Zed "Reptile" Vision?

[person915 345]

As of now, zeds have a sight system based off of visual. They can see you (more or less) based off what stance you are in, if you are next to cover, ect ect.

This proposal suggests that zeds operate off of movement for identifying targets as do some reptilian creatures, saying that if you stay still, they can't see you - or atleast not very well at all (*remembers Jurassic Park*).

I think it will remove a TON of unfairness that zeds have in detecting someone visually. There will be no zeds across a field randomly running toward you even though you are crouch-walking next to a wall as every other zombie facing you is completely oblivious to your presence. There won't be any zeds to see you crossing a street while you are laying on the ground and you have 0 bars for both hearing and visual (that is, if you stay still until their view goes).

Not only that, but it opens new doors for getting away from zombies and sneaking into towns. To get away from zombies, instead of leading them into trees to make them walk, you simply break direct visual contact, and since they can't see movement, stay still behind the wall you just went to, and let them all pass, leaving you undetected. Of course, if a zombie runs into you, then you're pretty screwed.

Stances like standing and crouching should have a slight visual range for zombies, simulating swaying, breathing, and otherwise unavoidable movement of the body, so say when they are within about 14m of the player standing they will NOTICE, and come to investigate, and when crouching, they NOTICE at about 7m. Changing stances should be considered as movement to zombies.

Movement based identification also means that when you shoot a gun, if you hide and stay still you can avoid getting detected by any zombies that might've heard. Another feature would be that if you failed to do this, the zombies see you freakin' SPRINTING away from them, and therefore have essentially a clear sight for murder. Since they see you off movement and you move to run away, they'll stay on your heels until you can outsmart them.

It also encourages players to take things slow around zombies, and instead of it being easier to aggro all the zombies in town because they'll glitch and see you anyway, there's a way to actually do things - don't move a damn muscle! Until it's safe and you can move on, of course.

And perhaps, when they see something, and they break visual and cannot see it anymore, they should run after it for a short duration until stopping. This makes the player hiding out from the horde have a chance to be physically RUN into, and the chase begins again.

I believe that zombies should have to notice a player before they go after it. They should run toward where the object is GOING, ALWAYS. This effect is so you can throw flares, cans, and other things to distract zombies, so the go to investigate the movement they just saw, combined with the noise. They don't run- they investigate. They have no reason to run yet.

Edited June 19, 2013 by McCullins

[Julius Caesar 1760]

I like this idea.

[Filmmaster 35]

That could be added in standalone, I just think that would be hard with army's clunky engine

Edited June 19, 2013 by Filmmaster

[person915 345]

That could be added in standalone, I just think that would be hard with army's clunky engine

I have to say it SHOULD be less buggy than what it is now. Theoretically, of course. They can give it a whirl, if anything.

[maggotknees 2]

another great idea

[DemonGroover 8836]

I like this idea, especially from a distance. If you are walking in a field for instance how would a zed know you aren't another zed? Always been a bit odd that they can tell from 200m away.

Nice ideas

[radivmoe 47]

this is great! i'm tired of always being seen by the zombie 150 metres out in the field before the one i just snuck past. this makes it react to the aggro and instantly know where i am. yes, this regularly happens.

[Nem3sis 11]

I agree. I think it comes down to defining what senses, and their scope, zombies actually have and working from there.

Sight. as long as you are still, not in their direct line of sight, or a great deal away, fine.

Hearing. as long as you dont alert them within range of noise, fine.

Smell? can go both ways really. if you have B.O. can you still sneak up on them? and could you cover yourself in zombie guts to disguise yourself?(the walking dead anyone?)

[SoulHunter (DayZ) 233]

An awesome idea so far. It is also a need tho.. But if dayz staff is not stupid (which is the case anyway) then they are already aware of these buggy zeds so far anyway.. Which can also mean that arma engine does not allow peeps to edit NPCs that much within a mod or such. :P

[Uuni 74]

Another suggestion that would be awesome to have but would be extremely hard to implement even in the modded arma2 engine, unless they are going to mod it further from the gameplay we've seen already

[LancerG2 369]

I like this idea.

Me too.

[TIC 1050]

I like this idea but I can further suggest that we can also hide our scents as well. Since Zombies have poor vision, most senses would improve as well because of this reason. It's only natural instinct.

[person915 345]

I like this idea but I can further suggest that we can also hide our scents as well. Since Zombies have poor vision, most senses would improve as well because of this reason. It's only natural instinct.

They don't have "poor vision" persay, it's just a different type of vision. Honestly, when you stink, you aren't going to be smelled unless super-close anyway. They would still be able to smell you, but it wouldn't be a "human" smell. Say you had blood gushing out of you or someone else's blood-stained clothes. That's where smell would be a factor.

The fact of the vision is that other senses develop, in this case it would be blindness develops into something else, but their not blind, just seeing in a different way. Reptiles see, they just don't know what living thing is there until it moves. Unless you want to give an upgrade to their 'taste' sense? Or their 'touch'? Zombies thoughfully chewing player meat, and running their hands over walls and guts. Sound like what you had in mind?

[TIC 1050]

They don't have "poor vision" persay, it's just a different type of vision. Honestly, when you stink, you aren't going to be smelled unless super-close anyway. They would still be able to smell you, but it wouldn't be a "human" smell. Say you had blood gushing out of you or someone else's blood-stained clothes. That's where smell would be a factor.

The fact of the vision is that other senses develop, in this case it would be blindness develops into something else, but their not blind, just seeing in a different way. Reptiles see, they just don't know what living thing is there until it moves. Unless you want to give an upgrade to their 'taste' sense? Or their 'touch'? Zombies thoughfully chewing player meat, and running their hands over walls and guts. Sound like what you had in mind?

We really need a definition of a 'zombie' according to DayZ's version :P

[person915 345]

We really need a definition of a 'zombie' according to DayZ's version :P

I mean that in terms of the changes I wish to make.