How we will have to change our play style due to the new Zeds.

[m.w. vindicator 880]

Normally I make suggestions on this forum but today lets start a discussion.

I have been keeping up with the lastest news and I watched the "leaked" footage of a month old pre-alpha build. Even though that build was old and janky, I couldn't help but get the chills. Especially after I heard the classic sound of the waves on the Docks of Chernogorsk and the chirps of the birds in the quiet villas of the north. With all enterable buildings, the map feels so authentic.

But that is not what we're hear to talk about. I want to discuss the how the new zombies will change the game.

(Oh and the emergency sirens in my town are testing. It sets a good mood to talk about zombies :blink: )

He is a list of what we know about Zeds. Bear in mind this is from the top of my memory and I might miss something or put down false information by mistake.

-Zeds will spawn on the server

-Some percentage of the zeds will be roaming kind while others will "deactivate" when there are no players around and "reactivate" when someone enters the area.

-Zeds can run in doors, but on tracks

-They follow more logical pathfinding

-Zeds have a leaping attack to hit you on the move

-They have a new skeleton with rocketastic animations

-roughly 3000 can spawn on the server w/o a significant hit to performance. More expected to come in future.

-They won't be able to knock you out as easily if you wear protective headgear.

-Zeds have three status in stead of two. Unalerted, alerted, raging. used to be unalerted, and raging

-female zeds

- no ragdoll... yet ...

That is all I can think of now. Lets discuss.

Zeds spawning on the Server

This is going to change DayZ significantly I feel. Not only will there be less lag from zeds, more of them, and roaming packs, but people won't be able to detect you from zeds presence.

Clearing the small northern towns is going to be 10x scarier than currently in the mod where you can easily see if someone is there. The fear of not knowing has always been a driving emotion in this game. Unlike the fear of not knowing where you are which eventually goes away, the fear of not knowing is someone is around is something that will still be scary 3 years from now after countless hours on the map. It will help keep the game fresh.

Some percentage of the zeds will be roaming kind while others will "deactivate" when there are no players around and "reactivate" when someone enters the area.

This is something that heard and I don't know if it is necessarily true. It is a very interesting idea. Some Zeds might be able to track you over very long distances by your smell is something I believe hearing. Others might just wander into random locations. These lone wanderers won't be much of a threat, but they will add a lot to the atmosphere. It is quiet chilling to watch a single Zed mindlessly wander across the wasteland. Wandering hoards would be very interesting too. I bet legendary YouTube videos will arise when a firefight turns into a run for survival when a hoard shows up unexpected.

This is another case of adding more fear of the unknown. :thumbsup:

Zeds can run in doors, but on tracks

This one is pretty self explanatory, but it will change the game profoundly. No longer will the "running looting" strategy work. If you want to find anything worth while, you will have to slowly make your way, house to house. It will be necessary to check every nook and cranny to get the loot.

If you try to run though, you won't find much, and the zeds will be right on your ass the whole time.

This will make the learning curve for n00bs much harder. In the mod a n00b could run around ignorant of all the attention he/she is stirring up and have little consequences. Now those n00bs will die rather horribly until they learn to go slow and steady and crawl through town.

Maybe the pros will be able to run through town and get loot but that would most likely require a gun or a very powerful melee weapon like a sword, a sickle, or similar farming tools. Also you would probably need a car to escape the hoard, but cars won't be in until the end of summer at least according to early speculations from Rocket.

They follow more logical pathfinding

Much like running in doors this will make the game harder in the same ways. The coastal areas will be littered with bodies from Zeds and their human victims. Hopefully they removed the fly sound effect but otherwise I might be deafened.

Zeds have a leaping attack to hit you on the move

Goddamnit Rocket.

They have a new skeleton with rocketastic animations

These new animations will strike fear into all that face the zed hoard. Not much to discuss, except it might be harder to get head shots with their heads bobbling around on their limp necks.

Roughly 3000 can spawn on the server w/o a significant hit to performance. More expected to come in future.

3000 is way more than we have ever had in the mod. It will be scary and the difficult will increase again. More Zeds that can follow you and hit you hard will really be something to see. Sneaking will be the name of the game. If you don't adapt a different strategy from the one you used in the Mod, you will suffer.

Which is good because not games want you to feel the emotion of suffering. I can wait to hear all these zeds hollowing and making noises. :o

With guns being rarer and ammo, hopefully, being rarer kill all of them won't be and option really. I would love to see a bunch of pro stalkers clear a town with guns blazing, but it shouldn't be easy.

With Zeds on the server, which are much more stable, areas could be cleared for extended periods of time. People have asked for safe zones since last year. Now, it could actually happen if players made one :D :beans: :beans:

Zeds have three status in stead of two. Unalerted, alerted, raging. used to be unalerted, and raging

This is wonderful news. It was annoying how in the mod, if you stepped on a stick and made a little noise, the whole town would come rushing to your exact location as if you rang the dinner bell. This will no longer be the case thankfully!!

While it will be more necessary to use stealth, it will also be a bit easier and A LOT more logical. Sneaking will be fun now instead of tedious and frustrating. I can't count the times in the mod where I would say to myself "NO WAY HE HEARD ME OR SAW ME!!" Hopefully, there will be logical detection levels.

HeadGear

I predict that we will be seeing a lot more motorcycle gangs in SA B)

I am not sure how effective the headgear will actually be. I think to balance it out, your perephial vision should be reduced by an overlay that would narrow your vision to simulated reality. IRL bike helmets limit your vision a bit so the game should too.

Army Helmets would be more ideal because they are designed no to limit your vision while giving maximum protection. Also unlike the bright red helmet, you will be harder to see.

Alright that is all folks. There is my massive wall of text <_<

TL;DR The new changes to zeds will change the way DayZ is played drastically

EDIT 01

Vindicators guide to craft a hat with a headlight on it.

Proceed through the steps in order.

Step 1

Acquire Hat

Step 2

Acquire Headlight

Step Three

Put Headlight on Hat

Voila! Why wear one of Rocket's motorbike helmets now? :lol:

Edited June 5, 2013 by Vindicator

[BioHazard050 49]

Good write up, actually.

[m.w. vindicator 880]

Good write up, actually.

thanks. It annoys me to read disorganized blobs of text so I try not to be hypocritical haha

[dajeroen 11]

Thanks for the info :)! Take my beans sir!

[m.w. vindicator 880]

Thanks for the info :)! Take my beans sir!

Woke up and decided, I am going to post something today

[BioHazard050 49]

Derp, fergot yer beanz. :beans:

[JIJOK 49]

just realized, zeds runnin in doors will make glitched one dangerous :o

[UK#1 Bud 87]

This is really useful, thanks!

[King Tubbs 224]

my old tactic was to run in to a town village, gab what i needed, run around the village a bit to lose some zeds

then i run for the closest hill with a treeline and shoot any that are close and run away from the rest

look like i will be back to stealth as I did when i first stared playing/fresh spawn and unarmed

[joswann 4]

:)

[Chaysif 0]

Nice job on this post, very helpful.

[Sem4ever 3]

I hope SD guns will be the most wanted weapons instead of a high-powered sniper rifle.

[m.w. vindicator 880]

just realized, zeds runnin in doors will make glitched one dangerous :o

What do you mean the "glitched one" dangerous. Are you saying that the glitchy doors will be more danger as in you will break your legs or what? I don't understand :huh:

[m.w. vindicator 880]

my old tactic was to run in to a town village, gab what i needed, run around the village a bit to lose some zeds

then i run for the closest hill with a treeline and shoot any that are close and run away from the rest

look like i will be back to stealth as I did when i first stared playing/fresh spawn and unarmed

Same here. I think that is Rocket's intention. He wants people to slow down and becareful. He that or he is entirely evil

[brzator47@gmail.com 524]

I hope motorbike helmets are not going to be very effective because seeing everyone wearing one would be pretty silly.

[bloodtrozorx 145]

Good write up, have dem beanz.

[m.w. vindicator 880]

I hope motorbike helmets are not going to be very effective because seeing everyone wearing one would be pretty silly.

I agree partially. They don't look that weird, but it is a little strange. At least they are hockey masks.

I feel they haven't decided how rare they will be and loads are spawning at the moment as place holders, like beans. But I don't really know I am just speculating. Many players will wear ballcaps to have a smaller less noticeable profile compared to a white or red helmet. Also while, you could use a headlight and still wear a ballcap it would be hard to do so with a motorcycle helmet. It will interesting to see if it is possible.

Maybe you could craft a ballcap w/ a headlight by combining a hat and headlight. :)

[Hetstaine 10852]

I am wondering if we can still use the old team tactic where one person takes the zeds for a run while the other loots.

[m.w. vindicator 880]

I am wondering if we can still use the old team tactic where one person takes the zeds for a run while the other loots.

Probably, but slightly modified. You would need one runner who is the healthiest (ie has good nutrition) has good running shoes, and is light on his feet. He would have to dodge leaping attacks from Zeds. You would probably need someone to cover him with a rifle to pick off the Zeds charging head on at him. The rest of the team would loot.

So yes it could work, but you would need a team of pros. Scouting and planning would be more important.

Offcourse you could do it spontaneously, but I feel things could go south fast if the runner isn't careful or hesitates. :|

[m.w. vindicator 880]

I hope SD guns will be the most wanted weapons instead of a high-powered sniper rifle.

Goodluck finding Subsonic ammo ;)

[m.w. vindicator 880]

I wonder if people will Shoot on sight in cities with Zeds being more dangerous.

[HardlyThoughtOf 8]

Nice Post

[JoeM (DayZ) 41]

When you mention zombie hordes do you have any idea on how many there will be in the horde? I really hope it's something you have no hope of fighting unless you have around 5 people with LMGs. I want to see hundreds and hundreds flood over the hills and the only chance to get away is to run run run (unless you have a vehicle or sufficient fire power). They would attract so much attention though its untrue.

But it will be awesome! Also like the idea of the 3 levels of alertness of zeds.

[TheLastEmp 295]

great post. I've actually been readjusting my play style and practicing being stealthy a lot more the past few weeks... Right now, one of the tricks I often use if I have a zombie aggro'd on me is to vault over a low fence and force the zed to take the long way around while I try to find somewhere to hide...

I get the feeling this will no longer work in the SA.

Best to just keep them from aggroing in the first place, which is what I've been practicing

[Dynami 18]

If they're the same zombies from the Mod there will be no change. Let's hope we see more improvements in zombie behavior, being able to knock you down is a step towards the right direction. But I still feel like they're the copy-pasted zombies from the mod.