The best atmosphere in this game

[blurhitz 244]

Sometimes, I ask myself why no one plays at night. But that kinda works good for me, because it gives me the best experience I could get in any game. One day I decided to play at a night server with only two other guys that were in the server before and I wasn't talking to anyone in Skype/Teamspeak, I wasn't having any kind of human interaction. I'm posting this here because I wanted to share with you guys the feeling I get, the atmosphere, of this experience.

 

DayZ is a game based on a zombie outbreak, an apocalypse that would desolate most of the population in the world. That means that people wouldn't be that common; they would actually be pretty damn rare. And I think that the main feeling that this theory brings up is the sensation that you're alone in the wide world beyond.

 

Many people believe that the atmosphere of the game is based on the tension of thinking that someone could just appear and shoot you, the tension of the high possibility of people being very close at anytime. Sometimes it definetly is tense, but deep down it warms your heart. Human interaction, it does warm your heart, yes. And in a good way. You feel accompanied, even if anyone can be a potential threat. You don't feel alone.

 

Please, read the following part with attention.

 

Imagine that you're the only person in the world. Imagine that you are the only human that exists; and that there is a small possibility, really, really small possibility that there is someone else out there, thinking the same as you. Imagine you're having all these thoughts at the top of a building in the city you used to live, or at the apartment you used to sleep in, while the cold night freezes your body. You would feel alone. Pay attention to the dead and desolated landscape. There is nothing living...

 

(Increased the gamma to take the screenshot so the landscape is visible)

 

 

Yes, alone. You would feel like there is no one else in the world, every scenario would just taste dead. Not just that, but the darkness from the night would make it even worse. 

From this point of view, now imagine how would it be to actually find someone. You walk in the town, only breathing the monotonous and solitary atmosphere from that night, and suddenly, far far away, deep down in somewhere not near you, you see the light of a flashlight. Believe me, this feels amazing. After so much time alone in this world, you finally find someone. But this time you get mixed feelings: As I said before, even when a person is a potential threat, it is heart warming to see someone after so much time isolated.

 

The feeling I got when I saw the flashlight in the middle of the woods was amazing. One of the two other guys on Chernarus was actually there. Then, while I tried to approach, before he could even notice me, his light entered the woods and disappeared. I even tried to search for him, but he was too far away. While I was in the woods looking for him, I also noticed a new presence of this atmosphere I've been talking about so much: this time scarier. It's not like it is horrifying, it again, feels like I'm alone. But this time in the woods. Looks to the trees in the deep, how involving they are. There could be anything behind them...

 

 

 

 

 

 

And this feeling of being alone all the time amazes me. Nothing makes me feel like this, but the cold nights in Chernarus. It doesn't get boring, at least not for me; actually it is a scary and solitary feel. I kept imagining how would it be if he actually saw my light, but he just disappeared, and the hope was gone again, bringing, one more time, the feeling that I am... you know. Alone.

 

And this word that I've been marking in bold so much is what I think that creates the atmosphere that envolves the whole DayZ experience for me. I don't think that going on a 40/40 server on balota airfield would feel like the true DayZ, just because the tension of getting shot at is present. The tension is always a part of the game, yes. Anything can be found in a not so long time, even somewhere with almost no one. Even in the extreme North, I found people in this kind of empty night hives. Coincidence? Maybe. Anything can make you tense here, even a dead body on the floor (on a land that barely has three people), like this one:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think that Chernarus has many more secrets than just the tension of firefights. And those secrets, Chernarus only shares with the ones who are audacious enough to try it out. It is a feeling that I don't know how to describe, but people, try it out. Just once, maybe. It may sound boring, but search for this atmosphere, go for it. At the end, it is not boring. At the end, DayZ is not just about day time. It is amazing how this game can make you feel so alone.

 

 

 

[Bash Arkin 266]

I have one to add, it is a day one, but it is still beautiful ether way.

 

[eirikr 34]

I love the night. So much more tense, feeling more stealthy..

[gray-z@hotmail.co.uk 84]

Nice story dude.

 

I play in windowed as Playing in 5760x1080 messes with performance so cannot even do the gamma trick so night time is a real threat. Zombies are pretty hard to spot. I get why for most this would seem like boring game play but it's not all about running around looking for people to shoot.

 

I like a mix of both and like to attempt to interact but here is a fine example of one of the many ways DayZ can make you feel whether the server is full or not.

[Ubernaut 297]

"I love the night. The day is okay and the sun can be fun but I live to see those rays slip away." -Blue Öyster Cult

 

I like the way you wrote that, OP. I understand what you mean 100%.

[Gerandar 212]

I love the night. So much more tense, feeling more stealthy..

 

Nah most people on night servers crank up the gamma, black and white night vision! so your not anymore stealthy

[blurhitz 244]

Thanks for the beans and for the feedback guys (:

 

 

Nah most people on night servers crank up the gamma, black and white night vision! so your not anymore stealthy

 

This is something I think they are going to work in, my suggestion would be taking out the option of changing gamma in options. Also making it so you can't disable clouds.  :huh:

Still, there are sometimes at night where it is so so dark that you can't see even with all these black n' white nightvision goggles thing. You'll need a flashlight at some point  :P

[gray-z@hotmail.co.uk 84]

Well gamma change can be forced through driver settings on GPU's so removing the option won't help. There will just be a Metric Fuck Ton (Standard unit of measurement in Scotland) of Google searches on how to do it.

 

Though for me and others in the same situation cannot reap the benefits of Gamma increase if playing in windowed mode. Though I will say the game is unrealistically dark as most peoples eyes can adjust to see pretty well in near pitch black in real life. I'd like to see the nights a little brighter outside but keep the impenetrable darkness to those areas where there is virtually no ambient light, such as in buildings.

[SaveMeJebus 164]

I will love night time a ton more when flashlights no longer shine right through walls ^_^

[blurhitz 244]

Well gamma change can be forced through driver settings on GPU's so removing the option won't help. There will just be a Metric Fuck Ton (Standard unit of measurement in Scotland) of Google searches on how to do it.

 

Though for me and others in the same situation cannot reap the benefits of Gamma increase if playing in windowed mode. Though I will say the game is unrealistically dark as most peoples eyes can adjust to see pretty well in near pitch black in real life. I'd like to see the nights a little brighter outside but keep the impenetrable darkness to those areas where there is virtually no ambient light, such as in buildings.

 

You can change it? Oh. Then nevermind '-' but maybe they could add some lines of code that could make it so the gamma changes to default everytime you open the game. How about that?  :D

 

 

I will love night time a ton more when flashlights no longer shine right through walls ^_^

 

Yeah, I lost the count of how many times I got killed because of this  :(

[tsandrey 379]

The gamma exploit needs to be fixed before people can start to play at night seriously. And the lighting system from A3 would be cool...

[gray-z@hotmail.co.uk 84]

You can change it? Oh. Then nevermind '-' but maybe they could add some lines of code that could make it so the gamma changes to default everytime you open the game. How about that?  :D

 

Because it's not done in game. You use your video card drivers to set up a game profile which forces gamma increase in the game without the need to touch anything in the game settings. If you get what I mean  ;)

[antonioajc 500]

I tried to play on a night time server as a fresh spawn. I entered a house that was next to me, I had a flash light on but it didn't illuminate much. As soon as I heard a zombie, I exited a server. I couldn't. I couldn't fucking do it! I was scared shitless due to the heavy and intense atmosphere the game was giving. I just couldn't. I couldn't even face the window outside the house without expecting someone to pop out of it and gun me down.

[BL1P 252]

I love the night as well, so atmospheric.

 

About gamma it should be locked as well as brightness.

Yes some people will cheat and increase their driver settings etc.

The thing is the Game should NOT allow or promote the adjustments so that seeing a screenshot or video of someone using driver altered night would then mean you can call them out as a cheat.  

 

If the anti cheats can detect outside settings for bots and the such I guess they could detect if you have turned up your video settings too high for night time as well.

 

 

All moot until clouds, gamma, brightness are locked. Also until light sources are fixed.

Will be a while though I think as performance seems to be the primary first goals of the alpha atm (which is good I feel).

Edited January 9, 2014 by BL1P

[General Desire 22]

Woa, people actually play at night..? Done it once, thought it was impossible. Gonna stick with daytime servers first :p

[deebz1234 243]

depends on the night server, some have plenty of natural moon light. Something similar to Arma 3, not sure if it has been fixed from the start night light settings but it works well now.

 

only need for flashlight is for inside rooms and precise looting.

 

sometimes its nice to get away from it all and play on a night time server with LOOT and constantly low POP.

[wild_man 4442]

night time :ph34r:

 

gamma REDUCE for maximum dark ;)

 

1st person only

 

headtorch is on gun is raise

 

multiple guns shoot in distance :|

 

zombie make noise close but you don't see where is :o

 

this is pure dayz for me :thumbsup:  ;)

Edited January 9, 2014 by KoS

[rickenbacker 190]

Sometimes, I ask myself why no one plays at night. 

 

It's because everyone else who plays at night is a gamma cheater.

[imjustatourist 11]

Great write and nice to know there's still people who are aproaching the game this way.

 

the first time I played the game/mod back in 2012 was at nighttime.

I spent  hours crawling along the coast near komarovo, constantly shitting my pants just from the ambient noises.

it was a really magic experience.

 

I would strongly suggest for every new player to startt the game this way.

without cranked gamma, without map knowledge.

afterwards you will never have the chance to experience it that way.

just go in there and get scared.

 

(preferably on a server without shitty griefers camping the coast)

Edited January 9, 2014 by Imjustatourist

[Karnesh 21]

Woah, i know how you feel, i almost exclusevly play during night because it is more exciting..the thought of someone who might see you when you run around with your flashlight. This is why i play Dayz, if the only thing you could aim for in this game was shooting other players, i would not play it, for that kind of action i play arma 3 or battlefield 4. Good story!

[Sgt_Slaughter 49]

Because if you play *properly* and run around shining a torch at night you might as well just shoot yourself in the face to save the other dude that spotted you 20miles away the trouble of doing so.

[mjf6866 22]

great write up dude!  while i dont play too much at night, i know what you mean.  very desolate feeling for sure.

[blurhitz 244]

Wow, so many beans! Thanks guys, seems that a lot of you like the night as much as I do...

 

 

Because it's not done in game. You use your video card drivers to set up a game profile which forces gamma increase in the game without the need to touch anything in the game settings. If you get what I mean  ;)

 

Oh, true, true. That's sad =/ I hope they have a great idea on how to fix it, though..

 

 

I tried to play on a night time server as a fresh spawn. I entered a house that was next to me, I had a flash light on but it didn't illuminate much. As soon as I heard a zombie, I exited a server. I couldn't. I couldn't fucking do it! I was scared shitless due to the heavy and intense atmosphere the game was giving. I just couldn't. I couldn't even face the window outside the house without expecting someone to pop out of it and gun me down.

 

I know that feel bro! You can get used to it, but the tension never goes away!  :thumbsup:

 

 

 

If the anti cheats can detect outside settings for bots and the such I guess they could detect if you have turned up your video settings too high for night time as well.

 

Good point. I didn't think of that!  :huh:

 

 

It's because everyone else who plays at night is a gamma cheater.

 

I'll have to refuse. Everytime I play at night, people are using flashlights  :P

 

 

 

the first time I played the game/mod back in 2012 was at nighttime.

I spent  hours crawling along the coast near komarovo, constantly shitting my pants just from the ambient noises.

it was a really magic experience.

 

 

Indeed it is. That's what I think with myself everytime I hear someone at night.

 

Woah, i know how you feel, i almost exclusevly play during night because it is more exciting..the thought of someone who might see you when you run around with your flashlight. This is why i play Dayz, if the only thing you could aim for in this game was shooting other players, i would not play it, for that kind of action i play arma 3 or battlefield 4. Good story!

 

Thanks! I play at night everyday. It definetly feels like someone is watching you  :o

 

 

Oh and KoS I didn't quote your post because it was to big but hey, that what you said is pure DayZ indeed  B)

[GpB311 236]

Cool story and Im starting to feel the same way. I avoided night servers until two nights ago where I finally gave it a shot, and after the initial adjustment period, Its becoming quite fun.  I must have been attacked by 8 zombies in a 20 second period while wandering through Cherno last night and I couldnt see each one until it was pouncing in my direction. I could hear more coming, so I just put the axe away and fled. haha

[Soupee 57]

Well gamma change can be forced through driver settings on GPU's so removing the option won't help. There will just be a Metric Fuck Ton (Standard unit of measurement in Scotland) of Google searches on how to do it.

 

Though for me and others in the same situation cannot reap the benefits of Gamma increase if playing in windowed mode. Though I will say the game is unrealistically dark as most peoples eyes can adjust to see pretty well in near pitch black in real life. I'd like to see the nights a little brighter outside but keep the impenetrable darkness to those areas where there is virtually no ambient light, such as in buildings.

 

It all depends on the moon, if it's not a relatively full moon or if there's tons of cloud cover real life darkness is starkly different than walking outside in Anytown, USA.  We go into the Canadian wilderness for fishing trips every few years and one of the most shocking things is how truly dark it gets when the rest of the world ceases to exist.

 

But every night isn't that dark.  In fact the moon can be so bright up there it's hard to sleep some nights.