DayZ - Just a Game? Or also a pretty cool Social Experiment?

[TheDoctorInDayz 26]

Think about it...games have always been just that, games. However, when you have a game such as this, with the personal interaction that it has, are we not discovering exactly what people would be like in real life if there were no consequences for their actions? 

 

I believe so.  In my personal experience in the game, I have ran into people who are absolutely cruel to new players, and I can not help but empathize for the player being abused and realize that, these people who are doing this, would probably do this in their real life, if not for consequences.

 

What do you think?

Edited April 28, 2014 by TheDoctorInDayz

[bastins 14]

It does show how people behave when there are no consequences (but not how they would behave in absolute reality, where there are consequences), however, it's not really unique to DayZ.  The internet in general has been revealing this behavior for a little while now, which naturally extends to online gaming.

[eskamick 20]

Equating killing a virtual character with actual murder seems a bit asinine don't you think?

[TheDoctorInDayz 26]

True, but name another game besides DayZ were you can restrain someone, and force feed disinfectants, or rotten food, or make them remove their clothes. I do not see where the internet offers that for people to do, other than real life events already happening,  but I understand what you mean when you mention the internet. I am talking about the seemingly normal people in our lives, that through this game exude a very different kind of behavior. What they do in this game is not on the internet unless they post it, but I am sure, if they are the bad ones, they would not want their family seeing what they do.

[TheDoctorInDayz 26]

Equating killing a virtual character with actual murder seems a bit asinine don't you think?

 

No it is not, you need to read up on the Stanford Prison Experiment in 1971.  College students were assigned roles, and that is it.  The rest is what they wanted to do. 

[Dchil 829]

It's both. Originally it was created as the game of Dean's fantasy (with added zombie goodness) and eventually people started analyzing the interactions they had with the other players, find out what made them do the things they did, say the things they said.

[eskamick 20]

The stanford experiment is bs. Its wasnt even close to an actual scientific experiment.

I am in that exact role where I can abuse power and people without consequences.

Amoral people are amoral with or without consequences. I work with them everyday.

law and consequences help to limit the damage they do but they mostly end up doing shitty things anyway.

[TheDoctorInDayz 26]

The stanford experiment is bs. Its wasnt even close to an actual scientific experiment.

 

 

I am in that exact role where I can abuse power and people without consequences.

 

 

Amoral people are amoral with or without consequences. I work with them everyday.

 

 

law and consequences help to limit the damage they do but they mostly end up doing shitty things anyway.

 

 

 

 

 

You are right, because it was a social experiment.

 

Unless you are working for Kim Jong Un, or someone like him, I do not think that is possible...if it was, go kill someone tomorrow, and let me know how that goes.

 

Amoral people, yes...I am talking about the ones that are Immoral, but are smart enough to obey the rules, until there are no rules.

 

No, it greatly limits.  You think if there were no laws, that there would be just a little bit more crime...and not a whole lot more?

Edited April 28, 2014 by TheDoctorInDayz

[Irish. 4886]

BOTH!?

 

 

Truth be told.. people have done far worse than what is done in DayZ, and do so on a regular basis. There is really nothing new to be gained from the social aspect of DayZ as far as killing goes. Peoples willingness to help each other for no reason and players who get so immersed in the game as to feel guilt from killing others.. 

 

That is your social experiment.

 

How people seem to inherently want to do good within a game that offers them no reason to do it other than on their own volition. There is real honor in that. I honestly feel good for these people and bad as well. As the innocence that comes with that, offers no recourse for when you meet players like me who discern real life from this game in every way other than adrenaline, and therefore have zero morals while playing it. 

Edited April 28, 2014 by lrish

[eskamick 20]

Really... it was a social experiment? Thats the best you've got? 1st year psych students accept the stanford experimets conclusions not many others do.

Keep in mind I'm not an immoral or amoral person so no I couldnt tell you how that would work out. Also keep in mind getting away with murder is not that difficult if your not a moron. Check crime statistics for unsolved murders.

You should also maybe just look a it deeper into our past and tell me why it wasn't a mass murder fest before we had or codified laws.

[TheDoctorInDayz 26]

Really... it was a social experiment? Thats the best you've got? 1st year psych students accept the stanford experimets conclusions not many others do.

Keep in mind I'm not an immoral or amoral person so no I couldnt tell you how that would work out. Also keep in mind getting away with murder is not that difficult if your not a moron. Check crime statistics for unsolved murders.

You should also maybe just look a it deeper into our past and tell me why it wasn't a mass murder fest before we had or codified laws.

 

Well, that is what it was, I do not think I can expound more than that.

 

You claimed to have no consequences, but now you mention getting away with it, not that you have no consequence for it.

 

Crusades? Auschwitz? Rwanda? and those happened with laws.

Edited April 28, 2014 by TheDoctorInDayz

[TheDoctorInDayz 26]

BOTH!?

 

 

Truth be told.. people have done far worse than what is done in DayZ, and do so on a regular basis. There is really nothing new to be gained from the social aspect of DayZ as far as killing goes. Peoples willingness to help each other for no reason and players who get so immersed in the game as to feel guilt from killing others.. 

 

That is your social experiment.

 

How people seem to inherently want to do good within a game that offers them no reason to do it other than on their own volition. There is real honor in that. I honestly feel good for these people and bad as well. As the innocence that comes with that, offers no recourse for when you meet players like me who discern real life from this game in every way other than adrenaline, and therefore have zero morals while playing it. 

 

You edited after I gave you my beans!!! I want my beans back meanie!!! lol :P

[darth_vaizard 42]

It's definitely more than just a simple game.  It's pretty interesting to wonder if the things people do in this game are done simply because they can, or something deeper...  I find myself so immersed in this game at times (when it decides to work semi decently), that I hesitate to do things that I would refrain from doing in real life unless absolutely necessary for my survival.  Like killing everybody I see.

Then again, I'm the only person I know personally who enjoys playing the game, bugs and all, without being able to effectively articulate 'why' when someone asks me, "what's the point?"  

Beans to ANYBODY who can answer that question for me so the other two copies I bought can finally see some use!

[TheDoctorInDayz 26]

It's definitely more than just a simple game.  It's pretty interesting to wonder if the things people do in this game are done simply because they can, or something deeper...  I find myself so immersed in this game at times (when it decides to work semi decently), that I hesitate to do things that I would refrain from doing in real life unless absolutely necessary for my survival.  Like killing everybody I see.

Then again, I'm the only person I know personally who enjoys playing the game, bugs and all, without being able to effectively articulate 'why' when someone asks me, "what's the point?"  

Beans to ANYBODY who can answer that question for me so the other two copies I bought can finally see some use!

 

Because you are able to be yourself, not just in real life, but also in the DayZ one as well; and you are able to share yourself with others, people you would not be able to in real life.

 

That is my best guess..that is what it does for me anyway.

Edited April 28, 2014 by TheDoctorInDayz

[Irish. 4886]

In this game I get adrenaline shakes when I have my sights on a man. 

 

IRL.. I do not. 

 

I think thats weird.. don't you?  :huh:

[darth_vaizard 42]

Because you are able to be yourself, not just in real life, but also in the DayZ one as well; and you are able to share yourself with others, people you would not be able to in real life.

 

That is my best guess..that is what it does for me anyway.

I really hope shooting me isn't peoples way of sharing themselves with me but yeah, that sounds about right :P  

May your beans forever be pristine, sir.

[TheDoctorInDayz 26]

In this game I get adrenaline shakes when I have my sights on a man. 

 

IRL.. I do not. 

 

I think thats weird.. don't you?  :huh:

 

I would say that you are more confident in your abilities in real life than you are in the game...I am not saying you are bad at the game! lol... but I think that is why. Given the game is still a bit glitchy, it puts doubts in your head, whereas in real life, you have no doubts in your abilities.

[eskamick 20]

Also keep in mind that people ascribe different values to their characters and crap ingame. I think the only time ive been butthurt about dying ingame was due to glitches.

If I've somehow become fully geared its time to pick a fight I probably cant win.

I personally don't understand people who get actually upset about getting killed in a game.

[xalienax 621]

In this game I get adrenaline shakes when I have my sights on a man. 

 

IRL.. I do not. 

 

I think thats weird.. don't you?  :huh:

 

heh interesting parallel-

A few weeks ago a mate of mine in EvE online had just listen to on of his corps "younger members" have a hissy fit about loofing a ship and go on for nearly 2 hours straight about it. at the end of which he simply responded

"Have you ever thought it interesting, if not sad, that we get so upset by explodiong pixels on our screens, yet flip the channel with indifference when the evening news tells us of some bombing or disaster killing hundreds indiscriminately."

[Mancomb 131]

heh interesting parallel-

A few weeks ago a mate of mine in EvE online had just listen to on of his corps "younger members" have a hissy fit about loofing a ship and go on for nearly 2 hours straight about it. at the end of which he simply responded

"Have you ever thought it interesting, if not sad, that we get so upset by explodiong pixels on our screens, yet flip the channel with indifference when the evening news tells us of some bombing or disaster killing hundreds indiscriminately."

 

 But, internet spaceships are serious business.

 

 

o/

Edited April 28, 2014 by Mancomb

[JudeSaint 0]

I do not think its intention is to be a social experiment however I think the game does act like one.  I personally always act how I would if it were real.  Example of that being just today.  Ran across a guy with a backback a helmet and some pants and nothing else (Earlier I had run across a few people who were "friendly" and then attempted to shoot me and my companion, good thing they failed to load their guns "click click click")  We had an extra rifel and pistol with us which we gave to him without ammo.  We left the ammo in a building and made him wait until we were a good distance from him before he could go and get the ammo.

 

I didnt know the guy, he seemed like a decent person but you never no.  Which is why we decided to leave the ammo a safe distance just in case.

[Michaelvoodoo25 3120]

I have said it once, I will say it again.

 

No other game out there has had me feeling the different feelings via playing a game.  Now, this will be down to individuals players experiences and expectations.  So this may seem one sided.  I have been playing games since the Atari 2600, so of all the games played, this one has a certain social element not found in other games and manages to introduce morality into the mix for the player to experience more and to a greater depth, Challenges.  any game can have online PvP, but ho many can offer you the risks like this?  Not many.

[kawa_ 13]

A bit of social experiment, yes, but you cant say ppl who kill others in game would do the same in a world without rules. Just one HUUUGE difference: you know that when you kill some1 in dayz, he does not actually die but gonna respawn. Basicly you just kill his gear.

[zeroy 240]

Since there is a lot of PVP and we can communicate to those players then it has to be a social experiment of sorts, of course. People telling you they act as they would in RL however are Pinocchios ...... ;)

[blacklabel79 949]

Everything that involves choice and human interaction can be regarded as Experiment...

 

Example:

 

I suprise a full geared dude with sniper rifle. I sit down behind him ( he has no clue ) and watch him, pondering what i should do.

 

After i finish rolling my spliff i deceide to get up and go like "hey there Buddy" and mr.windowareimportant jumps and almost gets a heart attack. We laugh and sit down and i tell him some Storys and he tells me some. Later his friends arrive and we part ways. ( by the way they dupped their gear and M4 right in front of me so that was a bummer... )

 

Should i have axed him ? It was funnyer to sit behind him with him not having a clue.

 

Example 2:

 

Meet a freshy with a sporter ( me geard fine, sawed off shotty, pistol, no visible firearm ) and the guy goes "stop i see yoú". Could have blasted the poor sod but not in the mood. Freshy sais he never was in svetlo..so we are on our way. Had a nice conversation with him, got him some gear and we arrive at the airfield. Dont find much and its getting night. AS i bit my farwell ( breakfast ) i notice a figure behind freshyboy whom is aiming at him. I blast away from the shotgun, stranger is dead...and i tell freshy "take whatever you want from this dude iam off..." freshy chuckels and iam out...

 

 

Example 3:

 

See man in distance, try to break LOS, BAM you are dead.