The Four Adversaries in Zombie Survival

[imabstract 1]

While thinking of ways to make this game more realistic I came to categorize what I see as the 4 threat groups one must deal with. While the first three are pretty self explanatory the fourth is one, that if strengthened, will add a new dimension to this game that no one has seen before.

The four adversaries are the following:

1. Players

2. Zombies

3. Yourself (in terms of food, water, medical supplies, etc)

4. Environment and Weather

Each of these touch the rest. They are not islands, but dynamic variables.

The last one, environment and weather,is the one that could use the most change. I know the limits of the engine most likely will not be able to handle the stress of all I am about to talk about, however it is something that should be discussed in the future.

Right now, about all the weather does is lower our temp when it rains and helps hide us a little more. What I would like to see is seasons implemented. Two week rotations of the four seasons. Summer is extremely hot, water supplies may dwindle and finding beverages are scarce since everyone wants them. You can get heat exhaustion if you do too much running. You need frequent breaks in shade or water to lower body temp. These kinds of things.

You can think of fall and winter as more of transitionary phases between the two main extremes. I want winter to be brutal. I mean absolutely brutal. Want to stay outside for awhile? You better go loot and find thick clothing or you can die from hypothermia. Water sources as ponds and lakes freeze over. How will you access water? Food becomes scarce. Matches and axes once again become priceless, because without them you freeze to death. This will really shine in ARMA3 when all houses are able to be entered and with underground areas. People will have a home and base, instead of a few tents in the woods somewhere.

Weather should be one of the driving forces in this game because it is in life. An easy way to foster more positive player interaction is to make this game so unforgiving that the only way one can survive is to group with others.

Just a few random thoughts. Sorry it is not more professionally written. I am at work, so I am writing this hastily in my free time.

[Orphen (DayZ) 14]

+1

Anything to make this game more difficult.

[L0G!N (DayZ) 149]

I agree, but for this to work there needs to be a lot added to the game. Clothing slots in inventory, fires giving off heat, the body temperature (first fixed) then influencing more things. Catching the flue. And running should generate heat, while weather temperature and humidity influence body temperature as well. Different clothes with different insulation properties. The ability to build basic shelters. etc and so on...

And spring and autumn are notorious for fog, rain and storms, summer tends to be hot (and storm if it rains), and winter is cold and snowy. So each season can have it's own challenges.

So yeah, great idea but it need a lot of 'side things' to make this work.

[deadantelope 0]

Awesome but i don't think winter should be so harsh till it is out for Arma 3.

[KWilt 157]

I'd love to see changes in seasons, but I don't know if it's actually even possible at the moment. I think you'd have to physically change the map every season. Plus, you're going to need to have someone actually make them in the first place.

Even then, though, a lot more work needs to go into DayZ before we get to this. Clothing needs to be fixed, primarily.

[imabstract 1]

I'd love to see changes in seasons, but I don't know if it's actually even possible at the moment. I think you'd have to physically change the map every season. Plus, you're going to need to have someone actually make them in the first place.

Even then, though, a lot more work needs to go into DayZ before we get to this. Clothing needs to be fixed, primarily.

Agreed. There are much more pressing concerns such as disconnects, hacking, exploits, etc. I do want this game to be more tough. This last patch was a move in the right direction. Zombies actually are scary again. I can wait till we have more of them. Given the sizes of electro and cherno there needs to be much more. Sadly, I do not know if the engine can handle such a load without major optimization.