Tatanko 5591 Posted January 16, 2016 The following is the second in a three-part series about the history of DayZ, from it's origins to present day. I hope you enjoy, and please do keep discussion civil :) 0.28 DayZ Standalone was released to the Steam Early access program on December 16th, 2013. With about a year of planning prep work behind it, this very first public alpha build contained the absolute essentials for beginning the road to 1.0. Big changes to the map, many new items and clothing unique to the standalone, a whole new UI, and countless changes to the back end separated this first draft from the mod which it was born from. In two days’ time, 0.28 would see a hotfix update to address some critical early issues. -Initial Experimental Release: N/A-Initial Stable Release: Dec. 16, 2013-Experimental builds:-Time spent on Experimental: N/A-Experimental builds: N/A-Hotfix(es): Dec. 18, 2013 Changelog: http://bit.ly/1OwcTbM ———- Original image by DayZ forum user Merrick362. 0.29 The very same day that 0.28 saw a hotfix, the game also received the 0.29 update to address some security issues. This was simply another hotfix for 0.28 and did not include any new content just yet. This is a good time to point out that version numbering has changed dramatically over the lifetime of DayZ’s early access period. Prior to establishing the current notion of a 0.xx release being a major version with big changes and additional content, the team had to experiment with how to number each update. -Initial Experimental Release: N/A-Initial Stable Release: Dec. 18, 2013-Experimental builds: N/A-Time spent on Experimental: N/A-Hotfix(es): N/A Changelog: http://bit.ly/1P5bhvc ———- Image by DayZ forum user Strife of Fantasy. 0.30 Another example of early experimentation with version numbering, 0.30 can be seen as four small updates that collectively amount to one larger update. This patch saw the introduction of the increasingly important BattlEye anti-cheat software as part of the package, as well as the option for servers to lock in 1st Person Perspective (1PP) only (labeled “Hardcore” at this point in time). There were also many improvements to the menu, inventory, and server browser screens, and the mighty Magnum handgun made its debut. -Initial Experimental Release: N/A-Initial Stable Release: Dec. 20, 2013-Experimental builds: N/A-Time spent on Experimental: N/A-Hotfix(es): Dec. 31, 2013; Jan. 5, 2014; Jan. 6, 2014 Changelog: http://bit.ly/1ZC9X86 ———- Image by DayZ forum user DeadLight. 0.31 In January of 2014, about a month after releasing the game to early access, the Experimental branch of DayZ was created to test builds in a limited manner before releasing them to the Stable branch. The first use of the branch was version 0.31, which would end up being released with only minor changes as 0.32 a few days later. Such a use of the this branch would not be seen again until a year and a half later with version 0.56. -Initial Experimental Release: Jan. 17, 2014-Initial Stable Release: N/A-Experimental builds: 2-Time spent on Experimental: 4 days-Hotfix(es): N/A Changelog: N/A 0.32 After being tested on the Experimental branch as 0.31, the 0.32 update was released near-simultaneously to the Experimental and Stable branches. It brought with it the first new town since the game's release: Svetlojarsk. This update also included the IZH-43 shotgun, replaced the old food and drink models with the ones we know today, and introduced the mechanics of weapon modification (sawed-off and spraypaint). -Initial Experimental Release: Jan. 22, 2014-Initial Stable Release: Jan. 22, 2014-Experimental builds: N/A-Time spent on Experimental: N/A-Hotfix(es): N/A Changelog: http://bit.ly/1Owd5ba 0.33 For the very first time in 0.33, DayZ gained a timer for characters remaining on the server after logout and a join timer upon switching servers to discourage server hopping -- something we take for granted today. Crafting was expanded to include the always useful backpack, players gained the ability to transfer liquid between containers, and we got the now-ubiquitous SKS rifle along with a number of other items. This was also the first time the Experimental branch was used as an incubation period for a Stable release the way that we are familiar with today. -Initial Experimental Release: Jan. 29, 2014-Initial Stable Release: Feb. 5, 2014-Experimental builds: 2-Time spent on Experimental: 7 days-Hotfix(es): N/A Changelog: http://bit.ly/1RMnd5X 0.34 The release that followed the impactful 0.33 was mostly about bug fixes, but also introduced a feature we use every time we play: repairing with a sewing kit. Improvements were made to the health & stomach aspects of the player, we were given a new gesture and some slick clothing, and the Blaze 95 Double Rifle became the second weapon to utilize the old 7.62x51 ammo. This version spent an unusually short time on the Experimental branch at only 1 day. -Initial Experimental Release: Feb. 6, 2014-Initial Stable Release: Feb. 7, 2014-Experimental builds: 1-Time spent on Experimental: 1 day-Hotfix(es): N/A Changelog: http://bit.ly/1OUsw0h ---------- Image by DayzTV. 0.35 This release was actually just a hotfix for 0.34, though it was a very important one. After the previous patch had been released to the Stable branch, it was realized that there was a huge problem with GPU memory leak. After a period of five days and without any testing on the Experimental branch, 0.35 corrected this issue much to the delight of afflicted players. -Initial Experimental Release: N/A-Initial Stable Release: Feb. 12, 2014-Experimental builds: N/A-Time spent on Experimental: N/A-Hotfix(es): N/A Changelog: http://bit.ly/1UW69I5 ---------- Image by DayZ forum user Wapakalypse. 0.36 For the first time since 0.31, this version existed only on the Experimental branch. Testing of 0.36 would go on for about two weeks before rolling over into development of 0.37. Important features added in this update included rain & bodies of water making the player wet, the ability to harvest berries, weather becoming a server-side calculation, and the ability to check the pulse of unconscious players. An "Eat All" option was added to ease the frustration of players, and perhaps most importantly of all the Police Stations and Medical Centers were added in this update. -Initial Experimental Release: Feb. 12, 2014-Initial Stable Release: N/A-Experimental builds: 2-Time spent on Experimental: 13 days-Hotfix(es): N/A Changelog: N/A 0.37 Development of 0.37 was a continuation of the efforts with 0.36, and would remain Experimental-only just like that release. Eventually, it too would be rolled over into further development of other versions. In the solitary build that would be available to the public, we got to see new two-handed weapon handling, painting ballistic helmets, and the ability to catch rain in a bottle. The farming hoe was sneaked into this update as well. -Initial Experimental Release: Feb. 25, 2014-Initial Stable Release: N/A-Experimental builds: 1-Time spent on Experimental: 10 days-Hotfix(es): N/A Changelog: N/A 0.42 Development of versions 0.38 through 0.41 would be handled without any testing by the general public and done very swiftly. A mere week and a half after giving us 0.37, the 0.42 update hit the Experimental branch with the first new town since 0.31: Chernaya Polana. We gained a number of new weapons, rotten vegetables, and even a new type of building -- the log cabin pub. -Initial Experimental Release: Mar. 7, 2014-Initial Stable Release: Mar. 19, 2014-Experimental builds: 2-Time spent on Experimental: 12 days-Hotfix(es): N/A Changelog: http://bit.ly/1RUJrRs 0.43 Much like 0.35, this version was mostly a hotfix for the release before it. 0.43 would serve as a testbed for accelerated server time on the Experimental branch before it saw wider release in the following update. It also included faster zombie animations which made things a little more challenging for players, requiring quicker reaction times to zombie attacks. -Initial Experimental Release: Mar. 20, 2014-Initial Stable Release: Mar. 22, 2014-Experimental builds: 3-Time spent on Experimental: 2 days-Hotfix(es): N/A Changelog: http://bit.ly/205CUG9 0.44 This release is notable for the introduction of bows. Both the improvised Ashwood bow and the crossbow made their debut with this update, along with the town of Karmanovka. Players were joyful to learn that this version would include 1:1 mouse control versus the much maligned accelerated control that preceded it. 0.44 had a hotfix applied over a month after its initial Stable release, intended to address security issues. -Initial Experimental Release: Apr. 2, 2014-Initial Stable Release: Apr. 23, 2014-Experimental builds: 2-Time spent on Experimental: 21 days-Hotfix(es): May 28, 2014 Changelog: http://bit.ly/1RUJwV8 ---------- Original image by YouTube user Jaxon Miller. 0.45 One of the biggest updates since release spent an appropriately long time on the Experimental branch before being pushed to the general public. The big news was the first attempt at dynamic events: helicopter crash sites. Survival mechanics saw a massive improvement with the ability to scrounge for even more resources like apples, sticks, and stones, making it easier to craft items useful to the player. Animals were introduced, fishing made its debut, and the ability to craft fires and cook meat made it possible to use what you killed or caught. Diseases became a factor thanks to uncooked fish. Important new weapons like the AKM and LongHorn were added in this release along with several items and articles of clothing, and we were given the biggest city we had ever seen in Chernarus in the form of Novodmitrovsk and its neighboring Karmanovka. Bus garage buildings were now scattered across the map. Somewhat notable is what we lost with this update: the Grass Pyramid and the ability to put a bipod on the Mosin. -Initial Experimental Release: Apr. 22, 2014-Initial Stable Release: Jun. 18, 2014-Experimental builds: 3-Time spent on Experimental: 57 days-Hotfix(es): N/A Changelog: http://bit.ly/1UW6nip 0.46 With such a tough act to follow, 0.46 might have seemed underwhelming. But in reality, it included two new towns, a new building, new clothing, and our first taste of handheld explosives: the hand grenade and flashbang. Sadly, this update brought with it the complete transformation of the Northeast Airfield, losing almost all of its military aspects in the name of map balancing. We were, however, treated to a brand new building in the form of the giant tower you now see in Novodmitrovsk. -Initial Experimental Release: Jun. 23, 2014-Initial Stable Release: Jul. 2, 2014-Experimental builds: 2-Time spent on Experimental: 9 days-Hotfix(es): N/A Changelog: http://bit.ly/1SnnnjU (NOTE: Novodmitrovsk was added in 0.45, but the city hall you see above was added in 0.46.) 0.47 Civilian tents became the first building block of camp building to make its way into the game with this update, though it lacked the critical element of persistence to make it useful just yet. We gained several more new weapons in this update including the AK101, CR527, Makarov, and RAK. Certain articles of clothing gained storage slots for other items such as combat knives in military boots and fishing hooks in boonie hats. Crucially, this update included all-new zombie pathfinding to improve their behavior in reference to the environment. -Initial Experimental Release: Jul. 3, 2014-Initial Stable Release: Jul. 30, 2014-Experimental builds: 5-Time spent on Experimental: 27 days-Hotfix(es): N/A Changelog: http://bit.ly/1RUJH2F 0.48 With a short development time, 0.48 was never going to be a huge release. It did however include the now sought after SMERSH vest and backpack combo, the sawed-off Mosin, and other items. The burlap wrap and its grass variant were introduced as prototypes for the eventual ghillie items, police cars became dynamic spawn events, and we gained two more towns with Sinistok and Vavilovo. Most important of all, 0.48 saw the very first implementation of item persistence, though it would be enabled and disabled as well as altered many more times after this. -Initial Experimental Release: Aug. 1, 2014-Initial Stable Release: Aug. 13, 2014-Experimental builds: 3-Time spent on Experimental: 12 days-Hotfix(es): N/A Changelog: http://bit.ly/1NchONa 0.49 This update was heavily focused on content, and in particular map changes. Severograd and its surrounding suburbs of Mamino and Troitskoe were all added with this update, and hotly debated change of moving the Balota military camp to the Myshkino area occurred at this time as well. We gained several new items, weapons, and pieces of clothing, and saw the hugely important Central Loot Economy (CLE) take its first steps here. 0.49 received a hotfix update one week after release to fix some server crashes. -Initial Experimental Release: Aug. 28, 2014-Initial Stable Release: Sep. 17, 2014-Experimental builds: 6-Time spent on Experimental: 20 days (+1 day for hotfix)-Hotfix(es): Sep. 24, 2014 Changelog: http://bit.ly/1UW6tGR 0.50 Much like 0.49 before it, this release was full of map updates. We got 5 new towns, a quarry, a castle, and a military base in the North. Various little kiosks were spread about the map as well. Several new mechanics made their way into the game such as introductory barricading (locked doors) and horticulture. We gained the ability to stitch wounds, use duct tape to repair things, and throw two-handed items. Items inside your clothing would now get wet, finally making waterproofing a factor in choosing your equipment. On the item front, we gained many, many new firearms, melee weapons, articles of clothing, and tools. Highlights include the AK74, AKS-74U, MP-133, and Repeater. -Initial Experimental Release: Oct. 1, 2014-Initial Stable Release: Nov. 5, 2014-Experimental builds: 6-Time spent on Experimental: 35 days-Hotfix(es): N/A Changelog: http://bit.ly/1OnJd2J 0.51 This update is notorious for its inclusion of cannibalism. It caused a long period of experimentation with the mechanic out of curiosity, which became a defining theme of the time. More importantly, we gained our first vehicle with the V3S and even got to try out true ghillie equipment for the very first time since the game's release. -Initial Experimental Release: Nov. 12, 2014-Initial Stable Release: Dec. 3, 2014-Experimental builds: 5-Time spent on Experimental: 21 days-Hotfix(es): N/A Changelog: http://bit.ly/1U1uMmq 0.52 In 0.52, DayZ would celebrate the Christmas holiday for the first time by spreading festive trees around Chernarus along with teddy bears containing small gifts for players. It wasn't all about the holiday season however, as we were given more gifts in the form of much new content. The far north saw a huge expansion with quite a few new villages, and we got several new weapons and articles of clothing as well. -Initial Experimental Release: Dec. 17th, 2014-Initial Stable Release: Dec. 19th, 2014-Experimental builds: 3-Time spent on Experimental: ~2 days-Hotfix(es): N/A Changelog: http://bit.ly/1Q43uuR 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blackberrygoo 1416 Posted January 16, 2016 Wow .... This is nostalgic , great work Tatanko ! Soo many great screenshots with all different types of colors , can't wait for the new renderer to see more screenies like the dayz of old ! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ColdAtrophy 1850 Posted January 16, 2016 Dude. This is awesome. You have no idea how many times I've wished it was this easy to get a sense of the step by step progress I missed by being a latecomer. Beans! :beans: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tatanko 5591 Posted January 16, 2016 (edited) Wow .... This is nostalgic , great work Tatanko ! Soo many great screenshots with all different types of colors , can't wait for the new renderer to see more screenies like the dayz of old !I'm more excited for the renderer than probably anyone else for its aesthetic upgrades! Dude. This is awesome. You have no idea how many times I've wished it was this easy to get a sense of the step by step progress I missed by being a latecomer. Beans! :beans:EXACTLY. I love having resources like this available, so where there isn't one I have taken to creating something :) The notes that went into this series are 9000+ words, and I also compiled a list of every single build ever available to the public (23 Stable, 111 Experimental). Edited January 16, 2016 by Tatanko 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
