Coheed_IV

It is pretty amazing to look back at The Long Dark after its recent release. It took them much longer than expected as its scope increased and it was all worth it.....except the gray mother....that was not worth it...a character that talks in third person should not exist....need to replay and shoot her in her rocking chair. Still, that development seemed to drag too and it is single player, DayZ development has a difficulty factor many times higher, even after the tech is in. It's going to be awhile until release still, but at least it should start to get interesting. Glad to hear "hoping for full scale 100 players and tons of ai".

Thanks for the player feature diagram! Can't wait to take a long look at it. Eugen is always honest about BI, the ups and downs, and for me it just reminds me why I love their work throughout the years. They don't give up, keep at it!

Sorry, but this just kills me. Being "simple" has never been the appeal of DayZ. The appeal of DayZ is that is F..ing brutal. This can't change no matter how worried everyone is about it "taking off".

Yeah, that's a great point. But, it's EA and the environment has been constantly changing. To me it's more about the final vision and I think a fresh character should feel alone. Though, I fully agree the game needs better MP comms, and that options should exist fairly early game.

I think you need to feel alone in DayZ, at least for a little while (no radio at spawn). Everyone starting with a radio doesn't give the feelings that you should be feeling (desperation, isolation). But, by all means spawn them on the coast at a high rate in firehouse, police stations, cars. This gives a option path.

I would not release .62 until .63 is within a 2 month range, just for PR purposes. Anyways, I can hardly get excited until the game gets hard and has a decent amount of infected.

I asked about this over a year ago. Victor even gave a response. Ive seen no indication that they have implemented it in the new player character, but it might be something they want in the long term. The analog use of items is (like Minecraft eating) I think is still in development, which would work perfectly for two handed crafting. I think it's obvious how important this feature would be for the IP. It also makes perfect sense for a console version and controller. They seem to know how important using your hands slot is, as a connection to the world, doing this would multiply the immersion mant times.

The ArmA2 DLC, ACR had a small slice of Chernarus called Bystrica, which was more like the real thing with no sea, but instead had a river. It was also in the summer time, which gave it some really nice color. The map could be flooded too! Hopefully Enfusion can raise water levels too, making for some interesting custom maps.

I don't, was hoping someone else might back me up. But, I think it was more along the lines of we are hoping to get between those numbers. They understandably talked a lot of vague numbers, like "we hope to get X times the amount we currently have. Plus, not sure it matters if the AI didn't respond and function properly, it was all merely a test.

Also, I believe he was saying 1000 is a lot for the server to handle not the gameplay. 1000 spread out through all the towns would be feel very unpopulated. On the other hand a 1000 only where players are might feel overwhelming, depending on how many players are on and if they are grouped up.

I know you mean the start of EA, right? The game is still along way from the term "shipped". From what I remember they may have gotten between 1500-2000 when testing global spawn limits over a year ago. They would tick horribly warping while stepping. But, that's why they test. It is a good question, but I think the best question is "how many does it fell like". To get the feel of the mod (depending on date), I would guess it needs to feel like 4,000 or around 75-100 in a average town like Stary and Novy.

Great..... .thanks for eradicating the only scripting language I've ever known in my life! Just kidding, a massive milestone, congrats!

I know .62 is next SR, but I can't wait. Is BI using Silvador Pro, an updated version, or something entirely different? If updated, what was improved?

Thanks for answering my question about the CLE. I really hope they consider including other configs with the CLE (weather, temp., disease transmition probability, wild game population, fish biting, wolf aggression, etc.). Being able to change the environment in DayZ on the fly would make this game more of an event. They guys at BI could play game master. The draw of a changing environment would keep many players coming back. The PR and videos about whats new would influence the long term growth of the community.

The indie/EA/kickstarter movement is our outlet to NOT have games which cater to the masses. It gives gamers a voice in what they want. DayZ mod became a phenomenon as a anti game. Games made for the masses suck, that's why we're here. BI supports modding for this reason, to keep their vision focused, not watered down. Obviously ArmA is not for the masses and it's done rather well.

I don't know. What happens in the EA reviews are more about speed of development, than the game. Gamers can't perceive anything about foundational engine work, and this is how DayZ differs. The plan to develop the engine along side while assets and content where slowly implemented didn't line up at all, at least a year off. I still love the EA model though. I used to buy shitty games for the same prices 36 years ago! People can cry all they want, they have no idea how good games are now. I look at it like supporting genres more than the studio, screw publishers.

This would be true if the game was finished or in a state to be reviewed. But it is not, DayZ is in alpha, even if it's completely atypical of any alpha that has ever been done. This is a very unique situation. On top of major engine alterations they are rewriting the language, it's definetly not in a state to write a review. Strange part is, it's bordered on semi-playable for so long. This is the root, most people should have or would avoided this early access. BI failed at perceiving the market way back at launch, in retrospect they could have gone in a cave for a couple years and launched EA with more of Enfusion done. Also, term "finished" or in a state to be reviewed has been blurred by many new dev models. When should the game receive fair criticism for what it is, not how it is made?

How about the radio. Not the walking-talkie, but the one that you can play music with. Is this ever coming back?

So the plan for DayZ is pretty exciting if you haven't heard. Once .61 is complete (not sure how many are working on hot fixing), nearly the entire team is moving to work on .63, which is beta. A small team is working on .62, which will be a graphical update, like forest clutter, new textures, and hopefully some VFX. The .63 patch will open the flood gate for the content backlog waiting for the player controller and animation system. Hopefully it doesn't take the full year. But, should be exciting this year, they are finally getting close to showing all their hard-work. Also, you mentioned the Zeds, .61 is the first iteration of the new spawning system, so hopefully that has room for major improvement.

Why would it be a question? You wouldn't actually want to keep them?

DayZ was a skill based game. What they need to avoid is cheap imitation of skill, which games that want parity have implemented and ruined competitive emergent gameplay. DayZ mod was skill based because it was built on ArmA and VBS. The idea of DayZ will die if they can't allow players to become skillfull at the game. Not become skilled through the game systems, this is bullshit. You don't pickup ArmA and get good because you spam or have time. It's all about the keyboard mouse and your mind. It takes creativity, experimenting, patience, and practice. Player skill should be defined through balanced and difficult systems. The skill system they are now implying has balance. If your rough is high, you don't make a quick hand drill, you are forced to carry matches. If you can't skin well, you can't do it with a stone knife (1slot) you carry a knife (2slots). You are forced to carry the alternative to counter your lack of ability. The game has to decide how to define "skill". I think that's BI's talent. I don't know a game better than ArmA that allows for the player to become skillful. They have already cut out the simulation of VBS into the Enfusion, they just have to instill the player character with the flexibility for us to be skillfull at using it.

The biggest point to the skills IMO should be a reward for long-life. So maybe it could be modified by days survived as well. I'm also interested in how they give UI feedback for this. I liked Deans ideas of achieved status without seeing constant player feedback, which reveals the in and outs of the system. So, I would go with "Master " status just showing up. Strength and dexterity sounds better than rough and precise too.

It really just depends how they design it. I would be shocked if you see anything or if it could change rapidly.

I guess I missed this thread, it's a interesting subject. While I agree that the goal post may have moved or maybe the programmers nixed the design of capping, I had more problems with the old system. When I first read about the precise/rough system it felt like a deflating ballon. But, the more I think about it, the more I would say it matches the game. Hardcore doesn't not mean over complicated skill trees or points systems, that has always had a bigger relation to causualfing games than not. Hardcore has more a relation to actual real skill, something that standalone has yet to define. These skills have no effect on how hardcore it is, I would go as far to say the opposite, the less artificial, the better. The preposed system only has a positive benifit with no penalty. So you either remain neutral or go up in one domain, which has many skills. What I don't like about that is, where do your skills start out at? Neutral. So, you will never get better at some skills at all. I doubt there will be much differentiated total skills then. It would make more sense to start out inexperienced, then improve both strength/dex until you are experienced. Then branch into the strength or dexterity meter. It would be a three tier system with the top tier having the meter. Inexperienced>Experienced>Master (master of only one domain) This way it would feel like you accomplished something.

Thanks for the hard work BI.