Tomibo

Yes, you're feeling it! The Team Fortress 2 workshop is a good example. Indeed, the entire moddingscene is proof that it works. An earlier poster (Pfheonix) mentioned distant model switching... I'm not sure how the ARMA engine handles this (?) but there are new engines that dont require it.... quite an important point to make, because only having to send in a single model would greatly benefit the creative process. In any case, technical guidelines for polycount/texturesize should be released, as well as dimension requirements (most notably for enterable buildings; doors, staircases and such). Preferably, community artists submit 3D models with a specific map location in mind. This is quite important for the final ''feel'' of the game world, because realworld buildings are also (usually!) designed with a location in mind. When the 3D props flock in by the hundreds, moderators can weed out the unusable stuff from the usable, and the official DayZ team can cherrypick the best props/ideas. Every month, the world gets filled in more and more, inspiring new idea upon new idea, creating a hugely interesting environment! Any more thoughts?

Id like to quickly add that this process would never work for a stylized fantasy world. Obviously, it'll lead to chaotic compositions and bad color palletes.... which is precisely the point: DayZ must mimick the feel of the real world, and thus perfectly fits such a designprocess.

Indeed, the idea is that people will volunteer from home. Personally, I'd be thrilled to get involved in such a project by sending in 3D props and ideas to evolve the map. Surely, Im not the only one! The modscene as a whole and projects like Google Earth 3D cities prove that people are happy to create content without getting paid; it's all about being part of a unique and fun creative process! The initial phase of such a process might look something like this: (The idea being, that each step inspires the next one) Phase 1, initially created by DayZ team (without community involvement) 1) base geography (perhaps based on real-world heightdata) 2) natural layer (texturing, trees, rocks, rivers...) 3) cultural layer (some settlements and roads to start off with) At this stage, a vast (albeit still rather empty) world is in place. Now, the DayZ team can stand back as creating artists, and take role as directing/managing artists. The creative community will then take role as creating artists: Phase 2, community-driven, managed by DayZ team 4) volunteering artists can join the ranks; a specialized creative forum for communication must be formed. Moderators must ensure quality control; a design-guide must be released to inform the work of volunteering artists. 5) inspired by the real world ánd the game world, these artists can post their ideas and 3D props on the forum: Concept art/perspectives to present idea's, releasing 3D content. 6) selection & actual placement by DayZ team Any ideas?

Dear community, In my unending enthusiasm for Rocket & Co's creation, I've been thinking deeply about a possible future environment for DayZ. While Chernarus is gorgeous, there's huge untapped potential in terms of world design, and revision might be warranted: Flying motorways, theme parks, medieval towns, modern skyscrapers, nuclear power plants... think about it! Raison d'être Surely, the magic of DayZ lies in its emergent gameplay: Chernarus inspires people to be creative. Our interaction with it generates unique stories: We use the world to our advantage in complex ways that cannot be envisioned by any designer. But such effects can still be amplified in a world that also offers extraordinary visual and functional diversity! The design process The real world is a complex web of cultural and natural layers. It emerges from the dance of design and chaos, involving the work of many individuals… Since the scenario of DayZ is rooted in reality, its world can be generated in the same way: chaotic creation (as opposed to deliberately designed elvish fantasy worlds). With the help of DayZ’s creative community, this is an actual possibility! With over one million players, our community has at least a few hundred able and willing 3D artists who, with clear guidelines, could create props, buildings and ideas in a record amount of time. (Think Google Earth’s 3D cities with a professional quality boost). The DayZ team can use these on a huge geographical plane that might be based on real world data (Perhaps part of the New Zealand south island, as homage to the creator of this mod!). Each new addition may then inspire new ideas for years to come... In closing… This could be a great way to create a game world: experimental, community driven and inspired by reality. It’s unorthodox and free flowing, fitting DayZ’s core design philosophy like a glove. There will be problems… but I believe that, with proper communication and quality control, this can be turned into a workable plan. Thanks for reading… there is much more to be said… but what do you think? NOTE: In no way do I think this proposition is urgent or essential to DayZ’s success; Chernarus will do just fine; rather, its something to think about for the future of DayZ!

Snipers play a central role in todays DayZ. Their lurking creates a constant sense of danger. And who doesnt love the interesting tactical situations that might arise from their presence? But the wide availability and sheer effectivity of longrange rifles make the endgame experience seem rather... sniper-centric. Do we want DayZ to be a sniper-centric game? I dont! (eventhough I love sniping)

Your fear is warranted! ...and this isn't a bump

Bravo! Love episode 2

Some fine ideas in this thread. I'd love to see the burying of items! But it must be visible on close inspection. A subtle clue (a small pile of dirt?) could reveal it's location. So you're still taking a risk. This beautifully plays into the philosophy of emergent gameplay; before you bury anything, you'd better check your surroundings... someone might be watching! This onwatcher then has a choice: shoot you right away, or wait a couple of days for the hole to be filled up with more stuff, and then steal everything! Brilliant. You're never sure wether someone knows about its location. It's all in the mind of the player! Now, it must not be too easy to bury your stuff, so two items should be required: a spare backpack (which holds the items) and a shovel. From a technical point of view, it's not too difficult to implement this. And as suggested earlier in this thread, make it one-hole-per-person. This should reduce lag, and restrain the feature from being too effective (...ya know, burying stuff all over the map...) Anyway, Rocket has already been talking about a comparable feature in interviews: some sort of underground bases. But I prefer the idea's opted in this thread, because it's less far-fetched and generally simpler, more elegant. In essence, a simple burialsite has the same effect as basebuilding: It connects a player/clan to an area of the map, giving some sort of control: Those who have a stash nearby, have less to loose and quicker acces to more powerful items. It adds a layer of persistence to the world while having a small footprint; it doesnt detract from the core focus of DayZ: the actual world. And yet it could have a profound impact on the way clans are organized; essentially, this is your EVE Online type of gameplay, made possible by a simple hole in the ground! Excuse me for my enthusiasm, but this may be the Holy Grail for DayZ! Make it happen!

Again, its not about the chance of dying. It's about the increased chance of getting wounded in a firefight. Spelling it out: it doesnt matter who dies. What matters, is that both parties should be worse off: either dead, or severly wounded. It's all about creating a Lose-Lose situation. Who's better or lesser equiped is also beside the point. And wether damagereduction will benefit certain types of weapons over others is a valid concern, but something that can easily be rebalanced.

I'll try to make my point clear: Damage-reduction will increase the chance that the aggressor gets wounded, because the victim has more time to shoot back. Who wins the fight is irrelevant. It's all about increasing the cost of aggresive behaviour. If I shoot someone in the back and he instantly dies, there's no risk on my part. If, however, he has time to turn around and shoot back, I'm more likely to get shot and loose blood in the process. Regardless wether I "win" the fight, you see?

Good thread and interesting topic! I too think casual murder ought to happen less, and the decision to remove starter weapons certainly helped DayZ become less Deathmatch-like. This design philosophy relies purely on psychology, rather than throwing artificial walls in the players face. IMO, any solution to further decrease casual murder and promote cooperation should be cast in the same mold. Suggestion: Decrease pvp-damage by X%. This should make murder less attractive because a) it takes more ammo to kill players and b) you run more risk of being shot yourself in longer firefights. This will slightly promote cooperation, and make casual murder less attractive an option, while still having complete freedom of choice. What do you think?