SymphonicX

pointless.

it completely betrays the game's idealogy, sorry.

First and foremost, performance of the game is ESSENTIAL. If it jeapordises the game to have all SHAMBLERS (that's what they're called...not "slow zombies") then it's simply not worth it. But the runners v shamblers debate has been raging since 2001...Personally shamblers are SO much scarier in real terms. The idea that you're trapped down the end of an alleyway and a slow, painful lingering death awaits you - is far far more terrifying than knowing that in 2.1 seconds you're just gonna get ripped in half or hand your head ripped off pretty instantly. Remember this line from The Walking Dead season 1: "I could only get away...because they were eating my family alive". Horrific. In a world of runners, that's not possible. As for video games though - it's either or for me. L4D was a fantastic game that featured runners - not many games have done shamblers much justice. The whole "run away" thing only works so much - you can only run so far and around so many corners. Just look at what Rick Grimes saw in Atlanta in TWD ep1 yr1 - he turned a corner ON A HORSE and was still overpowered by them - the idea with shamblers is that they move slowly, they creep up on you, and they occupy a vast, vast space that you cannot simply just run away from. However the way Day Z map is, it won't work with shamblers - it just won't. The map needs updating and the whole thing needs massive urbanisation - and so many tweaks to characters and stuff - I don't think it'd be worth it. Shamblers FTW though.

If they're not dead, the game should be called Day "I".... 28 Days Later infected were NOT zombies - as you say. They are super infected raging humans who eventually starve and can be killed naturally. They are not decomposing, except for the natural element of starvation - their cells are still regenerating, and they are still very much alive. They are nowhere near zombies. The populist view of real Zombies are the George Romero variety (if you don't know who I'm talking about, leave this thread, leave the game, and come back when you actually understand the rules of this world set by Romero). Unfortunately this line was blurred by that **** Zack Snyder's absolutely horrible, childish and poorly written Dawn of the Dead remake - they were dead runners - basically because the screenwriters wanted cheap tricks and tactics to scare and enthuse the audience - mainly because their characterisations were weak and 2 dimensional. [/imo] The fact remains that decomposing dead bodies do indeed lose functionality and the widely accepted idealogy is that the slow moving zombies are physically and legally dead in every respect - with just parts of the brain reanimated such as the instinct to eat. This idealogy also follows through exactly to The Walkind Dead. The idea here, is that you can only kill these zombies with a shot to the head, or something similar... However in Day Z you can kill them pretty much whatever way you can (thank god!). Coupled with the super human abilities and velociraptor vocal chords, it puts them more in line with Alex Garland's Infected - from 28 Days Later. In the literature of this movie adaptation, Jim apparently gets cured of infected by a blood transfer - this was removed from the movie - but the idea is clear - as post above says, 28 Days Later are NOT zombies. But Day Z sounds so much better than Day I

Oh here's a thing I am worried about - is the infection element. Twice now as a lone wolf (non bandit) I have caught an infection (not a cold) which I need anti-biotics for. There's a .22% chance that they'll spawn - I think this is a bit unfair...I know the game's unfair - but getting an infection seems to be either completely random or due to being hit a finite number of times (same as bleeding) - maybe it's my over use of the hatchet, causing me to take more hits - but the infection really should be curable even if a little taxing - but .22% chance of finding anti-biotics isn't just hard, it's a 99.88% chance of a death sentence.

Am I the only one who doesn't take massive issue with the new Z ai? They do seem to get aggy a lot sooner - but I've not gone into this game since Rocket added useable hatchets and crowbars and not used one! It's the first thing to find for me....grab a hatchet, get some food, get a gun.... When you have the hatchet (and you've mastered the funny mechanics of hitting a zombie with it - you have to stand a bit far back and aim your reticule at the Z's head.) you're pretty good to go...there are tons of them around too....hatchets solve all problems. Once you agg a zombie, and it's on it's way to you - take it out with the hatchet and jog on....eventually you'll wake another one, then take that out - the key is not to deal with too many at once...more than 3 and you're in trouble - unless you can back yourself into a corner and take em out as they line up to swipe at you. My gripes with the game are pretty limited...I think personally the pain of the experience is 70% of the fun. I did think the prior 1.7.1.5 was the strongest version so far. Definitely remove starting weapons from players.... the biggest issue I think needs addressing is potentially the servers not allowing global chat...and also the biggest issue is that it's hard to type "don't shoot I'm friendly!!" before you get absolutely pasted across the floor by a nervous survivor. I think the banditry element needs addressing - the idea that we all look the same is the right idea - but without a function to quickly let someone know you're not hostile it becomes harder to meet and enjoy the game with randoms....and I think its just the crux of PC gaming causing this. I've yet to try plugging my mic into my controller...my Day Z is hooked up to a 50" 3D TV with surround sound in my living room - so I don't use keyboard and mouse on my sofa....I prefer controllers. So I use the 360 controller with a bit of keyboard and mouse for inventory - and it's served me fantastically so far...I wonder what'd happen if I plug my 360 headset into the controller - in game voice? That's pretty much my biggest issue.