Nice to see you looking so well, survivors! This time, we look at the vehicle mods of MrDanny, a frequent collaborator with IBrRus and Autotsar, a perennial community favourite, and who were previously featured way back in our boat mod blog.

MrDanny’s own mods run from an old Soviet car and truck, through to high speed racers and a less stylish but still great station wagon.

His collaborations with IBrRus include a variety of cars (and even a full-sized truck) which can be modified with elements like racks for luggage storage, metal plating for armour, and spoilers. MrDanny also contributed a little to the amazing Agrotsar mod, which adds tractors and other farming equipment that fundamentally changes PZ’s food growing mechanics, and could have a whole blog all on its own.

We hit the nitrous button and “Tokyo drifted” into MrDanny’s garage, where he was kind enough to answer some questions we had about himself, his mods, and his collaborations with Autotsar!

MRDANNY

Who are you in real life? Tell us a little about yourself.

“My name is Daniil, I’m 19 years old and from Russia. At the moment, I am graduating from college as an auto mechanic and welder.”

How did you first discover Project Zomboid? Why do you like it?

“I don’t remember exactly when I first heard about the game, but from the moment I saw a pre-alpha version of it on YouTube, I’ve been fascinated by it.”

“I started to get involved in this game at the age of 12, during Build 38. There were no cars at all then, but there was a mod called Drive Cars, with vehicles that were just sprites. That made me so happy! That’s why I love PZ – I can improve this already wonderful game with different wonderful mods.”

How did you get into making vehicles for PZ? Have you made vehicles or models for other games before? Do you have any training in 3d modelling/coding etc.?

“Before I started making cars, I bought the game on Steam and got carried away with playing mods. Then Build 40 happened and cars were officially added to the game! I was overjoyed, and then I noticed Filibuster Rhymes’s car mods. From that moment on, I got carried away by the idea of making a mod of my own.”

“I was 14 then, with no ability to write code or use modeling editors, so I had to ask other people a lot of annoying questions. One person somehow explained everything to me – Di Crash. Without his help I wouldn’t be here.”

“That’s how I made my first mod, Modern Food, which I never released. The first mod I released was a car, the VAZ-2107. It was terribly angular and crooked, as it was my first experience with modeling. Since then, I’ve been getting a lot more practice and improving my skills!”

Tell us about your vehicles. How many have you made, in total? Which would be the best to have in a zombie apocalypse, and which would you most like to own in real life?

“At the moment, I have made around forty cars. Some of the mods are very old and I don’t have enough time to update them as I am constantly studying.”

“The best car for the zombie apocalypse, in my opinion, is any old classic: they are easy to repair, there are no extra electronics, and they have thick metal bodies. The car I would most like to own is a ‘69 Mustang, it would be a dream come true!”

You often collaborate with IBrRus of Autotsar. Can you tell us about these collaborations, as well as collaborations with other modders?

“A major reason IBrRus and I work well together is we both speak Russian, so there’s no confusing language barrier. We actually met when I criticised the quality of the 3d models in his mods! We agreed that I would make new models, and since then we’ve been producing quality stuff together. I make 3d models and textures, and he makes code and other edits in the mods.”

“While I’m not an official collaborator, I’ve advised lots of other modders with their stuff. Some of these mods include BBush’s Great Cars Pack, Ferrari Testarossa, Smith Custom 200, ’85 Jeep Cherokee XJ 4×4, Modern Vehicles Overhaul, and Dodge Challenger Hellcat.

Tell us about you and IBrRus’s “tuning” vehicle mods. How do these change the game? Have they given rise to any cool player stories?

“When creating each car, we try to add some new and unusual functionality, eg. pop-up headlights for the Dodge, and transparent headlights for the BMW. In some mods, we hide Easter eggs and secrets that are very difficult to find (how many people were able to make a Back to the Future DeLorean?). The most important thing is that every new car mod is an extension of the Tsarslib library, which means that any modder can use the new functions in their work.”

“I often see videos on YouTube featuring our cars in different and cool scenarios, and they all have one result – they make me want to make more mods!”

Is there anyone in the PZ community (or beyond) you would like to give a shout-out to? Which mods or maps by other users do you enjoy or find interesting?

“First of all, I want to thank Di Crash again for his help in modding. Lord Hobotok was a good friend to me when I began texturing cars, he draws so well! As I said, Filibuster Rhymes gave me the initial inspiration to make mods.”

“I also want to say hello to Skazat, he is a very cool dude who creates exciting and imaginative mods. KI5 is always a great motivation to me. And thanks to The Indie Stone for PZ’s vehicle system and all the base game’s cars. I could continue this list, but it’s already long, so I’ll just say I am grateful to all those who have ever helped me, you’re all the best!”

What’s next in your vehicle plans? What’s the dream?

“I sometimes post my plans in my Discord channel (and there are also some secret plans I can’t disclose), but the main thing is that there are plans, and they will soon come to fruition. My main dream is simply to make people happy with our mods, but another is to see a big update of cars in the base game!”

Thanks to MrDanny for answering all our questions! You can find their mods here.