What do new players prefer?

[Uncle Zed 272]

I have a new server up that caters to new players, like myself. It gives a starting loadouts to make things easier. It's currently 24/7 daylight but I was thinking of making it day/night, and the players start with NVG's. What do you guys think? Is this something that new players would enjoy? I know that when I first started, I didn't like the idea of a night cycle because I didn't have any way to see, but with NVG's, maybe it's better?

Edited January 23, 2013 by GrossKopf

[Fraggle (DayZ) 15720]

IMO if you take away the night you take away a big part of the game but that's just my personal opinion.

[sean.koen85@gmail.com 17]

Yeah you should put in the night, but putting in NVG's as a spawn takes away the looting fun IMO.

you could make it a 24/7 night server, and then put in NVG's, but I don't think you'll get a lot of players. ;)

[OMSpooner 0]

I'm giving nvg's and a larger pack on my private server for new spawns but only for the first week or so.

[Uncle Zed 272]

Well, the intent is to make it a little easier for those of us that are new to the game. I found it very frustrating when I spawned on a server and had no weapon at all. I love the scavaging idea behind the mod, which is why I only give basics and the player has to get the rest on his own, but I do think NVG's would be good, IF I decided to have the day/night cycle.

[Sula 1205]

If everyone spawns with NVGs then a day/night cycle would be more fun. In my view, one of the biggest flaws with this mod is the rarity NVGs making it almost impossible to spawn at night with nothing in pitch dark, while being shot at by someone with NVGs.

[Mr Nasty 1023]

I dont understand the point of making it night time and spawning everyone with NVGs. Might as well make it 24/7 day time its basically the same thing.

[Gooober 34]

My server we spawn with nvgs. ALOT more players are now playin at night, but now our host company is suppling for full moon nights every night, so hopin admins dont remove nvgs....

We gave out nvgs over 24hr day light to lessen sniper kills... Except for dmr, people had to engage close quarters for killz....

[Gooober 34]

Nvgs and gps are too rare in opinion.... Gps really gives no one a better advantage, besides quick location.... Ooooooohhhhhh. Big Deal......

[b683960 3]

IMO if you take away the night you take away a big part of the game but that's just my personal opinion.

i agreed.

I have no idea how is it at your home but at my home i have no NV ready to hand and the nights are really very dark.

[creature 1189]

IMO if you take away the night you take away a big part of the game but that's just my personal opinion.

Exactly.

Unless you just want to hunt other players, nvg kinda ruins the night time experience imho.

[Uncle Zed 272]

Unless you just want to hunt other players, nvg kinda ruins the night time experience imho.

The idea behind my server is that it's focused at the new players, not hordes of bandits running around killing fellow players.

[Reverence 12]

I would think of making them a bit more common loot? Otherwise that ruins night and people should be able to have the advantage of being able to see at night vs black and white because you can turn gamma brightness and HDR Quality or something like that to very high and be able to see quite well near towns and stuff.

[Tigerbeetweenie 51]

I have a new server up that caters to new players, like myself. It gives a starting loadouts to make things easier. It's currently 24/7 daylight but I was thinking of making it day/night, and the players start with NVG's. What do you guys think? Is this something that new players would enjoy? I know that when I first started, I didn't like the idea of a night cycle because I didn't have any way to see, but with NVG's, maybe it's better?

Hm. What about military flashlights as opposed to NVGs? I mean, it's your server so you can do whatever the fuck you want but I just personally think that players should have to find NVGs the hard way. Maybe you could tweak their spawn rate.

[beastoverlord 574]

I'm giving nvg's and a larger pack on my private server for new spawns but only for the first week or so.

If this was on a server I played on I would be down at the beach farming them NVGs

[Uncle Zed 272]

Hm. What about military flashlights as opposed to NVGs? I mean, it's your server so you can do whatever the fuck you want but I just personally think that players should have to find NVGs the hard way. Maybe you could tweak their spawn rate.

Military flashlights is definitely something I'll consider. I assume that doesn't make you as easy to see as a regular flashlight?

[Tigerbeetweenie 51]

Military flashlights is definitely something I'll consider. I assume that doesn't make you as easy to see as a regular flashlight?

Yeah. They are similar to normal flashlights but cannot be seen at a distance. The light they emit can have really weird illumination though, depending on where you are at. Like, for example, in certain forested areas it's like a flood light (relative to the player's perspective, remember, those from a distance still can't see you) but inside the hangers at the airfield near the southern end of the island, they barely illuminate at all except when you are aiming at equipment. It might just be my graphics settings but I use military flashlights whenever I don't have NVGs so I notice these things. Edited January 24, 2013 by Tigerbeetweenie

[Cur 1]

While my greatest issue with the game's daylight matching the time IRL, was i would be coming home from work each afternoon and jumping on to play Day Z, to be faced with a pitch black screen!

I try to stumble around, turn up the gamma, nope, still blind as a dingbat.

That just isnt fun for a new player, especialy when you come to the realisation that you'll only be able to play during the day on weekends. a more unrealistic day/night cycle i think i'd appreciate more, say turn 24hours inside the game into 4 days worth of time IRL. You still have the day/night thing going on, its still (for the most part) realistic, but it shouldent feel as much like you'd be coming home each evening ot shove your head into a dark box and try to make your way around the neigborhood blind.

I also understand that once i had been alive and more farmiluar with the game, i appreciated night time, as i felt more comfortable with taking a chance to sneak into a city for supplies, knowing it would be harder for potential bandit threats to find me. I think when i did this there was actualy a bit of moonlight as well, so i could see a little, when all the other times it felt like there were thunderstorms above and no light getting through at all.

NVG might be a good counter, but i guess i'd prefer to suck it up and not go for it as it would mean darkness is no longer a cover for you at all, as everyone has NVG.

[Fraggle (DayZ) 15720]

Well you say it isn't fun for a new player but all of us here were new players at some point and we all started without NVG's and DayZ became very popular as you know. It's your server and you can do what you like but this trend of private server owners trying to make the game more accessible is just a personal bug-bear of mine, I'm sure many disagree with me though :) .

DayZ became popular because it's challenging, frustrating and hard to learn. It's not supposed to be catering to the lazy or casual player. It's because of this that the sense of reward is so much greater when you achieve something or manage to find that super rare item.

Anyhoo, it's just my opinion and I'm sure you disagree I just see so many private server owners starting to miss the point of the game now days and forget why it became so popular to start with.

[The_Man 393]

As a new player, I think it is important to not take Rocket's final design as perfect. Ever since Operation Flashpoint came out...people have been modding the game. I hope these modifications continue in DayZ. I highly doubt that the Standalone will have a strong fan base for longer than a year if modified servers don't exist. My experience? I've been part of several communities spanning over a decade since the release of Operation Flashpoint.

Public servers on the hive will be an integral part of the initial release. People will then get bored and resort to smaller, niche communities.

DayZ doesn't have a "point" as it is an open-ended game. Just like many modifications, it is what the fan base makes of the game. No one will agree on what DayZ should be. This is why smaller communities + private servers will form eventually and create their own DayZ.

Edited January 24, 2013 by The_Man

[klesh 2423]

Nighttime without NVGs is fun, it's a challenge, and it'll put hair on your chest.

[Fraggle (DayZ) 15720]

As a new player, I think it is important to not take Rocket's final design as perfect. Ever since Operation Flashpoint came out...people have been modding the game. I hope these modifications continue in DayZ. I highly doubt that the Standalone will have a strong fan base for longer than a year if modified servers don't exist. My experience? I've been part of several communities spanning over a decade since the release of Operation Flashpoint.

Public servers on the hive will be an integral part of the initial release. People will then get bored and resort to smaller, niche communities.

DayZ doesn't have a "point" as it is an open-ended game. Just like many modifications, it is what the fan base makes of the game. No one will agree on what DayZ should be. This is why smaller communities + private servers will form eventually and create their own DayZ.

It'll be interesting when people start playing the SA. There's thousands of new players ATM who's only experience if DayZ is starting with a custom gear and playing on maps with 400 vehicle spawns.

Modding and private servers have always been important to BIS, luckily though the SA will be locked down so people have to play it as intended. I too have enjoyed most of the modded versions of the milsim games since OFP came out. For that type of game, heavily customised servers work well, that's exactly why BIS make their games so customisable and even give you the tools to do it.

However this isn't a milsim game, it just happens to be using the same engine. Once it get's tweaked too much it loses everything that made it special to start with and that's exactly why the SA won't be modable in the near future as well as the security implications of making the code public.

Edited January 24, 2013 by Fraggle

[The_Man 393]

It'll be interesting when people start playing the SA. There's thousands of new players ATM who's only experience if DayZ is starting with a custom gear and playing on maps with 400 vehicle spawns.

Modding and private servers have always been important to BIS, luckily though the SA will be locked down so people have to play it as intended. I too have enjoyed most of the modded versions of the milsim games since OFP came out. For that type of game, heavily customised servers work well, that's exactly why BIS make their games so customisable and even give you the tools to do it.

However this isn't a milsim game, it just happens to be using the same engine. Once it get's tweaked too much it loses everything that made it special to start with and that's exactly why the SA won't be modable in the near future.

A custom load out + 400 vehicles absolutely takes away from what made DayZ special. However, I have played on a few private hive servers where modifications made this game positively more exciting and intense. One example: This is not a milsim yet there are still weapons like the AS50 which is completely capable of firing over a kilometer away WITHOUT worrying about wind. This is totally fine in a milsim like ARMA. However DayZ is not a milsim as you said and killing someone with such ease (really it takes very little skill) is a terrible mechanic. This is a game where some people grind for hours and all that can be taken from a kilometer away without much effort.

Considering that the development team has done a good job with this mod...well I have high faith they will create a good re-playable game. However, I know how these things go and making this game not modifiable in the near future is a terrible idea in my opinion. It will diminish the community. Look at how things are now? The community is already split on how this game should be. That notion will be eased by the standalone release, sure. However, in due time, with no options for communities to split off will hurt the game in the long run.

With all this said: I understand the game is in Alpha but they created a fan-base with a sandbox game. The response to an unmodified SA will be detrimental to this community.

To the OP: Why stop at night vision goggles? Slippery slope. Looting is an essential part of this game and if players don't like playing at night then it provides incentive to loot more and try to find nightvision goggles! If you give them to everyone then it takes away one small reason to play this game!

Edited January 24, 2013 by The_Man

[Fraggle (DayZ) 15720]

I think we'll have to agree to disagree ;)

[Uncle Zed 272]

Thank you again for all the input, guys. It gives me a lot to think about.