DayZ Standalone: How the feature of finding written notes from those who died in the outbreak could function

[logan23 118]

This is not an entirely new idea, but this post is more about how it could be implicated into the DayZ standalone.

Discovering the past through journals, notes, and other written material or signs-

These notes (just call them this for short) would give us a snap shot into the world before the virus hit, during the outbreak and the aftermath.

These notes are not focused on telling the narrative of the game’s story but only to give glimpses of events through these unknown people’s eyes and how it impacted them.

Examples:

Player would search houses or locations and discover a note. When reading the note you will be looking at a one-page dairy of a little girl who talks about how she can’t wait for her field trip on XX date.

Another note might talk about how their military vehicles are being seen coming into the area. He writes how his parents tell him; there is nothing to worry about.

A note might talk about how there is a thick smell in the air from the burning of the individuals who came down with the virus. When the wind blows in their town's direction it can be almost unbarring. There have been many who have thrown up because of the smell.

A mother’s note telling how there is talk about some virus, making people violent. The soldiers tell me to continue my day’s work but at night, I hear these screams, in the distance, and gun fire. She mentions how she wants to leave with her husband and child, but the soldiers won’t allow us.

Some notes can be the helpful, one note might have written down a location where someone hides some can goods to make sure the loots can’t take their last of their food. There would be locations and given steps or meters from a certain barn equals the location of the small stock pile. The player can then use the note and find the stock pile with a shovel if it’s buried under the ground or rock.

How this would work in game mechanics:

Just as the player comes in and there is spawned items/loot, there is a chance that a note will be present, but you must look for it. Notes should be not out in the open, ideally if looting a place involves searching actual desks, beds, and closets. (Basically mouse over and click to search, and it will be a success or fail to find anything in desk)

As for burred items, these should only spawn if the player has the note as the trigger. The amount of items in this little buried container should be random so sometimes you find little and others you find an extra can or two of food.

A lot of this feature and the glimpses it would show the player would be determined by the narrative of the virus and how Rocket and team see how the outbreak happens.

The notes should be from non important people not the key general on the base.

Goal of this feature is to create an emotional grounding of the world you are in. Players will stop and read about a family who might have survived or might have been killed or became infected. A reminder to the player who people once lived here and had hopes and dreams, which are now gone. Their world is destroyed, and you will read in the notes how they struggled and lived before and during the outbreak.

These notes are the focus to reflect the struggles that the player is also facing.

Do I kill the looter or use warning shots to scare them away? A man telling how he shot his friend over a fight for some food and now how he fears that others might kill him.

These notes could really show how bad things got and how the stress of the outbreak and chaos might have led to bad or justified decisions. Others might express how they won’t give into the chaos; they must be strong and stable for their family.

The possible little antidotes are endless.

What do you think?

[Chris529 380]

sounds good because it would maybe add a lil' bit of immersion reading about it, but lets say you're playing in Chernarus, I hope you can read Russian since that is the local lingo haha. Put it in english it would be cool to read and if it gave away hard to find loot locations it would be cool. kind of like STALKER mechanic.

[logan23 118]

I keep hearing about STALKER, lol, never played it. I will have to check youtube on the game.

The purpose is immersion and once awhile give hints where possible small stashes are located but you have to follow their map/directions.

Stash could have medicine, food, water, or other items to help survive like batteries.

The idea is lets say location TownA could spawn any of 30 possible notes for that area. Most are simply for immersion and/or give hints of the world as it was before and how it went to chaos.

(you could literally have a note where a person says they hope that human civilization finds away to rebuild, all this death has to have a purpose. Never rebuilding humanity and letting the chaos continue would only make the deaths of those who fought for this town to die in vain)

[SP45M 240]

I don't get peoples fascination with notes, they are the kind of thing you ignore in other games like an annoying cut scene. None the less there is no harm in it, in fact if they add pooping we could use them to wipe our bums.

[kingofallsasquatch 11]

I know warz is putting this in there game but i don't see this being something people would do. What would be good being able to track people because it would involve real life skills.

[Razmataz (DayZ) 5]

The possible little antidotes are endless.

anecdotes?

Some notes can be the helpful, one note might have written down a location where someone hides some can goods to make sure the loots can’t take their last of their food. There would be locations and given steps or meters from a certain barn equals the location of the small stock pile. The player can then use the note and find the stock pile with a shovel if it’s buried under the ground or rock.

Sending players on little treasure hunts might give them a goal and keep them from sniping for a while. Love the idea.

As for burred items, these should only spawn if the player has the note as the trigger.

Stalker shows how this can work. I think it would fit perfectly into Dayz. It would be so much more satisfying to find a valuable item if you were actually looking for it, not just randomly stumble upon it.

[BSB Jimmy 360]

i prefer my idea on notes that are player written http://dayzmod.com/forum/index.php?/topic/108899-diary-or-journal/

[colekern 1364]

Player notes would be better. I'm kinda against the game artificially doing things (such as random heli crashes), so I've gotta say no.

[logan23 118]

I know warz is putting this in there game but i don't see this being something people would do. What would be good being able to track people because it would involve real life skills.

From what i know is that they are making it so you follow a trail of a few key individuals through their experience in the outbreak.

I'm suggesting to have no multi-notes from one person but to have many random notes which each would be written from a different person.

The notes would not tell wither they lived or die in the outbreak. These little snap shots into the DayZ world are just to humanize the people who once lived there so you walk into a city as you loot for supplies and you might come across a birthday card to a person who once lived there. Players can ignore them or actually read them. It's up to you. (This is no different then seeing a room full of dead bodies with some words written on the wall saying something- all atmosphere that's all)

i prefer my idea on notes that are player written http://dayzmod.com/f...ary-or-journal/

This would not replace player written notes. DayZ should have player written notes and diaries.

The idea I'm stating is to add this along with what you have stated.

Player notes would be better. I'm kinda against the game artificially doing things (such as random heli crashes), so I've gotta say no.

Players can write notes as well.

These notes I talk about are for atmosphere for the game's world and make it believable that someone once lived here- humanizing Chernarus.

I understand your point about not having games artificially doing things.

This wouldn't do any of that, just give the old destroyed world some context for a player to read or discard.

[Erizid 56]

Random story notes are fine. I can envision a base commander's log left at the new purging base they are adding.

Player notes are just as valuable however. I think there would need to be some limiting/decay factor so the world doesn't become a paper wasteland.

Also offtopic, Heli crashes I am ok with, I am not OK with five of them per spawn. They need to be staggered and once every three to six hours at most.

[seddrik 44]

Examples of notes:

"I was here, now I'm gone. You'll forget me before too long."

"Beware of zombies."

"You're so ugly.... even zombies run from you."

"Rocket is a nub."

"Drop your food or die. You have 5 seconds to comply."

"In the time it takes you to read this note, I've lined up my shot..." (BANG!)

"I'm looking for tires, come to Cherno if you have one..."