11tw

when i say lamps I mean as a last resort: something is coming! grab a lamp!

When I say attack with a knife, I mean slitting throats, stabbing vital organs etc. I get that some would argue that this wouldn't kill a zombie (depends on the kind of zombie) but this would at least do some serious damage. So slit throat, axe chest, dead.

Fair enough, servers can be a bit temperamental

Love the improvised weapons idea; instant kill anti-zombie weaponry from Last of Us was awesome, but the emphasis would have to still be on collecting supplies.

Barricading is in the works, so don't worry. As for cutlery and the like, I think it's a cool idea, just as long as its common. I mean every house will have some cutlery in the real world. However this is high-detail stuff which should come after containers (such as cutlery drawers) are introduced.

The whole problem could be fixed by forcing people onto new servers when they die. People would still be a little trigger-happy, as there wouldn't be a timer to stop instant respawn, but it would stop the self-looting.

Forget guns, random objects which you can use as makeshift weapons are way better for a survival game like Day Z: Kitchen Knives Scissors Rocks Table/Chair Legs Bottles Pens Lamps etc.

I agree, and so I would argue that more RPG things should only have minor influence. For example, how often do you need an IV? It is just there so that there is something to collect beyond equipment, so that you can go on a journey where your character grows to match the challenges you face. I am in no way suggesting a Skyrim style skill tree! That, in this game, would be abhorrent!

Yeah, vein is always safer because of pressure difference, but this is what I am talking about! An improperly set up IV would kill you, as blood would flow out of your artery and into the IV because of the pressure, killing you!

I will fact check that, but well played sir! However, key question: Vein or Artery?

Love the idea! Right now a broken leg is too easy to get, and it is a death sentence... you have my beans!

If not, then get studying! (n.b im not suggesting you need a guide to use bandages or fire a gun, just to do complex stuff which would require some expertise)

Okay, yes reading can be boring. But, can you tell me, in detail, how to set up an IV drip?

Zombies dressed as nurses and orderlies would be creepy! Also, medical equipment like IV bags should ONLY be found in hospitals, I mean why would some random shack have an IV kit?

The interface should never be more complex than the system can pull off. It is about balancing what is good with what is attainable. My ideal would be something like the system from the elder scrolls games, the swords and axes in that always felt seamless.

Can't see why not, I wouldn't use it, but a variety of modes is always good!

One thing that I think is really unbalanced is the health of the zombies. There seems to be no logical amount of blows that can kill them, and to be honest using a splitting axe seems to add no damage whatsoever! If you want to go for realism, which is very admirable and exciting, try to make sure that a sneak attack axe to the head kills in one. And try to make it so that the nature of my weapon and the areas of the body I hit seem to matter. As it is I feel that fighting zombies without ammo doesn't feel like a real option. Thank you, 11tw

I won't lie, the combat is the only thing in this game I don't like. The items, the crafting, the survival; I love it. But one thing that annoys me if the combat system. I would suggest a total overhaul of the system. Perhaps more of a click on a zombie to fight them, then press buttons when prompted to dodge and strike. That way animating and programming the fighting would be a lot easier. Players could be rewarded for pressing 'Y' at the right time with a decapitation, or an arm-chopping finisher! Think MORTAL KOMBAT mixed with Heavy Rain! Thanks for listening 11tw

For me the whole sewer system idea is classic zombie/horror survival fodder. Maybe use deep water (so you can hear zombies moving to raise tension), dead ends (for chases) and new items (a flamethrower maybe? sometimes associated with sewer levels for some reason)

Sewer network would be cool, but I would think it would have to offer something different. For example, maybe a higher zombie population but more loot? As a special challenge for advanced players maybe. Also, such a place would draw all of the KOSers to it, and this would give new spawns an easier time.

Well this was after my new spawn (just died cuz of stupid zombie combat, grrrr), so I was totally unladen, no weapons, no backpack. And yet a 10 (probably 8) foot drop broke my legs and effectively killed me. Shouldn't there be (at a later date) a system which takes into account whether you are weighed down?

How is there anything 'unrealistic' about systems in games like oblivion and heavy rain? I mean apart from the futuristic tech and the magic in the former and the latter, they are just ways of representing how fighting is in real life. As long as the interface allows you to... well interface, with the world effectively, it doesn't matter what sort of interface it is! How do you suggest we make the fighting just like in real life? Would you prefer motion controls? Turn-based strategy? AI controlled fighting? None of these would work, so we are left with only a few options. Use the system currently in the game (not really an option for making the game consistently enjoyable), use something creative and interesting, or copy a game in existence which has melee and ranged weapons. As long as the system changes, I don't mind.

Thank you for being clear, and now I understand why quick-time wouldn't work. And I get why some people don't like heavy rain, it's all subjective. Any ideas for what kind of combat system would work? Any examples of games which could be emulated as far as combat goes? To be honest if quick-time isn't on the table then the fighting in Oblivion/Skryim seems appropriate to me...

Hope so, good to remember it is in alpha, can't wait for the finished product!

Could somebody say WHY they don't like quick-time? I am getting a lot of: 'It is stupid and shouldn't be in this game' and 'everything you say questions my moral imperatives', not: 'I don't care for quick-time much because.......... however I would agree that the system needs to be fixed because.........' If we reply constructively it is more... constructive to the development process. I always try to give a point, evidence and explanation for concision and clarity.