Is it too much to ask for smooth controls?

[infiltrator 275]

OPFP had shit controls. Arma had shit controls. Arma 2 had shit controls. Arma 3 did improve on that. Dayz has shit controls. All the way from the WASD movement bumping me into places I never wanted to go at, the mouse having weird acceleration even though its off, up to the point of some questionable control schemes like hold breath + zoom being on the same button.

 

I literally feel like I'm inside a truck when I'm trying to climb stairs. It's like if you miss a turn you go to the side and just roll off of them. If I switch weapons I have to keep moving on no matter what, just have to! If I press w I always, always go forward for a second after I let go of the button. I have a really strong rig and my framerate never dips, so it's NOT that.

 

I know, it's alpha, but should we expect dayz to ever properly implement movement/controls to the point we don't feel like we're controlling a badly constructed robot but a real human being? Or is this simply an arma 2 engine limitation that will never get fixed?

Edited February 23, 2014 by Infiltrator

[AryanBoogeyman 185]

Biggest beef with the engine for me as well.

 

So clunky. So horribly clunky.

 

I don't expect that floating in the air kind of FPS nonsense that is out there but the handling of your character does make me feel like I'm wearing a giant Sumo suit most of the time.

[Element47 2480]

it is an abomination.

[louist 163]

We have to live with it. Without a new engine, or a reworking to the extent that, effectively, we'd end up with a new engine, we're stuck with the legacy of Operation Flashpoint.

I'd love to see smoother controls as well, but realistically, we won't see them.

[Rudette 435]

I don't mind them.

This is probably because the survival horror games of old had rather clunky controls as a feature.
Having Leon Kennedy run down a narrow corridor full of zombies without getting bit wasn't easy >.>

And to me, that built tension. Fear.

Edited February 24, 2014 by Rudette

[AryanBoogeyman 185]

I'd be happy if they just made the animations interruptible.

 

Nothing like that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach after clicking "eat sardines" in what you thought was a safe place only to see the door swing silently inward a microsecond afterwards. 

 

FFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUU........

 

 

Or the 1 hr ordeal that climbing a ladder becomes.

[infiltrator 275]

I'd be happy if they just made the animations interruptible.

 

Nothing like that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach after clicking "eat sardines" in what you thought was a safe place only to see the door swing silently inward a microsecond afterwards. 

 

FFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUU........

 

 

Or the 1 hr ordeal that climbing a ladder becomes.

 

And once you get on top of the ladder, your fists are up and you're doing a tippy-toe dance inching forward like some sort of crab-human hybrid.

[alldaypk 63]

It does build tension and fear, but I don't want it to be something that I notice. Good gameplay should come from good features, but alas, it may never change...

[louist 163]

And once you get on top of the ladder, your fists are up and you're doing a tippy-toe dance inching forward like some sort of crab-human hybrid.

Watch the fucking tone, bro. Some of my best friends are crab-human hybrids.

[infiltrator 275]

It does build tension and fear, but I don't want it to be something that I notice. Good gameplay should come from good features, but alas, it may never change...

 

You mean the kind of fear like "oh shit.. I'm moving too fast and the angle of the stairs.. so STEEP, OH SHIIIITTTT I'M GONNA DRIFT IN THE OTHER ROOOOOOOOOOMMMMM"

[Caboose187 (DayZ) 3036]

I have zero issues with the controls.  I've learned that by not running full tilt everywhere, including through buildings, that the controls are very easy to control.

[Crooked Hauser 258]

It's a little like walking with both legs asleep... On an ice rink covered in butter. When you aren't an African long distance runner.

But I thought "alpha" now I'm thinking engine? Yikes.

[Crooked Hauser 258]

...

Edited February 24, 2014 by Crooked Hauser

[louist 163]

I have zero issues with the controls. I've learned that by not running full tilt everywhere, including through buildings, that the controls are very easy to control.

Getting used to them isn't the same as having good controls, though. I'm not complaining, as it serves no purpose and we aren't going to see any real change. Even so, the clunkiness can't be disputed.

[Caboose187 (DayZ) 3036]

Getting used to them isn't the same as having good controls, though. I'm not complaining, as it serves no purpose and we aren't going to see any real change. Even so, the clunkiness can't be disputed.

That's what I mean.  The "clunkiness" isn't there when you treat your character like you're not doing 100m dash.   I'm not kidding when I say slow down when moving through buildings, it's very much less of a hassle, but hey, I understand that today's shooters allow you to do this but the RV engine is not an arcade engine.

[execpro22 128]

OPFP had shit controls. Arma had shit controls. Arma 2 had shit controls. Arma 3 did improve on that. Dayz has shit controls. All the way from the WASD movement bumping me into places I never wanted to go at, the mouse having weird acceleration even though its off, up to the point of some questionable control schemes like hold breath + zoom being on the same button.

 

I literally feel like I'm inside a truck when I'm trying to climb stairs. It's like if you miss a turn you go to the side and just roll off of them. If I switch weapons I have to keep moving on no matter what, just have to! If I press w I always, always go forward for a second after I let go of the button. I have a really strong rig and my framerate never dips, so it's NOT that.

 

I know, it's alpha, but should we expect dayz to ever properly implement movement/controls to the point we don't feel like we're controlling a badly constructed robot but a real human being? Or is this simply an arma 2 engine limitation that will never get fixed?

 

 

Hey,

 

 

Its kinda fun seeing what it would be like to walk around after having a major stroke.

[louist 163]

That's what I mean. The "clunkiness" isn't there when you treat your character like you're not doing 100m dash. I'm not kidding when I say slow down when moving through buildings, it's very much less of a hassle, but hey, I understand that today's shooters allow you to do this but the RV engine is not an arcade engine.

My main issue is more with the flow from one action to another. RV handles transitions poorly, regardless of speed. Arma III's version of the engine deals with it better , but we'll never see true refinement in that area.

But that's part of the package, and you do indeed get used to it.

[hannibaldaplaya 1095]

I agree, this is literally the only reason I can't see DayZ being the "perfect" survival game, if the controls stay this clunky.

 

The clunk of the controls makes indoor navigation terrible, and also makes melee worst then it really is. It also just feels so damn foreign. When I walk in a building, it is like my character is drunk!

 

Really, if a game was released tomorrow with smooth controls and the features DayZ currently has, I'd switch over to it. If someone made a game with the tense combat of DayZ, the harshness, and the character customization, I would move to it immediately. Though I enjoy DayZ, I wouldn't be able to stick with a game where everything feels stiff and clunky.

 

Due to the clunk of the controls, I don't think we'll ever get a game where you can enjoyable kill zombies. Lets compare DayZ to Project Zomboid, an isometric Zombie Survival RPG-

 

In Project Zomboid, melee combat is tense, yet fluid. You can charge up a swing, knock down your opponent, and then bash their head into little bits. You run out of stamina, can only really shove when the zed gets really close, and most importantly, taking out the zombie isn't frustrating- Even the worst weapons don't take ten hits or more. Despite how tense the combat is, it is enjoyable and feels damn realistic, for an isometric RPG. The gunplay isn't as good, however, and it becomes point and shoot due to the game's perspective.

 

In DayZ, melee combat is the definition of clunk. You strafe and run around a zed, repeatedly hitting it, sometimes up to 12 times depending on the weapon. When it eventually goes down, you let out a sigh of relief- Not at the fact you killed the zed, but at the fact you FINALLY KILLED THE DAMN THING. You're more grateful for not having to deal with the clunk then eliminating the threat. It gets to the point where you just run away, lose them in the trees, then turn back to where you were, unless you have an axe. If you have any sort of axe, melee becomes clunky, but easy, since you just have to nail one - two hits on the zombie. Without an axe, melee is overly long and frustrating. With an axe, its easy but still clunky. Fortunately, DayZ's gunplay is a lot better then Zomboid's, since it is an FPS. Despite the weird and unrealistic spray / spread, its still tense, and feels precise (most of the time.)

 

The problem with DayZ's melee and controls right now is that if they stick, how will players deal with hordes without utter frustration? It shouldn't be easy, but it should feel as if you're not getting cheated by the game's systems. Hordes should be scary, not because the clunky controls prevent you from combatting them, but because they are hordes. Right now, players shoot zombies with their M4A1s because they don't want to go through the process of using melee, though abundant ammo adds to this.

 

TL;DR - DayZ's controls need improved or the game may go down the drain as more zombie-driven features are implemented

[Caboose187 (DayZ) 3036]

My main issue is more with the flow from one action to another. RV handles transitions poorly, regardless of speed. Arma III's version of the engine deals with it better , but we'll never see true refinement in that area.

But that's part of the package, and you do indeed get used to it.

It's hard to say if it's the engine or netcode that causes it because the second you dsync and you don' t have a weapon ready, you are basically done.  That's why I worry when they talk about 100+ man servers.  The game can't handle 30+ people without major internet issues.  Add another 70+ and good luck doing anything.

[louist 163]

It's hard to say if it's the engine or netcode that causes it because the second you dsync and you don' t have a weapon ready, you are basically done. That's why I worry when they talk about 100+ man servers. The game can't handle 30+ people without major internet issues. Add another 70+ and good luck doing anything.

I'm with you there. if larger capacity servers aren't stable enough... I don't even want to think about that.

[Zoridium JackL 16]

I'd settle for them fixing the mouse acceleration.

[hypermoon 75]

This is probably my biggest gripe. The controls feel so awful. slow and unresponsive. I can barely get through a god damn door properly at times.

[Sputter 12]

The biggest problem has always been clunky controls that everyone has hated since arma2/mod. However good news is they added a new hat to loot instead of a valid fix to the big control issues with too much mouse acceleration.

[Sunslayer 13]

My ideal FPS game would be a blend of ARMA 3's tactical realism/ballistics/scale with Battlefield 3's character control/destructive environment.

[antonioajc 500]

The biggest problem has always been clunky controls that everyone has hated since arma2/mod. However good news is they added a new hat to loot instead of a valid fix to the big control issues with too much mouse acceleration.

I didn't know that artists and 3d modelers could code the game.