Jamz

You sound like someone who has become jaded with the online communities of other multiplayer games to me. The DayZ community is different now to before the SA came out it's true, but there are still players who want to take this game seriously, however you obviously don't want to believe that. I don't know how your in game experiences with other players has been and that is what tends to shape a players opinion of the playerbase of this game (this forum seems to have become an outlet for aggression now) but mine on lower pop servers have generally been friendly, with the occasional server hopper only. Again, I will also say that gearing up on a high pop server as a lone wolf is more difficult then in a group. Tell me, would you therefore be in favour of the introduction of a grouping mechanic to the game to balance this too?

reinstated my yes vote, just for you. Some people are happy with the zombies at the moment, or rather tolerant of them at this stage :)

I don't think every player who plays DayZ is only here to exploit it. I think that some players want a zombie apocalypse simulation without constantly having their immersion broken by players who are only interested in ruining that immersion. Like I said, both types of server offer different experiences, you should try a low pop one sometime and get into the idea that you could be the last man alive on the planet. If you play this way, actually meeting a player is far more nerve wracking than on a populated server. The best way is to try both types of playstyle depending on your mood, like I do.

It's as much a valid style as KOS and as far as gearing up goes, groups have an unfair advantage over lone wolves. Especially if they use Teamspeak. The game is based around getting advantages and whereas I see server hopping as an exploit, playing on low pop servers I do not as those players may gear up quicker but they usually don't then head to a high pop server afterwards to snipe. It seems like it's a small number of players that this is aimed at, who probably used every exploit they can regardless for an advantage, so I think there should be a more specific fix for server hoppers. Edit - Also players who play on low pop servers will miss the tactical experience necessary to succeed on high pop servers. So although they have the gear, they would likely be an easy kill for a player who spent all their time on a high pop server.

I expect this will happen. In the mod there are some which crawl along, or hop. It gave an impression that there was something wrong with them such as an injury which stopped the body working in the correct manner. I imagine this will be implemented as it was in the mod but further down the line, when the present models are working properly. There is a lot of scope for variation with them but new models need to be mo capped etc so it could take a while.

1. Do you mean loot availability rather than loot types? If so then this might be ok but the same loot should be available on all servers. 2. No, because this would eliminate a whole playstyle. playing on low pop servers brings an entirely different experience than high pop ones but they are both equally valid. 3. see above. There needs to be other ways to discourage server hopping. The logout timer is good but imperfect, another way could be to make it impossible to log out in certain areas (or at least to relocate the player upon subsequent login) ie military areas. It may even require a combination of measures, but never affecting ways of playing the game.

As I mentioned in another thread, Dean is using 'zombie' as a generic term. He's not attempted to explain them in any way so they can really be whatever he wants them to be. Making them faster, stronger but more vulnerable than classic zombies compensates for the lack of numbers that would be needed to offset the slower types and still maintain a threat. I'm sure when they're finished being tested they will behave in believable way but they need to be patched into the game at each stage of development whether they work correctly or not. They were this fast in the mod too. To people unhappy with them at present, they are perfectly manageable with a good melee weapon as long as no shots are fired. If you have to shoot then make sure you're moving immediately and cut LOS to them as long as possible. They will improve with updates, it just requires patience and adaption.

With the new 'improved' title, I retract my yes vote. I have no opinion of their current state as they are not finished and it is temporary.

The only negative point with the zombies is the re spawning. They are still to easy and there is not enough of them, if people can't deal with that then they are playing the wrong game it's as simple as that. Things will get a lot more difficult regarding the zombies so play styles will need to be constantly adapted. As for their complete removal? Not going to happen - they are a fundamental part of the game, like the weapons.

KOS, I see we use different methods here, but for the same outcome. You choose to remove potential threats where I choose to observe and decide if they are a threat without them being aware of me. Similar styles with the same end result, any threat to our lives is removed. To me this is why KOS as a playstyle is completely valid. The problem is that with reality removed from the equation, the balance swings towards KOS as being the 'go to' method of self preservation. If reality was brought back in, it would become obvious that kill on sight is no way to promote long term survival. I guess it depends on whether the player sees a game or a simulation before them.

I think a lot of people do it now for self preservation, it's easier than ascertaining whether the other guy is a threat or not. Sad, because even though that's potentially the more dangerous path, it's usually the more satisfying one...

The idea is that you wash up on a beach and know nothing of the situation but what you find out as you go along. You wouldn't necessarily know anyone in this situation, so anyone you meet would be a complete stranger (unless you knew them before hand). If the situation were real, would it matter to you who you killed? and if you're worried about revenge on your killer in the game, then you should remember what they are wearing as the diversity of clothing options in DayZ allows for a certain degree of player recognition. Essentially, the lack of tags helps create atmosphere and immersion.

This is going to head into semantics a little here, but technically the term zombie originated from Haitian stories of villagers being drugged in such a way to simulate a dead state, then being dug up and made to work in poppy fields by gangs. the trance like state they were kept under, along with the burial and subsequent desecration of their grave led family members to believe their loved one had reanimated if they found out. Up until fairly recently the term zombie was taken to mean the undead, but nowadays it really describes people in a zombie like condition for whatever reason - such as being drugged or suffering from certain viral infections. The infected in 28 days later are often referred to as zombies for instance. Don't get me wrong, I'd rather they were undead but they don't really behave that way in game. Players would resurrect, body shots wouldn't kill, 'zombies' would deteriorate, rigor mortis would begin to change their movements after a few hours. Of course the classic zombie would bite and tear with the intention of eating flesh, rather than beating victims to death. It's left quite open deliberately to avoid breaking any 'laws' and removing plausibility from the situation, I believe.

Zombies as a generic term in pop culture really describes behavior. Rocket is using the term as its easy and everyone knows what hes talking about there, but he's never described them as 'dead' or 'undead'.

The fact that they're not technically undead makes variety a bit frustratingly limited - I'd like to see various states of decay, missing limbs etc. but not going to happen with boring infected humans. What they could consider is dressing the infected models in random clothing items available to the character, as these skins already exist. At least they would then look different, even if they can't be looted from the corpse.

In the mod they sometimes used to say 'fuck that hurt' if you shot them... I miss that..

Well, as you've asked :) I also feel TPV gives an added dimension of realistic awareness that FPV cannot. Where in reality you can pick up on whats going on around your immediate vicinity, sometimes even if its out of view (that awareness you have if someone is moving around just at the edge of your peripheral vision for instance.. which in itself changes constantly as your head is moving constantly. TPV gives you slightly more information than you would receive in real life, just as FPV gives you less. So which is more true to life? Neither more so than the other.

True, in essence they are not identical examples, but they are both valid choices within the game for better or worse and should remain to be IMO. I disagree that TPV was killing the mod, I believe it was also boredom hence the private servers with added items, and mod variants. I think it's the type of game/antigame DayZ is which eventually leads to boredom for many players. If there was ever an acceptable fix to the TPV exploit then I'd love for the hives to be merged back into one, I'm not sure there is one though unfortunately...

The exact same thing can be said about KOS, but it is an accepted playstyle so has to be tolerated by players, as does either view.

This argument is becoming too familiar now. Splitting the hives was the best way to address the communities concerns about the TPV exploit and now it's done, there is no problem. I always see heavily populated FPV servers around, and if peoples friends don't want to play that view then it's up to them to convince them to - likewise if the majority of the DayZ playerbase wants to play TPV then that is their right, removing the option is senseless when there are options to play either view. Playing on both hives is the best way to enjoy this game as it can give two different experiences, so why not stop covering old ground as everyone just gets worked up?

I would love to see fire in game and acting properly. The ability to smoke survivors out of buildings, molotov groups of zombies (and be chased by them), burn buildings and have the fire extinguished by heavy rain (or even useable fire extinguishers). Probably difficult to implement, but didn't Far Cry 2 have a dynamic fire system? Maybe one day...

1) Sharkocerous 2) Sharkocerous 3) Sharkocerous 4) Sharkocerous 5) Sharkocerous

Finally the melee weapons are more important than guns for survival. Guns should only ever have been necessary against other players and although the zombie spawning needs tweaking, this is great imo. I only used stealth and a hatchet in the mod around zombies and it was managable (even with the one hit infecting zombies), so I guess playstyles need recalibrating. I'm sure detection will be fixed soon and then we can just avoid the buggers.

Sounds like it's finally time for me to come back to the SA :)

Nice OP, made me remember by first weeks playing the mod. I expect the level of difficulty to creep up but items and mechanics are being tested (by us) at the moment - when everything is in and works, I hope the rest follows quickly so the SA can eventually surpass the mod. I'm not sure it will ever have the mods level of difficulty though sadly, the basic survival mechanism is too easy at the moment so I hope that when diseases come in they will improve this. I don't have to imagine this, its what addicted me a couple of years ago. I ran faster the second time... found a hatchet the third time... people learn fast when under pressure.