Seiseki

I stopped playing when I found out how rampart the duping was.. It's no fun when you're fully decked out along with everyone else and his granny having NVGs, range finders and AS50s.. It removes the entire survival aspect and it will be refreshing to spawn back on the coast again, finding joy in the little things like beans, coke and a good ol' Lee Enfield.. The current endgame offers no challenge when it comes to survival, except for players which are always a big threat in both early and end game. But food, water, guns and ammo, even tools like map, gps, hunting knife, matches, those are all taken for granted. The last nail in the coffin were the zombies and how trivial they have become.. Looking forward to the standalone though!

What about each player carrying wallets with their ID, for identification. I know it's kinda pointless in a post-apocalyptic world to still carry your wallet, but it's also a part of your history and kinda nostalgic. And it makes it makes sense to identify dead bodies by checking their wallets for credit cards, driver license, ID, etc. There's just no other way to tell someones name, unless every player in DayZ has it a dogtag or a name tag on their clothes ;) Perhaps collecting these could be interesting for bandits. Also, to chip in on the bandit discussion. Killing an unarmed player should result in a larger loss of humanity. Perhaps you could collect ears as trophies too, as another way to lose humanity on purpose for people who wish to brand themselves as bandits.

Yes, this would be awesome! It's much more interesting to get robbed than just killed.

I posted about a randomized map here: http://dayzmod.com/forum/index.php?/topic/66004-what-if-the-map-was-randomized/ And yes, the more randomization, the longer the game stays fresh, no out of game assistance or relying on experience. Now you'll have to navigate using the in-game map, check landmarks etc. No magically knowing where vehicles and loot will appear, or the best sniper spots and pvp hotspots.

Yeah, it's a good way to visually indicate that someone is a new player, but it also helps new player not get spotted as easily.. A walking player could almost pass for a zombie at a distance, if he lost the backpack and the cap.. I played for hours before I realized you could even open your backpack, and that's after having found several alice packs and czech backpacks.. So the starting inventory is more than enough for your first few hours until you find a backpack. Also, this means you could add regular backpacks to loot spawns and also smaller bags here and there.

Now, there is no need to get upset about an idea so take it easy. That said, it would be interesting to consider having a persistent system that flags you as hero, survivor, bandit even after death. And by flag I mean somehow allowing players to tell what karma/humanity you are at. It is not a penalty, it is simply a way to tell what kind of player your are, it is up to other players to judge and take action. Currently there are not any real consequences to being a bandit, if you die you start of fresh and you can easily just play as a friendly as it suits you. A persistent system would allow players themselves to police the servers and bandits could be KOS, even when they spawn with nothing. EVE online uses a system like this, it works and it keeps the player killing hardcore, as it should be, rather than everyone and their dog being a bandit. This could bring back some level of trust to the game, which it badly needs to give more variety to the human interaction, because it is about so much more than just killing each other. Of course, this makes it hard to actually start over, but being a bandit should not be a light decision taken on a whim, for benefit or for personal satisfaction. You want to be a bandit, better be ready to stand up for it and take the consequences.

The most interesting part of this thread is the amount of posters feeling the need to point out that they are men and not boys.

What if each server had their own version of the map, with randomized location for villages, roads, airfield etc. At the moment a lot of the problems for the game come with people getting a bit too familiar with the map, server hopping at high value loot spots, camping high value loot, knowing the exact location of vehicles and loot spawns, malls, pvp hotspots. Because let's face it, once you've played for a few hours, you learn the location of all the important stuff, there's no exploring any more. I used to enjoy trying to figure out my position with the map, trying to find landmarks, read signs, etc. But now I got a pretty good idea of where things are at, especially along the coast. What used to be a fun experience exploring new places, discovering new things has turned into a less exciting get into the mall, check this and that place, go into the farm over there, then head for the next town. I think there are a few issues with having the map randomized, the first being the time and cost to implement such a system. The second being server hopping and ending up inside stuff. I'm also pretty sure that a lot of people have grown attached to the current map and don't want to let go. I too am quite fond of it, but having a new map to explore would give the game better replay value and also stay true to the survival aspect.

Well, dividing the map into sections that have max and min limits for towns, houses, etc. would make it pretty easy to balance. The important part is randomizing cities and buildings, the terrain can be less random, possibly having a few preset pieces with variations. I like the idea of randomized military camps and it's good to hear that the loot system is just a placeholder. Deer stands, farmhouses and single buildings in the woods would also be awesome if they were random.

I think the game is already mainstream in a way, because it has turned into a killing simulator with zombies instead of a hardcore survival sim. A karma system wouldn't be a special feature for a playstyle, it would be a tool for player policing and judging others. Something that currently does not exist in any larger form. People should be encourage to take the law into their own hands, right now it's much too biased towards the bandit side.

Bandits are not the main focus on the mod. Human interaction and evoking emotions is. This includes all types and not just killing people. In real life killing people has consequences, in-game you can just log-off or switch server. It is also impossible to remember faces and who is who with name tags off. Some things do need to be added to the MOD for balance. Yes, fresh spawns can still be bandits, bandits can still be friendly and heroes can still kill. This is the way it should be to keep some of the tension and make human interaction less certain. Rocket has stated over and over that he wants players to take matters into their own hands when it comes to bandits. But we need the tools to do so, even if they are kinda unrealistic, they do provide new and interesting dynamics. It's all about consequences and people interacting with each other, without a karma system the interaction is limited to KOS for safety.

Seems like someone just lost in their own thread..

Trust cannot be gained unless people are given a chance. People will never be given a chance with the current system. This is just a way of saying bandits should not have to stand up for their playstyle.

There is nothing that states an alpha cannot be public. Even if it was labeled as a beta, nothing would actually change. The alpha means the game is in an early or incomplete state, saying it is a beta will not change that.

Well, if a player sees that you're not a bandit, then perhaps he won't shoot you. It's completely up to players themselves, as it should be. I know there are a lot of players that despise bandits though, this would give those players a chance to fight back. And it would make bandits feel more special and hardcore, you'll probably always be a target. The only ones who lose are the bandits who does not want to stand for their actions.

So, let me start by stating that Day Z is a really hardcore game. It is about surviving and some people might go to extreme lengths to do so. (not talking about hackers) At the same time, it is also about immersion, the authentic feeling and to a certain extent, roleplaying. Due to certain mechanics within the game, the immersion and competitive play are pitted against one another. Yes, the game is in alpha, but it's important to study these aspects of the game and find a balance. So what do I mean by competitive gameplay, how does one play more competitively and why/how does that make the game less immersive and realistic? Obviously, by competitive gameplay refers to mainly to player vs player and how there are several ways to get an edge, an advantage. And by immersion I mean the ability to be immersed in the experience, like you're in an actual and believable world. I will list a few specific things, but I'm not saying any of these should be changed, some might even be impossible to do anything about. You might find many of these silly and some are even bugs that are bound to be changed. I'm not passing any judgment here, just saying that these things exist and I think all players use them to a certain extent, I know I do. Some of the things listed are "borderline exploits", using the way the game works to get an advantage, but not in a way the game designer has intended. 1. Server hopping for loot, jumping from server to server to loot places. (also, any other kind of server hopping to get an advantage, like using a private server with a helicopter to travel) 2. Alt - F4, exiting the game to get away from zombies or players. 3. Using an out of game map, checking loots spots and vehicle spawns as well as using it to navigate. 4. Killing oneself to re-spawn at a more favorable location, or in a more favorable state. 5. Running indoors to get away from zombies, because of their walk speed, either to get away or to kill them more easily. 6. Using pine trees to lose zombie aggro. 7. Looking for zombies from far away to tell if another player is near a town or other location. 8. Using the in-game voice to play zombie or gunfire sounds. Most of those are meta issues that comes from a greater understanding of how the game and it's mechanics work and then using them to gain an advantage. But there are also some that directly depend on the game settings. 9. The 3rd person camera, it offers superior vision, even when going prone. You can hide behind rocks and still look behind them. Yes, I know it's a server setting and I would not say that this destroys immersion for everyone. But personally I find it being more terrifying, more like I am actually there in person when I do not see what is behind me, this is my preference though, but sadly this means that when playing on 3rd person servers I am at a huge disadvantage and almost forced to use 3rd person to say competitive. (and there aren't a lot of 3rd person disabled servers) 10. The gamma slider, setting the gamma to max allows you to play at night and still see very clearly, although it looks very ugly and unrealistic. 11. Grass, currently the grass does not stretch very far, this allows you to spot players who are far away, crawling in high grass. Any setting that reduces the amount of grass is also a huge advantage. 12. Music off, this obviously makes you able to more easily hear noises. But takes away some of the atmosphere. The game is very hardcore and this leads to a more competitive mindset. Every players will have their own balance between immersion and in-game advantages, depending on preference, game style and what they want from the game. But the game also needs to strike a balance and it is currently leaning heavily towards staying competitive. I am not offering any solid suggestions on how to improve certain aspects as most of this comes down to personal preference. But I am curious on peoples opinions and thoughts on the matter.

Well, it might not be realistic, but it provides a mood. Movies and games all have music playing that sets the atmosphere, but you usually don't think about. It can be more or less immersive depending on your perspective.

I don't see how both can't be true? The whole mod is very experimental, and this is the first test, it's also an early and new software. A dictionary can't define how long the test lasts, the definition of "early" or when it enters the beta phase. Perhaps you should look up complaint in the dictionary instead..

If we're talking solutions. Then turning the player into a special player zombie with the same gear, backpack and skin, would make it harder to loot.. If you're killed by another player then they've probably already looted you. Also, to make server hopping harder, there could be a cooldown for switching servers. Once you log into a server, you can't switch server for 15-30 min. And also, players logging in don't spawn loot for 5 minutes. So logging into the airfield means no loot spawns unless a player is already there. Along with a 30 sec logout timer (which fixes the alt-F4) and the time it takes to load the game and connect, it would be pretty tedious to server hop. The problem is when you server hop for a legitimate reason, to play with a mate, because the current server went down, etc. There are a ton of more reasons to server hop which makes this solution a bit limiting. As for my personal done/not done list. 1. Never, this destroys the difficulty and fun of exploring and scavenging. 2. I'm ashamed to admit I did this once. Got shot by someone I couldn't see, got pissed off and alt-f4. I was dead when I came back though which eased my conscience a bit. 3. I use it all the time on my second monitor. 4. Once or twice I think. 5. Yeah, kinda hard not to when it's so easy. 6. No 7. Yes 8. No, but I wish it was directional 3D sound, so you could locate the source. 9. Only a few times, I try to play in 1st person. 10. Tried it, broke the immersion and looked ugly. 11. No 12. I actually turned it on again to make the game more scary.

I've been there twice, both times at night.. First time we swore never to go back.. Second time we were just in the area and wanted some excitement. What we saw there was probably not related to the 'myth'.. But the first time we were freaked out by the pile of dead bodies and the huge zombie horde spawning there, my friend nearly shat his pants when going out from the tower and running into a huge mob of zombies.. The second time we gunned down all the zombies from the tower, luring them with flares. After reading this I'm wondering what's really going on and it creeps me out that we were there and something might have been there, watching.. Not sure if we're going back again, maybe we'll introduce a friend to the place, during night of course..