Current Zombies are "placeholders". What will final zeds look/be like?

[blazinone 72]

DayZ Developer Brian Hicks is quoted as saying (in reference to feedback received so far on zombies):
 

They're just placeholder zombies so the feedback would be pointless as the zombies are (still) being developed.

Video Link. The video is dated May 6th which is about 2 weeks after the last Stable update was released.

 

What does this mean?

The current zombies are just temporary and will be replaced by *something different*. Something most likely being developed by the same team working on animals.

In other words, all of these could/may change:

• Skin/model
• Sounds
• Pathfinding
• Animations
• Attacks/Damage
• Health

These things could be very different in the future. That may be obvious because it's still ALPHA and we should expect these things to change...

But imagine the potential!

• *Dozens* of different zombie skins (rather than 5)
• Improved zombie behaviors (hoarding, feasting, shambling, wandering)
• Vastly different animations
• A variety of new attacks

 

[Katana67 2907]

We've known for... quite a while... that the zombies were WIP. Like, since the SA released (if not the mod).

 

Hopefully, they'll get on track sooner rather than later. I want them to finish the fundamentals and then finally get to experimenting with the spawns, aggro, and densities.

Edited May 12, 2014 by Katana67

[randomspawn 215]

didn't they just say that stuff about 'navmesh' or something like that, indicating it was all going to change. what will be interesting is how they handle speeds, reaction times, stealth detection, hit power and other goodies once they get the navmesh down.

 

but this is a game, and they will be AI. Like all games have shown, AI might be challenging at first, but players ALWAYS learn the patterns, and how to defeat them. The only thing that would really work is vast numbers of zeds running around.

[Sirwarriant12 94]

I want the zeds to be dumb as hell but persistent and very sensitive to noise and for there to be large hordes roaming around filled with zeds of varying speeds and stances. Think of how awesome it would be to be in a town then every corner you turn down theres  a mass of zombies and you have to get somewhere high and either wait for them to lose interest or aggro someone else or fight them off. But if there are hordes i wouldn't want them to be able to climb ladders.

[Irish. 4886]

They will look a lot like this:

 

[WrecklessMEDIC 129]

The day zombies can reliably follow me up stairs will be game changing.

Once in a while they make it up to the 2nd floor and it always scares the shit outta me.....lol. :P

[xX_fr0st-w0lf_Xx (DayZ) 343]

 

DayZ Developer Brian Hicks is quoted as saying (in reference to feedback received so far on zombies):

 

Video Link. The video is dated May 6th which is about 2 weeks after the last Stable update was released.

 

What does this mean?

The current zombies are just temporary and will be replaced by *something different*. Something most likely being developed by the same team working on animals.

In other words, all of these could/may change:

• Skin/model
• Sounds
• Pathfinding
• Animations
• Attacks/Damage
• Health

These things could be very different in the future. That may be obvious because it's still ALPHA and we should expect these things to change...

But imagine the potential!

• *Dozens* of different zombie skins (rather than 5)
• Improved zombie behaviors (hoarding, feasting, shambling, wandering)
• Vastly different animations
• A variety of new attacks

 

 

Of course they will be redone. I'm not happy nor excited that it will change. It's a necessary feature, nothing extra. 

 

It is like saying you know that car........guesses what! It will have WHEELSSS!!!! Imagine that it might actually drive someday!

[King of kong 1117]

It'd be nice to see some better skins that have more than just blood/rashes and aren't just ripped from ArmA 3...

I hope they are more intelligent and that individual zombies are considerable threats. I think the speed should be the same as it is now (realsitic determined violent running speed) but they should give up less and they need better attack animations. Just swiping you arms isn't going to do much damage.

[blazinone 72]

They will look a lot like this: (motion cap picture)

 

Wait...is that Dean?? Hahaha classic.

 

:lol:

[Dagwood 680]

The fact that they've hired hunting sim developers is a great sign. Zombies should act like "wild" humans. Bipedal animals. Driven my perception and instinct.

[Method-SA 0]

Regarding the navmesh solution... Think of this like a "grand unified theory". It is a one-size-fits-all mechanism of collision. We don't have to worry about it, it is generated automatically during packing of the product. And it can even have multiple uses, such as client camera.

 

Maybe third person exploit fix? maybe when you're against a wall it does something to the camera? stopping it from turning with character or zooming somehow? And the reason they have not been able to was tied to the zombie wall problem?

[kingbritain 63]

I want to happen to me the same thing that happened to Rick. Turn a corner and SURPRISE! Five hundred zombies out for blood.

[Whyherro123 2283]

The day zombies can reliably follow me up stairs will be game changing.

Once in a while they make it up to the 2nd floor and it always scares the shit outta me.....lol. :P

I started playing again after a month or two off, and I aggro'ed a zombie. I ran away from it upstairs...

"well,, I should be safe here for a bit, time to band....OMG WTF IS THAT"

I was terrified, especially since I was locked in the "bandage" animation. Luckily, this zombie was a gentleman and waited for me to finish up before trying to eat my face.

[gibonez 3633]

Final zombies will still be ass.

 

Go to town, have zombie spawn 3 feet from you out of thin air.

 

Zombie agros regardless of stealth but now does not go through walls.

[Karmaterror 982]

Finished zeds will be kick ass!

 

Nice close spawning to keep preassure up during looting and make it near impossible to fire a gun in towns

 

Stealth will be just as effective as in arma....if not an even better brand new system :D

[byrgesen 1341]

Final zombies will still be ass.

 

Go to town, have zombie spawn 3 feet from you out of thin air.

 

Zombie agros regardless of stealth but now does not go through walls.

 

Thats pretty big words coming from someone who have absolutely no idea, what they are developing  :huh:

[gibonez 3633]

Thats pretty big words coming from someone who have absolutely no idea, what they are developing  :huh:

 

I am just giving a friendly rib shot.

 

I am sure eventually zombies will be good.

[solodude23 649]

Final zombies will still be ass.

 

Go to town, have zombie spawn 3 feet from you out of thin air.

 

Zombie agros regardless of stealth but now does not go through walls.

You know that the spawning system is also a placeholder right?

 

Edit: Saw your other post.

Edited May 15, 2014 by solodude23

[blazinone 72]

You know that the spawning system is also a placeholder right?

Spawn system is temporary? Interesting.

 

Got any info or links? I'd be interested to see what the options are...

 

Edit: Nevermind! I thought you were referring to player spawning - Zombie spawning on the other hand, yeah, that's gotta be temporary.

Edited May 16, 2014 by BlazinOne

[Katana67 2907]

Nice close spawning to keep preassure up during looting and make it near impossible to fire a gun in towns

 

No thanks. The fact that I can see zombies spawning in front of me (yes, I'm aware it's a heavy WIP) and they've got instant, 100% accurate access to my position (regardless of whether I've moved after firing) is entirely detrimental.

 

Zombies need to be more GTA V police and less laser-guided missile.

 

The zombie threat should be apparent, as to be assessed and negotiated by the player. If the player ALWAYS spawns an infinite amount of zombies nearby after killing another zombie, the experience will become insanely formulaic. I want persistent hordes, not stop-gap "simulation" measures.

[5mirkeh 98]

They will look a lot like this:

 

There has to be one like that, With a stupidly low chance of spawning and even lower chance of dropping the Mocap suit