rewarding survivability

[WeTheFallen 4]

Observation, This is a survival game that does not reward surviving.

I feel there should be certain perks/benefits for lasting longer than day 0, i know there are many issues requiring more immediate attention but I hope that this sort of thing is being considered in the long term.

Screw the "last stand" or "martyr" kind of stupidity from cod. But perhaps dayz could offer small perks(small =not game breaking) helping to emphasize certain styles of play. Perhaps a player who has lasted say 5 days can randomly unlock sayyy a minor reduction in food thirst consumption, 10 days a very slight buff to low light vision... that kind of thing. It should be noted that the game would still favor realism, no perk for example would ever let you survive a 50 cal to the head.

Or maybe just living a total cumulatiive number of days would unlock new customization options for future lives. I know it would greatly aid replayabilty after a stupid deaths glitched hacked or otherwise.

This means that the bonuses would be helpful and desirable but would not unbalance the game. And if they were lost on death, it would not be the end of the world.

Maybee these perks could be selectable on spawn? or maybe they'd just be randomly spawed at certain lengths of days survived... heres just a quick thought.

Sprint- increased standing run speed.

Stealth-decreased zed aggro vis.

Fitness- reduced food thrist consumption

Endurance- +2000 blood max

quick reloads- 25% faster reload.

Improvised Web Gear- +3 active slots.

extra magazine pouch- +2 pistol mag slots

Tactical webbing- +4 bag slots.

Night senses- SLIGHTHLY brighter vision at night.

Fire Discipline- less sight swaying, reduced pain effect.

Durable- 10% damage reduction. Headshots ignore this.

Medic: 50% faster bandaging can morphine, *can temporarily splint broken leg?

Expeditionary force: spawn with camo outfit.

etc etc etc etcetc etcetc etcetc etcetc etcetc etcetc etcetc etcetc etcetc etc

I could rifle out small little non game breaking perks all day but im sure any one who reads this could throw their two cents in.

A feature like this will add more feelings of progression, It could give the carebears something to shoot for(pun intended), and cause bandits to not just kamakazi into cherno with an enfield.

Edited July 12, 2012 by WeTheFallen

[FunkyHermitCrab (DayZ) 95]

Problem: The "Days Lived" counter increases even if you don't play on a day and records real time days passed since the character was created.

[WeTheFallen 4]

hmm good point, perhaps hours lived/played would be a viable subsitution, Hell the perks could be unlocked via any means, zeds killed, headshots, times bandaged etc etc.

Edited July 12, 2012 by WeTheFallen

[Synergy (DayZ) 3]

If these perks were to stack, it we be very unbalanced IMO.

Having 'Zombies Killed' would be unfair to the really stealthy 'Sam Fisher' type of playstyle.

Edited July 12, 2012 by Synergy

[WeTheFallen 4]

haha i like that, yeah obviously they couldnt stack. like 1or 2 max but it depends i'd say. i guess the way to combat exploiting would be largely based on how they'd be implemented.

[veIimas 19]

Having 'Zombies Killed' would be unfair to the really stealthy 'Sam Fisher' type of playstyle.

But perhaps dayz could offer small perks helping to emphasize certain styles of play.

just saying

[Miragenz 71]

Then you would have to allow the player too chose what perk he wanted, that suited his playstyle.

[Paraguin 1]

I was thinking something very similar to this. I would love to see a perk system and just like your equipment, you lose all perks on death. I would like to see you unlock perks by doing things or earning perk points. Add goals that need to be met to unlock perks. That could add a whole new element to the game

[teppo 13]

Im thinking the time of your current log in should have impact on your health more than length of life. This would go against server hopping and logging out of difficult situations.

For example first ten minutes after log in youd have -2000 blood than you had at last log out if your last session lasted less than 2 hours (and after 10 mins logged youd have it back). This would compound if you kept logging out/in without 10 mins at one server at a time making excessive server hopping difficult/impossible. After 1 hour logged your max blood would rise to say 15000(youd have to eat to get there), stay one more hour and youd carry that max 15000 to the start of next login and for as long as your each login would last at least 2 hours.

Well there could be perks for length of life on top of this, but length of login I think is more important.

[Onihane 3]

I do like this idea. There are many other one could gain perks through playing the game, ill list some. Some are already mentioned just putting em here cause I like them. :)

Players transfused - give em a medic perk that has a % chance to save the item upon use

Players total broken bone count - give em stronger bones after x amount of bones broken

Players total distance ran - better run speed or maybe longer sprinting without heavy breathing after x meters ran

Players total low temperature meter - + resistance to cold after x times flashing temp meter maybe

Players total shock count - + resistance to shock trauma after x times in shock

Players total blood loss - + slow blood regen and no color loss from blood loss after x amount of blood lost over players life

Players total zombie kills - zombies are less likely to detect you because you are the scourge of their kind! (this is to say once zombie agro is where it needs to be) or maybe better rewards from zombie bodys after x kills.

Players total pain killers used - after x pain killers used to stop shakes player gains x resistance to said status.

Fitness- reduced food thrist consumption *make it based off food and drink consumed at flashing count*

I think as long as blood or bullet damage resistance isnt altered, everything should remain balanced gun wise, but with perks like these you should perform better in a fire fight or as a group surviving together. I do like the idea of having days survived apply to something awsome that you could gain, I just cant think of what a good thing would be for that without it being to OP.