Cloth

If we put aside the idea of "punishment" and think instead about benefits and costs it might be helpful. Killing-on-sight clearly has benefits and costs in-game. Cooperation clearly has benefits and costs in-game as well. How well does this cost/benefit relationship create gameplay that people want? As someone mentioned earlier in the thread, perhaps the game could more accurately depict cooperation and all the myriad benefits of that. For example, if the world is lethal enough, and healing injuries by yourself difficult enough, then people would be more strongly rewarded for sticking together. This isn't "punishment" but rather an acknowledgment that the current cost/benefit relationship isn't creating the gameplay that is desired. If an emergent strategy in the game means that cooperation becomes increasingly rare, than an important part of the game is lost - a part of the game that sets Day Z apart from other FPS.

Hey Mouse, This is an interesting issue. Nicely done with the picture in the OP, that was really fun to read. I really like the idea that the "killers" would become addicted to killing, actually. I'm not sure it would work in game but it's a fascinating thought. For those arguing that people have different responses to killing, sure. So implement that. Some people vomit when they kill, some go catatonic, some get off on it and become addicted etc etc. Randomly assign that feature to the character and make it something the player doesn't know until they actually kill - a very realistic feature, wouldn't you agree? I think a modeling of the emotional state of the character is completely reasonable - especially since we humans can't exercise a lot of control over our emotional state. It seems silly, though, to laud the game's ultra-simulation of zday while ignoring or brushing off it's lack of meaningful simulation of the emotional or mental state of the character. Finally, the penalty of death IRL vastly exceeds the penalty of death in game - this is unavoidable, and it results in behavior that would never occur in an honest-to-godzday. If that unrealistic behavior becomes commonplace enough, IMO it will poison the game experience. - Cloth