I think having a better system of character spawning mechanics might be a way to fix this. For example maybe something like this: An option before spawn that asks "Spawn solo, Spawn in a group" Group spawns would have some sort of story like the ones in my OP, might be a really cool mechanic, also to have possible teenager and children spawns, but idk about going that far.

That's a good point. But since most people who hop are avoiding death, if you fix it to where they still die, that might make them leave the game. I think the more people who play this game the better, but I don't want to see it fall into the never ending spiral of appeasing the majority user-base who might be struggling with the games PVP. It's a hard problem to fix in terms of making both sides happy.

Then why all the realism mechanics? It seems like an avoidance response. It's not the point of the game but its all you can do to play?

Um I know this? I'm saying the two are directly related. If you want to fix hopping you have to fix PVP.

Well it's not explicitly stated anywhere, unless you count the ARMA 2 engine description. But it's one of the underlying mechanics of the game. Scavanging, Survival, Inventory management, Health management, seems to deal with realism to me, and being a player of L4D I can definitely say this game is FAR more realistic.

I understand that, that's why my solution isn't "keep hopping available" just saying its why it happens.

This game is about realism, and what exactly is realistic about being killed withing 49 minutes by another survivor? In a realistic zombie scenario you would appreciate the life other people still have, and not just kill them at first sight because you want to loot them. People complain about server hopping but that is the only escape for people who don't want to PVP, my resolution is that people please consider the life of the other survivor first before you get so trigger happy. Perhaps some sort of objectives that require you group up would prompt other survivors not to be so hasty with the killings. Or starting points that require multiple people first "trapped in the elevator, patients in the ER, Police station cops, ect" /qq

Maybe its just me, first day playing, but every character I've had so far has gotten an infection when below 36C. I think this needs to happen less often or drain blood much slowly because it becomes really hard to see and play just from starting out in a bad location with no shelters and no weapons.