The Walking Dead and DayZ

[Nefarious (DayZ) 25]

I know this subject has been touched on here and there but I'd like a spot where this subject could be of central focus. First off, I'd like to say that I hate shooters. Find COD,Halo, BF3 etc boring and have no interest this genre. That being said, I LOVE DayZ.

I'm an RPG/Strategy guy and zombie fan so I find this game very appealing. My concern, however, is whether or not this game will veer towards DayZ+ or DayZ. Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe most of us are looking for a "Walking Dead" simulation (Perhaps I'm wrong). In my mind this sim would be based on the immediate and most dangerous threat of the zombies. Secondary to this would be the roving band of people clawing at the last scraps of humanity.

This is why, I believe, that the DayZ+ mod (albeit flawed) is the true template for a Walking Dead sim.

I intend for this not so much to be a discussion on the SA but about how much should be sim and how much should be shooter.

Thoughts?

I

Edited January 8, 2013 by Nefarious

[Mos1ey 6301]

Have you watched The Walking Dead Season 3? Humans turn out to be as big a threat as zombies in the apocalypse with each group looking after their own and doing whatever it takes to survive, sometimes at the expense of other humans/groups (some more than others...).

[rossums 2190]

Well the DayZ Standalone is putting a lot more focus into making the zombies a proper threat rather than a minor annoyance.

The addition of the disease system, multiple types of bone fractures and breaks means that there will be a much higher chance of having the world as a major enemy compared to the players being the only enemy like it is now.

There will obviously still have to be shooting but there is more emphasis being put on earlier melee weapons and group-oriented advantages for crafting, etc.

[Nefarious (DayZ) 25]

Have you watched The Walking Dead Season 3? Humans turn out to be as big a threat as zombies in the apocalypse with each group looking after their own and doing whatever it takes to survive, sometimes at the expense of other humans/groups (some more than others...).

Yes I have seen season 3. I believe the script has focused on the human danger more, however, I would still argue that it is the zombies that have everyone wedged into these corners. My fear is that Dayz becomes not about survival but yet another shooter.

It looks good thus far.

[Brittanica 26]

Zombie spawn mechanism has to be timebased instead of proxomity.

Problem is that the zombies are merely a threath when you first start playing.

Zombies have to be harder to beat.

And once you kill them, they dont respawn immediately but after 10-15 minutes or so.

This way players will have to work together to clear area's from zombies so they can get to their loot.

And killing zeds will be much more rewarding then stealthmode, because you get a timewindow to do some free shopping.

And in stealth you have a bigger chance to die once seen, since there are more zombies and harder to beat.

Also, would be fun to run into a town full of dead zombies and track players this way.

[richjones19772000 9]

Zombies area biggest threat in the game now!

[krihelion 175]

No matter which way you want to slice it, its going to be shooterish

[bfisher 561]

I think it would be cool if the zombies were more "persistent" as objects on the map and less tied to towns. That is to say, they spawn randomly in the cities but then slowly roam all over the map, attracted to sound or motion (including each other), forming packs at whatnot. So you might have an area that seems clear of zombies. But then all of a sudden you spot a herd of a hundred of them on the horizon coming towards you. Travel between the towns becomes more challenging as well, since you would need to figure out routes around the roaming packs.

Might be too much of a technical challenge though.

[Nefarious (DayZ) 25]

I think it would be cool if the zombies were more "persistent" as objects on the map and less tied to towns. That is to say, they spawn randomly in the cities but then slowly roam all over the map, attracted to sound or motion (including each other), forming packs at whatnot. So you might have an area that seems clear of zombies. But then all of a sudden you spot a herd of a hundred of them on the horizon coming towards you. Travel between the towns becomes more challenging as well, since you would need to figure out routes around the roaming packs.

Might be too much of a technical challenge though.

That would be cool to see them coming as a giant horde like in the movies.

[Bludy 324]

if you are forced to group with others to get inside a big town to get to the hospital, for example, a solo bandit will have more difficulties than now..you'll need to avoid or fight other groups and solo players will have to choose between join or die. and if the zombies are a big threat this will happen also without grouping before connecting, you'll find people waiting for a hand at the outskirts of cherno, this would be the end of mic-less players :-)

[dgeesio 1034]

prisions !!!!!

large prision in middle of map lots of rare loot 500 zombies in it :o :P B)

this would be epic. groups could arrange to join forces to take the prison/prisions on the map to get the loot inside. make it hard aswell so not a 5 minute slog a 1 hr fight through hell and back. dark grimey in prison fighting for life man get it done already :lol:

[Sutinen 635]

You just don't mix the two.. DayZ is a survival game, TWD is an entertaining drama/zombie TV Show. I'm fine with only watching TWD and not playing a game.

Edited January 8, 2013 by Sutinen

[dgeesio 1034]

You just don't mix the two.. DayZ is a survival game, TWD is an entertaining drama/zombie TV Show.

sorry there are elements of both in both no matter how you want them to be seperate. there are many things that exactly the same in both aswell.

for instance the very nature of how the actual show is now and how it started out is exactly the same as dayz plays now

first everyone was like help all lets work together to fight the zombies we will win together !

now its like the show is now in 3rd series small group kill on site or trust noone at all !

i quite enjoy it now infact and have said since the start this is what would actually happen once things start getting more grimey and things more scarce . id merk someone for there beans and wouldnt think twice :lol:

Edited January 8, 2013 by dgeesio

[The Shadow 119]

At the moment, Humans pose a large threat as the Zombies still need work.

They are of a minor annoyance at the moment and are easily avoided. The zombies are being worked on for the Standalone so they too pose a large threat. People will be scared to enter civilization not due to being sniped but due to being mauled by the number of zombies roaming the streets and buildings.

All this plus the additions of detailed bone fractures/breaks, diseases being caught from drinking water,and there is also talk of diseases being carried on clothing which will also add a whole new perspective to the survival of your character.

[Guest]

Sorry but after playing for 40 mins I have to say that zombies are harder than players to beat/hide from. I cannot pass over either a field or through a town without coming out the other side running, they are way too easy to attract and the noise/sight meter is sooo bad. Seriously I was easier to see In a dark alleyway than running on the side of a motorway.

OT: TWD is already implemented, think about it you are already making a comparrison. Only time will tell :)

[bfisher 561]

Zombie mechanics have long been established by shows like The Walking Dead and films like 28 Days Later and the George A Romero movies starting almost 50 years ago. I think what the game needs to decide is what should the player interaction with the zombies be like? Right now they are just a player early warning system to let anyone who can see further than 300 m that someone is in town. Or even worse, they point you to some bambi running with a trail of 5 zombies behind him.

[DMC14 46]

as long as you have ammo zombies are pretty easy to deal with.

[Nefarious (DayZ) 25]

as long as you have ammo zombies are pretty easy to deal with.

Yes, I agree. In none of the classic movies or tv shows are people treating the zombies as a nuisance. If that's the case then it is simply a PVP game and there are far better choices out there than Dayz. I'm not worried, however, as I feel Rocket's vision for this game is the same is mine. Here's to hoping he gets it done.

[Darkwater (DayZ) 63]

The player versus player aspect is a very important part of the game. The zombies are sadly far too weak to even be considered a threat and effects they have on your player are miniscule, even a newbie armed with the Makarov is more dangerous than a horde of zombies as it is right now. To some extent, that would hold true in the real world aswell, a gun would have a far bigger effect on your life expectancy than a horde of zombies would, since you cannot outrun a bullet no matter how hard you try.

However, it's the attitude of the players that has proven to be the big threat in this game. People kill indiscriminately, for fun, for excitement, just to be a complete asshole. Because it is a game, there is no immediate threat or moral qualms , nor would you be hunted down because you can hide your identity should you be seen, and after wrecking havoc on one server you can just move onto another and start all over again with no one being the wiser.

All in all, I feel that the zombies in DayZ need a massive boost and change in mechanics to see any kind of change in gameplay. In every other zombie setting (movie or game) the zombies seem to be more prone to wander around in search of food, not just stay in one place as they do here. Also, they are far less willing to actually give up on their pursuit of your fresh, delicious meat. So what I would like to see for DayZ is probably impossible, but the only way I can imagine the game to start "working as intended" again; Zombie spawns in forests, wanders in groups all over, harder to kill, generally a massive threat in massive numbers, infection and diseases, things that force you to keep moving. And add to that all the natural threats you would have, and in the end I would think random kill on sights would lessen, atleast by snipers and long range, and in towns people would be forced to think further ahead than after the bullet leaves the barrel.

[Nefarious (DayZ) 25]

The player versus player aspect is a very important part of the game. The zombies are sadly far too weak to even be considered a threat and effects they have on your player are miniscule, even a newbie armed with the Makarov is more dangerous than a horde of zombies as it is right now. To some extent, that would hold true in the real world aswell, a gun would have a far bigger effect on your life expectancy than a horde of zombies would, since you cannot outrun a bullet no matter how hard you try.

However, it's the attitude of the players that has proven to be the big threat in this game. People kill indiscriminately, for fun, for excitement, just to be a complete asshole. Because it is a game, there is no immediate threat or moral qualms , nor would you be hunted down because you can hide your identity should you be seen, and after wrecking havoc on one server you can just move onto another and start all over again with no one being the wiser.

All in all, I feel that the zombies in DayZ need a massive boost and change in mechanics to see any kind of change in gameplay. In every other zombie setting (movie or game) the zombies seem to be more prone to wander around in search of food, not just stay in one place as they do here. Also, they are far less willing to actually give up on their pursuit of your fresh, delicious meat. So what I would like to see for DayZ is probably impossible, but the only way I can imagine the game to start "working as intended" again; Zombie spawns in forests, wanders in groups all over, harder to kill, generally a massive threat in massive numbers, infection and diseases, things that force you to keep moving. And add to that all the natural threats you would have, and in the end I would think random kill on sights would lessen, atleast by snipers and long range, and in towns people would be forced to think further ahead than after the bullet leaves the barrel.

Better explained than I ever could. Don't get me wrong, I like the "jerk" element of PVP but I want to primarily be worried about zombies FIRST a la the zombie flicks while simultaneously having to deal with the PVP.