MERGED: Everything about DOGS

[DevilDog (DayZ) 455]

I have mixed feelings about this idea' date=' I like the idea of having a dog but I think in the game it would be either underpowered and depressing or overpowered and annoying.

Examples could be;

Leaving a dog in a server would be worrying especially if it was to protect something, I mean it could be easily sniped from afar while you're not playing. Also taking it with you when you log off somehow would also be a bit strange.

Having a dog and it'd be quiet around friendlies/those with humanity and it'd growl/bark at those with a minus humanity, or have it recognize those you bandage/share blood with/other good things and warm up to them.

Overall the idea is good but the implementation would have to be near perfect otherwise I see it as pointless.

[/quote']

Yeah the balance thing would need work. I think just the ability to sense low humanity would be cool (although who is to say if he murdered in self defense or not).

What if dogs were just like vehicles and people could just steal them from you when you log off lol. I see your car and your dog sitting there. I walk up hand you dog a steak and now he is my dog. We hop in your car and drive off haha. I see a country song coming from you when you log in.

[alexander_q 6]

Having a dog and it'd be quiet around friendlies/those with humanity and it'd growl/bark at those with a minus humanity' date=' or have it recognize those you bandage/share blood with/other good things and warm up to them.

[/quote']

Holy shit dude. I don't think you realise that what you've just said is amazing. Have the dog bark and turn to face the direction of anyone with low humanity within a certain range. Have dogs not warm to people with low humanity.

[nacrom 82]

I have low humanity and my dog worships me.

[Vultcha 0]

dogs to guard tents/vehicles would be neat.

they would have to be pretty hearty to be viable. more hearty than a zed, or even a player possibly otherwise, would be too easy to just shoot the dog as it runs at you.

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incorporating the humanity/spotting/warning ideas would work better overall imo.

to make dogs viable in combat in the arma world, they would have to be pretty unrealistically strong. they would just be immersion breaking-ly unrealistic. not to say they can't ahve combat capabilities. they could feasibly be used to attack someone close to you, stopping them from running, or breaking bones/bloodloss... but that's all stuff that bullets can do now and better. their primary use should be for spotting/humanity/warning.

[peetgamer 10]

No matter what SHTF situation I have witnessed (from Katrina to Iraq/Afghanistan) there are always loose dogs running around. Dogs are pack animals and even pets will resort to this behavior. I think a pack (from 3-8) dogs roaming around would be a cool threat. They would roam the forests and even enter cities looking for food. Maybe you can distract them by throwing a steak or can of food.

Also I think being able to some how earn the trust of a dog would be cool and have a pet. The pet dog would give a low growl when he senses someone close and barks when the person is too close. He will even defend your tent/vehicle for you. And of course you could make him attack for you.

The second part might be harder to do' date=' but I think the first part at least would be cool.

[/quote']

Bears or pack of wolves in woods would be nice its to boring inland.

[Jorcee101 0]

What if when you killed someone/something, your dog could run out and drag the body back. Because of low profile and high speed, they would be hard to shoot/spot from a distance. Making them a great way to recover bodies you have sniped or something.

[alexander_q 6]

What if when you killed someone/something' date=' your dog could run out and drag the body back. Because of low profile and high speed, they would be hard to shoot/spot from a distance. Making them a great way to recover bodies you have sniped or something.

[/quote']

That's a very decent suggestion. Though if you keep sniping people, your humanity will get low and your dog might stop obeying you :-P

[zipper 69]

I have mixed feelings about this idea' date=' I like the idea of having a dog but I think in the game it would be either underpowered and depressing or overpowered and annoying.

Examples could be;

Leaving a dog in a server would be worrying especially if it was to protect something, I mean it could be easily sniped from afar while you're not playing. Also taking it with you when you log off somehow would also be a bit strange.

Having a dog and it'd be quiet around friendlies/those with humanity and it'd growl/bark at those with a minus humanity, or have it recognize those you bandage/share blood with/other good things and warm up to them.

Overall the idea is good but the implementation would have to be near perfect otherwise I see it as pointless.

[/quote']

Rocket has mentioned before one of the main points of the game is to get an emotional reaction out of you.

I don't think this would be very hard to implement. The dog should log out with the player provided they are within range of the animal. I like to think of logging out as "going to sleep", so you wouldn't be able to be found. Leaving the dog on the server just seems a bit silly, no different than leaving a sleeping body on the server when the player isn't online. It isn't needed. There is also no need to tie humanity to the dogs loyalty. Plenty of pets will defend their owners, regardless of how good or bad that person really is. Trying to reduce PvP so people can have a pet is silly, and people really need to stop trying to come up with ideas that will reduce it. It is a part of the game, and one of the main reasons DayZ is so successful. Without PvP, this would be nothing more than playing zombies on MW3 with some friends except on a much much bigger map.

As someone said earlier, +1 to having at least one loyal companion. It would invest another emotional link from the people playing and provide additional elements that would be fun/entertaining. An easy way to show the dog who is friendly could be just adding a command called "friendly" when you scroll over another player. Your dog would know who your friends are, and this would eliminate the dog growling/barking every 5 seconds when you decide to roll in a group.

[alexander_q 6]

If the controls to point or holster your weapon were more intuitive (and worked for all weapons), you could have the dog respond to that. If you point your gun at someone, the dog will mark them as unfriendly. If you get within a short range of someone without pointing your weapon, and if you talk to them via direct chat or the two of you exchange items, the dog should warm to them.

You could also train the dog via direct chat voice commands.

[DevilDog (DayZ) 455]

@zipper - Good post and I agree. I don't think all dogs should dislike people with low humanity, but I think for instance my dog should be able to sense it and alert me to it. The problem though with the entire humanity aspect people always bring up is how would the game no if I killed a guy in self defense or not? So humanity in itself is bugged. I have no problem with bandits having a dog though, not like only nice people in the real world have dogs lol.

@alexander - I like the idea of being able to give commands via direct chat. Imagine you are sitting there and here "get em" and then see a dog jumping at you through some bushes lol.

I am by no means looking for a super pet or super weapon. Dogs would do little damage and maybe cause some bleeding or an infection of some kind. Mainly he would help scout out areas and just add a little fun. He would not take anymore shots than a player or zed to kill, so 1-2 at the most. Nothing crazy.

[SystemiK 366]

Rocket has already mentioned including some kind of dog mechanic a couple of times. Sounds like he is already working on something along these lines. Personally I'm not sure I like the idea, but I'm willing to give it a chance.

[kovalhuk 19]

I like this idea because if i find myself in a desperate hunger state i can put a bullet in my friends head and eat his flesh..

[DevilDog (DayZ) 455]

I like this idea because if i find myself in a desperate hunger state i can put a bullet in my friends head and eat his flesh..

Haha that is awesome. I mean terrible, but awesome still. Imagine if some one kills you and your dog and then eats your dog lol.

I read a story about a guy that was lost in the woods and was able to survive by drinking some of his dogs blood. :(

@systemik - awesome to hear that. I hope it turns out good. Although I honestly would be happy with any level of dogs, from only wild packs that attack people to the full blown pet with different breeds that you must raise from a puppy and train; and anything in between. As long as they are not super animals.

[SystemiK 366]

My only problem with it is anytime I hear talk of dogs in dayz, I think "oh god, here we go again with the WOW pets." I'll probably get over it at some point...

[zipper 69]

My only problem with it is anytime I hear talk of dogs in dayz' date=' I think "oh god, here we go again with the WOW pets." I'll probably get over it at some point...

[/quote']

If they added 200 useless cosmetic pets, I too would agree with you. Were just talking about 1 here, that may actually be able to help you. No need to freak out yet. :P

[Fallout10mm 4]

I can see a line coming from the future: Son of a bitch stole my truck, ran over my tent and shot my dog!

[BL1P 252]

+1 good idea

[soapmak3r 677]

Yeah, dogs could be cool as companions and for hunting purposes.

If you could use them to lure away zombies and then rejoin you, that would be very useful.

[DemonGroover 8836]

Yeah' date=' dogs could be cool as companions and for hunting purposes.

If you could use them to lure away zombies and then rejoin you, that would be very useful.

[/quote']

I like the idea of sending your dog off, dragging a zombie train along with them while you loot a barn, supermarket etc. You would expect a dog could then lose the zeds with the new LOS and then return to you at a later stage.

Would players snipe other players dogs?

[zipper 69]

I can see a line coming from the future: Son of a bitch stole my truck' date=' ran over my tent and shot my dog!

[/quote']

Would make a good DayZ country song.

From the latest PCGamer interview. Perhaps we will be seeing this in the near future.

"Crowe: Because I noticed something you were saying about being in the forest and flashing the flashlight, there’s a couple of… A few designers worked on it, it’s a bit of a mish-mash of different concepts, but I would suggest trying to play a couple of runs, there’s man’s best friend, with the dog. You’re at night, you have a flashlight on the weapon, and the dog goes ahead and hunts for some war criminal or whatever it is. The atmosphere of that, following the dog and then… I think you should definitely check it out. It’s scripted, it’s really, really scripted, the mechanics of it that is, but…

Hall: Yeah, because I’ve been having some trouble with the dogs. I haven’t got them implemented yet for Day Z…

Crowe: No, when I saw the screenshots and the ideas, I was like, does he know how difficult dogs are…?

Hall: If I make them a person and not a dog, it works.

Crowe: Yeah, exactly."

Taken from http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/06/22/day-z-arma-3-interview-on-left-4-dead-skyrim-player-emotion-and-in-game-disease/

[7-75 callaghan 43]

+1 great idea.

Rocket already has this planned as an NPC follower, but i'd like to see roaming packs of feral dogs too.

I'd also like to see it in combination with this -

http://dayzmod.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=21161

[DevilDog (DayZ) 455]

Would players snipe other players dogs?

I actually think very few would. They would rather shoot the player first then the dog. If they snipe your dog you will escape.

[hoik 415]

Having a dog and it'd be quiet around friendlies/those with humanity and it'd growl/bark at those with a minus humanity' date=' or have it recognize those you bandage/share blood with/other good things and warm up to them.

[/quote']

Holy shit dude. I don't think you realise that what you've just said is amazing. Have the dog bark and turn to face the direction of anyone with low humanity within a certain range. Have dogs not warm to people with low humanity.

Yes very cool, this is the most 'realistic' and imaginitive/astheticly pleasing answer to sensing other players morality ive come across - What id like to see with dogs is the ability for them to 'scent' dead player bodies in order to track players who have looted them. Please go here ( ChaoticRambo's thread: http://dayzmod.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=22468&page=2 ) to get a bigger picture of what I mean. It ties in completely with the ChaoticRambo's idea so you should probably read the whole thread :) (its a very good thread IMO).

[DeadManDan 23]

Luv the idea of a dog companion with karma benefits. Although in ever game that has them I've always hated having to shoot a pack of fearless typically non-woundable dogs/wolves zerg rushing me no matter how loud and scary the gun I have.

[Nasty Wet Smear 4]

I would LOVE to befriend a dog, but I'd be mighty miffed to have to murder them. I'd have to suggest that packs of dogs attacking people would be fairly rare. They normally attack children because of their size, not fully grown adults. You know, unless trained.