A new 'incentive' to encourage cooperation

[Ejaculacid 19]

http://dayzmod.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=10885

In response "Sciencecows" idea about adding a "depression/anxiety" meter to force more player interaction i randomly came up with the idea that players should be splintered into several archetypes as it would-be real situation, as it stands now we all basically look like CIA/Blackwater(random) operatives rolling about in a zombie apocalypse being able to do every/anything in the current version. We never bring in new guys we dont know into our group purely because we have no idea if we could trust them but if you're all bringing something unique to the group it's in everyones best interest to get along ;D

I'm curious to see what peoples thoughts about several survivor archetypes to choose from all with their own advantages/disadvantages/starting gear/model?

For example;-

Civilian - Average joe but not so average!

Engineer - repairing vehicles/building objects etc

Civvy/Military qualified pilot

EMT(Emergency Medical Technician)

Military soldier - Unit destroyed during infected counter attack?

Police Officer - Over run & fled

Etc.

Lore wise it wouldn't cause a massive issue as if/when you die you just respawn as "another" guy within the same archie.

On paper i could see these individuals coming together to survive & bring their own skill set to the group to survive or against the world to form a "psychopathic war-band" to scavenge aggressively throughout the world.

:-)

[Ejaculacid 19]

Well i was hoping to wake up to a discussion, guess not :(

[Blaise 1]

I think adding some kind of motivation and back story helps you identify with your character, but that's probably only for a limited amount of time. Also, it doesn't do anything for the people already playing this game like it's Battlefield.

I wrote a post that touches the issue of grouping up, in a thread about meta elements that could be added to stimulate group forming. Maybe you find it interesting to read.

http://dayzmod.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=10859&pid=114421#pid114421

[combatcomm1 234]

Dude, this has been suggested a million times so why would people just do it over and over again. Its just a class system, all you did was use the word archtypes.

But ill just give you this, i personally would hate this because its not in line with the realistic approach. In RL noone is limited to what they learn based on some magical limit called class. (its more like money in RL). But you get what i mean? How about a system where you can train your player to learn certain skills? That way they are valuable for different things. It would reward those who seek out rare loot like books and pamplets that increase their skills.

[Shroom 12]

I was going to post this as a separate thread, but instead I'll post it here. I had the same idea as you, so I'll just drop my entire post down in this shizzle:

Choose Your Beginning

Differing classes make people more useful to each other. When someone enters the game for the first time, they should choose one of several classes that gives them specific buffs and abilities. These should be discrete and should only alter gameplay in certain realistic ways. They must realise that they cannot survive alone, or that surviving alone will be increasingly difficult and will limit their gameplay and capability to survive. Realistically, not everyone knows how to repair vehicles, or to do more than apply a field dressing (blood fusions are a complex medical process, maybe even morphine injections or epipen treatments), or various other skills or professions. Adding a starting class for every player gives them a level of uniqueness that makes players more useful to one another, and more likely to team up to survive than kill each other for beans... althought this is certainly still an option for players who are so inclined.

List of possible classes:

~Farmer

- wakes up in a barn (with ample provisions such as beans, water, shelter, wood)

- starts off with winchester or lee enfield (random)

- starts off with no backpack

- starts off with a tractor (not very useful but a small perk to start off with)

- starts off with hatchet

- starts off with average accuracy* when using firearms

- Ability: able to grow food(?-probably a stupid idea, this class needs a much better ability to make it worthwhile)

~Fisherman

- wakes up inside a boat in the ocean

- starts off with no weapon

- starts off with no backpack

- starts off with low end boat (full of gas)

- starts off with fishing pole

- starts off with low accuracy when using firearms

- Ability: can catch fish with a fishing pole

~Grocery Store Owner

- wakes up in grocery store

- starts off with winchester

- starts off with patrol pack

- starts off with GAZ or pickup truck (or any really low end vehicle) with half a tank of gas

- starts off with matches, map

- starts off with average accuracy when using firearms

- Ability: no ability

(I think that classes that tie into their location like this should be finding their loot around their spawn location, which would generate some or all of these items specifically for their new character)

~Mechanic

- wakes up in a gas station

- starts off with no weapon

- starts off with no backpack

- starts off with a motorcycle

- starts off with toolbox

- starts off with low accuracy when using firearms

- Ability: knows how to repair vehicles with parts found (anyone can refuel a vehicle or refill a jerry can)

~Hunter

- wakes up in the woods somewhere, possibly near a deer stand

- starts off with crossbow and makarov

- starts off with patrol pack

- starts off with a tent set up nearby with some cooked meat and canteens

- starts off with hunting knife, binoculars

- starts off with increased accuracy when using firearms

- Ability: knows how to gut animals

~Policeman

- wakes up in corner of firehouse

- starts off with revolver

- starts off with patrol pack

- starts off with a bicycle

- starts off with handcuffs**

- starts off with increased accuracy when using firearms

- Ability: is able to arrest people (see: handcuffs)

*not exactly sure how handcuffs/arresting people should work, saw a thread discusssing it, did not see any proper ideas. needs some thought, otherwise the class is useless----------------------------

~Doctor

- wakes up in hospital

- starts off with no weapon

- starts off with alice pack

- starts off with pack full of medical supplies (blood bags, morphine, pain killers, antibiotics, bandages, epi pens)

- starts off with watch

- starts off with low accuracy when using firearms

- Ability: knows how to apply morphine, epi pens, and give blood transfusions (all players can apply field dressings/bandages)

~Military Officer

- wakes up in tent in military camp

- starts off with ak74, m9 and 2 clips for each

- starts off with assault pack

- starts off with no vehicle or perk

- starts off with map, binoculars

- starts off with increased accuracy when using firearms

- Ability: no ability

~Military Sharpshooter

- wakes up at [special*] helicopter crash site randomly on the map

- starts off with makarov

- starts off with no backpack

- starts off with no vehicle or perk

- starts off with rangefinder and/or ghillie suit

- starts off with very high accuracy when using firearms

- Ability: no ability

*inside this specific heli crash is a m14 ep1 and ONE clip of dmr ammo

~Any ideas for additional classes are encouraged and welcomed, but there should be as few redundant classes as possible, and they should mostly be divisible by a single main trait, such as being to fix cars or having the knowledge to perform medical procedures. The best kind of suggestion you could make would be of more such skills, which would give room for more classes.

Now, I understand this introduces a lot of (not all of them new) ideas to the game, some of which change gameplay in desirable ways, some less desirable. I'm sure a lot of you think it unfair to start off with better weapons (or no weapons, which adds challenge for certain classes that get other benefits), or a vehicle, or specific equipment, and it is. But it's part of adding diversity to gameplay, and increasing human interaction, as one person would not have all of the skills required to survive.

One problem I can think of already is people spawning new characters that give you vehicles, and then respawning as something else and coming back for that vehicle (or simply doing it to give their friends the vehicle). In other words, it could cause vehicle spam. So adding vehicles with classes may not be a good idea, unless some sort of spawn penalty were enacted, or some way for this spam to not occur.

A thought on accuracy - if such a system were in place, with certain classes starting with slightly better accuracy than others, I think this should only affect the system to a point where the classes with the highest accuracy are at the normal Arma 2 accuracy, and classes with lower accuracy start with greatly impaired accuracy (farmers, fishermen). To do this, the reticule aiming size would be larger, and bullets would have a wider 'spread' chance. Classes starting with 'increased' accuracy would be almost to full accuracy, and the sharpshooter class would start with full (normal) accuracy. Military personnel and police officers would have better accuracy than a civilian, but would still have room to improve to have proper accuracy. Regardless of starting accuracy, the accuracy for all classes would increase over time with each successful hit, headshots rewarding more such 'experience'. It will be a very subtle effect that does not get noticed except for reticule aiming size, which will gradually tighten as the character becomes a better shot. If the game were to be changed in this manner, there is also the possibility of having better than default accuracy, but I do not know if that would be a good idea, as it could be game breaking.

A thought on medical abilities - in addition to the doctor class add the ability for ANYONE to perform medical treatments... but with a chance of failure. The chance of failure for a doctor to successfully complete a treatment like a blood transfusion would be very low, maybe even give them room to improve as they gain experience from doing them on other players. And the chance of failure for any ordinary player would be much higher, possibly resulting in things like punctured arteries from a failed blood transfusion, causing bleeding out and requiring the player to bandage themself.

A thought on skills - instead of classes being specifically specialized in a certain skill, all classes could have some variation of level of skill in each class, and could be shown in some cool looking diagram when the player selects their character. This way, players can attempt to perform a range of abilities, and those untrained can fail miserably, or have a small chance to do them correctly and improve, and classes highly trained will almost always succeed performing their special ability. However, the curve between the success rate of specialized classes performing their specialized ability and non-specialized performing the same ability should be quite steep.

A thought on spawns - for these specialized location spawns, it would not do for a new player to create a character and be killed instantly but someone else crawling around that area. It would make more sense to at least give them some time to gather themselves and move to a more secure location, and the way I propose doing so is for the main server to select servers for you based on location of players. By this I mean the main server should find you a server that can place you in a location absent of other people, at least in the direct area. This avoids instance-type gameplay, and still allows new players to start their games in the manner described in this post without being instantly sniped. If that didn't make sense, let me phrase it in a different way. The player would not select a server, this would be chosen for them based on certain requirements. Say you're spawning as a Grocery Store Owner. The main server would find you a server that has an area with a grocery store with no other players in the immediate area. It would, of course, also look at things like ping, location on earth, player count, maybe even class would have something to do with it (would put you on a server that doesn't have enough of that class).

This is a completely separate idea and the above would not require this function to work on its own. It would only prevent spawn farming in a rather complex and inefficient manner.

A final note - I understand that what I'm describing would mean huge changes to the mod, not all of them desired by many of the players, and I'm sure almost everyone who has played this mod will disagree with something in this post, but it's a foot in the door to try to figure out a way to get players to stop killing each other on sight by adding a more human element, a usefulness of other people to you, a reason to band up and survive together. So I would love to hear all your thoughts and criticism, or other relevant ideas for getting people to work together.

The real final note - all these ideas are only to be presented as concepts, not as things I think the game should have. The ideas as they stand would not, of course, fit within the Day Z as Rocket has imagined it. Just trying to get the cogs going.

[Wolfskin75 1]

I think this is a good idea. It would certianly help people survive and bring people playing styles out.

[combatcomm1 234]

Well when you put it in the terms of waking up somewhere else i like the idea for some reason. But if you start as a diff person with a different level of knolege i would suggest anyone with enough work could essentially match, say, a doctors level of health skill. And if this was implemented it should be random assignment of class. Essentially you dont kno who or where u will respawn after death.

[Rue 0]

I'd like to review the original purpose of your idea: to increase player interaction.

I don't think introducing classes will bring players together. To support this claim, let's consider why players aren't playing together to begin with.

I believe they are:

A) Don't want to risk losing their gear to a stranger

B) Prefer to play alone

C) Likes to shoot every living thing

D) Beans

I'm sure there are more reasons, but I can't imagine any of those reasons to be: "Well, this person does not give me any advantage to survival in any way, maybe if they knew how to fish."

Hell, I'd still kill a fisherman for his beans.

[Shroom 12]

Well when you put it in the terms of waking up somewhere else i like the idea for some reason. But if you start as a diff person with a different level of knolege i would suggest anyone with enough work could essentially match' date=' say, a doctors level of health skill. And if this was implemented it should be random assignment of class. Essentially you dont kno who or where u will respawn after death.

[/quote']

In life, every day, do you wake up as a random person? Do you not know who you are?

Be realistic. There's no way to actually live a life in this game and pursue a career before Day Z, so it makes sense to choose it when you start (if there were to be classes). Random assignment isn't logical.

I'd like to review the original purpose of your idea: to increase player interaction.

I don't think introducing classes will bring players together. To support this claim' date=' let's consider why players aren't playing together to begin with.

I believe they are:

A) Don't want to risk losing their gear to a stranger

B) Prefer to play alone

C) Likes to shoot every living thing

D) Beans

I'm sure there are more reasons, but I can't imagine any of those reasons to be: "Well, this person does not give me any advantage to survival in any way, maybe if they knew how to fish."

Hell, I'd still kill a fisherman for his beans.

[/quote']

The point is that someone can't do everything on their own. Any given person in a real apocalypse isn't typically going to understand complicated medical procedures, be able to fix cars, and know how to gut an animal. Do you?

---------

That said, this isn't TF2. I don't think classes are a logical way to change Day Z. However, I think the introduction of skills may be, insomuch as not everyone is going to be playing a character that's fully capable in every single skill known to the game, nor could they be. I think specialization will lead to group gameplay.

[Budiak 1]

The military officer's most valuable skill would be the ability to write his own awards.

[Shroom 12]

The military officer's most valuable skill would be the ability to write his own awards.

Can't tell if sarcastic or...

The skills need to be huge, and they need to be solid. They need to be game changing. They need to be the only game-based divisible factor between people (other than the items they are carrying). There need not be ancillary or redundant skills. So far, there's only three worth naming:

1- gutting animals

2- performing medical procedures

3- fixing vehicles

Basically, they should only be things you wouldn't expect any Average Joe to understand out of the blue, just because it's the zombie apocalypse.

[Rue 0]

I'd like to review the original purpose of your idea: to increase player interaction.

I don't think introducing classes will bring players together. To support this claim' date=' let's consider why players aren't playing together to begin with.

I believe they are:

A) Don't want to risk losing their gear to a stranger

B) Prefer to play alone

C) Likes to shoot every living thing

D) Beans

I'm sure there are more reasons, but I can't imagine any of those reasons to be: "Well, this person does not give me any advantage to survival in any way, maybe if they knew how to fish."

Hell, I'd still kill a fisherman for his beans.

[/quote']

The point is that someone can't do everything on their own. Any given person in a real apocalypse isn't typically going to understand complicated medical procedures, be able to fix cars, and know how to gut an animal. Do you?

---------

That said, this isn't TF2. I don't think classes are a logical way to change Day Z. However, I think the introduction of skills may be, insomuch as not everyone is going to be playing a character that's fully capable in every single skill known to the game, nor could they be. I think specialization will lead to group gameplay.

You do realize that this could in turn have the opposite of the desire effect and discourage teamplay. Some players who prefer to play solo will now have greater incentive to kill other players for their meat (since they cant gut their own meat). And as for the medical procedures, hell you cant transfuse your own blood anyway.

If we wan't to encourage teamplay, we should make teamplay have natural advantages like safety in numbers (from bandits and zombies). The problem now is that zombies are harmless so people only group up against other players (hence the current DM mode).

[Budiak 1]

... yes, I was joking.

I maintain that any mechanic that forces a player to adopt any play style breaks the game. There IS incentive to playing in a group. There are also advantages to playing solo and as a bandit. Also, last time I checked, zombies are quite capable of killing players, as well. Even if zombies are as feeble as you portend them to be, solo players' most capable foe is other players. It would be other players even if the zombies were more powerful because human players are able to think, scheme, and strategize. Zombies will never be the most dangerous foe and they're not supposed to be.

The current system should be kept because it puts everybody on an even footing. Same equipment, same skills, random spawn. That and the death screen are the only things every player will experience. Everything else is up to the player.

[Deadnaut 0]

That said' date=' this isn't TF2. I don't think classes are a logical way to change Day Z. However, I think the introduction of skills may be

[/quote']

Predetermined skills would indeed suck. The great thing about DAYZ if you have to make choices about what loot to take what to leave behind.

One option is more loot choices that help players become the type of character they want to be. Lets say you want to be a medic class. You stock up on medical equipment, scalpels, drugs etc at the expense of other class items (e.g a better trapper, solider, photographer, whatever).

[Shroom 12]

You guys are probably right. Thanks for the input. Just trying to brainstorm a way to make people cooperate more.

But let's just look at the realistic side of the game. Would it not make sense for players to choose what their career was prior to the apocalypse? Does it make sense that all players know all these complex skills? I know I can't fix a car or gut an animal.

[Ejaculacid 19]

Dude' date=' this has been suggested a million times so why would people just do it over and over again. Its just a class system, all you did was use the word archtypes.

But ill just give you this, i personally would hate this because its not in line with the realistic approach. In RL noone is limited to what they learn based on some magical limit called class. (its more like money in RL). But you get what i mean? How about a system where you can train your player to learn certain skills? That way they are valuable for different things. It would reward those who seek out rare loot like books and pamplets that increase their skills.

[/quote']

I didnt say your starting skills for survivor-of-choice couldn't evolve over the time peroid, it was a suggestion of starting "attributes' with but without saying that it'd be pretty awesome to be able to evolve your skill set over time.

---

Predetermined skills would indeed suck. The great thing about DAYZ if you have to make choices about what loot to take what to leave behind.

If you play DayZ long enough the choices become very repetitive & more so 'automatic'. It's a case of trading weapons soon as a better one comes along' date=' you carry a few drinks/food, painkillers, morphine, blood/epi pens if you're not a lone wolf.

[hr']

I was going to post this as a separate thread' date=' but instead I'll post it here. I had the same idea as you, so I'll just drop my entire post down in this shizzle:

Choose Your Beginning

Differing classes make people more useful to each other. When someone enters the game for the first time, they should choose one of several classes that gives them specific buffs and abilities. These should be discrete and should only alter gameplay in certain realistic ways. They must realise that they cannot survive alone, or that surviving alone will be increasingly difficult and will limit their gameplay and capability to survive. Realistically, not everyone knows how to repair vehicles, or to do more than apply a field dressing (blood fusions are a complex medical process, maybe even morphine injections or epipen treatments), or various other skills or professions. Adding a starting class for every player gives them a level of uniqueness that makes players more useful to one another, and more likely to team up to survive than kill each other for beans... althought this is certainly still an option for players who are so inclined.

List of possible classes:

~Farmer

- wakes up in a barn (with ample provisions such as beans, water, shelter, wood)

- starts off with winchester or lee enfield (random)

- starts off with no backpack

- starts off with a tractor (not very useful but a small perk to start off with)

- starts off with hatchet

- starts off with average accuracy* when using firearms

- Ability: able to grow food(?-probably a stupid idea, this class needs a much better ability to make it worthwhile)

~Fisherman

- wakes up inside a boat in the ocean

- starts off with no weapon

- starts off with no backpack

- starts off with low end boat (full of gas)

- starts off with fishing pole

- starts off with low accuracy when using firearms

- Ability: can catch fish with a fishing pole

~Grocery Store Owner

- wakes up in grocery store

- starts off with winchester

- starts off with patrol pack

- starts off with GAZ or pickup truck (or any really low end vehicle) with half a tank of gas

- starts off with matches, map

- starts off with average accuracy when using firearms

- Ability: no ability

(I think that classes that tie into their location like this should be finding their loot around their spawn location, which would generate some or all of these items specifically for their new character)

~Mechanic

- wakes up in a gas station

- starts off with no weapon

- starts off with no backpack

- starts off with a motorcycle

- starts off with toolbox

- starts off with low accuracy when using firearms

- Ability: knows how to repair vehicles with parts found (anyone can refuel a vehicle or refill a jerry can)

~Hunter

- wakes up in the woods somewhere, possibly near a deer stand

- starts off with crossbow and makarov

- starts off with patrol pack

- starts off with a tent set up nearby with some cooked meat and canteens

- starts off with hunting knife, binoculars

- starts off with increased accuracy when using firearms

- Ability: knows how to gut animals

~Policeman

- wakes up in corner of firehouse

- starts off with revolver

- starts off with patrol pack

- starts off with a bicycle

- starts off with handcuffs**

- starts off with increased accuracy when using firearms

- Ability: is able to arrest people (see: handcuffs)

*not exactly sure how handcuffs/arresting people should work, saw a thread discusssing it, did not see any proper ideas. needs some thought, otherwise the class is useless----------------------------

~Doctor

- wakes up in hospital

- starts off with no weapon

- starts off with alice pack

- starts off with pack full of medical supplies (blood bags, morphine, pain killers, antibiotics, bandages, epi pens)

- starts off with watch

- starts off with low accuracy when using firearms

- Ability: knows how to apply morphine, epi pens, and give blood transfusions (all players can apply field dressings/bandages)

~Military Officer

- wakes up in tent in military camp

- starts off with ak74, m9 and 2 clips for each

- starts off with assault pack

- starts off with no vehicle or perk

- starts off with map, binoculars

- starts off with increased accuracy when using firearms

- Ability: no ability

~Military Sharpshooter

- wakes up at [special*'] helicopter crash site randomly on the map

- starts off with makarov

- starts off with no backpack

- starts off with no vehicle or perk

- starts off with rangefinder and/or ghillie suit

- starts off with very high accuracy when using firearms

- Ability: no ability

*inside this specific heli crash is a m14 ep1 and ONE clip of dmr ammo

~Any ideas for additional classes are encouraged and welcomed, but there should be as few redundant classes as possible, and they should mostly be divisible by a single main trait, such as being to fix cars or having the knowledge to perform medical procedures. The best kind of suggestion you could make would be of more such skills, which would give room for more classes.

Now, I understand this introduces a lot of (not all of them new) ideas to the game, some of which change gameplay in desirable ways, some less desirable. I'm sure a lot of you think it unfair to start off with better weapons (or no weapons, which adds challenge for certain classes that get other benefits), or a vehicle, or specific equipment, and it is. But it's part of adding diversity to gameplay, and increasing human interaction, as one person would not have all of the skills required to survive.

One problem I can think of already is people spawning new characters that give you vehicles, and then respawning as something else and coming back for that vehicle (or simply doing it to give their friends the vehicle). In other words, it could cause vehicle spam. So adding vehicles with classes may not be a good idea, unless some sort of spawn penalty were enacted, or some way for this spam to not occur.

A thought on accuracy - if such a system were in place, with certain classes starting with slightly better accuracy than others, I think this should only affect the system to a point where the classes with the highest accuracy are at the normal Arma 2 accuracy, and classes with lower accuracy start with greatly impaired accuracy (farmers, fishermen). To do this, the reticule aiming size would be larger, and bullets would have a wider 'spread' chance. Classes starting with 'increased' accuracy would be almost to full accuracy, and the sharpshooter class would start with full (normal) accuracy. Military personnel and police officers would have better accuracy than a civilian, but would still have room to improve to have proper accuracy. Regardless of starting accuracy, the accuracy for all classes would increase over time with each successful hit, headshots rewarding more such 'experience'. It will be a very subtle effect that does not get noticed except for reticule aiming size, which will gradually tighten as the character becomes a better shot. If the game were to be changed in this manner, there is also the possibility of having better than default accuracy, but I do not know if that would be a good idea, as it could be game breaking.

A thought on medical abilities - in addition to the doctor class add the ability for ANYONE to perform medical treatments... but with a chance of failure. The chance of failure for a doctor to successfully complete a treatment like a blood transfusion would be very low, maybe even give them room to improve as they gain experience from doing them on other players. And the chance of failure for any ordinary player would be much higher, possibly resulting in things like punctured arteries from a failed blood transfusion, causing bleeding out and requiring the player to bandage themself.

A thought on skills - instead of classes being specifically specialized in a certain skill, all classes could have some variation of level of skill in each class, and could be shown in some cool looking diagram when the player selects their character. This way, players can attempt to perform a range of abilities, and those untrained can fail miserably, or have a small chance to do them correctly and improve, and classes highly trained will almost always succeed performing their special ability. However, the curve between the success rate of specialized classes performing their specialized ability and non-specialized performing the same ability should be quite steep.

A thought on spawns - for these specialized location spawns, it would not do for a new player to create a character and be killed instantly but someone else crawling around that area. It would make more sense to at least give them some time to gather themselves and move to a more secure location, and the way I propose doing so is for the main server to select servers for you based on location of players. By this I mean the main server should find you a server that can place you in a location absent of other people, at least in the direct area. This avoids instance-type gameplay, and still allows new players to start their games in the manner described in this post without being instantly sniped. If that didn't make sense, let me phrase it in a different way. The player would not select a server, this would be chosen for them based on certain requirements. Say you're spawning as a Grocery Store Owner. The main server would find you a server that has an area with a grocery store with no other players in the immediate area. It would, of course, also look at things like ping, location on earth, player count, maybe even class would have something to do with it (would put you on a server that doesn't have enough of that class).

This is a completely separate idea and the above would not require this function to work on its own. It would only prevent spawn farming in a rather complex and inefficient manner.

A final note - I understand that what I'm describing would mean huge changes to the mod, not all of them desired by many of the players, and I'm sure almost everyone who has played this mod will disagree with something in this post, but it's a foot in the door to try to figure out a way to get players to stop killing each other on sight by adding a more human element, a usefulness of other people to you, a reason to band up and survive together. So I would love to hear all your thoughts and criticism, or other relevant ideas for getting people to work together.

The real final note - all these ideas are only to be presented as concepts, not as things I think the game should have. The ideas as they stand would not, of course, fit within the Day Z as Rocket has imagined it. Just trying to get the cogs going.

First off, great post very detailed but there are few quirks i can see with ur abilities.

Farmer - The ability to grow food wouldnt shine until the day we're all on one persistent shard & able to construct our own BOP(base of operations) build fences, walls etc

Police Officer - The worlds gone to shit & the law with it, it would be chaos/anarchy so the ability to arrest someone would mean little as they're most likely going to blast you away for trying.

Fisherman - Anyone can fish with a pole/bait or net maybe not as good but still do-able.

Hunter - Im sure the soldiers can handle this one along with others.

[Mrdumpty 0]

Sorry but that's a bad idea(in my opinion), all the bandit players would choose a military class or respawn until they get a military class and all the solo survivor players would probably just choose hunter. So now instead of getting killed with a makarov for your beans you will get killed with a ak for your cooked meat. Least that's how I see it.

[Ejaculacid 19]

Sorry but that's a bad idea(in my opinion)' date=' all the bandit players would choose a military class or respawn until they get a military class and all the solo survivor players would probably just choose hunter. So now instead of getting killed with a makarov for your beans you will get killed with a ak for your cooked meat. Least that's how I see it.

[/quote']

I'm not a fan of random respawning a different "class" or as i prefer to call it an archetype, i dont see how survivors would choose a hunter to survive.

[hoik 415]

Ok - lets look at this from another angle -

I agree a class system does make sense in terms of story (you dont wake up not knowing who you are and you would have certain skills based along those lines) but its is ALSO a archaine mechanic that is more of a directive for co-operation than an incentive.

For me the soulution is simple - compile a list of start items that the players can choose from. He/she can then select the items that will best reflect the play syle they like.

Or for random character creation just spawn with a random set of items that are geared towards one play style or another - but people are going to gravite towards their own play style anyway.

A label is not required to give a player "character" - they can use their own imagination :) .

[Ejaculacid 19]

Ok - lets look at this from another angle -

I agree a class system does make sense in terms of story (you dont wake up not knowing who you are and you would have certain skills based along those lines) but its is ALSO a archaine mechanic that is more of a directive for co-operation than an incentive.

For me the soulution is simple - compile a list of start items that the players can choose from. He/she can then select the items that will best reflect the play syle they like.

Or for random character creation just spawn with a random set of items that are geared towards one play style or another - but people are going to gravite towards their own play style anyway.

A label is not required to give a player "character" - they can use their own imagination :) .

Fair do's - Sounds sound :P Longs as i get to dress up as a police officer and roll around calling myself Rick Grimes.... How many times ive seen that haha

[Lulu! 3]

Didn't get a chance to read most of this but I have to settle with a big ol' NO. In my personal opinion if you want to play a zombie survival game with "classes" that give you a predetermined skill set and advantage over one another go play Killing Floor; it has all you could ever want. I play this game because it's open world, free, do whatever you want type of game. You want to hunt? Go ahead and hunt easily without having to level up or switch classes. You want to harvest? You want to hunt bandits and execute them? You want to get into firefights? Go for it, nothing is holding you back!

However in this different classes spawn with ASSAULT RIFLES and "High level accuracy" while others spawn with a makarov and "low accuracy"? I'm sorry but that leveling crap is just a huge setback, unfair, and a silly mechanic that only limits the potential of this game. This isn't Skyrim or Killing Floor, keep the levels and classes to those games please. I don't want to have to spend hours training my character to be able to gut an animal if I have all the equipment on me, I don't want to not be able to bandage myself if I have bandages because I don't have the WoW skillset, and lastly I don't want some bush-monster spawning as a pilot spawning on top of military equipment loot and all the equipment he needs when I would get a makarov and LOW aiming? What is that? If two players are squared off, both ironsights locked on center of mass, one of them misses becauses their.... accuracy isn't high? That's just silly.

[Shroom 12]

Sorry but that's a bad idea(in my opinion)' date=' all the bandit players would choose a military class or respawn until they get a military class and all the solo survivor players would probably just choose hunter. So now instead of getting killed with a makarov for your beans you will get killed with a ak for your cooked meat. Least that's how I see it.

[/quote']

I'm not a fan of random respawning a different "class" or as i prefer to call it an archetype, i dont see how survivors would choose a hunter to survive.

The thing is, with the classes as I described them in my earlier post, the downside to being a military officer is that you would have no skill, no ability fix vehicles, etc. And AKs are relatively easy weapons to find, and the M9 is rather weak (but better than a Mak). The only real benefit is adding storyline (and I'd imagine there would be unique skins for each class, as well).

EDIT: Also, spawning as a military officer would, as I described, spawn them in a military location, which are pretty high risk. Spawning in as a soldier with a Kalashnikov on an airstrip when there's the possibility of a sniper being there already waiting to snipe you is pretty risky. So it definitely would have its downsides.

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Ok - lets look at this from another angle -

I agree a class system does make sense in terms of story (you dont wake up not knowing who you are and you would have certain skills based along those lines) but its is ALSO a archaine mechanic that is more of a directive for co-operation than an incentive.

For me the soulution is simple - compile a list of start items that the players can choose from. He/she can then select the items that will best reflect the play syle they like.

Or for random character creation just spawn with a random set of items that are geared towards one play style or another - but people are going to gravite towards their own play style anyway.

A label is not required to give a player "character" - they can use their own imagination :) .

I am actually of the opinion that the character should start with nothing BUT their main trait/skill.

Secondly' date=' the purpose of adding these independent skills is to encourage teamwork, as people would NEED each other. I'm not sure of any other possible solution.

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Didn't get a chance to read most of this but I have to settle with a big ol' NO. In my personal opinion if you want to play a zombie survival game with "classes" that give you a predetermined skill set and advantage over one another go play Killing Floor; it has all you could ever want. I play this game because it's open world, free, do whatever you want type of game. You want to hunt? Go ahead and hunt easily without having to level up or switch classes. You want to harvest? You want to hunt bandits and execute them? You want to get into firefights? Go for it, nothing is holding you back!

However in this different classes spawn with ASSAULT RIFLES and "High level accuracy" while others spawn with a makarov and "low accuracy"? I'm sorry but that leveling crap is just a huge setback, unfair, and a silly mechanic that only limits the potential of this game. This isn't Skyrim or Killing Floor, keep the levels and classes to those games please. I don't want to have to spend hours training my character to be able to gut an animal if I have all the equipment on me, I don't want to not be able to bandage myself if I have bandages because I don't have the WoW skillset, and lastly I don't want some bush-monster spawning as a pilot spawning on top of military equipment loot and all the equipment he needs when I would get a makarov and LOW aiming? What is that? If two players are squared off, both ironsights locked on center of mass, one of them misses becauses their.... accuracy isn't high? That's just silly.

I actually think the classes as I described them are rather balanced, and like I said, if nothing else I'd prefer the classes to all be exactly the same in starting gear with THE EXCEPTION of their main trait. This main trait is entirely removed from combat, giving no one an advantage over another, but making it harder to survive on your own as you lack the skills to do everything (which is somehow - and unrealistically - possible).

The aiming thing was a completely different idea, and in no way needs to be a part of any of this. Like I said, it's just a compilation of ideas and concepts. I do agree that it's stupid, it's just a way to add realism between classes. Does it make sense that a fisherman is going to be able to shoot a gun as proficiently as a military or police officer? No.

And don't worry, Rocket will never implement any sort of grinding or leveling in this game. But you do know, at range, your pistol will not fire dead center to where your iron sights are pointing. There is a dispersion radius based on how you're moving, how you're standing, how you're aiming, etc. The 'accuracy effect' would only widen that radius for lower skilled classes. And it's just a concept, all I really want to discuss here is HOW DOES EVERYONE KNOW HOW TO GUT AN ANIMAL. Or fix a vehicle. Ain't realistic. (Plus, there needs to be more teamwork, as I've said over and over).

[Shroom 12]

-bump-

Any fresh ideas out there?

[hoik 415]

IMO classes are not the key to co-operation - I appreciate the thought and time and effort you have put into your idea, but really what is original about it? This is the way that video games have been FORCING players to co-operate for as long as I can remember. If you geniounly want to solve the peoblem of how to promote team play dont take this post as dismissal of your opinion but as encouragement to go back to the drawingboard.

A question I ask myself is how can I make a "free" gameworld based on rules whos only function is to promote thought. Your idea promotes thought but is in no way "free".

[Wang (DayZ) 0]

This had to be somewhere in the suggestion forum, but i cant find it.

A infection stat. Most people who are solo'ing do get hit every once in awhile by zombies and they just bandage up after killing them and move along.

Would be good to see that when you are hit by a zombie you have a high chance of being infected. This would create a countdown of lets say 30 minutes to which you would need the 'antidote'. In which only another player can administer to you.

If you do not get the antidote in the 30 minutes or what ever time seems balanced then you obviously die, but then a zombie with 10X the hitpoints or so is spawned.

This would create drama in teams already and force more player interaction.

The antidote should only be found in large quantities at hospitals or medical supply boxes.

I think it would be cool being at the NW airfield and not having any 'antidotes' on you or your friends. The friends having the choice on if they should kill you (not counted as a murder) or try to get a antidote asap.

Yes this would create a extra level of difficulty to the game, but isnt that what we all want?

P.S. Anyone who says if there is a antidote why are there any zombies, this would ruin the story line etc etc etc. I'm not going to bother replying due to there being 100 retorts on a story level on why this would be deemed 'cannon'