Will DayZ become a horror game?

[Act III 50]

I searched through the forums looking for similar topics, with no luck.

 

 

So, last night I actually had a terrifying experience in DayZ, and I jumped out from my seat in vaginal-fear.

I had just finished looting a building with a friend, and as we went to leave, a zombie came charging in the entrance, fists swinging. It was a night time server, and the atmosphere was extremely creepy.

 

I would love to see DayZ become more of a horror game. Although, it would be very difficult considering it is a multiplayer game.

 

Has anybody else had scary experiences while playing? Do people want DayZ to become a horror? Just imagine, sitting by your campfire in the woods at night. Then a group of zeds come charging out from the darkness.

 

I'd love to hear peoples opinions on this.

 

[Katana67 2907]

Horror doesn't always have to equal blood-n-guts gorey mutant zombies screaming at you in the middle of the night.

 

I have always posited that DayZ has always been a horror game. The prospect of some crazed bandits knocking my legs out and having their jollies while I cry out desperately is pretty god damn horrifying. Likewise, the tension of the sandbox is what makes DayZ so provocative.

 

Think Jaws and not Saw III - Blood Curdler Returns.

Edited June 21, 2014 by Katana67

[frosti 2165]

Always s* my pants when zombie ambushes me from behind on hardcore server (first person perspective only).
 
Specially in a forest/field or

Green Mountain

[Ken Bean 175]

Nightime is the perfect horror time in DayZ. Atm the night gameplay is not really polished yet. So my guess is that it will take a while until we have enough working tools too play with at night.

[Act III 50]

Horror doesn't always have to equal blood-n-guts gorey mutant zombies screaming at you in the middle of the night.

 

I have always posited that DayZ has always been a horror game. The prospect of some crazed bandits knocking my legs out and having their jollies while I cry out desperately is pretty god damn horrifying. Likewise, the tension of the sandbox is what makes DayZ so provocative.

 

Think Jaws and not Saw III - Blood Curdler Returns.

I agree with you, that the concept of DayZ itself is a horror. And the fact that players can invent their own horror. But I would like to see more jump scares from the undead, for example. I think there is alot of potential in making this game terrifying. Or even, if only at night time, scary shit happens.

[pillock 850]

Not sure if it's worth going down the 'guts n gore' horror route, but there is definitely scope for creating a tense atmosphere that makes you jump, as you describe.

 

The best way to achieve this, in my opinion, is for the game to make much better use of sound. You hear the distant crackle of gunfire getting closer - it puts the fear into you; you are looting a building, and you hear footsteps on the upper floor; you're playing at night, and an explosion breaks the silence; etc!

 

Think of how the early Thief games made you jump out of your skin when an unexpected noise suddenly indicated there was a guard nearly on top of you. DayZ needs to do this.

[frosti 2165]

 

But I would like to see more jump scares from the undead, for example.

 

wtf.

 

With all those zombies walking throught the walls and spawning from thin air near/behind me I have enought jump scare from undead, thank you.

 

PS.

 

Want to get scared? Play on hardcore server, I kid your not, without periscope invisible 360 camera above you, games gets 1000x more scary.

Edited June 21, 2014 by Frosti

[Katana67 2907]

I agree with you, that the concept of DayZ itself is a horror. And the fact that players can invent their own horror. But I would like to see more jump scares from the undead, for example. I think there is alot of potential in making this game terrifying. Or even, if only at night time, scary shit happens.

 

I agree. I want zombies to be more of a threat as well, I have always wanted them this way.

 

It's just when someone brings up "horror" a lot of stuff starts to fly around about what constitutes "horror" and a lot of it ends up being pretty dogmatic.

[frosti 2165]

I agree. I want zombies to be more of a threat as well, I have always wanted them this way.

 

It's just when someone brings up "horror" a lot of stuff starts to fly around about what constitutes "horror" and a lot of it ends up being pretty dogmatic.

 

 

I got it in post above yours but well I'll say it again.

 

Zombies are 10x more scarrier and posses 10x more threat on hardcore server, becouse your vision around you is so restricted.

 

PS.

 

It's very, very hard to get scared with 3pp camera when you can scope all around/above you,

Edited June 21, 2014 by Frosti

[Act III 50]

I agree. I want zombies to be more of a threat as well, I have always wanted them this way.

 

It's just when someone brings up "horror" a lot of stuff starts to fly around about what constitutes "horror" and a lot of it ends up being pretty dogmatic.

 

 

Egg salad.

 

hor·ror

ˈhôrər,ˈhär-/

noun

noun: horror

1.

an intense feeling of fear, shock, or disgust.

"children screamed in horror"

 

 

Not sure if it's worth going down the 'guts n gore' horror route, but there is definitely scope for creating a tense atmosphere that makes you jump, as you describe.

 

The best way to achieve this, in my opinion, is for the game to make much better use of sound. You hear the distant crackle of gunfire getting closer - it puts the fear into you; you are looting a building, and you hear footsteps on the upper floor; you're playing at night, and an explosion breaks the silence; etc!

 

Think of how the early Thief games made you jump out of your skin when an unexpected noise suddenly indicated there was a guard nearly on top of you. DayZ needs to do this.

 

As Pillock said. A better audio system can definitely help with achieving "horror".

[guppy22143 1081]

Playing first person the other day

I turned around, and there was a zombie LITERALLY HALF A FOOT AWAY FROM MY FACE

 

I never put so many bullets into a zed before, I nearly shit myself.

[MarchHare 184]

Ground zero thunder clap almost stopped my heart the other day.

Horrific.

[Act III 50]

Ground zero thunder clap almost stopped my heart the other day.

Horrific.

 Atmosphere horror. Good stuff. Imagine the implementation of tornadoes =o

[pillock 850]

Playing first person the other day

I turned around, and there was a zombie LITERALLY HALF A FOOT AWAY FROM MY FACE

 

I never put so many bullets into a zed before, I nearly shit myself.

 

that's all well and good for the time being, but I don't think it's right in the long run. zombies shouldn't be sneaking up on you, especially if they're running. Moving fast should be noisy, and that goes for the zombs as well as the players.

 

Imagine you're in the forest collecting wood or stalking an animal or whatever - you think you're alone. Then you hear the sound of something crashing through undergrowth. Is it an animal? Is is a zombie? Is it another player? If it's a player, are they geared? Are they friendly? Have they seen you? In my opinion, this'd be much scarier than unrealistic stealth zombies. Everything in DayZ needs to be louder noisier.

 

I have high hopes.

Edited June 21, 2014 by Pillock

[frosti 2165]

Playing first person the other day

I turned around, and there was a zombie LITERALLY HALF A FOOT AWAY FROM MY FACE

 

I never put so many bullets into a zed before, I nearly shit myself.

 

The only thing that I really don't like about hardcore is that how loud your character is when breathing and moving with all this clunking. Drives me crazy.

 

It is so loud becouse your "ears" are in the character and not in camera above him like on regular servers.

[gibonez 3633]

I would have to say no.

 

I don't consider any multiplayer or co-op game to be horror.

 

That being said I miss the old resident evils so sad they are now co-op games.

[frosti 2165]

I would have to say no.

 

I don't consider any multiplayer or co-op game to be horror.

 

That being said I miss the old resident evils so sad they are now co-op games.

 

Not everyone have squad team mates. I know sounds crazy, paying DayZ without group.

 

Many players are lone wolfs in DayZ.

[Act III 50]

I would have to say no.

 

I don't consider any multiplayer or co-op game to be horror.

 

That being said I miss the old resident evils so sad they are now co-op games.

 

I agree with you that multiplayer games can't really be horror. (in fashion of actual "horror" games). But I think that, in the months to come, with improvement on the AI, weather, night time, etc. DayZ will naturally become a more frightening and challenging game. And as for "jump scares", it is all randomly determined, depending on the circumstances. Giving an authentic, post-apocalyptic environment.

 

 

I have high hopes.

 

Again, as Pillock says. I have high hopes for DayZ. This game will be unreal in the years to come, especially with the inclusion of the Oculus Rift.

[quantum2k6 348]

... especially with the inclusion of the Oculus Rift.

 

only play with diapers then...

 

hell oculus.. cant wait for the release.

 

play more nighttime ;) u get all the horror u need there.

Edited June 21, 2014 by quantum2k6

[qww 287]

dayz already is a "horror" game, if you want to label it, and it is also other things too, theres no need to try and put a label on something so open, or to narrow the vision.

just enjoy playing it for what it is./

[TiggyPooh 134]

 

 

 

So, last night I actually had a terrifying experience in DayZ, and I jumped out from my seat in vaginal-fear.

 

 

What on earth is "Vaginal-Fear"?  :P

 

I remember the first time I started playing DayZ over 2 years ago, after the game just came out and those zombies scared the living death out of me.

Now they have become a nuisance and it will take a lot of AI programming to make them scary again for me.

There are those moments though we create ourselves that can make them extremely scary again. 

I suppose that could be said about any horror game you have played over and over again, you get used to those scary moments and learn to deal with it.

Edited June 21, 2014 by TiggyPooh

[UltimateGentleman 355]

I don't find it scary, more annoying than anything else more of a "Aw fuck off zombies" than "ERMAGERD, ZUMBEYS" they just interrupt me trying to pick stuff up it's like fuck you dude if I could shit on you I would.

 

I'd like some jump scares, Dead Space style where they seem dead and jump at you.

But I don't think DayZ has the setting for it, it would be too obvious whereas Dead Space has guts and dead things everywhere, you don't know what's going to get up and attack you or not sometimes.

 

Maybe they could have houses filled with dead bodies that tend to have a rare item in them, sort of like that church at the start of 28 Days Later then you go in, accidentally make some noise and they all start getting up and chasing you.

 

 

I don't think there's much they could do with the horror aspect really it depends on your in game feelings currently like it doesn't scare me at all only when they jump at me from behind without having made any noise somehow beforehand.

 

Everything like them bursting through walls or whatever would just be pre-scripted events that you could avoid so it wouldn't do much only for new players.

 

 

If it was more of a gloomy atmosphere it could be scary but I prefer this desolate setting if I want scary I'll go play Silent Hill or something.

[BayZ (DayZ) 9]

If one bandit shot you ın leg and handcuff you thats real "horror" anyway feel scared ın that way cause maybe one day you can get in same situation in real life but you will never get killed by zombies. B)

[Deathlove 2286]

I searched through the forums looking for similar topics, with no luck.

 

 

So, last night I actually had a terrifying experience in DayZ, and I jumped out from my seat in vaginal-fear.

Jumping out of your seat in vaginal-fear is some serious business...........

 

LETS HOPE IT BECOMES A HORROR GAME BECAUSE IM NOT AFRAID YET. THE ONLY THING THAT WOULD SCARE ME AT THIS POINT IS IF THEY MANAGE TO MAKE THE ZOMBIES SCARIER IN COMBINATION WITH ATMOSPHERE. The ZOMBIE DESIGNS ARE SUPER PG STILL.

 

 

Ok now hopefully that will pound into the developers heads a little in the art department. :)

 

Looking forward to the fog though. That should add some atmosphere that is well needed.

Edited June 21, 2014 by Deathlove

[infectedtramp 1]

This is my scary moments :) i Love night at DayZ!!!

INFECTED TRAMP #1 DayZ At Night [Horror]: