Bugs that change the game

[bad_mojo (DayZ) 1204]

I wanted to discuss some of the bugs present in the DayZ mod and their effects on gameplay. I'm wondering what everything thinks of these things and should their effects be kept in standalone/future versions.

-Zig zagging zombies - We've all noticed how the zombies don't run in a straight line at you. This is because they're infantry as far as the engine is concerned and in Arma the infantry to try flank you.

Effect: It makes the zombies much harder to hit with bullets. Or at least harder to land accurate shots.

-Zombies walk indoors - When the zombies have to walk on a surface that isn't terrain they are forced to walk slow. I've heard this is because the Arma has no physX support or something like that. Never the less, it's an engine thing.

Effect: It makes the game extremely easy once you learn the layout of the map and know which buildings/structures are best used to your advantage.

-Zombies glitch through walls/floors/stairs or even through your swinging axe - When a zombie is trying to attack you, it sometimes ignores objects between you. They sometimes warp through surfaces (stairs in the apartments for example) and pop up in your face. Also, they tend to ignore being hit and continue to attack even after being hit and killed.

Effect: You can't trust an object to keep you safe from zombies. You have to keep your distance from walls and avoid certain areas all together. When axing zombies, you have to keep stocked up on bandages, pain killers and blood because you get hit a lot.

-Zombies only spawn right next to players - When you see zombies in the distance, there is or was a player in that area.

Effect: People look for swarms of zombies to find players. At the same time, people avoid swarms of zombies in fear of players. Vehicles don't spawn them, so a car or helicopter passing by will know where the players are.

-Loot only spawns when the loot pile is empty - If you leave a tin can on a loot pile, it will remain a tin can forever, no other loot will spawn.

Effect: Less loot because people leave the trash. But, it also allows you to exploit the mechanic and farm loot piles in one location.

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I think some of these bugs are worth keeping the effects of. For example, the zombies being harder to hit because they flank you makes it harder to engage a group of zombies in the open. You are better off waiting until they are right in front of you.

But, I think other bugs like the zombies walking indoors really messes up the whole game. It's not like we can decide not to use that exploit to our advantage. Buildings are everywhere, and it's normal to run to a choke point when being chased by a hoard of zombies. Usually the only choke points around are doorways. Making zombies be able to sprint indoor would really shake up the DayZ gameplay, and I think it needs it.

Edited November 3, 2012 by bad_mojo