A discussion about factions

[Sandersson Jankins 2]

Howdy guys. Before I begin this post, I'd like to apologize in advance for making ANOTHER faction thread. The reason I am doing this is that most of the threads discussing factions seem to have been started by people that didn't want to type more than a few sentences, and either were too lazy or too unintelligent to formulate any lucid thoughts on the subject.

Alright, so factions. I've seen many quotes stating that rocket (THANK YOU BASED ROCKET) would like to keep the game-world as player-developed, or player-controlled as possible. That is, he does not want to create a wonderful theme park in which players may experience only the things that the developer puts in place for them. I respect this, and I've been waiting for years for this exact game. I also respect the fact that this is an alpha, and this is not intended as a "POOT MOAR CONTENT IN NAO IM BOARED" post. I hope that people will provide their points of view in the most lucid manner that they can. Now, on to my thoughts on the matter. At this time, I'm thinking that if factions are to be implemented (and it's fine if they won't be, I mean shit, I can't contribute anything but opinions and I suppose I could take a picture of me doing something silly to give rocket a chuckle if he's feeling blue) the best way to do so would be to create several factions with distinct skins (this being the most important part, we've got to be able to tell folks apart), with no special starting items, or loadouts (such as a chernarussian military remnant faction getting awesome orbital shoopdawhoop cannon AKs but little to no supplies). I'm no expert, and hell, I'm not even really a novice at what the ARMA II engine is capable of, or how it accomplishes anything. However, I think that if it is possible to make each faction have it's own side-chat, it would be for the best. Think about this: you decided to go in with a couple buddies in some faction (specific design/lore shit is irrelevant for the sake of this point). You see over side chat that some enterprising fellow is attempting to form a few faction-bros together to go ghetto-blast a party of opposing faction-dudes in a town. You get together with them, either get in teamspeak, or use direct channel (god willing it's functional) and you go ghetto blast the fuck out of the other faction guys. I think that shit would be pretty damn cool. Of course you can do this now. It's entirely possible. However, I feel that implementing factions in a very minimalistic manner is not too intrusive and not too "theme-park" in spirit.

Oh, and an afterthought here. It should CERTAINLY be a choice to opt-out of factions, or join an "independent" faction that is not intended for organization or comraderie. Forcing people into something like this would be gayer than all hell.

Oh, and another afterthought. I think that implementing factions at some point would create some really interesting politics and dynamics, but in addition to that, it would alleviate the problem that some people seem to be experiencing of "shoot-on-sight" or "COWWADOODY KID" mentality. Even the most cowwadoody of kids know not to blast their homies if they went into a faction. Or I guess they could jump on the independent train and pew pew everyone with their makarov anyway. Also, in the event that some jackass jumps in a faction and starts blasting everyone he sees INCLUDING other faction members, they should be removed from the faction after a certain number of friendly-fire incidents in a certain period of time. Perhaps they should be forced to wear a sign over their independent skin with the words "I'M A MASSIVE FAGGOT". Yeah, that'd be rad.

Now, everyone. Thoughts? Opinions? I don't give a fuck what they are, I'd just like to hear what you folks have to think on the subject. Thanks in advance, and happy hunting.

[bobda 11]

So in a nutshell, new skins and a faction chat?

I like the skins... not so much the faction chat. In my opinion once direct chat gets fixed they should turn off every other chat. Only exception being if they ever introduce some sort of communication system (radios, walkie talkies, ect). That way if your hiding innawoods and a group of your opposing faction stroll by you could hear what they were saying, making the experience pretty realistic. Of course this wont stop teamspeak or other 3rd party programs from being used, but it will at least bring the mod a little closer to realism.

[oktyabr 53]

So in a nutshell' date=' new skins and a faction chat?

I like the skins... not so much the faction chat. In my opinion once direct chat gets fixed they should turn off every other chat. Only exception being if they ever introduce some sort of communication system (radios, walkie talkies, ect). That way if your hiding innawoods and a group of your opposing faction stroll by you could hear what they were saying, making the experience pretty realistic. Of course this wont stop teamspeak or other 3rd party programs from being used, but it will at least bring the mod a little closer to realism.

[/quote']

I agree with you on the direct chat. Just needs to be polished up and made more reliable.

Many more skins, and some control over which ones players end up with, is something else I'd eventually like to see in this mod. Other than that I don't see how any sort of integrated faction thing would work or even what benefit it would have over the groups that exist now.

[Sandersson Jankins 2]

So in a nutshell' date=' new skins and a faction chat?

I like the skins... not so much the faction chat. In my opinion once direct chat gets fixed they should turn off every other chat. Only exception being if they ever introduce some sort of communication system (radios, walkie talkies, ect). That way if your hiding innawoods and a group of your opposing faction stroll by you could hear what they were saying, making the experience pretty realistic. Of course this wont stop teamspeak or other 3rd party programs from being used, but it will at least bring the mod a little closer to realism.

[/quote']

Yeah, I definately feel you on the sidechat thing. It would certainly be a step away from realism, and I can see why you would be opposed to it. And in principle, I think that I do agree. Really, it's an issue that I do not feel strongly enough one way or another to take a side. I imagine that I'd take the opinion of "Rocket knows best". If he chooses to do away with all forms of non-direct communication, then so be it! If he does not, then I'd like faction chat to take the place of side-chat. However, here is a thought. I saw a thread where some dude found a creepy-ass radio. Perhaps if either radios were made more common, or perhaps better, if there was an intermediate between radios and nothing (probably walkies), then they could be tuned to a pre-existing "faction frequency" or some shit. So the "leaders" so to speak (of course not anything enforced by the devs, I'm just speaking of the folks that naturally tend to want to get shit organized and done) would likely possess radios, and could organize with one another within the faction. I'm getting moist just thinking about a group of 4-5 faction members chilling around the sobors organizing with another group around berezino to create a patrol to wipe out a region of opposing factions, or hell, anyone that isn't their faction!

Edit: Wow, I'm a fucking jackass. Didn't mean to completely ignore your thoughts on walkie talkies and radios and pretend to introduce them as my own. I'm just really inattentive at the moment. My apologies.

The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that a non-intrusive, minimalistic faction system would help alleviate some of the issues with mindless pvp. The guys that just want to shoot everyone could go around shooting everyone that isn't their faction. The guys that want to cooperate could do so. Perhaps certain factions could gain reputations as real stone-cold killers that aren't to be trusted; some factions as pretty cool guys that aren't deserving of some lead to the head.

[nexerius 0]

I dont know about removing everything in chat. Not many people talk much anyways on EU as i have seen so far. (played 48 hours or something)

And honestly, it will be VERY boring to run around and not reading anything. :/

(Dont give me the realistic stuff)

[Sandersson Jankins 2]

I dont know about removing everything in chat. Not many people talk much anyways on EU as i have seen so far. (played 48 hours or something)

And honestly' date=' it will be VERY boring to run around and not reading anything. :/

(Dont give me the realistic stuff)

[/quote']

I've seen the complete opposite from playing many hours on US servers. Mostly the Dallas ones, more so the Chicago one of late. Maybe amerifats are just chattier, but the side chat is always filled with folks asking questions like "how do i loot bodies guise" or "guys how do you jump" and even "wtf my gun wont shoot". That's not mentioning the calls of "FRIENDLY?!?" because there's no reliable direct-chat at the moment. At least if side-chat was replaced with faction-chat, there would be a much smaller volume of text being hurled at you constantly, and it would be more likely to be useful, relevant text being hurled at you.

[oktyabr 53]

It's called group chat and it already exists in the game. Just need to wait patiently for the group feature to be included.

[Sandersson Jankins 2]

See, my inexperience with the ARMA II engine is showing. I figured group chat would be used more for ad-hoc groups of dudes running around, not used for possible factions. Well, the purpose would still be the same, I suppose!

[aLmAnZo (DayZ) 21]

Oktyabr: Was that some kind of confirm that factions indeed will find it's way into DayZ?

and more on topic to the author of the thread, a faction system is allready incorperated in the core game. When you join a server and end up in the lobby, you have basicly three (or four?) factions to choose from, and these are civillian, east and west, the fourth one that I am unsure of, is "independent". To have multiple factions, the mod maker needs to add playable characters in the editor from those factions. The problem is how models work in ARMA. The reason the mod is dependent on PMC and Operation Arrowhead is due to the fact that ARMA vanilla doesn't support the back back system if I am not wrong.

That means, at least I think, that there is limited models who are able to carry backpacks. That means that there is few models too choose from, and those models are (If I am not wrong) connected to one or two factions.

[oktyabr 53]

Oktyabr: Was that some kind of confirm that factions indeed will find it's way into DayZ?

and more on topic to the author of the thread' date=' a faction system is allready incorperated in the core game. When you join a server and end up in the lobby, you have basicly three (or four?) factions to choose from, and these are civillian, east and west, the fourth one that I am unsure of, is "independent". To have multiple factions, the mod maker needs to add playable characters in the editor from those factions. The problem is how models work in ARMA. The reason the mod is dependent on PMC and Operation Arrowhead is due to the fact that ARMA vanilla doesn't support the back back system if I am not wrong.

That means, at least I think, that there is limited models who are able to carry backpacks. That means that there is few models too choose from, and those models are (If I am not wrong) connected to one or two factions.

[/quote']

I can neither confirm nor deny. I have no information that isn't publicly available to any who take the time to read these forums.

There have been other threads with group/factions suggestions and having read some of the devs replies myself would suggest it's in the pipeline. I don't have any links at hand but give the search function a try and do some reading.

[Sandersson Jankins 2]

Oktyabr: Was that some kind of confirm that factions indeed will find it's way into DayZ?

and more on topic to the author of the thread' date=' a faction system is allready incorperated in the core game. When you join a server and end up in the lobby, you have basicly three (or four?) factions to choose from, and these are civillian, east and west, the fourth one that I am unsure of, is "independent". To have multiple factions, the mod maker needs to add playable characters in the editor from those factions. The problem is how models work in ARMA. The reason the mod is dependent on PMC and Operation Arrowhead is due to the fact that ARMA vanilla doesn't support the back back system if I am not wrong.

That means, at least I think, that there is limited models who are able to carry backpacks. That means that there is few models too choose from, and those models are (If I am not wrong) connected to one or two factions.

[/quote']

Damn, I forgot about the whole backpack thing. That's a real pickle. I imagine implementing a faction system would take a hell of a lot of effort then, as a guy with a flannel and flak vest isn't really different enough from a guy in a collared shirt and flak vest to warrant them being different factions. Well, dick. I suppose factions would require the work of a talented modeler or at the very least a talented skinner to make the existing models look very different. Bollocks.