Is DayZ a hardcore survival simulator?

[Fonebook 126]

Have seen a lot of discussions over the last year tossing this back and forth. The recent 3rd person view/1st person view discussion got me thinking about it again. The outcry about infection and zombie difficulty increases also made me ponder this. As well as all the heavily bastardized servers out there.

 

When I came on board with DayZ a year ago I feel like it was billed as a hardcore survival simulator. Did I misunderstand what was presented to me? All the talk of realism had me intrigued, being built on top of a milsim was a huge draw for me. The bleeding, the breaking bones, the fear of other people. Though I have noticed that every major change that increases the difficulty of the game is met with outcry from the player base, even removal of the debug monitor which was obviously never intended to be in the game was contentious. Perhaps it has been me all along who had a false impression of this game, maybe I deluded myself into thinking it was something it was not?

 

I remember there has always been this realism vs. fun compromise. After playing DayZ though I found the best part about it is the intense emotions it brings forth in me, both positive and negative. You have to ride the highs of the game carefully so not to become overconfident, you have to take the defeats with grace so you can pick yourself back up for the next encounter. In a nutshell it is a great experience for learning to deal with conflict outside of the game. Learning how to have successful encounters with random, nervous players has been a valuable life lesson in having respect for others, even strangers that may want to kill you. It has been a hell of a ride. For me as a player, it is the intense "realism" which has made this mod so much fun.

 

Hopefully you can see where I stand from this posting, I feel it should be a hardcore survival simulator. Maybe it isn't though, and perhaps I have hope in a pipe dream. Maybe it is and the best is yet to come. I am currently confused as to what the ultimate direction of this game is.

 

So my question for everyone is simple, and please elaborate if need be.

 

Is DayZ mod a hardcore survival simulator? Will SA be a hardcore survival simulator?

 

 

[hellcane 63]

It doesn't show the actual penetration, so softcore at best.

[Rekli 995]

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Edited August 25, 2013 by RekliSnipez

[FrostDMG 398]

Nope and nope

[Dancing.Russian.Man 1631]

It tries to be. Whether consciously or not.

 

The mod? I don't think so. I don't think it's complex enough to be a survival simulator.

Where is barricading? Who throwing around all this stuff on the ground? (Though 1.7.7.1 kind of fixed it.) Why is everybody able to run continuously for 200km back and forth, both uphill and downhill without needing a break? There are things that it needs to be doing before we can definitely call it a simulator. At least a proper one.

 

There are things that can be forgiven for two things;

1. It's a game, not a virtual reality. (yet)

2. A simulator doesn't mean "perfect." It's supposed to simulate, not emulate. (There is a difference.)

[DemonGroover 8836]

I have hope for the SA.  Regardless of the 1st/3rd debate i believe it will be much harder to survive in the SA than the mod. Whether this caters to a portion of the playing populace only time will tell. I don't think the tactics currently employed in the mod will cross over too well to the SA. 

 

I believe Rocket will stick to his guns and deliver the game he wants to produce. A brutal, unforgiving world where survival is difficult and death is around every corner.  I'd like to see death by zombie ramped up considerably and ammo rare enough that firing on an unarmed survivor just isn't worth it.

 

It's looking good atm.

[Fonebook 126]

I also still have high hope for the standalone. I will be disappointed if there are a lot of compromises to make the game "more accessible." The hardcore game I thought this was shooting to be is something I have been dreaming of for years. I am going to buy and play it regardless, the mod so far has been an amazing experience. It deserves a try.

 

The push by the general population for base building scares me though, as well as the dev teams support of it in some form or another. Bases and even tents circumvent the punishment of permadeath. I have always been against MMOs because your character never really dies, you keep all your levels and lots of items etc. Excess vehicles, what the inception mods have done to the game... I find it all scary because I know the general population would rather have a shoot-em up than a survival sim where death means something.

 

Despite my current fear and confusion I am excited to see where it all goes, one way or the other.

[-Gews- 7443]

No, but I wish it were.

[dsi24 227]

With third person? Not at all.

[SalamanderAnder (DayZ) 1747]

I don't think Hall and friends are going to bow to the whims of the whiny little shits who can't handle simple strategy like infection control. At the end of the day, I wouldn't call this game a "simulator" per se, but rather a hardcore survival strategy game. Is it 100% realistic? Of course not. No game is 100% realistic; it's pretty much impossible. But I don't think you have to worry. The Dev team has already confirmed almost a dozen real world diseases and medications for each, plus splints, stamina, weight based inventory, ect. ect.

 

In short, let's just wait for the Standalone and see what happens. I highly doubt the team is going to nerf the game for CoD kiddies.

[dsi24 227]

I don't think Hall and friends are going to bow to the whims of the whiny little shits who can't handle simple strategy like infection control. At the end of the day, I wouldn't call this game a "simulator" per se, but rather a hardcore survival strategy game. Is it 100% realistic? Of course not. No game is 100% realistic; it's pretty much impossible. But I don't think you have to worry. The Dev team has already confirmed almost a dozen real world diseases and medications for each, plus splints, stamina, weight based inventory, ect. ect.

 

In short, let's just wait for the Standalone and see what happens. I highly doubt the team is going to nerf the game for CoD kiddies.

Yeah instead they nerfed it for the WoW kiddies who want to watch their character's ass run across a field.

[Mullraugh 1151]

ArmA 2 itself is a simulator, so a mod for it kind of makes it a simulator as well. Whether it wants to be or not.

[Siberian (DayZ) 527]

it was early on, now its a KoS DM along the coast most times.

 

sad really...

[toxicsludge 406]

it was early on, now its a KoS DM along the coast most times.

 

sad really...

I agree, but I find myself asking "why should I leave the coast?" Its there or NWAF that you will find players. I cant remember the last time I came across someone in some random location. I can get everything I need along the coast, and the only reason to go to NWAF is to DM with all the campers with DMRs trained on the entrance to the barracks.

I cant wait for the standalone so we can get rid of all these bastardised private hives that everyone hates, but are the most populated.