Player tracking

[Sniper-Wolf 37]

~Alright so i spent some time using the search function (unfortunately the way it works, it may pop up with the same meaning but a different look) and looked at the already suggested posts so if this is already on the list somewhere, my bad.~

 

The essence of this post is to better track and figure out where players have previously been on the server you are playing on. Currently the 2 ways of being able to tell where a player has been is by 1. open doors/closed ones (depending on what building it is) and 2. if certain items have been placed somewhere or a lack thereof. 

 

What I would like to see is an expansion of this in some form. Here is my proposal:

 

1. Add trash into the the game. Like actual trash. When you drink a can of "Not-a-Cola" in real life, the can will not just disappear right? So if the player does not want to attract attention, they will have to carry their trash and find a decent place to dump it. Whether that is in the woods or actually in a trash can somewhere does not matter. If they leave behind empty cans, fruit peels, etc, then you know a player has been through there.

 

2. Bloodstains from players and the ability to tell if it is dried or still wet.

 

3. Footprints and the ability to tell within reason how fresh it is. 

 

4. Dead bodies (both human and zed) sticking around longer to tell figure out whether people have fought thru there. 

 

Obviously some of these will have issues with the technical side of things and all of the above can disappear with a server restart. 

[Kronons 98]

~Alright so i spent some time using the search function (unfortunately the way it works, it may pop up with the same meaning but a different look) and looked at the already suggested posts so if this is already on the list somewhere, my bad.~

 

The essence of this post is to better track and figure out where players have previously been on the server you are playing on. Currently the 2 ways of being able to tell where a player has been is by 1. open doors/closed ones (depending on what building it is) and 2. if certain items have been placed somewhere or a lack thereof. 

 

What I would like to see is an expansion of this in some form. Here is my proposal:

 

1. Add trash into the the game. Like actual trash. When you drink a can of "Not-a-Cola" in real life, the can will not just disappear right? So if the player does not want to attract attention, they will have to carry their trash and find a decent place to dump it. Whether that is in the woods or actually in a trash can somewhere does not matter. If they leave behind empty cans, fruit peels, etc, then you know a player has been through there.

 

2. Bloodstains from players and the ability to tell if it is dried or still wet.

 

3. Footprints and the ability to tell within reason how fresh it is. 

 

4. Dead bodies (both human and zed) sticking around longer to tell figure out whether people have fought thru there. 

 

Obviously some of these will have issues with the technical side of things and all of the above can disappear with a server restart. 

 

I would like to address some of your points. 

 

1. They did have that in earlier patches, but decided to disable it. That's why now when you eat or drink something it disappears. What happened was when a lot of junk stays on the server, it reduces server performance dramatically. Hopefully when they optimize the servers, net code, 64-bit servers, etc...it'll be possible. But to improve on your number 1 they could potentially add a decay system where certain items decay over time and eventually disappears by there own.

 

2 & 3. Both are neat feature, which would add to the immersion of the game. But would reduce server performance once again because the server would have keep track of the blood or footprints. Like I stated above once they improve on existing system it could be possible.

 

4. Rocket has talked about dead bodies. I'll elaborate on what he said. First off he said that he would like the bodies to stay there longer and decay over time. But as of now they don't have the performance yet. Also he said he would like a feature to drag the bodies. It'll definitely reduce server performance for sure.

 

But as of now they are concentrating more on zombies as in increase numbers, fix bugs, etc...Once they get that in and are able to use that as a base line for performance testing then will we see these other good ideas/feature. 

Edited August 23, 2014 by Kronons

[Parazight 1599]

I wouldn't mind having dogs that could help locate other players.  Dogs should be able to help track, yea?

[Kronons 98]

I wouldn't mind having dogs that could help locate other players.  Dogs should be able to help track, yea?

 

Rocket already confirmed that dogs will be implemented. So far it's only been indicated that you'll be able to have one and it'll attack. So we'll see if they will or not. 

[rybec 339]

Rocket already confirmed that dogs will be implemented. So far it's only been indicated that you'll be able to have one and it'll attack. So we'll see if they will or not. 

I'm going to stand by my original plan and blap someone's dog then run off.

 

I really miss bodies staying in the world though, with the whole pack of flies and such.

[grindstone50k 208]

I'm going to stand by my original plan and blap someone's dog then run off.

 

I really miss bodies staying in the world though, with the whole pack of flies and such.

I miss seeing the bodies pile up.

 

I do look forward to trash and body persistence coming back. It's great to see that something happened and try to guess what. Now it's just "oh look, here's a pile of ruined items".

Edited August 23, 2014 by Grindstone

[arlingtine 27]

though i agree that it would be cool. i think garbage and bodies may be a waste of resources. first off bodies may end up blocking paths. you could end up stuck in a room until reset. second reason would be even if they had the ability to do it would it not make more sense to just add more to the game? zombies. locations. loot. ect...

[IkaikaKekai 1957]

There was some (very tiny) level of player tracking in the mod that I think are still in Standalone.  When you crawl through grass you actually flatten it out and it leaves a (barely) noticeable trail in the grass (depending on length).  I think footprints show up on certain textures now but its slightly buggy.

[grindstone50k 208]

There was some (very tiny) level of player tracking in the mod that I think are still in Standalone.  When you crawl through grass you actually flatten it out and it leaves a (barely) noticeable trail in the grass (depending on length).  I think footprints show up on certain textures now but its slightly buggy.

The grass starts to stand up in about five minutes or so.

[rybec 339]

though i agree that it would be cool. i think garbage and bodies may be a waste of resources. first off bodies may end up blocking paths. you could end up stuck in a room until reset. second reason would be even if they had the ability to do it would it not make more sense to just add more to the game? zombies. locations. loot. ect...

Player bodies adds a nice chunk of 'immersion' to the game.

One of the first times I went to the Zelenogorsk barracks with my friends we got there and there were six bodies just laying there. We assume it was two groups that got in a firefight and nobody lived. Every corpse had their weapons, clothes, food, magazines... It was a bizarre thing to walk into, and pretty spooky since we searched the entire area for at least one person left and found nobody.

 

You don't even have the chance of finding that now.

[grindstone50k 208]

Player bodies adds a nice chunk of 'immersion' to the game.

One of the first times I went to the Zelenogorsk barracks with my friends we got there and there were six bodies just laying there. We assume it was two groups that got in a firefight and nobody lived. Every corpse had their weapons, clothes, food, magazines... It was a bizarre thing to walk into, and pretty spooky since we searched the entire area for at least one person left and found nobody.

 

You don't even have the chance of finding that now.

My very first time playing the game, 2nd day after release. I met a guy in Kamenka. We teamed up and headed to Balota. We found a massacre. Dead bodies littered the jail house and spilled out the front. It was amazing. Bring that back!

Edited August 23, 2014 by Grindstone

[Borges (DayZ) 40]

I like all of your suggestions. Like other people said here, when they increase performance you will probably see everything you mentioned. Definitely blood trails, those are in the mod now so there is no reason they won't include it. 

 

Bodies should be top priority for the future. Hopefully with flies too.

 

 

Dogs, would be cool, although probably not that technical. I'd imagine they would go as far as to interact (right click maybe) with a track option that would allow the dog to sniff and bring up a message.

[KARRUS 0]

Increase the load on the server, but all four ideas are great!

[arlingtine 27]

You know... ill give u that. The bodies would probably add to the game. Probably drastically. However i maintain that the garbage from food and drink would be a waste

[jubeidok 495]

I'm king of against super obedient police tracking dogs roaming the land just waiting for some smelly survivor to show up and start giving it orders.

Other then that, yes, please, more ways of tracking people. Like distant shots, branches with fresh breaks, tracking a predator that's tracking a survivor or following a hoard that is gravitating towards death. Idk, stuff like that.