Infection Rate.. Whats All the Fuss About?

[RJTurneR 112]

So I've heard to no end complaints about the infection rate and there being no antibiotics, thing is.... I don't see the issue?

I took a month hiatus from DayZ in anticipation the SA being close, but gaming has dried up this year with next-gen around the corner, so I came back to DayZ a week or so after the patch. SInce then, I've been infected twice. Yes.. TWICE. I play daily as well, infact I've played almost daily since September.

And no antibiotics? I've found a healty supply all across the map. Is it a case of 'Should of gone Specsavers?' or 'Try looking?'.

Honestly, in my opinion, there is nothing wrong at all with the latest patch. So, you may ask.. What in gods name is wrong with me? My answer. Nothing.

My personal opinion is this. Far too many people still play the mod the same way they always have. Still seeing zombies as a mere annoyance in the game, not a threat. Now, the main way you catch an infection is by being hit by zombies, so surely the solution to the patch is.. Avoid the zombies!

Now in fairness, DayZ is a mod, heavily scripted. Zombies are not perfect. There pathfinding is terrible and at times their senses are ridiculous. But still.. If people were actually willing to take their time looting, avoiding zombies, crawling, etc.. You'd find yourself becoming a lot less frustrated with catching an infection.

Let me compare. The popular TV series The Walking Dead (here we go again...) in my opinion best reflects a true zombie apocalypse. Anyone noticed that as soon as anyone gets hit, scratced, bitten, etc, they get infected. Just like that. Sounds similar to DayZ. Sounds realistic. Can't imagine many people are going to walk that one off without proper treatment.

The issue is the players. Like it or not, the truth hurts. People are not willing to change the way they loot, the way they play, they won't adapt. Know what? In a game like this, you have to adapt. It's the core of the game.

The patch is fine. It's the players that need fixing. Just my two cents.

Edited July 4, 2013 by RJTurneR

[thelonewarrior 886]

The only problem I have with your post is that I can't give you enough beans

My thoughts exactly

[Coleman (DayZ) 14]

Cry thread about the cry threads. Legit.

I don't bother looking for antibiotics anymore because I usually find them on the people I slaughter.

[sarkasm0 109]

I can't help but to be disgusted, I wouldn't say is a bad patch, but "there is nothing wrong with it at all" it's just plain D*** S***ing.

[Meatham 0]

I just started playing again after a year and I for one just find the new zombies extremely irritating.

The Walking Dead is a great example, but we both have different opinions in regards to it. The Walking Dead first and foremost is about the human condition, and the walkers are just the catalyst for character development. The zombies are slow, dumb, and predictable.. and they only want to eat your flesh. They sit in the background until the shit hits the fan, and they all come running.

The humans, on the other hand, are intelligent, deceitful, greedy, desperate.. they need supplies, bullets.. and their minds crack under pressure. The zombies take a back seat as they learn the walkers are a manageable threat.

I thought the old DayZ was actually pretty good in regards to that. You started out fearing the zombies, but then they became manageable.. you could avoid them.. you could learn to not shoot a lee enfield in a city unless you were ready to deal with a horde.

But with the new DayZ, I feel like you can't even crawl into the entrance of a city without them seeing you. Sneaking seems absolutely pointless, and almost a good way to get hit (and infected). The method that seemed to work more was fast crouching through the entire city and ditching them in houses or bushes.. and it seemed like half the people I saw were doing the same thing. Heck, I can't even google "avoiding zombies dayz" without finding millions of videos of people sprinting into bushes. lol.. not very often actually sneaking into a city.

The infection thing seemed pretty interesting at first. Not a big deal. I would make some trips to the city for supplies. ..but, sneaking (especially crawling) would frequently end in me getting hit. Even just running through the woods, there'd be that one zombie that somehow zigzagged around a corner and hit me miraculously.. or the zombie that would walk through a wall.. or the zombie that just wouldn't die. After a while we realized we couldn't actually head north without raiding the hospitals in cherno and elektro.. because getting hit once by a zombie was ultimately inevitable. ... But, I guess everyone else had the same idea, because we hardly ever found supplies there.

In my experience, I'm not here for PvE. I like a nice blend of PvP and PvE in my games, but I like DayZ because of the interaction between players.. getting shot at, being lied to, finding allies, stealing supplies, going to 'war', negotiating peace, being scared as hell after hearing footsteps in a grocery store, being betrayed.

I don't find these see-all ultra deadly zombies scary.. I find them irritating. Instead of crawling through the pitch black of night with a zombie two feet away afraid as hell that he would attack and alert the whole city, or a player would attack and we'd have no escape without alerting a horde of zombies.. I just feel irritated.

I'm open for any tips honestly. I joined a server where the zombies don't seem to spot me as much and enjoyed it a ton.. especially with the ability to ditch them and hide.

Edited July 4, 2013 by Meatham

[RJTurneR 112]

The problem with the zombies is there ArmA AI. If you have ever played regular ArmA, you notice that the AI has zero ability nearly. They spend more time dodging bullets similar to that of the zombies rather than moving, flanking, shooting.. Which seems to why they all lay down after being shot at.

It's a flaw with the zombies that can't ever be fixed, which is one of the big reasons why the SA was considered to begin with. I must admit I get annoyed sometimes at how hard it is to dodge these zombies or shoot them. I have always been of the more patient style of playing games. I'll wait it out for an hour if I've been shot at if need be. And I find this helps with zombies. I have a routine as well. Loot during the night (The server I use has part/full moon nights) and then scavenge from some small towns, barns, etc.. during the day just to keep you going. We play in a group as well which obviously benefits us greatly.

If people thought rather than did, there wouldn't be 50 topics a day bashing the dev's or calling Rocket out. Play style is a huge factor in how you survive in DayZ. Everyone who was helped the mod has done the best job they can, it's not perfect, but it's good. They listened, now I feel it's time everyone else did their part, and thats play the game how it should played.

Edited July 4, 2013 by RJTurneR