Do you think DayZ should be more frightening?

[The Poacher 31]

After reading a few threads on the forums, the idea came to me that Day Z is not scary at all; and that the game stands to gain much if it gained more survival horror elements. I'm sure the thought has occurred to others as well, but I'd like to see what the community thinks and create a discussion.

Here are some threads that 'inspired' me.

http://dayzmod.com/f...-urban-legends/

http://dayzmod.com/f...-found-a-radio/

Edited July 19, 2012 by The Poacher

[Jorden 63]

I think ghosts and shit would just be completely out of place. The game COULD be creepier though. Random zeds in the forest (1-2 of them wandering around, roaring and screaming) would be a good idea.

[rallye 89]

I dislike your poll. Why do the scares need to come from Zombies? Wild animals would be more than enough. Packs of wolves, wild dogs, bears and the occasional mountain lion + zombies + players should be more than enough.

Imagine getting stalked by a mountain lion through a downpour at night? /shudder

Edited July 19, 2012 by Lobo

[[email protected] 9]

I find for me starting off a new character and playing on a night server gives it some creepy elements considering it's pitch black for me and all I have is the light of my torch other than that option 2 for me.

[The Poacher 31]

I dislike your poll. Why do the scares need to come from Zombies? Wild animals would be more than enough. Packs of wolves, wild dogs, bears and the occasional mountain lion + zombies + players should be more than enough.

Imagine getting stalked by a mountain lion through a downpour at night? /shudder

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll add that option.

Also I'd like to point out that no player can really scare me. Piss me off, maybe, but scare me? Lol.

Edited July 19, 2012 by The Poacher

[rocket 16567]

I voted:

I don't think Day Z needs supernatural horror but needs to be creepier (see the 'I found a radio' thread)

[The Poacher 31]

:)

[chefwillis 33]

I voted:

I don't think Day Z needs supernatural horror but needs to be creepier (see the 'I found a radio' thread)

Couldn't agree more. DayZ is already an emotional trip. But it could be made into so much more with some creepier ambiance, sounds, textures, etc... It would be great to see.

[rallye 89]

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll add that option.

Also I'd like to point out that no player can really scare me. Piss me off, maybe, but scare me? Lol.

Running around thinking you're alone after several hours and a shot landing right next to you doesn't make you jump? Gets me every time.

[Ankhenaten 111]

Running around thinking you're alone after several hours and a shot landing right next to you doesn't make you jump? Gets me every time.

I jumped at the first thunder I heard lol.. :D

[blaf 63]

The poll seems pretty biased

[LeOverlord 150]

Voted adding animals in wilderness...

Also anyone that says this game isn't scary obviously hasn't played in pitch black night with nothing but a flashlight and a hachet

[Rising (DayZ) 99]

Adding anomalies throughout the land ala STALKER would be epic, but it would also never happen.

I do think there needs to be more elements of horror, because running through forests atm is almost as bad as pulling teeth

[Mays (DayZ) 154]

Needs to be scarier imo.

[The Poacher 31]

The poll seems pretty biased

I'm not exactly a professional poll maker, so please offer me a suggestion to make it seem less biased. I've already added an option because of someone's suggestion.

Edit: also seems like most people (including Rocket!) want dayz to be creepier! :)

And no, gunfire does not freak me out personally. I hate being an internet hard guy or military sim vet cliche but really, I've played ARMA enough that coming under fire doesn't really bother me.

Edited July 19, 2012 by The Poacher

[01da 218]

Add ponies.. Would scare everyone shitless.

[Wazza 274]

I vote Neeeeigh for ponies.... sorry

[wolfstriked 143]

A way to make the game scarier,or rather creepier is a better word for it,is to add more placeables all over the map.I just started Dayz from last night and was in the village called Krasnostov.Sun was just coming up and I realized that this is the most immersive town I have been to yet(can anyone point out a more detailed town?).Its like a war went on with barricades everywhere.I then see an enterable house in distance and when I get close I see that the grass has started to enter into the entranceway.It just looked like its been a year or so since anyone other than the infected has been in that house.And overall the grass everywhere was out of control it seemed.

This got me thinking how enterable houses could tell a story in a way.Little kids bodies strewn all around,people hanging from rafters in barns,molding plates on tables as if the family as eating then got eaten themselves etc tc.Abandoned cars in strategic places,like down in a valley after person lost control driving off the cliff right next to it.And the military men you see strewn all over.When your crawling in grass thru a village and come upon a military dead person,this should be a military spawn point.Military weapons and equipment but of course at very low rates.I understand that spots like the NWAF are a necessary evil to allow the PVP players a battlefield but that sucks since I do not wanna be sniped.;)If instead I could walk up dirt roads deep in forests and stumble upon military vehicles with chance to spawn something good then I would be happy.

[athrins 39]

I am super-extremely happy you made this thread and that Rocket replied to it is sugar on the tit, or whatever.

I'm lazy when it comes to making threads or write-ups, but I meant to make a suggestion thread about " I don't think Day Z needs supernatural horror but needs to be creepier (see the 'I found a radio' thread)". Now I can go back to tearing my hairs out over servers rejecting my bad version.

[tufting 21]

DayZ is an extremely tense game anyway, so why not make it even more tense :D

Ghosts and anything extra like that would take the game to basically something completely different, we don't want 1000 different types of creatures and monsters and shizz around every corner.

I'd like random weird noises, slight things to creep people out a lot.

Also dramatic music when running away from Z's would be good :)

[01da 218]

Also dramatic music when running away from Z's would be good :)

[The Poacher 31]

Yeah, just based on Rocket's opinion I think we can expect a creepier environment as the game progresses! Thanks for the replies everyone!

[Dronax 33]

music wont work, cus personally i turn off music so that it dosnt hinder my ability to hear, footsteps/gunshots, etc..

i remember when i first started playing the game i was so scared it was rediculous, just the sight of a minefield of zombies ahead of me got my nerves on end. However, after i realized how to manipulate the creatures they became more manageable.. lets assume logging out and despawning them isnt an option.

you fear what you dont know... i think this could be a good thing to work off of. when you know that zombies can be easily kited into a barn and picked off one by one, why nt just sprint into town and hit the first barn you see.. Or if you know that a zombies aggro range is a certain thing, you dont fear them coming after you... the game could be scarier just from the addition of zombies that cannot be manipulated or read.

diablo 3 has a system where rare mobs have specific abilities which make them unique (i know it was a bad system that was part of the downfall of d3).

the point i am making is what if these zombies were each unique, a random generation, so that they arnt all the same.

I am not saying to give zombies magma paths and laser beams or the ability to spit acid.

Think more realistic. Some zombies run where some zombies dont, Maybe some will dive and attack you where as some zombies will lunge at a longer range. Not all zombies can be ditched in the forest, some hear you better where as some see you better.

Like I said, you fear what you dont know, and once enough people realize what the limitations are of dayz and its mechanics, the pve portion will become less fearful.

P.S. plz dont troll me cus I mentioned d3, I know there is probably a lot of dislike towards it, I was just trying to use an example.

edit: The scariest things I always found in games involving undead were the addition of children... you add a crying child or two into the small corners of some buildings or a closet next to where someone is looting... thatll scare the crap outa me any day

Edited July 19, 2012 by Dronax

[athrins 39]

DayZ is an extremely tense game anyway, so why not make it even more tense :D

Ghosts and anything extra like that would take the game to basically something completely different, we don't want 1000 different types of creatures and monsters and shizz around every corner.

I'd like random weird noises, slight things to creep people out a lot.

Also dramatic music when running away from Z's would be good :)

Please don't have the game make use of random ambiance that does not reflect the actual environment. It takes away from the experience after a while when you start discarding sounds as literally being caused by nothing at all.

If all noise in the game would come from actual physical objects it is sure to be a lot more scarier hearing a metal object dropping on concrete a dark and silent night in the center of a small town.

I would love more scary background music, though :) I like the music currently in place, but I'd like more variety and something to make things feel a bit creepier. :)

Edited July 19, 2012 by Athrins

[Matchew 9]

Revive. I would definitely like a touch of that "howling wolves/creatures of the night with slithering mist under blue moonlight" feel.

Edited September 17, 2012 by Matchew