Jameston Loot Run: Zomboid’s Do-or-Die Gunstore Raid

Coordinates & Map Location

Jameston Army Surplus sits around cell 35x28 on the Project Zomboid map. In-game coordinates are near (x=5395, y=9197). Located northwest of Rosewood in Doe Valley/Fallas Lake, adjacent to a distinctively shaped lake.

Nearby Landmarks

The store is part of a small strip mall:

• Food Market (grocery store) on one side
• Small Medical Clinic on the other side
• Camping/Outdoor Supply store nearby
• Gas Station down the road
• Police Station and bar/bookstore in the vicinity

On Foot

It's quite far to walk – expect multiple days of travel through wooded areas if starting from Rosewood. Go northwest across the countryside. It's recommended to obtain a Rosewood or "Military Map" item if possible – sometimes the annotated survivor maps mention an "army surplus store".

Spawn Points

In vanilla PZ, there are no spawn points in Doe Valley. The closest spawn is Rosewood. For those who want to start at Jameston, there's a Steam Workshop mod "Doe Valley Spawnpoints" that adds the option to spawn directly in Doe Valley.

Guns and Ammo

Jameston Army Surplus is essentially a gun store with a military surplus theme. In Build 41, walking into this shop felt like stumbling on an apocalypse prepper's paradise. Players have reported finding dozens of guns and hundreds of boxes of ammo in a single successful looting spree.

Typical firearms you can find include:

• Pistols: M9, M1911, Magnum revolvers – often in the display cases or crates.
• Shotguns: JS-2000 shotguns (or sometimes Sawed-off variants)
• Rifles: Hunting rifles like the MSR788, MSR700, and the semi-automatic M14. The M16 Assault Rifle is a rare find.
• Melee Weapons: Machetes (fairly common), knives, possibly crowbars.
• Ammo Types: 9mm, .45, .38 Special, shotgun shells, .223, .308 in boxes and ammo cans.

Military Gear

Besides guns, part of the store's loot table is "Army Surplus" stock:

• Clothing: Military camo uniforms, Army boots, military helmets, bulletproof vests. Many players hit Jameston specifically for Military Backpacks with 28 capacity.
• Special Apparel: Hazmat Suits (rare but possible), gas masks, ear protectors.
• Accessories: Weapon attachments, ammo straps, holsters, camo duffle bags.
• Supplies: Combat knives, army sleeping bags and other military surplus items.

Zombie Population

Despite being "in the middle of nowhere," the area can spawn a surprisingly large zombie population. Think of it like a mini-town – zombies spawn around populated areas, and Doe Valley counts as one. Players have reported encountering easily 100-200 zombies around the outside of the store on approach.

• Build 41 Zombies: The default pop often resulted in a manageable horde you could thin out.
• Build 42 Zombies: With loot tied to zombie population, expect at least a moderate horde. It won't be empty unless you purposely set Population Multiplier very low.
• Outside vs Inside: The main threat is outside the store – hordes around it. Interior usually only has a handful of zombies.

Other Hazards

• Alarm System: The store has a chance to have a burglar alarm. If triggered, it will draw zombies from a huge range in this quiet area.
• Isolation: The remote location means no quick help or easy fall-back safehouse. Medical help is limited to what you brought.
• Environmental Hazards: Heavily forested area means zombies can emerge unexpectedly from tree lines. In winter, remote roads can be icy.
• Time of Day: Approach during daytime. At night, the area is pitch dark with no streetlights.

Map and Location Changes

The physical map (roads, building placement) for Doe Valley and the surplus store did not drastically change between B41 and B42. The location remains the same.

Build 42 might include some map polish with new features like basements, though there are no reports of Jameston store getting a basement in B42.

Zone definitions for loot respawn and zombie distribution may have been updated in B42 to accommodate the new loot system.

Loot Mechanics Overhaul

Dynamic Loot Based on Zombies: B42 introduced a system where loot quantity is influenced by local zombie density. If the game considers it a low-population area, it might spawn the store as half-looted.

Empty Containers & New Items: Build 42 added new container items like Ammo boxes and Protective gun cases. These can spawn empty, essentially padding out the loot.

Rarity Adjustments: Guns are generally rarer in B42. The surplus store loot might skew towards ammo and clothing over actual firearms.

Zombie Behavior and Difficulty

AI and Spawning: B42 has some AI and spawning changes. You might notice different migration patterns and more zombies wandering highways or forests.

Combat Changes: Stamina and combat fatigue were adjusted in B42. Taking on large groups might tire you out more, making clearing the surplus area harder.

Firearms Changes: Guns were adjusted slightly with dispersion and damage changes, but remain effective for clearing if you manage the noise.

Multiplayer and Loot Respawn

Loot Respawn Issue: In B41 multiplayer, Jameston Army Surplus wouldn't respawn loot because it wasn't considered part of a town zone. This likely persists in B42 without mods.

Dynamic Loot: The new system might mitigate the need for respawn by giving more loot if more zombies later re-invade an area, but this is not a true respawn system.

Multiplayer Scarcity: B42 aims to make the world feel more picked-over with time. If another group hits Jameston before you in MP, they could strip it clean.

Solo Play Tips

Multiplayer Tips

Doe Valley Spawnpoints Mod

Workshop ID: 3039256636 "DoeValley SP"

Adds spawn points in Doe Valley, allowing you to select it as a starting town when creating a character. This lets you start near the surplus store without the cross-country journey.

Warning: Spawning right by Jameston might mean spawning in danger with zombies very close.

Extra Zones – Western Gunstores

Workshop ID: 3076945554 by Pertominus

Addresses the loot respawn bug for the Doe Valley gun store and another western gun store. It defines proper loot zones so that if a server has loot respawn enabled, these places will actually refill after the set time.

Essential for dedicated servers that run with respawn, allowing players who join later to still access this loot.

They Knew (Hazmat Mod)

This mod deals with hazmat scenarios and might create events or increase hazmat zombie spawns. Recommended if you're specifically hunting for hazmat suits and Jameston isn't yielding them.

Authentic Z also increases chances of military zombies spawning with cool gear, which could be around the military surplus area.

Brita's Weapon Pack & GunFighter

These popular mods massively expand the range of firearms in Project Zomboid. With Brita's enabled, Jameston becomes even more significant as shelves and crates can spawn a huge variety of weapons: assault rifles, SMGs, sniper rifles, machine guns, and explosives.

Be warned: You'll need even more carrying capacity, and using full-auto weapons can attract huge hordes.

Secrets and Easter Eggs

• "Secret Gun Shop" Lore: When Build 41 was new, not everyone knew about this location. It earned nicknames like "The Secret GunShop" on forums.
• Doe Valley Name: The official name is Doe Valley, but Indie Stone never marked it on the in-game map with a label. Some community maps refer to it as Fallas Lake.
• The Phallic Lake: Fallas Lake, next to the store, has a distinctive shape that resembles a phallus on the map. This has become a running joke in the community.
• Hidden Stash Nearby: Within Doe Valley there is a chance for an annotated map to point to a "hidden stash" or survivor house. Check nearby remote cabins for potential secondary loot.

Known Bugs/Issues

• Loot Respawn Issue: The lack of loot respawn here in vanilla is often regarded as an oversight or bug. Requires mods for MP loot respawn.
• Sandbox Loot Bug (B42): Changing loot settings from "Rare" to "Normal" could inadvertently set incorrect values, leading to empty stores.
• Zombie Spawning Issues: Occasional bugs where zombies spawn in weird places or get stuck inside container objects.
• "Silent" Alarm: Buildings can sometimes have alarms that trigger when you're not there, leading to unexpected hordes.
• Clipping on Porch: Items or zombies can clip under the store's porch, making looting difficult.
• Vehicle Spawn Quirk: Sometimes a wrecked vehicle can spawn blocking the store's door, requiring towing or sledgehammer to clear.