NPC integration

[Jonny Sniper 0]

Me and a friend were discussing the possibility of adding NPCs to the mod, I've searched the forum for any similiar posts, which do exist but don't seem to have been given much response or credibility. If this is because of an engine limitation then ignore everything below... I'm just thinking out loud.

So...

1) Adding NPCs to the game both on the outskirts of towns (Perhaps held up in buildings) and in the wilderness (Maybe roaming hunters?). I tend to feel far to safe in the wilderness through the lack of zombies.

This could mean...

A) Possible low/high yield loot from different npcs. Different types would yield different loot.

B) Friendly and Aggresive, some would attack, others avoid, others seek help.

C) Could possibly reduce the amount of PK from bored players/bandits with high loot who want to avoid heavily populated areas.

D) If the outfit was kept the same then players would have to detect if the NPC was a player or not. People would probably tend to shoot an AI without asking questions rather than another player.

2) I realise this is stretching things a bit far, but hear me out. I've been having a break from dayz to play the vanilla arma2. Which i am enjoying greatly, i have just "mastered" so to speak the command/communication function, the one which allows you to send commands to your team.

I was wondering whether or not an NPC could be bound to a player, if you come across a friendly one at all. The AI may still be pants, but it could mean the difference between life and death.

A) Extra storage space, put things in their backpacks.

B) Bait/distraction/meat shield. (Perhaps a bandit won't be able to tell the difference between a player and AI)

C) Commanding already a function within the arma 2 engine.

3) Ok, last point. I apologise for the wall of text. If by some miracle, the game allowed NPCs as such, then perhaps a small safe zone could be established protected by high geared AI. Where survivors could meet and trade.

A) If a shot was fired in or near the safe zone, the AI would target the player who fired the shot and kill them.

B) The NPC "Protectors" would yield no gear to reduce the chance of them being murdered for said gear.

C) There is the ever present argument as to whether or not this game is too pvp/pve or not. Let pvp still take place as it does, regularly out of fun, fear or stupidity, but have a safe zone for people who don't want that. Appease both sides.

D) Suggestion: There could be scripted horde attacks on/around the safe area, meaning that it would be a safe haven, but it would be somewhat difficult to reach.

Again, sorry for the wall of text. Let me know what you think.

EDIT: Some people say that the game is too pvp right now and others' claim that it is fine.(I'm not going to take sides for the fear that shit will hit the preverbial fan) Whether you believe the mod should return to its survivalist roots is up to you. But both sides must agree that this is PARTLY because zombies are little threat to an experienced player, they get gear, get bored, get shooting survivors.

This means in order for the game to evolve, it must become harder and more ruthless to survive, which in turn sharpens the learning curve for new players. So i'm thinking the "safe zone" idea might give new players a place to meet up. I forsee that in the future of this game, it will be very hard to solo, meeting up might be a necessity.

[LumberBack 43]

yeah millitary bases should have some npc soldiers guarding the meds and weapons. would make it interesting.

[tl140 3]

I like it. it adds a PvE element to the game which ive been looking for for a while. Zombies are good but its more of a challenge having bullets whizzing by my face rather than running from a zombie for 40 miles

[Suriel 0]

NPCs: In short I'd like to see more non-combatant NPCs. Women & children, helpless boarded up people, some in early stages of the infection. I think we have enough fighter types running around.

I think the endless discussion is not about is the game PVP or PVE. The discussion is: Should totally PVP be so rewarding.

I am all against implementing mechanics against "bandits". I also would not want to hide out in some NPC controlled & protected market station. That would be just boring.

The answer is some constructive long term goals to pursue for everyone, single & group players. And these goals should be more rewarding.

I mean, what would anyone want to do? Carve out a save spot, get some electricity running, find/build up a steady food supply - or at least try to. Or even better: Try to escape!

[Strategos (DayZ) 190]

Negatory. We are the survivors.

[Jonny Sniper 0]

NPCs: In short I'd like to see more non-combatant NPCs. Women & children' date=' helpless boarded up people, some in early stages of the infection. I think we have enough fighter types running around.

I think the endless discussion is not about is the game PVP or PVE. The discussion is: Should totally PVP be so rewarding.

I am all against implementing mechanics against "bandits". I also would not want to hide out in some NPC controlled & protected market station. That would be just boring.

The answer is some constructive long term goals to pursue for everyone, single & group players. And these goals should be more rewarding.

I mean, what would anyone want to do? Carve out a save spot, get some electricity running, find/build up a steady food supply - or at least try to. Or even better: Try to escape!

[/quote']

As much as i dislike getting sniped from 500m away, i am also against making it harder for bandits. I understand that the threat of a human player is much more than that of a zed, it makes the game much more tense. But i think to achieve balance, there needs to be much more of an incentive to work together. Having a safe place where people who do not want to shoot at eachother can meet up. Providing they can get there without being sniped. But yeah, i agree with you that we need some constructive long term goals.

[leo235 2]

Blew my mind!

Ive only read this exact idea three times now and then like 50 slight variations of it. I didnt get it the 52 other times, but the way you put it it makes perfect sense.

But heres the kicker:

What if we made all those NPCs playable? Imagine actual players running around as a medic, or guarding the Barracks. WHoah!

[freak367 24]

Great idea, I always found it strange there is no safe zone, like a still operating military base in the mountains or an airstrip. Pretty much all sandbox games have safe zone(s).

It would be somewhere safe for groups to meet up and to meet others to form groups, it would add a bit more depth to DayZ. The NPC protectors would need an FN FAL ANPV S4 each, so they could protect at huge ranges. And the safe zone(s) would have floodlights all around lighting it up.

Random NPC's could be good, especially if they were interactive in some way.

I don't know if this would be going too far, but it would be nice if at a certain time every night a horde of zombies would attack a safe zone, or the outskirts of one, and survivors would need to protect the safe zone alongside the NPC protectors, I can see a line of survivors around a safe zone gunning down zombies in the masses, the incentive being that those zombies would yield more loot, common, but more likely to have food, water, ammo etc... (maybe only the zombies killed by player fire) And it would be really fun. It would offer something more to do than just looting, surviving, and trying to create scenarios, people already hold up in a building and gain lots of aggro just to have some fun.

An alarm and red light could sound about 5 minutes before an attack. (this idea is ripped from a game called Dead Frontier, which is a bit like DayZ, just a top-down version, where there are outpost attacks defended by both NPC and players)

And like in Dead Frontier, there would be a safe-safe zone, such as a large hanger that has a line of NPC's with miniguns, so if you've taken hits and are injured, you can retreat back into the hanger to fix yourself up to then run back out and join the defense.

Got to admit, that would be pretty fun, and the zombie attacks could even be controlled by admins, if it's getting too easy, spawn another wave of 40 zombies to join the attack. Keep it challenging :D

Oh, and it would be awesome if safe zones had somewhere to store items, just like a 20 slot storage for each player, letting people store extra weapons and supplies.

I really want this mod to expand into a proper game with lots of depth.

[thales2010@live.com.au 6]

I'd like to see AI jets fly over and bomb towns at random, maybe a transport helo or gunship fly over here and there

[DryGulch 32]

A safe zone is going to have the highest concentration of sniping on its server.

[Nyarhra 0]

A safe zone is going to have the highest concentration of sniping on its server.

lol This is the first thing that entered my mind when i read safe zone