I can't quite explain DayZ to my friend.

[mjkproductions 12]

I tried to explain it.. he said it was just a silly zombie game. But its more than that to me. Much more. It's a second life. It's a feeling of freedom, independence, yet constant fear. Just looking for another human, and praying that you find food. Then finding one, but no matter how good a friend, you find yourself always watching your back. It's not about the graphics or the physics - its about the psychological struggles of being alone in the woods, with nobody there to help, and no way to get help. You're stuck.

I just can't explain it right to him. Help me put the game in words, please.

[Chris529 380]

sometimes the only way to get people to understand is for them to play the game themselves. If it's possible he should give it a go and who knows he could love it. Though if you were to put it into words I would say your description is pretty accurate. Show him some videos of the game. Did you tell him about how DayZ can actually twist your stomach with fear and make your heart race with adrenaline?

[burritoman259 593]

Dayz is... impossible to explain.

I can't explain or talk to people who have just watched it on youtube and never played it themselves, they think its all glorious adventures in choppers and finding rare gear and killing people who kill new spawns,

They have no idea.

[colekern 1364]

He has to play it and meet a player to understand.

[LaurenDanger 100]

I'm with Chris, show the friend some videos. After all, for a long while zombies were just the nusiance factor in a game where trusting a real life person could get your character killed. Thus it is much more than a silly zombie game. Does this friend like any other video games? maybe there's a way to draw some parallels. It has dmanic features that most games don't, like: Find a broken down vehicle and repair it. Avoid hostile AI that want to eat your face. Try not to starve to death. Stay hydrated. Scrounge for a weapon and ammo. Step off of a rock the wrong way and break your legs.

Wait, now it makes it seem difficult. Which it can be. But that's the immersiveness we enjoy as players.

[[email protected] 39]

I am with the rest of the guys here. Show him some videoes with some good footage of Dayz. It might be a good idea fro you to have a couple of videos on your mind, and not just randomly search youtube. Then afterwards talk about what it would be like if you could team up and have adventures together. Sounds a little goofy, but thats after all what its all about.

Or it might be easier to wait until the stand-alone comes out and bring him on board then. Alot of people dont seem to understand the concept of it all being a mod and not a game for itself yet.

The best of luck to you anyway! I struggeled myself with getting a mate into it, but after a while he became hooked as well.

[klesh 2423]

A lot of times the videos don't do the game justice.

I've explained the game to my one friend who plays videogames, and he's into it. I show him videos and he is completely disappointed by the zombies. They're either just standing there as the player runs by, or they're not able to attack the player when they simply run into a tree, then they just give up. I could see the disappointment in his face as he watched stuff like that. :-/

[novogeek 253]

Actually it is kind of like the stages of denial ... maybe this can help ... this are the stages of Dayz:

1. Fear - you first connect and every sound is sinister, every infected is scary.
   
2. Confident - you find your first weapon, a Lee Enfield, and unleash death on infected ... but they all hear the "Dinner Bell".
   
3. Panic - backed in a corner, fast running out of ammunition, you decide to make a run for it.
   
4. Relief - you lived, just barely ... now it is time to try get more supplied.
   
5. Cautious - now you know better ... or do you?
   

Edited February 24, 2013 by novogeek

[BwobBwub 660]

The only time I felt 'thats DayZ' when watching a video is CHKilroy's Days Ahead series. But thats when Direct Chat was used and teamwork too,

[p4triot 207]

Had the same problem with a friend. And after a long talking I think we found the best words for this.

This is a game about fortuite situations. What can go wrong will go wrong, everything can happen to you, and the goal is to survive.

[DemonGroover 8836]

Has he actually played the game?

[Hetstaine 10852]

One of my mates gave up on Dayz not long after they took out the starter weapon. When i told him the update canned the Mak he said..thats it, i'm out. He did like the ability to serverhop though as he believed that was a cool 'tactic'. I gave up trying to explain the game to him after that. He started to tell me how awesome his nightly (unmentioned fps) kill streaks are, i asked him if he wants to know how much of his printer i can fit in his mouth.

You either like it or you don't ,tell him to jump in and get his feet wet.