ollox

I think this fits in well with Rocket's idea of zombies "degrading" over time. The starving zombies would have all kinds of diseases and infect you very easily but they would be much less agile than the "healthy" zombies. I think of zombies as the kind that will not really chase after you but you damn sure don't want to get near! I think this fits in much better with a survival game than the "28 days" style: the game is not about running and gunning, it's about scavenging and stealth. Getting into a place swarming with zombies and back out alive is the challenge!

I don't want to sound rude but your English isn't great. However, I like your ideas and you've obviously put a lot of time into them. So I've put some time into them too! I have re-written an edited version of your OP with a few of my own suggestions in square brackets: Reading through the recent suggestion threads I've noticed a few recurring issues regarding persistence and ownership. Whether the subject is vehicles, tents, or the as yet unimplemented team mechanics (building a base, running a powerstation, etc.) the same question is always asked: What happens when you and your team log out? As it currently stands, items remain in the world, completely unprotected and available to any passer by. But is this mechanic viable for the future? Is this as good as it gets? Here are my thoughts on possible solutions: Vehicles and Tents Since they are objects it should be easy to attach some data to them such as last operator/owner, time owned by this owner, etc. and based on this information the objects could simply "log-off" along with the owner's character, provided they are in the vicinity of the objects. However, would this be too safe for Day Z? Team Bases (hypothetical) Let's assume that groups will be able to maintain bases, and we'll also assume that these bases can be assigned an owner. Every person within the vicinity of a base becomes a candidate owner of it until they move out of the vicinity, which results in them losing candidate status. After "X" hours of being a candidate, the player becomes the owner of the base. For teams, the entire team would stake ownership as a collective and only one member would have to remain near the base for the entire team's candidacy timer to keep counting down. [Ollox says: how about greater numbers near the base making the timer count faster?] But what happens when we log out? It's not possible to keep one member logged-in at all times. The base could simply be abandoned, but that seems unfair since the team had to put in time to secure it in the first place. The base could be "locked", preventing anyone from taking over the base; but this locks up the map, and who knows how long the owner will be logged out for? It's far too safe for Day Z. The base could be instanced, meaning that there would be many copies of the same base that could be used by different teams at different times. The base could have an "abandonment" timer that protects the base for a day or so after which it is "abandoned" and free again for anyone to grab. [Ollox says: The base could remain owned by the logged out team indefinitely until a rival team tried to break in. It would take several attempts to break in and there would be a cool-down period between attempts, to give the owners a chance to log back in and repair the damage. The base could also have a security level, which could be upgraded by the owners, that would determine how many break-in attempts the base could withstand before it is overrun.] Other possibly ownable locations such as factories and powerstations would be acquired in a similar fashion, but these are operating facilities so we must talk about how they would function. Once activated, the facility would run automatically with the exception of occasional malfunctions that a member of the owning team would have to remedy. [Ollox: I really don't like the idea of NPC's so I removed that! :P] [Ollox: Perhaps some repairs, and the initial activation of the system, would require spare parts that would have to be scavenged for?] So what do you think about that, or better, what do you suggest? You might also like to check this thread out: http://dayzmod.com/f...ge__hl__regular

What!? If you can't be bothered to write a coherent sentence then why should I bother trying to decipher it?

Edit: ideas refined. Something odd about DayZ is that everyone apparently left their front doors unlocked! Most places should start locked-up and you must break and enter to scavenge inside. Miles's ideas come into play when players then trying to re-secure these places for themselves. I think this is a nice idea if well balanced: padlocks must not keep everything safe indefinitely, but bolt cutters must also not be so powerful as to completely negate padlocks. Limitations of Hatchets and Bolt-Cutters Cutting through metal chains or chopping down a door takes a bit of time, this prevents players from quickly breaking in to hide or scavenge. Hatchets and bolt cutters should have durability, this forces the player to decide what is worth breaking into. It's not “realistic” to think a bolt-cutter would break after a couple of uses but remember that the person securing their property will probably be offline and unable to defend it, so I think this balances well. Bolt cutters are also pretty heavy to carry around and don't have any other use (apart from possibly being a gory weapon!) so it will be unlikely for anyone to carry them unless them have a specific target in mind. Tools All tools, except lock-picks, deteriorate with use to force the player to choose their targets wisely. Bolt-Cutters - Used to cut through chains, fences, padlocks and grills. Hatchet - Can be used to hack wooden doors and boards. Crowbars - Used to pry open wooden doors and weak metal doors. Lock-Picks - Picking locks takes a long time (maybe this would require some skill?) and there's a high chance the pick will break. The plus-side to picks is they are very light to carry, but they are also quite rare. Security Measures Chains - Can be used in combination with a padlock to secure a gate or vehicle. Boards - Used to board up doors and windows, whether broken or not. Boards also keep warmth and light inside so you don't expose yourself to the cold or your enemies. Bolt – When attached to a wooden door this enables you to lock the door with a padlock. Security Bar – Fitted to the inside of a door (yes this means you will have to stay inside to use it) to prevent it being kicked in or pried open, however, Wooden doors can still be hacked down. This is particularly useful for weak wooden doors since it's a cheap way to prevent a poorly-equipped opportunist from gaining access. Security Grill – Fitted to the outside of a wooden door to guard it against axes. Grills can however be cut with bolt-cutters, this exposes the door for an axe to break it down. Keys – Each door-lock and padlock has a unique key, but there will often be more than one copy, this allows you to share a lock with a friend. Unused padlocks can be found in hardware shops and will always come with at least two keys. Many locks will not have keys at all and will have to be picked or circumnavigated. In some rare cases you may find keys inside buildings that unlock locked doors in the same building or other buildings on the property, however, you will have to work out what the key is for on your own. Occasionally you may find keys for buildings that are nowhere near where you found them, for example: in a house you might find a key to the workplace of the person who used to live there. This is a fun idea since there could be clues around the house: letters with different addresses might give you some ideas of places to check, mechanic clothes and tools might suggest checking the local garages, etc. Of course, being Day Z, someone could have previously raided the house and removed vital clues but left the key behind, so you have to decide whether it's worth trying to discover what a key is for or whether there are enough clues to ever find out. Lock Types Padlock – Portable lock that can be applied to a bolt or chain to secure it in place. Night-Latch - http://www.e-hardwar...Night_Latch.gif - Embedded pin-and-tumbler lock that opens from the interior without a key and locks upon closing the door. Used on many conventional house front doors. Mortice Lock - http://www.confused....;w=300&as=1 - Embedded, manually locking lock. Door Types Weak Wooden – Unmodified doors of this variety can be kicked in or hacked with an axe. After kicking in see “Forced Wooden”, after hacking down see “Hacked Wooden” and “Smashed Wooden”. These doors may seem pathetic but remember that forcing any door is very loud and will attract players/zombies. Strong Wooden - These doors function the same as the weak variant except they cannot be kicked in, but can be pryed open with a crowbar, and they take longer to break down with an axe (costing more axe durability). Smashed Wooden – This door has be totally destroyed in order to gain entry, either with explosives or an axe. This door can never be repaired, but can be boarded up. Boarded-Up Door - Blockades a doorway. Can be destroyed with an axe. Functioning doors can also be boarded, along with “shattered” doors, to provide an extra level of security, although this obviously makes getting inside difficult for you too! Hacked Wooden - This door has had a hole cut in it by an axe, this is done on doors fitted with a night-latch lock to allow the intruder to reach through and unlock them without a key. Can be repaired, see “Repaired Wooden”. Forced Wooden - This door has either been kicked in or pried open and as a result the lock will no longer function, even if the door is repaired. (Padlocks will remain attached to the door and can be retrieved by picking or using a key). The door can still open and close but must be patched up with wood/board before a bolt and padlock can be fitted to re-secure it. See “Repaired Wooden”. Repaired Wooden - This door was “Forced” or “hacked” but has been patched up with wood. No matter what strength the door was before it was Forced, it is now treated the same as “weak wooden”. If the door was hacked the old lock will still function, but if the door was “Forced” the lock fixture is ruined and you must attach a bolt and padlock to secure it. Re-Enforced Wooden - This door in an upgraded weak or repaired wooden door. It acts the same as a strong wooden door. Metal Door – This variety of door cannot be kicked-in, hacked or pried open, they must be picked or opened with a key. Some metal doors have embedded locks while others have bolts and padlocks. Metal doors cannot be modified

This is a great idea. This is a simple way to give a lot more information to players; if you go into a building and there are wet footprints on the floor you know someone has been here in the last 10-15 minutes and maybe still here! Tracking animals in the wild would be very nice too. I like that the footprints gradually fade, so when you learn the way they look you will be an expert on how fresh the prints are and know how far away the person/ animal might be. You can also judge movement by the gait of the footprints (space in between shows if running or walking). Blood and mud on door handles and cupboards etc. would be good too. I feel there must also be ways to cover up your tracks. You should be able to wipe your feet and clean your boots to prevent leaving foot marks, and also scrub away footprints and blood. These actions would be a good option if you think you are being followed, or just want to be extra careful or cover up a murder (or maybe you found a nice home and want to do spring cleaning! :P), but of course it takes time and is purely optional so not everyone will take these precautions. Maybe zombies and/or bears will be attracted by the smell of blood so you should clean up if you are planning to stay there.

The end-game surely has to be rebuilding society in some way.From what Rocket has suggested I'm hoping for some Metro 2039 (year?) style underground bases. I'd love to see settlements springing up, engaging in trade and war with each other. It would make banditry more challenging and exciting too. I basically want to see a system where power comes from numbers and bandits prey on the weak and lonely like vultures, with the occasional raid if they have help and enough fire-power. There needs to be elements of creative control to keep it interesting: player interaction and creativity is the only way to keep a game going. Maybe having some control over how your base is constructed: it could have a modular design, like placing buildings in an rts, and some strategic choices of what structures to include, how many, and where you place them. Certainly I'd say there should be intensive character customisation. You should care about your character and one reason is putting a lot of time and effort into their appearance (and stats/specialisations if they appear). On that subject I'd like to see aging, visible injuries, permanent scarring and limb loss, as well as creating a custom outfit by mixing lots of different articles of clothing.

You guys are fucking idiots, I'm sorry this is a terrible idea. Do you have any idea of the costs involved in maintaining a railway system!? As if the engine itself isn't expensive enough! And what fucking use is a train in an apocalypse? Being on rails means you have to leave it behind to explore anywhere. You need a functioning infrastructure for a railway system to be of any use whatsoever, I would have thought that was bloody obvious!

This is especially urgent as Rocket is planning to add dog "companions" soon.

This is not rewarding good players for the sake of it, it's a logical effect that having dead bodies lying around would attract more zombies and killing zombies would reduce their numbers. Does that make it harder for bandits? Yes, deal with it. I can't believe we have bandits complaining about this after all the shit they give others about being "care-bears". It's logical, useful and adds to the game.

Fixed it for you. :D

Really good idea but I would simplify it to injured/dead players in the area raises local zombie spawn rate, while dead zombies in the area lowers it. I don't see why sharing food would decrease the number of zombies. This would be a good indicator of how dangerous a location is when approaching. Bandits wouldn't be able to camp one area because it would become overrun with zeds and people would start avoiding it.

People are addressing valid concerns with the game. The level of player killing is ridiculous, it's shitting all over what this mod was supposed to be and that's why Rocket feels forced into bringing back bandit indicators -- which I'm disappointed by because that's a lame solution. You're not "better at surviving" if you go around killing everyone you see, because if we did that in reality we'd drive our own species to extinction! Also it's pretty cowardly to kill on sight. However, 99% of the suggestions made to try and rectify this situation are absolute shite. Introducing arbitrary bullshit rules and restrictions on how people can play goes against the spirit of Day Z. If you want people to work together and not kill each other you need to provide a reason for them to do so. That's why this open beta is so great, we get to see what the game actually is, not what it is intended to be. If people are acting like sociopaths then the game lacks social interaction. Don't blame the players who play the game for what it is -- and at the moment it's a survival death-match -- look for what is missing from the game that would create better authenticity. To the anti-bandit people: Don't punish, incentivise. (Yeah that sounds like a horrible marketing slogan but it's true.) To the bandit supporters: Don't insult people who have bad ideas for good reasons.

I wasn't aware he was being lauded as a genius, just a guy who wanted to make a real game that doesn't pander to the player's ego like so many audio-visual masturbatory aids that we insist on calling "games".

This is a very cleverly-formed, stupid idea: I thought Day Z was about authenticity, and dying because you killed a group of people in quick succession doesn't sound authentic to me. There are major flaws with this idea, it forces rather than encourages less player-killing and it punishes those who are forced to murder by circumstance. I'll have to watch that video you posted. I cringe at the thought of what you say he's implementing, it seems like the more attention Day Z gets the more Rocket is drifting away from what he wanted to create. I don't know exactly what that is of course but from his mantras of "authenticity" and "imbalance" some of the things he's been suggesting lately don't match up.

No no no no no no no no! Stop thinking like this people. If you want to solve issues with trust think about what you would do in real life. You can't go behind the scenes and pull some strings to force everyone act a certain way! Be realistic. We need safe ways for people to communicate at distance, whether they have a mic or not, there have to be ways to signal your intent and I know there are already a few like surrender and salute but these could be developed and added to with more hand signals and stock phrases like "don't shoot!", "friendly!", "freeze!" and "drop your weapon!"