Tactical looting + other mechanics

[Gdaddy22 299]

Although many people consider this game a large-map battlefield, with zombies just as a background like trees or grass, It's supposed to be a hard zombie survival. The main thing in DayZ that makes it DayZ is looting and searching for items in towns etc. The best way to loot is to loot the biggest cities like Elektro/Cherno etc. But since it's supposed to be a hard game, it should be hard to loot big cities. I'm not only talking about increasing the amount of zombies so that there is no space to breathe, I'm talking about mechanics and features that would make us plan how are we going to loot a city, where do we go first, what places to avoid, what places could be safe etc, instead of just running through the middle of the city YOLO style and picking up all the loot while fapping and not paying attention to the game.

 

So here are some ideas:

 

I know you've heard this 1000 times but I need to say it again in order to start my essay: first off - increase the amount of zombies and make them stronger, faster, more powerful, so that when they spot you - you know you're screwed and you have to run. 

 

 

Next idea comes from game The Walking Dead (episode 4 when they're in Savannah)

Noises - Since we're talking about increased amount of zombies, especially in big cities, we shouldn't be able just to run past them like we do now. Since the places where we could possibly find some useful items are surrounded by hordes of zombies. what we can do is we can make a loud noise, for example find a bell tower and pull the bell rope, so the bell rings and the noise spreads across the city and at that moment zombies head towards the source of the sound. Then it's our time to loot, since most of the zombies went to check the bell. They would stay there under the bell for some time and then they would come back, so we have limited time to loot as much as possible and escape. 

It doesn't only have to be bell, it could be many different ways to attract zombies into one place, like fireworks, a horn, a loud music playing from the radio, etc.

 

 

 

Next idea - killing zombies. It shouldn't be as ridiculously easy as it is right now. When we shoot one zombie, our shot should be heard all across the city and it should attract all hungry zombies to that spot. If we got in trouble, and we don't want to die, we can run. But before we enter a city we should plan our looting trip, so that when we got in trouble and we have to run, we know few places where it's easier to get away from zombies, like sewers, buildings with multiple exits etc. 

 

Next thing - the looting itself. We shouldn't know where things are. Like - now, we all know that in that building right there, there is gonna be a gun. In that one, there is gonna be a backpack, etc. It should be more random, so we actually have to explore the city looking for things. 

 

I know it's all hard to put in the game, but I think 2 years should be ok. 

 

TL;DR - Make looting harder

Edited March 17, 2014 by Gdaddy22

[Damnyourdeadman 1045]

Beans for the bell on churches idea alone!

Making zombies harder enemies isn't really necesairy.

I have heard that their numbers will be massive in the future,

besides they are not supposed to be tougher than the average man.

[So Sexy 259]

Zombie numbers will be increased, big towns get you killed, problem already solved?

[Gdaddy22 299]

Zombie numbers will be increased, big towns get you killed, problem already solved?

 

That doesn't mean anything, if big towns get you killed, then how are you going to loot them ? It should be very hard, but still possible. 

Getting all zombies running towards you in the city and shooting them with m4 until the whole city is clean or even eliminating  a huge horde of zombies with a fireaxe doesn't sound realistic nor smart

 

Also looting big cities = good loot,  it's something for people that know how to survive in a big city, not for apocalyptic noobs - you put leffort and you try hard - you get good loot. (by "good loot" i didn't mean AS50 but food, medicine, tools etc. (I still hope the devs will make all supplies harder to find and people will have to hunt, fish, gather etc))

Edited March 17, 2014 by Gdaddy22

[spinager 152]

eliminating  a huge horde of zombies with a fireaxe doesn't sound realistic nor smart

Please, tell us how your zombie out break turned out. 

[Martmital 436]

I thought we just went to big cities to die.

 

People loot them?

[Elle 562]

OP your first mistake is thinking big cities = good loot. when I have to gear up again I leave the coast and the big cities behind - far behind - cherno and electro are a frak fest and I'm pretty sure everyone knows that by now (you go there for that reason) I bring my statuses up to energized, hydrated and healthy on my way to gear up proper for any eventuality and make all military gear my object with a few maps thrown in. if you play experimental (currently down to AU servers) the zombies are already respawning, causing the player to avoid them rather than kill them, they also seem to do a bit more damage as one or two hits causes much bleeding which in turn causes you to need more bandages, they also damage your gear, causing you to need better gear (yet again). while more zombies are on the way I think the devs are following the proper course in this respect - I do however like the idea of a noise maker, kudos for that one.

[Ramzzzeee 17]

OP your first mistake is thinking big cities = good loot. when I have to gear up again I leave the coast and the big cities behind - far behind - cherno and electro are a frak fest and I'm pretty sure everyone knows that by now (you go there for that reason) I bring my statuses up to energized, hydrated and healthy on my way to gear up proper for any eventuality and make all military gear my object with a few maps thrown in. if you play experimental (currently down to AU servers) the zombies are already respawning, causing the player to avoid them rather than kill them, they also seem to do a bit more damage as one or two hits causes much bleeding which in turn causes you to need more bandages, they also damage your gear, causing you to need better gear (yet again). while more zombies are on the way I think the devs are following the proper course in this respect - I do however like the idea of a noise maker, kudos for that one.

zombies are a bit better on experimental how ever there is a couple of things I think need fixed (and maybe it will be soon), right now the best way to deal with zombies is to run, they basically can't catch you and you never get tired, so you can easily kite them around (even looting while they chase you) this needs fixed (and maybe player stamina will help to fix this)

 

however right now being able to run from zombies is kind of the only thing that balances the fact that zombies see you from miles away (it just really depends, if your on the slightest rise they will see you when they are just a spec), as well as zombies pathing through the walls/floors

 

I do like the ideal of harder zombies that you either need to sneak around or have some way to get them out of the picture as a full on confrontation should be very risky with any big number of zeds, I like the idea of noise attracting them and using tactics rather than fight "fair" ( and needing/ being helpful to work with others as a team). like your bell idea, if zombies where a true threat and you could attracted them in some way, you could have one person be the "bait" while the other person looted

[Elle 562]

 

I do like the ideal of harder zombies that you either need to sneak around or have some way to get them out of the picture as a full on confrontation should be very risky with any big number of zeds, I like the idea of noise attracting them and using tactics rather than fight "fair" ( and needing/ being helpful to work with others as a team). like your bell idea, if zombies where a true threat and you could attracted them in some way, you could have one person be the "bait" while the other person looted

why do all these ideas end up with needing someone else's help to accomplish shit in the game - what the hell is wrong with playing solo?? I've been reading a lot of "suggestions" lately and largest bulk of them deal with needing someone else's help, slowing you down (makes no sense) or providing a traffic bottleneck (someone actually suggested cutting up the map with rivers that would be crossed with bridges) that will get you shot by campers. its a mystery to me.

[Gdaddy22 299]

 

guys focus on the topic pls

Edited March 18, 2014 by Gdaddy22

[Elle 562]

guys focus on the topic pls

that's ok I've said my peace good luck promoting the bell - loot spawns and zed behavior is already being worked on.

[agouti 105]

If I'm sick with the flu, or rabies, or some other terrible disease, I'm not going to be able to run very fast, or probably even stand up straight. Do you expect them to be in some kind of constant adrenaline rush? This would quickly kill them. Seriously, it's like killing patients in the hospital. I think the key is numbers, not making individual zombies stronger.

[Elle 562]

If I'm sick with the flu, or rabies, or some other terrible disease, I'm not going to be able to run very fast, or probably even stand up straight. Do you expect them to be in some kind of constant adrenaline rush? This would quickly kill them. Seriously, it's like killing patients in the hospital. I think the key is numbers, not making individual zombies stronger.

ok I gotta stick my nose back in here.... dude did you see the film World War Z??? OMFG best zombie film I've ever seen. I'm thinking 28 Days Later would have to be second best zombie film I've ever seen. there is a huge difference in the nature of the "infection" in both films but the results are the same - rage zombies. check em out sometime, you might be entertained.

[agouti 105]

I've seen world war Z, and read the book. And the zombie survival handbook, or whatever it was called. It doesn't make any sense. Neither does 28 days later. Nor 28 weeks later. I once made it a point to watch every zombie movie on wikipedia that was actually somewhat findable. Right down the row in alphabetical order. Zombies don't make sense, period. Let's focus on the living variety, not the dead ones for this. Sick people are not stronger, or fast. I don't know what infections you've dealt with, but sick people are slower, weaker, and generally don't think as clearly. Remember, things like walking, and swinging limbs to attack people all require coordination, which are processes of the brain. Infections of the brain tend to hamper these abilities, drastically.

 

Here is rabies for instance:

 

These people often lack the capacity to walk, much less aggressively attack me, much less become super human killing machines.

This is all fantasy. Yet after 3 days time, not 24, as we do all need to drink, they (the zombies in the world. not rabies' victims) would be dead. All of them. Blood is too salty to sustain yourself on, and you'll vomit after ingestion of more than one cup, roughly. Resulting even even less than 3 days. Do you see where I'm going with this?

 

All of this being said, I think zombies are fine as they are now in the stable branch, I'd just like to see more of them.

(Note, the crazies had an interesting spin, but these zombies burned out fast. On that note, don't use the adrenaline argument, sustained adrenaline will destroy you. There's a reason why it's only available for short bursts.)

[entspeak 374]

Depends on what they're sick with.  Schizophrenia and some bipolar disorders have been linked to infection by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii.  And, if you watch how things like Cordyceps fungi actually work in the real world (Cordyceps served as the inspiration for the infection in The Last of Us), it's frightening what parasitic infections could cause people to do.

Edited March 18, 2014 by entspeak

[valtsuh 68]

i like the bells idea cuz i made it too  :)