SA: start out 'sickly'

[FlashHawk4 44]

Great idea. My only concern is that new players would assume the character's current health status is what the characters just are, by default. If it could be explained to them that they're sick and need to get better in order to perform at the usual levels, we probably wouldn't have that problem.

Also, the principle could be applied to the character's gun, if the game does wind up spawning you with one. Weapon degradation and cleaning have been like 90% confirmed, so why not make your spawn gun a fairly decent one, like a hunting rifle, but it's been pretty much ruined by the salt water. You aren't defenseless, but you're also looking for a replacement or at least a cleaning kit right off the bat. I think it's a much better system than the "lol here's your one magazine, have fun" approach.

Edited April 26, 2013 by FlashHawk4

[fluxley 2228]

Pretty sure you wont be spawning with a gun in the standalone, guns as a whole are going to be very hard to come by according to rocket.

[Steak and Potatoes 13480]

This would definately spice things up, I like it.

[Very Ape 748]

I already commented, but damn do I love this suggestion.

This would make the game so much better.

[Heathcz 84]

this has been mentioned in some way, there ve been posts like the longer you live, the better will your character become and its something that makes sense + is an another reason to try to survive. Now dayz is just about loot. You got enfield,u noob, you got as50, u god. But if this comes in standalone, its gonna be different, and thats awesome

[sixfeetgiantbunnyrabbit 40]

Best suggestion I've read for this game. And a real game changer. This would have a (positive) impact on the whole dynamic of the game in so many ways.

Is it possible for private hives to make every player start with 2000 blood? I'd like to test this idea.

[Chaingunfighter 917]

I like this idea.

It creates a lot more depth and challenge, and discourages going up against large hordes of zombies or other players for better gear with a makarov just after you spawn.

It also is going to stop the people who will buy the game and rage about it being too 'hard' from even bothering, which is a good thing.

This should force new players to actually LEARN the game instead of act like a stupid 12-year old given a gun and told to shoot everything that they see.

(EDIT:

I also think that new players should start with NOTHING, definitely no backpack, flashlight, painkillers, and a very minimal amount of clothing)

Edited April 28, 2013 by Chaingunfighter

[Chaingunfighter 917]

Great idea. My only concern is that new players would assume the character's current health status is what the characters just are, by default. If it could be explained to them that they're sick and need to get better in order to perform at the usual levels, we probably wouldn't have that problem.

Also, the principle could be applied to the character's gun, if the game does wind up spawning you with one. Weapon degradation and cleaning have been like 90% confirmed, so why not make your spawn gun a fairly decent one, like a hunting rifle, but it's been pretty much ruined by the salt water. You aren't defenseless, but you're also looking for a replacement or at least a cleaning kit right off the bat. I think it's a much better system than the "lol here's your one magazine, have fun" approach.

No spawn guns. The only reason you're starting off with one in the mod is because you have no hand-to-hand combat and a very basic and super glitched melee system.

[tajjuk 65]

Nope.

Most new players will not bother playing, the game already has a hard start, in this situation zombies will kill you easily and you'll spend most of the game re-spawning. Also other people will totally exploit this, spawn killing will just increase because you will be able to one shot people with virtually any half decent weapon.

Also why the assumption you have suddenly just washed up on shore? I presume the shore spawn is to enable you to get your bearings. The zombie apocalypse has already happened and is well underway so your character has already survived through the initial stages so I don't see a reason why they would be sick and unhealthy.

[Very Ape 748]

Nope.

Most new players will not bother playing, the game already has a hard start, in this situation zombies will kill you easily and you'll spend most of the game re-spawning. Also other people will totally exploit this, spawn killing will just increase because you will be able to one shot people with virtually any half decent weapon.

Also why the assumption you have suddenly just washed up on shore? I presume the shore spawn is to enable you to get your bearings. The zombie apocalypse has already happened and is well underway so your character has already survived through the initial stages so I don't see a reason why they would be sick and unhealthy.

Perhaps you're overestimating just how sick you would be.

Forget the whole 'blood' meter. Think of just spawning with less stamina, a slightly slower run, and a slightly shaky aim and hoarse breathing. Nothing you could immediately fix with antibiotics or blood bags. It'd be something that would, if you maintain a healthy diet, heal slowly over time.

Away with the whole 'gear is life' mentality. I want to be scared for my character, not his gear. If I'm robbed at gunpoint, I want to at least have the satisfaction of thinking; "At least I'm alive," instead of thinking "Well, fuck this! I'm just going to go kamikaze on this guy's ass." When I rob people, they usually do this. There's no regard for their own lives, which kind of defeats the point of robbing at gunpoint, and takes the fun out of being robbed at gunpoint.

This suggestion, along with dynamic growth (ie, tattoos, beards, hair length, scars) will make people so damn attached to their characters, that they won't stupidly risk their lives knowing their gear is safely stashed away.

Edited April 30, 2013 by Very Ape

[fluxley 2228]

Perhaps you're overestimating just how sick you would be.

Forget the whole 'blood' meter. Think of just spawning with less stamina, a slightly slower run, and a slightly shaky aim and hoarse breathing. Nothing you could immediately fix with antibiotics or blood bags. It'd be something that would, if you maintain a healthy diet, heal slowly over time.

Away with the whole 'gear is life' mentality. I want to be scared for my character, not his gear. If I'm robbed at gunpoint, I want to at least have the satisfaction of thinking; "At least I'm alive," instead of thinking "Well, fuck this! I'm just going to go kamikaze on this guy's ass." When I rob people, they usually do this. There's no regard for their own lives, which kind of defeats the point of robbing at gunpoint, and takes the fun out of being robbed at gunpoint.

This suggestion, along with dynamic growth (ie, tattoos, beards, hair length, scars) will make people so damn attached to their characters, that they won't stupidly risk their lives knowing their gear is safely stashed away.

Well said sir :beans:

[Very Ape 748]

Sorry for bumping an old topic, but this suggestion is really damn good. I hope it gets more support.

It'd be nice to see people being attached to their characters themselves, and not just the gear they're carrying.

This would also partially solve the problem of people sprinting across miles of terrain to get back into a firefight, or to loot their own corpses. They'll have to tend to themselves right off the bat, which will 'delay' them from long travels.

Edited June 3, 2013 by Very Ape

[joe_mcentire 2074]

snip

would you be so kind to ask dean if he thought about that?

http://dayzmod.com/forum/index.php?/topic/137840-dayz-sa-ultimate-qa/

really awesome idea!!

[Jars (DayZ) 63]

While I am not against this idea , it's simply the terminology that has people stoked about this idea , which is effectively the same as gaining ability X or Y , the longer you live , which many people are not happy with .

There is no practical difference between simply gaining abilities the longer you live , or starting out sickly and gaining abilities the longer you live .

Both paths end in the same place , that is , you start off weaker , and get better .

The parameters may change , but the dynamic is the same .

Edited June 3, 2013 by Jars

[m.w. vindicator 880]

Best suggestion I've read for this game. And a real game changer. This would have a (positive) impact on the whole dynamic of the game in so many ways.

Is it possible for private hives to make every player start with 2000 blood? I'd like to test this idea.

the Blood system is being abandoned partially. You have a "blood count" but your over all condition is now your health. When you take damage you loose blood and your health goes down. When you eat and drink, your blood goes up. When you have full blood no hunger and no thirst, then you start to regen health. No more eat steak and instant heal.

The OP is suggesting that you start with good blood lvls because your character has been starving, not bleeding to death, but your over all condition is miserable due to malnutrition. In order to get better you would have to eat good for a long time (probably several IRL dayz) to get back to decent health.

[Schmeddy 9]

Yeah I've heard this idea tossed around and thought about it a lot. I like it very much too. I have also found that the characters that I've had in the mod before I feel more attached to when they had a rocky start.

[Very Ape 748]

While I am not against this idea , it's simply the terminology that has people stoked about this idea , which is effectively the same as gaining ability X or Y , the longer you live , which many people are not happy with .

There is no practical difference between simply gaining abilities the longer you live , or starting out sickly and gaining abilities the longer you live .

Both paths end in the same place , that is , you start off weaker , and get better .

The parameters may change , but the dynamic is the same .

I think the curve is a bit different. Overcoming the initial sickness is something that would, I think, be done rather quickly. At the same rate as any other illness or wounds you could contract, really, unlike leveling up which is usually present throughout the lifespan of the character.

This would simply make the experience of dying a bit more daunting, regardless of how much gear you've got stashed.

Edited June 4, 2013 by Very Ape

[Zombiesaurus 10]

So, what is one major problem with DayZ? No penalty for death. For people like me, death is a lark. I can just go get more shit, rather effortlessly. People have been talking about making zombies much harder, to make dying more of a problem... But still, once you get that gear, you're back where you were.

Where do survivors come from? They wash up on shore.

So... why not have the 'backstory' be something like they've been adrift at sea for weeks. Barely any water, negligible food.

Once you're back on the mainland, you can get proper food, and proper hydration, so you start getting your strength back.

There were hints from Rocket (apparently) that the better you look after your character in the long run, the better off he'll be in terms of health.

Why not start everyone at a very low bar?

Imagine if you had a 10 day old character, that has been properly fed for all ten days, and has his strength back. He can run fast, take a decent amount of damage, maybe his hands don't shake as much when aiming a gun. Basically, he's healthy.

And then you die, you loot your body.

In the current mod, you'd be exactly where you were when you died, because you got all your gear back. But if the standalone has 'sickly' starter characters, then when you die, you lose something that you can't get back instantly. You can't just find an item that makes you instantly healthy again. You have to fight malnutrition the old-fashioned way.

And suddenly, character lives aren't measured in 'gear' but in 'health'. A character's worth to YOU, won't be defined by something completely recoverable like simple loot.

Of course, if your character only ate junk food and soda for those ten days, then dying wouldn't be much of an issue... but a healthy character would be a much more potent thing to lose when compared to a sickly beach washup.

If they're is a back story, then the cold hearted dayz will become even closer to a MMO, I don't want that, a bandit washes up with a survivor from the same island, I don't think so. It would add dullness to the game...

[Feral (DayZ) 622]

very good idea, I think it may be the best suggestion I've seen, certainly for a while.

[Jars (DayZ) 63]

What I propose is , you start out at level 1 ( let's call it "sickly" ) then after playing good and stuff , you will reach max level 10 ( let's call it "healthy" ) .

Then if you die , you have to go back to level 1 , and play good again to reach level 10 .

The only difference between them is the wording .

[Xianyu 820]

What I propose is , you start out at level 1 ( let's call it "sickly" ) then after playing good and stuff , you will reach max level 10 ( let's call it "healthy" ) .

Then if you die , you have to go back to level 1 , and play good again to reach level 10 .

The only difference between them is the wording .

not... really?

'Level's brings to mind experience and tangible structure. Starting out malnourished is not the same as starting out 'at level 1' because if you fuck up and eat junk food for three days straight, you'll be right back to being malnourished, won't you?

[Jars (DayZ) 63]

I think this is a great idea , although I would go a bit further and "punish" new spawns with extreme cold ( the shakes ) , amnesia ( it doesn't announce where you spawn ) and perhaps even an infection or wound , for good measure .

Your first half hour or so isn't going to be spent running to barns to axe people in the face , it's going to be spent staving off imminent death , then running to barns to axe people in the face .

[liquidcactus 719]

hmmm not bad sir not bad at all...

[fluxley 2228]

I think this is a great idea , although I would go a bit further and "punish" new spawns with extreme cold ( the shakes ) , amnesia ( it doesn't announce where you spawn ) and perhaps even an infection or wound , for good measure .

Your first half hour or so isn't going to be spent running to barns to axe people in the face , it's going to be spent staving off imminent death , then running to barns to axe people in the face .

I'd be all for it being insanely shitty when you start, only thing is would it too much for new players?

[Raventhorn 43]

I like this idea....

The whole point is to give people something.... And with that, be able to take something away from them.

If they're is a back story, then the cold hearted dayz will become even closer to a MMO, I don't want that, a bandit washes up with a survivor from the same island, I don't think so. It would add dullness to the game...

The "cold hearted" dayz is not cold hearted at all.... It swarms with people running around in elektro with their most precious gear in a tent. They do not care about dying, they do not care about anything, just running around like everything is okey in a zombie apocalypse.

People in the forums are on a bandwagon where they are "afraid" of mmo without really knowing what it is. Can the game be more dull then people not caring about dying?

I don`t think so.... dayz IS already an mmo, it is massive, it is multiplayer, it is online. Do you mean an Mmorpg? That is something different. But in my opinion bring on the RP elements. Cause we sure as hell need them.

Use them to make players fear death, death now is just "meh" loot my body, or go to my tent and we are back in the game shooting everything in sight, cause death does not matter either way. Well... there are already games for that, with much better graphics and mechanics. Dayz is unique, and I hope it stays that way.

Best Regards.