DayZ Devblog 15th February 2013

[Bat (DayZ) 230]

the new town is a new town called "new town" (Novoselki) :D

Yes but it is indeed located right north of cherno, and the new roads we see in the screenshots seems to lead straight to cherno, so you can see it more like a suburban area.

[Michaelvoodoo25 3120]

If they have changed that, you can guarentee the NWAF will have changed also. Logic tells me more buildings there, maybe a town next door, well I can hope

[deetaili 49]

Cannot see washing machines on the roads... What is this madness, will we really be able to DRIVE through towns?! :D

[Michaelvoodoo25 3120]

No washing machines? Where am I gonna get my timing belts and armour plating from now?

[Hetstaine 10852]

Sounds like it'll be just a couple of servers to start with and then open up from there. I can only pray that I'm on one of those servers.

Where is your god now.

there are 2 things in the latest blog update that make me /facepalm..

first is it sounds like no addon map support for the foreseeable future after release. which is a serious problem.

no matter how cool the new Cherna. is, its still an OLD map to most players. it simply isn tgoing to keep people interested for very long. we need fresh areas to explore/play. we just DO.

I am not really fussed for new maps at all, Cherno feels like dayz, the other ones have been ok in their own way but going back to Cherno always feels like home. The amount of people still on Chernarus maps (nearly a a year later) atm shows it is still the number 1 map.

[ramontvgames 32]

I just hope they have improved the performance of the engine

because these graphical improvements there without adjusting the engine will be worth nothing

I got a good machine my FPS is very low

and playing on other maps today, I saw a lot of people complaining about the FPS

#I love Rocket

[Maca (DayZ) 769]

I am not really fussed for new maps at all, Cherno feels like dayz, the other ones have been ok in their own way but going back to Cherno always feels like home. The amount of people still on Chernarus maps (nearly a a year later) atm shows it is still the number 1 map.

I'd have to agree with hetstaine Chernarus will always be DayZ and from what we have seen so far it looks like the Devs are implementing alot of new areas. Hopefully a lot of the northern part of the map will have places of interest and entice players to explore more of the map and not hug the coastline.....

Also very nice Q&A some quite interesting answers..

[codestargod 102]

I’m personally not a fan of NPC’s but we have been keeping this available as an option for development. I kind of think using NPC’s is cheating in this context.

Get over it rocket. It's a trade off... The game is bigger than you or your personal feelings.

You either use NPC's, mission generation and leveling systems, or you will be hard coding new features into the game for the rest of your natural life just to maintain interest and as a mechanism to controll player killing and hacking from bored players.

Don't use NPC's and you risk DAYZ De-evolving into nothing more than another PvP platform or worse, another BC3000AD in a few months when the newest game is released and people get bored.

You can make your NPC's as unobtrusive and behind the scenes as you want. It could even be that one of the in-game challenges is to track down an illusive NPC based on rumor and hearsay of their existence... could make a very interesting 'easter-egg' hunt. All that is needed is a dynamically changing and programmable in-game mechanism to steer and encourage/invite the players to go in a direction or choose an option you deem most preferred, while making it appear as if you are not. This is a job well suited for an NPC verses an expensive computer programmer with yet another update/patch.

Most people do not enjoy being told what to do at first, but sadly most people need to be told what to do in the end... and then learn to enjoy it after having considered all the alternatives.

Edited February 17, 2013 by codestargod

[mr_chabowski@live.co.uk 2416]

*snip*

Beliving that the tried and tested method is the ONLY way to do anything is the reason there are 15 "new" CoD games every year.

Sure the "proven" method is one way to do it, but cheap parlour tricks, such as NPC missions, are no substitute for proper ingenuity when it comes to problem solving and extending playability.

If anything, implementation of NPCs should be a last resort, when all else fails.

[Fraggle (DayZ) 15720]

Most people do not enjoy being told what to do at first, but sadly most people need to be told what to do in the end... and then learn to enjoy it after having considered all the alternatives.

I think what you mean here is that you need to be told what to do or steered in a certain direction and then be given a pat on the back by an NPC in order to enjoy a game.

That's what happens after spending years playing the same old shite I guess, you become conditioned to the point where something comes along taking a different approach and then you become uncomfortable and anxious at the prospect of not having your hand held and being given a coin or a star for achieving something.

Maybe that's why you seem so angry at what is a fairly simple and harmless comment that commits to nothing. Read Rockets post again, he's ruled nothing out, he's just putting a lot of thought into how to progress with the game development rather than falling into the trap of going with the tried and tested route like every other game getting churned out and sucked up by us time and time again.

Don't forget that DayZ became popular for taking a very different approach. It's a buggy and at times broken game in it's current state but hundreds of thousands of people tolerate that because they're looking for a different experience and at the moment DayZ is the only game on the horizon (in this genre) that looks capable of giving us that. Let's hope they don't fall into the trap of taking the path of least resistance as you seem to want them to.

Edited February 17, 2013 by Fraggle

[DemonGroover 8836]

Get over it rocket. It's a trade off... The game is bigger than you or your personal feelings.....

Had to laugh at this.

I just love the way you state YOUR personal feelings on how the game should proceed.

But this is the best one

Most people do not enjoy being told what to do at first, but sadly most people need to be told what to do in the end... and then learn to enjoy it after having considered all the alternatives.

You're married aren't you??

[Private Evans 1303]

Get over it rocket. It's a trade off... The game is bigger than you or your personal feelings.

You either use NPC's, mission generation and leveling systems, or you will be hard coding new features into the game for the rest of your natural life just to maintain interest and as a mechanism to controll player killing and hacking from bored players.

Don't use NPC's and you risk DAYZ De-evolving into nothing more than another PvP platform or worse, another BC3000AD in a few months when the newest game is released and people get bored.

You can make your NPC's as unobtrusive and behind the scenes as you want. It could even be that one of the in-game challenges is to track down an illusive NPC based on rumor and hearsay of their existence... could make a very interesting 'easter-egg' hunt. All that is needed is a dynamically changing and programmable in-game mechanism to steer and encourage/invite the players to go in a direction or choose an option you deem most preferred, while making it appear as if you are not. This is a job well suited for an NPC verses an expensive computer programmer with yet another update/patch.

Most people do not enjoy being told what to do at first, but sadly most people need to be told what to do in the end... and then learn to enjoy it after having considered all the alternatives.

because boring uninspired people buying boring uninspired games we are getting more and more fucking crappy shit boring uninspired games....I am playing and modding computer games for over 20 years now and it is so amazing to finally see someone who has the balls and the vision to create something different...from the bottom of my heart..... fuck your npc's ...your leveling system and your generated missions...

Rocket and team will provide the tools and we will write the stories...open up a trading post, write books, maybe do your own radio broadcast, be a medic, be even a priest, join a rescue force...or provide transports...hunt people to eat them....rollplay a military unit....whatever...since we will get a radio system and will be able to write notes and books ingame everything is possible....this is about being creative and not getting random missions given by wow style npc's.......get me 100 ogre ears...escort an unimportant npc from A to B, kill another unimportant npc in D and finally pray at 10 way shrines to become E....as a reward you will become a novice of the Elkekto fighters guild.... FUCK THAT !!!!

also we should keep in mind that we will get more maps later on. and maybe it will be even possible to travell between those maps...the possibilities are endless.....

[rocket 16567]

*snip*

As mentioned by others, I'm not necessarily ruling out NPC's, and in fact there are some on the team (such as Marek) who feel they could very much have a place. DayZ hipsters will remember that when DayZ came out, you consumed food and water while you were offline. In the initial design I was absolutely steadfast with this, I wanted it to force the players to stockpile food and water and make them a very critical resource. But eventually, it was removed because it destroyed some players experiences. Not everyone has as much time to devote to gaming as I do.

To explain it better, I feel focus on making NPC's "work" would be better spent increasing the opportunity, systems, and mechanisms for player interaction. Because, let's face it, DayZ is successful because of the interesting player interactions it has enabled - not because of anything directly written or scripted in the game by me. It is sort of a "build it and they will come" philosophy, that if we give players as many tools as possible to interact - they will do interesting things. Considering how much creativity we have seen from the fairly meager pickings available in the mod, I am hopeful that we will see some amazing stuff in the standalone.

[willey.erd@oundleschool.org.uk 506]

It could even be that one of the in-game challenges is to track down an illusive player based on rumor and hearsay of their existence... could make a very interesting 'easter-egg' hunt. All that is needed is players, while completing destroying the need for any additional programming, whatsoever.

Fixed your example for you. Come on, NPC's are the cheap way out.

[SmashT 10907]

Give me a shovel and I'll build an underground trading city.

[-Se7eN- 874]

We here at The Trusted Medics of the Wasteland have had meetings just about the kind of things we want to try and do in the standalone, Field Hospitals, Contaminated quarantines, Were looking forward to the freedom standalone will bring.

[Fraggle (DayZ) 15720]

We here at The Trusted Medics of the Wasteland have had meetings just about the kind of things we want to try and do in the standalone, Field Hospitals, Contaminated quarantines, Were looking forward to the freedom standalone will bring.

TMW is a great example of why we don't need to be told what to do, we just need the tools to be provided for us. I'm looking forward to what you guy's come up with once the SA hits (especially once the new disease mechanic is introduced).

I'll be playing as a medic too and I think we'll become fairly valuable players once everyone starts dying of infections/viruses.

[Private Evans 1303]

We here at The Trusted Medics of the Wasteland have had meetings just about the kind of things we want to try and do in the standalone, Field Hospitals, Contaminated quarantines, Were looking forward to the freedom standalone will bring.

this I what I was talking about...maybe you will need other people to get supplies for you at some point.., maybe a specific antibiotioka ..you could send out a radio call..or leave notes at specific points...

Edit : I would love to do something like Radio Wasteland in Fallout 3

Edited February 17, 2013 by Private Evans

[-Se7eN- 874]

Thanks Fraggle, and i agree the disease mechanic will make some very interesting game play, we want huge safe havens for players in need of help, but as soon as one person who is contaminated gets in, that could cause a whole new collection of problems.

[beastoverlord 574]

You're married aren't you??

I couldn't help but laugh at this.

[-Se7eN- 874]

this I what I was talking about...maybe you will need other people to get supplies for you at some point.., maybe a specific antibiotioka ..you could send out a radio call..or leave notes at specific points...

Edit : I would love to do something like Radio Wasteland in Fallout 3

Do we know if radio's are going to be implemented ? if so that would be awesome, i know the DayZ nexus hives are doing some fun stuff with radio's and ACRE, Looks fun!

[Private Evans 1303]

Do we know if radio's are going to be implemented ? if so that would be awesome, i know the DayZ nexus hives are doing some fun stuff with radio's and ACRE, Looks fun!

as far as I understand a simple radio system will be most likely part of the revised chat system ...

[-Se7eN- 874]

as far as I understand a simple radio system will be most likely part of the revised chat system ...

That will be fun!

[Private Evans 1303]

Thanks Fraggle, and i agree the disease mechanic will make some very interesting game play, we want huge safe havens for players in need of help, but as soon as one person who is contaminated gets in, that could cause a whole new collection of problems.

wouldn't it be so epic if you would be limited to ingame mechanics for communication...beside a radio system, notes and instructions placed at specific points...not mobile survivors in the need of help could use signals..like smoke grenades or signal pistoles.... :)

[mr_chabowski@live.co.uk 2416]

Edit : I would love to do something like Radio Wasteland in Fallout 3

With a couple of acoustics and a decent mic we can entertain the post-apocalypse 24/7. (or maybe 12/7) (or 4/5?) (occasionally)

DJ-Chabowski and his incomprehensible accent. ;)