My suggestions as a new DayZ Player

[koNtenT 36]

Alright so before I begin my shpeel, I'll give you my background as a gamer so you guys understand the experience I have as a new player to DayZ.

 

I've played FPS such as Soldier Front, AVA, CS:GO for about 6 years. RPG (Guild Wars 2, Mass Effect 2, Dragon Age) for about 3 years. Never laid a hand on DayZ the mod, also never seen any game play from the mod. So everything is new to me. 

 

The suggestions and comments I make below are just my opinion and not necessarily what is wrong with the community/game. This is just from a completely new player perspective. Some of this may conflict the core ideals that the dev's are trying to put forth into the SA. 

 

1. Tooltips or Tutorials for people wanting beginner tips.

I'm sure everyone who starts out with just a flashlight, battery, and clothes off their back aren't as lucky to get into a daylight server their first go. Maybe get some tooltips to pop up for the new players that have just came into the game. My suggestion would be to have it on by default or have it come up as an option for people that are playing DayZ for the first time. I know I ran around in the dark for about 30 minutes until I found out about how to work it. The youtube videos and how-to's aren't very obvious when you first start the game. 

 

2. Better way to find friends

Steam integration is great, but when you are trying to find your friends in the vast death ground that is Chernarus, it can be extremely taxing. I thought every apartment condo was part of cherno for the first couple days. So we had no idea what so ever. I saw a topic here before saying that fresh spawns should be able to spawn next to each other if they are part of a party or something. Would be pretty sweet. I realize the survival realism is trying to be maintained but in all honesty, not everyone comes to DayZ to play by themselves. The lone wolf aspect is cool and all, but there has to be some kind of compromise between realism and gamer intuition. . 

 

3. Better GUI for character effects.

I'm sure dev's already have something better planned, but just putting it on the list. New players can easily find the inventory, but when it comes to trying to heal and regain blood, its so hit-or-miss between being full for food or water. Made my friends and myself included throw up because the hidden water values inside the cans of food. We didn't know if it was saying "I'm feeling stuffed" for thirst or hunger. Maybe some new notifications? Should be an easy fix.

 

4. Zombie Collision Detection

For the love of God, PLEASE add zombie collision detection before you decide to add more zombies to the servers. Having a literal 360 degree horde running at you through walls and buildings is alittle op.

 

5. Stop Loot / Combat loggers or at least hinder them. 

Give each new logger a timer of 5 minutes within the server before he can switch again. Should be a respectable time before he/she can log into another server. As for combat loggers, make sure they also have a timer from last combat to log out. If he/she deals damage to someone, give them a server lock of 2 minutes or something of that nature. I can't think of a logical explanation for someone logging into a server and logging out right after looting / going into combat other then the need of completely exiting the game. If people are desperate enough to go to that extent, I say let them. 

 

6. More Road Signs 

Self explanatory

 

Everything else I have is due to bugs and / or need further implementation so I'll save those for another time. I completely enjoy DayZ even though its an alpha and has alot of work. Lots of potential for this game and I am very hopeful to the future of it. Thank you so much dev's and readers for taking the time to make DayZ what it is and will be. 

 

P.S. Can anyone tell me what the server icons mean? Referring to the Red / Yellow chains that appear ingame sometimes. Preferably pictures and descriptions to their intentions? 

Edited January 11, 2014 by koNtenT

[Gdaddy22 299]

good ideas

[creature 1189]

It's not suppose to be easy.

 

I do agree with 4 & 5 though.

[colekern 1364]

I made kind of similar to 1. for a suggestion a while back, did you mean somethinglikethis? http://forums.dayzgame.com/index.php?/topic/128978-sa-use-hints-and-loading-screens-yes-loading-screens-in-place-of-a-tutorial-has-pictures/?p=1245426

[koNtenT 36]

I made kind of similar to 1. for a suggestion a while back, did you mean somethinglikethis? http://forums.dayzgame.com/index.php?/topic/128978-sa-use-hints-and-loading-screens-yes-loading-screens-in-place-of-a-tutorial-has-pictures/?p=1245426

Yeah, actually for tool tips i had the 2nd Idea that you presented in mind. For the tutorial I was thinking of a predefined map and situations that all new players would go through to learn the basics. But then again, its all how the dev's want to present the realism of DayZ to the public. Tooltips and tutorials aren't life like. 

 

OR 

 

Maybe since we are all "military" trained as fresh spawns, show a tutorial from the previous military training that would integrate the concepts of DayZ ? 

[koNtenT 36]

It's not suppose to be easy.

 

I do agree with 4 & 5 though.

I realize the game isn't supposed to be easy, but the learning curve is kinda steep. If DayZ wants to continue to bring people in, should it be alittle more intuitive? 

[Khad (DayZ) 293]

It's just not a casual game, but I can agree with the last two points. 

[ozmann99 5]

It's not suppose to be easy.

 

I do agree with 4 & 5 though.

Meh, a little bit of a tutorial, like showing that you can combine items by dragging them on each other, but not a tutorial that holds your hand through out the hole game.

[koNtenT 36]

Meh, a little bit of a tutorial, like showing that you can combine items by dragging them on each other, but not a tutorial that holds your hand through out the hole game.

Right, I agree with this. It should be a tutorial to spark the player, not hold his hand through the adventure. Just the basic principles of DayZ inventory and mechanics. 

[koNtenT 36]

anyone else getting huge rubber banding issues? o.o 

[ozmann99 5]

anyone else getting huge rubber banding issues? o.o 

I keep getting a bug or lag spike, where I continue to get moved forward even when I stop trying to move, and when this happens I don't clip into anything, it is weird. I've lost 3 medium geared characters from this happening of 3rd story buildings and flying right through the wall.  :(

[koNtenT 36]

Can anyone point me in the direction of the server icon legends? Red link and yellow link means ? 

[Jrychlik 0]

Maybe each player can spawn with a "manual" or something of the sort.

Basically a book the describes movement, health, items and all that stuff.

I can see players running off into a house, find some water and food and sitting down by a candle to read their manual.

[Gerandar 212]

It's not suppose to be easy.

 

I do agree with 4 & 5 though.

 

if it wasn't suppose to be easy we would spawn without batteries for our flashlights.

[daniels 19]

Step 5: Easy Fix, Make it so that each server has a different cloud or something like that, a reset of data, just like DayZ mod, it will fix server hoppers for loot, combat logging on the other hand, you have to have like a 5 second timer to log out and there should be some kind of detection if you are in combat so when you combat log your gear gets reset.

[koNtenT 36]

P.S. Can anyone tell me what the server icons mean? Referring to the Red / Yellow chains that appear ingame sometimes. Preferably pictures and descriptions to their intentions? 

This please? :( 

[need matches 84]

I always found the learning curve to be very satisfying. As I learned new things and techniques for surviving bandit attacks, I felt rewarded. I think a tutorial would diminish the magic of discovering the game. Don't worry. We all started the same way and we survived. :)

 

ps: I assume the orange chain means you are losing connection and the red is highly probable loss of communication with server.

Edited January 11, 2014 by need matches