Will the SA actually be a zombie game?

[mrgrendel 1]

No, it doesn't matter whether the idea is new or not, I dislike it. Whether or not I would be forced to do it myself is irrelevant.

 

What about it do you not like? You dislike that some zombies wouldn't be 100% predictable? Or that some zombies would do scary things like stalking or ambushing, or be dangerous? Help me out here.

Edited November 24, 2013 by MrGrendel

[OfficerRaymond 2064]

What about it do you not like? You dislike that some zombies wouldn't be 100% predictable? Or that some zombies would do scary things like stalking or ambushing, or be dangerous? Help me out here.

They're zombies. They aren't supposed to be smart.

 

This isn't Left4Dead.

[Inception. 9443]

What about it do you not like? You dislike that some zombies wouldn't be 100% predictable? Or that some zombies would do scary things like stalking or ambushing, or be dangerous? Help me out here.

 

No, because I don't find it to be immersive. 

[mrgrendel 1]

Noone said they'd be able to read and write. I for one would like them to be challenging.

[mrgrendel 1]

No, because I don't find it to be immersive. 

 

What's not immersive, zombies stalking you, or popping out of unexpected places? Getting attacked at inconvenient moments? Seriously? "Zombies never stalk me in real life. Total immersion breaker."

Edited November 24, 2013 by MrGrendel

[Inception. 9443]

What's not immersive, zombies stalking you, or popping out of unexpected places? Getting attacked at inconvenient moments? Seriously? "Zombies never stalk me in real life. Total immersion breaker."

 

Sigh. I didn't say that. But it isn't the zombies "stalking" me; it is the players. There's a difference.

[mrgrendel 1]

Aside from the points I've mentioned already, what's the difference then? Simply that one zombie is controlled by repetitive routines and one zombie is controlled by a less predictable and more creative (and dangerous) mechanic? Why does that bother you?

 

If we had this mechanic already, we might have zombies waiting for you in spots you thought safe, following you into forests and waiting to attack until you are searching in your backpack, running at you indoors, sitting in vehicles and popping out at you when you get close, hiding behind doors and around corners, sneaking up on snipers until they are directly on top of them, and occasionally doing all this in packs... it could add a new dimension to the zombie threat, maybe some paranoia, and that's just in the mod, alone, not to mention what could be done in a fresh game being built with this in mind.

 

I don't really understand the nay-sayers, human AI is a much more interesting/challenging/scary opponent than stale, repeating computer AI.

 

If you don't think so...

 

Look at the current state of the mod.

Edited November 24, 2013 by MrGrendel

[Inception. 9443]

Aside from the points I've mentioned already, what's the difference then? Simply that one zombie is controlled by repetitive routines and one zombie is controlled by a less predictable and more creative (and dangerous) mechanic? Why does that bother you?

 

If we had this mechanic already, we might have zombies waiting for you in spots you thought safe, following you into forests and waiting to attack until you are searching in your backpack, running at you indoors, sitting in vehicles and popping out at you when you get close, hiding behind doors and around corners, sneaking up on snipers until they are directly on top of them, and occasionally doing all this in packs... it could add a new dimension to the zombie threat, maybe some paranoia, and that's just in the mod, alone, not to mention what could be done in a fresh game being built with this in mind.

 

I don't really understand the nay-sayers, human AI is a much more interesting/challenging/scary opponent than stale, repeating computer AI.

 

If you don't think so...

 

Look at the current state of the mod.

 

You say that you don't follow much of the SA and yet you say that the AI for it is dumb (unless, of course, you are referring to the AI for the mod; if that is the case then making a suggestion for the AI in the SA whilst it is based of experiences with the AI in the mod is not valid).

 

Zombies/infected in DayZ are not meant to possess intelligence. 

[OfficerRaymond 2064]

-douchebag snip-

Seriously? You fuckers have some balls doing it on an actual topic. Worthless fucks.

 

 

You say that you don't follow much of the SA and yet you say that the AI for it is dumb (unless, of course, you are referring to the AI for the mod; if that is the case then making a suggestion for the AI in the SA whilst it is based of experiences with the AI in the mod is not valid).

 

Zombies/infected in DayZ are not meant to possess intelligence. 

CEPPYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Attack!

Edited November 24, 2013 by OfficerRaymond

[callsignBravo (DayZ) 323]

wow this topic got alot of flak for only being up for 2 hours.

Its will focus on human interactions to survive the zombie apocolypse as far as i understand it.

[callsignBravo (DayZ) 323]

Seriously? You fuckers have some balls doing it on an actual topic. Worthless fucks.

 

Dammit! they have gone to far to do it in a real topic people will read about

[mrgrendel 1]

You say that you don't follow much of the SA and yet you say that the AI for it is dumb (unless, of course, you are referring to the AI for the mod; if that is the case then making a suggestion for the AI in the SA whilst it is based of experiences with the AI in the mod is not valid).

 

Zombies/infected in DayZ are not meant to possess intelligence. 

 

1. I'm making the assumption that the SA will be based in some degree on the mod.

2. You'd discount a potentially huge improvement in gameplay for "DayZ zombies should have exactly 15 IQ and not 22, never ever in my DayZ!"? Zombies would still only know when to move and when to attack, they'd simply strike at more inopportune moments/be more random/raise the challenge level to a point where you would be less likely to need to kill survivors to find it. There are animals dumber than cockroaches able to stalk and ambush, let alone have the mental capacity to walk on only two limbs.

3. I'm out, good luck and happy bean hunting etc until the SA.

Edited November 24, 2013 by MrGrendel

[Dagwood 680]

Didn't read second page...

How about semi-scripted zombie behavior that is "activated" by gunfire or players passing through an area. I was thinking like, zombies forming a hoard etc...

[Inception. 9443]

1. I'm making the assumption that the SA will be based in some degree on the mod.

2. You'd discount a potentially huge improvement in gameplay for "DayZ zombies should have exactly 15 IQ and not 22, never ever in my DayZ!"? Zombies would still only know when to move and when to attack, they'd simply strike at more inopportune moments/be more random/raise the challenge level to a point where you would be less likely to need to kill survivors to find it. There are animals dumber than cockroaches able to stalk and ambush, let alone have the mental capacity to walk on only two limbs.

3. I'm out, good luck and happy bean hunting etc until the SA.

The ability to be a zombie is too arcadish for DayZ. It is meant to be an open world, zombie survival simulator sandbox, no?

[OfficerRaymond 2064]

The ability to be a zombie is too arcadish for DayZ. It is meant to be an open world, zombie survival simulator sandbox, no?

Bro.... You missed the spam....

[Inception. 9443]

Bro.... You missed the spam....

 

No I didn't. Liar.

[OfficerRaymond 2064]

No I didn't. Liar.

Ahhhhh.

 

Almost had you.

[Beck (DayZ) 1768]

1. I'm making the assumption that the SA will be based in some degree on the mod.

2. You'd discount a potentially huge improvement in gameplay for "DayZ zombies should have exactly 15 IQ and not 22, never ever in my DayZ!"? Zombies would still only know when to move and when to attack, they'd simply strike at more inopportune moments/be more random/raise the challenge level to a point where you would be less likely to need to kill survivors to find it. There are animals dumber than cockroaches able to stalk and ambush, let alone have the mental capacity to walk on only two limbs.

3. I'm out, good luck and happy bean hunting etc until the SA.

1. I think you need to stop making assumptions about SA and go take a look at some of the dev blogs. I've been keeping up with what they have to say and they have made it very clear that they are working hard to make the game more survival based.

 

2. If you had watched the latest dev blog you would know that rocket is re-working the AI system used in the current mod to better fit their needs in stand-alone.

This is a survival game, why would a player buy a survival game to be undead???

 

3. It's ashame you won't get a chance to read my well written response... I'm sure you will be back though.

[fully 51]

When you carnt kill another player - or are punished by it through death or kick it will always be a pvp fest =)

[Zedertone 378]

Yolo.

Unless you're a cat, then it's yol9. :3  B)

[DudeTheTree 12]

Wait, you want a zombie survival, that's less pvp focused, then suggest being able to play as a zombie.... Wouldn't this make it more pvp focused, since you'll have to fight actual people, not zombie ai?

[Karmaterror 982]

I think everyone should remember dayz never started out to be a "zombie" game. It was purely a survival mod....that was the vision. But rocket himself said that the zombies were added to make it more "mainstream". With that in mind I think its only right that the survival elements take priority over the zombies.

 

But I wouldn't worry too much, they have already tried a couple of pathfinding improvements, and now they are working on making them behave properly indoors, and stopping them hitting trough walls (well that's the last I heard anyways). Once the network bubble thingy is sorted and we get the no zeds alpha, they will have all the time in the world to make the zeds great :D

[Jex 1104]

The game pushed people in this direction: There's very little late game challenge in surviving or killing zombies... and no rewards. Unlike other players. It's not as simple as saying "the game itself is not to blame for who chooses to play it." No, the game attracts players based on its merits, or lack of.

 

Making zombies more difficult is a step in the right direction, but will it actually reward cooperation for survival? The two are not the same. Just as an example, if stealth is a factor, the more people you have, the more likely you are to be spotted. In this case, having harder zombies and more people will just make screw-ups more likely and more punishing.

 

IMO they need to make the zombies a serious threat but at the same time, make it so you can sneak around them. Personally, i'd like to see these characteristics;

 

- A zed either draws blood on you, or bites you, you're infected and your dead in 15 minutes. You can restart anytime during the 15 minutes and after you turn, you might be able to control the zombie (not sure about having players controlling zombies)

 

- Zeds woud be able to knock you down putting you into a "last Stand" type of action where you will be able to pull out your pistol as a last ditch attempt before you see them pull out your guts (yes it would also be extremely gory)

 

- You would be able to sneak around the zombies as long as you were careful. This part would have to be tested to perfection.

 

- If a zed spots you, it'll cry out attracting other zeds nearby to that area who will also give chase if they see you. If you try and run through a group of them, they will grab you and drag you to the ground. Any zombie you pass close by will try and grab you, slowing you down for a second or two - this might give other zombies a chance to grab you as well which would keep slowing you down until you were mobbed.

 

- Possibly have the zeds change in behaviour as time went on. maybe at the beginning they are all just wandering around aimlessly but then they might start walking in small packs, then large hordes or something. Basically things to give the players so they're in an evolving game, where just as they get comfortable and used to the way the game plays, you throw a spanner in the works and there's something new for them to learn.

 

I'd take what is from the movies and add to that making the zombies a terrifying and dangerous component of the game. As you say in your OP, you just ignore them now pretty much (they actually annoy me half the time when I want to get in somewhere. I know they won't catch me so I know it's only a matter of time before I lose them and it's annoying, knowing you don't have a threat but knowing you should have one but I imagine getting this part done just right could be the hardest part of the game).

[Jex 1104]

No it doesn't.

 

If the game turns into a PvP oriented game, it'll be broken just like the mod.

 

What do you mean "broken"? In your opinion, the game isn't playing the way you want it to != broken

[Jex 1104]

If zombie AI is stale, as any computer AI always is eventually, any forum of "versus zombies" for its own sake will become boring.

 

This is why devs that want a long term aspect to their games should have an evolving AI.