BC_Hawke

I understand. Thanks again for all the hard work maintaining what seems to be the only populated DayZmod server that stays true to the original game settings. It's been great playing the game the way it was meant to be played, and the subtle additions like wild spawning zeds and the occasional snow storm are the icing on the cake! Good server admins/mods never get the credit they are due. Your hard work is greatly appreciated!

Pro-tip. If you get moved to debug, log into a different public hive server. It will reset you back to the coast to one of the regular spawn points.

It's actually quite the opposite, we play there all the time and haven't left (except for 2 weeks of DayZ Standalone), and in fact the reason I made this post is because typically you guys are DAMN fast at putting things right which is fantastic, and it seemed to me the attack on the weekend was still having lingering effects (people were still logging in in debug yesterday...maybe coincidence). Either way, thanks for the response! We logged in last night, blew up most of the vehicles that had been teleported so after restart people could start finding them again, and we played for a few hours with no issues. Sorry if my post gave the wrong impression. We're not going anywhere. Jumping on tonight for some more action. Thanks again!!! ...okay...shameless feature request since I have your attention =P Any chance of removing the "last attacker" message at the death screen? It's really hampered us as a squad when it comes to battles as people can identify who shot them, look at the server list, and communicate to their friends how many of our squad are online and where they are. Also a lot of flaming happens after fights. Kind of a bummer in an otherwise damn near perfectly run DayZ server. Thanks!

Yup, my standard practice when I need to be careful with inventory items that I don't want to lose is to start a loot pile in a clear flat spot (start by putting a tin can or bandage on the ground), then look at that object and press the inventory button. At that point you should see it on the left side of your inventory. Transfer your weapon to that loot pile, then pick up the melee weapon, move it to "carrying", then go pick your weapon back up. It only adds a couple seconds to the process and so far I haven't lost a weapon yet using this method.

One of the server variables allows or disables using waypoints by shift+clicking on the map, and many servers allow this which makes it way too easy to navigate the map and renders rangefinders (previously an end-game item) useless. It would be great if this was removed as a server variable and set so that you cannot set a waypoint unless you have a GPS on your toolbelt.

I did a search and couldn't find this, so hopefully it hasn't been brought up already. I think the HUD could be placed in the inventory, and here's why: There's been a lot of talk about the HUD in the mod and how much it affects immersion. I know that Dean has already planned on having no HUD at all in SA and using text to convey information. I personally don't like the idea of the game instant messaging me on a constant basis. I think it works for limited things like "you drank a can of soda" or "there is no room in your inventory". One day while watching a devblog video on the SA and not liking the messages popping up, I suddenly remembered that my favorite survival horror game of all time, the original Resident Evil, had NO HUD or any indicators that popped up on-screen. In RE, when you brought up your inventory, there was an EKG that indicated your health along with limping animations to indicate injury. Similarly, SA could have the typical blood, food, and drink indicators in the inventory, so after taking some hits or getting shot in a fight, you could bring up your inventory to see your blood level. There could be some visual or aural indicators that let you know you're getting hungry or thirsty (animation of hand over stomach, sound of stomach growl, sound of dry throat and parched lips, animation of feeling your throat). Upon seeing/hearing those indicators, you bring up your inventory to see hunger or thirst flashing. With this method, you would have nothing getting in the way of the visual aspects of the game. You wouldn't be in the middle of a battle and notice your hunger flashing and be like "oh, I'd better eat soon". However, it would be there nagging at you when you went into your inventory, reminding you that you're getting hungry, the same way we get that reminder in real life by feeling the onset of hunger, which we notice when doing something mundane, but tend to overlook when we're deeply engrossed in something or experiencing an adrenaline inducing event. Just a suggestion. What are your thoughts?

Nobody said anything about opening a backpack. If by backpack you mean inventory, you would already know you are hungry by visual and aural cues, so no, you wouldn't need to open your inventory to see if you're hungry. You also don't need somebody text messaging you to tell you you're hungry (current method being used in SA with text based notifications). You also don't need a floating display in front of your face with a picture of a plate, fork, and spoon blinking to tell you that you're hungry. What's your suggestion that eliminates anything that you wouldn't need to tell you that you're hungry in real life?

Wow! Lots of responses! Thanks for your input. I have three things to add. First, when we played on BMRF we absolutely loved that waypoints were turned off. Navigating with the map and compass is actually a lot of fun (not a lot of people know that when in-map, you can click and drag the compas over your current position, then use the "end" key to rotate your character...you keep rotating until the compass is pointed at your destination, then when you come out of the map you are facing that heading). Even the people in our squad that hated it at first grew to like the experience after a bit. Second, as to whether or not GPS would work, remember that the GPS in game is a military GPS. We're isolated to the wilderness of Chenarus, who's to say that there aren't still military strongholds out there in some far off city that still has power, computers, and the ability to keep satellites in orbit? Just sayin'. Third, as for waypoint markers once you have a GPS, I wouldn't mind having them (IF AND ONLY IF you have a GPS in your inventory or are piloting a helicopter) because you can set waypoints on a GPS in real life and it will tell you range and direction of travel to reach that waypoint. If green numbers on the HUD really kill the immersion, then alter the display of the on-screen GPS to have an arrow on the border of the screen showing direction and a number next to it indicating range. Not sure if this is at all possible for devs to modify, though.

Those are great examples of mods that drastically improved the sales of the original game they were based on, but take a moment to notice that none of those mods had a negative effect on the playability and reputation of Half-Life. To this day you can go jump onto Half-Life and Half-Life 2 servers and play the original game with a lot of people. Half-Life is still a unique and different game from the mods that were developed using HL's code. The complaint that many people here (myself included) is that the way in which the DayZ community went about developing the game and variations of it ultimately damaged the original game that Dean came up with. Far too many people *think* they are playing a "challenging" zombie survival game when they jump in a private hive or a mod like Overwatch and are geared up with military gear and vehicles in 20 minutes while facing no serious threat with zombies. That is the impression that many people have of DayZ. Also, the mods/spinoffs were so close to the official mod in the look and feel of the game that it took the audience away from the challenging game because the instant gratification of the modded mods was too tempting. I'm not saying that this is wrong, I am just bummed that this is how it turned out. Hopefully Dean an BI will protect what they create so that it still offers a unique gaming experience in the midst of mods that will come out of it.

Couldn't agree with you more. One thing to remember here is that DayZ SA will be on officially licensed game, not a mod or open source indy game. If you think about it, they need to *protect* the name DayZ SA and it's assets. I'm not very familiar with the game developing world, but I would assume that this means that if/when BI allows access to mod DayZ SA that there will be restrictions on naming, logos, and other properties associated with the game. So, with that in mind, say the Epoch devs wanted to make a mod out of DayZ it would not be called "DayZ SA: Epoch". They would have to come up with a unique title or just call it "Epoch". Also, there will be a much better distinction between the official game and any mods. The reason it's so confusing for new players right now is that most of the mods are downloaded from one application, and the method of joining servers for those mods is also by using the same application with very little visual separation betwee which game/mod you are going to be playing. While there are filters in DayZ Commander to view applicable servers to each mod as well as separate official hives from private ones, it can all be overwhelming to new users. Heck, even veteran users have a hard time finding servers that offer original settings because so many private hives don't use proper syntax in their server names. If you look at an ap like Steam, games are all downloaded through the app, but you clearly click on a different icon for each game and go to that game's start/multiplayer menu. So far, for me personally, DayZ has been a very unique experience compared to other games in it's tendency to have several spinoff type mods all of which carry the same main title and look and play *very* similarly. I would assume that, similar to Valve games and associated mods, there would be a clear distinction between the official game and mods. I've never seen anybody confuse Counter Strike , TFC, TF2, or Day of Defeat with Half-Life. As for when private hives are introduced to SA, I can only hope that either 1) BI limits the server variables to keep the name "DayZ SA" from straying too far away from it's original concept, or 2) that BI offers good incentives to join official hives such as some sort of stats or exclusive updates and features. Again, to clarify, I'm no authority on the matter and I don't know how it will actually pan out, these comments are just based on observations I have made of the games I've played over the years.

Absolutely! Remember, people are *FAR* more likely to be vocal online about something they hate than something they like. A lot of people out there are back into the official mod because of the recent developments you guys have made. Sadly, I think there are many out there who would like it but are missing out simply because 1) it's hard to navigate DayZ with it's many mods and terribly setup private hives with extra gear and vehicles...this confuses new players into thinking they're playing DayZ when they join an Epoch or Overwatch server; and 2) people were really turned off by hackers in public hives and are reluctant to come back. I literally had to beg a few of my friends to come back to public DayZ and now that they finally have they're loving it! Keep it up! Your hard work is more appreciated than you know.

Nope, neither one of those were nearby (we looked). Even checked the DayZdb map to see if there were powerlines that might have been over a hill but there weren't any near us at all. R4Z0R49, any comment on this?

Fantastic job R4Z0R49 and any other devs who contributed! 1.8.0.3 is better than ever and DayZ feels the way I expected it to when I first downloaded the mod. I'm constantly blown away by the "you're forcing people to play *YOUR* way" argument, as they chose to participate in a game that was designed specificically to be very unforgiving. They get catered to by spinoff mod developers, then whine and cry that devs and players of the official mod and the upcoming SA want to "force" them into something they don't like. Unbelievably childish. People on reddit actually called me a F***ing Nazi and a Fascist for wanting Dean/BI to limit server variables in SA in order to avoid private hives with 1,000,000+ of everything. On a side note, R4Z0R49, I noticed in game last night that there were a group of zombies that had spawned in a field and in the forest in the middle of nowhere West of NWAF. We were very far out from any farms, sheds, or any other buildings and there's no powerlines where we were. Somone in our teamspeak said you had re-implemented wild spawning zeds. I didn't see it in the changelog (maybe I missed it). Have you done so? If so, thanks! Wild spawning zeds was one of my favorite aspects of DayZ.

That sounds good. Thanks for the response. Keep up the good work, it's appreciated!

Great hotfix, looks like a lot of really good changes, however, I have to ask: why did you reduce the zombie damage? Between that and changing the Zed Aggro, will this not make the zombies easy again? It seemed to me from responses I've read on the forums and Reddit that a majority of people were praising the devs for finding the perfect balance, offering a challenging element that really solidified DayZ as a zombie survival game. I for one can say I was *really* enjoying the state of zombies in 1.8, especially in conjunction with the ability to switch to melee (which, IMO is the best and most important thing to happen to DayZ since it was released). I'm just curious what led to the decision to lower the damage. Either way, fantastic job on the updates. 1.8 is by far the best version of DayZ to date. Props to the devs for all the hard work.

Here's some DayZ 1.8 love. Smurf and myself decided to wander Chernarus to experience the new update. Happened to get a 700m shot on a bandit and lit up a zombie horde! Enjoy!

First off, let me say that this patch is phenominal and has brought the game to a much higher level. I'm really enjoying what the changes have done to improve the feel of the game. With that out of the way, let me start with negatives then move to what I really like about the update. BTW I apologize if some of my observations are off, I can't pretend to know what goes into coding so there may be things I comment on that were coincidental rather than something that was actually changed. The bad: - There is some glitchiness in the holding/carrying section of the inventory, seems sometime the melee weapons disappears and I can't switch with 1/2/3 keys but can still switch with mouse wheel. Obviously this is a minor issue and stuff like this is expected, I'm sure it will be solved soon - Day/night seems to have some serious issues (haven't searched so I don't know if this has been addressed somewhere else yet). I joined several public servers that were supposed to be night time based on their posted timezone but on almost all of them it said it was somewhere around 2pm. On server 3480 it changed from night to day then back to night again. - HUD. I hate to say it but the style just doesn't seem to work. It's too obtrusive and looks pretty goofy. I liked the latest HUD in 1.7.7.1 as well as DayZero's HUD, which is minimalist yet shows the meter draining rather than changing colors which is important to colorblind people like myself. I know the HUD is supposed to match the look of the inventory and journal, but in my opinion it just doesn't work. Now onto the good: - Weapon switching: LOVE THIS!!! WOW is this a different game now! Definitely changes the dynamics of how I approach situations - Zombies: FINALLY, a great balance of difficulty and numbers! I'm a little bit bummed that it seems infection rate was reduced (I loved how terrifying the zombies were in 1.7.7 when getting surrounded meant infection was certain), yet I really like how hard the zombies hit now. There seems to be a lot more of them spawning too which adds to the tension when trying to loot without being seen or heard. I love that they are a threat again. The game finally feels like a zombie survival game and I think it will really change how people approach PvP situations. I have *YET* to be hit through a wall after playing for several hours. There were zombies all around me in the supermarket which is one of the classic spots you get hit through the wall and it didn't happen yet. The zombies hits seem to match the animations really well. Also, I really miss the wilderness zombie spawns, but I like that you've taken it a step back in that direction by adding the powerlines as a spawn point for loot and zombies. - Food spawns: people have been complaining about the really high rate of food spawning. I think it is a good counter to the high rate of damage the zombies deliver now. I actually find myself filling my backpack with food for the trip North where as I use to just take one can of beans to eat when the hunder meter got too low - Shacktac movement: awesome, speaks for itself - Backpack zipping sound: great but scared the crap out of me a few times when I wasn't ready for it There's plenty more that has been changed/added/fixed, but I need to get somemore time in game to experience it all. I do have to say that 1.8 has really improved the overall feel of the game. I had been playing DayZero pretty exclusively but 1.8 has brought me back to the official mod. I'm enjoying the game more than ever due to the changes. Keep up the good work!

You are insinuating that 97/100 people hate playing DayZ in the dark...could you provide some evidence of this? A lot of DayZ players like dark nights. Unfortunately the direction DayZ has gone with private hives that have 100000+ vehicles, 24/7 day, spawn with DMR, etc, have drawn a large crowd of casual PvP players that have fallen in love with a game that is nothing like the DayZ that Dean created. Most people that I know that like DayZ at it's core, which means a brutal and unforgiving survival game that can and will have PvP elements, like the idea of playing in the pitch black of night.

Harder does not equal a problem or broken, it equals lazy or clueless players seeking easier solutions and labeling it broken. Couldn't have put it better myself.

Why exactly are all you people talking about playing in the pitch black? I have heard people say things like, "Crap! Nothing but flares." or "Empty tin cans and Glow Sticks? This sucks." Yeah, it isn't like finding another clip for your gun but it isn't trash if you actually challenge yourself and play at night. A carried Blue Chemlight will let you see your immediate surroundings and won't be overtly noticeable at range. At best until close you see a blue point.Once really close it is all but impossible to miss the bright glowing person. You are at disadvantage against someone with NVGs but that makes sense since you can find blue chemlights everywhere and NVGs are pretty rare. G17 has a flashlight attached which is excellent for quick peeks when in cover like a dark interior and if you don't mind using a shotgun the Remington 870 can work like this as well. "But someone might be watching me with NVGs and shoot me while I skulk around." Um, yeah, that is true but that is also the point. Stick to cover so you don't get sniped, keep the engagement ranges low by sticking to crowded areas and you can whip out a flare or with the guns I mentioned above flick on the flashlight and blind those people, as long as they are close. With big towns I will sometimes throw some flares out the side of the town to attract zombies that way and also put a light barrier between me and anyone shooting into town. Honestly, some of the people who won't play at night... They give you all the tools to get around at night. If you are scared of dying you shouldn't be playing DayZ. ^^ Truth. It's beyond me why people don't use chem lights or think of smart ways to use flares. Nighttime used to be fun and incredibly intense in DayZ. It was one of my favorite aspects of the game. I really miss it.

Hey guys. I have what I consider to be a decent computer and can't for the life of me get consistently good FPS in DayZ. I can get acceptable FPS outside of the big towns/cities (35-75fps), but as soon as I want to run around Cherno or Elektro on a full server, I'm stuck with 15-20 FPS. Terrible for playing and worse for recording. Here's my specs: - AMD FX-8150 water cooled - GTX 770 superclocked w/ ACX cooler - GTX 650ti (dedicated PhysX card...I know, doesn't make a difference in Arma 2/DayZ) - G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB Ram (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM 1600 (PC3 12800) - MSI 990FXA-GD65V2 Motherboard - SSD HDD for OS and Arma/DayZ - Win7 64bit Things I have tried already: - Read/viewed/followed several DayZ/Arma optimization guides that give optimal in-game settings and .cfg tweaks - Set the settings in my Nvidia control panel to the settings recommended in the guides mentioned above - Overclocked my CPU to either quad core at 4.8ghz (disabling cores 5-8), or 8 core at 4.0ghz. The 8 core configuration gave me a much higher score on 3Dmark 11 and with the launch parameters listed below showed the most CPU activity while running DayZ - Added this as my launch parameters: -nosplash -skipintro -world=empty -maxMem=8192 -cpuCount=8 -exThreads=7 -maxVRAM=2047 - Pushed the GPU clock to 1200mhz at 1.2 volts through EVGA Precision X - Turn off firewall and anti-virus during game play (this solved a serious stuttering problem while playing) With this configuration I score a 9250 on 3Dmark 11 with a GPU score of 11024 and a CPU score of 6393. Not too shabby, right? Yet somehow I'm ether experiencing a drastic bottleneck or DayZ just hates my hardware. I see some really high FPS from time to time while out in the middle of nowhere on Chernarus (sometimes 70-100), but Cherno/Elektro on a busy server is still a bit of a slide show. Is there something else I haven't thought of? DayZ only pushes my video card to about 30% in Cherno with my CPU cranking at about 55-60%. Is there any way to get Arma 2 to use more resources to keep the frame rate up? Any help would be great. Thanks!

Thanks for the responses. View distance is set server side on DayZ so changing it doesn't add any FPS. I've tried all the other settings you mentioned along with various other combinations. I *know* Arma 2 isn't optimized, but it's really frustrating to have so much head room on both the GPU and CPU side and still get 15-20 frames in Cherno. Any other suggestions? Something I've overlooked? Thanks.

EDIT: added a couple specs to first post. SSD hdd for OS/Arma/DayZ, running on Win7 64bit.

Yup, Arma/DayZ is certainly another beast. I'm just providing as much detail about my computer as I can and how it fares on a typical benchmark to make it easier for people to give advice. Yes, I will see some higher FPS on a lower population server, but it still drops to the 20's in Cherno/Elektro. I play on BMRF DayZero servers, which are run on high quality equipment and very well managed. I see similar results across a variety of DayZ servers, which leads me to believe the problem is more centered on my setup/config rather than the server(s) I'm playing on.