"Increased rare spawn chance" incentive to not be a bandit

[JPgator96 2]

First of all, I have absolutely no problem with people playing the bandit role. It's a legitimate and very effective way to survive and obtain great loot. After all, people carry around items which are most useful, and leave behind loot which isn't as worthwhile. It just seems as though there is no reason to not kill other players, even if one would rather play a "good-guy" survivor role, which I personally would enjoy more. Since bandits are able to acquire better loot through banditry, which again I think is perfectly fine, survivors should also have a better chance obtaining good loot. I would suggest that survivors who do not commit murders have a slightly higher chance to spawn rare loot, sort of like magic find in diablo 3. I'm not even sure this is something that can be implemented based on how loot spawns, but having an increased chance to spawn better items through exploration, and through the good "karma" which comes with not shooting every person you see, I believe, would motivate more people to play the survivor, rather than bandit role.

After reading some other posts, it seems that many suggestions include some penalty for being a bandit, which there really shouldn't be. In this case, there is absolutely no penalty for bandits. Loot spawns just the same as it has, and they suffer no physical consequences. Survivors just have a slightly increased chance for rare spawns, which to me at least, seems to level the playing field a bit, and may make more people consider playing as "the good guy."

If this mod is attempting to simulate an actual zombie apocolypse situation, then there would most certainly be incentive for some not to shoot all human beings they come across, based on their own moral compass. Many value life higher than treasure, and even in an apocolyptic world, I'm sure many would maintain that stance. This being a video game just removes one's moral compass entirely, and having a slightly higher chance to spawn rare items based on the good "karma" of not murdering all you come across may just add a little human compassion back into the game, which would most certainly still exist in a real world situation, at least for some.

The fact that one's "humanity" is tracked by the developers shows that there is some intent to incorporate morality into this game. Saying that, "...this is dayz... there is no right or wrong..." goes against what it appears they are trying to do. Right now, morality is non-existent. If the devs intend to keep the humanity based system in place, there must be some sort of incentive to maintain a good morality. If not, then just get rid of the system entirely. I'll continue playing either way, because this is already one of the best gaming experiences I've had in a long time.

Edited July 18, 2012 by JPgator96

[SGTFledge 43]

We all start out as "survivors", when we spawn with only our starting gear. The line between bandit and survivor is difficult, especially concerning in game mechanics. If those who kill other survivors would be penalized, would I end up losing that chance for rare spawns just because I killed someone in self defense?

If you're going to add incentive for not turning bandit, you gotta draw the line where one goes from survivor and bandit, and find a way to make that line non-exploitable and very clear in game.

Until then...Madness.

[StickyNote 25]

That's kind of a penalty for killing people.

Regardless the better gear is for PvP anyways. I think that's part of the problem. Who needs nightvision to kill zombies

[z-layrex 175]

I kill other people on sight, but I don't consider myself a Bandit, I just think you'd be stupid not to. So no we shouldn't be penalised in any way.

[sixbarns 217]

Sounds like even more incentive to hunt players.

[Wentworth Miller 5]

That's kind of a penalty for killing people.

Regardless the better gear is for PvP anyways. I think that's part of the problem. Who needs nightvision to kill zombies

It isn't necessarily just for PvP and having nightvision so you can find your way around zombies in the pitch black without using flares, torches or chem-lights is a godsend. Not only that but trying to get somewhere during the night is extremely difficult so once again, nightvision is a godsend.

In complete agreement with SGTFledge and z-layrex here.

Edited July 18, 2012 by Wentworth Miller

[Justin619 11]

why do people keep making posts about negative effects for bandits. it shouldnt have any negative effects whatsoever, and people who dont kill players shouldnt have any advantages. pvp is part of the game. it shouldnt be discouraged. *rant* >:(

[StickyNote 25]

It isn't necessarily just for PvP and having nightvision so you can find your way around zombies in the pitch black without using flares, torches or chem-lights is a godsend. Not only that but trying to get somewhere during the night is extremely difficult so once again, nightvision is a godsend.

In complete agreement with SGTFledge and z-layrex here.

Nightvision probably wasn't the best example. More along the lines of the top of the line sniper rifle in this game, or a ghille suit. Completely unnecessary with dealing with zombies, yet we all hunt them down, and their only real benefit is towards PvP.

Regardless, by the time you find nightvision, you're probably already decked out well enough to not need to rely on it.

[JPgator96 2]

I don't think there should be any negative effects for bandits at all. A humanity based system is currently in place and tracked for each account. Without an incentive to increase your humanity, that system is meaningless. I love the pvp aspect of the game. It adds to the suspense of approaching a highly-valued area. And getting a bandit kill sure feels a hell of a lot better to me than getting a murder. I'm just making the observation that without some incentive to not kill each and every player you come across, then there is no reason to even track humanity, or even label players as bandits or survivors. And just making a suggestion as to what that incentive could be, in order to validate the humanity-based system. I don't think that missing out on slightly higher rare spawn chance penalizes bandits who farm players that already carry better loot to begin with.

But I agree that this couldn't work with the way humanity is currently tracked, being that shooting someone in self defense still adds to one's murder count, as well as other problems with the tracking system.

Edited July 18, 2012 by JPgator96

[Southpaw (DayZ) 1]

Sounds like even more incentive to hunt players.

Exactly, I'm sure the OP never considered this. How increasing the survivor's chance of obtaining good items would simply mean more hunting by bandits and better rewards for doing so...

[JPgator96 2]

I was thinking that being better equipped may aid some survivors and deter some bandits. More survivors with NVGs or thermals would certainly give them an advantage over potential threats. But again, I think the increased rare spawn chance should be minimal, maybe 5 - 10 % at most. It would be entirely too much as soon as it becomes a penalty for those who choose to play as bandits.

Edited July 18, 2012 by JPgator96

[noairnowayout 1]

What if a bandit respawns and the two of you get into a gunfight, you win. If that happens twice then you therefore are a bandit and disadvantaged

[red_orchestra@msn.com 112]

This game doesn't need god enforced penalties. That's just fail and we have enough games force us down a railroad of how it wants us to play it.

[JPgator96 2]

Rocket has stated that humanity is a feature which will have a role in the future, even if it isn't currently relevant. It seems that maintaining a good humanity will have some sort of effect on gameplay, and that there will be some incentive to not commits murders, as the game is further developed.

[Womb Raider 92]

why do people keep making posts about negative effects for bandits. it shouldnt have any negative effects whatsoever, and people who dont kill players shouldnt have any advantages. pvp is part of the game. it shouldnt be discouraged. *rant* >:(

They get killed by bandits and get frustrated by with Day Z and come on the forums and post about how to fix bandits and how to fix pvp, it gets very tiring.

[govnogaming 52]

Are the people here going against this guy stupid? He's actually giving you the perfect way to get rarer loot without working as hard. Why kill a survivor on sight and try to loot him, when you can just get a survivor (new guy you may know in real life, or whatever) to loot heli crashes and what not for you? That way, the bandits get advantages by, instead of killing on sight, they kidnap on sight or manipulate survivors to work for them.

People are so uncreative here. They all think shoot -> loot -> run away. If you don't kill the survivor, and he has a 10% higher chance at NVGs spawning, then you basically have an infinite 10% booster until he gets a murder or becomes a bandit. I would love to trick my friends and community members to loot shit, just to take it from them without actually killing them. Haha.

[JPgator96 2]

They get killed by bandits and get frustrated by with Day Z and come on the forums and post about how to fix bandits and how to fix pvp, it gets very tiring.

Don't know how many times I have to say this... nothing wrong with bandits and nothing wrong with pvp. I've killed, been killed, refrained from killing, etc... all just part of the game. Just making a suggestion as to how to make the humanity system meaningful, and give incentive to maintain a good humanity since there is none at the moment. Rocket obviously intends to make some use of it in the future.

Edited July 19, 2012 by JPgator96

[Flatline 32]

The loot system don't work like that, it's not WOW.

As has been stated a million times:

Don't nerf banditry. Just make it easier to work as a group. Give incentives to teamwork, not penalties to bandits.

[JPgator96 2]

The loot system don't work like that, it's not WOW.

As has been stated a million times:

Don't nerf banditry. Just make it easier to work as a group. Give incentives to teamwork, not penalties to bandits.

I realize my post was long, but I said that I didn't even know if it was something that could be implemented based on how loot spawns. I also said many times that there should be no "nerf" to bandits, however that word is thrown around these days. I've come to the conclusion that many people simply read thread titles, and then post reactionary responses.

Edited July 19, 2012 by JPgator96

[Rising (DayZ) 99]

They get killed by bandits and get frustrated by with Day Z and come on the forums and post about how to fix bandits and how to fix pvp, it gets very tiring.

Just wait until the game dies when most people get bored of dying to bandits and leave. The n you can relax i suppose

[red_orchestra@msn.com 112]

Just wait until the game dies when most people get bored of dying to bandits and leave. The n you can relax i suppose

I've been killing everything I see and the player pop only grows. Weird. I even killed a group of 4 survivors today, best weapon they had to defend themselves with was a crossbow, lols.