Tides and water tables

[032125 (DayZ) 91]

I just posted this in the video blog thread, then realized that this is the better place for it.

Imagine if that swamp was submerged every 6 hours. When the tides recede, players rush out to see what items (crabs, trash, bodies) have washed up.

Imagine if heavy rains raised the water table so that ponds lakes and rivers (we can only hope they add at least one river) could potentially spill over thier banks.

This would be flipping amazing. I don't think it would be difficult to implement, though I may be wildy misled.

[Guest]

It may be fairly simple to implement. However I don't know,

what do you mean by loot that washes up? you mean players that have died there or?

[estx1992 32]

The tide rising, I don't like.

However rain fall raising the water level, that's an awesome idea friend. I like it.

[032125 (DayZ) 91]

It may be fairly simple to implement. However I don't know,

what do you mean by loot that washes up? you mean players that have died there or?

I suppose I mean that loot would spawn underwater while the tide was in, simulating the kind of refuse (natural and man-made) that accrues on shores when the tide comes in. Drift wood would be cools as well; you don't then need a hatchet to start a fire on the beach.

[intensity 157]

A tide for a swamp doesn't seem very likely, although the weather could affect it.

[joe_mcentire 2074]

how about a partially flooded smaller settlement near the swamp (as in video)? debris floating around between the houses, puppets, a bloated corpse in the middle...

[032125 (DayZ) 91]

A tide for a swamp doesn't seem very likely, although the weather could affect it.

Dude that swamp is connected to the sea/ocean. This is called a tidal swamp or salt marsh. There is one three miles from where I'm sitting, and it floods every 6 hours.

http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Salt_marsh

They are extremely common. Here is a time lapse:

As far as I know, the water table is just a setting that could be set to move up or down over a given time. The consequences of this change on player behavior could be very, very significant.

Edited February 5, 2013 by 032125

[joe_mcentire 2074]

and they fit to the setting of Chernarus. referring to that "stupid ideas" thread: difference to sip water from salt marshes and to sip from swamps ;)

Edited February 5, 2013 by joe_mcentire

[intensity 157]

Dude that swamp is connected to the sea/ocean. This is called a tidal swamp or salt marsh. There is one three miles from where I'm sitting, and it floods every 6 hours.

From what I know there are some on land? Not sure though. Either way, I wasn't referring to the tidal swamps , but more to the ones (if any) on land.

Sorry if there was a confusion lol.

[Heiduk 265]

I don't have a reference but I'm almost positive that tides are already simulated in ARMA. In that case it is just a matter of having your tidal marsh at the right elevation and it will flood and dry out realistically, with varying water depths throughout the year.

[scoffield77@gmail.com 192]

I thought about making this suggestion earlier but I don't see the real significance of it.

Unless they put crocodile in the swamp they added.. it could make it harder to see them or something increasing the risk of going in to the swamp daring high tide..

other wise it's not really going to change much...

... Since they are adding Utes to the map, maybe since you could wash a boat up on shore if you landed daring high tide, and there would have to be sand bars.

Edited February 6, 2013 by Bullfrog

[m.w. vindicator 880]

I am all for it.

Imagine this:

Your hiking in the hills roughly to the North East of Kamarovo (swamp is directly east of Kamarovo as far as I can tell) and you hear the sound of a car. It is night time and the car is driving without its headlights on to be stealthy. Unfortunately, for the drivers and his passenger, it is high tide. They accidentally drive right into the swamp and get stuck in knee deep mud and water. After a futile attempt to dislodge the vehicle, it is abandoned. You know, however, that low tide is in four hours. So four hours later you return and find that the tide is lower and you manage to free the vehicle from its possible salty grave. You drive off triumphantly!

Hopefully it isn't to hard to implement. With time this game is going to be great!

[zippy 1]

With the utes map coming in the standalone.

Alot of islands very close to mainland are accessable with tide out, or have a purpose built road that can be driven on tide out.

[032125 (DayZ) 91]

Tides change the landscape on a consistent timetable. A wise man can use this to his advantage; he can find a tidal island to rest in relative safety from zeds, park a car on it to keep people from driving it away while he forages, or ingress/egress using watercraft at key times. A flooded salt marsh forces players out of the low ground, which they may otherwise use to hide movement.

If the developers factored weight limits into swimming, getting caught in the tidal flats could be deadly for an overloaded player, caught unaware by the rising waters.

Rising rivers is another issue altogether. Imagine you've set up shop in the basement of a riverside house. Heavy rains flood the river, and threaten to flood your base; do you abandon it? Do you have enough sandbags to stave off flooding? What if you are being chased by bandits, and the ford that you have used a dozen times is now sitting under six feed of water? Are you desparate enough to attempt a crossing anyhow? Do you head for the bridge a mile away and hope it is clear?

If the rain persists, entire fields may become swamps, forcing players to take the lon way round, or slog across slowly, exposed to fire. Flood waters may also be tainted, and spread disease. Corpses might wash up on river banks far away from larger settlements, introducing new problems.

These are the things I think about with water tables and tides.