Birds Birds Birds ! (SA)

[Drakan 62]

>>>>>> http://images1.fanpo...03-1024-768.jpg <<<<<<

(Picture from Alfred Hitcock's Birds Movie)

Hi guys,

As always I'm happy to glance over the forums to see all the interesting news&suggestions for the Standalone.

No, no, I'm not proposing you any idea related with zombie birds which would attack you in hordes nor any other feather-equiped threat.

It is a simple suggestion related with the already existing game's aesthetics.

Birds are already present in DayZ as from Arma2. They stand here as a simple visual effect and are probably added to the player as 2D animations.

The reason why I'm proposing to add more birds in Dayz is simple:

During my gaming experience of DayZ I met birds several times.

And my feeling is that they strongly contribute to the DayZ atmosphere especially for the black bird model which look like a crow.

Here is a description for the scenario: you enter Elektro by a cold autumn morning, its freezing and the city sounds perfectly silent.

As you pass the fire station, all the birds fly away from the church top. By the sound, you know these are ravens.

I suggest we add more of these for the standalone and with player interaction.

They would stand on roofs. (roaming by groups of ten to thirty on rooftops)

Their fly away would be triggered by two presences: Player presence and gunshots.

Any player approaching the birds in a distance of 20 or 30 meters, will make the birds fly away. Or any gunshot from less than 300 meters would make them fly as well.

The basic Ideas are: that they remain visible by all player and that they come back to their "watchtower" position after 15 minutes of silence.

The modelling will not be performance-consuming as these birds will always remain at a minimum 20 meters distance from players. In consequence the model can be very poor as soon as it has the shape and it moves like a crow.

Where is the link with Alfred Hitchcock's movie ?

Here it is, as they couldn't add real birds to the movie itself, especially for some bird attack scenes

, they had the idea of adding birds on post-processing by only using their 2D shadow and pasting them over the real scene.

The result was a success as it looked fully realistic, and far way better than if they had have used fake birds or even real ones (for taming reasons).

Because these birds are dark, the light of sky doesn't allow the eye to see any strong detail anyways.

Moreover, this feature gives one realistic indication of survivor presence in the game environment.

I'll be happy to see constructive stuff over here

Tell me what you think.

http://4.bp.blogspot...00/TheBirds.JPG

Edited May 31, 2013 by Drakan

[TheBambiAvenger 146]

Wow, this is actually one of the best ideas I have seen on this forum. I definitely want to see this implemented. I would maybe make the return time 5-10 min, 15 seems a bit lengthy to me, and there are always people in Cherno/Elektro so there would never be birds there.

Edited May 31, 2013 by TheBambiAvenger

[Jerry Can Ultimatum 10]

This is a very good idea, the flock, or murder in the case of crows, of ravens could give away the position of a player and could be handy to players even if they didn't see the flock fly away they could tell that there wasa player/firing in the last 15 minutes.

[OrLoK 16182]

Hello there

There are already Arma mods that do this, so in a basic make a noise/startle birds way its definitely doable.

Rdgs

LoK

[green-K- 101]

It would be also interesting to see ravens in the sky above an area where a corpse is, saw it in the first chapter of the PMC campaign and found it quite interesting and useful.

[Drakan 62]

It would be also interesting to see ravens in the sky above an area where a corpse is, saw it in the first chapter of the PMC campaign and found it quite interesting and useful.

Cool stuff here,

or even on the corpse as well, no ?

I mean one or two eating from the corpse, then as a vehicule comes by (example of a corpse lying near a road) they would fly away then come back imediately .

You guess this can help to identify corpses . And Yes, you often run or drive full throttle without spotting a dead body.

Edited May 31, 2013 by Drakan

[Saethkept 134]

I like your idea, Drakan. I would also not mind a drunken Crow shooting game similar to one in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky at the bandit base.

[wisper 61]

I like! How about owl sound in the night too? What about air traffic/bird accidents?

[Drakan 62]

I like! How about owl sound in the night too? What about air traffic/bird accidents?

You mean birds collapsing ?? Yes, Owl sound is a missing feature.

[wisper 61]

Sorry, what I meant is helis or airplanes crashing to birds.

[Clumzy (DayZ) 377]

I like it. I think BF2:PR does this sort of thing, and another game or two that I've seen will probably be adding it and it really improves the game.

[liquidcactus 719]

Its an awesome idea really.. i remember day dreaming about this kind of idea for an fps game 10 years ago... Its good simple for the fact that birds flying out of a forest in the distance is a good indicator to someone else presence in the forest ahead

[Drakan 62]

Yup, You'll be able to sometimes anticipate.

You see birds launching 400 meters ahead, then while using your binoculars you will sometimes spot the guy / zombies running in this village or the field close to the bird launch.

[Drakan 62]

^^ bump for reading :)

[BSB Jimmy 360]

great idea, not to difficult to put in the game. this should be in the standalone when they are finished with other features.

[Feral (DayZ) 622]

good idea, rats too, there should be rats in the cities.

[OllyHarris 6]

Not sure what mission it is, but in OA, there is a mission where you have to look for crows as they are circling a dead man you're trying to find. Maybe this could be implemented, say someone shoots a Bandit on the fire station; About 10 minutes later a medium/large flock of crows will be circling? There are loads of potential problems with that idea but just thought it could be a feature which could help players sense if somewhere is too dangerous. {Knowing that places like Electro, Cherno and NWAF will be literally a massive bird nest.

Edited June 2, 2013 by OllyHarris

[R3cK 8]

some owl and woodpecker would be nice.

raven are cool too, not only as signal on specific "watch tower" spots

but as in jagged alliance 2 eating the corpses.

generally some carrion eating animals would be cool tho

[Drakan 62]

raven are cool too, not only as signal on specific "watch tower" spots

but as in jagged alliance 2 eating the corpses.

generally some carrion eating animals would be cool tho

You got the idea.

As I said, they don't necessarly have to fly in circles over bodies. That would maybe be of a too heavy effect on gameplay.

The thing of giving more or less presence to ravens depending on the presence of bodies or on the activity of gun-shootings and other sounds Is a perfect compromise.

Not to forget the ones that will be snacking over animals and survivor bodies :

....I mean one or two eating from the corpse, then as a vehicule comes by (example of a corpse lying near a road) they would fly away then come back imediately on the body .

You guess this can help to identify corpses . And Yes, you often run or drive full throttle without spotting a dead body.

Or at least in a realistic way. You know, theres always one on the body and two other ones on the ground looking for any incoming danger. When something approaches, they fly away then come back when its secure.

.

Edited June 2, 2013 by Drakan

[badluckburt 974]

Not sure what mission it is, but in OA, there is a mission where you have to look for crows as they are circling a dead man you're trying to find.

That's the first mission from the PMC dlc. It's also in the lite-version as a demo. I'm all for this kind of interaction but I don't think the birds should be startled if you're sneaking or crawling, they usually get spooked by wild movement and loud noises.

[Drakan 62]

I don't think the birds should be startled if you're sneaking or crawling, they usually get spooked by wild movement and loud noises.

I totally agree with the sneaking thing, afterall Some foxes, cats and other animals still success at catching birds.

However it should have limits. In the same way that when you agro a zombie because you're standing on his foot (although you are sneaking and/or not moving).

Edited June 3, 2013 by Drakan

[badluckburt 974]

I totally agree with the sneaking thing, afterall Some foxes, cats and other animals still success at catching birds.

However it should have limits. In the same way that when you agro a zombie because you're standing on his foot (although you are sneaking and/or not moving).

I agree that if you get too close, they should fly away but there is a slight problem. Birds on a roof wouldn't fly off if you sneak by, those on the ground would but the ones on the roof probably see no reason to. If you were to come running to where they are, they could start squawking and when you come too close fly off. Then when you've got your infected friends with you they would definitely fly off with all the noise they're making, same goes for shooting.

[Snowkea 10]

I think it's great. A small change that would add just a bit more immersiveness to the game.

[aarnoman 13]

Wow, I hope this makes it into the Standalone eventually. Seems like the kind of feature that just sits right at heart with the gameplay, while maintaining (if not adding) realism.

[Drakan 62]

they could start squawking and when you come too close fly off. Then when you've got your infected friends with you they would definitely fly off with all the noise they're making, same goes for shooting.

I assume they would only react to Survivor activity only (not flying off when a zombie goes by) It may sound unrealistic but it suits the best.

For the problematic of triggering the roof birds. I guess that a good sneak should'nt launch them as well.

Though, their reactions should be limited to sound. As well as for Zeds.

I often agro in towns while walking slowly (fully , not ducking) just because a zombie spots me 50 or 80 meters away.

This shouldn't occur neither with birds nor zombies. A slow walk should make them think its probably an infected.

(By the way I figured out that the safest way of travelling and crossing cities is by walking slowly, and for the moment I surprisingly still didn't get killed because of this.) Moreover when you walk slowly you tend to always see the different survivors crossing in front of you because they travel faster and louder. They don't even spot you on sight Off course, you should take into consideration "open to sniper areas" and concrete walls that will blend with the survivor skin colours.

Edited June 4, 2013 by Drakan