hoik

Id go for a days lived stat - but not a HP reward.

This is a great idea! No matter what form the Journal may take it should be in the final release (IMHO). Im highly in favour of any type of user-driven story telling, to me this could be a major part in insuring longevity of this game. Something id like to see is a marker that'll allow you to mark locations on maps with small notes - you get killed someone finds it - "shazam" a user created treasure map!

So the problem comes down to how do you create a intrinsic value to a players life in DayZ.

And thats still an option - the thing is if you rob a dude of his most basic stuff, it is essentially a death sentance. Just put a bullet in his head and be done with it - all his loot is yours, no compromise. Alternatly when robbed, the robber could request the rest of your kit - and if you were wise you'd tell him to suck your c***. So once again, the choice is upto the robber - hes already pillaged all your valuables, is he willing to trade some of his humanity for the little equipment you have left?

I like the spray can idea - but i think it could be used for alot more than "I woz eer" tags, such as warnings ("Keep Out!") gang tags to define gang territory or as a weapon to spray in someones face. Ultimatly this is anouther way of communication/user-driven storytelling (as is the journal, dictaphone etc) which I think this type of game needs.

Item: Marker Allows the player to add notes to a map that will be a persistant feature of that specific map. (prehaps with a No. limit, can be erased) Along those lines, some items that would make it worth marking a location: No.1: A shovel - you can bury items out of sight No.2: Larger (finite) stashes of food/ammo etc. - worth marking on a map (if the locations were randomised). The notes, of course, are not restricted to item locations but could warn of hostile areas or be outright lies. Either way Im sure this item would have alot of possibilities and make for some interesting situations both benign and sinister.

Personally I don't like the idea of "missions" being generated on the maps for players, or needing to incentivise a player with a reward in order to make them look for it. More so, the notes on the map would not nececarily be for the benifit of other players, but to keep track of your own loot (if you could bury your own loot) as well as other points of intrest you may come across - its when you get killed and the map is found by others that it becomes a treasure map..but with no guarantees. Is the info on the document genuine? Is it worth the effort to find? When i get there will there be a mountain of cool loot, a can of beans or simply a snipers bullet? You can't know any of these things for sure untill you go and find out. It is AN objectve in a expansive and chaotic world, and I think this kind of player driven "story telling" (very loosely coined) is what I find most appealing about this idea.