Semi-persistent camps

[Roshi (DayZ) 397]

I’m not actually sure if I feel this is a good option but I’ll put it out there for discussion.

 

The guts:

Essentially, setting up a camp to rest before logging out (or returning to an already set up camp) – what you have in the camp determines how well rested you are.  The semi-persistent bit is what will draw the ire from some – the camp lingers for a period of time after you log out (say somewhere between 10-30mins). When you log in your camp appears at the same time (or slightly before to not break immersion). While you are logged in you either have to break camp (and carry all your shit around with you or in back of your vehicle), or leave it where it lies. If you log out away from your camp, it persists (and is lootable) and you recuperate more slowly (unless you find a better place to rest).

 

Whiny disclaimer:

This is intended as a compromise between fully persistent camps (where if you don’t play for a week the odds are good that someone would have stripped it clean and performed some of Rocket’s upcoming animations in your fire-pit) and logging out immediately with all your camp following you into the nether. I know from a realism/authenticity perspective, magically disappearing camps seem off – but what about magically disappearing characters? To take that approach to its logical conclusion your character should be persistent after you log out. The idea of semi-persistence is that it is a compromise between you not being there to defend your camp (or deal with intruders in another appropriate fashion – diplomacy?) and character persistence. It’s an imperfect attempt to make something work that would be no problem if you were in game 24/7.

 

Camp features:

For example you could accumulate a few useful odds and ends:

-          Tent vs inside a building vs roughing it. The first two options would allow you to recuperate more readily than roughing it.

-          Fire vs no fire – added warmth might improve your recuperation but the smoke plume and flames would be visible during the time the camp persists post-logout.

-          Scrim/camo nets – could be necessary for incorporating vehicles (later development obviously) into your camp (i.e. so that they are saved on log out).

-          Meat smoking/drying racks – more for use during play when hunting implemented but would add ambience.

-          A storage box

-          Jerry cans – store fuel

-          A near by garden - maybe this persists

 

I like the idea of sleep when logged out (which was discussed heatedly and at length in the mod forums), but I think it should be limited to, say, 10 hours (i.e. if you are logged out for 4 hours, your character rests for 4 hours; if you are logged out for 2 weeks, your character rests for the maximum 10 hours). I also like what was implemented early in the mod – while logged out your player grows hungry and thirsty, but again this should be for a limited period (again e.g. 10 hours). This means you should eat and drink prior to sleeping (logging out) and eat again when logging back in (depending on how long you’re out up to 10 hours).

 

I can foresee some of the major difficulties with this idea (like what if someone else on the same server has a camp placed in the same spot and you want to log in). If it were implemented, I would prefer that it would be alongside the one-character, one-server idea from a previous thread (http://forums.dayzgame.com/index.php?/topic/162584-should-you-only-have-one-character-per-server/).

 

Anyways – thoughts and feelings? Critical input preferred – I know some of you will hate this (and maybe rightly so). I just really want to have a camp to call home…

Edited January 8, 2014 by Roshi

[Roshi (DayZ) 397]

Nothing? Really? Even the Bigfoot and teleporting ideas got some discussion. Ah well...

[Roshi (DayZ) 397]

<double post>

Edited January 8, 2014 by Roshi

[Monkfish (DayZ) 339]

I posted about the sleeping thing earlier today (hadn't seen this post prior to posting) so that aspect gets my full support.

As for the camps, I think that ny form of persistence, be it temporary or permanent, will have some far reaching consequences and undoubtedly cause more issues than it's worth. Permanent simply wouldn't work unless you tied one character to one server as suggested, but then that begs the question of what would happen if the server was already full or simply not available for whatever reason. Would you have to just play with another character or start again if you don't have one? My first thoughts on that are "sod that".

Here's how I think it should work (tying in with my other post about health and different methods of sleeping).

Sleeping rough

- You take off your backpack (if you have one - could be used as a pillow if you do) and curl up on the floor. The screen fades to black with the sound fading out slowly after it.

- You log off and you and all of your kit disappears.

- When you log back in, you're sat on the ground with your backpack on the floor next to you.

 

Sleeping in a tent

- You pitch your tent, take off your backpack and climb inside. The screen fades to black with the sound fading out slowly after it.

- You log off and you and your tent disappears.

- When you log back in, you're sat on the ground with your backpack on the floor next to you. Imagine, if you will, that your character actually woke up several minutes beforehand and packed your kit away quickly. When you log in, you join them sat on the ground having a quick rest.

 

Sleeping in a bed

- You take off your backpack (if you have one) and prop it up against the side of the bed. You climb in and the screen fades to black with the sound fading out slowly after it.

- You log off and you and all of your kit disappears.

- When you log back in, you're sat on the edge of the bed with your rucksack still propped up against the side of the bed.

 

It's not a fantastic solution but it's the most elegant I can think of that avoids persistence and the issues that brings, both technically and gameplay wise.
 

[AP_Norris 1018]

I want to see less loot hoarding mentality.

In other means it wouldn't matter if someone comes to your camp, they can't do much more than stay warm and wee in your firepit.

I'd like to see permanent things you can make like a marquee, crafting tables and fire pits.

[Roshi (DayZ) 397]

Yeah I guess the trick comes when we move from single player camps to multiple player encampments and fortifications.