scriptfactory

I only wanted two things from standalone; cheater-free gaming sessions and a higher server count.

Not sure I understand this. Are you saying the ideas presented in this thread won't be worked on because the game will never be finished? Doesn't stop a player from dreaming, right?

DayZ's current base building is ... not that fun. Anyone played The Castle Doctrine? Best base raiding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tY-8MuN1lik

Take the statements about the number of people working on DayZ with a grain of salt. They have been fudging the numbers for years, including the claim that there was "an entire studio" working on AI and zombies...

It's insane how the same topics are being discussed since 2013/2014.

This game and forum is amazing. Still juxtaposing "fun" and "simulation" because the simulation aspect of the game is so janky it isn't fun. From my recollection this is exactly what happened by design. I was going insane when Rocket started throwing away features/mechanics trying to make his apocalypse simulation game and it just messed up gameplay. I felt like we were promised a hacker-free version of Mod and he was trying to strip away all the game mechanics! Oh, how young and silly I was. Rather than going back and revisiting his original idea Rocket went deeper into the simulation because he thought this would bring about the most authentic experience. Brian took over after Rocket left and went even harder in this direction. So I ask myself, were they successful in their attempt? Depends on your definition of "simulation". It is some kind of abstraction of surviving in an apocalypse. It isn't that fun (to me). Still janky as hell. Missing all of the things that I enjoyed in Mod.

The bases in Exile mod for Arma 3 are almost perfect. A bit wonky but they mostly work. The keypad mechanics, the impenetrable walls (necessary), the storage system, the maintenance mechanics, etc. I barricaded up a house and really lived there with a friend. The problem is, DayZ feels different. There are no NPCs, no missions, no reason to have a base besides RP... Also, realistic damage to bases means you can't go offline. I don't see it working without some extensive and powerful defense systems (a la Rust).

So, we (the DayZ forum community) have had this discussion in the past. Early access titles are abusing terms that have existed in the industry for a very long time; basically, perverted their meaning. If the common properties associated with the terms are not kept then they mean nothing. If they are using labels like "1.0" and "alpha/beta" the product should reflect the common understanding of what those terms mean. Early Access is NOT an alpha (e.g. don't rewrite your engine during an "alpha" test...) DayZ SA is not an alpha. The "alpha" popup was a distraction. It meant nothing and now we all know it. It was basically there to placate the masses. Defend the team all you want, this development process was a hot mess. I can't believe it's almost 2019.

Why not both? Thanks, BioHaze!

Read the message when you join the game, guys! It's just an alpha. This is hilarious. Are we getting modding?

Google the video, "The day DayZ died". It basically postulates the game was shit but multiple playstyles were taken care of so the game was successful. Most of the criticism can be taken care of through mods. People are looking at SA with rose tinted glasses. It was always broken and empty. Higher player counts hid that fact.

As you mentioned, staleness is subjective and cannot be proven. However, that video "The Death of DayZ" gives a pretty good explanation of why most players feel the game is stale. The direction the game moved between Mod and SA may be able to explain the waining interest of many players.

I can't wait for DayZ Exile mod. hrrrnnnggggggg

What will make it a game?

I would be fired if I missed my expected delivery dates by years. Edit: I'm not saying they should be fired at all! Only that the Early Access model offers luxuries I wish I had.