Game Balancing in Alpha

[Parazight 1599]

Now, let me start off this post by saying that I absolutely love the new .55 update.  I've geared several new fresh spawns over multiple private shards in the last few days.  It's been great.

 

But I don't understand what the devs are trying to do.  Now, I understand that they're in a unique position to have a playable product during the alpha stage of production, which may or may not be the most effective line of play.  That topic we'll save for another day.  Today, I'd like to address whether or not the "balancing of .55" was a good idea.  See, the devs have really taken a leap of faith with the new patch.  They've added multiple new systems, changed item loot drops drastically and taken a new stance on alpha balancing all at the same time.

 

I'll preface an argument with the fact that devs (hicks) has said that we, as alpha testers, 'are not playing a game.  We simply have access to developer builds.'  This is an important declaration.  This says to me; "Dayz is set up to simply function, it's not balanced in any way."  

And this makes sense!  It's Alpha right? Not everything is implemented, we shouldn't expect game balancing until Beta production.

 

.55 update introduced two major systems.  Mandatory persistence and overhauled zombies.  These are both game changers.  If the latest update only had one of those new things, it would be big news.  No.  TWO major upgrades.  And to top it off, devs take a new approach on game state balancing.

 

This is where my issue comes in.  (note: not so much an issue, mostly confusion.  I love the new dayz!)  While I'm all for making the game hard, it's really not productive to alpha testing.  You can't really introduce content during alpha to make the game harder when all the systems are not in place.  It's folly to make the zombies too challenging right now.  I don't understand why they don't under-tune zombies during alpha and then actually make them hard during beta.  

 

Zombies are more difficult now.  You're way more likely to take damage from them now.  At the same time, the whole loot system just changed.  We have mandatory persistence and the incoming, unforseen bugs that naturally accompany it.  On top of that, what is spawning has also been changed.  The combination of buggy alpha, new OP zeds, and buggy loot can be potentially overwhelming.  So, zombies are more difficult now because of other unpolished alpha systems, not because they're hard to fight.

 

I've geared several fresh spawns in .55.  I've yet to find matches, a cooking pot or a frying pan. I've found only one flare.  This really sucks because they've drastically altered the food spawn by changing drops AND implementing forced persistence.  The hard part about surviving zombies is actually getting to healthy status, and keeping it, so that you regenerate blood. 

 

I have a number of toons right now on private shards who have a backpack full of raw cow steaks.  I need to be able to cook these and eat them properly so that my next zombie encounter doesn't make my screen grayer, basically.  Maybe I'm just really unlucky lately with finding needed loot, but I doubt it.

 

So, the point of this thread, I guess, is to warn the devs not to make content in alpha too difficult because we have bugs and unfinished programming working against us as well.  I'm all for a difficult experience, but tune the game during beta, not alpha, please.

 

What do you think?

Edited April 4, 2015 by Parazight

[irl-calibre 744]

think you should eat some rice and powdered milk until you find some matches, or, live dangerously and eat them raw?

Edited April 4, 2015 by Calibre

[Evil Minion 943]

Currently balancing the game will be a fruitless effort for multiple reasons:

• overall movement speed is too high (slower movement demands more loot in general)
• weight/stamina does not have too much of an effect yet
• server hopping is not fixed yet
• you still got free inventory slots for some weapons
• several other core features might still be missing

Those things warp gameplay pretty heavily and should be resolved before the real balancing can even start. Everything before is more or less "pre-balancing" - this has not to be easy though. In fact making it a little harder is actually better as it avoids the backlash from spoiled community members when you finally take away the crutches (as we can see now). Also a harder gamplay makes it easier to spot issues that might get overlooked in wonderland.

 

I don't understand why people want toned-down difficulty in Alpha. It does not make sense unless the focus of a specific update is around "lategame" features.

Edited April 4, 2015 by Evil Minion

[Lt Towerladder 0]

I started playing this again after the .55 update.  I am all about making this a little harder but the loot drops now are a little ridiculous.  I have been all over the map.  Seems like the Northwest Airfield is worthless to even go there along with many of the same buildings that used to drop decent loot.  Nothing of any value spawns most of the time. I have been ok on finding food, drink, and clothing.  Weapons are a pain in the butt to find.  Seems like the loot drops are bugged.  Just my opinion on this.  Lastly I hope they fix the tents.  I am also fine with the zombies...they should be harder to kill.  I have been having issues with finding sewing kits, matches, ammo, cooking pots, heater gas.  Also seems like vehicles are bugged too.  My boots are always ruined after driving them.  Maybe the breaking systems is like on the Flintstones...lol

Edited April 10, 2015 by Lt Towerladder

[BCBasher 2465]

Matches are slowly making a comeback. I've found no less than ten boxes since Wednesday.

[FlimFlamm 509]

I started playing this again after the .55 update.  I am all about making this a little harder but the loot drops now are a little ridiculous.  I have been all over the map.  Seems like the Northwest Airfield is worthless to even go there along with many of the same buildings that used to drop decent loot.  Nothing of any value spawns most of the time. I have been ok on finding food, drink, and clothing.  Weapons are a pain in the butt to find.  Seems like the loot drops are bugged.  Just my opinion on this.  Lastly I hope they fix the tents.  I am also fine with the zombies...they should be harder to kill.  I have been having issues with finding sewing kits, matches, ammo, cooking pots, heater gas.  Also seems like vehicles are bugged too.  My boots are always ruined after driving them.  Maybe the breaking systems is like on the Flintstones...lol

You should learn the ways of the improvised bow. You can make a improvised knife from a rock on the coast, find a boat for rope and rain gear. Then you can craft bows and arrows!

[Pandema 352]

 live dangerously and eat them raw?

I ate charred meat once and was dead within the hour, I don't want to see what happens if you eat raw meat.

[Lt Towerladder 0]

Also noticed Schools, Hospitals, Clinics, and Fire Stations dont spawn any decent loot either.  I find better stuff in a outhouse lol

[varobun 19]

Short opinion but...

 

The reason they can test extreme difficulties and concepts is because it is alpha

 

I would assume they take advantage of alpha to test the extremes to a large playerbase to get feedback and results  instantly.

 

Need to figure out what needs to be done to zombies? throw them at players and see what they say.

 

Loot balancing? test with high amounts and food then remove all of it and see how many people survive