[2022] Mob spawn, why is it like this!?

I hardly ever follow the defined trail. I love cutting through furniture barricades and locked doors. Sometimes I'll even cut a hole in the ceiling and go up to the floor above through that. There really is no forcing. You can do any POI however you want. In fact, during the first few days I often visit houses and cut out the window barricades to peek inside. As soon as I locate the kitchen I cut into it right there and clean it out. I do this until I get an iron pot, some extra water, and some cans of food. I don't even explore the rest of the houses-- I just take the kitchens.

That being said, if you are doing a clear quest, following the pre-defined trail will assist in finding every zombie more easily than wandering around in a random fashion.