Very Ape

I've played a server called Anyone in Cherno?, which simultaneously simulates a Russian occupation. The entire town square of Chernogorsk is a makeshift military base, appropriately damaged and often abandoned (there are Russian NPCs on that server, but that's not what I'm proposing.) The ambiance is insane.

This could make factories a hot-spot for player bases. Groups could set up in, and guard factories, craft their goods and trade them (or keep them for their own banditry.) Now, a concern that will undoubtedly come up is that of players mass-producing items. To address this, scrap metal and other such materials would be rare finds, and found in distant junk-yards and other such places. I've played on servers with makeshift trading posts, and the experience was incredible. It adds a whole new dynamic to the game, and a real sense of achievement for the players setting up the place and the bandits taking it down.

Who says random events have to be a bad thing? As long as they don't involved human NPCs, the spirit of the game remains intact. Random zombie mobs, anyone?

I dearly hope you're not out of bullets too.

Switching weapons shouldn't cause the weapon to materialize in your hand; the animation should be slow, and take just slightly less time than it does now. It's mostly aesthetic, really.

Zombies should be a threat, but infection is unnecessary. While I can appreciate the idea of adding more elements to survival, nerfing food spawns and making hunting difficult could solve the problem. DayZ 2017 accomplishes that very well.

Zombies don't try to claw their way into your metal shell, in real life. xD To be fair, they don't really do that in DayZ, either. But they damn better!

I don't see a problem with getting inspiration from other games to make this game better. Vindicator, I enjoyed reading your suggestion, it makes me hope that DayZ will be that good. Really hope they fix the flashlights. :P

As fair as this comment is, I have to remark that it is somewhat hectic and difficult without customizable clothing. All the reds and all the blues are stormtroopers in this case. Customizable clothing in standalone should solve most issues. Players will have to be cautious, but will recognize their own brethren at point-blank range.

You say used to benefit, I hear exploited by. It is a problem, because it makes the game less scary, not having to expose yourself to peek around a corner. That's a lot of power to the sniper deathmatchers. It sucks to get shot in the ass by someone who's been hiding behind a wall, and could see you the whole time without you seeing him, despite your thorough scoping out of the area. It's unfair. And before I hear any "OHMYGODDAYZISNTMEANTOTBEFAIR," let's address something: Yes, it is. It's fucking fair. Everyone starts out on equal footing. Now, people who enjoy camping around big cities shouldn't be blessed with a power to remain completely invisible and in-cover while allowing them a full view of the area. I'm not asking for equal redistribution of weapons, I'm asking for a glitch that gives a distinct advantage to people on the offensive to be removed. inb4 "OHMYGODSTFU IT ADVANTAGES EVERRYONE" Of course it does. But it gives a more important advantage to someone who's camping atop a hill, waiting in ambush.

Waterways should lead to key areas. For example, in a city which is halved in two by a waterway; taking a canoe into the heart of the city could save you some trouble from zombies. Or if I want to discretely approach a fortress in the cover of nightfall, I could use a canoe and be stealthy. Could also be quite useful for travelling along the coast, or far north. With any luck you'll be able to drag canoes around, or carry it with a friend. I'd love to see you being able to load one onto a car, too.

The following armored/combat-purposed vehicles should balance each-other out. 1) Civilian or military jeeps and pickup trucks with attachable weaponry. Unarmored, carries few (2-4) but quick and lethal. Urals are the exception to the rule, as they can carry more passengers and are a bit tougher. Very rare. 2) Small, very old armored personnel carriers with no attachable weapons. Slow, but shields well from small arms fire. Sustained fire from a LMG could take out these rusty giants, but zombies can't do shit. Perfect for carrying multiple passengers in dangerous areas, and a great addition to any convoy. Extremely rare. 3) Battle-bus. The perfect combination. Unarmored, but metal sheets can be attached to protect the hull and passengers, to a certain extent. Can also be equipped with some weapons. Buses are easier to find than the former two vehicle "classes", but must be heavily customized to serve it's true purpose. And then there are the unarmored, combat-ineffective civilian vehicles such as the sedan. Easier to find.

A suggestion that would hopefully balance the way players choose to get food, depending on their skills and circumstances. As it is now, players can very easily gather food in supermarkets, and can easily find animals to kill for insane amounts of food. There are two distinct ways of gathering food; hunting and scavenging. Here's my suggestion to balance things out: 1) Make scavenging more difficult by reducing canned food spawns, and making navigating cities more dangerous. Upping the danger zombies represent would contribute to making scavenging a risky venture, but easier for someone who isn't a seasoned hunter. 2) Make hunting more difficult by removing most farm animals (cows should be a very rare, but very easy target). The rest would flee if you just started sprinting into the woods, unless you spot them from a mile away. Otherwise, they should be able to hear you coming and scatter. If I want to hunt for food, I should have to be stealthy. No more blindly charging through the woods and killing a boar at point blank range with a pistol. 3) Food items such as canned foods should be less nutritious, so to speak, filling you up for some time but not completely if famished. And they would give no blood, as per usual. Easy to acquire, and in greater quantities-- but not too easy, and the quality is sub-par. 4) Meat should completely nourish and restore a small amount of blood. Raw meats would spoil if uncooked for some time, and cooked meats would have to be somehow preserved to last longer than a day, reducing their effect slightly but making it still more nourishing than canned food. Meat would be harder to come across, so only professional survivalists would go for it.

I wander the lonely road, and every town I reach I must avoid zombies. Get in, get out with my precious loot. But on the lonely road, I hear howling. Feral packs of dogs should target lone players, making their presence known long before they attack, tracking over long distances, but keeping their distance until the player least expects it.

I'd like to say that I love your reply, it's very constructive and builds a lot on this suggestion. I especially love the animal calls; it'd be nice if this were implemented, it'd already add quite a bit of depth. Imagine hearing one and thinking: Is this a hunter or an elk? xD As for the feral dogs-- perhaps you should formally suggest this? It's a damn good idea. I always imagined raw meat as being a viable way of attracting zombies. Perhaps the very act of just carrying raw meat would make you more attractive to zombies? But imagine hanging a steak on someone's car while he's looting tents.

Honestly, first person wouldn't be so bad! Just give us the option to look at ourselves and we'll be fine. ;) But please, for the love of God, fix the tunnel vision. I know it can be adjusted, but it shouldn't be that way by default. :P

Dinosaurs. I'm not kidding. Imagine the terror of running through the streets, looking for an enterable building to hide from that tyrannosaurus rex.

You people assuming camouflage clothing will be easily accessible or somethin'?

A duster and a cowboy hat; the brim casting a shadow across my face, a revolver on my hip.

How about over-the-shoulder? :P

I agree with Venick, first person does make the game much scarier. However, I will miss not seeing my character's clothing. xD With any luck, you won't be able to zoom out It'll be more of an over-the-shoulder view? And perhaps going prone could force you into 1st person mode.

Perhaps a blur that begins, say, thirty meters from you. But without the option to peak your head up over the grass, it seems like 3rd person mode while prone is just making up for what the game mechanics can't provide. There's no excuse for using 3rd person behind walls, however.

I'd love to play the game, with a custom map. Would customizable armor be possible? Perhaps you could start out wearing potato sacks, and then find a plethora of armor and clothing with various emblems and such.

First one's a no-brainer! I dearly hope we do see this, as it would make urban combat that much more intense. The one thing I really enjoy about third-person view is seeing your character, and being reminded of all the cool gear and clothing he's managed to acquire. It'd be nice if we could keep it, without affecting gameplay negatively like it does now. Second one is also a very good idea. If you're standing with your nose pressed to a wall, it should blur everything else. I wonder though, if this would apply to people who lie prone in the grass? It's obviously much less of a problem than people who use third person to hide behind walls.

Just prevent logging out when your hands are binded. If you want to leave the server, you need to wriggle your way out, and attract the wrath of your kidnappers. "DUUUHRR BUT WOT IF I WANT TO LEAVE???? OMGICANTWAIT" Well, in that case, you will die. Escaping captivity shouldn't consist of logging out-- that's retarded. If your captors leave, wriggling your way out of ropes should only take a full thirty seconds to one minute.