Zombies / The Threat.

[dsand@hotmail.co.uk 0]

This is a slight ramble from me but it does lead to a valid point, so..

Seriously? What threat are zombies now?

Over the last few updates I've seen their vision, and heading reduced and their line of sight altered. This game has become so easy now, the only threat to my life is bandits - and being a bandit myself, and always in a group means I'm reasonably safe.

The leg damage zombies could do previously was nothing short of brilliant, it was the only thing to make up for their lack of sight and sound detection. It evened the odds for them a bit - and it made the zombies a real threat - which is what they should be, and most they most definitely aren't a threat now.

In a world where theres nothing but zombies, you shouldn't be able to really head anything anywhere apart from the odd groans of zombies around.

The fact I can shoot (even a pistol) - and 300-400m away my team mate will hear it, but 100-200 meters away, and further, no zombies will. If I shoot anything, it will echo for a few blocks, yet only the zombies 50m close to me will hear it. The sight I have less of an issue with, as maybe they should rely on sound more for detection (if you run or crouch run too close - and make too much noise.

Basically what I'm trying to get accross is, zombies are meant to be the threat in this game, not PVPing (ironic coming from a bandit?). Players will start to team up if theres a constant threat against them. Bandits more often than not are north, however, the zombies are everywhere, and there either isn't enough of them, or they aren't doing enough.

I would suggest that if a player is in elektro cherno or whatever city, and a player shoots a weapon, EVERY zombie within 300m should head it and start heading that way - whether they all run, or the zombies within 150m run and up to 300m start walking - I don't know. This is the discussion I'm trying to create.

In my opinion, if you made zombies the real threat - players would just go about killing eachother in cities for a can of beans.

If a player shoots they need to know they're attracting a whole horde by doing so - and really, a horde should be able to take down a player, yet 2+ should be able to deal with a horde. If this games made harder, not only will it be more exciting but will promote teamwork which i what I see alot of bitching about on the forums.

I've been playing all night - and it was when I was playing I realised this. When there are zombies I just run, its so easy to get rid of them - and it shouldn't be if there so hard to attract in the first place - it eitehr has to be harder to lose them or easier to attract them - otherwise I can see people doing what I've done for the last few hours, running through towns dragging the zombies into the woods and leaving them there without firing a shot.

Before this week, I never survivied more than 4~ days, and usually died because of zombies, or getting killed by a player, through giving myself away by alerting zombies. I'm on 7 days alive now. For the first time - and with the current state of the zombies its just too easy. When I die, it won't matter - I'm just going to run straight through whatever town I spawn near, get the essentials and head north - losing zombies along the way, not that I'll attract many. Its a shame. I love the concept of this game - but I used to be careful and fearful.. but whats the point when theres not much to be afraid of?

PS. Apologises if I went on a bit and it may be a bit in and out but I'm knackered - I had to write it now so I wouldn't forget. I want a challange when I loot!

Edited July 21, 2012 by prodigal

[TheDesigner 1197]

The challenge with looting is the players, they are the true fear in this game. If you are looting somewhere were players aren't common, then you aren't ready for a more fearful game, since you are avoiding combat.

[dkmintz 28]

I would agree that if you exploit certain mechanics then yes it would seem too easy ie just lead all the zombies away n let ur buddy loot the stuff to share/log out and never see him again.

However i play solo. I find it easy enough in small towns to loot, but in a large town, with a fair few zombies criss-crossing it can get pretty nervy.

I guess all im saying is, dont exploit the mechanics. The game cant be perfect in alpha and a fair few of the posts here seem to expect a AAA title in an alpha build (not that i necessarily mean yourself). The groundwork is being layed for the most awesome game of all time and i think a little patience should be exerted and a little understanding exercised.

The game is a sandbox, but in the sandbox there is a climbing frame and that is where the most fun is to be had

:)

[rutok 4]

I agree with prodigal. The zombis right now are not enough of a threat. For some reason they seem to be unable to hear pistol shots over distances longer than 20-30 meters.

Maybe they wont be as easy to loose when they can really run indoors.. but i guess even then they will be pretty easy to loose because you can break line of sight around corners & stuff.

@DKmintz: you dont need to exploit anything. breaking line of sight with a horde is way too easy and then they just stand there. Also there is no need to mention the alpha state again. Im pretty shure everybody posting

here knows that the game is in alpha. And the reason (i think) prodigal made this post was just to draw attention to the point.

There have been a few changes to zombi behaviour in the past. We should just continue to change the parameters until we find something that is truly scary.

It makes sense that zombis dont aggro when you are sneaking through a building and they walk by outside.. however they should not loose aggro when they are running after you and you just run in and out again.

[dsand@hotmail.co.uk 0]

I have 17 muders and 3 bandit kills on my current character. I do not avoid combat, I personally relish it - its the only time I really shit bricks if I'm tracking someone who knows I'm after them and I lose them - for example.

This was more to the point of - surely you should be more afraid of the zombies than other players? Or equally, at least.

I also understand the game is in alpha and essentially "still being created" however, I mentioned the fact the recent updates have made the game easier in terms of zombies when infact it should be harder. I don't log out to avoid zombies or players (which is what I consider to be the most abused exploit of the game mechanics so far which I'm sure will be resolved in time). The fact you can crouch run through a city into any building? We need to be forced to go prone and ninja it, wouldn't that be the reality of this situation?

I'm not perfect, maybe I'm looking at this situation from the wrong angle - but its the general idea of zombies being more of a threat to make people team up together a bit more (or at least when you first spawn) - like, instead of agreeing with people to help eachother out it would create this unwritten understanding of, if there are zombies coming at a building your in - you look accross the room to someone you've never seen before and you both instantly know your going to have to fight together to survive -and if one shoots the other he has to know hes going to get hunted by zombies, and probably die alone. Bit of a 'Lost' reference in there ;D

Edited July 21, 2012 by prodigal

[dkmintz 28]

Bashir & prodigal

Fair enough you made your points and i do agree with you both completely; zombies should be harder to compete against and should be the main threat, or at least a comparable threat to other players. And as was said the parameters will be changed over time until the happy medium is found.

I do agree that solo survival should be to the point of impossible, and the only solace to be found is in large numbers where military precise excursions are required to loot towns for shared resources.

[daniel_coates@hotmail.co.uk 4]

Good points, i think when someone fires, zombies should run to that direction, not directly to the player who fired. They should run to the general direction of where the noise came from and start to attacking on site, also they should be able to hear shots from a lot further away, hopefully he will implement these changes or some changes soon, instead of adding things that we don't need (bear traps, dogs etc).

[SystemiK 366]

Basically what I'm trying to get accross is, zombies are meant to be the threat in this game, not PVPing (ironic coming from a bandit?).

Actually, Rocket has stated exactly the opposite of that in several interviews. He essentially said that since AI will always be inferior to human intelligence that the real threat in DayZ would be the unpredictable ways in which we can interact with each other.

This entire experiment has very little to do with zombies, and a great deal to do with the ways people will interact in a sandbox such as this.

[Nashy08 8]

The players are meant to be the true fear drivers in this game. Like someone else said, look at almost any zombie film. They all show that humans are a much bigger threat than zombies, fuck, look at The Walking Dead. They have many human encounters with gangs, another group, and this new season looks like it'll be very driven by humans trying to control humans. Zombies are mindless predictable creatures, humans are much more interesting.

[01da 218]

The players are meant to be the true fear drivers in this game. Like someone else said, look at almost any zombie film. They all show that humans are a much bigger threat than zombies, fuck, look at The Walking Dead. They have many human encounters with gangs, another group, and this new season looks like it'll be very driven by humans trying to control humans. Zombies are mindless predictable creatures, humans are much more interesting.

Yeah... Maybe something actually happens this season.