If DayZ was ever made into a stand alone game, would you be open to a single player experience (eventually) being included?

[xPandaHunterx 59]

This may be a bit lengthy, but I promise it is worth a read.

Just hear me out. I know that it's a cool thing around here to tell people who say that the game is too hard and what not to "go back 2 cod lolz."If DayZ was ever made into a stand alone game, would you be open to a single player experience (eventually) being included?

I'm not talking about making the game any easier than it is now, or changing anything that is currently in place. Multiplayer (the real DayZ experience) would remain untouched.

What I'm talking about is an "intro" of sorts. One for new players trying to jump into DayZ, and experienced players who want to learn more about the lore.

Now this is not going to be perfect, just a suggestion for what the campaign could be like that I am coming up with in my head while I write it.

The general Idea is that you are a part of a military squad who is responding to a terrorist threat (someone says they will destroy something). You are led to believe that it is a nuke. YadaYadaYada, chase some leads, a couple of dead ends. You know that the main terrorist and the bomb are somewhere in Chernorus.

You and your squad go on various missions across the map (for new players, learning the ins and outs of gameplay). You finally get a definite location on the main facility and you call in reinforcements (anyone see where I'm going with this?) Everyone breaches the facility, but the main bad guy has escaped, and you learn that It isn't a nuke he plans to attack with, it's a biological weapon.

To make a long story short, your squad (and all the reinforcements) try to stop him, but he unleashes it on the population. It is the zombie virus. With the native population turning and attacking the squads, the order is given to retreat. Everyone gets back to the coast and loads into the boat, leaving Chernorus behind. You learn that the terrorist is on the boat impersonating an officer (trying to get away from the bioweapon, which had unexpected results). You find him, big battle (many of the military are working for him, that's why you always seemed one step behind) it's chaos, everyone is fighting everyone. You find the terrorist, and kill him. Someone sets off an explosive, and the boat starts going down.

You drag yourself onto the beach with a group of zombies approaching in the distance, cut to black, credits roll. When credits end, it brings you to server logs.

Now, go to multiplayer, where you and the rest of the survivors from the boat have to survive in Chernorus. Some were loyal to the bad guy, some were loyal to you. Who can you trust? Who will stab you in the back? Scavenge, hide, find allies if you can. Kill if you must. Survive.

So what do you guys think? You like it? Obviously the story is a bit sloppy and cookie-cutter generic. Give me a break, I thought it up in five minutes. This obviously wouldn't be the real campaign, but it should give you an idea what I'm talking about. Without changing the existing game at all, this would give the entire thing a bit more meaning and purpose. Put things into context. Also, it would allow new players to get to learn how to play, not by looking at control schemes, but by actually playing the game.

Rocket has talked about adding endgame content eventually. Wouldn't a little optional story at the beginning make a little story at the end make more sense?

Thanks for reading, and I would love some feedback.

[LastPatriot 12]

This game/mod doesn't really have an "end" in the first place so why would it have a beginning?

The game is what the players make of it and in a way its a never ending sandbox/pvp/pve/survival game. No ending, no beginning, just a empty book that the player writes in what happens.

Edited July 26, 2012 by LastPatriot

[zython (DayZ) 196]

The marines fighting other marines because they were loyal to a terrorist disguised as an officer or whatever seems a bit far fetched.

[NoRegrets 495]

No

[Psyl3nt 125]

As far as a single player mode, sure, why not. I don't see it as a bad thing, it could be used as a "boot camp" for playing online aswell, like the tutorials in Arma II.

[orb917@hotmail.com 117]

i'm open to it. i wouldn't touch it though i don't think. i also wouldn't want it to diminish development of the core of dayz. the real fun in this game is player interactions. i also don't think single player would really help prepare new players too too much, since zombies do not compare to players challenge and tension wise.

oh also (edit), the story line stuff is planned to be subtle and in the background of the stand alone last i knew. newspapers and such scattered around for those who care enough to seek out explanations.

Edited July 26, 2012 by p1n34l

[unitus77@live.com 61]

Of course. I'm one of those rare breeds that always plays a games single player campaign before jumping into multiplayer to get a good feel for the game and know how everything works and functions. This way you atlest get in with good knowledge and can perform well. Especially in dayz where there's about 1000 different things you have to figure out. Instead noobs jump in and get lost and killed. Some say fuck this shit and leaves. Think if they had a campaign of avoiding zombies what loot to find good guns and which they like the best, etc... etc... I think it would definitely change the number of frustrated players leaving which lets face it is going to start to skyrocket.

Edited July 26, 2012 by unitus77

[xPandaHunterx 59]

The marines fighting other marines because they were loyal to a terrorist disguised as an officer or whatever seems a bit far fetched.

As far as a single player mode, sure, why not. I don't see it as a bad thing, it could be used as a "boot camp" for playing online aswell, like the tutorials in Arma II.

To zython, that's not how it would be, I agree that doesn't really make sense, I just needed to make up a reason for them to be fighting each other really quick. The main point I wanted to make is what Psyl3nt said.

It would let new players learn how to play the game by actually playing the game - at the same time learning parts of the map, and put a little context into washing up on a beach somewhere.

And someone above said that they wouldn't want to take away development on the main DayZ experience, multiplayer, and I completely agree. Multiplayer would come first. That's why I put "eventually being included" in the title. I'm talking about after it's through alpha and beta and finally released. Rockets team could work on it while responding to whatever drama kicks up at the launch. It could be released in a patch to the main game somewhere down the road.

Edited July 26, 2012 by xPandaHunterx

[random51 172]

No. I'm not interested in paying for a game that wasted resources on a throw away singleplayer experience. Singleplayer is a dinosaur that needs to be put into storage until technology has advanced to the point where we have really good AI. Until then it provides no challenge that doesn't involve behind the scenes cheating or overwhelming numbers, neither of which I find entertaining in the least.

[Hetstaine 10852]

I had a whole different type write up that i did for a site review, same as yours in that it was just a lead in to why you 'awake' on a beach, i will post it here when i get home and have acess to it, fairly lengthy, will definitely scare the tldr crew ;)

I am not too worried about a single player deal..but a lead in to the multiplayer could still be cool, if done right, i mean after you appear at the beach it is all your story anyway. But still , people probably dont want their char pigeonholed with a background not of their choosing, the way it is you just imagine it is yourself that has appeared at this moment in time for whatever reason.

Edited July 26, 2012 by Hetstaine

[Entaro (DayZ) 33]

Singleplayer sandbox lends itself to a Skyrim sort of experience, and that involves NPC's and quests. Seems (IMO) that DayZ should be centered around the survivors (players) meaning your experience should come through interaction online.

I could see some kind of tutorial though, like a Left 4 Dead Campagin, something that gets you familiar with the game inside of a few hours, nice little rollercoaster ride. I wouldn't favor any kind of meaty single player portion though - It'd detract too much from the sandbox multiplayer mode.

[xPandaHunterx 59]

I had a whole different type write up that i did for a site review, same as yours in that it was just a lead in to why you 'awake' on a beach, i will post it here when i get home and have acess to it, fairly lengthy, will definitely scare the tldr crew ;)

I am not too worried about a single player deal..but a lead in to the multiplayer could still be cool, if done right, i mean after you appear at the beach it is all your story anyway. But still , people probably dont want their char pigeonholed with a background not of their choosing, the way it is you just imagine it is yourself that has appeared at this moment in time for whatever reason.

I'd like to read that.

I'm really not campaigning for a single player that will suck developement time away from DayZ. I'm just trying to see how the DayZ community feels about a little more backstory being given.

[mio.rogvall@gmail.com 107]

There wont be a single player mode so just stop spewing garbage on the forums.

[xPandaHunterx 59]

There wont be a single player mode so just stop spewing garbage on the forums.

Your hostility is quite intimidating, good sir.

Now that we have concluded that you indeed have the larger internet testicles, I can tell you that my goal with this thread was to simply see how players feel about a bit more backstory for old players, and an intro into the game for newer players.

It would appear I have gotten my answer :)

Edited July 26, 2012 by xPandaHunterx

[#BASEDGOD 27]

More back story for old players? What story is in the game to begin with? You assume the role of a hapless civilian in a shitty world and attempt to survive encounters with ol' Zed and a bunch of ruthless, bloodthirsty humans.

If you want a heroic story, I'm sure the Hallmark Channel is looking for more writers...

[xPandaHunterx 59]

More back story for old players? What story is in the game to begin with? You assume the role of a hapless civilian in a shitty world and attempt to survive encounters with ol' Zed and a bunch of ruthless, bloodthirsty humans.

If you want a heroic story, I'm sure the Hallmark Channel is looking for more writers...

I actually completely agree with you on that last point. If this was something that Rocket might seriously look into, my only suggestion would be to not make it a generic cookie-cutter campaign like the one I made up. This is DayZ, and you're not the hero, you're just trying to survive.

Getting a Call of Duty style story where you and your squad rip entire armies to shreds would be many people's (myself included) worst nightmare. That is not what DayZ is. Totally agree.

Edited July 26, 2012 by xPandaHunterx

[Rek Seven 37]

Nah, there isn't enough to it for it to be a single player game.

Day Z reminds me a lot of Fallout 3 but while i was playing fallout i always wished that there were real people like me in the game (i.e. multiplayer) for the unpredictability and challenge.

I would rather all future resources be devoted to improving the game we have now because there aren't many games like this but there are plenty of single player zombie/horror games on the market already.

Edited July 26, 2012 by Rek Seven

[j.d. 7]

I think instead of making a single player campaign. There could be stories you can find on the way, while you loot places. Some of these may include journals, letters, tape recordings and so on. This could give you some insight on how some of the people of Chernarus either came to there bloody demise or found a way out of the hell hole.

Another good concept could be notes with map coordinates showing places that have awesome loot, or instructions on how the house owners prized possession is buried under the dog house outside.

Just ideas..

[Flurf 25]

I like how it would add some story line for the multiplayer to pick up on, but a single player sandbox as a whole..eh.

I don't really enjoy minecraft single player so I doubt I'd enjoy Dayz single player.