How seasons would help DayZ Game.

[m.w. vindicator 880]

This suggestion is about the implementation of seasons into dayZ game as the title says. I will discuss my reasoning along with the mechanics and details of it.

My first question is: why do people love playing on new maps so much?

The answer is simple really. The human brain loves to see new things. It is called the curiosity motive and I have studied it in psychology class this semester. Exploring new environments is very enjoyable and that is why new maps like Namalsk and Lingor are so popular. People get tired of Chernarus after a while. Standalone is going to feature Chernarus plus. This map will entertain people for quite awhile due to 100% enterable buildings and new areas. But eventually people will want to play on new maps. Rocket has said that he could add the community maps but I don't think that is enough.

So how do you fix this problem of getting tired of the same old maps?

I say that Rocket should seriously consider seasons in the months prior to the release of Standalone after the initial kinks are ironed out.

The seasons should be on a set cycle that people can predict to a reasonable amount. The map should reflect the change in season. Leafs should change color and eventually fall off the deciduous trees only to reappear in the following spring. Animals should become more scarce in the winter. Players would need to have a coat in the winter and wear less clothing in the summer. The changes would be logical and authentic.

This would make the map look different and would make maps more fun for longer periods of time. The differing gameplay would keep people coming back after the default fall map starts looking old. Now obviously this would take awhile to implement so I wouldn't expect to see Rocket consider this until several months after release. That is fine though because people will still be enjoying the game as it is.

Right now I expect that the artists are very busy working on new assets like clothing and bullets, etc. This would be a good project to endeavor on and it would be quite a task. Some summer textures could be borrowed from the Czech DLC because that map features the Czech republic during summer/spring.

Now how long should seasons be?

I think that seasons should go on a cycle of about two or three weeks per season resulting in a "year" that is about 8-12 weeks long. With seasons this long it will give players plenty of time to prepare and the changes will not be too rapid. There will enough summer weather for people who enjoy that and winter weather for people who like that instead.

Another possibility would be month long seasons. This would result in a 4 month "year". The problem that I see with this is that if someone really doesn't like a certain season they would have to wait an entire month for it to change.

Another way to help players who really don't like a certain season would be to have X and Y servers. X servers are always in the opposite season from Y servers. So if X servers are in summer then Y servers would be in winter.

Maybe certain servers could have seasons entirely turned off.

Now obviously the winter would be harder to survive in. The cold weather could kill someone who is exposed to the elements for too long. To counter this, new spawns could spawn with a wind breaker or light jacket in the winter in order to have a better chance of survival. Maybe people spawning in the heat of summer could spawn in a t-shirt and an empty water bottle.

A small change in beginner gear that would represent the season would add authenticity and wouldn't give a bonus should be considered. The stuff someone would take from there house would vary based on the season. No one would leave their house without at least a light coat in the winter. Likewise for leaving your house in the summer without anything to stay hydrated. Nothing big that would make a fresh spawn much better, a little thing.

TL;DR seasons should be added to give maps a new look and add authenticity to DayZ standalone months after release.

Please discuss the idea. Also don't be afraid to criticize it. I am sure i forgot some aspect of the idea.

UPDATE

A recent interview with Matt Lightfoot confirmed that the Dev team knows about this idea. Matt said that they would consider it several months after release! They understand that it would be a hard thing to implement due too all the art required. He said that it could be some sort of DLC.

Don't be afraid of the word DLC though. It sounds like they will ask the community for funding of seasons, and if the community raises enough money, the Devs will make seasons. It sounds like a Kickstarter for DLC that the community wants to see.

I trust that if seasons are added Rocket and team will put the appropriate detail into it like they have done with SA.

Wouldn't it be sweet to play in the snow!

Edited January 10, 2013 by Vindicator

[VeNoM56k 158]

I actually really like this idea. I would love to see it implemented in some form.

[m.w. vindicator 880]

I actually really like this idea. I would love to see it implemented in some form.

I am glad the message got through even with some of my goofy wording. I was typing this up in my free period at high school while the robotics kids were in the room. Needless to say, they were a bit distracting.

[Michaelvoodoo25 3120]

Let server hosters choose what season, that will offer variety all across the Internet!

I personally would want more maps, this offers more to do and prolongs the game play!

[VeNoM56k 158]

Let server hosters choose what season, that will offer variety all across the Internet!

I personally would want more maps, this offers more to do and prolongs the game play!

Yeah, it would be best to have it as a server setting. Then have the current season listed in the server browser(this would be a maybe, as it might just help people to stick to their favorite season, but if someone was gonna do that anyway, they would just search around for the one they were after).

If this was done right it would be an excellent feature to the game and add a lot to the overall survival feel.

[nafienx 6]

That sounds awesome. Month long seasons for sure.

[logan23 118]

If servers do set the time table for how long each/per season is from the , let's say 2-5 options,..then that means players can't hope from servers with different season time setups.

I like the idea and i can see Servers choosing from 2-3 time setups.

[#Sleepy 572]

:beans:

[DiazWaffleCrabstro 39]

i would love the idea, if they increase the amount of fire starter tools and their availability, or the effectiviness of heatpacks.

[m.w. vindicator 880]

Let server hosters choose what season, that will offer variety all across the Internet!

I personally would want more maps, this offers more to do and prolongs the game play!

I agree. More maps + seasons = profit for community

[m.w. vindicator 880]

i would love the idea, if they increase the amount of fire starter tools and their availability, or the effectiviness of heatpacks.

see Namalsk for improved heat packs. As for more firestrarters... there should be more than just matches

[DiazWaffleCrabstro 39]

see Namalsk for improved heat packs. As for more firestrarters... there should be more than just matches

Yeah i find it kinda funny that your limited to matches and the gas cans.... Why not the damn road flares, why not iron wool and batteries, hell why no magnifying glass tinder combo with binoculars, or better yet, why no jerry can and matches(or road flares) for the ultimate pyromania... This game needs uncontrolled forest fires :D

[m.w. vindicator 880]

If servers do set the time table for how long each/per season is from the , let's say 2-5 options,..then that means players can't hope from servers with different season time setups.

I like the idea and i can see Servers choosing from 2-3 time setups.

This is why I had the idea of X and Y servers which are independent from each other. A character on a X server CANNOT interact with a character from a Y server. Whether or not the server is X or Y should be clearly stated in the description.

In Standalone more people will play on the main hive than what we have now, which is nearly everyone playing on private hives. It has been stated that the server settings will generally be more uniform.

Ie.

• Core servers have F settings
  
• Hardcore servers have G settings
  

Server hosters choose core or hardcore and the settings are pretty much set from there. Hopefully players could easily browse Core and hardcore servers easily.

If private hives are allowed then the hosters should be able to set their own settings.

*Note that this is an example and not official information.*

If server hosters are allowed to choose any time of the year that they want, players will not really know what they are getting into and the main hive would have servers with all sorts of different times of the year, which would be confusing.

[m.w. vindicator 880]

That sounds awesome. Month long seasons for sure.

Can you explain your reasoning. I personally think month long seasons may be too long.

[m.w. vindicator 880]

Yeah i find it kinda funny that your limited to matches and the gas cans.... Why not the damn road flares, why not iron wool and batteries, hell why no magnifying glass tinder combo with binoculars, or better yet, why no jerry can and matches(or road flares) for the ultimate pyromania... This game needs uncontrolled forest fires :D

Joey27 was killed

Looks like some noob forgot fire safety again...

[*Exile* Sami 188]

I love this idea, i would play in the Winter 24/7!

[DiazWaffleCrabstro 39]

Joey27 was killed

Looks like some noob forgot fire safety again...

best laughs today :D

[harley001 315]

Zombie winter? BEANS GIVEN!

[DiazWaffleCrabstro 39]

Zombie winter? BEANS GIVEN!

Done that, seen it, and it would kick ass.

That is an actual Finnish indie film, and i fell in love with it years ago :D

[pox11223 6]

sounds like a pretty good idea and like you said it would take a pretty long time till this idea could be implemented to the game. however everyone has their own preference to the game such as a winter map or a spring map. with the new standalone coming out it would seem fair to have three or four different main maps that all have 4 different settings on them in terms of seasons, 1. no season 2. season changing every week 3. season changing every 2/3 weeks and 4. seasons changing every month.

reason why 4 is a month long is because it seems to fly by in my opinion pretty quick especially when your still in school (college for me). the extreme for this though would literally be one full cycle of the year season where it can go into more detail as to having the same features that the server area is having. So lets say for example there is a NY server and a Michigan server. NY just got hit with snow during the winter time where as Michigan never got hit with snow. The servers would literally mirror what ever time zone/ area it is in indicating that when its dark and there are thunderstorms going on in the area, the server will be dark and have thunderstorms as long as your on a server that is reflected by your area.

At the same time community's within states or country's will want to band together to buy servers that reflect their time zone so they can witness a "life like simulator" as to surviving in the same conditions they see right outside their door frame. The only way this could work though is if the servers go to a "hive" similar to how our characters are saved but those hives are seperated because each one follows the news in that area indicating how the servers will be able to change.

[DiazWaffleCrabstro 39]

sounds like a pretty good idea and like you said it would take a pretty long time till this idea could be implemented to the game. however everyone has their own preference to the game such as a winter map or a spring map. with the new standalone coming out it would seem fair to have three or four different main maps that all have 4 different settings on them in terms of seasons, 1. no season 2. season changing every week 3. season changing every 2/3 weeks and 4. seasons changing every month.

reason why 4 is a month long is because it seems to fly by in my opinion pretty quick especially when your still in school (college for me). the extreme for this though would literally be one full cycle of the year season where it can go into more detail as to having the same features that the server area is having. So lets say for example there is a NY server and a Michigan server. NY just got hit with snow during the winter time where as Michigan never got hit with snow. The servers would literally mirror what ever time zone/ area it is in indicating that when its dark and there are thunderstorms going on in the area, the server will be dark and have thunderstorms as long as your on a server that is reflected by your area.

At the same time community's within states or country's will want to band together to buy servers that reflect their time zone so they can witness a "life like simulator" as to surviving in the same conditions they see right outside their door frame. The only way this could work though is if the servers go to a "hive" similar to how our characters are saved but those hives are seperated because each one follows the news in that area indicating how the servers will be able to change.

imho would be way too labor intensive for regional weather, making it happen, connection to different national weather services, and maintaining it, as apointer only couple parties have the man power and tech to pull it off, Nasa and Esa are the smallest off the bunch, just food for thought.

[pox11223 6]

just food for thought.

true, but then again its just a idea & its pretty hard to do but it has a huge outcome to how players look at the game

[DiazWaffleCrabstro 39]

true, but then again its just a idea & its pretty hard to do but it has a huge outcome to how players look at the game

true.

[Bludy 324]

more maps, more seasons, more dayz!

[Faggala 29]

Good job, nice post hope this is implemented +1

Edited December 5, 2012 by Faggala