Suggestion - Ghosts

[joaby 25]

Look, I know there's a heavy concept of realism about this game, and that's fine... still. I think ghosts would take this game from pretty tense to balls to the wall terrifying in no time flat.

I'm not talking about ethereal union generals wandering the plains, or idiots in white sheets.

I'd like to see a ghost NPC added - a little similar to MOUSE's suggestion

http://dayzmod.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=787&highlight=ghost

(I can't work out how to link)

but instead of being an enemy it would be a passive spawn, like a rabbit or something. It spawns at random, with nowhere near the regularity of rabbits of course, and when it appears it just wanders about.

Ideally it would appear near groups of two or more people, and I'd be open to people being able to see it using Thermals.

EDIT - From further in the thread, because people can't seem to get over the word Ghosts,

Clearly the word 'ghost' is driving people off point. The ghost thing is just a name that I used to illustrate the core point of the addition - an invisible entity designed to create panic in group situations where players feel increased power and (as a result) diminished fear.

Allow me to set the scene for you.

A squad of five have just raided a crashed heli north of Prud, scoring some valuable Bizon ammo and new NVGs. Tensions are running high because the sightlines to the chopper were long and before they scored the Bizon ammo they'd had to rely on loud weapons. As they make their way to Devil's they stop for a while to check their perimeter/go whiz. Suddenly walking noises appear nearby, coming ever closer. The footsteps crunch, making a beeline directly for them, and those at their computer are flipping out. Maybe the ghost goes into a belly crawl for a bit, and they hear the rustling of the leaves as the body drags itself along. It makes no other noise except the sounds of a human figure moving towards this group. Suddenly it stops. Some people still aren't checking in, so they can't identify all the bodies in the area. People are freaking out... and then everyone gets back from their bio break and checks in. Still, any decent group would wait another 5 minutes to identify the sound, and then maybe just right it off. Or maybe they do something stupid instead...

Penetration moved to this thread

http://dayzmod.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=21181

[frodevil 15]

What part of 'realism' do you not understand?

[joaby 25]

I guess the part where the undead walk the earth is the bit that's really throwing me with the whole realism thing. I've never been to Eastern Europe though so maybe that's just an everyday thing there.

[qla 0]

Ffs. Where does it say that they are undead? Infected, not undead.

And about the suggestion? Hell no, made me laugh.

[bad_mojo (DayZ) 1204]

I don't like the ghost stuff.

And the bullet penetration is true, but would be very exploitable for killing lots of zombies with few bullets. But, If their walking indoors was fixed I wouldn't mind it.

[Xelacalle 0]

I like the bullet penetration ideas, but not the ghost zombie one (although I agree that it would increase the tension and make the game a little more frightening.)

I think a lot of people will put this post aside because of the ghost thing, perhaps you should make an additional thread for bullet penetration.

It should be possible for me to kill my friend and a zombie at the same time. By accident, of course...

[joaby 25]

Ok I moved the bullet penetration to another thread.

Let's talk ghosts and your concepts of realism.

Whether they are infected or undead the plausibility of a zombie apocalypse is negligible. Non-existent even. I hate to be that guy who pisses all over your parade and says "that cannibal guy in Miami was a disturbed individual who was messed up on a cocktail of drugs and not indicative of the likelihood of a zombie apocalypse" but... that.

Let's talk about what a ghost would bring to the game.

I'm talking about taking group tension to the next level. We're looking at two types of game here - the solo game, where you are terrified constantly, and the group game - where your terror diminishes as more people join your group.

The reality is that survival horror games don't work as a cooperative multiplayer experience - though as a competitive one I think DayZ has proven that they're nearly flawless. The problem with horror in games is that it's directly linked to a concept of power - the essence of horror is the absence of power. If you look at say - Resident Evil 4 to RE5, you can see a direct correlation between these ideas. RE5 made other mistakes as well, obviously, but the biggest problem with the game as a 'horror' game was that adding a second player gave both people greater power - diminishing the potential for horror.

Dead Space 2 also directly demonstrates the link between horror and power - during the first 3/4 of the game the experience is similar to RE4 - an action horror game where the player is put in scary circumstances but never really scared. When the last quarter of the game comes along and the player can't stop and fight any more (for reasons I won't detail because of spoilers) the game becomes terrifying. The only choice you have is to run away.

So when you group up with people in DayZ your power increases with each person, diminishing the potential for terror. If you introduce a random, low chance situation only for groups of players and have it render the group all but powerless to do anything about it, you'll wind up reintroducing the element of fear into them.

[Xelacalle 0]

I agree that this idea would certainly increase the horror aspect of the game, especially in groups buuut...

Personally I feel like this game is all about you being terrified on your own and coming together as a group to maybe-not-be-quite-so-terrified-now. Just today I managed to get my second real-life friend onto DayZ and he was saying, "I'm actually terrified right now because I can't do anything, but once I meet up with you guys I think I'll be ok." That sort of feeling is what I think Rocket intended for this game - although I think probably he intended it to be like that for people who don't know each other in real life, too.

I just think the game is supposed to be about grouping up to feel more safe and survive the apocalypse.

Sorry that was pretty incoherent but I think I got what I'm thinking across.

[joaby 25]

See I just dunno about that Xelacalle. The idea of there being (relative) safety in numbers would still exist, because this event's effectiveness is predicated on its rarity. But when it DOES happen, people would lose their minds. It would throw the whole group balance off.

And of course, it'd be an amazing source for what this mod is really about... Player created stories.

[DemonGroover 8836]

I like the idea of sounds making the game more tense -footsteps in a forest or in an upper level of a building. The sort of things the imagination could quite easily conjure under a high stress environment. You could even throw in shadows or movement in the corner of your eye to freak you out.

[Robert Shannon 27]

Ghosts?

[federik21 42]

I think ghosts should be used only as allucination for bandits, for simulate paranoia.

This isn't Silent Hill's MMO

[esaciar 1]

I seriously thought this was a wind up.

I'm open to almost any suggestion on these forums, but I just can't pick out the necessity nor the creativity within that concept.

[3rdparty 229]

no, just, no.

[joaby 25]

Why not? You're all saying "no, just no" or some variant but nobody is throwing out any reasons why not except for 'it's not realistic' which, when talking about a zombie game, is really, really dumb.

[esaciar 1]

Infection by viral or parasitic means that causes violent outbursts and homicidal tendencies is scientifically plausible.

If I need to continue the rest of this sentence, I'll very much be disappointed.

[7-75 callaghan 43]

Nooooo! No, no aaaaaand - no.

Sorry, but no.

Edit - ok look, because I cannot think of anything less desirable. An infection which causes what we have in the mod is plausible in a far fetched way, ghosts are truly paranormal. If ghosts were introduced, i'd laugh at the silliness of it all, and not be scared.

[joaby 25]

Infection by viral or parasitic means that causes violent outbursts and homicidal tendencies is scientifically plausible.

If I need to continue the rest of this sentence' date=' I'll very much be disappointed.

[/quote']

You finished the sentence already. That's what the full stop is for.

It's pretty sad to see that people actually legitimately believe that a zombie outbreak (infected outbreak) is a real, plausible thing. Still, if you want to push the "zombies are totally plausible HERP" thing, let's see... My character (before my current one) lasted 18 days. After 4 days every zombie in the world would be dead due to dehydration. That's not taking into account other factors like how weak they would become after 2 days.

Other things, too. Even if they go for a lengthy run the average human doesn't need to eat a full can of beans every 30 minutes (or hour, or however long you want to say it takes to become hungry while you attempt to derail this). Drinking would be a boon, but it's not essential for life.

You see there are concessions made to the game to accommodate certain elements of gameplay. Goal orientation, player reward scenarios, emotional manipulation. See, you have to risk your character's life by going in to a town because the game wants to manipulate your emotions by forcing you to evaluate a risk vs reward scenario. If you only HAD to eat once a day, you'd practically never have to go to town. If you only drank Pepsi for 18 days straight you. would. die.

Edit - To Callaghan, who helpfully writes,

Nooooo! No' date=' no aaaaaand - no.

Sorry, but no.

Edit - ok look, because I cannot think of anything less desirable. An infection which causes what we have in the mod is plausible in a far fetched way, ghosts are truly paranormal. If ghosts were introduced, i'd laugh at the silliness of it all, and not be scared.

[/quote']

Ignoring the ludicrous implication of zombies being plausible,

I'm not talking about ethereal union generals wandering the plains' date=' or idiots in white sheets.

[/quote']

You'd never see the ghost. It would only come into play in group scenarios. You wouldn't be laughing because you wouldn't know what was going on. You'd be looking for footsteps and movements which didn't (for all intensive porpoises) exist.

[esaciar 1]

Capital letters after full stops.

[joaby 25]

some sort of weird double post edit mistake of mine.

[esaciar 1]

Lol.

Just joshing with you mate.

Fair play to you.

[Soldier of Failure 14]

Ghosts.

I approve.

[macish 0]

ghosts? lol.. and we get ghostbuster like proton packs then too?

well after so e thought i would like to have godzilla in the mod.. coming outof the sea wreaking havok on elektro, eating zeds and players then bei g scared back i to the sea by some ghost.. boohooooo..

NO

[joaby 25]

I question whether you've ever had 'so e thought' in your life, macish.

Clearly the word 'ghost' is driving people off point. The ghost thing is just a name that I used to illustrate the core point of the addition - an invisible entity designed to create panic in group situations where players feel increased power and (as a result) diminished fear.

[cherocha 4]

I think it's an excellent idea. I get that you don't mean visible ghosts dragging chains etc, but rather a rare ambient sound effect of footsteps or shuffling, or something to that effect. I think that would be terrifying. I'd want it to be impactful though, something like foosteps getting closer and louder then increasing in pace, almost as if something is running towards you, then suddenly it stops. I'd lose my shit, especially if I spotted it in my thermal scope.

I think people are turned off by the word "ghosts", but if they read past the title, pulled their head out for a second, and imagined the scenario just with the sound effects, it's a pretty great idea that'd shake things up.