You can get the Valmod Overhaul running in less than 10 minutes (depending on your download speed). The Valmod zip file is less than 6 megabytes download.


Alternatively you could install the Valmod Expansion using the same method.

The main difference between the expansion and the overhaul is that any recipes you get for free in vanilla will be free in the expansion; but in the overhaul many recipes are locked down until you purchase a perk.

The first thing to do when you start a new game is to choose a class to play. Just open your crafting menu and type in 'CLASS' in the search field. You have several classes to choose from and you'll get some starting skills and gear from a class suitcase, just put the suitcase on your toolbar and click the ground.

Read the class sheet to get your starting skills; do a few simple survival quests, then read the class quest sheet when finished with the starter quests.

It took me about 8 hours of real-time to figure out how to make iron tools on my first run through the overhaul. The recipe perk system really does slow down your game progression a bit, especially if you overlook what these perks do for you. While it is possible to find books that grant perk levels, often its more expedient to simply invest your skill points and unlock the recipes you need most.

So there is a perk for pickaxes, one for fireaxes and another for garden tools (which includes the shovel and hoe). But first you need to get your Construction Tools skill to level 20, buy the Metal Smithing perk to level 1 of 2 levels. You also need to buy a perk to be able to craft a forge; there are actually two different forges in Valmod. The 'Simple Forge' can NOT be used to craft cement!
In order to craft Steel tools you will need the 2nd level of Metal Smithing for 20 skill points.

There is a lootable item called, "Survivor Notes," which will grant you a skill point. Survivor Notes are often dropped by zombies, but can be found in other containers. Books that grant multiple skill points in specific skills can be scrapped into Survivor Notes!

Most cooking recipes need to be unlocked through a quest, check kitchen cabinets for the quest items. When you look at a Campfire you may notice there are recipes for warm soups; these soups are generally created with a clay bowl and 2x canned items, in your backpack menu. In order to craft the clay bowls you will need the Pottery perk; you need a clay bowl filled with potable water as one of the cooking tools for the campfire (& the oven). You will be able too cook a few items, such as boiled meat, without using bottled water once you have all the cooking tools installed. It's worth noting that you can put drinks in your toolbar and left-click on a fridge to make cold drinks, but you can NOT cook anything with Cold Bottled Water!

The following demo video at the start of a new game is 1:11 in length.


Pro-Tip: Punching harvestable crop will harvest the crop and replant it in one action; however, the action seemed a bit buggy to me and harvesting sometimes fails. But you can still collect the item with the E key as normal.

Pro-Tip: Keeping the crafting station interface open while crafting items will grant you related skill XP. Valmod reworks the ore distribution so there is Oil Shale everywhere. Crafting Gas Cans in the Chemistry station can get you some pretty fast Science levels, as well as the Fuel Logs.

Pro-Tip: Beware of Sprinting Burning Zeds (yes, even during the daytime) and Fat Zeds that may explode but don't spit acid.

Pro-Tip: You can add a Flashlight to any metal helmet with duct tape!

Valmod Overhaul offers a Working Oven which does not require fuel to work.
There is a working sink that can be used to get clean water.
There is a Decor station that can be used to create electric lights.
Decor station lets you craft decorative secure containers, such as the Pill cabinet and Bookshelf.
The Workbench station is required to craft doors and hatches.
There is a Chemistry station that can be used to craft Fuel Logs!
Fuel Logs burn for 18 minutes and require 40x wood + 1x tallow.
and finally there is an Armor station which can also be used for ammo crafting.
And spoiler: Steel Armor!

Valmar prompted me into figuring out how to do this myself. Of course you could create a shortcut on your destop, hope most of you understand how to do that. If you make a desktop shortcut to the launcher and use that to start the game, it will not run the steam overlay, but adding it to the steam library and lauching from steam will run the overlay for you.

And finally; please rate up the guide if you found it helpful.