40 hours in review with suggestions.

[Cydone 41]

I must say this is by far the best "mmo" gaming experience I have had in a long long while. Planetside had some of it, even the beta of WoW had it, Anarchy Online back in 2001 also had this freeroaming feel. But this is something pretty unique, and i'm loving it, hands down.

 

I absolutely love the fact that every little thing you pick up means something and could potentially make or break you. The finding out of different combinations of items is amazing, the sheer not knowing anything, and having to figure out almost how to crawl is totally unique in this carebear day and time. Back in the later 90'ies (here we go) and early 00' gaming was much more hardcore. You had your MUD's with deathtraps and permadeath was just part of gaming. Which I guess all stems back from the pen and paper days, where when you died, well you died.

 

And this is the very key point of this game. The result of permadeath gives you and exponentially intensified gaming experience. From you first spawn, where you don't really care, to the few hour in, where you start to take more care, to the days, where your heart stops whenever you hear birds flapping about. Amazing!

 

And this is only alpha.. crazy.

 

I have some suggestions that I would love to see considered. Haven't played the Dayz mod, so bare with me.

In no particular order:

 

1. Crafting - Able to collect and assemble bikes and motorbikes. Imagine finding a wheel here, and some gazoline there, and then this very old Harley Davidson lying around under some rubble. Fixing it up, and starting it. That would be amazing, instead of just finding a vehicle, which I know will be coming. Helicopters and planes, I do think would be too much.. Maybe if they do it right. But loving the crafting system so far, looking forward to see how this part develops.

 

2. Buffer when entering and leaving the game to prevent battle logging and login kills (the first few seconds of logging in you are very vulnerable to lag and graphic glitches) The mere fact that I can be killed at any point in time, makes this game great, and I would not want that to be taken away. But respawning beside a KOS dude, waiting for lag to settle, and being killed, is just silly. While I think that people should not be able to battle log, they too shouldnt be able to kill someone seconds after logging in. Its a latency thing, that doesnt exist in real life, so we might have to have some kind of buffer when entering and leaving the game. At least i'd want to be able to say, "ok I screwed up", not "ok my computer screwed up".

3. KOS - Dont fix it, but! Again the KOS thing is what drives the intensity of the game, and I wouldnt see this go away, or I would too leave. But if we want realism, we have to take into account that by far the most people would not like to kill another human being, he would dread it, hate it, have nightmares about it. Sure would he start doing it just to survive? yes most people probably would, but that doesnt mean they would love it. First I thought why not put in an effect that you would get sick or something afterr killing someone, and then after a few kills you would be adjusted to it, but that would only reinforce it, so that we all wanted to get past that zone. I don't know how we could make this part more realistic, but right now walking into bullets like we are now, is slightly silly. While this would happen alot in real life if our precious world came to this, it quite likely wouldnt  happen as frequently as its happening in Dayz. Its just a game you say? WRONG, its a Post Apocalyptic RL Simulator. Try again.

I have met GOOD players though, that instead of KOSing would hold you at gun point, and then take what ever they wanted from you, but otherwise leave you. That is realism for you. Maybe make it even more difficult to get bullets. 1 or two rounds here and there.. not 20-30-60 as I have seen. Thats 60 people dead. If you really had to save your bullets for that very no-way-out incounter, that would be it alittle more realistic.

It pretty close to realism, but most of our human senses are gone when entering a game, with only sound and sight left, which handicaps us and makes the kids triggerhappy.

4. Military bases - For me the game so far has been about finding the military base and surviving the looting of it, almost certanly dying every time. But the few times Iv'e managed to sprint out with a magnum or even a rifle, and a large backpack has been super exhilerating. I see thee bases become strongholds for clans though, that would simply camp this place. So maybe spread out the weaponry a bit more. The odd prepper basement, in trunks of cars etc.

 

Share the loot man, share the loot ;)

5. Day/nighttime - Maybe there is a bit too much realism here (is there such a thing?).. Spending 12 ours in the dark, even with gamma maxed is a bit silly. Also considering i'm going through a days rations of food and water in about 3 hours, why not make the day/nighttime cycle alittle less? 1 hour, 2 hours 3 hours? Most of us will forever play in the dark, since we play at those hours. I think there needs to be somekind of a more playable cycle. I dont like the 24/7 daylight servers eaither, but im playing there since the dark is also just a bit silly.

 

Looting the military base at night though is amazing! You should try it!

 

6 Respawn - Realizing that you can respawn in the middle of the map, or just in a better starting position, makes a lot of players suicidal, and also takes away from the realism. People wouldnt kill themsleves to go to heaven. Well some might! But at least the vast majority woulndt, and so killing yourself to respawn at a better location is also silly, and should be worked around somehow. Maybe make a respawn timer, forcing people to play.

 

There are lots of other topics but I see they have been covered many times before, like server hopping which should be minimized somehow.

 

Anyway, the potential of this game is amazing. I feel blessed to be part of a game this early in the dev process.

 

 

Lastly, try and hold people at gunpoint, instead of just shooting them. If they have no gun in their hands they won't be able to hurt you before you put em to the ground. Be cool, be brave be a hero!

 

Cheers

 

Edited January 4, 2014 by Cydone

[Hetstaine 10852]

You are correct..the gamma slider should be removed.

[FundtheMental 1]

well you know that they will implement cars and car parts etc... and probably bikes 2

[tullyburnalot 26]

I find most of those ideas great, but I do have to note a couple of things:

 

1) Adding the occasional weapon in a random, less military location will just aggravate loot grinders. We'd have cities even more swarming with people who's only objective is to get as many gear as possible.

 

2) Honestly, I like the day/night cycle as it is, and feel that it's better the way it is. Personally, playing DayZ in the night has been THE most pants-sh***ing experience I have gone through. However, I do agree with you that the current metabolism is ridiculous. I shouldn't drink two canteens-worth of water then become thirsty to the point of dehydration three hours later.

 

That said, here's a couple of suggestions to add to the thread:

 

1) Fix Bleeding: As it is right now, zombies will make you bleed nearly all the time they hit you. Bleed to DEATH, might I add, since apparently scratches don't clot. I remember back in the mod that the first time you got hit after logging in would make you bleed, but then it would go back to normal. The way it is now seems REALLY excessive;

 

2) Fix the Compass: The way it is now makes it really hard to look at. I have to use the freakin' zoom function to see it half the time.

 

3) Respawning: Building on what you said, instead of a respawn timer, make it so that if you die X time after you spawn, you respawn at the same location. So basically, imagine you kill yourself 10 minutes after spawning in, let's say, Kamenka. You'd still spawn at Kamenka. I agree with you, people don't seem to actually want to survive.

 

edit: Wrong font colour xD

Edited January 4, 2014 by Tully B. Burnalot

[Wh1spY 110]

You are correct..the gamma slider should be removed.

That won't solve any problems tho. Either people will use the gamma slider on their screens, in their graphics-card software or via external programs, for example, Gamma Panel(GAPA).

The gamma, should work like in Arma3.

Edited January 4, 2014 by Wh1spY

[weedmasta 784]

People really need to go ahead and read the devblogs and what not both before and after the release before posting an "ideas" thread. Most of these "ideas" that you guys have, have already been mentioned and or discussed by the devs...

Edited January 4, 2014 by weedmasta

[mistersicilia 4]

The respawning timer I agree with once the spawns are more balanced.

The gamma/brightness should be removed cause just makes torches pretty much useless.

 

I think KOS is fine since that's what makes it nerve-racking to meet other players, you can't tell if they are friendly or not. The uncertainty is what makes it fun.

[tullyburnalot 26]

The respawning timer I agree with once the spawns are more balanced.

The gamma/brightness should be removed cause just makes torches pretty much useless.

 

I think KOS is fine since that's what makes it nerve-racking to meet other players, you can't tell if they are friendly or not. The uncertainty is what makes it fun.

 

That reminds me, do gas lamps actually work? I know they're actually bright, but they don't seem to illuminate anything around me when I use them.

[mistersicilia 4]

That reminds me, do gas lamps actually work? I know they're actually bright, but they don't seem to illuminate anything around me when I use them.

 

I haven't tried, I usually stick to the torch. However they shine through walls so that's another bug to be fixed over time. Nothing major though

[mrtoothpick 19]

People really need to go ahead and read the devblogs and what not both before and after the release before posting an "ideas" thread. Most of these "ideas" that you guys have, have already been mentioned and or discussed by the devs...

While I agree, it's also nice to see what people feel should be added or changed, as well as the general players' reactions to those suggestions. I'm sure it's helpful to the dev team even if they're already discussing it or planning it.

[ochn0e 38]

2) Fix the Compass: The way it is now makes it really hard to look at. I have to use the freakin' zoom function to see it half the time.

 

 

Are you blind or something?

[Gunshot 0]

Good ideas mate!

 

+1

[MystoganXIX 78]

 

Are you blind or something?

People don't realize that pressing the spacebar while in 1st person will raise the compass. Should probably put that in the description of the compass...

 

I like the suggestions but once again, I am completely against changing the mechanics in order to punish "KoS".  Your reasoning is that people would be mentally scarred in some form or another by killing another human being. This kind of thinking comes from the way you were raised in a civilized society, but people in say 3rd world/deadly countries are not phased by this as much as you would think. History also has plenty of situations in which people are killing eachother, even by the masses at times and there is no mention of negative psychological influences afterwards. This is because it is their way of life, it is not something so rare and unheard of as it is in our society.

 

Our characters have no previous background from what I've read. This would also mean they do not have the influence that we have thus the mental/emotional issues from killing others would not make sense.