choco87

#1 needs to happen. From what I head the voice comms are sorta buggy unless running the ARMA II Beta patch, but I think proper voice comm will stop a lot of the BS. I for one would be more inclined to talk than shoot on sight. #2 not so much. I don't think the game needs to push for group play, just less morons who shoot on sight. IMHO group play is balanced without the need for adjustment. Benefits: You have people who can watch your back, save you in dire situations, and you are intimidating to lone wolf bandits/morons. Drawbacks: Much easier to spot out and about, loot has to be split, etc. Group play should be a players choice, I don't think there should be more benefits for those that choose it over the benefits it provides by default.

I definitely agree with your post, it's unfortunate but true. However, there is still a small amount of hope. Perfect example, was making a run into Electro the other day with a few RL friends, and had someone sneak up behind us and catch two of us by surprise. He could have killed us then and there, but illustrated his intentions. He joined our group (balls of steel for 1 to join 4) and helped defend from some Zs as we all raided the fire station. He took his fair share of loot, then decided he was off. Later that evening we were looting the hospital and noticed a group of survivors in the school opposite us, at this stage both groups had hordes of zombies causing issues. Fortunately for us, our recent acquaintance had joined their group! We sorted a cease fire across the buildings, informed each other of the where-abouts of z's and in the end both groups got out of town peacefully. A few days later we were out in the wilderness and came across two survivors being chased by a LOT of z's. We watched patiently to see the outcome, and as one of them fell we noticed he was the guy that chose not to kill us in cold blood. We took out the remaining zombies, gave him blood and got him back on his feet, and helped his friend escape the few zombies still chasing him. He thanked us and we parted ways. There is still hope, there are players out there that think before they act, and aren't just in it for the thrill of killing other players. Unfortunately, these days they're just as rare as a threatening zombie.

And still nothing changes. If you're pro, act like it. Hubris is deadly. I wasn't saying it changes anything, just that it's not always a players choice of location that will determine whether or not they can be gunned down by a fresh character. Regardless, I think you're disregarding my real argument, which is there is no reason to think twice about shooting other players. In a zombie apocalypse, survivors still think, and make choices to stay alive. Some will kill, others will band together, because at least half the threat is zombies. In a game where death is meaningless and zombies are less threatening than falling down some stairs, the only threat is other people, so the only thing worth doing is killing them all. :D

I think one of the biggest issues with this topic is this part... People state that realism is key, the reason people kill in cold blood in the game is because it's 'realistic', it's survival of the fittest, etc etc. My argument is this. In real life, you don't respawn! One thing i've noticed since the removal of bandit clothing (not saying it is the problem, just stating i've noticed it more since then) is that a majority of people shoot first and ask questions later, MOST of them being fresh starters with a makrov and a few flares. And the reason for this? They have nothing to lose! So what if you die, you get back up and start over. But if you kill that guy with a better gun with you, hell, more chance of survival! In real life, if you spot a guy with a semi-automatic and NVG, and all you have is a crappy pistol, you duck under the bush and hope to HELL he doesn't see you. Reason being, he can kill you better than you can kill him, and when you're dead that's it! Bandits are not the problem with the game. The problem is the LACK of realism. Just my 2c.

What i've learned from playing this game so far... If you have more than me, I can benefit from killing you. If you have less than me, you can benefit from killing me, so i'm gonna have to kill you. If you have friends with you, chances are there's no reason not to kill me, those extra beans in my backpack could save you one day, or maybe you're just worried i'll put a makrov round in the back of your head. If I am with friends, you best avoid me because chances are i'm thinking the exact same thing. Trust no one. I'm not saying I gun down every player I see. I have made a lot of friends within the game, ones that have helped me, ones that i've saved from hordes of zombies, even used my own medical supplies on, there are plenty of nice people in the game, but unless they are your RL friend, chances are they're just as worried about you putting a bullet in their brain as you are about them doing the same to you. On a side note, I do wish people were a little bit more honest about this in game. If people ask if i'm friendly, I prefer to reply with "it depends on what gun you have pointed at my head and what food you have in your backpack".