Client-side Zombies

[WolfgangErikson 127]

I just want to put this out there....

 

I know the new SA architecture has moved processes, including zombie spawning, from client-side to server-side to reduce opportunity for cheating, which totally makes sense. I also know that this (in its current state) this has put a rather large limitation on the number of zombies that there can be at any one time on the server.

 

I think moving things server-side is great and all, but honestly, if they can't figure out a great way to handle zombie spawning, while allowing massive amounts of zombies, I wouldn't be opposed to them bringing zombie-spawning client-side again.

 

I could really care less if people abuse zombie-spawning hacks or something (other then putting strain on the server).

 

If it would improve my own gaming experience by allowing my computer to handle and spawn hundreds of more zombies for me to worry about (like the mod) then I would be all for it. 

 

What are other peoples feeling on this subject?

 

Side-Note: I know this is alpha, and that the team is working on zombie spawning, and they may very well have a great solution coming. I just wanted to say that if what they are working on doesn't quite "work" they want it to, then I would rather have more zombies, and less security (regarding zombie spawns and AI, not loot).

 

 

Remember, I am not exactly suggesting this. It is only suggested as an alternative ONLY if Dean and his team cannot meet their own goals using the server-side system they are currently working on. This is only a long-term suggestion if all else fails before the final release.

 

Also, there would be no "Invisible Zombies." What I meant by "client-side" zombies is that spawning and AI are handled by the local computer, forwarding info to the server. You would see other peoples zombies just like in the mod. There would be no invisible zombies. I am simply talking about a system similar to the mod.

Edited February 20, 2014 by WolfgangErikson

[yorkie065 78]

Basically what you said in your side note. Early alpha and still in early stages of development which everyones heard 10,000 times already. But from the dev blogs and interviews I've seen, what they're aiming to do with zombies has committed them down this path with pretty much no return. I mean, zombie hordes randomly wondering the map, zombies being generally more intelligent with their movements, tracking players, not walking through walls, responding to their surrounding in regards to players and other zombies. I mean they're a long way off what they want to achieve, but that end goal is what everyones after. The threat to be the zombies, not so much the players. I can't see Rocket and the team stopping work on the zombies until they've reached their goal. Constantly seeing performance fixes being tweeted out by the team which of course allows room for more zombies. 

[Knock (DayZ) 111]

I'll just throw my opinion out there

 

I definitely want more zombies. Zombies combined with players I feel would make DayZ much more interesting really. I think that whenever all the elements of the game are combined is when the game will really shine.

 

• More zombies roaming around and different variations of zombies
• Something to strive for. Say you got in a gunfight and you and your buddies won, but two are injured. You inject them with saline, but if it's not disinfected, then you might have to find some antibiotics quickly. That's the kind of thing I mean. There are multiple different scenarios of survival I can think of, but I basically think there should be more to strive for. For example: If you got a disease like hypothermia and needed something to treat it. Stuff like that. 
• Other stuff

Atm, I'm excited for more progress on zombies though. That's the big one.

[WolfgangErikson 127]

Basically what you said in your side note. Early alpha and still in early stages of development which everyones heard 10,000 times already. But from the dev blogs and interviews I've seen, what they're aiming to do with zombies has committed them down this path with pretty much no return. I mean, zombie hordes randomly wondering the map, zombies being generally more intelligent with their movements, tracking players, not walking through walls, responding to their surrounding in regards to players and other zombies. I mean they're a long way off what they want to achieve, but that end goal is what everyones after. The threat to be the zombies, not so much the players. I can't see Rocket and the team stopping work on the zombies until they've reached their goal. Constantly seeing performance fixes being tweeted out by the team which of course allows room for more zombies. 

 

Yeah, I'm not worried about the AI and how it functions right now, I know it's a work in progress. Mostly what I was suggesting is that IF they cannot optimize server-side zombies with all of their future attempts in the coming year, then I wouldn't mind settling for client-side zombies.

[McGarnagle 94]

If you got a disease like hypothermia and needed something to treat it.

 

It's taking everything in my power...

 

No, everything you wrote sounds good to me, and it seems to be the direction the game is already going, based on the placeholder items we have.

[DeatHTaX 1217]

At this point in the game i'm all for taking zombies out of stable builds completely, and leaving them for experimental only.

 

Zombies are simply an annoyance at this point and don't really serve much purpose in the gameplay. Leave them out of stable, leave them in experimental so they can be observed and be a source of feedback for such. 

 

But that's just me

[HunterJay 81]

Client side zombies would scare the shit out of everyone. Because some guy would be in the middle of a field unloading his M4 in the air. Having no idea if he is friendly or not.

[WolfgangErikson 127]

Client side zombies would scare the shit out of everyone. Because some guy would be in the middle of a field unloading his M4 in the air. Having no idea if he is friendly or not.

 

Well, no that's not what I mean by Client-Side. The would still exist on the server, but your client would handle the spawning and AI, forwarding the info to the server and to nearby clients, much like the mod does. That would free up the server from having to calculate AI and handle spawn-checks across the whole world. Only during severe lag might you see someone shooting ghost zombies. The advantage would be that zombies would always re-spawn around players unless somebody hacked their account to prevent it. The other drawback (seen in the mod) would be that it would be relatively easy to tell if a town was player-occupied by seeing if zombies were there before you got close.

 

I know last time I played the mod, I would go through a town with hundreds of zombies everywhere, and only a few feet apart, because my client didn't have to rely on server resources to figure it out. I expect that their future plans for zombies will allow this type of spawning server-side, but if the server can't handle it, I would hope they might revert to client-side zombie spawning as a backup plan.

[Mullraugh 1151]

Eh. I've no idea about all the technical stuff like this, so I'd pretty much agree with anyone here. So.. you're all right. I agree with all of you.

 

All I know is that zombies need some help in the "must not phase through walls" field.

[soulfirez 901]

Well, no that's not what I mean by Client-Side. The would still exist on the server, but your client would handle the spawning and AI, forwarding the info to the server and to nearby clients, much like the mod does. That would free up the server from having to calculate AI and handle spawn-checks across the whole world. Only during severe lag might you see someone shooting ghost zombies. The advantage would be that zombies would always re-spawn around players unless somebody hacked their account to prevent it. The other drawback (seen in the mod) would be that it would be relatively easy to tell if a town was player-occupied by seeing if zombies were there before you got close.

 

I know last time I played the mod, I would go through a town with hundreds of zombies everywhere, and only a few feet apart, because my client didn't have to rely on server resources to figure it out. I expect that their future plans for zombies will allow this type of spawning server-side, but if the server can't handle it, I would hope they might revert to client-side zombie spawning as a backup plan.

Often thought the same but with the checking a city and seeing zeds means players could it not be done that zeds spawn client side at spawn locations at the same range as view distance.. thus if you see it likely its you who has spawned them ( with them despawning once leaving view distance????

 

Edit  also shared load spawns in have server side persistant zeds so they can produce the much needed traveling hordes but also add the set spawn client side zombies?????

Edited February 20, 2014 by SoulFirez

[DMentMan 707]

client side zombies? thats one of the worst ideas i have ever heard, no, don´t want this.

[terminal_boy 860]

Moving the zombie AI load to player's PCs is really going to hurt game performance for anyone not running a top-end PC unless the Devs figure out how to move doing this onto a CPU core not being used by the game engine.

Or they can implement a "headless" client on the servers.

[soulfirez 901]

client side zombies? thats one of the worst ideas i have ever heard, no, don´t want this.

Maybe not the best idea in the world but strangely it did work for the mod which had thousands and thousands of zeds vs our current few hundred across the whole map.

 

I hope they can get enough performance out of a server to make it hold and run the AI for thousands and thousands ( 10,000 plus) zeds if not then they may need to come with another idea to make zeds viable as a threat ...

[WolfgangErikson 127]

client side zombies? thats one of the worst ideas i have ever heard, no, don´t want this.

 

I agree, but if I have to choose between 100s of server-zombies or 1000s of client-zombies, I would choose 1000s. Like the post above said: "It did work for the mod."

I seriously hope they can accomplish their goals with server only implementation so we don't have to decide between the two. Best case scenario would of course be 1000s of server-zombies.

Edited February 20, 2014 by WolfgangErikson

[sdry 2]

no

[Rudette 435]

Clientside zombies? No. That would be rather silly as you would see people shooting at what would essentially be thin air. This would provide even less incentive for people to work together.

Clientside wild-life? Perhaps in early builds where the animals are present, but maybe not for the long run. This, however, would be something I could at least live with.

 

[WolfgangErikson 127]

Clientside zombies? No. That would be rather silly as you would see people shooting at what would essentially be thin air. This would provide even less incentive for people to work together.

Clientside wild-life? Perhaps in early builds where the animals are present, but maybe not for the long run. This, however, would be something I could at least live with.

 

The mod had client-side zombies, and I never saw anybody shoot in thin-air. I think you misunderstand what I mean by client-side zombies. I mean that spawning and AI are handled by the local computer, forwarding info to the server. You would see other peoples zombies just like in the mod. There would be no invisible zombies. I am simply talking about a system similar to the mod.

 

Clientside zombies? No. That would be rather silly as you would see people shooting at what would essentially be thin air. This would provide even less incentive for people to work together.

Clientside wild-life? Perhaps in early builds where the animals are present, but maybe not for the long run. This, however, would be something I could at least live with.

 

So if you had to decide between super low amount of zombies running on the server vs. a super high amount of zombies running on your client (and updating the server like the mod), then you would rather have only a few zombies?

 

Remember, I am not exactly suggesting this. It is only suggested as an alternative ONLY if Dean and his team cannot meet their own goals using the server-side system they are currently working on. This is only a long-term suggestion if all else fails before the final release.

Edited February 20, 2014 by WolfgangErikson

[Rudette 435]

Ah!. Then I'll admit ignorance on my part. Carry on!
 

[DarkwaveDomina 1099]

Maybe not the best idea in the world but strangely it did work for the mod which had thousands and thousands of zeds vs our current few hundred across the whole map.

That's actually not the case. In the mod zombies only spawned if you went within a certain range of a building, there's no real way to tell if we had more zombies on the map then as opposed to now.