HWG

I can't really disagree with you Mycaelis, in fact many of the things you talk about I think are perfectly applicable and really drive the atmosphere in DayZ. But again, if we head back to Post #1, the original problem I have is that the game punishes group mentality and rewards lone wolf gameplay. Have you ever seen a zombie movie, game, tv show or otherwise that solely pits you against the rest of the world alone, by yourself? I can't think of one. In fact, the natural instinct it seems for everyone in all these settings is group mentality. Look at Walking Dead, you have not individuals roaming around but groups that are roaming around. Sure, the groups feud over each other and there are people shooting at other people in other groups, but the fact remains that there really aren't even groups for bandits. Many people kill indiscriminately, that is not what would be happening. Look - even you are part of a group of a few friends who kill other people. You grouped up in response to the environment. But I can tell you, gathering those supplies and such was sure a hell of a lot more difficult as a group than you just getting exactly what you want when you found it. I think there might be a rather simplistic solution to the problem... put more gear further out, and higher volumes of it. The other option is spawn players closer together in relativity to the major cities. Not IN the cities, but closer to them. So dying isn't a 40 minute walk towards Churnogorsk or Elektro. Food for thought.

I think this is interesting... many people like the game, but are frustrated with how things are flowing. So they'll "wait..." However, if enough people start "waiting" at the same time, or in the same period, this would have a HUGE backlash on the expansion and development of the game. I'd say stick it out, just like I am, because as you might have seen in my own post - the game itself isn't the problem. It's the community. We need to give DayZ time, but we need to actively support it and be vocal about problems, bugs, and how this mod will evolve... if we "wait" it will stagnate and die. Which none of us want.

Just wanted to point out I was given negative reputation for an opinion (a constructive opinion at that). Clearly, I struck a nerve and pissed in someones pie. If anything, it is simply a reflection of this community - and it is the community (not the game) that is the real problem. It harkens back to the original post. There is nothing wrong with DayZ, there is a fundamental problem with the community itself. The players are the real downfall. It's a shame too, but great ideas have been squandered by ravenous fanatics who are convinced that nothing is wrong (APB anyone? Countless titles that had potential and were killed by heavy divides in the community.), "Keep Calm and Carry On." mentality. Despite the looming problems, with again, the community and not the game itself (Which I think most of you have missed the point entirely of my post.) If this is a community, then constructive feedback is necessary. Even if the idea isn't warranted at the time, feedback IS feedback. The problem is the majority (Omni, and a few select others excluded) don't understand that this is a work in progress, and what you might be mocking me for, may very well be implemented at some uncertain point in the future. But the majority of you have shown your true colors, and it makes me wonder do I really want to play with a community like this. Perhaps I'll just throw up my own DayZ server on one of the many dedicated boxes I help run, and bring in 50-100 people who will want to be on that server. I never said get rid of PvP, I never criticized the actual gameplay mechanics. I criticized the majority of the people that this game has attracted. Who are for a lack of a better word, zombies themselves. **** I noticed earlier that I was criticized by someone who said the reason I died is I was being careless and out in the open. Actually, we were travelling at night, in pitch black darkness under cover of tree and hillside. Can't get much more covered. And I think more over I should point out that I'm not going to stop playing... and I never stated as such. I'm going to tough it out, if only to see where this goes.

Maybe. We will see. I'm interested to see where dayZ is in terms of community activity three months down the line. If the community is still thriving then I am wrong. However at its current state and after reading more in the forums there is an ever present ominous schism fast approaching. I will keep playing because I do enjoy the game, but I think you need to give more validity to my post and more thought into yours.

Omni I think you make some great points. However the problem is that you fail to understand the double-edge sword of your argument. You're absolutely right there are going to sociopaths and etc that will kill for fun. Here's the problem... the "social experiment" this is based on didn't give every player a gun from the get go. The problem is you set the game up to reward that kind of behavior. The problem isn't the PvP, I understand it and LIKE IT. I do not like how people have turned a survival game into a deathmatch game. That's not what I signed up for, and that's not what I want to play.

I said nothing about removing PvP. You assume too much.

I was introduced to DayZ by a personal friend, and the concept sounded fantastic. I want to give you an overview of my personal experiences. The first time I loaded into DayZ, I was both awed and admittedly confused by the plethora of information that I was bombarded with, as well as the total "lack" of situational awareness that comes with removing a map, compass, and clock. This was great, felt like you woke up somewhere and you had only one objective. Survive. After a few days of running back and forth between Elektro and Chernogorsk, me and my buddy made a real survival run. Keep in mind, I had spent much of this time running around, getting shot at, doing some shooting of my own, staying alive. It was all well and good, but I wanted to really "experience" DayZ. So cue last night, my friend and I were heading north towards one of the dams. We had made supply runs in Elektro, gotten a few weapons, blood bags, etc. We were surviving, and after getting chased around Chernarus by 14 zombies without any ammo - we had been surviving. So we ate some beans, set up a fire, and logged off for the night. We get on tonight to continue our journey. We had some CLOSE calls, ditched our chemlights when we saw headlights off in the distance and hit the dirt. After the truck had passed, we caught our breath and reassessed our position, and what we needed. Ran into a few straggling zombies, and took care of them. We were heading toward Margolevka, and doing very well. *** WARNING MY OPINION IS ABOUT TO CHANGE ON THIS GAME *** Up until this point, I had been in love with DayZ. Suddenly... CRACK, CRACK, CRACK, CRACK. Shots are fired in the pitch black dark and both me and my friend drop. And all that's said in chat is "lol". The past 9 hours of gathering, surviving, and playing the game are now for nothing.... and here's where the largest problem with DayZ lies, and why it is ultimately doomed to die off unless this problem is resolved. People are intentionally being assholes, and it is because you reward them for doing so. There is no real reason to band up with people in the game, I suddenly realized tonight, you can accomplish far more in the game by being a "Bandit" (See Troll.) and killing other players by sitting in the bushes. You can get all the supplies you need, ammo, and otherwise by just picking off new, semi-new, and semi-equipped players. You will advance quicker, and have less conflict in the long term. Any reason to group is by default, making you weaker. The past 9 hours were wasted, and I felt a total disconnect, and break from the game. I immediately logged out, didn't even say a word - and now I'm loading up another game after I write this. I went from having a blast, to having a bad taste in my mouth - because some guy is getting his kicks shooting people who are trying to survive in this wasteland. This isn't fun, this is hurting the state of the game, and ultimately it will be what kills the community (or heavily divides it, which is death-by-proxy anyways.) Sure, there will be many people who read this, and they may just be the vocal minority who will post in here going "Lol welcome to DayZ." or will start insulting me (and like minded people) like a sailor-fratboy hybrid. But I am more willing to bet, that there will be a large silent majority who feel the SAME way I do. That the sudden disconnect you get from some asshat shooting you from 300 feet away just so he can get his "lols" just flat out sucks. Period. That's not fun. That's punishingly defeating, and makes you not want to go through it all again - just to be shot by a "Bandit." Consider what I have to say, because time will tell how this mod fairs in it's current gameplay state. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea, the atmosphere, but the biggest problem this mod has are the players themselves.