Is This a Worthwhile Endeavor for the Community?

[DKR 104]

I have always been interested in doing some kind of geographical digitization of Chernarus to extrapolate some useful data. I've seen some great height maps before for the mod, which was used as a loose guide to determine sniping positions. If I can obtain the height data (x,y,z coords) from DayZ SA in a proper format, I should be able to come up with some useful data from the resulting heightmap using some rather simple procedures.

 

I'd like to hear your reactions to my proposal. I've seen an influx of new players to the world of DayZ so I thought this might be useful to some. A lot of veteran players from the mod may find no need for such thing, however.

 

Viewshed Analysis

Setting Up Campsites

Geographically speaking, and based on topographical data, I can determine the best areas for campsites on the macro level. Let me define a couple of terms in the context of setting up campsites.

  > Macro Level - Based on the topographical layout of the surrounding areas, where are the best geographical locations to build camps ? In a valley? Ridge? North? West? East side?

  > Micro Level - Specifically, where are the best spots within that geographical location to place the tents? By a grouping of trees? Next to that huge rock?

  > Best - what do I mean by saying the "best"? Within the context of setting up a camp/base, the "best" means the most hidden from view. The locations that can be viewed by the least amount of area.

 

Performing a viewshed analysis for a specific point on the map will give the player an exact idea of where their campsite is viewable from. Knowing this information, players can place their campsites in the least viewable areas. This process can account for the tree canopy as well. << !!!!!

 

On the micro level...it would be up to YOU to determine which specific tree or rock to put your tent next to, for example.

 

---- ----

 

Snipers

Performing the VA can serve snipers as well, since it gives players an exact idea of how much area you can see from a specific point. Which conversely, can be used as counter-sniper information! From the Sniper Hill, for example...from where can I see the top of Sniper Hill to provide counter-sniper support? It works both ways.

 

Traveling

Whether by vehicle or foot, if you're concerned with safety on the road then a VA can provide players with information on the most hidden paths to take. Remember, it can account for tree canopy. If snipers are your concern, then a VA will tell you which roads/paths have the least viewable areas, which again, accounts for the tree canopy blocking the view.

 

Travel Time

By Vehicle

Which road should you take to make it from Cherno to Shakhovka? Don't worry if you haven't even heard of that town. :) If travel efficiency and speed is your concern and you're using a vehicle, then information on the fastest routes would be useful. If you have a vehicle that can handle off-road efficiently, then other factors come into play. More on that next.

 

By Foot

Sprinting and running are greatly affected by the slope of the terrain. This can be accounted for! What are the fastest routes around Chernarus on foot? You don't need to follow the road...but you want to avoid the steep inclines that slow your pace down. Based on slope data, you could determine the fastest route by foot to a certain destination. Incline also affects vehicles as well to a certain degree!

 

==========

 

Is this information trivial? Useful? Unnecessary?

 

What other kinds of geographical or topographical data would you consider useful for DayZ players? Again, veterans from the mod may not need this info anymore. You know how to get around and you have an idea of great camp spots. But with the success of the mod and the Standalone's release, there has been an influx of brand new players!

 

I don't know how to obtain the elevation data from Chernarus+, or if it's even in a proper format to import into my GIS program. (Geographical Information Systems) I know others have extracted the height data from the mod, but didn't know if anyone out there had some insight on this process...or just opinions on my idea. I have no idea how to make something interactive, or make a java program or anything cool like that. How would I even get this information out there to the public? I'm just throwing out this idea...thinking about things.

 

Take care
DKR

Edited January 10, 2014 by DKR

[Raptor05121 32]

Have you tried turning it off and on again?

[Flight96 99]

I honestly think hand-holding for the new players isn't the right way to go. 

 

 

Part of the extremely unique immersive experience that is dayZ is gaining the knowledge of your bearings simply through experiencing the game yourself. 

 

With experience in this game comes the knowledge of: "oh, i know i'm good from this position, that position is covered from snipers, that one over there is covered from anything on the ground, and this one here is covered from anything in the air."

 

It shouldn't come from looking at some numbers and mathematically KNOWING your safe in a certain area.

 

Edit: ^ Especially for new players

Edited January 10, 2014 by Flight96

[TwilightOne 1]

I've seen some people come up with heightmaps with elevation lines for Chernarus+ so there has to be a way to do this. Great idea by the way!

[Space Milk 195]

I have always been interested in doing some kind of geographical digitization of Chernarus to extrapolate some useful data. I've seen some great height maps before for the mod, which was used as a loose guide to determine sniping positions. If I can obtain the height data (x,y,z coords) from DayZ SA in a proper format, I should be able to come up with some useful data from the resulting heightmap using some rather simple procedures.

 

I'd like to hear your reactions to my proposal. I've seen an influx of new players to the world of DayZ so I thought this might be useful to some. A lot of veteran players from the mod may find no need for such thing, however.

 

Viewshed Analysis

Setting Up Campsites

Geographically speaking, and based on topographical data, I can determine the best areas for campsites on the macro level. Let me define a couple of terms in the context of setting up campsites.

  > Macro Level - Based on the topographical layout of the surrounding areas, where are the best geographical locations to build camps ? In a valley? Ridge? North? West? East side?

  > Micro Level - Specifically, where are the best spots within that geographical location to place the tents? By a grouping of trees? Next to that huge rock?

  > Best - what do I mean by saying the "best"? Within the context of setting up a camp/base, the "best" means the most hidden from view. The locations that can be viewed by the least amount of area.

 

Performing a viewshed analysis for a specific point on the map will give the player an exact idea of where their campsite is viewable from. Knowing this information, players can place their campsites in the least viewable areas. This process can account for the tree canopy as well. << !!!!!

 

On the micro level...it would be up to YOU to determine which specific tree or rock to put your tent next to, for example.

 

Snipers

Performing the VA can serve snipers as well, since it gives players an exact idea of how much area you can see from a specific point. Which conversely, can be used as counter-sniper information! From the Sniper Hill, for example...from where can I see the top of Sniper Hill to provide counter-sniper support? It works both ways.

 

Traveling

Whether by vehicle or foot, if you're concerned with safety on the road then a VA can provide players with information on the most hidden paths to take. Remember, it can account for tree canopy. If snipers are your concern, then a VA will tell you which roads/paths have the least viewable areas, which again, accounts for the tree canopy blocking the view.

 

Travel Time

By Vehicle

Which road should you take to make it from Cherno to Shakhovka? Don't worry if you haven't even heard of that town. :) If travel efficiency and speed is your concern and you're using a vehicle, then information on the fastest routes would be useful. If you have a vehicle that can handle off-road efficiently, then other factors come into play. More on that next.

 

By Foot

Sprinting and running are greatly affected by the slope of the terrain. This can be accounted for! What are the fastest routes around Chernarus on foot? You don't need to follow the road...but you want to avoid the steep inclines that slow your pace down. Based on slope data, you could determine the fastest route by foot to a certain destination. Incline also affects vehicles as well to a certain degree!

 

==========

 

Is this information trivial? Useful? Unnecessary?

 

What other kinds of geographical or topographical data would you consider useful for DayZ players? Again, veterans from the mod may not need this info anymore. You know how to get around and you have an idea of great camp spots. But with the success of the mod and the Standalone's release, there has been an influx of brand new players!

 

I don't know how to obtain the elevation data from Chernarus+, or if it's even in a proper format to import into my GIS program. (Geographical Information Systems) I know others have extracted the height data from the mod, but didn't know if anyone out there had some insight on this process...or just opinions on my idea. I have no idea how to make something interactive, or make a java program or anything cool like that. How would I even get this information out there to the public? I'm just throwing out this idea...thinking about things.

 

Take care

DKR

It's not that hard to read a topographic map, otherwise, just check it out on the internet.

If you don't know where to find topographic maps, look in cars.

[DKR 104]

Have you tried turning it off and on again?

 

What?

[hogscraper 328]

Considering I hunt snipers for the losers they are, I would welcome any tool that would reliably put them in easy to find locations. If only there was a urination function for when I find them. I'm also sure bandits would love a map of all the best places to put tents as well...

And since I really am serious in wanting to see this for all the easy kills it will bring my hero, you can easily research how to extract the data from BIS pbos and get the xyz data for pretty much any map. How you decide to parse that info into something meaningful is up to you.

Hell, took five seconds to find this:

http://forums.dayzgame.com/index.php?/topic/34679-chernarus-height-map/

Please use this, distribute freely but use words like leet sniporz map or something so I get the most out of using it.

Thanks!

[101anavirn 36]

The cancer gets worse......

[Space Milk 195]

Considering I hunt snipers for the losers they are, I would welcome any tool that would reliably put them in easy to find locations. If only there was a urination function for when I find them. I'm also sure bandits would love a map of all the best places to put tents as well...

And since I really am serious in wanting to see this for all the easy kills it will bring my hero, you can easily research how to extract the data from BIS pbos and get the xyz data for pretty much any map. How you decide to parse that info into something meaningful is up to you.

Hell, took five seconds to find this:

http://forums.dayzgame.com/index.php?/topic/34679-chernarus-height-map/

Please use this, distribute freely but use words like leet sniporz map or something so I get the most out of using it.

Thanks!

It's called a map, in a busted car near you.

[DKR 104]

Jesus, are these the one sentence responses I should expect from this forum community? excluding a couple of you of course.

 

Perhaps I was communicating ineffectively and not made the product clear.

 

You can't get this information from the any game map, Space Milk.

Edited January 10, 2014 by DKR

[Space Milk 195]

Jesus, are these the one sentence responses I should expect from this forum community? excluding a couple of you of course.

 

Perhaps I was communicating ineffectively and not made the product clear.

I believe the product already exists.

You can try turning it off and on again.

[DKR 104]

What product is that exactly that gives you travel route efficiency info and viewable area from a point using topography and vegetation zones?

[Gandolaf 81]

I appreciate your work,but i have to say it is better for everyone to find out themselfes.

[Space Milk 195]

What product is that exactly that gives you travel route efficiency info and viewable area from a point using topography and vegetation zones?

The maps, which you can find in a busted car near you. Didn't find one? Server hop a car, you might get a mosin with your map too, PERFECT for sniping.

[Element47 2481]

this is the meta that many say spoils the game experience. i appreciate your effort and work, from an academic viewpoint. as tempting as it is being able to have computer-assisted position analysis, i think it shouldnt be made publicly available as a.. lets say.. consumer product.

 

whoever has the know-how to aquire and process the data to the abovementioned result, please, use it to your hearts delight. but making it available to everyone may trivialiaze the game a tad too much

[DKR 104]

The maps, which you can find in a busted car near you. Didn't find one? Server hop a car, you might get a mosin with your map too, PERFECT for sniping.

 

lol

 

this is the meta that many say spoils the game experience. i appreciate your effort and work, from an academic viewpoint. as tempting as it is being able to have computer-assisted position analysis, i think it shouldnt be made publicly available as a.. lets say.. consumer product.

 

whoever has the know-how to aquire and process the data to the abovementioned result, please, use it to your hearts delight. but making it available to everyone may trivialiaze the game a tad too much

 

valid point. Then let's shut down the dayzdb map with the geographic locations of loot that people use. Also, let's shut down team speak and vent because that's external computer-assisted communication that spoils the immersion of the game.

 

No sarcasm. You have a valid point, for sure. I'm just wondering if someone ever told the daydb map makers and heightmap makers to not proceed....those are forms of GIS analysis, as basic as they are. There's the website and an app now for DayZ.

---

Okay, sounds like no one wants it as a planning tool. Thanks for your opinions before I got started! :)

Edited January 10, 2014 by DKR

[Napkin #2 beta 4]

What product is that exactly that gives you travel route efficiency info and viewable area from a point using topography and vegetation zones?

 

From his smugness, obviously.

[djporternz 644]

We've got maps in-game already, all you've got to do is get out there and find them. The tools you're suggesting are all well and good, and I'll go as far as saying even interesting from a technical PoV. But, they would be exploited to give players an advantage where they don't deserve one. Then they would become a cruth for those players as they come to rely on it to do what they do.

 

You want to find the best place to snipe from. Get off your arse and go look for it.

 

Also, this is a game breaker, in as much as their is no in-game rational for anyone to have access to this kind of technology within Chernarus at this time.

[DKR 104]

"Also, this is a game breaker, in as much as their is no in-game rational for anyone to have access to this kind of technology within Chernarus at this time."

 

So...like teamspeak...ventrilo....dayz wiki....daydb....need I go on?

 

I got it. I won't do it.

[SalamanderAnder (DayZ) 1747]

Well, considering 90% of this game is in-the-moment, context based decision making, it seems a bit pointless. I can find viewsheds simply by exploring the map and looking for myself at the topography. Obviously valleys are going to be the least visible areas, obviously vegetation accounts for that... But my point is, you can just figure these things out while you are playing the game.

[djporternz 644]

"Also, this is a game breaker, in as much as their is no in-game rational for anyone to have access to this kind of technology within Chernarus at this time."

 

So...like teamspeak...ventrilo....dayz wiki....daydb....need I go on?

 

I got it. I won't do it.

I'm not saying don't do it. I'm just saying that the information it gives is going to be exploited in unforseen ways to unbalance the game. But, that being said, we're already seeing game unbalancing third-party tools being actively developed and used already. Just look at the DayZdb map. It's already busily pulling loot spawn info from the game configs. At the moment, though, that info alone just makes the map extremely busy without actually giving away any useful information. And yes, I'd include vent and TS as game breaking, in a sense, but they are part of the general game playing landscape now, and there's no putting that cat back in the bag.

 

So go and do it, even just as an exercise for yourself or whatever. If you make it generally available, people will use it, and it will change the way DayZ is played, and IMHO not for the better.

 

Of course, I'm not sure what the Intellectual Property situation is WRT the ChernarusPlus map. You might want to check up on that.

[DKR 104]

Jesus Christ. I'm gonna quote myself to make my point clearer.

 

I got it. I won't do it.

 

/end thread