Cmdr Snipes

I would have to say that the amount of zeds around could be a bit more numerous, especially around the outskirts of the town. Make them more dangerous to enter, and even moreso to leave. I feel this would force people to use more tactical insertion and extraction plans than simply fire the loudest rifle and let the team mow them down. In addition, it would force people to work together or brawl, bringing in a larger variation of player interactions, ergo, making the game much less predictable and keep people on their toes. This plays in very nicely with how the zombies spawn so quickly now, than before this latest patch. Let's say your groups objective is simply to get into the Military Camp at Stary Sobor. Instead of cleaning up shop from the zed infestation and sifting through the piles of supplies, you now have to think, "How long should we stay?" "How many zeds are going to be wandering by, forcing us to give away our position?" "How many zombies will spawn on top of us?" "Is the risk worth the effort?" "If we unknowingly give our position away by gunfire, what strategic exits can we make, and how quickly?" These two "problems" that I see so much heated debate about is what we are (or at least should be) here for. Instead of a "push-button-receive-reward" style of gameplay, you're going to be using a lot of thinking to simply survive and exponentially more in the process of becoming well equipped. You're going to need to be silent, quick, cunning, and coordinated in order to survive. No player will be rewarded simply by using run-and-gun tactics or shallow thought processes. It won't be acceptable to many people, but I feel it will keep gameplay fresh and challenging if it stays as it is.

I see many people arguing about this whole PvP business. As a fellow player with experience in being the "Lone Wolf", a squad leader (3-5 squad mates in tow), and a group leader (10-20 following directions), as well as being a team mate under the command of another, both PvP and PvE are both staples of the mod as a whole. I can *understand* the gripes of those in the anti-PvP camp, but as it adds a whole new dimension to the mod itself, it can NOT be removed without detracting one of the largest contributing factors of Day Z. This is what I'd like to elaborate on in this thread. Many of those who have picked up ARMA 2 have been under the assumption that this is a simple zombie-apocalypse mod. This could not be farther from the truth. ARMA 2 was, is, and always has been a military simulator constructed in the mindset of including even the smallest of details that are compatible with the engine itself. It is a game whose playerbase has been accustomed to intricate detail, coordination, teamplay, and an incredibly steep penalty for errors and incompetence and high rewards for successes. This isn't to be taken as an insult to those who want PvP gone, because these points are applicable to both camps; that is to say, those who PvP are under the same stresses as those who do not. Simply put, ARMA 2 is not a game for everyone, and Day Z much more so. It is a game where survival, awareness, coordination, and trust are paramount next to weapons and gear. A small tightly-knit group with Makarov's and Winchester's is a far more dangerous and effective weapon than a larger, more uncoordinated group who has mid to high-tier gear (and please do not argue about the semantics of this point, as they are pretty much moot to the point being made). Now, there are arguments as to the advantages that many PvPer's have (such as pressing alt+F4 in the middle of a fight to save themselves, being on Teamspeak in a group or groups, et cetera ad infinitum), and I will admit that these *are* valid points. Many of these stem from the infrastructure that the game is played on, or simply things that can't be avoided without the developers pulling all-nighters to code in systems that can prevent these problems (and might I say, I have faith that in the future such systems will be put in and refined until a balance has been made). Even taking these problems into account, removing the biggest and most in-depth aspect of the game (the human condition and emergence of choices/actions into in-game situations) will have incredibly devastating results on the playerbase as a whole. This game gained its' popularity simply because of how a single action can shape the environment of the map. The players who enjoy this type of gameplay are a very small niche of the millions in the gaming community as a whole. It can and will be argued that removing certain aspects of the game to make it more palatable for the masses is a good thing, however that entire line of thinking will water down the experience that can not be found anywhere else in the gaming world. It would be as if someone had stolen the Mona Lisa and made her clothes more modern, has put make-up on her, and had much more "attitude." The diamond-in-the-rough would be removed from the barren and rocky place it exists in, then cut, polished, and added into a pile of diamonds the looked very similar to itself, when it is a treasure in it's own place. All of this isn't to say a handful of PvE-only servers shouldn't exist, as they could bring a whole new idea to the table. Imagine whole cities that people could build out of Barbed Wire, sandbags, and a little know-how. Whole towns being constructed, broken down, moved, or over-run by zombies on a whim. To me it sounds like a pretty neat idea, even though it wouldn't suit my tastes. But the complete removal of PvP itself? Never. Never in a million years. DayZ dev's, you've done a wonderful job in creating this mod for us. I haven't been so engrossed into a video game in such a long while that I can't even remember what the last game I played was that made me feel like part of the world in which I played. I couldn't imagine DayZ without the many, many deaths I've received, as well as the act of committing said crimes. You all are doing superb, and I know quite a few people who have the same thoughts. Thank you so damned much for making this.