Rocket interview, Zombie behavior: My Opinion

[rpatto92@hotmail.com 26]

Here's a fairly recent video-interview with Dean "Rocket" Hall. Before I start: I know idea's can change over time and not everything Dean talks about is definitive, as is with projects developed in such a transparent sort of way. This said I had a few not so much issues but opinions sparked from this convocation.

Skip to 16 minutes 40 seconds; watch for about 2 minutes and you'll get the gist.

So taking this into account:

In the interview, Dean mentions: how zombies interact and how the infection effects them over time. What I was particularly interested in, was when he says: "Why do zombies, attack you and not each other, why do zombies attack you, an not animals; well maybe they should attack animals" (What do I think) I think zombies should attack each other, why use the infection as the reason for explaining away zombie behavior, when it could all be apart of the overall narrative. To put it simply I think there's much more to be had; if zombie are allowed to wound one and other, as it opens up a world of new possibilities and fits perfectly within the narrative without needing to explain it.

Now perhaps people will say that this approach may up-set game balance. As well: "why go around killing zombies, if they do it themselves" but maybe it could take a more passive approach, in such a way that didn't impact zombie health or strength and instead more like "visual grit" than an actual mechanic. Or maybe this could be an integral function within the game; zombies could remain passive to one and other whilst not aggravated, causing only minimal damage or none at all (for visual effect) Then when aggravated; thrown into a feeding frenzy tearing apart slower moving zombies caught in-between them and their lunch. This could make for a potentially interesting player mechanic; were unsuspecting zombie "walkers" could be nailed with a chunk of blood soaked meat to create a handy distraction. Tagging player/zombies using a crossbow bolt; equipped with chunks of flesh has a nice sound to it. Also tackling the "do the zombies get sick" issue: maybe put simply they do and this combined with zombie behavior is a perfectly comparable reason for the variety we see and expect to see heading into standalone from zombies in DayZ.

There is another topic raise in this interview I wanted to tackle, which was "accessibly" but that's a whole new thing so i'll leave it for now and if I have a good response on this thread then I'll up date it to include my take on this too.

Edited December 17, 2012 by Rpatto92

[Very Ape 748]

I like the idea of using raw meat to passively attract zombies.

Perhaps if you're carrying around raw meat, you're easier to smell and zombies will naturally drift towards you? :P

Edited December 17, 2012 by Very Ape

[rpatto92@hotmail.com 26]

I like the idea of using raw meat to passively attract zombies.

Perhaps if you're carrying around raw meat, you're easier to smell and zombies will naturally drift towards you? :P

Yer see: this is exactly the sort of idea; I thought might spring out of this convocation and good because its adding small mechanics like this that could really make for some compelling game play.

[Ovation 52]

i like this idea, perhaps if you leave raw meat in your bags to long, then it gets rotten and smelly more to us. but zombies are more attracted to fresher meat, so either cook it or use it as distractions before it rots, the more it rots the less effective at distracting zombies and the more sick you get because we are the other way around by smell.

also the zombies killing other zombies is a good idea i agree. Since we are talking infected zombies here, killing animals and weaker zombies makes sense because they need food also.

However in my opinion i think once zombies are passive and have had no meal for awhile they look to wounded or "older" zombies to feast on

that is after there is no animals or players to eat. Once aggressive "like spotting a player" they drop older useless meat to "Prefer" the fresh.

Example (Zombies have had no meal, survivor got away...one zombie is limping and hurt from bullets, after a little time zombies attack and eat weak zombie.. while eating they spot another player, most zombies stop feeding on dead meat and chase player "preferable meat source"

but while zombies eat they notice less around them because of distraction of eating.

it would be interesting like this because if you have some slightly old animal meat in your bag it would be less effective as fresher meat dew to smell.

Another thing is when a players cloths are dirty with mud and blood they are less attractive by smell, but more lickley to get sick from infection.

love little things like this also and rocket has great ideas for this stuff.

Or of course the other way round would work (old and smelly over fresh) but i think (fresh over smelly and old) makes more sense because zombies are just smelly and dying.

Edited December 18, 2012 by Ovation

[Dylanco1 10]

I think its like a Mix Between Walkers and Infected they dont eat Animals is strange they should actually but they dont eat Dead Flesh (Not Suitably Recent) well because its cold and lifeless (and usually Rotten or Moving aswell) they also Ignore Processed meat and a thing you should do is be able to cover yourself in Zombie Entrails and Hide from Zombies but Players Hear Fly's while near you and Mud doesnt do crap to Zombies but hides you from Players slightly better

[Spart248 80]

Shooting arrows or bolts with raw meat strung to them is a bit arbitrary I feel. Aside from the impracticality of attaching heavy chunks of meat to delicate arrows or bolts, If having pieces of raw meat in your inventory only affects the attraction of zombies slightly, applying it to an arrow or bolt would be even less effective (considering you would have to apply insignificant amounts in order to keep the projectile somewhat on-target).

[Hetstaine 10852]

http://dayzmod.com/f...eon#entry968784

Shoe bayonet like in spy movies, you still need the rod and the meat though to lure the zombies, lure them then when they get close you can jumpo out from behind the door or out of a closet or box and start kicking them with your flick shoe bayonet. or you could make a trap hole with bayonets all on the bottom poking up like in vietnam war movies and cover the hole with something, probbly cardboard and put meat on top and then hide and watch. If the zombie didnt die but was just stuck and spiked on the bottom then you could jump down and kick it.

Well what about if you could cover yourself in steak and stand or crouch in a corner, when the zombies comes to eat the meat then you simply move the steak off your face so you can see or just use an eye fillet. Once you can see them through the fillet just pop bayonets out of your shoe and start kicking. You could use your mini bayonet as backup if your feet get stuck in the zombies bones or gristle.or tendons.Bayonets could spaw in the firdge neat the butter.

Edited December 29, 2012 by Hetstaine

[Fraggle (DayZ) 15720]

I covered myself in Steak once.

[malau 11]

I covered myself in Steak once.

Enough about your personal life, what about the game? (-:

[malau 11]

..

Edited December 30, 2012 by vecuccio

[Michaelvoodoo25 3120]

Why raise such an ancient post?

Any news you need will be

http://dayzmod.com/forum/index.php?/forum/4-dayz-announcements/

And

http://dayzmod.com/forum/index.php?/forum/5-dayz-information/