Level/map Progression "Story Mode"

[PsychoGuz 0]

Give the player something to strive for beyond simply survival and aiding their survival by obtaining better gear.

My suggestion for the future of Dayz:

Give the player false hopes of an "end to their quest for survival" in an optional "story" mode which allows the player to escape their current map and transfer their character to a new map. The method of escaping a map should be different for each map, and require a randomly generated item with multiple spawn locations.

For example, I foresee the "story mode" game beginning on the Chernarus map on the southern shore as normal... However, your ultimate goal is to escape by train, which requires you to find a special train ignition key and then find a train along the southern/eastern tracks. Upon getting in the train, the map swaps to Fallujah, with a short dialogue or cut scene in between explaining your train derailed.

Perhaps in Fallujah, you have a slightly more complicated task. Perhaps you need to find radio on which you get a call from an NPC requesting you to meet them with a blood bag so they can save their daughter. Upon giving them a blood bag, they give you a map with a location marked at which there is a hangar containing his private, non-military helicopter, and special key for said hangar/helicopter. Upon getting in helicopter the map swaps to the next map, with a short dialogue or cut scene in between explaining your helicopter crashes.

Of course, items such as the train key, radio, and quest NPC should have multiple possible locations but also be rare/tuned spawns, and places to complete quest(train/heli hangar) should only be accessed after acquiring the prerequisites.

Also, I would like to suggest in between maps you lose most of your items... but have a choice what you lose and what you continue with. For example, the cut scene between maps explains "your primary weapons were damaged in the crash, and your backpack was torn. However, the equivalent of 5 items/slots did not fall out of your torn bag." So you could choose to take a pistol and one mag, but then you wouldn’t have any food/drink etc. Or you could choose to take compass, food, water x 2, flashlight.. but, you won’t have a weapon.

Let me know what you think~

Peace

Edit: Font size changed, Font color set to default

Edited October 16, 2012 by PsychoGuz

[starwarsfan@gmx.de 450]

I was going to read your suggestion but that colour hurts my eyes so I'm not going to read it. Why would you even change the colour, especially to such a stupid one?

[DanielTy88 133]

Sounds like Left 4 Dead with the cut scenes and all...Also what would be the point in playing if every time you finished a map/level you would lose half your stuff? Not worth it.

[PsychoGuz 0]

I used that crappy font color because the monitor used to make original post made default font unreadable.

The "cut scenes" are just to drive the reason for a map change. They dont need to be long, or even animated. Text only could suffice.

Server admins could allow players to keep all items, or not

This "story mode" would have additional benefits:

1. The "end" game maps would only have experienced players, making each new map a filter of newbs. The later maps would be more difficult to survive, and players on those maps would distinguish themself - almost like a leaderboard

2. highly geared bandits/heroes will unlikely camp the lower teir maps long, as they would want to progress for the greater challenge and inherent notoriety

I think im on to something, even if it needs tweaks still -- just need to keep it true to dayz by not adding too much fluff

Edited October 16, 2012 by PsychoGuz

[birdman 108]

I think im on to something, even if it needs tweaks still -- just need to keep it true to dayz by not adding too much fluff

A story in general is not true to DayZ. If there is a brief intro to your spawn with backstory that's one thing, but you are talking about removing what makes this game a sandbox, the point -- of which there is none.

[GovMcFly 4]

Retire system could be fun for some people, or like a "leaderboard" so to speak.

Maybe some towns would have a place where you could read where "John Smith lived for xxx days" or "John Smith killed xxx zeds." or "John Smith killed xx survivors".

Not any leaderboard that mattered, but something to say, hey, that is impressive to do that!

[sauced 2]

Having a leveling or progression system for zombies that gives certain benefits in PvP aswell is something i desire very much.

This is zombie survival mod so why is nobody killing zombies ? because theres no reason to, you can avoid them and save ammo, the stuff they can drop is be aquired much easier from tents, towns or shooting players, thats why theres nothing else but deathmatch going on at the moment.

What if killing enough zombies give you certain benefits and increase the more you kill ? have to be something significant enough to encourage you to shoot at something other than players, Either way i would like to see zombies playing a bigger role in DayZ making them more attractive to kill without giving up the sandbox feeling ofcourse.

Edited October 22, 2012 by Claus1978