Why should I pay for a game with less features, when I can get a mod with more features for free?

[gaelicwarlord 36]

This was the question I've been asking myself for a while now. Since really, I ever heard about the DayZ standalone. I thought it was all good and great for Hall to be added onto Bohemia's payroll and get his own team to oversee the development of this game, but I thought in the end, it was just going to be attempt to cash out on DayZ without offering us any real new features.

 

With that being said, let me put this out there and get it out of the way before continuing further:

 

DayZ Standalone does not have all of DayZ mods' features yet, and on one hand, what it does have dives in much more depth and immersion than any of the prior mods' mechanics had. This is an alpha, and that should be expected. Yet some of you, like me, were likely expecting something to show for the past 18 months? Are you someone who is thinking about testing that is skeptical as I was?

 

This is why, you should purchase this game...

 

In my first five minutes of playing DayZ, I noticed almost right off the bat a huge difference between ArmA 2 DayZ and DayZ standalone. Most noticeable is the engine. We're not exactly playing on the ArmA 2 engine, and in fact, we're not really playing on the ArmA 3 engine either. (which technically, are the same engines with tweaks.) DayZ's engine has been completely stripped down and reworked to better cater to a game of this scale and depth. In the past I haven't hardly ever been able to play ARMA 2 with a solid frame rate over 40-50 FPS. Which is considerably good... so you can imagine how surprised I was when I logged into the game, connected to a server, and found myself in the lush and beautiful version of DayZ's Chernarus with god rays and all, with a solid frame rate of 60 FPS. The playability of the game itself, I could already tell (especially when tweaking the settings) has broken away from ArmA's rather faulty spec system, and will cater to a lot more users, with a lot of different system specs. This is a great thing for DayZ, which will hopefully bring in more players than the mod did.

 

As I was moving about, I noticed that animations were nicer, cleaner looking, all weapons you picked up could be visibly seen on certain parts of your body. (I had an axe harnessed over one shoulder, a rifle, on another, a pistol in my chest holster, a back pack) which all added to the immersion factor. It didn't feel like a cheap script from the mods we're used to in ArmA 2 & 3, it felt like I was playing a different game (even with the familiarity of Chernarus, from ArmA 2, I could swear I was playing a different game).

 

The way the inventory system works, you get a detailed overview of each item, and interactive dialogues based on what actions you can perform with those items. This system will remind you of games like Resident Evil, which will both add a nostalgic touch, but also immerse you a little more than previous incarnations of DayZ mod. You are limited, even with thet largest back pack, you are limited to only a realistic amount of items to carry on you at a single time. This requires you to be very wise about how you pick and choose what things you will need to take with you when scavenging to enhance your survival, based on what items will only be a hinderance. Ammunition is a beautiful thing, but serves no purpose if you don't have a gun to fire it. Gathering an arsenal of tools and melee weapons is great, but all that weight and inventory space is going to be your downfall.

 

However, I think the most impressive feat of the game thus far, even beyond the amazing improvements to the engine, and the greater level of character customization, and tweaks to the inventory and food systems, is really the overall immersion factor. DayZ gives you a reason to want to explore, even in a place where many of us have already feel we've been before. Houses are no longer empty, but filled with tattered and worn furniture, and I've seen myself slowly exploring each home and trying to put a story to each household and imagine who might have lived there. I've even thought to myself... hey, this place is kind of nice... maybe I should dig in, and lay low for a while, or set this up as a personal HQ.

 

DayZ is not a finished game, and nor should anyone expect it to be. Dean Hall has put his money where his words are, and has even warned everyone extensively, that this is not a finished product, but rather a chance for you to enhance the development, not only monetarily, but as a voice among the playerbase as well. However, now that I have taken the leap of faith and went on a whim with my 30 dollars, I know I put my money towards a good cause. When DayZ launches, it is going to be great. And Dean Hall, has a design philosophy that leaves me feeling satisified that I am going to get an amazing product. And from all the upstart Zombie Apocalypse MMOs that have spawned in DayZ's wake, I can safely say, no one does it as well and to the quality that Dean Hall takes the approach.

 

Give this game a chance. Its beautiful, its immersive, and it is well worth the money, making the jump from a mod player, to a standalone player. Give it more time if you need to, but I can faithfully say, Dean is going to deliver on his promises.

[Hershel Green 46]

You should if you want you shouldn't if you don't...simple as that.

[xdamage 0]

I completely agree with your reasons to buy the game! This game is a great foundation on which the developers can create some amazing new features on. After more than a year of playing the mod, I'm excited to see what they come up with for stand-alone going into the new year! :)

[zombitch 1]

Some good point to purchase the SA :

 

1) In order to support team

2) No more cheat (or at least less cheat)

3) No need to do complicate thing to install dayz (like the mod, it needed to install arma 2 combined assault, with beta patch etc..etc...). Now it's very simple to install dayz and keep it up to date.

4) Zombies are well designed

5) To be happy when a patch is release and add some new features and objects.

[Funkmaster Rick 373]

"That's freaky." These words from a long-time gaming partner. This man has played DayZ with me since only a handful of months after its introduction to the world. He's played pure bandit almost the entire time. He's killed hundreds, even played sadistic mind games with them from time to time.

 

But then he saw the handprint-bloodstains inside one of the hospitals. A hardened DayZ vet, he was unsettled by the simple reminder that this zombie apocalypse didn't just appear fully-formed from the nether - that sense of history, that sense of panic, that sense of a horrible sort of death sweeping Chernarus: it got to him, for just a minute.

 

Want to know why you should buy the standalone? You shouldn't. You're not ready for this. =)

[Iemitsu 6]

The alfa is for people who want to try the game in early stages, report bugs etc.

 

If your main intention is just to play the best game, go and play the mod. Even the developers says so, take the hint.

 

I bought mod after i bought the standalone, since i got a lil bit bored of waiting on friends to go online with the main purpose to kill KoSers, even if our record is not quite clean either :p

 

I gota say this tough, the standalone got a heck lot of a big potentional, i hope the the devs releases a simple to use mod system, so we can see stuffs like epoch.

[Jaygoon 240]

I personally love being part of alpha/beta games as long as they reguarly get updated (pfffttt to cubeworld)

 

Getting home on a friday (or any day of week really lol) and finding theres an update almost feels like you have new dlc added to your game.

 

Following and watching the game grow from a shrub into a fully grown flower is alot of fun, Also being able to help squat bugs and provide some input of likes and dislikes too.

 

I have bought quite a few alpha/beta games, namely

 

Project zomboid

Minecraft (from the beginning)

Prison architect

Star citizen

Dayz

Cubeworld (pfftt to the developer who never updates anymore)

Starmade

 

Have had alot of fun following these games for a while now.

 

I do have full priced finished games like Fifa 14 (which is totally broken even though it isnt in alpha/beta) that cost me £40 so i cant understand why some players moan about Dayz not being finished, at least dead has warned you, games like fifa 14, battlefield 4 etc.. are released full price and are broken and bug infested.

 

ps - Dayz cos me £20 .  Fifa 14 cost me £40.  Dayz has bugs,  Fifa 14 plays but is jittery and buggy, and it looks like EA arent interested in fixing it since they have our money now.

 

So the next time you get your ass handed to you in Dayz have a little thought about how honest dean and bis are to you guys, and then think about most other games companies and their prices and the lies about their games being a finished product.

 

x happy "kos" christmas all :)

[I Pro Devon 12]

Pikachu

Edited December 24, 2013 by I Pro Devon

[TheLastEmp 295]

To put it simply.  It's an investment.

[Mopp_94 29]

No ones saying you should. If you want to you do. 

 

Other points that hold relevance are that 

 

1. The SA will go up in price as it becomes closer to full release.

2. The final version WILL perform better and will have more content than the mod.

3. Now that the SA version is out, support for the mod will slowly falter, due to the small size of the team. 

 

TL;DR Don't get it if you dont want to. No ones making you.  

[Zeppa 562]

Mod is developed by community, have been so for a while now. Only way SA to affect its development is if present devs move to play SA and dont care to dev the mod anymore and no one else will pick it up.

[Femme Fatale 49]

Main reason is because you want to support the game and the company making it. As for Dayz mod being free well thats not quite true as you need to own arma 2 and many other addons for the arma game if you want all the Dayz "features"!

 

Personally I felt it was money well spent and when I buy the SA I will have no regrets.

[LouisK 85]

You should change the title, nobody read the main post. You're 100% Right about what you said, It's amazing how the game is now a real game and it's awesome to playthru it. Yes, it has bugs, so what? It's an alpha. I expected way more bugs than current and there are some full games who release with more bugs than there are now...

[broadside 5]

I second the title change dude, evidently people don't read anymore. 

 

You're totally right about it the being the little things that make the game. Me and the lads holed up in a house to bandage, re-coop after a bit of a firefight with some other dudes and the loot spawns were placed pretty perfectly. Cereal and a banana on the table, cans in the cupboard. Discarded clothes and boots upstairs by the bed. What really set off the feeling of that house being occupied tough was the massive struggle stain of blood at the foot of the stairs and all the hand prints in it. You can even see that whoever died tried to smear HELP into the blood. It suddenly made the immersion factor sky rocket, this wasn't just a loot location, for us, it was someones house who woke up sleepily from their bed, came down the stairs to eat a nice breakfast only to be pulled apart and killed savagely in their hallway. 

 

Have my beans. 

[zenorc123 137]

*slow claps*

You guys are getting something for $30. Something that will keep on improving and ultimately may become one of the games that will redefine MMO genre.. and you only spent 30$. What're you waiting for?

[Aussie Bogan 350]

Why should I pay for a game with less features, when I can get a mod with more features for free?

 

That is true "In this Current point in time"

 

Although imo once the standalone is polished and up to a good enough standard the mod will slowly die out..

[lifelonghalo 15]

No ones saying you should. If you want to you do. 

 

Other points that hold relevance are that 

 

1. The SA will go up in price as it becomes closer to full release.

2. The final version WILL perform better and will have more content than the mod.

3. Now that the SA version is out, support for the mod will slowly falter, due to the small size of the team. 

 

TL;DR Don't get it if you dont want to. No ones making you.  

 

You didn't read the post

[AP_Norris 1018]

Buy when you want to.

It will get more features soon, over the period of about two years expect the retail version will have overtaken the mod on everything.

Features~Optimisation~Security.

Everything except price.

Edited December 31, 2013 by AP_Norris

[thegrover 16]

um guys...

 

[FroztyReaper 46]

Wow.. Simply wow!

So many here is not able to read. At all. Just wow!

 

Read the title. Figured fuck it lets read someones qq. And he is presenting almost only reasons to buy, that the game is great and the potential we have in this alpha is truly great.

And people bitch about "well shouldnt have bought it"

 

Really amazed how many fucktards that are allowed to have any interaction with the outside world in anyway.

 

I salute all idiots here that surely cant read for shit and just insta flame. 

 

To OP, nice post. And i share your hopes for what this can be

[Chronos Blackburn 149]

Pikachu

 

I see what you did there "I Pro Devon"

[rickenbacker 190]

The way I see it, you're not buying the alpha, you're preordering the game and getting to play the alpha/beta for free.

[The_Magical_Fruit 6]

I understand this topic is a bit of a joke at the moment since we all agree about the SA,  but hey i figured everyone gave their opinion why not let the bean man give his right?  Anyways.  I would say the Standalone, which is in alpha stage of course,  Has more features than the dayzmod...  I mean it all depends how you sum the features up but even without the vehicle features and the base building features (tents, sandbags, etc) There is the in depth medical system which has somewhere around 20+ features compared to the previous medical system that had what 7 maybe?  The cooking and Hunting system that will be comming out already seems to have more features with the new portable cooking stoves,  pots,  and the various craft items/recipes help to make up for it as well.  I think why not buy the SA and since rocket is giving the mod away now you can play both while updates are released...  So that's the bean man's opinions...  Please disagree with me so this post gets more interesting =D  -Love ya guys-  -BYE

[Flight96 99]

It's blowing my mind the amount of people that just blurt out their opinions before even reading what the topic is about.. I digress lol...

[FroztyReaper 46]

It's blowing my mind the amount of people that just blurt out their opinions before even reading what the topic is about.. I digress lol...

Thank you! I wasnt the only one seeing it