Radio transmissions | Add depth trough background story hints...

[jonathan.rupp92@gmx.de 18]

Adressing survivors as well as devs,

 

''How to allow every survivor to experience his or her ''own story'' as Dean wrote when launching the mod two years ago?''
''How two add immersion & emotional engagement to the game?''

Right now it's most likely running around, finding supplies and sooner or later get shot. But is that how an apocalypse, a really extreme situation would affect psyche & mind of a sruvivor? I guess not! Wandering trough an abandoned countrysite knowing that probably most people are dead would probably make you wonder about what happened, why it happened, where everyone is gone and so on. This is no single player game with an outstanding story, composed to fill every seconf of following a campaign. But why not using the intense basis of a bio hazard, a disease and the struggling fight to survive? Add some loose & discontiguous hints for the player to discover and to experience. Some hints about the infestation, some hints about the DayZ when everyone tried to flee and the military had to withdraw, completly overstrained. Adding this feeling of anxiety and woeful loneliness adds depth and inspires the players imagination.

 

1. Integrate radio transmissions

 

I have to admit that i really liked the idea of the Green Mountain transmission, even though it was faked. Would really like to add some radio messages in russian language (with subtitles translating them) like the famous Green Mountain transmissions. Some examples

Add some short military ones stating a gps position such as ''[...] Position is [... ]054 [...] 088. anyone [...] reciving [....] Please [...] answer, we have to abandon [...]. [...] head to NW[...].'' When following the coordinates you'll find an abandoned Ural truck in the forrest. You can gather some loot around, maybe find zombies ... etc. ''[...] Commander Seldowi[...] Report to [...]. our [...] position is [transmission stops here]''.

Add some transmission from a helicopter or plane which tried to flee the outbreak stating coordinates ''[...] close to town xy [...] one [...] wounded, proba...[...] bitten. Approaching coordinates 084.051 [...]. Help...[transmission stops]'' or ''This is [...] transport squad[...]. Malfunction [...] have to land at [...] 088.09[...]''. You'll have to find the exact position and can find infected soldiers and loot there.

 

Add amateur radio operator calls or messages stating the position of a camp or just the try to reach family members, military, someones else or survivors finding a completly abandoned Chernarus. ''[...] Michail and me are alive. Left [...]gorsk. Trying to head west. [...] if you are ali[...] follow. Meet at [...][ends]'' or

''Calling from ... [...] everyone gone. No more food [...] lost Nikolai. [...] hope [transmission stops]''. These are just adding story or a linking to coordinates with a small camp in the woods (make it interesting to search the forrest areas).
 

Always add noise and interferences or background noise. Add some completly incomprehensible transmission such as music like in the beginning of the Green Mountain transmissiom or voices in foreign languages, completly choppy.

Being in a certain area around one of the radio towers you can recive the randomly sended messages with your radio by selecting the correct frequency.

Mysterious, isn't it? Also makes you a bit said hearing about these peoples fates.

 

 

2. Add short diaries

 

Discover what someone already wrote about their experiences and fate during or before the outbreak. Find them in all kind of houses or barracks. They give you a better understanding of what happened and make searching houses more fun. They can also link to some small camps stating that the inhabitants competly pulled back from their village and try to survive in the woods or just help creating the anxious and said atmosphere that I mentioned above.

 

Something the community may work on....?

 

3. Add hordes

 

Would be cool to trigger an horde event on the map by reciving a military radio transmission such as ''Near town xy [...]. Get [... ]overrun. four surv[...] Can't hold [...]''. If you discover the mentioned town, village, camp you'll find plenty of zombies which are starting to wander around the map. Combining some of these ideas you could find hordes at position mentioned prior in the radio messages such as abandoned vehicles etc.

 

 

These are aspects that are focused on endgame content! Still would be cool to find these suggestions ingame one day because they'd definteley become an unique selling proposition and enrich the gameplay and games atmosphere!

 

Original Green Mountain transmission:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVxXHyE1CJM&hd=1

:)
 

Edited February 17, 2014 by Cosmopolar

[TedZ 424]

I wouldn't like an story line, but i'd like pen and paper to write a story which is of my own, so if i die someone can pick it up and read it

 

My will consist of

 

I AM FRIENDLY

I AM FRIENDLY

[jonathan.rupp92@gmx.de 18]

@TedZ, as mentioned, this is no storyline. But yes, players should be able to do that as well. Or just to write down notes. For example noting a stocktaking when having tents or a base to make sure you got everything you need to repair a vehicle.

[jonathan.rupp92@gmx.de 18]

not only a landmark but...

[Combine (DayZ) 247]

What I'd like to see for dynamic and endless content regarding that would be radios.

 

Or long range walkie talkies (however that may work). Or the ability to adjust them to a certain long range frequency, so it's optional compared to the close range of about 900 to 1000 meters. That way you can hear real players. It would also encourage use of radio equipment more. Right now I doubt it's good to have one. You can only find them at fire stations and their range is ... set. That means limits in quantity and quality, kinda. In short: Few probably carry one.

 

So, yeah. Long range communication?

[daniels 19]

First Off - DayZ is a Survival,RPG,MMO, not a singleplayer campaign game. If you want a singleplayer zombie apocalypse story thats good, play The Last of Us

 

Second Off - The game is in Alpha, loot still doesnt respawn along with zombie, and there are no cars, so why would you think they would take the time of making that work to start adding randomized triggers around saying that stuff, if this were to ever be implemented, it would probably be in the end of beta towards full release

.

Third Off - Instead of making it a story line... make those into missions, DayZ should and will have some good features that DayZ epoch had (i. e. Base Building, Missions, ETC) So maybe if you have a radio there could be a random radio transmission on a channel talking about a mission and you yourself would have to remember the coords or mark it on your map. And missions would not delete themselves until a player has entered the area of 100 meters and left it, after that it would end the mission, even if they didn't get anything to make it a little more realistic. Also, to reduce lag, only a max of 2 missions could be up at the same time and missions would not be that common or heard of by players often, because you would have to be on the right radio channel at the right time, if you made this before the patch making radios work, that can happen now and its a good way to find players that are good.

 

Thx for this post that I may correct you on some things! ~WillPocalypse

[toasted duckie 156]

First Off - DayZ is a Survival,RPG,MMO, not a singleplayer campaign game. If you want a singleplayer zombie apocalypse story thats good, play The Last of Us

 

Second Off - The game is in Alpha, loot still doesnt respawn along with zombie, and there are no cars, so why would you think they would take the time of making that work to start adding randomized triggers around saying that stuff, if this were to ever be implemented, it would probably be in the end of beta towards full release

.

Third Off - Instead of making it a story line... make those into missions, DayZ should and will have some good features that DayZ epoch had (i. e. Base Building, Missions, ETC) So maybe if you have a radio there could be a random radio transmission on a channel talking about a mission and you yourself would have to remember the coords or mark it on your map. And missions would not delete themselves until a player has entered the area of 100 meters and left it, after that it would end the mission, even if they didn't get anything to make it a little more realistic. Also, to reduce lag, only a max of 2 missions could be up at the same time and missions would not be that common or heard of by players often, because you would have to be on the right radio channel at the right time, if you made this before the patch making radios work, that can happen now and its a good way to find players that are good.

 

Thx for this post that I may correct you on some things! ~WillPocalypse

 

May I say that your post comes across a bit rude? The OP literally said: "These are aspects that are focused on endgame content! Still would be cool to find these suggestions ingame one day because they'd definteley become an unique selling proposition and enrich the gameplay and games atmosphere!"

:)

[rickenbacker 190]

Rocket has already said that he plans to let players broadcast their own radio channels in-game. So we could have talk radio or some easy listening music while we loot :). 

[DMentMan 707]

want

[jonathan.rupp92@gmx.de 18]

What I'd like to see for dynamic and endless content regarding that would be radios.

 

Or long range walkie talkies (however that may work). Or the ability to adjust them to a certain long range frequency, so it's optional compared to the close range of about 900 to 1000 meters. That way you can hear real players. It would also encourage use of radio equipment more. Right now I doubt it's good to have one. You can only find them at fire stations and their range is ... set. That means limits in quantity and quality, kinda. In short: Few probably carry one.

 

So, yeah. Long range communication?

 

My idea. Different frequencies = different ranges. Reciving a transmission could only be possible when close to a radio tower or the walkie talkie of another player. Imagine you would recive a transmission (with background noise and interferences) and at first couldn't say whether its a player generated one or made by the devs for atmosphere. I should also mention the Walking Dead while talking about walkie talkies. Remember Rick trying to contact his saviors from the first episodes later in the series? Wouldn't it be cool to try to contact a friendly guy you met out in Chernarus but lost later?

 

First Off - DayZ is a Survival,RPG,MMO, not a singleplayer campaign game. If you want a singleplayer zombie apocalypse story thats good, play The Last of Us

 

Second Off - The game is in Alpha, loot still doesnt respawn along with zombie, and there are no cars, so why would you think they would take the time of making that work to start adding randomized triggers around saying that stuff, if this were to ever be implemented, it would probably be in the end of beta towards full release

.

Third Off - Instead of making it a story line... make those into missions, DayZ should and will have some good features that DayZ epoch had (i. e. Base Building, Missions, ETC) So maybe if you have a radio there could be a random radio transmission on a channel talking about a mission and you yourself would have to remember the coords or mark it on your map. And missions would not delete themselves until a player has entered the area of 100 meters and left it, after that it would end the mission, even if they didn't get anything to make it a little more realistic. Also, to reduce lag, only a max of 2 missions could be up at the same time and missions would not be that common or heard of by players often, because you would have to be on the right radio channel at the right time, if you made this before the patch making radios work, that can happen now and its a good way to find players that are good.

 

Thx for this post that I may correct you on some things! ~WillPocalypse

 

Did you really got what I wrote? As Duckie kindly said: I explicitly stated my ideas could be inspirations for later introduced endgame content. Furthermore i wasn't talking about missions at all! Improving the overall athmosphere doesn't make an SP RPG out of an MMORPG. And the suggestions forum has nothing to do with the alpha state of the game? You're right, let them fix all the bugs and problems first, but that won't rule out inspirations and ideas for how to develop further content. And yes two or three ''missions'' are completly fine and also probably the maximum of what is possible. But I would prefer the above mentioned ''events'' instead of missions, they would randomly take place and only players with radio and there friends would know about them. Hearing a recorded emergency transmission could just add the feeling of an interactive and changing Chernarus or could lead directly to a crashsite, an abandoned vehicle, etc. You're going to find out when searching the coordinates or the position mentioned in the transmission.

 

May I say that your post comes across a bit rude? The OP literally said: "These are aspects that are focused on endgame content! Still would be cool to find these suggestions ingame one day because they'd definteley become an unique selling proposition and enrich the gameplay and games atmosphere!"

:)

 

Thx :)

 

Rocket has already said that he plans to let players broadcast their own radio channels in-game. So we could have talk radio or some easy listening music while we loot :). 

 

I'm not sure whether i do like that or not. It's like the grafiti option. Too much possibilities to fully destroy the game (design aspects, atmosphere or stupid things I probably do not need to mention here, do I?^^ Buzzword: Cocks)

 

want

 

:)

 

another idea:

Additional atmospheric sound

They already hired an audio artist, so hopefully they'll integrate tons of new environmental sounds: Roaring thunder in the distance, the howling of a pack of wolves close or also in the distance when night falls, crickets on the fields and in the grass, the groaning and rattling of trees in the wind. etc. etc. etc.

Hopefully Deans team thinks about the 2.1 or 5.1 capabilities.  Remeber BF 4, bugged and unbalanced but great soundeffects.

Edited February 15, 2014 by Cosmopolar

[JiJi (DayZ) 223]

I would be fine with random event through radio transmissions.
However talkies are damn rare (not to mention range, frequency), and no one would camp around static radio emitter hours just for the hope to hear one.
 

[...] radio messages in russian language (with subtitles translating them)

Russian langage ok, but no Star Trek universal translator for God shake!
That's why voiced radio messages should not be prolix. Interco numbers (nadazero,unaone,bissotwo,etc) + name of cities (russian, don't worry it's quite understandable).

I'm afraid you couldn't have both loot & lore system with that.

[Pvt_Larry (DayZ) 98]

 

Third Off - Instead of making it a story line... make those into missions, DayZ should and will have some good features that DayZ epoch had (i. e. Base Building, Missions, ETC) So maybe if you have a radio there could be a random radio transmission on a channel talking about a mission and you yourself would have to remember the coords or mark it on your map. And missions would not delete themselves until a player has entered the area of 100 meters and left it, after that it would end the mission, even if they didn't get anything to make it a little more realistic. Also, to reduce lag, only a max of 2 missions could be up at the same time and missions would not be that common or heard of by players often, because you would have to be on the right radio channel at the right time, if you made this before the patch making radios work, that can happen now and its a good way to find players that are good.

 

I don't see any reason why there can't be a little background, but I do really like the idea of missions, but I feel like to have anything really interesting you might need NPCs involved, and I don't know the likelihood of them adding any.

 

W/o NPCs you could have some of the "Horde Spawn" events like in the original post. Or something like "We have evacuated from XYZ...have taken heavy casualties...had to abandon medical supplies." And then you could go to XYZ and maybe there a burned-out truck with some bloodbags and first aid kits with alot of Zeds around.

 

With NPCs I think i would be more interesting, you might get a broadcast like "This is Taskforce Zhenya...we're currently at XYZ and low on ammo...we're being overrun..." And then you go to XYZ and can try to save the beleagured Russian troops, or just finish them off for their equipment.

[jonathan.rupp92@gmx.de 18]

I think would get along fine without NPCs. Better finde some few days old corpses around an abandoned vehicle. Maybe a radio around, few ammo crates or supplies of which you cant take some. As i said before, let your imagination do the job: who where they, what did they do... and so on.

Edited February 16, 2014 by Cosmopolar

[Pvt_Larry (DayZ) 98]

I think would get along fine without NPCs. Better finde some few days old corpses around an abandoned vehicle. Maybe a radio around, few ammo crates or supplies of which you cant take some. As i said before, let your imagination do the job: who where they, what did they do... and so on.

 

Certainly, but I just thought it might be a little more interesting. Your original suggestion is very good I think, and wouldn't be so hard to implement.

[jonathan.rupp92@gmx.de 18]

Hopefully the next more comprehensive update which should introduce animals and a functioning cooking crafting system will also introduce better sound effects for them. Currently I do miss an atmospheric scenic sound when wandering trough the fields and woods of Chernarus. As mentioned above: Environmental sounds such as roaring thunder in the distance, the groaning and rattling of trees in the wind and animal noises such as the howling of a pack of wolves in the distance when night falls or crickets on the fields, a screaming eagle, the roaring of red deers and the trempling of a hoard of boars.

Summarized: realistic animal noises and sounds when they're introduced to the SA alpha.

Edited February 17, 2014 by Cosmopolar

[cywehner1234 582]

+10090

[jonathan.rupp92@gmx.de 18]

And how could I forget about screaming seagulls! Ever seen a coastline without these ''little pirates of the airs''?

[Yrkidding (DayZ) 1]

To reply to the first post, I totally agree that this is an awesome idea. My favourite type of things to see in video games is the story untold where you just have to imagine what's happened. A burned out house with sandbags set up around the outside and a makeshift clearing next to it for example, what happened there? Was that an evac zone? How did they get over-run?
A clearing in the forest with a long-ago disabled van or two, bullet-riddled and crushed tents with supplies strewn about, a blackboard set-up with children's lessons on it, and a makeshift stage with wooden benches of logs facing it, all abandonded. What happened to these people? Had they started to try and build a society again with the lessons? Were the bullet holes them defending against zombies, or were they attacked by other humans?
A military checkpoint with destroyed cars and trucks backed up a half kilometre down the highway from it. Why were these people not allowed to leave? Was there a quarantine put in place? Were these cars destroyed while the people were in them? Or where they simply getting over-run? Throw in a note saying "They were swarmed in their cars... no escape..." in the checkpoint somewhere and there's even more imagination thrown in.
Red Dead Redemption was good at this especially with the 'Riley's Charge' area of the map.  A burnt out-cabin surrounded by sand bags and destroyed cannon and other fortifactions. It begs the question of what happened? What battle was fought here? How many died?
There's an infinite amount of small little scenes you could set up that would leave just as much imagination of stories behind it. It's not a mission or anything but soley an atmosphere thing. I think it would add to the atmosphere of the game tremendously. The potential is huge, there's so many little cities and villages and farms and in each one of those places there's the potential to tell a small story of how people fought back and how they were defeated or how they succeded, how the military and government reacted like a diary chronicling the beginning of the outbreak by a doctor attempting to determine what the disease is and how to combat it, etc. Granted what I'm talking about isn't exactly what the poster had in mind, it extends from that sort of thing in the same vein of atmposheric changes.

One last example I thought of was a town where every road into it is blocked by a wrecked car or truck or other makeshift fortification and signs saying that this town is a safe-haven and throughout is symbols of a makeshift civilization (such as my blackboard with children's lessons on it earlier) but that is clearly over-run by zombies. What caused these people to fail? Leave a diary in what looks to be the biggest building in town and what seemed to have been their main building, a diary of the leader of these people. If you write it well and portray the hope this man has of surviving and promises radioed to him by the military of salvation and then how slowly the community begins to fall apart - some people leave with a portion of supplies and forces the rest to try and pick up the slack but leaves everyone more and more tired and finally someone makes a mistake that leads to letting some zombies in that kills more people but they survive and then leave a final entry noting of a horde approaching the town and his fear that they wont be able to fight them off. There's a billion different potential things to be done and each one of them could have no direct affect on actually changing gamestyle or anything but could improve the atmosphere of the game a hundred fold.

Edited February 18, 2014 by Yrkidding

[jonathan.rupp92@gmx.de 18]

Good ideas too. I love the map modifications suchs as a destroyed highwaybridge construction, maybe close to a town...

 

 

... or as you said a military roadblock on the edge of the map (but not within the boarders of a town as seen here). Maybe few tents, sandbags, barbed wire all around, one outlook tower and lots of busses, trucks and some cars, mostly destroyed. Thats definteley a cool idea.

 

 

But I think it's important to not exaggerate when adding these hints. A whole town with survivors being overrun is maybe a bit too much. but add some signs of fortifications to a lonely farm or cabin in the woods. Some blood at the walls, teared town barbed wire. Why not, that'd be cool! Or add some tents, a bench, a fireplace and barbed wire to the surroundings of one of the smaller radio towers.

Come on Dean&Team, read this and think about ways to integrate it!

 

p.s. any way to scale pictures?

[jonathan.rupp92@gmx.de 18]

Following the concept of the Green Mountain transmission, I started reading about so called number station. Also pretty interessting^^

[jonathan.rupp92@gmx.de 18]

Anyone got some new ideas on that?

[jonathan.rupp92@gmx.de 18]

:) ....