What dayz could have been without zombies

[Element47 2480]

Zombies indeed are overused.

 

http://www.imdb.com/search/title?keywords=zombie&sort=moviemeter%2Casc&title_type=feature&year=2013%2C2013

 

There were 66 films alone last year that featured zombies. although that midget zombie has potential.

 

yeah, imdb keyword search is a fun tool... imdb lists over 2100 movies under the keyword "zombie" - among them such classics like "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie" and "Futurama: Benders Big Score".

imdb keyword search also lists over 2300 movies with the keyword "alien" - does it mean that its an even more overused trope? i disagree. those are popular themes, popular because they engage us and our emotions.

 

zombies are a special breed - they were once humans, they bear resemblance to their former self, and carry the threat that we too might lose our humanity and become mindless husks. they are not only scary because they obviously defied death, because they can maim us, infect us, and generally gross us out with they decaying walking corpses - they are scary because they are the epitome of man-become-monster. this diverse potential makes them so popular, and thus we will continue to see stories about them.

 

 

oh, btw: http://www.imdb.com/search/title?keywords=love&sort=moviemeter%2Casc&title_type=feature&year=2013%2C2013

 

170 love films in 2013? now here's an overused trope....

 

[Private Evans 1303]

Scenaros like in ´"The Road", "the Book Eli"," Mad Max"! or "Metro" would of course work but would require a complete new and different game world.

What I woud like to see is a much more scary and interesting kind of infected like in "I am Legend" for example. During the day you would be safe, at least outside of dark interiors, but at night you would have to hide or barricade...

[bastins 14]

The only thing i could see there being a problem with is the player base. I can't see people banding together to survive.

 

You might be surprised.  I think there would be plenty of people out there that would come together in some kind of community role-play.

 

Now, of course, there would certainly still be plenty of pricks out there trying to ruin everyone's fun.

[Katana67 2907]

Scenaros like in ´"The Road", "the Book Eli"," Mad Max"! or "Metro" would of course work but would require a complete new and different game world.

What I woud like to see is a much more scary and interesting kind of infected like in "I am Legend" for example. During the day you would be safe, at least outside of dark interiors, but at night you would have to hide or barricade...

 

Agreed, ideally, I'd like to have the frantic-ness of 28 Days Later with the sort of... ebb and flow reflection... of I Am Legend. At least with the zombies. Not sure I'd want the hard dynamic of I Am Legend, meaning a day/night divide. But I think there should be some discrepancy there.

 

Regardless of the vitriol, I think treating the outbreak in Chernarus in a "realistic" and "authentic" manner is essential, that's why I believe we need lore (and in-game aesthetics) to back it up.

 

Oddly enough, my favorite part of zombie fiction is that initial phase, where nobody knows anything. That mystery, even if it only lasted for a few brief minutes in zombie movies, always intrigued me more than the blood n' guts or even the survival aspects of the genre.

Edited April 28, 2014 by Katana67

[gibonez 3633]

There's nothing fresh about an apocalypse without zombies, it's a tale as old as time.

 

In a video game ?

 

I have never played a post apocalyptic video game where the main antagonist is not either mutants, zombies or monsters.

 

In other forms of media sure its not unique but in a massive multiplayer game it would be super unique.

[NagsterTheGangster 388]

Would play.

 

Would play much.

 

Would hang looters at will.

 

P.s. we should be able to hang corpses in DayZ?

[tiadashi 262]

Zombies are a trope in the zombie genre.

 

That's like saying humans are a cliche in a romantic comedy. >.>

 

They are and so are romantic comedies...

 

Zombies indeed are overused.

 

http://www.imdb.com/search/title?keywords=zombie&sort=moviemeter%2Casc&title_type=feature&year=2013%2C2013

 

There were 66 films alone last year that featured zombies. although that midget zombie has potential.

 

Why did you get dayz then? anyways shop your idea around maybe someone will make it, I would play it and dayz 8)

[gibonez 3633]

You might be surprised.  I think there would be plenty of people out there that would come together in some kind of community role-play.

 

Now, of course, there would certainly still be plenty of pricks out there trying to ruin everyone's fun.

 

Good example of that is rust.

 

Due to the heavy focus on building and survival in rust people are forced to team up and band together.

 

A band of people together getting resources , building, repairing and looting together has a far stronger chance of not being raided.

 

Just like real life power is numbers and the more people you have the more power you have.

[blunce 991]

No way Jose

 

When this game is finished & polished, the night time / zombie aspects are going to be incredible

[Katana67 2907]

In a video game ?

 

I have never played a post apocalyptic video game where the main antagonist is not either mutants, zombies or monsters.

 

In other forms of media sure its not unique but in a massive multiplayer game it would be super unique.

 

Well, what does it matter if it's in an MMO or not? All tropes in apocalyptic fiction are just that, tropes... hackneyed... overdone... unoriginal. Because the idea of the apocalypse has been around since man could write. Doesn't make them bad or gimmicky.

 

I've yet to see a zombie survival MMO done well yet. DayZ certainly isn't there yet. H1Z1 will try. WarZ was a failure. Exanimus folded back in 2008. Rust is exactly where DayZ is. The Forest isn't exactly "post-apocalyptic."

 

So if you're concerned about DayZ's supposed lack of uniqueness, being a zombie survival MMO, then I would consider the idea that we haven't really had one of these games done right.

 

Honest to god, there hasn't been a full-on successful, complete, and well-done zombie apocalypse pseudo-MMO (using MMO on DayZ is a bit fanciful at best). If anything, DayZ is indeed a novel innovation.

 

And either way, it's sort of a futile (albeit interesting) effort pondering about what DayZ "could have been." DayZ was always intended to include zombies. I mean, that's just what it is.

Edited April 28, 2014 by Katana67

[gibonez 3633]

No way Jose

 

When this game is finished & polished, the night time / zombie aspects are going to be incredible

 

I matters not that the zombies are functional and or incredibly they are still zombies and that alone is gimmicky in my eyes.

 

The fact that it has zombies in it just makes it yet another zombie game no different from the dozens of games out there.

 

A mod that has no zombies but instead the environment is the danger and people are the monsters would be far more immersive and terrifying in my eyes.

 

Would be a super original concept for a video game.

[Private Evans 1303]

Thinking of shorter day and night cicles, all interiors enterable, base building and instances ( like caves, mines sewers) infected like in "I am Legend" would spice things up ....btw the infected in 28 days later are also trying to avoid the sunlight... :)

[Katana67 2907]

A mod that has no zombies but instead the environment is the danger and people are the monsters would be far more immersive and terrifying in my eyes.

 

Would be a super original concept for a video game.

 

Right, but that's not what DayZ is. So perhaps this isn't the best place to put something like this, as zombies are central to DayZ. Regardless of one considering them less "immersive."

[gibonez 3633]

Right, but that's not what DayZ is. So perhaps this isn't the best place to put something like this, as zombies are central to DayZ. Regardless of one considering them less "immersive."

 

With the lore sure but gameplay wise zombies have not played any role at all.

 

The extent of where zombies play a role in dayz is to help players easily spot players by merely glancing at a city and spotting aggro.

 

zombies are only detrimental to gameplay in dayz.

[Katana67 2907]

With the lore sure but gameplay wise zombies have not played any role at all.

 

The extent of where zombies play a role in dayz is to help players easily spot players by merely glancing at a city and spotting aggro.

 

zombies are only detrimental to gameplay in dayz.

 

We don't know what zombies are to DayZ, other than central to the genre it's situated in, because we haven't had anywhere near a final product.

 

It's misleading, as DayZ (as a concept) has existed for two years. So we think we know what zombies are to DayZ's gameplay, but we don't. We can't. They aren't even close to finished.

 

Saying the zombies are insignificant, before they're anywhere near completed, is remiss. I hate to use the tired "it's Alpha," but this is an instance in which it is directly relevant.

Edited April 28, 2014 by Katana67

[Mancomb 131]

 

meh, i'd argue that zombies are the most overused trope of popular culture.

 

what about aliens, robots or nazis?

 

Or even alien robot Nazis?

 

 

I have never played a post apocalyptic video game where the main antagonist is not either mutants, zombies or monsters.

 

What about the Fallout series? Sure, there are mutants (super mutants), zombies (feral ghouls) and monsters (mutated wildlife), but I think the main antagonists in most (if not all) of those games would definitely be raiders and various forms of bandits, and even random assholes you encounter. In short, other people.

 

 

When this game is finished & polished, the night time / zombie aspects are going to be incredible

 

I tend to agree; I'm just hoping that, once they figure out and fix all of the issues pertaining to the zombies, that they actually have certain areas where there are larger groups of zombies congregated together. I think that would not only make it more challenging, but would provide for a more intense, entertaining experience, where you couldn't just run up and take 1 or 2 on at a time; you'd be forced to think about whether you wanted to engage them somehow or avoid them altogether, and, if you DID engage them, figure out the best way to do so, all with the persistent threat of random survivors coming along who may either decide to band with you and help you, or use the zombie horde to their advantage in eliminating you, such as firing off a shot to attract them towards you.

 

 

I also agree with the point that Katana67 made above; I think the main reason that zombies aren't a real presence yet is because they want to make more progress before making them the true threat they're meant to be; right now they just want to test them out and see how they react to people, and vice-versa.

Edited April 28, 2014 by Mancomb

[gibonez 3633]

What about the Fallout series? Sure, there are mutants (super mutants), zombies (feral ghouls) and monsters (mutated wildlife), but I think the main antagonists in most (if not all) of those games would definitely be raiders and various forms of bandits, and even random assholes you encounter.

 

 

 

You would be correct.

 

Fallout would be the one series that I have played that I can remember that humans are the main antagonist. Atleast in certain fallouts.

 

In Fallout 1 the master was the main antagonist along side the super mutants

 

Fallout 2 the enclave was the main antagonist

 

Fallout 3 the enclave once again were the main antagonist

 

In Fallout tactics it varied but that game had no story just various battle situations

 

Fallout New vegas it any number of groups but anyone from Robots lead by mr house, the NCR humans or the legion humans once again. .

[gibonez 3633]

We don't know what zombies are to DayZ, other than central to the genre it's situated in, because we haven't had anywhere near a final product.

 

It's misleading, as DayZ (as a concept) has existed for two years. So we think we know what zombies are to DayZ's gameplay, but we don't. We can't. They aren't even close to finished.

 

Saying the zombies are insignificant, before they're anywhere near completed, is remiss. I hate to use the tired "it's Alpha," but this is an instance in which it is directly relevant.

 

 

Absolutely I agree that is why I used past tense .

 

up until now zombies have done absolutely nothing for the game other than be a source of frustration and help players locate other players more easily.

 

That could change in the future of course as zombies take center stage and get more a focus.

 

While I am doubtful that zombies will ever play a meaningful or even fun role in dayz it could absolutely happen especially now that it has its own team dedicated purely to their behavior.

[TheDoctorInDayz 26]

We don't know what zombies are to DayZ, other than central to the genre it's situated in, because we haven't had anywhere near a final product.

 

It's misleading, as DayZ (as a concept) has existed for two years. So we think we know what zombies are to DayZ's gameplay, but we don't. We can't. They aren't even close to finished.

 

Saying the zombies are insignificant, before they're anywhere near completed, is remiss. I hate to use the tired "it's Alpha," but this is an instance in which it is directly relevant.

 

Mind you, I hope this is not the case...but what will the excuse be next year and still no final product?

[Irish. 4886]

So go play wasteland then.

I mean if you have played Wasteland you would know its quite different from DayZ. I get your point, but what the OP is excited over is not wasteland, its like wasteland+. 

[Katana67 2907]

Absolutely I agree that is why I used past tense .

 

up until now zombies have done absolutely nothing for the game other than be a source of frustration and help players locate other players more easily.

 

That could change in the future of course as zombies take center stage and get more a focus.

 

While I am doubtful that zombies will ever play a meaningful or even fun role in dayz it could absolutely happen especially now that it has its own team dedicated purely to their behavior.

 

I mean, why would having a whole team dedicated to making zombies better tell you that they WON'T be a factor eventually? They're clearly taking the aforementioned lack-of-threat seriously with regard to zombies. They've done everything short of building a billboard in Times Square saying "WE'RE IMPROVING THE ZOMBIES."

 

And what does it matter what's occurred up until now? The game's in Alpha, it's not like they intend on having shitty zombies.

 

This is the issue I have with early-access stuff. People (including myself at times) don't treat them like an Alpha.

 

Mind you, I hope this is not the case...but what will the excuse be next year and still no final product?

 

Have you invented time travel without telling us? Shame on you.

Edited April 28, 2014 by Katana67

[sobieski12 835]

I'd love to play this mod, it would awesome to play a survival simulator.

* Have a scenario similar to "The Road".

 

I never played DayZ, because it's a great zombie game.

* Both the mod and current standalone has incredibly buggy zombies. 

 

But the interaction with others players in a world free of rules is what makes me want to continue playing this epic game.

* Where players can choose to be good or evil and that players can set their own goals. 

 

Personally that is what makes DayZ an amazing game.

[bfisher 561]

Zombies or no zombies, they need to get the environment aspect down.  It should be like the fucking Sims where you need to constantly attend to your character's needs or die of hunger, dehydration, dysentery, hypothermia, infection or a million other things.

 

Plus zombies and assholes trying to kill you.

[ld-airgrafix 403]

If anyone has not yet seen it or read the book I highly recommend The Road.

The road is by far the scariest post apocalyptic film I have ever seen and no it does not feature any of the tired old tropes of the Genre.

There are no zombies, no fast zombies, no mutants, no vampires no ghouls and no aliens.

The film and the book prove that the scariest thing in a post apocalyptic environment is the lack of hope and the monstrosity of human nature.

Nothing for me has come close to being as scary as the cannibals in the movie and book I mean nothing.

The sheer thought of people losing all of their humanity and succuming to eating other living breathing humans as a means to survive should be bone chilling for everyone. The reason why this is so horrifying is because it is so surreal , these monsters could be anyone, they could be your friendly neighbor , your mail man that nice cashier at the super market.

This inner beast exists in each and everyone of us and because of this it is so terrifying.

This guy gets it. This is what post apocalyptic world would be like, this is what looking for food means and how precious one peanut found on a dusty table could be.

[sobieski12 835]

This guy gets it. This is what post apocalyptic world would be like, this is what looking for food means and how precious one peanut found on a dusty table could be.

 

I am sure the community would just cry more about the "item re-spawn system" if food was very rare.