ShaneRetter

This is my vision as well. Don't get too hung up on the vanilla features, as they have to make it a happy medium for all. Mod creators will fill the needs for those at both extremes (pvp, and pve). As long as the base features are there, they will be at the very least 'tweaked' for modded servers, and even new features all together will be added by modders. Once the team officially releases their plans for modding, the community should relax a little if things in the vanilla are not quite to their specific personal taste.

Not talking about vanilla Dayz, so don't know why you would stop playing on other servers. We're talking about hardcore realism servers, modded for a far more realistic apocalypse experience. I'd imagine there would only be a small sub-community that plays on such servers, and It would be interesting to see how truly invested players reacted to someone who didn't care about their characters life, or anyone elses....I'd say you'd be shot, or isolated for being a group liability long before you could point a gun at anyone.

Will mod capability come with / after 1.0 release? It would make sense if it will, as there's little point creating mods until you have all the base features / files to work with. I've read somewhere that you are thinking of having an official mod approval system of some kind in the future ....and it was meet (at least where I saw it) with a fair bit of displeasure. For me, this ties in my other question of file formats nicely. A lot of people think that having your mod packs "approved" is going to stifle mod creativity, where as I feel it will do the very opposite if done so as to make more files accessible to us mod creators. As an example, I was desperate to create new zombie sound files for State of Decay YOSE, and make them sound a little more intimidating, unnerving, and less "samey". The problem, developers did not want modders adding sound bites that would tarnish the games reputation (racism, or profanity), and that made perfect sense. So they used .fsb, format that meant you could extract the files as .wav ...but though removing an older version of FMOD that had a 'repackage' feature, you could no longer convert edited .mp3 back into .fsb, and have them usable in the game. I found a way around this by swapping some trigger code around, and changing which .fsb files were searched for first, and in which order ...but it gave me very limited results compared to what I really wanted to achieve. So, I feel having mods "approved" may be a very good way to stop this happening for Dayz SA, and may allow legitimate modders more freedom to access a wider range of file formats. In saying that, my intent would be to create a full 'hardcore' mod pack in the future, to be used on a brutally hardcore server. If mods were to be approved, how would this effect me? as it may not be a very popular mod, apart from a small number of fellow masochistic survivalists like myself. For context, I make it a rule to never look up 'how to' guides before playing new games, so I logged in to Dayz, and promptly died of hypothermia from not knowing how to make a fire, respawned, and died of dehydration because I wanted to wait until the rain had stopped before I went out to look for a drink .....I clapped like an insane seal at this, but alas, the difficulty dwindled with time played...and left me fantasizing about a modded server for the future . So will mods be community tested? or would you conduct some kind of file check for yourselves before allowing a mod to be released to the public? I'm a little concerned that a mod like mine may only be played by myself, and a few other weirdos, so may not be rated very well in the community, even though the few playing with it installed, are having the most fun ever with it. What some class as a "game breaker" others class as a "game maker" ...you only have to read forum post to see that is true already ( "this game shit, not enough loot" vs "This games too easy, too much loot", etc). I know if mods go unchecked, especially sound files (infected yelling profanity, racial slurs, etc), it can be a death sentence for a game ...not mentioning any particular game ...but riding my horse across the Mexico sands online, and getting surprise obliterated by an Apache attack helicopter is a little immersion breaking. As a side note, from a new comer to the game (been following since day one, but only just jumped into it). Two thumbs up for not taking the generic "walking dead Zombie" approach, living humans infected with some kind of "rage virus" as in 28 days is a far more frightening concept. I was wondering if the infected sounds are just place holders at this stage? As I'd love to hear them sounding more like living humans with a brain destroying virus ....ie, a little more quite sobbing and moaning, with random outbursts of screaming and yelling. I know from experience ...quite "Zombies", that let out a loud shout, or a random past memory recall, like "BREAKFAST" or "NO" as you're sneaking past a window unaware of their presence, is what really soils underwear.

Different baits, and areas maybe as well? Crickets for Trout, etc ...and make insects harder to find than Worms.

I wonder if we'll get a more official statement on modding soon ....not solid promises, but just a clearer idea of how it's most possibly going to be implemented. Might stop some people putting so much pressure on the team to add / remove / tweak vanilla features if people knew modders would be fulfilling their individual wants later on. By that I mean, some want Dayz more pvp focused, others more pve ...some want a less involved survival experience (spawn, loot, kill, die, repeat), some want more longevity (characters life span being a profound achievement). I'm not sure Arma 3 formats would be the best thing to bet on, I've heard Dayz has specific requirements that Arma does not, so may have some unique file formats also. @exwoll I'll keep you in mind if modding does allow for such a server ....in reality, extreme re-spawn timers are not good, but there are other ways to make the death of your character a harrowing experience.

Ok, so I'm one of those fanatic rp nut jobs that play Dayz for it's post apocalyptic survivalist aspect, and I'd like to see a couple of very small additions to the map to add to the RP experience. Could we have a few small buildings West / North/West / South/West of Pavlovo. Maybe a couple of single houses, and some groups of two or three, with usable fireplaces close to the map edge. Also, a pond or two, and a good spawn point for deer, etc. I say this, because it's the only real area on the map that feels somewhat "remote" and allows for a different game play style. Some of us quite like not seeing anyone for weeks on end...and only venturing into towns and cities for things like ammo, wire, rope, and medical supplies, etc. The pvp lovers have pretty much 95% of the map to run and gun between loot points ....I don't think they would mind leaving the the far West as an 'RP nature reserve' of sorts. The trouble is, at the moment it has no buildings to call home, water is gathered by collecting rain water, and if I have to eat another rabbit leg...I'm going to lose my shit completely. I'd be happy even if any buildings in that area never spawned loot ....it's just for rp immersion really, and I bet there are more out there like me (please don't let me be the only one), who are desperate for a bit of real 'feral forest dweller' game play. I don't know if there are already plans for that area, but keeping it free from urbanization for RP purposes is Just a thought .....oh, and Berezhki....that could be another good rp spot that needs a bit of contemplation.

Yeah, not the same as being inside out of the rain though. I've never made one of those, as I'm always close enough to an inside fireplace to cook, and warm up. It's only the West that has nothing like that, and although I like the fact it's just trees and hills ....a couple of dwellings wouldn't ruin the isolation aspect very much.

Awesome, I never thought of trying fuel cans, cheers. None West / South West / North West of Pavlovo. Would be nice to have one or two small houses over there on the map edge for RP....as it's really the only remote area left on the map, and gets almost no 'through travel' unlike other area's. No, you'll notice some houses have only gas heaters, and the only home on the Western map edge is one of those types. I'm more asking for the sake of those on RP servers, as you can lock the door, add some barrels for firewood and food etc, and call it home.

That's the whole point of RP ....everyone's different, and their characters have their own unique way of coping with the end of civilization. I prefer solitary characters, but enjoy interaction when I happen to accidentally stumble upon it ...or it stumbles upon me. And no, not all RP servers have KOS rules ....some have no rules at all, like the one I play on currently. I'm a bit of a realist ...I spent 4 years living in the New Zealand bush as a trapper....and you always camp close to water, and food sources (rain has the same effect here in NZ as it does in-game ...only not so easy survive), so you don't live more than a few minutes from essentials in case of prolonged wet weather. Being a "lazy ass" is what keeps you alive :) ....managing, and optimizing calories used vs calories gained. Surly dropping in a couple of small houses won't be too much to ask, they would be appreciated by more people than just me I'm sure.

Just like any real apocalypse should be ...I don't mind that part, It adds to the tension of being a loner. I dislike nerfed "no kos" RP servers, they get boring pretty quick, even though I try to avoid pvp. Hey, do you play on Underground as well?, saw you mention it in another post.

Well, it is an apocalypse .....how long would you last in real life if you waved, and said "friendly" at every stranger you meet? ....or even if you fully trust the band of sewer rats you choose to "team up" with. The one pro I see, is forming real trusting friendships when you've meet someone who hasn't tried to grief you. Keep in mind ....I'm thinking of the future for super hardcore 'RP' survival servers. Are you really going to risk pulling a gun for shits n giggles ...if it took you weeks to get everything you have? ...and if you thought your companion was planning something like that ...you'd be thinking pretty hard about ditching them the first chance you got. I'm just hoping that modding will give us the option to have these hardcore servers out there. If they aren't very popular, so be it ...I'd be happy if survivalist servers were less populated ...at the moment, I have more human interaction in a post apocalyptic game than I do in real life....I'd love interactions to be rare, unsure, and memorable.

I think modded servers will give all us brutally hardcore survivalists what we are wanting from this game. And in general, modding is one of the best things the Devs could implement to make the game enjoyable for many different types of player. I'm a Kiwi, and have spent years in the NZ bush (ex trapper), and walked an average of 14 km per day, in some pretty unforgiving county. Stamina vs distance is your main consideration ...it's what kills you if you get wet and cold, injured, hungry and thirsty. So I added this to the game through self imposed rules, just to see how something as simple as truly realistic stamina would effect the difficultly for me. I only allowed myself to 'run / jog' for very short distances with a full...ish pack, and the rest of the time, I had to walk (like you would in real life). It completely changed the whole feel of the game ....I found myself staying in one area for longer, being ruthless with inventory space and only going into towns for essential items, planning my scavenging runs carefully to avoid zombie contact, and thinking about environmental factors a lot more before making the long hike to the next town / city. I was no longer complaining that loot spawn rates were too high, as I was restricted so much by loot range. In conclusion, I could imagine vehicles / fuel / parts, etc, would become the most valued items, as this would allow groups to scavenge a wider area, and even migrate further north for better gear. It would naturally make trade a far more essential player interaction, and would see players forming stronger ties with other groups in different areas. Gun fights would be far more intense ...as bandit groups would be forced to take on a far more 'pack hunter' mentality because of slowed tactical movement. I think this would achieve the "value for life" we are all wanting, and with just some simple changes to a few code values in the game files. Instead of spawning on a different server (Just to clarify ...my vision of a survival game is one where you have to buy the game again if you die ..one chance to survive. So I'm not saying that your idea is "too hardcore"), having to make that long, arduous journey from the coast over days or even weeks, will be enough to make anyone think twice about risking death for an unnecessary reason. Also ....the map immediately seemed 100x bigger ....Tisy, and even NW airfield seemed like an impossible dream. If you want a huge difficulty spike ...try this yourself. Walk everywhere...as you would in real life.