[2021] Why are zombies in every building?

Here’s a design-centric answer. The buildings are where the loot is, and zombies are intended to be the primary antagonists in the game. Ergo zombies are put in buildings, so that areas of high reward are also areas of high risk.

You might enjoy trying out Alpha 13 or thereabouts. That was back when buildings weren't tightly controlled, designed spaces. They didn't have a ton of loot, but they didn't have sleeper zombies, either, and more zombies roamed around outside instead.

Edit: sounds like Alpha 13 is the better bet. Thanks, Sylen.

Originally posted by Crater Creator: You might enjoy trying out Alpha 14 or thereabouts. That was back when buildings weren't tightly controlled, designed spaces. They didn't have a ton of loot, but they didn't have sleeper zombies, either, and more zombies roamed around outside instead.

A14 was the introduction of UMA, and as a result the numbers of zeds in the wild were greatly reduced to reduce the heavy performance impact. Maybe a13 would be better.