What Makes PVP Fun?

[Kohlbar 270]

To me, this game at its core is a Survival game, not a PvP game. I like running around the map, making goals for my character and just surviving. When I run into someone randomly, the PvP feels so exciting and rewarding. My pulse goes way up, my hands start to shake and I'm engaged in this gritty fight for survival. However, when I play specifically for the PVP and go to dangerous areas just for that purpose, I end up feeling like I'm wasting my time; kills don't feel as satisfying and deaths make me feel like a worthless sack of potatoes.

Anyway this makes me wonder if anyone can relate. What makes PvP in DayZ fun to you?

Edited September 18, 2016 by Kohlbar

[Sqeezorz 839]

I myself am not a fan of PvP. But I can understand all that which also makes fun. If we are honest, what has the game in the current state much more than just preys on players to make? The game includes too few risks and dangers to a true Survival to build long-term. Man will find only together when the threat large enough that one is interdependent. Keywords: Infected groups in strategic locations and areas (miliary / police / hospitals diseases by eating or injury, infection by animals and infected, or at risk of looting of a weapon of a dead body ---> bacterial and fungal pathogens risk). So I can understand the play, as it is present for some time. If you do not like one or the other, it is so different communities have formed with respective servers. In public, it is always difficult without the other being able to make their own.

[Kohlbar 270]

19 minutes ago, Sqeezorz said:

The game includes too few risks and dangers to a true Survival to build long-term.

For real, survival makes this game feel much more fulfilling than any old boring PvP game. To me the more challenging the survival is in this game, the better. I can't wait til the survival mechanics are more developed and stuff like sickness, starvation, infection, and dying from zombies become real threats. I guess the same problem I've had with this game for a while is that it's too easy to survive so people entertain themselves by shooting each other.

[igor-vk 909]

Surviving is not good enogh prize it self. Maybe skills will be more revarding. If you get important skills as medic or mechanic, maybe you wont rush to PvP.

[odin_lowe 3686]

I mostly play as a lone wolf survivor type, and similar to you I fix my own goals and such. 

But I have to admit that I like PVP from time to time. It gives a great adrenaline rush that I've never had in any other online fps/tps game.

Of course, I often find the pvp silly since the net-code is all over the place, and too often you kill or get killed because what you see on the screen (client based) isn't what's actually happening on the host. (server based)

We'll see how it turns out, with the new mechanics, new predatory animals, new player controller, new weight system and stamina system. We'll see, as for now, we're in a placeholder software that still needs lot of love and caring to take shape.

[emuthreat 2837]

9 hours ago, Kohlbar said:

For real, survival makes this game feel much more fulfilling than any old boring PvP game. To me the more challenging the survival is in this game, the better. I can't wait til the survival mechanics are more developed and stuff like sickness, starvation, infection, and dying from zombies become real threats. I guess the same problem I've had with this game for a while is that it's too easy to survive so people entertain themselves by shooting each other.

Try playing with 12 year-olds.  The survival struggle is still very real for them younguuns.

Are we there yet?  I'm hungry.  When am I gonna find an M4?  I'm thirsty.  My feet hurt.  I din't mean to shoot you while you were axing that zombie that hit me, my arm got chipped.  Oh crap, I left my gun at that helicopter back there; can we go get it?  Hey I just found some berries, they taste funny...

[barnabus 1708]

49 minutes ago, emuthreat said:

Try playing with 12 year-olds.  The survival struggle is still very real for them younguuns.

Are we there yet?  I'm hungry.  When am I gonna find an M4?  I'm thirsty.  My feet hurt.  I din't mean to shoot you while you were axing that zombie that hit me, my arm got chipped.  Oh crap, I left my gun at that helicopter back there; can we go get it?  Hey I just found some berries, they taste funny...

Yeah, they wouldn't know "intuitive" if snuck up on them and bit them in the ass with a bear trap.  Had one run a hatchback out of gas at a tent city.

 

Here's some more, Can I drive?  I am hyperthermic, can you store my gear in that bus if I die?  Do you want a pristine sparkplug?  Do you want a pristine spark plug?  Do you want a pristine spark plug?  Do you want a pristine spark plug?

 

Edited September 18, 2016 by barnabus

[-Gews- 7443]

For me it is a PVP game, not survival. What is there to survive from, if not other players?

Not hunger or thirst, just pick some apples and find a well.
Not the infected, they are useless and easily dispatched with rocks, pointed sticks or even base hands, but only if you want to, since they can't catch you anyways.
Not the weather, it's always been pretty mild and it is especially hard to freeze in this patch. 

Stairs, rocks, ladders and glitchy vehicles, I guess?

 

There is the so-called "survival" which is not really about surviving, but about crafting all the homemade items like bows, fishing rods, stone fireplaces and leather clothing. All of this, of course, being completely unnecessary, and making it harder, not easier, to keep your character alive—although that's only due to the inefficacy of the crafted weapons against other players and the time spent sitting next to bright campfires. Which is fine, it can be a fun challenge or a peaceful activity, but it's not "survival".

 

 

Anyways: my favorite PVP is when I come across people unexpectedly in remote areas. Unfortunately it doesn't happen that often. I prefer clean kills, which means ranged weapons and getting the drop without them noticing until it's too late. Melee is too hectic and not very satisfying. Why this game? Because the long gearing up process creates more excitement and fear of death on both sides.

[barnabus 1708]

38 minutes ago, -Gews- said:

Anyways: my favorite PVP is when I come across people unexpectedly in remote areas. Unfortunately it doesn't happen that often. I prefer clean kills, which means ranged weapons and getting the drop without them noticing until it's too late. Melee is too hectic and not very satisfying. Why this game? Because the long gearing up process creates more excitement and fear of death on both sides.

That's not "PvP".   PvP means BOTH players are aware of the other and are there for the purpose of competition.  There's nothing competitive or "sporting" in what you call PvP and that's why I avoid people like they are the plague.  So, it is a survival game alright, I survive the murdering little chicken shits and back shooters.  I have managed to evade people on public servers since .60 came out, the only deaths I have had have been vehicle glitch related.  Oh I have been shot at, even hit, but I have gotten away every time without combat logging, which is what, 9 times out of 10, the turd who shot at me does when he realizes his ambush was shit.

[-Gews- 7443]

2 minutes ago, barnabus said:

That's not "PvP".   PvP means BOTH players are aware of the other and are there for the purpose of competition.  There's nothing competitive or "sporting" in what you call PvP and that's why I avoid people like they are the plague.  So, it is a survival game alright, I survive the murdering little chicken shits and back shooters.  I have managed to evade people on public servers since .60 came out, the only deaths I have had have been vehicle glitch related.  Oh I have been shot at, even hit, but I have gotten away every time without combat logging, which is what, 9 times out of 10, the turd who shot at me does when he realizes his ambush was shit.

Do you expect folks to walk down and announce their intentions? 

One should always be aware of one's surroundings. That's how this game works. If I spot them first, they failed, and vice versa.

 

 

[Kohlbar 270]

52 minutes ago, barnabus said:

That's not "PvP".   PvP means BOTH players are aware of the other and are there for the purpose of competition

To me that is PvP both players know what they're getting into when they join an open server. They know there are other people around that could kill them at any given second. Veteran players will respect this fact and treat every building as a breach, scout dangerous areas before going in etc. However, I still think this is a survival game. Yes, PvP is a huge part of that survival (as @-Gews- mentioned it's about the only one that works as a challenge atm). I enjoy PvP the most when the other person poses a significant threat to me and I have to make a decision to engage, run away, talk. I know a lot of people who play this game ONLY to be in PvP situations though, and I think that takes all the excitement out of it.

[barnabus 1708]

1 hour ago, -Gews- said:

JDo you expect folks to walk down and announce their intentions? 

One should always be aware of one's surroundings. That's how this game works. If I spot them first, they failed, and vice versa.

 

 

What I expect is interaction.  Not the long distance interaction of a bullet in the brain without so much as a how do you do.  If that's your style then good on you, what ever.  The people I kill have, for the most part tried to kill me first (most people just can't shoot in this game) or are an obvious threat, running at me chain saw raised.  Not just some Joe Schmoe I happen to see running down the street who doesn't even know I am there.  To me that's not interaction, that's just being a shit for no particular reason..  I'll leave Joe to you, hopefully he's just bait to draw you out.

 

Edited September 19, 2016 by barnabus

[Funkmaster Rick 373]

I generally play lone wolf. I'm a fan of AK-74s for their versatility and penetrative qualities; they'll shoot through wood doors when you're breaching. Great for those tricky home invasions. Flashbangs were fun for a while, too, and when you can sneak up on three or four guys and flash them, you just have to do it.

Most of the time, I'm not even looking for PvP, but it'll find me anyway. I do my best to assess intention when I'm watching someone, but from a distance. I've been burned enough to err on the side of caution. I frequently aim to evade and avoid, but sometimes that's not an option. And sometimes I think to myself, "This way this guy moves makes me think he'll shoot me if he can. If I let him live, there's nowhere nearby I can be totally certain I'm safe. Might as well take him while I've got the drop on him."

Sometimes I kill for sport. Sometimes I'm a bad person on DayZ.

What I actually like about the PvP, however, is the fucking adrenaline. You work for a good gear set in DayZ. You're invested the minute you make a significant step towards endgame. Shotgun? Backpack? Bomber jacket? Invested three times. When you're camping and waiting for someone to walk into your killzone, it can be fucking boring. It's not fun, it's mean and silly. No, what really makes DayZ great is when you fucking stumble onto somebody completely by surprise and you've got two choices:

Show him you're human and hope to make a friend, or aim to be the first on the trigger and make sure you're walking out of this one. Welcome to DayZ, man, how's your day been?

[odin_lowe 3686]

A lot of good opinions here, varied too.

This is what makes DayZ special. It's different for everyone, and in the end there is really no "right" way to play. But there is a wrong way to play: implying "your" way is the right one. 

Safe travels survivors. 

[Buakaw 274]

On 19.9.2016 at 1:04 AM, barnabus said:

That's not "PvP".   PvP means BOTH players are aware of the other and are there for the purpose of competition.  There's nothing competitive or "sporting" in what you call PvP and that's why I avoid people like they are the plague.  So, it is a survival game alright, I survive the murdering little chicken shits and back shooters.  I have managed to evade people on public servers since .60 came out, the only deaths I have had have been vehicle glitch related.  Oh I have been shot at, even hit, but I have gotten away every time without combat logging, which is what, 9 times out of 10, the turd who shot at me does when he realizes his ambush was shit.

I would take no pride in that. Running away from people shooting at you is riddiculously easy in this game. Hold sprint down and swing your mouse around.

[Volcanogod 28]

Maybe i am in a bush, perhaps i am on top of a building, i could be behind that next door you open... yes i have had your head in my crosshairs but i didn't shoot i let you continue on your journey unaware you are being observed. I prefer to survive, stalk and unless threatened i likely wont shoot you. My play style is all about how long can i follow you before you spot me or you manage to elude me. See its all about the thrill of the hunt, stalking my prey knowing that anytime i could end their life. I'll be your shadow and if someone threatens you my pet, I shall send hot lead through their fleshy bits because no one harms my toys while I play with them.

 

 

[Samuri_Bake_Pie 96]

To put it simply, PvP is survival because of the player base

[Tudor M 0]

Haha, you guys are chickens:)) the theme that this game has picked(survivalism) blends very very well with PVP combat. I get that you folks don't necessarily enjoy the PVP, but saying there's no skill involved in it and boasting regarding how you run away from people is just lame. Some of ya are scared shitless not to lose your loot, that being why you 'enjoy' just surviving. Removing PVP combat from this game would make it unplayable for me personally. The thrill of meeting a player(regardless of how the confrontation ends) beats farming deer or chicken in the countryside. My 2 cents' worth

[Reg Park 160]

I'm sure it's been stated already in this thread, but i'll repeat it --PVP so thrilling because it takes time to loot and gather the gear, you rather not lose it. Also, it's VERY easy to die in this game (by other players mostly) so you always have to be watching your back, especially when you're alone. I don't think there is any other game that compares to the adrenaline rush than in this game. I wouldn't have nearly 3000 hours if it wasn't for the enjoyment of PVP.

[hleVqq 139]

I love PVP, but hate how people just hoard stuff and put it into bases. The most fun is had when you're actually in need of gear, thus attempt to loot military areas and encounter PVP situations there. But if one has a base, there's less need to go to a military area, unless it's purely to find people to kill. Camping can get boring, it's much more fun to have multiple reasons, in my case it's gearing up as well as killing players with potentially valuable gear.

[ShaneRetter 20]

For me, pvp is a massive part of the survival aspect itself. I'm not at all a 'shootie, stabby' kind of person ....but I look forward to the day that this game becomes so difficult, that I consider in-game murder a personally justifiable survival tactic. I will say though, I think once the difficulty level increases, or more rpg aspects are included, you may see a more 'realistic' kind of PVP develop, as even hostile players will be more invested in their characters life.

This is a post apocalypse simulator after all ...and when you play it as one, the pvp threat becomes a lot more fun, even if it's not your individual play style.

[eno 1049]

PvP is a necessary evil that allows you to kill someone, cut them up and then force feed their fresh spawn their old dead body raw- especially if they were dicks.

There is definitely an intriguing challenge in reading a situation, interpreting someone's actions, assessing their movements or communication and certifying a situation either cold or hot. I'm quite proud to point out I went about 1000 hours without killing someone other than in 1 situation I can think of where it was shoot or eat a fire ax... Up until that point I'd always just roll over and play dead hoping to bore the opponent to death with my cowardice. That changed after awhile... and now the big fun in the threat of PvP is in that constant assessment and control of a situation where you really don't pose any REAL threat to anyone (their character is disposable and you don't threaten a person in real life- ie: it's hard to negotiate when you have nothing to lose) other than their gear and their time it took to accumulate it. So picking the battles that you know you can win if it goes that far versus staying clear of the ones that might be "close." Taking the chance of approaching someone in hopes that you may actually be able to help them- then assessing their actions as someone who may actually be baiting you or delaying you until their cavalry show up... 

I hate the sensationalism the youtubers have drawn to pvp since being loud and fucking obnoxious seems to be the norm in basically every situation- and I think it's inspired a really shitty proliferation of screeching fucktards within the dayz community... but they're actually pretty easy to avoid if you stay off the beaten trails between the coast and the airport or other military installations- in the woods with your camp and a low profile... just doing your own thing and picking a fight on your own terms. I do like the fact that I get to choose. 

Edited November 19, 2016 by eno

[BCBasher 2465]

Avoiding it, failing that successfully disengaging.

That's what I enjoy about PVP.

I had my fill of shooters over the last twenty something years and the main thing I like about DayZ is it doesn't keep score and you simply win by not loosing.  

Edited November 19, 2016 by BCBasher

[☣BioHaze☣ 7337]

[bfisher 561]

I don't know why people downplay the PvP aspect of this game.  PvP has been a major part of DayZ since the early days of the Mod.  And the concept has deep roots in both zombie specific and more general post-apocalyptic fiction.  

Maybe it was less of an issue in the Mod where you needed most of your bullets to kill zombies (which attracted more zombies and wasted more bullets).

There are a couple of things that make PvP fun in DayZ:

* The constant tension that unseen someone(s) might be watching you and might attack you at any second.

* Finding evidence that unseen someone(s) might be watching you and might attack you at any second (bodies, distant gunshots, discarded broken loot)

* Stalking an unsuspecting player, trying to decide if he's worth approaching and striking up a conversation with, killing outright or avoiding altogether

* Striking up a conversation with another player, and deciding that it's time to kill them because they are acting suspicious, weird, annoying, or you just feel like it.

* That satisfaction of killing some jerk who just tried to kill you and failed.

* Making a new friend and the two of you kill someone else together!