Is DayZ becoming a shoot'em up game?

[Skadefr0en 61]

The reason I ask, is because I am still not sure this is the right game for me.

I was introduced to DayZ seeing it as a survival game, and I guess this is still the way I see it - full of atmosphere and a very realistic setting. Walking alone in the woods make me feel more scared and alive than meeting other players while looting Cherno (yes I'm weird, I know)

But it was not my initial impression that PvP was the main point of DayZ, hence no time-consuming practice would be needed.

Yet, I get killed several times every day by bandits (who seems to oppose my idea of the concept) and this got me wondering:

What is really the purpose of this game?

Please do'nt get me wrong - this is not whining, I really think the survivor, hero and the bandit class is needed for balance.

And I do think the PvP zones (NWAF, Cherno, Elektro, Novy Sobor etc) are a great way for players to challenge themselfes.

But what I mean is: imagine you and your friends have looted every item you think worthy of carrying.

And you actually found a spot that cannot be found by other players, and you managed to set up a great camp.

I guess, this is the ideal situation for most players, right?

Then what?

Wack every person on the server?

I am not the person who shoots people for fun. I played Counter-Strike for several years - been there, done that.

..Also, if you already have your favourite weapons and gear..if not for loot, then for what? Statistics? Fame? Laughs?

I already had my laughs looking at others players die from my itchy trigger.

And please excuse me, I really can´t see the fun of hiding in a forest all day long, if my aim was counting the days being alive, I would probably make a truly dedicated accountant IRL - which I am not..

Clearly, the Zombies alone are no real challenge to anyone but bambi's. In some cases they even present a greater looting resource than the actual target. But I admit, the first week was pure death and horror for my part! :)

Should bandits make every player shoot anybody on sight in scared frustration on some servers, it would make sense to form temporary groups for the occasion, standing stronger against lone bandits.

The only thing is...it does not seem to happen. Everybody shoots everybody on sight = only real life friends could be trusted = no new friends.

And I did see some clan vs clan footage on youtube in DayZ - given the concept of this game (survival on limited supplies) I just don't see the point.

So..Is DayZ really just another boring competitive shooter? Making you practice targets in Arma2 all day long, thinking the person who just shot you in DayZ is a better player than you are? Oh, the feeling of frustration and revenge ^^

Spending all day looting, hunt or get hunted, start over..and over..and over again :(

What else is there to it, what do I miss?

Anybody with long-term goals for your team?

What are your preferences, what are you hopes for a good night on the servers?

(english is my 2nd language - although I do my best, grammar and spelling comments are probably well deserved)

Edited January 11, 2013 by Skadefroen

[ziellos2k 35]

+1

[intelligenttrees 45]

This post has my beans. And your grammar was MUCH better than most English speakers on the internet

[Clumsy Iguana 1]

Your grammar was easily better than that of half the people I know and your post very eloquently expressed the frustrations of many players at the lack of end game objectives. Looks like you just have to wait for the standalone :)

Huzzah, cop out answer!

[Fraggle (DayZ) 15720]

Don't forget that this free mod is still essentially the same game as it was months ago when it was just created to be a few hours fun for a few friends. People look way too deeply into it. It's a sandbox game and for better or worse people are allowed to play it however they see fit.

The SA will address some of these issues but only by adding content, not by punishing certain playstyles. Is this game for you? Only you can answer that.

[Primeval (DayZ) 18]

Here is the thing, I consider myself a bandit for two reasons.1) I enjoy shooting other survivors, oh yes I do. 2) I feel I don't have a choice, either shoot first or get killed. Now the solution to this I feel, as stated in another topic, is to make zombies more of an obstacle, and make PVP even harder by removing third person. Short and sweet.

@Fraggle - Totally agree, and that's why we're all waiting for the standalone. Whatever ideas aren't added to the DayZ mod should be added to the standalone since it's more thought out.

Edited January 11, 2013 by Primeval

[spinager 152]

Don't forget that this free mod is still essentially the same game as it was months ago when it was just created to be a few hours fun for a few friends. People look way too deeply into it. It's a sandbox game and for better or worse people are allowed to play it however they see fit.

The SA will address some of these issues but only by adding content, not by punishing certain playstyles. Is this game for you? Only you can answer that.

Pretty much this. Its a sandbox game. There is no set goal to achieve. You play how you want. You wanna kill? You wanna survive? You wanna scavenge? You wanna help others? You wanna hunt? You wanna take walks at the beach during a sunrise/sunset?

Its all up to you. thats what the mod was made for. To give the player the sandbox they can play in.

Edited January 11, 2013 by Spinager

[The2ndLink 156]

Fully geard in DayZ?

Welcome back to Arma2.

[mdmonnik@deakin.edu.au 139]

On chernarus map, no not really.

On custom maps, like lingor and taviana. A HUGE yes

[Sgt Dave 0]

Everyone plays differently. That's my answer short a simple, you can't expect everyone to play how you play and to co-operate.

[finkone 320]

Well one of the things that DayZ will have to combat, at which is going to be a up hill battle, is the anonymous nature of players that do not know each other, and the endgame goal.

My point is - that if you see a person in real life, you in general act entirely different towards them, as compared to a video game where the person will never truly see your face, or know your name, the way you speak, your body language, this even goes for dangerous situations - often there are warnings signs such as body language, gestures, voice tone... you get the picture.(you think that little kid would keep calling that grown ass man a N word on Xbox if they where perhaps face to face? No. The term being anonymous which gives people freedom to become "trolls", to act unrealistic is the main problem)

There is major morale differences that takes effect in real life on MOST (some people are just' freakin crazy) people that are put through a set of harsh circumstances. There is not negative nor really truly a endgame yet within DayZ. Having a bandit skin ain't bad. Change clothes if ya' disagree - thats not even close to a negative effect on a person for a negative action against' another player.

Until they add more content to the game (having to fight off illness), add a bit more of a endgame experience(building better bases, even underground), and/OR implement some type of WORKING morale system into the game the end game is hunting of players, and player bases. They are the most effective loot spots in the game - and sure are fun attacking.

If you do however notice from the topics of things the team wishes DayZ to have in the future - you can clearly see they are taking steps into the right direction - that they are trying to address these over all issues and make this once MOD, a true GAME.

PS - If the woods scare you more then other players, that just means that you don't have good gear yet. I enjoy my life as a fresh spawn. That frantic pace to find matches, a axe, all the common regulars... without the fear of being killed because I've nothing of true value... those are the times that I often feel free, and have the more exciting experiences.

Edited January 12, 2013 by FinKone

[krihelion 175]

No, it is still very far from being a call of duty esque game

[megusta90 0]

Hope the full game has No PvP servers.

Or a update could bring it to the mod.

[Siberian (DayZ) 527]

i predict the KoS issue will subside for a few weeks once SA releases..

then people will grow bored and return to KoS everything just like dayz is atm.

thats the problem with "no rules".. it forces the lowest common denominator mentality on the entire populace.

"i have to shoot first, cuz everyone else does"... /faceplam

seriously hope im wrong but i dont see the DayZ community changing back to COOP as the norm instead of KoS in SA.

[colekern 1364]

I really think this will be fixed by base building in the standalone. I mean seriously, after you've set up your camp, gotten good gear, gotten food there's not much to do. But with in-depth base building, you could literally make an entire town.

[Marvel.Jane 113]

I totally agree with OP because it's a mod, and like you say, once you get all geared up and you don't want to hunt other survivors... what do you do?

I think this is the main reason there is a huge divide with PvE and PvP players at the moment. I was originally introduced to this game as a survival, fps mod, but when I first began I only wanted to enjoy the PvE side of the game, just to get used to the game and the map. It wasn't long before the PvE side of it bored me, as it wasn't a challenge anymore and started to crave encounters with other players, whether friendly or not. I now think that the PvP aspect of the game is the only "thrilling" part (except in DayZ+) as it's just to easy to gain everything you need to survive.

I suggest becoming a Bandit hunter if you are looking for something to do, if not I have high hopes for the SA bringing some new challenges to the table :)

Edited January 12, 2013 by MarvelxGirl

[dekartz 315]

If you need someone to tell you what to do.... You're kinda missing the point.

[Skadefr0en 61]

I never meant to make a point out of this topic,nor attack any playing styles. I am still a newbie.

Just overwhelmed and grateful for your feedback on how you personally are dealing with these various issues.

[Fraggle (DayZ) 15720]

No probs Skadefroen. If there's one thing you can guarantee on these forum's it's lot's of strong opinions. It's a good thing, it means people care about the game :) .

Edited January 13, 2013 by Fraggle

[theirongiant 200]

I don't think making zombies harder or loot rarer will solve the any problems, if anything it'll just exacerbate the kill on sight attitude. It'd make players backpacks even more valuable resources than they currently are.

[ViciousHead 3]

I like the game but I was hoping that there'd be situations where you HAD to band together to survive. I was expecting things like a zombie horde gathering around resource buildings where players had to team up to fight their way through. Or zombies surrounding areas where players had no choice but to work together to find a way out. As it seems now, the Zombies are more like background chatter in a very big (albeit fun) PvP style map.

I have been killed by zombies though :) They are dangerous to me as I've yet to find a gun. Watching people play on Youtube doesn't make them seem very threatening once you get a gun or two though.

I'm completely new to the game to be honest so I don't know if these kind of elements are present or not. Feel free to correct me. I've not seen anything like it in any of the various videos I've watched though.

[iegle 117]

Becoming?

LoL

[Mos1ey 6301]

Don't forget that this free mod is still essentially the same game as it was months ago when it was just created to be a few hours fun for a few friends. People look way too deeply into it. It's a sandbox game and for better or worse people are allowed to play it however they see fit.

The SA will address some of these issues but only by adding content, not by punishing certain playstyles. Is this game for you? Only you can answer that.

This. ^^

DayZ mod was actually just intended as a tech demo for persistant worlds in ArmA 2. It was only meant to provide a couple of hours gameplay but people loved it and played the hell out of it.

Unfortunately no game changing features have been added thus far (mainly due to the game's limitations as a mod), but that will be sorted in the standalone. :)

[dallas 5195]

If you're getting killed several times daily, you're playing pvp or constantly operating in contested territories to get the best gear.

I play the game trying to survive for as many days I possible can. I also venture into the contested areas, but I don't spend most of my time there. This is intense, it can also be a grind and a bore, when I get bored, I take more chances and either get myself into a life threatening situation or get myself killed.

But hey! in a post-apocalyptic world, why do you continue day after day?

You have to find the motivation yourself, it also helps taking a break from DayZ once in a while. :)

Edited January 13, 2013 by Dallas

[LeReidy 8]

This is why I stopped playing for so long.

It's so easy to get good gear and the zombies are so easy to escape/kill that once you're at a certain point it just turns into pvp.

I love the pvp aspect of the game but what's the point if it is just pvp for the hell of it, with no real reason to kill.