Some inspiration from S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

[DiscoRobo (DayZ) 0]

While in shock with S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 being cancelled and all, I was reading about this mod and watching some gameplay. The looting and player interaction dynamics made me think "Wow, this is like a S.T.A.L.K.E.R. MMO... just without anomalies, artifacts, and mutants. Like, all the stuff that made S.T.A.L.K.E.R. better than just a vanilla zombie apocalyptic setting (which it had that too)."

So I was thinking about roaming anomalies, practically magical artifacts, random special mutants, etc, and I have to wonder:

Would/could any totally-not-S.T.A.L.K.E.R. elements ever be added?

I'm not saying "Lets burn in the gaze of The Eye of Sauron infringement lawyers!". Lots of games have copied elements of other games in functionality without legal trouble.

Also: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is dead. I know that.

But you have to admit this is THE game of any game that should have roaming anomalies, artifacts, and rare special mutants. Just the zombies as the sole catalyst for player interaction gets a bit meh after long enough.

edit:

Look:

Anomalies:

Urban exploration is actually interesting and dangerous in itself!

Artifacts:

Something besides ammo and beans! Something not directly required for survival that still helps! Something rare enough to be genuinely worth killing for!

Special zombies/mutants:

Something besides 100,000,000 identical zombies!

[thorlax 32]

no that's not what this game's feel is about... its meant to be a realistic post- apocalyptic survival game

[ytman18@gmail.com 9]

Personally, and I don't think it belongs in this incarnation, but I'd want any retail game with either a subscription fee/guildwars style to try and explain away us respawning.

I'd personally like a very basic surreal background where the concept of Valhalla is put to use in this undead land. Please never go overboard with the scientific-mythology and I'm not sure if 'anomalies' would fit (but it would give an exploration flavor to the game)...

But yes. I like Dayz for what it is right now and don't think any flavor things should be attempted. Instead save those for the potential retail release.

A really good book that reminded me of DayZ a little is Dhalgren. Basically "Freedom to do whatever".

I also thought of a nice tag line for the retail game ^^;

"My Freedom at your cost."

[Redrick (DayZ) 72]

I don't think you could so far as to add anomolies and artifacts, but no doubt you could add things like "creatures" in the forests in the wild. Not like packs of them like zombies, but perhaps spawn 10...beings similar to that of the bloodsucker to spawn on the map. These beings are powerful, with lots of health, but they are so rare they are almost never seen.

I can't even think of a design, maybe just an oversized bear to keep the realistic feel?

[DiscoRobo (DayZ) 0]

I can see it not belonging in this incarnation, so early in development, but you do realize:

Eventually "flavor" WILL have to be added.

You might like the game now, but you will get bored of it long before development is finished.

its meant to be a realistic post- apocalyptic survival game

With the living dead. That can die of gunshot wounds but never need water or food. BECAUSE THESE ARE SO MUCH MORE "REALISTIC" THAN MUTATED WILDLIFE.

Just being on the ARMA engine with decent firearm physics and a bleed system does not automatically make a game "realistic", nor does it automatically outlaw equally or even less outlandish things than it already has.

[ytman18@gmail.com 9]

Yeah I'd want flavor in a retail release. I'm all with you on that.

But this is alpha and is mainly the gameplay foundation.

[thorlax 32]

alright i understand what you mean with that but still there's a difference between INFECTED living people(not living dead) and anomilies and mutated animals. where did the mutated animals come from? its a human virus that turned them into infected and anomalies as a bit more than infected people, and about the food thing... why do you think they are trying to eat your face off? lots of food and water in your body....

[robin-hood 0]

I DESPISE the mutants and anomalies and all that crap. I couldn't disagree more.

[DiscoRobo (DayZ) 0]

Look:

Anomalies:

Urban exploration is actually interesting and dangerous in itself!

Artifacts:

Something besides ammo and beans! Something not directly required for survival that still helps! Something rare enough to be genuinely worth killing for!

Special zombies/mutants:

Something besides 100,000,000 identical zombies!