Survival is everything in Project Zomboid, but you won’t always be doing exciting actions such as hotwiring cars. Tasks like fixing a radio or a TV are still present, but having a character with expertise on the Electrical skill can be useful for much more than that. This guide will explain Electrical leveling tips to keep in mind, as well as how to operate generators, which are vital to make it through situations where the power has been cut.
Electrical Leveling Tips – Project Zomboid
While the Electrical skill may not sound as enticing as others focused on agility or strength, its importance can’t be overstated. Having Electrical at level 1, as well as Mechanics at level 2, lets you hotwire cars so you don’t have to waste time looking for the keys. Depending on your occupation, you can make traps and explosives, as well as operate generators (which we’ll talk in detail in the next section.)
If you want the highest possible leverage when it comes to the Electrical skill, we recommend to choose Electrician as your character’s occupation. It starts with Electrical level 3, can operate generators by default, comes with +125% experience boost to level the skill, and already has a few learned crafting recipes.
Opting for the Engineer, however, results in a lower bonus with Electrical level 1. But this occupation is far more proficient in making explosive gadgets, such as smoke bombs or noise makers, as well as lethal explosives. For either occupation, the Electronics and Engineering magazines can help with recipes not learned by default.
Regardless of your choice, Electrical leveling in Project Zomboid is straightforward enough, but comes with the downside of being time consuming. In terms of tools, you only need a screwdriver to do most of it. Then, it’s only a matter of finding any electronic devices and dismantling them. These devices can be anything from walkie talkies and digital watches to radios or televisions. All you have to do is right click on the object (or item if it’s in your inventory) with a screwdriver in hand.
It’s worth remembering that reading Electricity skill books (if you happen to find them) will give you an experience boost to make the process much quicker. If you followed our suggestion to choose Electrician as occupation, you will need to start reading Electricity of Intermediates, which tackles levels 3 and 4, and then move on to the others (Advanced for 5-6, Expert for 7-8, and Master for 9-10).
How to Operate Generators in Project Zomboid
If you’re playing a character with the Electrician occupation in Project Zomboid, you can operate generators by default. If not, you can still learn how to do so by reading the How to Use Generators magazine (I appreciate a straightforward title like this.)
This is incredibly useful for the times where there is a power cut in the city, which is an event that happens randomly during playthroughs. Being able to use or repair generators allows you to heat yourself during Winter, continue being able to cook, and so on.
If your character has the knowledge already, generators (which are commonly found in tool sheds or warehouses) can be placed outside your house to provide electricity when the power is down (placing it inside will hurt your character, so don’t do that).
Keep in mind that generators require fuel to work, so make sure to have at least one or two gas tanks stored in your house for emergencies. If you need to repair a generator, a character capable of operating them and Electronic Scraps (obtained by dismantling electronic devices using the screwdriver) will do the work.
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And that’s all! When the time comes, you’ll be prepared to continue using electricity despite the power cut, so you can focus on other tasks such as siphoning gas or losing weight instead. It’s up to you if you want to use all the fuel to prep meals or bingewatch The Danger in Your Bed (yes, that is a VHS that exists in Project Zomboid.)
