Zones

[MarikLaw 3]

Had an idea to introduce Zones into the game. Fairly straight-forward idea actually.

GREEN ZONES

Green Zones are small villages which have been fortified and are guarded by NPCs with guns. These places are zombie free and will allow survivors to trade supplies with other survivors or trade them with an NPC merchant. The NPC merchants, however, should be quite bastardish and their trade values for items should be rediculous to prevent people from just farming garbage and trading all of it to them for food or ammo. These Green Zones are also where players can Group Up (there needs to be some kind of "Party" system in the game to be honest). Green Zones aren't very big, and often only occupy maybe a few buildings in a village (if not just one big building).

Anyone who tries to kill another player inside a Green Zone will immediately and forever be identified as a bandit (at least until they die) and NPCs will shoot them on sight (if and when they detect the player). Also, players who commit too many murders will be marked as Bandits by NPCs, meaning if they are detected by NPCs they will be shot on sight. This gives survivors a safe haven from bandits while making at least some downside to being a bandit (you chose a dangerous lifestyle in the apocalypse, you should continue to live it, no wussing out halfway through).

YELLOW ZONES

Yellow Zones are areas around Green Zones that stretch for about a kilometer in every direction. The good part about yellow zones is lower zombies numbers and sparse NPC patrols which help protect against bandits. The downside? Item spawns are much more rare. You can still find weapons and ammo, but they'll usually be bottom-of-the-barrel weapons and ammo will be scarce.

So long as bandits keep an eye out for patrols they should be able to act within a Yellow Zone fine. If they kill a non-bandit player, however, they will have 10 seconds to loot and book it before NPCs spawn nearby to come and investigate the disturbance. This gives bandits enough time to swoop in, scavenge a kill, then swoop out before help arrives. Bad bandits who take too long will probably get owned by the arriving NPCs.

RED ZONES

Red Zones take up the vast majority of the map and are where all the good stuff spawns. Food and drink spawn more frequently than in yellow zones, weapons and ammo spawn more regularly (though are not common by any stretch), and so on and so forth. The downside? Zombies, lots of zombies. Also there's no NPC security force out in the Red Zone, so it's a bandit's paradise out there. You get killed out in a Red Zone by a bandit or group of bandits? Too bad, should have been more careful.

HOW THIS EFFECTS SURVIVORS

This will give Survivors a safe haven to catch their breath, trade, group up with other survivors, and not have to worry about bandits. If a Party system of some variety is introduced, the only way to join a party should be if you are a Survivor and only grouping up inside of a Green Zone. Players who group up into a Party will have friendly fire turned off (but only to those inside the group) and players will not be able to leave the group until they go back to a Green Zone or log off (this is to prevent abuse and trolling).

HOW THIS EFFECTS BANDITS

Bandits remain pretty much unphased by the concept of Zones apart from the additional threat of being blown away by NPCs in Yellow or Green zones. Their attire doesn't change, so they can still try to decieve people. They don't have tags so they can't be pointed out from a distance. Business as usual for Bandits. The downside is that Bandits won't be able to benefit from the Party system. Why? You're a bandit, other bandits shouldn't fully trust you and you shouldn't fully trust them. Any alliances or groupings between bandits should be described as Alliances of Conveniance at best, alliances which should be able to crumble at the drop of a hat. As a bandit, your friends are expendible, especially if they have stuff you need. Only the Hardcore need apply.

[dcskill 117]

da fuk? A safe haven in DayZ? Are you mad?

NO WHERE IS SAFE.

Decent concept, but it won't go well with this game.

[Womb Raider 92]

A. NPC patrols will never happen, the only way you will see patrols is if they are player made.

B. There will never be any safe zones in Day Z.

[Dazed 80]

God no, safe zones? Get a group of survivors together and make your own safe zone.

[Zetal 90]

This doesn't belong in DayZ, sorry. You may want to look into The War Z. It's much more casual.

[outlawxxable 10]

I think safe zones would be nice. fuck all you idiots

Edited July 27, 2012 by outlawxxable

[snafuu (DayZ) 30]

Instanced areas, including underground bases, are a great idea. NPCs and mechanically enforced safe zones are not. It will never happen.

[RunningScared 4]

Green Zones are small villages which have been fortified and are guarded by NPCs with guns. These places are zombie free and will allow survivors to trade supplies with other survivors or trade them with an NPC merchant.

I only had to read this.

You should change games immediately.

[vision1776 42]

I only had to read this.

You should change games immediately.

Dont understand whats wrong with the idea if you can still be killed in there. A zombie apocalyps wouldnt be anarchy forever...

[Lapis 4]

I love it. Just remove NPC's entirely and green zones.

[RunningScared 4]

Dont understand whats wrong with the idea if you can still be killed in there. A zombie apocalyps wouldnt be anarchy forever...

Why would I want to be protected by an NPC guard when I can and should be protected by a guard who is an actual player?

[vision1776 42]

NPCs that guard is not that bad of an idea. Who wants to stand around for countless hours guarding a town in this game just so people can trade and there be some sort of order in place to deal with murderers?

Currency is one of the first things that would appear to create order and NPC towns that are guarded for free trade and residence would appear. Look at Water World or Jericho.

[RunningScared 4]

I love it. Just remove NPC's entirely and green zones.

You forgot to mention removing the yellow zones also.

[RunningScared 4]

NPCs that guard is not that bad of an idea. Who wants to stand around for countless hours guarding a town in this game just so people can trade and there be some sort of order in place to deal with murderers?

Currency is one of the first things that would appear to create order and NPC towns that are guarded for free trade and residence would appear. Look at Water World or Jericho.

If you want order to deal with murderers, form a real player coalition.

Bringing NPC guards into this game would ruin it, just like zap towers ruined Darkfall, and Intsa Kill guards ruined Mortal online.

Edited July 27, 2012 by RunningScared

[vision1776 42]

Why would I want to be protected by an NPC guard when I can and should be protected by a guard who is an actual player?

You protect yourself. NPC guards provide assitance and create law and order. Who wants to come in gunning and shooting to a trade camp guarded by soldiers? they are still free to do that if they want.

Lets be real, if you want there to be trading and barter like in a real life situations there would have to be NPC guards and some form of fiat currency.

[snafuu (DayZ) 30]

NPCs that guard is not that bad of an idea. Who wants to stand around for countless hours guarding a town in this game just so people can trade and there be some sort of order in place to deal with murderers?

Currency is one of the first things that would appear to create order and NPC towns that are guarded for free trade and residence would appear. Look at Water World or Jericho.

Sure, maybe we'll have that stuff eventually (population density permitting), but there won't be NPCs. If you can't put someone on guard duty in your future, player controlled, fortified area, then you're not as safe. It's a decision the players will make, just like whether your settlement will be open to outsiders or not, and whether enemies will try to infiltrate it or risk massive losses attacking it. Maybe if you didn't feel like leaving a guard around, the people attacking won't have such a hard time. That's up to the players.

[vision1776 42]

Instanced areas, including underground bases, are a great idea. NPCs and mechanically enforced safe zones are not. It will never happen.

No NPCs says who?

[vision1776 42]

Sure, maybe we'll have that stuff eventually (population density permitting), but there won't be NPCs. If you can't put someone on guard duty in your future, player controlled, fortified area, then you're not as safe. It's a decision the players will make, just like whether your settlement will be open to outsiders or not, and whether enemies will try to infiltrate it or risk massive losses attacking it. Maybe if you didn't feel like leaving a guard around, the people attacking won't have such a hard time. That's up to the players.

But who would want to guard a town for countless hours let alone just 15 minutes? Its a game, not real life. Thats why for boring roles like that you need NPCs. Still dont see whats wrong with that idea.

[RunningScared 4]

Lets be real, if you want there to be trading and barter like in a real life situations there would have to be NPC guards and some form of fiat currency.

If you want to make a trade, you both meet in a designated area, and you both have your buddies concealed with sniper rifles aimed at the other guys head.

Problem solved.

If either of you tries to pull something funny, you both die.

Edited July 27, 2012 by RunningScared

[zython (DayZ) 196]

The thing that makes this mod so interesting is that every human you see is actually another human. NPCs would ruin the immersion.

[Kykle 1]

No NPCs says who?

Says us, the players.

[Partywaffle 24]

This whole zone thing would ruin the map and loot system of the game. More rare loot in red zone? Place where players can be shot on sight by npcs? Roaming npcs? No. No. No.

It's a well thought out suggestion, but it's not what this game should be focusing on at all. I don't think NPCs will ever be in Day-Z.

[xximrtwoixx 104]

What if I sit in the Red zone and shoot into the Greenzone? Or I fly my chopper over and throw out pipe bombs and then detonate them outside the zone? Can I farm the NPC soldiers for endless amounts of loot and food or are they some how immune to damage? Can I block off the town and starve them out, or cut off their supply routes for ammo? What about their raiding parties can I kill them off steal their gear and deprive the town of food/ammo?

This is why there can't be NPC's because it breaks the economy and immersion, there is no way to implement them without detracting from players freedom or contorl over the game world.

[zeeb 6]

Been suggested several times, been revoked everytime, sorry..