Zombie killing Incentive

[jacksgrin 7]

I just made a topic that kinda relates to this guys, check it out.

What?

Your thread is completely unrelated. It's about players turning into zombies after they're killed, and that subject has been beaten to death.

This thread is about reasons you should be killing zombies/ zombie killing requirements for attaching upgrades

Shoo! get out of here, thread-jacker.

Edited March 4, 2013 by jacksgrin

[evoxtom 142]

If zombies path better, actually grab a player or do heavy damage, and detect players at logical values... I think we'd have no choice but to kill them more.

I would slay as many as I could if I could sneak up and stab them in the head, or quickly used an off hand melee weapon. Problem is, people don't want to shoot them, for the sale of giving away your position.

When zombies act, behave, and provide the threat level they should- we will all have much higher kill counts of them.

[jacksgrin 7]

If zombies path better, actually grab a player or do heavy damage, and detect players at logical values... I think we'd have no choice but to kill them more.

I would slay as many as I could if I could sneak up and stab them in the head, or quickly used an off hand melee weapon. Problem is, people don't want to shoot them, for the sale of giving away your position.

When zombies act, behave, and provide the threat level they should- we will all have much higher kill counts of them.

True, we would be forced to kill them more.

We don't want it to be easy targets, but to add a temptation to trying to kill one, which would make, as you said, 'giving away your position' a risk vs. reward deal.

Probably, and implementing a requirement of killing a certain number of them before being able to use a weapon attachment you found would prevent new players from just getting lucky and start with the ability to use end-tier weaponry

Edited March 4, 2013 by jacksgrin

[thesodesa 99]

I think you misunderstand me.

I'm not advocating a magical upgrade system -- in the SA they want to add weapon attachements, right?

I don't think that a new spawn should just be able to add an attachment if they get lucky enough to find if right off the bat. I'm advocating for a sort of...middle goal that you must achive (be it survival time, zombie tally whatever) before you can just 'magically' attach that god-tier upgrade. This simulates that the average person (who is probably a citizen) must first get used to the vanilla weapon and gain some expertise in that area before adding something that will make it easier, or more powerful to use.

I don't see any logical reasons for a new spawn not being able to add the attachment to their weapon(which they would have to find first as well), unless of course it was made into a minigame where you actually have to know how to do it.

I guess I should have called it a magical restriction. I can't think of any good justifications for those either.

Edited March 4, 2013 by TheSodesa

[colekern 1364]

I like the general idea, but I don't like the execution. If we could clear areas, we would have a lot more incentive to kill zeds. That, and making them more dangerous.

[Never 237]

would prevent new players from just getting lucky and start with the ability to use end-tier weaponry

Why prevent them? Just make the 'end-tier weaponry' (a horrible phrase) only available in very high risk areas.

Reward meets risk again.

Plus you can't forget luck, You can't honestly tell me if you came across a pair of NVGs and a assault rifle as a fresh spawn you wouldn't pick it up.

Any system that 'unlocks' gear via challenges has no place in DayZ.

As i previously started, your only 'incentive' should be staying alive. THATS IT.

[joe_mcentire 2073]

Any system that 'unlocks' gear via challenges has no place in DayZ.

Well not so fast!

it could have its place... Player decisions: Unlocking new Content

[Sakka 28]

I think they should add in a Zombie Hunter skin. Nothing too special but a unique look and maybe a small melee damage resistance? Maybe I don't know. Either way you could set it at maybe 1000 zed kills. If you pass that number on your current life then your skin switches. I also agree that the zeds should be some scary mother fuckers.

[joe_mcentire 2073]

I think they should add in a Zombie Hunter skin. Nothing too special but a unique look and maybe a small melee damage resistance? Maybe I don't know. Either way you could set it at maybe 1000 zed kills. If you pass that number on your current life then your skin switches. I also agree that the zeds should be some scary mother fuckers.

No way!

no more skins because of doing X, or too high/low humanity.

no obvious combat perks

yes to motherfuckers

[Aremnant 3]

You guys saying getting zombie kills shouldn't do anything?

BZZZZT! Wrong! Trust me, after shooting a target the size of a head at twenty meters repeatedly, you'll get better at it. EXP does have a place in DayZ, but not in a way that you can actually tell (invisible skill meter). When you do an action for long enough, you get better at it. This applies to shooting, running, and even medical skills to some extent. Practice does make perfect, and DayZ should have some bonuses in regards to this.

[jazzmutant 5]

I'm fine with a can of beans found on a downed zombie. That's all the incentive I need.

[DemonGroover 8836]

Clearing an area out for a certain period of time would be reward enough i think.

Also, finding a silenced weapon, finding a nice spot and head shotting as many zombies as possible is always good for aiming practice. If you kill enough zombies you will naturally get better at aiming - there doesn't really need to be an in game mechanic.

[Hetstaine 10852]

My current character's zombie kill count is 4500, I feel like I at least deserve a special hat or something.

[Django-x 9]

Honestly, I love to get up into a high tower and practice headshotting zombies with all kinds of guns, especially if it is a loud sniper and makes all the zombies run to make it harder to make the shot, that way I'm prepared to take out players running.

The best thing about this mod for me, is being able to jump in and use all the experience I've gained from playing to be able to survive longer, regardless of how old my character is. There shouldn't really be an "incentive" for killing zeds, you either kill them or you run from them, your survival depends on what you have learnt about zombies whilst you've been playing DayZ.

The only thing I would probably consider acceptable is a player skin you achieve after a certain amount of zombie kills, only because it coincides with the currently humanity skins you can gain.

[Death_Dealer 3155]

OP, I'm gonna rip your balls off, so you cannot contaminate the rest of this world. (beans to whoever gets that reference)

But really..

No.

The only reward you should get for killing zombies is still being alive, and the occasional can of expired beans. They are simply creatures with the sole purpose of killing survivors and making life a living hell.

[Django-x 9]

OP, I'm gonna rip your balls off, so you cannot contaminate the rest of this world. (beans to whoever gets that reference)

But really..

No.

The only reward you should get for killing zombies is still being alive, and the occasional can of expired beans. They are simply creatures with the sole purpose of killing survivors and making life a living hell.

Then quit you slimy fucking walrus-looking piece of shit.

I accept your beans with gratitude, fellow Kubrick fan.

[SpeechMan 7]

I think there's one issue that really needs to be brought to this discussion and that's meta-gaming.

Problem with player progression vs. character progression is that when it's the player that makes all the progress, it makes death meaningless. Not completely, but partly.

Let's take a hypotethical example to better explain what I say:

NOTE: This example is purely hypotethical and does not try to say which mechanics are or should be in game.

Let's start with character progression game: A Player finds a makarov that is jammed,so the player needs X amount of experience to be able to disassemble, clean and reassemble the gun. If you want a system that is less arbitrary, maybe you need to find a handbook that shows you what to do. To make things harder you need to have both the weapon and the handbook at the same time to be able to learn the skill.

Player progression game: Playeer finds a makarov that is jammed. Alt-tab, open wiki, look for instructions, back to game, fix the gun, start shooting. After a while you can even skip the alt-tab phase.

I'm in a hurry so I can't elaborate more, but hope you get my point.

[keosan24 55]

The majority has misinterpreted what the thread maker has been saying, while i like the concept i don't particularly like the suggestions you have made to draw player interaction towards zombies. Why not have zombies gravitate towards players over time? So while your looking in all those dresser and cabinets for that one can of beans or water flask the zombies are slowly moving in on your position so when your ready to leave, its do or die.

[keosan24 55]

I think there's one issue that really needs to be brought to this discussion and that's meta-gaming.

Problem with player progression vs. character progression is that when it's the player that makes all the progress, it makes death meaningless. Not completely, but partly.

Let's take a hypotethical example to better explain what I say:

NOTE: This example is purely hypotethical and does not try to say which mechanics are or should be in game.

Let's start with character progression game: A Player finds a makarov that is jammed,so the player needs X amount of experience to be able to disassemble, clean and reassemble the gun. If you want a system that is less arbitrary, maybe you need to find a handbook that shows you what to do. To make things harder you need to have both the weapon and the handbook at the same time to be able to learn the skill.

Player progression game: Playeer finds a makarov that is jammed. Alt-tab, open wiki, look for instructions, back to game, fix the gun, start shooting. After a while you can even skip the alt-tab phase.

I'm in a hurry so I can't elaborate more, but hope you get my point.

Instead of experience points, the developers could add a fail chance. For example, when crafting will be implemented a player has the supplies to craft a ladder (Fail chance 50%) and he fails. Next try he actually succeeds and the fail chance goes down to 49 or 45 percent.(Just numbers that are based on my own personal preference) Or have it so that when one does craft a ladder depending on how many successful attempts you have had will depend on how good quality ladder you can make with those supplies.

[joe_mcentire 2073]

The majority has misinterpreted what the thread maker has been saying, while i like the concept i don't particularly like the suggestions you have made to draw player interaction towards zombies. Why not have zombies gravitate towards players over time? So while your looking in all those dresser and cabinets for that one can of beans or water flask the zombies are slowly moving in on your position so when your ready to leave, its do or die.

this was already implemented in the mod!! but with the recent updates removed (? i guess)

[Sutinen 635]

No, progression systems and experience points do not belong in DayZ!

They need to make the zombies more dangerous, or make them hang around the places you want to be, so you actually need to kill them if you aggro a bunch while looting a store, etc. That will be hard to do as long as zombies can't run indoors.

The fast ones will run inside. The difference is that when you make noise, they only get alerted and search for you. Once they see you, they will start running. Rocket explained it.

If you think about it, you need to sneak around, running trough Cherno will get you killed when this change happens. That will make zeds a threat.

Edited March 6, 2013 by Sutinen

[shadowleaper 22]

I like that this was brought up as I'm always a big fan of discussing game balancing ESPECIALLY when it comes to bandit and hero game play styles.

I think if (and I'm sure they will be) zombies become more of a mission to get past then I believe ammo will be conserved for this reason while players are scavenging.

[joe_mcentire 2073]

avoidance at all costs...that would be my game-approach. i imagine zeds to be like komodo dragons. deadly infectious!

[Never 237]

Well not so fast!

it could have its place... Player decisions: Unlocking new Content

No. It couldn't.

You guys saying getting zombie kills shouldn't do anything?

BZZZZT! Wrong! Trust me, after shooting a target the size of a head at twenty meters repeatedly, you'll get better at it. EXP does have a place in DayZ, but not in a way that you can actually tell (invisible skill meter). When you do an action for long enough, you get better at it. This applies to shooting, running, and even medical skills to some extent. Practice does make perfect, and DayZ should have some bonuses in regards to this.

Thats pretty much exactly what i've just said.

Your incentive is to stay alive and learn how not to get yourself almost killed next time.

[joe_mcentire 2073]

No. It couldn't.

care to explain why, then? ;)