Knowing where you are when you spawn and why it makes sense

[Jumbaliah 113]

Let me start off by saying this wouldn't benefit me at all. I've been playing this game since the mod was released and got the alpha day one. I can tell where I spawn nearly by the curvature of the tile of ocean i'm near (slight exaggeration, but not really).

 

In a real life apocalyptic scenario in chernarus don't you think you would know where you "started"? I mean unless the story is I got dumped off in the ocean and floated to shore somewhere I think I would know where I was. I don't want to see some cheesy "Kamyshovo" tag in white letters when I spawn but something more creative that takes some general understanding of the games mechanics to figure out. 

 

The easiest and most realistic option I think is the implementation of the diary from the mod:

 

"I woke up today somewhere near the hell hole of Zelenogorsk, with only a flashlight, some cloth, and a can of tuna."

 

This could then be updated (discuss) every time you cross a city sign:

 

"I've had a long day of travel but managed to enter the city of Gorka at 23:00"

 

While the veteran players wouldn't really need this because it's actually pretty easy to figure out when you've been playing awhile, it would help with finding new people you're playing with without game breaking mechanics like markers or spawning next to each other. 

 

I also really liked the diary in general, tally marks of how many zombies/players you've killed, how much you've drank and eaten, are all things I, and any smart survivalist who would have gotten as far into the apocalypse scenario as when we "spawn", should be doing. 

[waffen-79 32]

+1, I also played the mod and sa since day 1, and have lots of years playing ofp/arma series and especially arma 2, I know chernarus, but it would help SO MUCH to my n00b friends

[DarkwaveDomina 1099]

Since standalone launched I have introduced quite a lot of people who never played the mod. After setting up the game, my first piece of advice is always to run until you find a road sign. Works every time.

[fnal 206]

If this were a true apocalypse scenario, you wouldn't just wake up from a coma in some random location.  You would know where you were before the apocalypse happened and that should carry into DayZ.

[Jumbaliah 113]

Since standalone launched I have introduced quite a lot of people who never played the mod. After setting up the game, my first piece of advice is always to run until you find a road sign. Works every time.

 

Same! "Run along the coast with the ocean to your right side till you get to a city"

 

I'm not all about catering to the "casual players", I would actually like to see it much harder to survive and find ANYTHING, but for the sake of realism I think it's semi important you have a ball park idea of where you are... 

[kiji 16]

Yeah id like to know where I am lol

[Jonah_Hobbes 171]

Disagree - not knowing where you are was part of the fun when I started playing in the mod. I'd gotten into WOT because friends played it and had pretty much forgotten everything when I bought the standalone.

 

Loved exploring the countryside, jotting down the names of places.

[Berserker07 45]

I think it works as is, when you first start the game as a newcomer it is a little intimidating but fun as you start to realize you recognize areas and understand how to locate yourself faster.  The only time I have had some frustration with not knowing a location is when I am trying to meet someone or help a friend new to the game, I'll ask where they are and get an I dunno, buildings and stuff around me.  It would be interesting if there was a way to show your location to everyone else (turn on and off this) because you could easily find friends/other people and it could be used to draw others into a trap.  

[omgwtfbbq (DayZ) 1069]

You're supposed to be disorientated. You're thrown into an unknown Russian country and told to stay alive for as long as you can. Surviving longer means learning the land and the cities. You're not supposed to live for days the first time you play, you gradually build more knowledge the longer you play.

[CrocoDan 19]

I think it works as is, when you first start the game as a newcomer it is a little intimidating but fun as you start to realize you recognize areas and understand how to locate yourself faster.  The only time I have had some frustration with not knowing a location is when I am trying to meet someone or help a friend new to the game, I'll ask where they are and get an I dunno, buildings and stuff around me.  It would be interesting if there was a way to show your location to everyone else (turn on and off this) because you could easily find friends/other people and it could be used to draw others into a trap.  

How about a flare gun?

Edited January 15, 2014 by CrocoDan

[Jumbaliah 113]

Disagree - not knowing where you are was part of the fun when I started playing in the mod. I'd gotten into WOT because friends played it and had pretty much forgotten everything when I bought the standalone.

 

Loved exploring the countryside, jotting down the names of places.

 

Yeah you're probably right. When a new player spawns in and sees hes in "Kamyshovo" he's gonna go: Ohhhhhh, that's where I am..about 1.5km east of Elektro, well there goes my big adventure. 

 

No.

 

It's simply a mechanic so a newbie player can find his friend. Or two newbie players can find each other. 

 

 

You're supposed to be disorientated. You're thrown into an unknown Russian country and told to stay alive for as long as you can. Surviving longer means learning the land and the cities. You're not supposed to live for days the first time you play, you gradually build more knowledge the longer you play.

 

This is where in my original post I said for the sake of realism..

 

What apocalypse scenario are you thrown into an unknown Russian country? IRL you would have been a resident of this country and would know where you "start". Start, being where we take control of this character sometime clearly well into the zombie outbreak.  

[djporternz 644]

What's wrong with just becoming familiar with the map. Hell, go to DayZDB and bone up on it. You don't need the game to be holding your hand here people. You already have the tools to 'cheat' at this stuff already.

[crosa 93]

Too easy... let the new players figure it out for themselves... DayZ is about making your own survival story, not having the game tell it to you... it reduces the amount of imagination required for the game and thats not a good thing...

[Knightmare (DayZ) 109]

Skinned another survivor today, pinned his fleshless body on a road sign right outside Stary Sobor 0700.

 

Hmm, there appears to be a bunch of mass graves here - must be Kamyshovo. Rest In Peace you Lazy Shits 1330.

 

I felt a great disturbance in my left nut, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out FRIENDLY in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened. I must be near Elektro 0200.