oktyabr

DC = "Direct Communication". The "direct communication" channel of the game's VOIP system and in my opinion, the only one anyone should ever see, hear or use.

I agree as well. While I think the bandit skin in concept is a good first step it might be improved with multiple tiers such as the red head scarf for those at the next tier down the humanity scale from the basic bandit.

Yes, scrap them, if it's keeping you from more important tasks. Ideally I'd prefer to see them replaced by a similar system with multiple tiers, given the time and resources, but even this idea is so low in my mind that it doesn't even exist in my wishlist. I couldn't vote either. Not enough permissions.

Regenerate lost blood on a scale directly related to your food and water levels. Something greenish, regenerate faster, something red, slower. Flashing red, not at all. No regen while you are offline.

Tents should do absolutely nothing in this game besides give you a dry place to sleep when it's raining. That's it. They aren't magical backpack extensions and they sure aren't special enough to be used for reincarnation.

This thread might be construed as a sort of hosting FAQ. What are the server and bandwidth requirements? Does a typical unmanaged VDS/VPS suffice or do you prefer backend support? I know the devs have their preferred providers... are other providers out of the question at this point? Can a server be configured to reflect a different time zone (i.e. chasing daylight) or is this difficult at this point? Personally I am very close to having funds raised to support at least one other server and would just like to know the best way to invest them.

The thing is, even though the current bandit system isn't perfect, it still has had interesting consequences. I'm not a bandit... haven't PK'd anyone since the bandit skin was introduced, not even in self defense. It has acted like a deterrent for me and for others. The reward is that regardless of what others may suggest having the non-bandit skin means simply that other non-bandits are much less likely to just shoot you on sight. Not so easy for the bandits. Again, I think the bandit skin idea is a good first step. Working with your idea I'd rather not lower the bandit thresh hold, I'd rather see different levels of bandits... and non-bandits. How about a custom skin for bras like Munchy who start an entire thread because he's pissed someone pwned him on the "most murder" charts? Conversely, suppose you want to go around healing and giving out blood transfusions, maybe just for tips (food, ammo, whatever)? How about a custom skin with a red cross on it somewhere after you've done so much? I like the custom skin idea, the bandit skin idea in partcular, and just wished there was a little more range available here.

He meant Operation Arrowhead.

Heh, I kinda thought you might be. But isn't that the solution right there? Persistence per server. Join another server you are starting from scratch again, on *that* server. Want to play the bearded lulz bandit on one and an angle of mercy, bandaging and transfusing everyone you can find on another?

You forgot hiking someplace like the infamous NW airfield, finding the weapon you were after and then popping into every server in turn to load up on the right ammo. I think I'll like it much better when persistence isn't multi-server, at least on the same map.

What compromises could possibly be made? Either a game is PVP or it's not.

Yes, you need to purchase Arma II. ISN'T THIS IN A FAQ SOMEWHERE?!?!?!

No, no additional mechanics to control it... and I say that knowing full well I have lots of posts in support of not only the "bandit skin" but an even more complex system along the same lines. What needs to happen is to adjust the rest of the game so turkey shooting bean carriers on the beach is just a dream of the "good ol days". NOW it gets real. So real that another bandit will shoot the sociopath with the sniper rifle, getting his lulz, just because it's a waste of precious ammo. Stupid n00b. As some one else said earlier in this thread, make fighting the zombies (it IS a "zombie apocolypse" after all) so much more a focus of activity that no one has time to worry about blasting other people for the fun of it.

I have PMC, my son does not. I've never noticed a difference.

BAF and PMC "lite" are included with OA at no extra charge. Have the same models and features, just none of the custom map/mission stuff. Full version Arma2 (NOT the free one) and Operation Arrowhead is all you need. Those and the DayZ mod files of course.

Of course it has a bearing on the issue. The concentration of sociopaths in this mod grow because they are willing to kill but are rarely killed themselves. The non-bandits like myself (I haven't shot a player since the bandit skin was introduced) get killed and respawn. Some of them in turn become bandits. The bandit population grows, the non-bandit one does not. Unrealistic.

I strongly agree with the concept that's been floating around about having different levels of skins... all the way from your deranged sociopath to the super do-gooder, with most players falling somewhere in between. The bandit idea is a good first step in the right direction, a few more steps like that and it will be perfect.

I too would like to know how you would propose that is accomplished. The way your original post reads it just says "PK". Over half the people that play this game now wear the bandit skin from PK, many of them from simply shooting first or being a better shot than the bandit that tried to do them in. If "PK" alone is your only qualifier then over half of the people playing this game would die with a single bullet from anything.

Or that nobody ever pays attention to each other because they're too busy fighting zombies to be able to do anything else? Yeah, I bet he meant that bit.

Geeze, I wish I had a good ping to the FR servers. Might be fun to take back the city ;)

You guys know there is a bug reporting section of this forum where this would probably get the right kind of attention?

The problem with comparing this mod to real life, as has been pointed out already more than once, in this thread and others, is that it is very far from any sort of reality. Real life: The majority of people, even survivors under the toughest circumstances, tend to value life, favor actions that make more life possible and typically stay away from those that do not. This leads to cooperative groups forming (civilization, given enough time) which offer heightened strength, security and pooled resources in pursuit of one driving thing... staying alive. Your rare sociopath, whether they were that way to start with or developed the trait from circumstance, tends to be a loner, not trusting other sociopaths either, if he ever finds any others, and eventually dies or gets captured... with no respawn! Yes, even your sociopath will tend to be more careful if it's one life only and then game over. The fact that the game sports groups of players with sociopathic behaviors is a clear indicator that there is a very "unrealistic" imbalance. This mod: You die, you respawn. Bad players have no fear of death because they just get back on and have another ride. Good players, rewarded in real life with the strength and security of a stable group have to survive even though players are coming and going (disconnecting) all the time. There is no equivalent to "real life" cohesion and consistency. Players that all pretty much look alike make identification and immediate trust a much more difficult matter. Poor communication abilities means difficult first contact negotiation and even more difficult "realistic" group dynamics. Bandits are rewarded through action but the lack of any implicit moral values or conscience removes any reward for non-bandits to NOT perform actions (PKing). It's a game, not real life, and it's unbalanced.

Read every post before I decided to come in here and play a bit of "devil's advocate". @swayzesghost - Your argument is a common one as evidenced by the great number of similar threads already on this forum. Like most of them a thread with a title like yours will automatically summon a certain faction of these forums and invite them to comment, perhaps not the folks you would have preferred. Don't take it too personally; it's the nature of the beast here. Your suggestion, on the other hand, I think is one made out of frustration and really not practical if you think it through. For starters, where do you draw the line on who gets the punishment and who doesn't? PVP is a dynamic aspect of this mod and it's never going away. Sometimes you have to kill other players to protect yourself and what's yours. I got shot yesterday fair and square by a guy that watched me run into an apartment to escape a charging horde, where I shot maybe 10 zombies one by one as they tried to follow me up the stairs. I looted the upstairs and was on my way down when he (a bandit) cleverly was laying in wait. literally prone amongst the fallen zombies. I tried to avoid the gunfire but he got me... and all my loot. My bad decision, not his. The humanity/bandit skin idea shows me that the mods recognize an imbalance in the game and are trying to correct it. The bandit skin is a first step in the right direction but doesn't have to stop there. Others have posted ideas concerning an expanded skin system... one went as far as to recommend putting the most frequent murderers on the server into a skin consisting of a bright orange jump suit (later expanded to include flashing security anklet!) as one extreme! The fact is that this idea IS working but I wouldn't consider it a finished system yet. Since the bandit skin came into play I haven't shot a single player (I would have shot the bandit I mentioned, but chose, wrongly, to try and avoid the fire instead). My NOT having the bandit skin has had it's own rewards... I've teamed up with other non-bandit survivors plenty of times after pointing guns at each other for a few seconds. Others just ignore me and we go our own ways. Would it have ended that way if I had been wearing a bandit skin? Very likely NOT. But essentially this imbalance comes from this mod currently existing as a PVP game with a slight zombie flavored overtone. This is where the true balance lies. Spread the loot out more evenly, include extra water sources and more food to be found in the wilderness and the player base starts spreading out more as well. Make zombies spawn off the dry edges of the map and migrate towards the coast, perhaps in search of fresh food.... this makes the wilderness as dangerous as it should be, and the popular gucci-gun shopping sites like the NW Airfield one of the most dangerous sections of the map, even if you are the only player up there. Tweak the dynamic weather system so it's sync'd between players, have exposure to lots of rain bring about hypothermia (shaking, like in pain, possible health reduction as well), curable with camp fires (something bandit groups don't like much), staying indoors out of the rain, and possibly extra equipment like rain gear. Besides the rain gear the other bits favor the cooperative groups while the lone sociopathic killer with a sniper rifle slowly dies shivering alone on top of some building. Incorporate more medical treatment that requires it be done by another player, such as mending a broken leg (currently requiring morphine?). These are just a few suggestions. The point is that the devs recognize the problem and are trying to balance it. Support your favorite idea if you like but be careful of suggesting anything that paints a picture with such a broad brush.