Advanced (zombie) infection in SA

[timboski 618]

Ok so the game is all about surviving from the infected but for some reason you cannot actually become infected yourself no matter how many times you roll about in piles of dead zombies (and the coughing a bit and losing blood is not real infection, you get the same thing from having a dip in the ocean ffs). Now I know a zombie apocalypse is hardly the most realistic thing in the world but if you are going for realism in this sitiation then the danger should also come from infection as well as being killed by zombies/other players.

So...

Say there is a chance of infection when you are hit/bitten by the infected or with all the other unsanitary stuff that goes on in DayZ. It could be a very slim chance but once infected you will slowly turn into one of them and it will end in the worst possible death, even worse than multiple clubs to the head with a rusty crowbar. Now this time between infection and death can be a long drawn out process (for the sake of the game).

At first you will not really notice anything different apart from some kind of indicator that you have been infected. Then after a while you'll find you need to eat more often and drink less often (zombie ppl feel free to correct me about the thirst thing). You'll find you can consume raw meat and then OMG raw people meat nom nom. Canned food will no longer make a difference to your hunger. Your skin will slowly become paler and you get that cool zombie eye thing going on. Maybe you will emit the odd involuntary groan and your vision could change. Your team mates will soon be keeping a wide berth and certainly don't want to borrow your water bottle.

This all getting rather grim but there has to be an upside to this situation. Since you are turning into one of the infected you will find you it easier and easier to walk among them without causing any fuss. "Hey we need supplies but that town is crawling with infected...lets send in Fred the zed". You might even pull the wool over potential enemies eyes. Also you might find you take less damage from gunshots and have more stamina...even though your gait has become a little "shambled".

Ok so as much as you might really love being a rabid flesh eater and even your team mates are starting to find you are a bit of a novelty, the sad fact is the clock is ticking. In the end you will eventually find yourself unable to use your weapons or even speak without screaming and moaning (yep people don't hear your ingame chat like they used to). So looks like you'll need to have a last meal with your team mates (if they haven't already disowned you....or worse) and wander off to find a ditch to die in like a dog (dogs also avoid you too btw). Nah we can't end it like this....lets do the Scooby Doo ending.....

So since there may be a backstory to the SA then why not have it that they were testing for a cure to infection in some lab deep within Chernarus and the infected broke free. Why not have it that even though this horrible event happened there was a cure created and it can be found somewhere in handy little packages? Somewhere difficult to get to, guarded by nasty bandits and the like who will happily give you it...for a price. I also think the more infected you are the more of the cure you need (like in stages).

Anyhoo this is all food for thought and I understand probably not everyone's cup of tea but for me it would really add to the realism if done properly. It could also be set per server like the way we have 3rd person on/off etc.

Please give your own ideas and/or constructive criticism.

tl;dr

Players can become infected (zombie infection, not like the skitters and whatnot)

Has both good an bad points

Need to find a cure or you will die

Scooby Doo won't help you

Edited February 19, 2013 by Timboski

[FlamingDefibs 421]

Do you follow the Devblogs? Because I'm pretty sure Rocket has already confirmed this.

Look at it this way: Why wouldn't he consider this in the first place?

[timboski 618]

Do you follow the Devblogs? Because I'm pretty sure Rocket has already confirmed this.

Look at it this way: Why wouldn't he consider this in the first place?

I do but the way it looks to me is that he means infections and diseases (which is great) but not actual zombie infection.

[FlamingDefibs 421]

Ah. That's a different story then. But with the ridiculous amount of diseases that he already plans to implement, this would make the game even harder, and that would just take it to the point of unplayability.

[tiresomehoopla 37]

This has already been suggested. A lot. And I don't like the NPCs guarding the cure part.

DayZ isn't really a game for NPCs.

[timboski 618]

Ah. That's a different story then. But with the ridiculous amount of diseases that he already plans to implement, this would make the game even harder, and that would just take it to the point of unplayability.

Yep I do agree though you would think you would have to worry more about zombie infection a little more than crabs or whatever Rocket has up his sleeve/pants :D

This has already been suggested. A lot. And I don't like the NPCs guarding the cure part.

DayZ isn't really a game for NPCs.

I never mentioned NPC's ;)

[tiresomehoopla 37]

Yep I do agree though you would think you would have to worry more about zombie infection a little more than crabs or whatever Rocket has up his sleeve/pants :D

I never mentioned NPC's ;)

I guess I misunderstood bandits and survivors letting you in for a price. You made it sound as if it was a guarantee, even on servers with 1 player. (NPC.)

[radrussian1 (DayZ) 23]

the game really needs to come out so people stop suggesting things. hahahahaha. its just sad now.

[Uuni 74]

I wish that in the SA when you die you turn into a zombie after a while. That way the loot wouldn't disappear from the world with your corpse, instead it starts walking around with the current clothes you had on when you died. Obviously it wouldn't be carrying around any guns but yeah, would a nice to see player corpses walking around assuming the player wasn't blown to pieces when he/she died

[IkaikaKekai 1957]

Survivors are completely Immune to the Zombie Virus. My guess is that it is an airborne virus and that everyone who's not immune is infected already and there are no non-immune survivors. However, what seams to be the confusion is the talk about people getting infections and not realizing that this does not mean the Zombie virus. The Flu is an infection, dysentery is an infection, hell something as simple as the common cold can be considered an infection.

PLAYERS WILL NEVER TURN INTO ZOMBIES/THE Infected. PLAYER BODIES WILL NEVER TURN INTO ZOMBIES/THE Infected.

Get over it. (I lowercased the rest of Infected to drive the point home that theres a difference between an infection and The Infection)

[joe_mcentire 2074]

The one who shouts has lost the argument ;) ... but in this case you're absolutely right as it has been chewed over and over again

[jk_scowling 44]

I wish that in the SA when you die you turn into a zombie after a while. That way the loot wouldn't disappear from the world with your corpse, instead it starts walking around with the current clothes you had on when you died. Obviously it wouldn't be carrying around any guns but yeah, would a nice to see player corpses walking around assuming the player wasn't blown to pieces when he/she died

Could be fun, especially if they had the bag still haha, might be some good stuff in there.

[novogeek 253]

Seriously ... I come from South Africa and I read this topic as: Advanced (zombie) infection in S.A. ... because we abbreviate our country as SA or S.A. ... very few abbreviate it as RSA or R.S.A.

Anyway ... I was like ... epic ... finally a real world scenario to use my DayZ skills in ... and then I realised it stood for Stand Alone ... how sad is my life. :(

*sits in the corner and rocks himself to sleep*

[Nekuriddo 4]

I had this idea a while ago where when you were infected you had some time (varies) to get your self an antibiotic or you would turn into a zed (a powerful one, since recently infected) and attack the nearest target (quite possible one of your friends). You would lose control of your character but you'll be able to see what's going on.

What's interesting about this is that it recreates those scenes in classic zombie movies where the group mistrusts you. They have the option to kill you or leave you be until you find antibiotics.

It's a shame we won't be seeing any of these ideas

[CreepySalad 108]

don't like the cure part.

[thesodesa 99]

I wish that in the SA when you die you turn into a zombie after a while. That way the loot wouldn't disappear from the world with your corpse, instead it starts walking around with the current clothes you had on when you died. Obviously it wouldn't be carrying around any guns but yeah, would a nice to see player corpses walking around assuming the player wasn't blown to pieces when he/she died

The Zeds are infected, not dead.

[THE_BURNDOWN 27]

This would just make the infected commit suicide.

But it would be cool to have players living on human flesh. A whole new level of being a bandit.

[captainwaffles 41]

Im sorry does no one listen? Rocket said that players are immune.

[HERBERT-THETREE 44]

:facepalm:

Im done.

[colekern 1364]

Rocket already said that you're immune. My guess is that the reason for this is that in real life the virus would have to be airborne in order to destroy the world because otherwise it would spread to slowly.

[Nekuriddo 4]

Nobody cares about that shit... are we talking about DayZ plot here? really, who gives a shit?

I think it would be a nice game mechanic, just that.... nobody cares about DayZ fucking plot

[IkaikaKekai 1957]

No, it wouldn't be a good mechanic and people DO care about 'that shit'. Frankly Rocket (the guy making this wonderful game) cares, as well as a lot of other people myself included. He might not be giving us a set storyline other than the Infected/zombies are not dead, just rabid, and that we survivors are immune to the virus, but still, if he were to backtrack on that just to satisfy a few who want to be zombies or have to deal with zombification this game would suck.

Imagine for a moment you could get the zombie virus, you spawn and before you even get a chance to pick up an ax you get bitten and infected in Kamenka, now unless you just die and add to the zombie population you're gonna be running your ass off to Cherno hospital, oh look bandits and snipers camping the hospital and kill you with a chest shot, you respawn same thing happens, Kamenka, infected, Cherno, Asshole camper, respawn. By the time the camper logs off/runs out of ammo theres 20 zombie yous standing infront of the hospital. OH good you finally kill em all and get into the hospital, guess what, no Antibiotics.

Now imagine the other side of that. You're going along, you're set gearwise, top of the fucking pole, and your just looking for food, BLAM Troll takes out your legs and knocks you out, Troll runs up, bandages and bloods you up as well as steals any meds you have in your pack but leaves all your other gear, then fires off a lee enfield before running off, zombies come and infect you, troll kills em off so they dont kill you and leaves you with your broken leg and zombie infection KILOMETERS away from the nearest hospital/medical spawn, laughing at you the whole time.

Edited February 23, 2013 by BigMike