7 Days to Die update 3.0 gives you incredible control over how you play, but bandits are still AWOL

Few things in games are as agonizing as the feeling that something would be right up your alley if you were just able to change that one annoying part. Maybe the movement feels slow and lethargic, or the grind is too long, or you find yourself frustrated by item degradation. 7 Days to Die update 3.0 puts complete control in your hands, offering you a huge collection of modifiers that let you transform exactly how the zombie game works. It's a feature I'm very thankful for, although there are still some notable absences.

The Fun Pimps walked through all the new features in 7 Days to Die 3.0 during a Twitch stream, and the majority of the focus was on the new sandbox settings. Before we get to that, I'll rip the band-aid off - bandits are still nowhere to be seen. The developer has put core functionality up front, and while that is welcome, watching yet another major update roll in without any sign of the long-awaited human enemies is a disappointment. At least you can continue to turn to 7 Days to Die mods for your bandit needs.

The sandbox toggles range across eight distinct categories, and The Fun Pimps says they total around 150 new ways to tweak your game. If that sounds a bit intimidating, you can start with one of a selection of presets - you're also able to save and share any that you create with other players using a simple code.

The options start out with basic player tweaks to the likes of incoming and outgoing damage; walk, run, and crouch speed; stamina usage and regen; and the rate you gain XP and skills. Sadly, there's currently no option to flip back to the old system of 'learn by doing,' which is a common player request, but perhaps we'll see that return in the future. You can also adjust the health and speed of zombies in the day, at night, or during Blood Moons, and are even able to alter the overall enemy density across the map.

If you can think of something that might be adjustable, it's probably in the list. Want Blood Moons to appear more often, or arrive without warning? How often should air drops come, and will they be auto-marked? Does forge crafting require you to smelt items manually or make things directly with materials in your backpack? When will traders show up, what are their hours, and how frequently do they replenish their stock? All these and more can be tweaked. There are even some silly options like tiny zombies, big heads, and low gravity.

Another big inclusion in update 3.0 is the ability to inspect your item stats in detail. This affects a wide range of things across the game, providing a much deeper sense of progression. Combine multiple different versions of a given weapon or tool, and hopefully you can bring their best assets together. If a weapon is marked with a star, it means you can expect at least one boosted stat.

Also introduced is item degradation, which you're free to switch on and off (with some additional modifiers) in the sandbox menu. Depending on your choices, dying can either reduce the current durability of your items, lower their maximum durability cap, or negatively impact both. You can also adjust how much (if at all) that maximum value will deplete with each repair you make. If repair through item combining is enabled, the least-damaged one will be used as the base for the result.

On top of those upgrades to the core systems, The Fun Pimps also promises the introduction of 60 more points of interest to discover, customizable crosshairs, and improved sign tech. There's no exact date given for when we'll get our hands on update 3.0, but it sounds like it'll be very soon. In the meantime, I'll keep dreaming of that day when the bandits finally arrive.