Zombie attacks

[misce 15]

First off, a big HI EVERYONE to the DayZ community. Just bought the game, and the first negative impression I had is the moment I encountered my first zombie.

 

The fight with a zombie looks like we're slapping each-other's face. It just takes every last bit of "terror" and tension away, it looks silly. A zombie, IMO, shouldn't try to hit you at all. A zombie should try to cling on to you, bite your hand, shoulder, leg, neck, head, stomach - whatever. Your defense would be to shake it off, punch it away with your bare hands if you have no melee weapon, or simply pierce it's skull with a sharp object.

 

Which brings me to my second point.

 

In DayZ you can kill a zombie by hurting it on any part of it's body. Why not follow the long tradition of the only way to kill it is to smash it's head in? It would make the whole experience more challenging and intense. I know I'd be much more nervous around one if I had to aim for the head. I'd also receive more thrill from killing one if my actions would be followed up with a satisfying animation of my character smashing it's head, or piercing it's skull.

 

EDIT: oh and one last thing - making zombies more like the infected in 28 days/weeks later would add much more to the suspense instead having them be those classic, boring ol' zombies. Or just have both kinds in, for variety.

Edited January 10, 2014 by MouseWithAnAttitude

[Rufert 146]

Hello son welcome.

 

I agree, although having zombies grapple you would be fairly difficult to do, I think it would add a lot. 

 

RPD has taken a lot of inspiration from the 28 days later type zombie, as you can see in one of the dev blogs where they record some motion capture. 

 

Thing is, the 28 days later zombies, were just really sick and rabid people, and would die just as much from a shot to the chest as a normal person, the main threat of them was that they were highly infectious. And if the forum is to be believed(I haven't found the statement confirming it) zombies in DayZ are just sick people, no actually living dead, and the survivors are immune to the disease. 

 

Some creepier less flaily animations for them, and perhaps a chance of a short slow from the attacks to simulate getting grabbed would be in order.

[misce 15]

Hello son welcome.

 

I agree, although having zombies grapple you would be fairly difficult to do, I think it would add a lot. 

 

RPD has taken a lot of inspiration from the 28 days later type zombie, as you can see in one of the dev blogs where they record some motion capture. 

 

Thing is, the 28 days later zombies, were just really sick and rabid people, and would die just as much from a shot to the chest as a normal person, the main threat of them was that they were highly infectious. And if the forum is to be believed(I haven't found the statement confirming it) zombies in DayZ are just sick people, no actually living dead, and the survivors are immune to the disease. 

 

Some creepier less flaily animations for them, and perhaps a chance of a short slow from the attacks to simulate getting grabbed would be in order.

 

Thanks for the welcome.

 

I wasn't referring to the details if the "zombies" in 28 days later are the actual undead, or just infected - which they are. It's an important aspect as well, but I just wasn't focusing on that atm. I meant their aggression and their agility. Instead of having a slow moving zombie dragging it's limbs towards you, we'd have a raging, hulking, quick one sprinting towards you with it's teeth shining bright in the Sun. ;)

 

But yeah, your response does clear up the "headshot-kill-only" part I mentioned. Thanks.

 

Edit: it WOULD be difficult to do the grappling part, indeed. Why not have it be a large number of preset animations that would take place depending on the situation, your and zombie's position etc?

Edited January 10, 2014 by MouseWithAnAttitude

[Rufert 146]

Ah. 

 

Well the way the zombie AI works has a bunch of limitations I think. Currently the path finding is calculated client side. And the faster they are the more noticeably spastic they'll appear to players with higher ping. The Zombies in their current state are a massive drain on the server I've read, and that's why there are so few. 

 

I can only assume, but adding faster ones would put even more strain on it, and personally I'd rather have two slower zombies, than one fast.  If I can't get both.

[misce 15]

Hopefully it will be doable eventually, I really want to feel the adrenaline rush running from a sprinting pack of zombies, thinking of how to flee to safety on the fly. It adds so much to suspense even if you're sneaking around still unnoticed, knowing that all hell will break loose if they do spot you.