Starting gear based on the past.

[Winterborn 27]

We'll this might have been brought up before but I don't think in the same way as I would suggest it.

Just imagine, you respawn and right after choosing if you’re male or female you get to choose a profession and/or character “trait” which you practiced during your live before the infected apocalypse.

But hear me out!

I’m not gonna start rambling about different skill sets because in my opinion a skillbar or something like a huge perk tree would destroy the players emersion into the game.

What I’m talking about is just giving your character a bit of a background story so that you can relate easier to your character (or not at all if you want to) and in that way also giving you something in return to show for your old life in the form of different starting gear depending on what profession and “trait” you chose while respawning.

First of all I don’t like the idea of starting with weapons so that’s out of the question.

(Also if one choice would grand you a starting weapon then everybody would be picking that specific choice just to get the weapon so that’s a no go)

For example: (gear listed below is added extra to the starting gear that we spawn with now days)

-Past profession:

Mechanic => spawns with a toolbox

Doctor => spawns with a shot of morphine

Hunter/forest ranger => spawns with a hunting knife

Soldier => spawns with a water bottle

Office worker/ pizza boy/ every day job => spawns with a watch

…..

-Past traits:

Smoker=> spawns with matches

Afraid of the dark=> spawns with a military flashlight instead of a normal flashlight

Raver => spawns with every color of chemlight there is in the game… LOL

Drug addiction=> spawns with a box of painkillers

Prepper: “I told you so!” => spawns with a can of beans

…

Well I guess you guys get the idea, some feedback or some more past professions and traits would be nice^^

note: pardon my English I’m used to speaking Dutch.

EDIT: Examples given are just examples, It's about the idea ^^

Edited July 18, 2012 by Winterborn

[lkoopmann@gmx.net 10]

i really like the idea. did anyone here play mount & blade? The Starting gear of your character in M&B works the same. you choose different options from different aspects of your past and determine your starting gear through it. it´s pretty neat and pleases every gamestyle.

[Pyro =TFB= 0]

interesting lol that would be kinda neat, something along those lines.

[KrystoferRobin 67]

I think if this was entirely random sir, I could get behind it. Have some fuckin beans.

[Brudagon (DayZ) 64]

The options you laid out there weren't very good, but I like the general idea.

[tagg 13]

I was with you till you said the forest ranger part....

starting with a gun (though I suppose if it did not come with ammo it might not be as good) of any kind.. let alone a hunting rifle (CZ... <3) is a little OP... even without bullets...

THOUGH I WOULD LOVE THAT OPTION... and just have to find a clip xD... that would make my life that much easier.

otherwise.. yeah.. beans given! (maybe hunter starts with a range finder... or a simple pair of binoculars!)

[Winterborn 27]

Cool, didn't know mount & blade worked that way. I just see this suggestion as an easy and not to drastic way to "customize" your character.

[Winterborn 27]

Well guys it's not about the examples I make, I'm just talking about the concept XD

[con7act 29]

I am not really into this idea, why?

Because it would have like zero impact on your playstyl, since you run anyway just in the next city and grab what you can. (500meters of something different, that wouldnt even matter in anyway)

So everyone going to take Huntingknife or Matches if you start new, and a toolbox if you have a camp, and just run back to it after death.

I would like it if i could choose the skin i start with (non camo skins).

Edited July 18, 2012 by con7act

[DZR_Mikhail 2424]

I'd always prefer having matches and a knife. Now just walk into any house, get hatchet and you're safe.

But that's.... too easy :( Sorry, I'd like to not have such preoptions before game start.

[Winterborn 27]

I am not really into this idea, why?

Because it would have like zero impact on your playstyl, since you run anyway just in the next city and grab what you can. (500meters of something different, that wouldnt even matter in anyway)

So everyone going to take Huntingknife or Matches if you start new, and a toolbox if you have a camp, and just run back to it after death.

Yeah you have a point there, But i'm not talking about playstyle here, i'm talking about character emersion and getting something in return for it...

[Winterborn 27]

I'd always prefer having matches and a knife. Now just walk into any house, get hatchet and you're safe.

But that's.... too easy :( Sorry, I'd like to not have such preoptions before game start.

Again, point taken. Indeed some people will always go for the same choices because of specifik starting gear.

[adamtheheretic 106]

Not bad, people could survive much easier though... don't overly like that.

[mrwwa 2]

I kind of like the idea, but at the same time I don't.

Mostly because I like the game to be even in advantage. I don't want someone to be able to run for a long period somewhere and simply already have food or water to break with while i'm risking my live to find that stuff. The game has a bandit system, and the only way to keep that system balanced is to have everyone spawn evenly with nothing but a flashlight and small essentials. Just my thought though.

[vision1776 42]

In real life I would be spawning with a handgun, 2 mags, a knife, pepper spray, compass, whistle, flashlight. and lighter as well as with a %50 chance of spawning with an 870 and about 75 shells. Just saying...

[L0G!N (DayZ) 149]

If you change this idea to 'you only spawn with items from your 'past' and this is just 1 item, so no other start items! Then i could probably get behind this. I would probably add to it that every 'past' thing would have say 4 options and that it randomly picks one out of those 4, so you can't know for sure what exactly you will start off with.

This suggestion should also not lead to any restrictions on what you CAN do NOW, or how your character developes, and it should only have a very minor effect on any starting 'skills' if a 'learning by doing' kind of thing is implemented. To much advantages just make the game easier and character developement a joke...

Edited July 19, 2012 by L0GIN

[superwinner (DayZ) 2]

I was with you till you said the forest ranger part....

starting with a gun (though I suppose if it did not come with ammo it might not be as good) of any kind.. let alone a hunting rifle (CZ... <3) is a little OP... even without bullets...

THOUGH I WOULD LOVE THAT OPTION... and just have to find a clip xD... that would make my life that much easier.

otherwise.. yeah.. beans given! (maybe hunter starts with a range finder... or a simple pair of binoculars!)

Fool, he said hunting knife.