Randomised Character Backrounds...

[Rekli 995]

Say when you start a new life you get some slight information about your character (randomised ofc) along the lines of why you're there (native Chernarussian, visiting family, job) places you remember (family's house, place of work) who you remember (family, co-workers) it gives you an entirely optional thing to do instead of shooting at fresh spawns, like finding what happened to your family, maybe they were killed by bandits, maybe they turned, maybe the military evacuated them, it will be entirely optional but might actually add some value to your character's life wondering what happened to his/her friends and family...maybe add some incentive too like the military leaving things, some bandit AI <--don't hate they'll just try and kill you no talking/trading shit) still around for you to kill, household guns left  behind when they turned...

Edit: there could be a prompt before you spawn whether or not you want to make your own story or follow a story specific to your character.

Discuss.

Edited August 31, 2013 by RekliSnipez

[Rekli 995]

God dammit I said discuss >: O

Edited August 31, 2013 by RekliSnipez

[Fraggle (DayZ) 15720]

No. I don't want to.

[Rekli 995]

No. I don't want to.

Damn you Fraggle...*Jedi mind trick* you WILL discuss my idea.

Edit: I see all the views and not a single damn piece of discussion.....I hate you all.

Edited August 31, 2013 by RekliSnipez

[Korsbaek 1778]

I wan't to discuss! I think we should discuss.

[Fraggle (DayZ) 15720]

Ok... Ok....  I'll try....

 

I like the idea of having something tied to that character for them to discover.  To work well it'd need a lot of different BG stories and I could see people actually "collecting" them in a way to see how many of those stories they could uncover.

 

One thing I'm not sure about though is that would these "clues" etc only be available to that character when you're playing as them?  If not you could just find all of these things anyway.

 

I'm not really sold on it but it's got potential I guess.  

 

Discuss...

Edited August 31, 2013 by Fraggle

[Skat3rat 1633]

It would kind of be cool but I'm not a big fan of it. 

 

I've always liked how you the player could essentially make up everything for your character.  You made the decisions, and essentially the character is you in a way.

 

I think it might be cool if you could either, choose your background, choose to get a random one, and have the ability to not choose one at all.

[☣BioHaze☣ 7337]

I like the idea, you could even tie to a relative that was an actual spawn, but I think it changes something at the core of the DayZ experience that should be left alone.

 

How many story lines can there be?

 

People will soon play the same stories, and they lose their meaning.

 

If the stories then tie to loot or are even "cooler" somehow, will people decide some "characters" are more desirable?

[joe_mcentire 2074]

i kinda like the overall idea but don't know if this really would fit to dayz

[Karmaterror 982]

maybe it could effect what you spawn with. like someone with a military background would spawn with m9 pistol and camo cloathing....civillian background could spawn with more food and drink supplies...and a medical background spawns with (you guessed it) medical supplies :). There could be a number of backgrounds for each type and maybe more types, that's jus what I could come up with after reading thread.

 

ohh and a mechanic/engeniring background spawns with a few random parts and a tool box, hunter could be another.

 

Rly like this idea the possabilities are endless :)

[OrLoK 16185]

hello there

 

Discovering parts of your past might be a fun idea.

 

Imagine that a side effect of the virus on those whom are immune is amnesia, hence your arrival on the "island" being able to find out some tid bits about who you may have been could be interesting.

 

All would have to be dynamically generated.

 

Discussed.

 

L

[mr_chabowski@live.co.uk 2416]

I'll always feel that character background would impede the player's ability to project themselves onto their avatar.

 

I suppose it depends what kind of storytelling the BI guys go for. The way I see it, though there are many ways to become sucked into gameplay, the simplest are; engaging, character-driven stories and non-imposing, blank-canvas ambiguity.

 

DayZ currently goes whole-hog for the latter. I just don't see how the two could mix effectively without either one damaging the effectiveness of the other.

The amnesiac idea sounds cool, but after adventuring, when you find your "clues" and "the truth", doesn't that render any self-discovery made during that time (player created story/character) null and void?

 

As soon as "background" starts interfering with spawns and starting gear, my response becomes "NONONONONONONO"

[Rekli 995]

As soon as "background" starts interfering with spawns and starting gear, my response becomes "NONONONONONONO"

yeah, i'm completely against that.

[m.w. vindicator 880]

I prefer making your own story instead of being told by the game.  I do like the idea of messages from family or signs of death.  

[Rekli 995]

I like the idea, you could even tie to a relative that was an actual spawn, but I think it changes something at the core of the DayZ experience that should be left alone.

 

How many story lines can there be? lots

 

People will soon play the same stories, and they lose their meaning. too many variables for that to happen anytime soon, there must be at least 500 buildings in chernarus.could easily come up with 1000s of family names & variations in family size, then what happened to them.

 

If the stories then tie to loot or are even "cooler" somehow, will people decide some "characters" are more desirable?there are no certainties and you would never know as it's all completely random.

you never know what happens to your family until you actually find the house, hiding spot, camp ect even then not even the loot you will get from it is certain, you might get a can of beans you might get a lee enfield...

[☣BioHaze☣ 7337]

erm, "This is DayZ. This is your story."

 

I dunno....