Jukeb0x

The changes don't really effect encounters with zombies, as people have said the torch allows people to play at night where zombies are basically oblivious to your presence and you can now "hide" when zombies are chasing you. What it will change is how people react to players. Since people don't spawn with a weapon running into an armed player is now a major threat (you shouldn't bring a torch to a gunfight) So new players are going to try and avoid them by heading inland (where they are less likely to run into people as they are further away from the MAJOR loot spawns) and to scavenge more safely until they are re-armed. The old system encouraged being a "lazy survivor" since it was much easier to kill someone and get their stuff then scavenge for half an hour. Now scavenging is essential as your food is ticking down from the moment you spawn. The extra scavenging taking place will also distribute players more evenly round the map since people are going to be traveling more searching for a gun and therefore make encountering someone else all the more rare and terrifying I can see where people are coming from with the "can't fight back to zombies" argument but if the hiding the mechanic works properly then being without a weapon just adds an entire new layer of danger and terror to DayZ. Hiding in a building waiting for the growls and groans from the other side of the wall to fade YES PLEASE.