Mental health

[landfish 62]

I've already read a lot of suggestions like this, but I like to post my own idea, I highlighted my main points. Most suggestions about mentality punishes bandits too much and that's not a point of Dayz to punish a playstyle too much. My suggestion shouldn't be too different from others. Maybe after killing like 5 or more people, your sanity will go down a bit and your vision will blur a little bit and you're character will shiver a bit. Kill more than 10 people, your sanity will go down a lot and you'll start seeing hallucinations and hearing sounds that doesn't actually exist. To counter this, you'll have to stop killing anyone for a certain period of time(maybe 3-5) minutes and you'll be back to normal, or you can take some kind of drugs which will heal this for a certain period of time. I also have an idea for a drug that will double the amount of people you can kill before feeling the side effects. Also, for self-defence if you kill one or more player and wait for a certain amount of time before killing another player/players, your sanity level will be back to zero and killing another person wouldn't do so much on your sanity. This won't only limit the KOS mentality but it should also promote teamwork, because you wouldn't want to kill a large number of players yourself or your sanity will go down too much, or you can team with others to kill the same players to conserve their or your sanity.

[±Traditore± 17]

How about when you kill a certain amount of people, over time you'll start to develop to that lifestyle and turn into a homicidal maniac? c:

[Fraggle (DayZ) 15720]

Your coloured font hurts my eyes and people using the other format won't be able to read it.

[tigerww2 24]

no............ its simple. you kill some people, think about it, feel bad "dang they lost their gear... oh well its mine" its a video game.

[Trizzo 632]

Ohh ffs these bandit go crazy threads need an offical thread to live and die in.

[Rekli 995]

no............ its simple. you kill some people, think about it, feel bad "dang they lost their gear... oh well its mine" its a video game.

...you are supremely dumb...he's talking about your character going insane like would happen in real life... Edited January 12, 2013 by NeedzBeanz

[Dylanco1 10]

People who sit their Murdering the Innocent usually dont sleep that well at night in a Zombie Apocalypse because they were all "normal" People once upon a time not Cold Blooded Psychopaths people who dont like Bandit Go crazy threads its either that or be swarmed to hell with bandits and KoS' just because you dont know what will happen either time

[OrLoK 16185]

Hello there

Just a warning, no insulting other members. Warning points may be handed out.

If you don't like another's opinion, then debate it don't insult.

Consider this a general friendly warning to everyone.

Rgds

LoK

[Derpy_Hooves (DayZ) 4521]

Yes either make some useful input or make no input at all.

I'd say the opposite would happen after 5 kills, you would become more calm and relaxed with killing as obviously it isn't a problem for your character to deal with.

I do agree though that this only being a video game kinda throws things out a little, each player basically has their own mentality in how they play and react to situations. Some may remorse killing another player but as said before the vast majority don't care about the kill, they just move on and shoot again with no guilt.

[OrLoK 16185]

Hello there

I think the game itself reflects the mental attitude of the player.

Whilst I do like the though of consequences, I don't see how a decent mechanic could be constructed to fit this game.

In a "Call of Cthuhlu"esque game, mental anguish would be mandatory.

If someone can come up with an interesting way which doesn't just penalise bandits, then I'll be interested indeed.

Rgds

LoK

[Trizzo 632]

People who sit their Murdering the Innocent usually dont sleep that well at night in a Zombie Apocalypse because they were all "normal" People once upon a time not Cold Blooded Psychopaths people who dont like Bandit Go crazy threads its either that or be swarmed to hell with bandits and KoS' just because you dont know what will happen either time

UNLESS the person is a psychopath to begin with? Then what? Your argument fails and relies on the asumption that people who kill are incapable of enjoying it for its own sake. "The innocent" whatever that means anyway.

A persson going crazy mechanic for everybody takes choice away from the player. Suddenly it's not your own story, as DayZ was intended, it is one million plus people playing a timid survivor. One who is easily wrecked with psychosis and guilt. I don't want to be that person.

KoS' just because you dont know what will happen either time

If you can't handle the stress and KOS think of how that appears to another player. Player sees you, you shoot them. Does that or does that not look look a game swarming with bandits to them? Nobody is forcing you to shoot. This mentality ensures the whining about DayZ being a "PvP Game/COD" become self fulfilling.

Edited January 12, 2013 by Trizzo

[hoik 415]

Ok, heres what I think. It is less important for the game to give feedback on the mental state of your character than it is for it to give feedback on the mental state of players in your vicinity - I don't nececarily mean in the terms of sanity or insanity, but maybe more in their general outlook/morality.

An interesting mechanic to help players guage the moral compas of others(in their vecinity) is by allowing players to either descrate a dead player (by taking trophies, like ears etc) or respect them (By making a marked grave, etc).

- trophes can be kept for kill counting. It should be the proof that you killed someone - without it your just whistling dixie.

- There will be no direct benifit for paying respect (I don't think there should be, because you are showing regret/remorse :) ).

- Importantly, both these actions will be evident to anyone who finds the corpse.

Now you might think this is just a perk for bandits, but its not - It can be a definitive signpost that either there is a bandit in the area or a reluctant killer. It lets you be more situationally aware, which I think is good.

Heres the great bit - for all the players who are in DayZ for the PvP (and presumably the braging rights), taking trophies will nearly be irrisitable! So by their own desires they are revealing their moral outlook to anyone who chooses to look.

Of course this system still relys on choice - a player can still kill someone without doing anything to the body.

Edited January 12, 2013 by Hoik

[Toybasher 27]

Reminds me of Amnesia, but I dislike the idea of losing sanity from killing. Seems like a big punishment.

Athough it would be cool to have the sanity mechanic re-tooled for just zombies, so if your sorrounded by a bunch of zombies at nightime with no light nearby or something your screen gets blurry, etc.

Maybe even reserve the sanity effects and imagining zombies etc for sicknesses if you have a high enough fever you don't think straight anymore.

Or it could be like a poison you can get from plants and you would have the option of lacing food items with it for the poor fool who tries to loot a supermarket. Maybe you could keep them on your person so if someone kills and loots you they have a nasty surprise waiting for them.

(Inspired by Amnesia)

[slivniku@gmail.com 93]

I think the game itself reflects the mental attitude of the player.

Whilst I do like the though of consequences, I don't see how a decent mechanic could be constructed to fit this game.

In a "Call of Cthuhlu"esque game, mental anguish would be mandatory.

If someone can come up with an interesting way which doesn't just penalise bandits, then I'll be interested indeed.

People in general are social beings and if one is alone (literally not meeting someone for days) they go nuts, that is why the solitary confinement is such a harsh punishment in prisons.

The problem, if you can call it that, is that after playing the game for some hours, we all go back to our normal lives, so we will never behave in game as we would if such a disaster really happened, simply because we socialize outside of the game and socializing is not really important. If the game mechanic would somehow be able to represent this normal human craving for human company it would be great (eg you have to keep in human company for at least 1h -20m distance to another live person- for every 12h of gameplay or go nuts) but I don't see how it can be justly implemented; and there will be those who would disagree that they can go on for months without human interactions and that it is unreal... It would be interesting though, you have to keep company, do you befriend a stranger, do you kidnap a stranger?

Than again, it is still a game (which we play for fun!)

[Sutinen 635]

I don't believe even psychos could sleep at night after murdering a dozen of innocent men, but then again, you can respawn in DayZ. You don't really kill anyone.

[slivniku@gmail.com 93]

I don't believe even psychos could sleep at night after murdering a dozen of innocent men, but then again, you can respawn in DayZ. You don't really kill anyone.

in post-apocalyptic world there are no Innocents and it is sooooo much easier to justify killing (the first guy had beans and I was hungry, the second guy had a gun and I needed it to defend myself, the third guy had matches and I would freeze without fire, the fourth had a knife which I needed, the fifth had the rifle I needed to hunt, the sixth was coming directly at me from the beach and if didn't kill him with the sniper rifle I would have had to use a gun and he could have killed me, the seventh... If I hadn't had killed them I would be dead myself and wouldn't be able to eat these nice beans by the fire this evening...) If you are a normal person you will feel regret in real life (which is the best part of this game) so we don't need some game mechanic to tell us something is bad, especially because it will never be accurate

[NonovUrbizniz (DayZ) 137]

How many serial killers get WORSE at killing people?

If there were any experience points or w'ever for killing it would be the opposite, you'd get calmer and more steady at sniping people, you'd get better reactions and more control over your adrenaline dump etc etc...

the only logical thing IMO would be to give ex killers PTSD when they retreat to the woods lol....

And they say serial killers start needing to kill MORE often to satisfy their desires... so really after 5-10 kills in the same life you should start NEEDING to kill people not getting worse at it... the need would lead to more risky attempts at other players and searching out trouble which would likely then lead to the players death...

So it would be a penalty and reward, Kill people get better at it, but get blood lust and HAVE to keep killing...

In general though I don't think player choices other than hacking/cheating should be penalized or rewarded.

[beastoverlord 574]

How many serial killers get WORSE at killing people?

This^

I don't think it impairs them to kill and watch others suffer. Although I do think that voices in their heads would be rather entertaining.

[NonovUrbizniz (DayZ) 137]

That could be the "encouragement" to kill triggered by killing more than 5 people... Chants of Murder murder murder, kill kill kill progressively louder and louder until it blocks out your surrounding environment sounds... forcing you to kill again if you want to hear properly lol. But again honed sense of sight, less shakiness in the reticule after running, DEAD STILL sites if you're rested, and maybe even silencing the voices temporarily if you are steadying your gun or taking aim.... that would be an interesting mechanic... live with your choices lol.

Hero's will have the snow white song playing quietly in the background and the occasional song bird or butterfly will land on your shoulder or gun barrel.... woodland creatures will flock to you so you can kill them for meat lol. OR if you really wanted to go full reward, you make them run considerably faster (they really don't now) and the body armor should be a little stronger and if you go over 7k humanity your character can Matrix dodge 2-3 rounds that would have otherwise hit you.

Jesus, I might start working on a mod file.

[Jonsse 69]

That could be the "encouragement" to kill triggered by killing more than 5 people... Chants of Murder murder murder, kill kill kill progressively louder and louder until it blocks out your surrounding environment sounds... forcing you to kill again if you want to hear properly lol. But again honed sense of sight, less shakiness in the reticule after running, DEAD STILL sites if you're rested, and maybe even silencing the voices temporarily if you are steadying your gun or taking aim.... that would be an interesting mechanic... live with your choices lol.

Hero's will have the snow white song playing quietly in the background and the occasional song bird or butterfly will land on your shoulder or gun barrel.... woodland creatures will flock to you so you can kill them for meat lol. OR if you really wanted to go full reward, you make them run considerably faster (they really don't now) and the body armor should be a little stronger and if you go over 7k humanity your character can Matrix dodge 2-3 rounds that would have otherwise hit you.

Jesus, I might start working on a mod file.

And if you're a heroic player a faint stream of rainbow and sparkles would follow you when moving. Brilliant!! And high caliber rounds that would normally kill you only break your leg on the first shot, heroes always get shot in the leg first.

You have my beans sir!

[landfish 62]

So it would be a penalty and reward, Kill people get better at it, but get blood lust and HAVE to keep killing...

The deathmatch that this game has become has already gotten pretty bad, I don't think there is any penalty to KOS players with your suggestion. There is a lot of shoot on sight players already, I don't think that needing to kill more people would affect them one bit. Also, my suggestions is not just to punish bandits, it is to make all players think if the player they're gonna kill is worth the bullet or just a waste of sanity.

In general though I don't think player choices other than hacking/cheating should be penalized or rewarded.

But that is what's happening though, bandit playstyle is greatly rewarded weather you see it or not, a lot of people is a bandit now because bandits have very little to carry but themselves and their gear, yet they risk very little when killing other player because nothing is standing on their way, the game is not putting a barrier on the choices players make but in real life believe it or not, mentality will take its toll doesn't matter if you're a mass murderer, your mind will always find a way to question your morality.

How many serial killers get WORSE at killing people?

You know something? often, mass killings will end up with the killers committing suicide, that ever makes you wonder? Oh that's it! morality, those killers mind have taken over them and they realized now what they've done. The mind doesn't get the credit it deserves, the mind controls people and very few have been able to conquer it. Yes you'll get better at killing the more people you killed but that's a natural progression, it has nothing to do with your morality and your mindset. My suggestion is extremely soft compared to what will happen to you if you commit such acts in real life. Edited January 13, 2013 by landfish