump when the loss drastically outpaces the gain even though it shouldn’t. I could’ve started pt. 4 with over 11k food and nearly 3k water!

2.) When trading with another group, some of the items I select to “buy” just don’t go into my buy list. The most notable example is trying to get the RD scavenging uniform. It doesn’t populate into my buy list but I still get the negative value charge.

-—while on the subject of clothing/uniforms, is there any way we can add trading away some of the clothes we have? My favourite playthrough is my highly honorable/moral/collaborative leader, so I don’t use intimidation and want to get rid of the +10 intimidation leather outfit.

3.) Sometimes, when I’ve gathered a lot of something, my count will just crater for some reason as if there’s a max count on how kuch I can have at once. I prioritize insulin, for example, and start pt.4 with about 15 vials or so (can’t recall exactly). After trading with the Ute, however, I went back down to like 2 which sucked. Same thing happened to my camp offense and defense stats at the end of pt.3. I was getting up into the 20s on both, then I read Rachel’s last report and was back down to 4 offense and 9 defense. It actually said -11 and -15

4.) Gathered up the illicit substances from the locker after recovering Kevin, and Monica offers to help me find buyers in the Silverthorne camp but then that never materializes. I’d love to sell drugs to the Silverthornes bc screw them, but I did attack their leaders in pt.3. Is that why I never get to trade/sell to them? Also, can we trade with New Army? I only want to sell drugs to groups I hate.

5.) Immediately after bringing along the drugs, my breakfast conversation with Bailey says we didn’t gather them even though we totally did. Again, screw the Silverthornes.

6.) If I agree to go scavenging with Billie & Reilly, I can still get the Kelly & Parker trip AND either train my nephew or scavenge with the Milford twins (3 missions). However, if I try to skip over Billie & Reilly, I only get Kelly+Parker and then have to choose between nephew or twins (2 missions). Can I not get Kelly+Parker, then twins, then nephew?

7.) Finally: I scavenged the Athletic uniform (AMAZING BTW OMG) bc my athletics skill is low 70s even at superior level. When I put it on, however, my athletics skill percentage didn’t move at all which was a bummer.

Pray thee help, Lord @JimD!

fairlyfairfighter · February 16, 2026, 11:19pm

Good spots.

Only if helpful, linking this post, solely so people might be able to know which bugs they experience which are already being worked on / set to release in the next patch.

Of note, Timeskip resource calculations, TradeHub buying / selling clothing items mentioned. Drugs, scavenging missions not addressed.

@JimD , in Part2Events, with the list of clothing adjustments, I believe the Sports Uniform is the only one missing.

below [*label AdjustSkills ], just add the following:

*if uniform = “sports uniform”

*set m_athletics +15

Wholly unrelated, another fun thing I enjoy, now that character stat checks are robustly checked against their score, this also applies against checks where we are attempting to lie or persuade the characters. E.g.

#“You thought I really wanted to be with Jillian? Of course I only want you.”

  *set truth %-15

  *label MadisonTogether

  *if m_persuasion >= (25 + madison_empathy)

So don’t train people in Empathy that you plan to lie to! Hopefully if we teach them to be persuasive and lie that doesnt come back to bite us…!

It would be very fun to have a scene where a character is lying to another character, and whether or not they get caught or get away with it depends on the training we give (or don’t give) as opposed to just the players’ stats.

This could be a minor or major thing, just would be fun to see. For example, (if Madison is an RO), Madison questioning Kevin as lower stakes, as opposed to something higher stakes like a potential low allegiance Kelly trying to intentionally weaken our defenses / aid Silverthornes against us, and being caught whilst the PC is away.

In addition, things like individual or smaller groups of characters going off on missions without the player, and their outcome and [parts of] the text being impacted by their equipment and potential training would be fun. This could be a Safe Haven mission like Lancelot, or a situation where a smaller group goes scavenging, trading, fighting.

Red_Valkyrie · February 16, 2026, 11:50pm

Small bug with any melee weapon during Dillan fight:

https://i.imgur.com/4NPGM08.png

(For some reason I can’t post images in my posts, hence links)

JimD · February 17, 2026, 1:30am

Are you asking if they give the same amount of food? Yes, they are.

I will look into these. Thank you.

I love D&D! Someone mentioned how fun that would be to play with survivors so I did it.

That is too funny. Now I will definitely have to call the nation Virelia.

5ubzer0:

When I tried to choose multiple security upgrades (4+) right in the first chapter, it broke the building menu. All the security options were then greyed out in later chapters, which led me to restart the game.

In my second playthrough, I constructed the workshop, but it didn’t register the completion of the project.

In my third playthrough, the workshop was completed properly. Several characters got stuck on endless constructions projects though. For example, even though the South watchtower had been completed, the characters who had built it stayed assigned to the project by default. You can assign them to a new project easily enough if you pay attention, so it’s not a big issue.

Also construction projects that you don’t complete within one chapter lose all their progress in the next chapter. For example, I started building the infirmary with 2/3 characters. It showed a progress of 65%. In the next chapter the progress had reset to 0 and required three workers again for completion.

Thank you. I will look into all of these.

I just asked CoG to publish a new patch but here is a sneak peek at the one after that.

Added summer supply drop for players who discovered the delivery schedule at Safe Haven Lancelot in Chapter 11

You raised an issue that I had not even thought of. I’m tracking buildings that are supposed to provide output over a week at a time but sometimes only two days have passed. So I needed to scale everything for the number of days. Thank you for pointing this out.

I’m sorry about that.

This should be fixed in the most recent patch.

I can think about that in the free update.

I did not put in an opportunity to trade with the Silverthorne yet but this is being worked on for the free update.

I will definitely investigate the other issues. Thank you.

I will definitely consider that!

Thank you! I definitely don’t want to code machetes that shoot bullets.

Red_Valkyrie · February 17, 2026, 1:59am

@JimD I appreciate all your hard work, Jim. I only wanted to add, in case you missed it, that some portraits are unfortunately still bugged in the game.

These didn’t show up during introduction: Jillian, Rachel, Madison, Brody, Nora, Dante, Lopez and Bailey. Gina’s portrait was shown twice though. We can still see them in reference page, so there’s that at least.

Can’t say anything about rest of the portraits, because I barely started part 2, but hopefully they’re fine.

sassy_brah · February 17, 2026, 10:17am

Finally finished a couple of playthroughs, here are some stuff I noticed

Bugs

There used to be a 3rd option of saying you are genuienly interested in what Jaime have to say, but it’s gone

Same with discussing with Jillian about Lyle’s fate during your scavenge trip with Jaime to the grocery store, that option is also gone.

Rachel was the group’s leader, and she have Woody and Gina focused on doing improved workshop, despite it have already being setup a while ago. Basically wasting those 2 on useless tasks. This might be the same if Jaime is leader, though I haven’t gone with that playthrough yet

During the Zeta virus research, you can choose August as a potential assistant, even though he isn’t recruited into the group

Obvious enough

During the trip to the university, you can choose the hacking option, even when your electronic is less than 65

Benton, Wyatt and Natalie have all being killed at the end of part 2, on the hill. Yet in part 3 when you attack the tower, they are still there

In part 1 - 3. Bandages can be looted in groups of 3 or 5 per scavenge slot. However in part 4 only 1 bandage per scavenge slot

Apparently, Brody still have romantic relationship with Bailey even after she died during the zombie attack on the Junkyard that kill Eli (Either that or he is a necrophiliac)

If you didn’t reveal your name during the CB call in part 3 to Casey. The MC don’t have their name said in the dialogue when Casey call back in part 4

Apparently Cheeseburgers, Pretzels and Porn magazines are important samples for researching Zeta virus

Also on that notice. Didn’t we immediately gave the cheeseburger to Jaime after obtaining one from the museum? Why is it not removed from the inventory?

When talking to the russian surgeon inside the University in part 4, you can said all these options. Imma assume they are supposed to be mutually exclusive

Bailey is a woman (hopefully…)

Previously in part 3, if you chose good hunters and sent out enough, you can get up to 1k-2k food. It shouldn’t be THIS low

If you spent more than 1 chapter building camera defense, you will not have enough cameras since both time you "build” the defense, the cameras are used up both times

After influencing others to vote for Rachel. At the end Sean and Rachel somehow both got 14 votes. I don’t think we can even get 28 max survivors

Also, no screenshots, but in part 3, you can now only build 1 vegetable garden. Before you can made multiple

Miscellanious

I don’t know if you are supposed to be able to do all 3 options to treat Megan, or only one option exclusively, so I put this here

In part 2 and 3, if you have a good scavenge team, you can loot an AR-15, Sawed-off shotgun, good melee weapons (Katana in part 2, Trench knife in part 3), and gasoline. I don’t know if the reduced loot in part 4 is a bug or to simulate loot going rarer, so imma place this here

I don’t know if Reily pet’s name is bugged or is actually named Animal, so Imma place this here

Would be nice if there’s a "Medical treatment” task for MC with high medicine skills. Currently that task is exclusive to other people in the group, and very few of them have medical skills

Well that explain why literally all our gears are getting used up so quick. Everyone is a Klutz

But in a more serious note, I don’t know why tents, blankets, sleeping bags, binoculars, basically every useful gears are getting used up so quick. I understand how consumables like batteries, soda, cig, coffee, toothpaste and shampoo/soaps are being used up constantly, but more durable/long-lasting equipments such as Glasses, blanket and binoculars shouldn’t be used up that quick. Maybe 1 or 2 should be broken per week, not everyday.

More of a personal question. Is there some sort of guidelines that prevent you from writing gruesome fates for young children? I noticed that if anyone else died from the zombies, their death is written in painful, drawn out details, but the nephew death is swift and off-camera

The children inside the hunting store during your trip with Jaime to the grocery store as well. The worst you can do is rob them, if you tried to murder them, Jaime would literally block you and none of the options to get him to back off work.

Finally in part 3, if you kill the entire Graves family, the pregnant woman and the children will "miraciously” escaped (I swear I remembered you used to be able to shoot the pregnant woman in part 3 beta test. Was it removed?)

There’s nothing wrong with any of this, I am just curious

Ngl, after everything that our MC and other survivors went through, 6 zombies seem a bit too few to warrant such dramatic response

After spending all 4 parts training my nephew to be a competent survivors, seeing that none of his stats raised is a bit depressing (especially his combat skills, at this point he joined group combat trainings potentially 3 times by now, as well as some field experience during the battle of the hill, scouting trip around the hill in part 2, scouting trip in part 3 with Rachel around the Junkyard, and personal training trip in part 4)

Personal opinions

I like the story. It’s good progressions with nothing wrong with it personally. The only major problems I had are the technical bugs or some other niche mechanics

About the books that training the MC skills. While I like the concept of it, using up 1 of the 4 task slot might be a bit too harsh. Especially since you can also obtain skills from either receiving trainings from other survivors, or training other survivors your skills so that you can also raise that skill yourself and raise your relationships with the survivors you trained/be trained from. Finally looting such training books take up one useful scavenge slot that you could potentially used to loot other useful items. It might be better if books don’t consume a task slot

Same with placing water collector. Placing 1 collector will use up 1 task slot, which is way too harsh and make it so that it isn’t worth it to place one down. It might be better if placing water collectors doesn’t consume a task slot

I am on the fence about placing traps using up a task slot. Since you can potentially lay down a couple dozens of traps, so it depends on how much traps you have

Red_Valkyrie · February 17, 2026, 2:04pm

Any ETA for the patch 1.05 on steam?

fairlyfairfighter · February 17, 2026, 3:43pm

@JimD

For hunting in Part 3, bonuses are unused.

Part3Events.

*if task_hunting > 0

*if assigned_to_rachel = “hunting”
\*set ranged_count +5

However all that matters is temp_hunt, which is not modified by ranged_count (this is set, but unused)

Current problem: Assigning anyone to hunting, beyond the 1st person, has no impact on food. Hunting only depends on the player’s ranged scored.

Food is equal to (PC ranged score*3) +10, e.g. 60 x 3 + 10 = 190

Potential Solution: (potentially, adjust numbers for balance) set hunting returns to

*set temp_hunt round((ranged_count * X) + (task_hunting* Y))

If X were 6 and Y set as 30, Rachel or Jude, best hunters, would bring in 60 each (5x6) plus base 30

An unskilled hunter would bring in 30

for reference, in Part4 you set temp_hunt as so:

*set temp_hunt +((NPC_ranged + NPC_survival)/2)

for all NPCs assigned.

And then temp hunt is divided by 3, and the number of people assigned to hunting*30 is added

round((temp_hunt/3) + (task_hunting*30))

if 1 very skilled person is assigned in Part 4, they might bring in closer to 60 food. An unskilled might bring in closer to 30.

Tweak numbers as desired. Rand_num could be used as well - main thing is the value depends on ranged_count

Another issue, in Chapter 15 fighting forest rats.

“Kevin, you’re with me. Cover center,” @{leader you say|Rachel says}.

Kevin checks the submachine gun, flicking the fire selector with his thumb. He stands close, nods once, and lifts the weapon to his shoulder, his attention fixed upon the Forest Rats.

You need to add an *if mission_kevin

Whilst looking at the above, I also noticed a potential niche death loop. I have not tested myself, only looked at code.

Death Loop Forest Rats

At label NextShotAtRats, the flow goes to HighTeamRanged when team_ranged >= 40. Inside that block, if team_ranged < 55 and the second_lowest_member_name is us, the player, it routes to PlayerShot.
In PlayerShot, if we wear armour and survive, as long as team_ranged >= 45, the code sends the player straight back to HighTeamRanged. This creates a closed loop for values in the 45–54 team_ranged range: the player gets shot, returns to HighTeamRanged, gets shot again, and so on, unless they die from the repeated damage.
As mentioned, haven’t experienced this, just from glancing at the code

Separately, as a general thing, I have collated most of my info/guides into the above post for easier reference:

Post

Zombie Exodus: Safe Haven: Part Four Discussion Thread - #1512 by fairlyfairfighter

Red_Valkyrie · February 17, 2026, 4:33pm

@JimD

In chapter 6 while playing as a hacker, I feel like I don’t have enough time to do stuff in the camp. I need to charge the laptop, talk to Julianne, then contact Deter, send email to Jason and set up SurvNet server. All it takes time and actions and by the time I set up camp defenses, my MC had to go to sleep or on watch duty. I didn’t have any time to help others with medical issues or had a chance to talk to anyone.

Any chance for some improvements with hacker actions? Like they take less time or don’t use an action during camp activities?

anon0310 · February 17, 2026, 5:16pm

I have some questions idk if this is a bug or something, I’m also new to the game, finished the 4 parts 2 days ago and played them twice

For Jillian who got pregnant. Even after I gave her the pills. We went to the infirmary cause I built one and they said she’s like 5-6 weeks pregnant. But I’ve known her for less no? And I’m male MC. So she has Lyle’s kid? How to avoid this?
Why does all the group vote someone else for leader when I let a vote happen? I wanted to let one because everyone said I was a great leader (I asked all of them in the discussion options) yet they voted Jaime or some shit? I had to restart checkpoint and force a dictatorship. Is that normal?
On my first playthrough I romanced Madison and I remember she broke up with me cause I was mad about Kevin. Yet after that she acts like nothing happen when she was crying the second before. Is that a bug? And would there have been a way to make up and get back together? I wouldn’t know because I restarted the checkpoint and stayed with her

fairlyfairfighter · February 17, 2026, 5:21pm

Just so I understand, in fhis case you agree to a vote, influence election towards yourself, and lose? If not, you should influence election towards yourself. If so, have a high score in your highest social stat.

anon0310 · February 17, 2026, 6:59pm

No I didn’t influence the vote because I thought they would all vote for me since they all said I was a great leader. So I wanted to see if they would vote me without influence. I think I had like 6 votes and Jaime won with 8. I’m not sure why I need to influence them when they all said I was great, and have high leadership. Do you always lose the vote without influencing? Or is it maybe because I’m a bit ruthless to outsiders? But I did many innovations to the yard and we don’t have any problems so idk

sassy_brah · February 17, 2026, 7:24pm

Are food calculation for hunting different if you are/aren’t leader due to personal ranged skills? (Yes, I know it’s currently bugged atm)

If Rachel is leader, she sent out 2 hunters and they obtained 289 food

Yet when I sent out 4 hunters, somehow they only provivded 220?

Haxs · February 17, 2026, 7:26pm

If You Gave Jillian BC Before Sleeping With Her The father of the Child Will be Lyle, If You don’t Give Her BC And Sleep With Her as a Male MC the Child Is Yours, She is A character that Will Allways Get pregnant This is Unavoidable.

Snowflower · February 17, 2026, 7:31pm

I’ve never had an issue with the vote. I’ve been confident in my victory, never tried to influence the vote, gotten almost everyone who can vote to 60+ relationship, then promised more of the same that I’d been doing. While it’s not unanimous like my first election, it’s a solid supermajority that wants to keep me and my ordered and disciplined leadership.

It helps that my leadership is level 4 and my allegiance level is constantly in the high 90s.

anon0310 · February 17, 2026, 8:14pm

My leadership is also high up and my allegiance above 90 as well so idk. However I have low relationship points with more than half the group for some reason, so maybe that’s why? But then again on my first playthrough as teen I didn’t get voted the first time and the second time I got literally all the votes I had like 14 votes, yet I was hated by everyone except Madison it’s crazy. So I really don’t understand how this vote stuff works. And neither do I understand why I’m hated by everyone lol. The second playthrough was a bit better I’m chill with more people but a lot hate me still

sassy_brah · February 17, 2026, 8:15pm

Invest some skill points into empathy skill, man. At high empathy levels, all you need to do is say "hello” to other survivors, and they will love you for the rest of your life

anon0310 · February 17, 2026, 8:17pm

Ohhh that makes more sense cause I did give her the pills early on I think. So she always get pregnant. Do you think it’s better for it to be my kid or Lyle’s? It feels like if Lyle ever comes back there will be drama and I will have to shoot him in the head

fairlyfairfighter · February 17, 2026, 8:59pm

Hmm. More detail here if useful for elections:

Election

For the Part 4, second election it looks like speeches have no impact on the result - vote_mod - but only affect own personality stats

Being a Commander or Movie Star boost Vote Mod by 10,

Cop, Doctor, Wrestler boost by 5

Student lowers by 10

Teen lowers by 15

if you are the leader,

allegiance or morale >= 75 increases vote_mod by 10 (stacks with below)

>=60 increases by 10

< 40, vote_mod -10

< 25, vote_mod -10 (stacks with above)

influencing the vote does matter significantly, increasing vote mod by your best social score

Finally, the vote itself then looks at your relationship score with each person plus your meddling impact.

So easiest way to win elections is it have high social skills, have everyone like you, and then sway votes in your own favour

if you want to sway it for rachel/Jaime, its all about your social skills in moving needle

In other words, for maximum elections result for you:

Be a loved (high empathy) Commander / Movie Star running a group with ultra high allegiance and morale. Influence elections towards yourself

Worst result:

Be a hated Teen running a group with low morale and allegiance
Boost empathy just before the vote for the sole purpose of influencing election away from you
(Or just don’t run)

If you are truly failing, kill off a few people who would vote for whomever beats you.

Full Election Code/Calcs

Vote modifier sources

Commander: +10
Movie star: +10
Cop: +5
Doctor: +5
Wrestler: +5
Teenager: -15
College student: -10
if Leader, allegiance: ≥75 → +20; 60–74 → +10; 40–59 → 0; 25–39 → -10; <25 → -20
if Leader, morale: ≥75 → +20; 60–74 → +10; 40–59 → 0; 25–39 → -10; <25 → -20
Influence action: +socialskill (added to vote_mod when you influence)

NPC thresholds (faction + vote_mod ≥ N)

Allison: ≥ 50
Anders: ≥ 50
August: ≥ 50
Bailey: ≥ 60
Billie: ≥ 50
Brody: ≥ 60
Dante: ≥ 65
Fred: ≥ 60
Gina: ≥ 50
Jillian: ≥ 50 (votes for Kanye if vote_mod below 50 for all candidates)
Jude: ≥ 50
Kevin: ≥ 60
Lopez: (prof_military → ≥ 60) or ≥ 70
Madison: ≥ 65 (teenager path: ≥ 50)
Monica: ≥ 60
Parker: (kelly_join → ≥ 80) or ≥ 60
Reilly: ≥ 60 (or ≥ 50 if you don’t try to influence the election)
Rosie: ≥ 50
Tommy: ≥ 65
Woody: ≥ 75

fairlyfairfighter · February 17, 2026, 9:26pm

Delayed response, I don’t usually romance Lopez or Jaime, but from looking at the code I seek the option to talk to Jaime about it. He seems rather honest and clear. He is likely correct about Lopez, and likes the player

Jaime Lopez Threesome Debrief

(Asking about threesome)
Jaime: “I had a really good time. I just felt a bit…self-conscious.”

“Really? You didn’t seem self-conscious. It looked like you were having a great time.”

“I was. I did. I just didn’t expect to have sex that night with both you and ${lopez}. It’s not news to me that you two fool around, and at times, I’m okay with it, but I also feel possessive. That may be the wrong word. I would rather it be just you and me. ${lopez} is a great guy, but he cares more about sex than the other parts of the relationship. That’s how I see him, and I could be totally wrong.”

“It sounds like you didn’t have a good time, after all.”

Jaime thinks for a moment and taps his fingers repeatedly against the table like he’s playing a tune. “It was a fun experience, but not as good as when it’s you and me. Was it enjoyable in the moment? Yes. Would I do it again? Not unless you really wanted to do it.”

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