Fear and Fire Starting

[Thatgingerkid 15]

This is two suggestions in one post. Feel free to tell me what you guys think of these suggestions, but keep it somewhat constructive please.

Fear

With this latest patch, Zeds seem a little too easy, yes? You can just run through a city, Zero Fucks Given, and eventually lose 30+ zeds by bobbing and weaving between buildings or trees and bushes. Its just a little too simplistic.

So I propose this; when being chased by more than 10-15 zombies, there is a fear mechanic. Lets say a 15%(or more) chance to trip(instantly throw your character prone from full sprint).

This adds more of a reason to be careful in towns and citys. This would also work when not running. Say you hide in a building with a gaggle of them chasing you. Make the character do the screaming as if they are being eaten. This makes noise, making them more likely to keep following you through said building.

Now of course there needs to be a way to circumvent this. I say make a use for those empty whiskey bottles. They don't call it liquid bravery for nothing. Spawn full whiskey bottles. Make said whiskey eliminate the chance for this fear or reduce it to an almost nonexistent amount.

Sure if you drank an entire 1/5th of Jack or Jim you would be pretty hammered, but most people also don't drink an entire canteen of water or can of soda in one gulp so lets keep it simple.

If you want to be hard-line about it you could make it have the same effect on your accuracy as running for about 100 meters but I don't think its necessary.

Fire Starting

This one is a lot simpler. Since matches are so damn hard to find for some people(I admit I have had trouble finding them sometimes, other times its one of the first things I find), allow people to start fires with road flares.

It is absolutely in the realm of reality that you can start a fire with a road flare, even if the tinder is wet.

The trade off for this is that with road flares you have to throw it, then pick it up, then with it in your hands, light the fire. This leaves you much more open, as well as giving yourself away at night time.

So, discuss. Also if either of these have been posted before I apologize. I did a quick search and didn't find anything so I made the post, but I may have missed it since I didn't look past the first page :blush:

Edited July 19, 2012 by Thatgingerkid

[Jenga22 22]

good ideas, the element of fear and fire starting are two great concepts i agree with fire but the fear hmmm will have to think about it :D

[Jenga22 22]

one thing tho, the fire lighting should be with your hunting knife and a flint instead of road flares :D

[Thatgingerkid 15]

one thing tho, the fire lighting should be with your hunting knife and a flint instead of road flares :D

I thought about this too, as magnesium stripes are fairly cheap and easy to get. However, that would just be adding another item to the game and would be just as hard to come by. I was looking for a simple work around that had pros and cons but was still very simple.

[Tatakt 50]

man, my survivor is not that scared that he screams and throws himself to the ground :D! the Fire thing is a good idea though. but the fear part is not something that every player would like..

[Thatgingerkid 15]

man, my survivor is not that scared that he screams and throws himself to the ground :D! the Fire thing is a good idea though. but the fear part is not something that every player would like..

Nobody liked when one zombie could break your leg with one hit from 12000 blood either but that was in the game for a time lol. I just think it could be worth a shot. This IS an alpha and the point in a game where DEVS can try different stuff and see how it works out.

[Jenga22 22]

Nobody liked when one zombie could break your leg with one hit from 12000 blood either but that was in the game for a time lol. I just think it could be worth a shot. This IS an alpha and the point in a game where DEVS can try different stuff and see how it works out.

Agreed :D

[ColdCamV 20]

I have to agree with the fire idea, I hate having every tool to get cooked meat..except the matches to start the fire.

As for the fear idea..it would be a concept to look into, yeah people will complain about it being unfair and what not but its all about between finding the balance between the realism their after/still being a game. I reckon it could work with the sprinting and then going straight to prone animation, it slows you down but still gives you the time to get up and go again, you might suffer one hit but other than that its still a good idea.

[Thatgingerkid 15]

I have to agree with the fire idea, I hate having every tool to get cooked meat..except the matches to start the fire.

As for the fear idea..it would be a concept to look into, yeah people will complain about it being unfair and what not but its all about between finding the balance between the realism their after/still being a game. I reckon it could work with the sprinting and then going straight to prone animation, it slows you down but still gives you the time to get up and go again, you might suffer one hit but other than that its still a good idea.

Yeah I should have clarified it more. I didn't mean once it knocked you prone you couldn't get up. Make it just like real life; if you are running for your life and you trip, you are going to do everything in your power not to fall. And if you do fall, you are gonna get up as fast as possible and continue running.

You are correct though, balance is key. However, this is the point in the game's development to find that balance as far as I am concerned.

[DoktorMoshaaver 0]

I like the fire idea but the Fear Idea would be a little to hard to manage for a few reasons, the first being that some people don't get scared while others get really scared. It's sort of like adding in a poop mechanic..... maybe you can hold in your poop for a long time but I can't. When you get to stuff like that.... it's hard to really decide on.

Edited July 19, 2012 by DoktorMoshaaver

[Ribano 46]

could you use a hunting knife and scrap metal perhaps?

[Thatgingerkid 15]

could you use a hunting knife and scrap metal perhaps?

Yes but scrap metal is more in need for vehicles. It actually serves a decent purpose. Flares however are completely useless in the day time, and at night it is only good to throw them FAR away from you and not get near them yourself. Using them to start a fireplace would make them more useful.

[[email protected] 18]

i like the fire idea

[Baelethal 102]

I'm not sold on the fire idea. Find matches. There shouldn't be a "work-around". Either you have the supply to survive, or you don't.

As for the fear, I'm not sure. I am pretty sure that Zombies are broken currently because they've been trying to fix the DC to drop threat thing--Zeds in town are easy as pie since they seem to be all stationary. And if the zed happen to be working, and you're aggro-ing hoards of zed like crazy, you're doing something wrong anyways. Once the zeds are working better, there may be no need for a "fear" mechanic.

[Thatgingerkid 15]

I'm not sold on the fire idea. Find matches. There shouldn't be a "work-around". Either you have the supply to survive, or you don't.

As for the fear, I'm not sure. I am pretty sure that Zombies are broken currently because they've been trying to fix the DC to drop threat thing--Zeds in town are easy as pie since they seem to be all stationary. And if the zed happen to be working, and you're aggro-ing hoards of zed like crazy, you're doing something wrong anyways. Once the zeds are working better, there may be no need for a "fear" mechanic.

The Zeds standing still is an unintentional bug having to do with their spawns. I've seen some servers with a few, I've seen some with nearly the whole of Cherno at a stand still.

As for aggroing a hoard, I do it all the time. Whats the point of being stealthy if I can run into a building and lose them on the other side. Or run in and just pop them when they line up single file. I would like it if I didn't have to do this, but I would also like if the Zeds didn't bob and weave to avoid gunfire.

On topic for the matches, its not so much a work around as it is an alternative. Just like the fact that you can raid cities or supermarkets for food, or you can hunt animals. Starting a fire with matches is easier, and less likely to give you away. However, if you haven't found that tool yet, but you have found a wood pile and killed an animal, why not be able to still start a fire.

I just remembered something as well. I am fairly sure you can light and put out a fire as much as you want without matches. All the matches allow you to do is make a fireplace. This needs to be changed so that a pile of wood can be used to create a fireplace.