Why is the game in real time?

[Foulcorn 9]

I'm wondering if the time of the game has ever been tested with different speeds. Shouldn't night time be part of the game? Right now it's designed so that it's almost optional. I don't know if other people do this but whenever it gets dark or I get onto a night time server, I just switch server. Night time should be a challenge and not a challenge that is so easily avoided.

 

If a day was an hour long, 30 minutes of day, 30 minutes of night or something like that, then it's less incentive to switch server, knowing that the odds of getting a day time server is lower

 and that it'll eventually become night time on that one as well so there's little point in switching.

 

It'll make night time part of the game, not something so easily avoided. Of course, lighting has to be adjusted first, right now night time is so boring since it's darker than coal and my flashlight has the most unrealistic light ever.

Edited December 18, 2013 by Foulcorn

[hemp0325 6]

Umm night time is in the game.  Almost 75% of my time played has been played at night.  I get off work at 7 PM and played from 9PM to 1AM and it was all night time gameplay.

[Statik (DayZ) 2695]

Fast cycles are just horrid. If rocket wanted to slightly shorten them to say...18 or 20 hours, I wouldn't object, but 1 and 1 or 30m and 30m would be horrific.

[Foulcorn 9]

Fast cycles are just horrid. If rocket wanted to slightly shorten them to say...18 or 20 hours, I wouldn't object, but 1 and 1 or 30m and 30m would be horrific.

It's an example. Also why would it be "horrid"? I don't know of any other game that has real time

[rayker 2]

its night time for more than 12 hours straight if I want to play day time I gotta get up at like 4 in the morning and then its dark by noon EST gmt -5 and i'm not sure about the 4 in the morning..., but 630 am is light for sure

Edited December 18, 2013 by rayker

[drakanos 0]

They really should have shorter day/night cycles if they're going to enforce the day/night times. I think 4 hours or 6 hours for each before changing. I know we're dealing with realism, but the hunger & thirst already isn't accurate to a 24 hour system so why should the night/day be? I leave work at 6 pm. It's already night time when I login at around 6:30 pm and it's night time until 2 am. With this system, I'll only be able to play daytime during weekends.

[Foulcorn 9]

They really should have shorter day/night cycles if they're going to enforce the day/night times. I think 4 hours or 6 hours for each before changing. I know we're dealing with realism, but the hunger & thirst already isn't accurate to a 24 hour system so why should the night/day be? I leave work at 6 pm. It's already night time when I login at around 6:30 pm and it's night time until 2 am. With this system, I'll only be able to play daytime during weekends.

There's already too many things that are breaking the "realism" feel like the sound of melee weapons and the way they hit walls, zombies glitching through walls. I know it's a game but you gotta know when to cross the line on when to sacrifice realism for gameplay and I think the current day/night cycles are sacrificing gameplay for realism

Edited December 18, 2013 by Foulcorn

[doctorbadsign 645]

24 hr system is fine in my book.

 

However the hunger/thirst needs to be in real time too!!!!!

[knar33 158]

afaik it's not 24 hour cycle, seems like 18 hour.

[Foulcorn 9]

afaik it's not 24 hour cycle, seems like 18 hour.

Whatever, it doesn't change the fact that night is easily avoided.

Edited December 18, 2013 by Foulcorn

[Statik (DayZ) 2695]

It's an example. Also why would it be "horrid"? I don't know of any other game that has real time

Just because other games aren't 24 hour cycles, that doesn't mean DayZ has to change. The cycles you mentioned would be SO unrealistic, and they would just look stupid.

[Bubbajones 238]

hehe, if food and drink can run on a 5 minute cycle, i don't see why day/night can't be on a 4 hour cycle....

[Foulcorn 9]

Just because other games aren't 24 hour cycles, that doesn't mean DayZ has to change. The cycles you mentioned would be SO unrealistic, and they would just look stupid.

So jumping from night time to day time is also realistic (switching server)? It's a game and right now the time of the day is something optional. How does the current cycle help gameplay? I know that a realistic time cycle for a game like minecraft would not benefit it.

[Statik (DayZ) 2695]

So jumping from night time to day time is also realistic (switching server)? It's a game and right now the time of the day is something optional. How does the current cycle help gameplay? I know that a realistic time cycle for a game like minecraft would not benefit it.

Then let them jump to day servers. I've played the mod on servers with a fast cycle, and they're a complete joke...

[Foulcorn 9]

Then let them jump to day servers. I've played the mod on servers with a fast cycle, and they're a complete joke...

You still haven't said why it's bad. Just that it's bad because you say so. Make a point.

 

It should at least be attempted or an option for some servers since the game is in alpha.

[piffaroni 13]

Come play on dayz stalker. I have 2 hours day 1 night 3 hour restarts, so in  3hour period u get night and day...

 

Edited December 18, 2013 by piffkush

[Entaro (DayZ) 33]

Yes, a shorter cycle would be ideal.  Its a joke that the only time I can play Dayz my low ping options are all nighttime.  There's nothing 'hardcore' about that, its just bad design.

[M1nD 0]

Same for me i'm a night worker and i cant play the day due to my work, and during the week end it is the same but personnaly i don't wanna see this changed i just want to have some servers of my country (fr) with a reverted cycle, i'm just bored to play on us central server with 160/200 of ping... It make sens isn't it?

[tom59593 2]

I actually wish the ENTIRE game was played at night...with no options to screw around with gamma/brightness.  Just temporary light sources and darkness.  To me, it makes looting a village 92034029342309% more interesting when I can't see 20 meters in front of me much less the other side of town.  I think the lighting effects of light sources like the flashlight and lamp look really nice, too (see exceptions below).  

 

It makes the game MUCH harder and makes shooting other players a lot more difficult.  That assault rifle you found in Balota won't do you much good if you can't see the dude you're trying to kill--and I'm okay with that.  I like the fact that I can escape to the shadows of the trees and if my hunter wants to find me he needs to reveal himself with a flashlight or be lucky enough to get some night vision goggles.  I like the fact that in order to loot villages I have to turn on my flashlight and alert others to my position.

 

All that being said, this all hinges on making the light sources work properly.  Currently, they shine through walls forever and don't illuminate objects correctly.  If these two issues could be fixed, I would LOVE a 24/7 night server.

 

Just my two cents...

Edited December 18, 2013 by tom59593

[Hosty 647]

I really don't get it why you guys always get night.

 

I only get night at past 6-7 PM.

 

At 9 AM I already get daytime.

[need matches 84]

Server screen needs to include server time and also allow the filter to search for day/night. I am seeing people getting frustrated with just finding nighttime servers when they can only play during certain times of day. The server times need to "loosen up" and offer a variety of times, like the mod IMO.

 

I feel bad for newbies being introduced to the game during nighttime. I'm a mod player and even I didn't like the SA nighttime when I first played.

 

After some daylight playing and getting used to the game, I don't mind nighttime so much.

 

Right now I think this is turning some people off when they should instead be having fun for supporting the alpha. I just think daytime gives a better first impression. My first mod play was during the day. And the day in the SA looks fantastic.

Edited December 18, 2013 by need matches

[vonlinchen 26]

You still haven't said why it's bad. Just that it's bad because you say so. Make a point.

 

It should at least be attempted or an option for some servers since the game is in alpha.

I don;'t know if you played the mod but the arma engine handles sped up time very badly. A 30 minute cycle would look completely screwed from a lighting perspective.

I dont think night should be somthing that quickly starts and quickly ends, but i do agree with people's statements concerning real time. Getting home from work in the evening would mean you'd have to play at night forever.

 

I would think a 7 hour cycle would be good, means that people who game alot get a nice realistic progression but it will also continually shift the in game time of day out of sync with RL meaning that each day when you get home from work, it'll be a different time of day in game.

[Bubbajones 238]

i have suggested in other threads a 3.5 hour day/night cycle so people who play daily (lets say evenings for those who work like me) would be able to experience both day and night in a typical 4-5 hour session.

 

if the game only caters to people who play 18 hours a day, it will drive away a large percentage of the playerbase.

 

i think 3.5 hours so that you wont get the same time from one day to the next.

[PongoZ 127]

I played on a mod server at one time that had it on hour cycles and it was nonsense. The transitions are just silly.

But a 4 hour one might be fine. MDDENMDDENMDDEN

where only 1 in 4 hours is total dark, then you can plan around those hours for high risk moves.

Would likely improve the game I think, I like night, just not playing in it for 4 hours. I just do what everyone does, up you gama and brightness. What does that gain anyone. 

[Chaz0r 0]

I would say a 6 hour cycle woule be cool.

We would have 2x daylight and 2x night per day. And people who work and just play in the evening would have one day daylight, next day night. Next day daylight, next day night and so on.