(whispered) shouting to reveal your position/presence

[Razmataz (DayZ) 5]

I would like to make myself heard by friendly survivers who haven't spotted me yet by using a voice message.

"why do we need this? Use your mic / the chat!"

A voice message performed by a voice actor would add to the immersion, and it would be heard from your exact location. Giving away your position voluntarily might make it easier for the other survivor to trust you. Because who would do that if they wanted to kill you?

I was thinking about a standard message like: "Hello? Can anybody hear me?"

I do not want to choose from a bunch of messages, but it would be nice if you could also call for help only if you actually need it. The information would be added to the standard message:

"Hello? Can anybody hear me?"

-"I've broken my leg/rib"

-"I need medication (food/water)"

-"I'm dying here"

The message should reflect the actual state you're in, no lying possible.

"wouldn't shouting attract zombies as well?"

That's why I want the message to be "shouted" in a whispering voice (I hope you know what I'm talking about. I don't know how to explain it.) Imho that wouldn't break the immersion.

Basically it's an idea to make it easier for survivors to make peaceful contact, and to reduce the number of those tragic shootouts when two people suddenly run into each other.

[Fraggle (DayZ) 15720]

Surely a voice message recorded by an actor would break the immersion, not enhance it (especially once you've heard exactly the same sentence for the hundredth time)? Also it's quicker just to speak than it is to hit a button combo to play a pre-recorded message.

Edited November 22, 2012 by Fraggle

[Shadow Man 142]

How would someone you've never met know you have a broken leg, need meds or dying without you actually saying it? If your idea was automatic add ons to your chat message of "Hello, can anyone hear me?" I don't see how or why the other person would obtain tha info. Its making the communication less realistic. The fact that you could be lying about you condition is exactly what DayZ is about.

Its a no from me.

[Razmataz (DayZ) 5]

Thanks for the replies. I can't tell yet if it's been a bad idea (it might well be), so I'm grateful for your input.

Surely a voice message recorded by an actor would break the immersion, not enhance it (especially once you've heard exactly the same sentence for the hundredth time)?

The Zombies are done by voice actors, too, and they don't break the immersion.

But you're right, hearing the same sentence over and over is extremely annoying. It wouldn't have to be the exact same sentence though. We'd need a lot of variations, with different (consistant) voices.

A cooldown time could prevent spamming.

Also it's quicker just to speak than it is to hit a button combo to play a pre-recorded message.

No Button Combo, just one button. Point and click. Either speak or stay silent.

Plus when you're hearing someone talk on the mic you can't tell where his voice is coming from, and by now it's sometimes hard to tell if he's close to you or using the side chat.

[Razmataz (DayZ) 5]

How would someone you've never met know you have a broken leg, need meds or dying without you actually saying it? If your idea was automatic add ons to your chat message of "Hello, can anyone hear me?" I don't see how or why the other person would obtain tha info.

If you press the communication button when you're leg is broken, it's supposed to say: "Hello, can anyone hear me? I need help, my leg is broken!" with no further input by you. Push the button and reveal your condition to your surroundings automatically.

(I have to translate my german thoughts into english language, sorry if it's hard to understand)

I don't want any options to choose from, just talk or don't. The automatic additional information is just a thought, I'd be happy if I could just say "Hello?" and the guy I might run into could respond instead of us meeting suddenly and killing each other although none of us wants that.

[Fraggle (DayZ) 15720]

Sorry but I still don't like it. The zombies don't speak, they're just generic scary noises. I just really don't understand the need for this when we can already communicate everything you've mentioned by speaking ourselves.

Don't let it put you off thinking of suggestions, the devs are regularly looking at the forums for ideas so it's always worth trying :)