What is „The Infection“? a definition (-approach)

[SalamanderAnder (DayZ) 1747]

At least it's settled.

 

[AP_Norris 1017]

Maybe the zombie friendliness is due to the presence of the virus itself on the zombies.

A sort of primal instinct hammered into our DNA to distinguish good meat and viral infected meat?

Why waste energy on meat so bad?

Maybe zombies ignore you if you have a virus, but you probably don't want a virus anyway :)

I think hopping zombies are plain silly TBH, under zero circumstance would it make any sense for something injured to be hopping around.

Limping zombies is what I'd like to see instead, and also crawling zombies that can't get up.

Infection is definitely a virus, likely airborn due to the absolute lack of non immune survivors.

I personally think zombies should have bad motor skills and have it explained by the virus being brain destroying.

[joe_mcentire 2073]

i'll provide you a nice link with justifications and aversions, why zeds should (not) harm each other

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NoZombieCannibals

[AP_Norris 1017]

i'll provide you a nice link with justifications and aversions, why zeds should (not) harm each other

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NoZombieCannibals

That's not justification, that's just stating what little fact there is... And using a half baked theory to explain what it might be.

I'm not saying that my theory was any better, but it all seems a little bit... blame it on the magical virus to me.

I like how with the last of us there was a bit of culture to the virus, I don't think anybody could argue when I say that might be a good thing to have in DayZ's case.

As we know the zombies are still... Alive that already different to many other zombie tales.

[SalamanderAnder (DayZ) 1747]

I'd actually like to see more interesting zombie behavior sometimes, like maybe sometimes you'll find a zombie laying down and crying, or maybe a non-aggroed zombie would do weird stuff like run around in a circle screaming for no apparent reason. I like to imagine that zombies can't come through the hospital glass because they are looking at their own reflection. It would be neat to see soldier zombies who are still clinging to their rifle, though unable to operate it beyond a simple bludgeoning device. Things of this sort. If the zombies are indeed just infected human beings, wouldn't they exhibit more complex symptoms than just this one standard mode of zombie operation which seems to get regurgitated through the lore? I'd love to see zombies which will chase and kill animals, for example. Perhaps some rare zombies are just so sick and old that their brains have been destroyed by the virus, making them basically docile. They would just sort of shuffle around not doing much of anything at all.

[joe_mcentire 2073]

I'd actually like to see more interesting zombie behavior sometimes, like maybe sometimes you'll find a zombie laying down and crying, or maybe a non-aggroed zombie would do weird stuff like run around in a circle screaming for no apparent reason. I like to imagine that zombies can't come through the hospital glass because they are looking at their own reflection. It would be neat to see soldier zombies who are still clinging to their rifle, though unable to operate it beyond a simple bludgeoning device. Things of this sort. If the zombies are indeed just infected human beings, wouldn't they exhibit more complex symptoms than just this one standard mode of zombie operation which seems to get regurgitated through the lore? I'd love to see zombies which will chase and kill animals, for example. Perhaps some rare zombies are just so sick and old that their brains have been destroyed by the virus, making them basically docile. They would just sort of shuffle around not doing much of anything at all.

 

so assuming zed's would be the "proper" equivalent of their former human beeings, therefore you could sneak in different types of zed-behaviour: a slimmer person may be faster, bigger person may be stronger...

i could also imagine that in very early stages of the infection zed's may still use tools or equipment, maybe not effiecently and not even purposefully but so that the have something in your hands that lets you say "uh oh"

 

i mean it could make sense if you would think about a (at least "half"-) fledged life cycle for zeds. considering the outbreak was already some time ago you could say there are maybe only

• 5% freshly infected (more agile, faster, stronger, sharper senses)
• 70% may show the "ordinary" zed behaviour (further stage)
• 25% may be in the last stages of their life cycle, barely reacting, lying around, very weak, very dull senses etc.

I think the first two stages could be considered for your idea.

Edited February 6, 2015 by joe_mcentire

[Snowly10 1]

a freshly infected wielding a hatchet would be good, maybe 25% damage becouse they dont use it all correctly

[Cap'n (DayZ) 1827]

If you look at 28 days & weeks, the zeds were still fairly competent and could remember certain things (people from the past places where they lived). Sometimes they'd even bludgeon someone to death (in weeks later a infected used a rifle to bludgeon someone). I'm more interested in how it came to be, and what exactly are the roots of it. I'd love some roots to the source as lore, maybe old documents found at green mountain (which is after all, a research facility).

[AP_Norris 1017]

a freshly infected wielding a hatchet would be good, maybe 25% damage becouse they dont use it all correctly

Fresh infected with hatchet & old mod survivor skin poking fun at the fate of most newbies in DayZ mod.

[AP_Norris 1017]

so assuming zed's would be the "proper" equivalent to their former human beeings, therefore you could sneak in different types of zed-behaviour: a slimmer person may be faster, bigger person may be stronger...

i could also imagine that in very early stages of the infection zed's may still use tools or equipment, maybe not ineffiecently and not even purposefully but so that the have something in your hands that lets you say "uh oh"

 

i mean it could make sense if you would think about a (at least "half"-) fledged life cycle for zeds. considering the outbreak was already some time ago you could say there are maybe only

• 5% freshly infected (more agile, faster, stronger, sharper senses)
• 70% may show the "ordinary" zed behaviour (further stage)
• 25% may be in the last stages of their life cycle, barely reacting, lying around, very weak, very dull senses etc.

I think the first two stages could be considered for your idea.

I like this sort of thing.

Fresh zombies should be the ones that display the competence to open doors and be a real problem even on their own.

General zombies maybe are more the running packs of similarly paced zombies were currently use to, rarely able to use melee weapons however ineffectively. Some able to climb ladders however none having the intelligence to open a door.

Docile zombies are the ones that would basically roll and crawl towards you but only from a few metres.

You might even choose to leave them as an alarm.

If a regular zombie suffers enough non fatal shots they may display similar actions while barely conscious and very crippled.

You may even

[harley001 315]

• Zeds have no inhuman powers (as they are still slowly dying humans?)

 

 

What do you mean they have no inhuman powers!  They run faster then us.  They hit as hard as a f*cking bear.  They don't get tired.  I haven't seen any of these addressed in standalone.  Zombies in standalone look the same, just less glitchy, and with proper animations/hit-boxes.

 

And before you say "they are crazed and on constant adrenaline!" being on constant adrenaline would kill you.  Also why doesn't our adrenaline ever kick in and let us run and hit super hard?  If these zombies are infected individuals (who probably don't eat much.  Not much living things left for them to consume) then why do they act like super human cannibals?

Edited December 15, 2013 by harley001

[joe_mcentire 2073]

@rocket2guns Everyone busy today. Lots of fixing. I've been working with Fido to try make zombies more interesting/threatening. Tough work! #DayZDaily

 

 

i say, do as described above!

Edited December 8, 2013 by joe_mcentire

[joe_mcentire 2073]

a very interesting thread about a mind controlling fungus on reddit
 

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1sgsxx/iama_researcher_interested_in_parasitic_mind/

[octarine 60]

Of course they have inhuman/supernatural powers. They do not drink yet they live past the 96 hour window for humans. Blood doesn't count.

[IkaikaKekai 1957]

How do you know they don't drink?  Sure they might not be able to recognize much less open a can of soda or a bottle of water, but that doesn't mean they don't/can't drink water when they need to.

[NagsterTheGangster 388]

I think they should resurrect, also, players killed by zombies should reanimate and walk around...would be a dope script. And as for the logistics, infection attacks and rots somewhere in the cerebral cortex of the brain (Im pretty sure thats a main part of it...containing nervous system??) which kills the "host" so to speak, reanimation occurs immediately as this is the "goal" so to speak of the virus. To which its further goal is to spread to more "hosts". Crawling could be due to crippled limps and torn ligaments (which would cease operation in your legs even if you were to not feel pain (which goes back to the cerebral cortex thing if thats where the control center for your nervous system is). Door opening..... I think is bullshit in general. If they WITNESSED the survivor opening a door then maybe they could "mimic" the action but i think destroying the doors is better, also gives more time to get away/ think of a plan.  As for investigating objects and fire... well those things dont occur much in this new world they live in, so its only natural they would check it out. But I think fire should keep them away, like coyotes and wolves.  They dont eat one another because the point of the virus is to spread, not just feed the host, they would eat flesh because it is readily available and zombies do gotta fuck shit up from time to time. Annd I think they should go after animals, but not catch them often, cuz.... could you catch a deer with your bare hands? didnt think so.

[joe_mcentire 2073]

How do you know they don't drink?  Sure they might not be able to recognize much less open a can of soda or a bottle of water, but that doesn't mean they don't/can't drink water when they need to.

actually pretty interesting... no one ever mentioned basic needs of zeds. maybe as idle animations. but i guess this would be a bit too much. however, think of the face you would make if you saw a zed drinking from the same water source as you just did...

 

 

But I think fire should keep them away, like coyotes and wolves.

When you think about it, what if flares would scare them a bit, so that that they would keep at least a bit of a distance and wouldn't attack immediately

Edited December 10, 2013 by joe_mcentire

[King of kong 1117]

I think they should resurrect, also, players killed by zombies should reanimate and walk around...would be a dope script. And as for the logistics, infection attacks and rots somewhere in the cerebral cortex of the brain (Im pretty sure thats a main part of it...containing nervous system??) which kills the "host" so to speak, reanimation occurs immediately as this is the "goal" so to speak of the virus. To which its further goal is to spread to more "hosts". Crawling could be due to crippled limps and torn ligaments (which would cease operation in your legs even if you were to not feel pain (which goes back to the cerebral cortex thing if thats where the control center for your nervous system is). Door opening..... I think is bullshit in general. If they WITNESSED the survivor opening a door then maybe they could "mimic" the action but i think destroying the doors is better, also gives more time to get away/ think of a plan.  As for investigating objects and fire... well those things dont occur much in this new world they live in, so its only natural they would check it out. But I think fire should keep them away, like coyotes and wolves.  They dont eat one another because the point of the virus is to spread, not just feed the host, they would eat flesh because it is readily available and zombies do gotta fuck shit up from time to time. Annd I think they should go after animals, but not catch them often, cuz.... could you catch a deer with your bare hands? didnt think so.

That's not how it works in DayZ. It's more like the Rage Virus from 28 Days Later. Rage zombies are more realistic than undead. Players are also immune and there's no resurection

[harley001 315]

That's not how it works in DayZ. It's more like the Rage Virus from 28 Days Later. Rage zombies are more realistic than undead. Players are also immune and there's no resurection

True but the rage zombies from 28 days later didn't make them run faster then the humans.  At pace was more like it.  (In the intro to 28 weeks later the main character outruns a entire horde that are coming from the sides and everything).  Also the zombies in 28 days/week later bite.  They don't use super punches.  

[harley001 315]

Delete Me

Edited December 30, 2013 by harley001