NPC's in military areas

[spawn (DayZ) 217]

we all know zombies pose no threat to players really. How about adding in some AI soldiers that patrol these areas. Soldiers just like in Arma and just as good of shots. airfields would be a much more hostile area and face it the army would out live civilians. If you think that civilians with no protection would live longer then soldiers with weapons and in numbers and medical services your wrong. The arm of these soldeirs is to protect and kill anyone and anything. This means people would want to go to an airfield in groups and gear would be much harder to get

[vision1776 42]

Dont see why not...

but here comes the people who will say: "NPCs will never be in the game.."

[Doctor_sloth 119]

Dont see why not...

but here comes the people who will say: "NPCs will never be in the game.."

I think this one can see into the future.

[Afgoo 114]

Are zombies NPCs?

[SystemiK 366]

My intent was to say this is a very bad idea....but then.....what the hell, it might turn out to be a nice addition to the game. Only one way to find out...

[spawn (DayZ) 217]

Imagine all the hackers porting in and getting killed by these NPC's who can shoot just as well as players. but there is no gain for the hackers to kill them except a zombie kill count or something. these guys are just like the arma 2 AI Soldiers. then you have a group and you say lets go to the airfield. in real life you wouldn;t go alone. at least then you cant be a fresh spawn who runs to the airfield with an axe and get fully geared in minutes

[Combine (DayZ) 247]

I like it. One more hazard!

"NPCs will never be in the game" HURRR

I wonder what zombies are...

Heck, you could put them in some area where no one would really notice. Or make them roam the area.

[spawn (DayZ) 217]

Zombies are no more of a threat then a cow. how many people have died from an actual zombie. I mean becides a glitch where they run through a wall and KO you and you bleed out. I know I have never actually died from one becides something like that.

now patroles of AI soldiers would work as well. to think that a civilian with a bandage and a torch would out live the entire defence force is just stupid. Throw in another threat or make the zombies much harder to kill

[The True Nova 22]

How about instead of Military AI's walking through military camps and airfield zones, instead have random groups of 5-8 soldiers roaming the world itself. Would present an actual danger in the wilderness and plains. These AI's would be all located inland so no issues of running into unarmed people on the coastlines.

Some exceptions will have to be made and idea will need revision but just a base thought on how it could be.

[spawn (DayZ) 217]

its a thought and i think a good thought. as long as there is another threat. i mean the could increase the number of players on a server but more AI's that pose a threat is different because players usually play smart or will leave when being shot at. AI's will hunt you while they can see you but then stop maybe.

[hoik 415]

All NPC's will just end up being exploited IMO - and then become stale. Create tools to let players take on NPC-like roles :) .

[ThatGuyCalledReptile 314]

Hows about survivor NPC's

They have military grade loot on them but act as the Normal ARMA II Ai does.

They're hostile and shoot on sight.

[Bravo-Two-Zero 57]

Don't know if anyone played against Arma AI with AI difficulty on maximum setting, but I surely will not want to engage any Arma AI without a sniper rifle from a safe distance. They may be dumb, but as soon as you're spotted you're in for a world of pain.

[Womb Raider 92]

Unless it is player made, not going to happen.

[spawn (DayZ) 217]

yeah that could work too ThatGuyCalledReptile but then if they have good loot on them that is rare the only people that will be able to ikill them will be people with sniper rifles who will sit back and camp their bodies picking off players trying to loot them. If the AI's had nothing attractive for people to kill they would be one anoying obstical no one will want to see

[Combine (DayZ) 247]

Survivor npcs? Will / may encourage S2K / SOS mentality since the guy running / walking / crouching there may be an NPC.

I'm all for hostile NPCs with distinctive skins or roles, and also equipment. Equipment would have to be "okay-ish", nothing too cheap perhaps (unless you add a "crazed survivor NPC"), nothing out of the ordinary either.

Let's take hostile soldiers with some sort of quarantine order or so. Squad-size, mostly rifles, maybe one marksman with a CZ or so. Basically a big threat compared to zombies, but nothing to "farm". You can't mess with them with shit gear, but can't rely on them for good gear either. Good balance, I think.

That's just a rough aspect, though. Many details should be considered, but I generally like the idea of a more ... "filled world". From a realistic standpoint it makes sense.

Sure, the military surely took casualties, since they had to move in to fight or contain the stuff. But it's silly to assume they all got slaughtered / did not abandon post when shit hit the fan. I mean, come on. These guys had tanks, a command structure, APCs, trucks, jeeps, weapons, training, menpower. Nothing speaks against a few squads or some sort of presence being around, or roaming around.

Of course, in a hostile way. Friendly? Not sure how that would go, and people could just "farm" them then. Or maybe you could add some sort of "ID system". With the right skin, they could ignore or help you? Say, if you have camo / ghillie clothes. Or heck, if they ever add more clothes, you could possibly have a cop / doctor / soldier skin yourself and maybe interact or go with them.

Just some thoughts.

[spawn (DayZ) 217]

good post Combine

[Axxassin 49]

i dont think that npc are a good idea to add in the game. the best thing they could add is different types of infected(not that left4dead kind of crap but stronger stats and different models for the zombies)

[spawn (DayZ) 217]

they would still be too easy to kill but. I mean you just run away from then and run down a kill and they break their legs and die. If not then you run to a barn. If AI soldiers were there you would have not to worry about the zombies 1m away from you but the AI soldiers who are hunting you as well as the players. if there are any players but you dont see other players all that often unless you look for them

[xDIx Revenge 51]

PvP over PvE in this game. You kill NPCs (which are the zombies btdubs). Doing so is an act to get items, to further yourself. That you can then choose to use to kill or help other survivors. Really we just need more tools in construction, and team building then more NPC's to exploit. Plus i rather the idea of being lone survivors, i kinda RP that we get washed up on the shore from a shipwreck or something out to sea (that id really like to be a kinda looting zone, a bit off the coast so its along swim, but good to travel to by boat). Chernarus has already been overrun by the infection, you just kinda got thrown into it, and are now trying to survive. I don't think, from the way things look, the military lasted long. All the camps you go to soldiers are dead on the floor, their "secure" positions overrun by zombies.

Anyway, by all means im not completely against NPC's or different types of threats being in the game. I don't see it as important, or something id find more fun, just something else to counter. Shooting them at a distance would probably be the exploit, whereas zombies is just keep running, or horde to a building then kill. Roaming wilderness zombies is what i'd rather, running through a forest is literally as easy as watching TV holding W atm.

[Combine (DayZ) 247]

I just had a nice thought!

What if you replace the ZOMBIES in military areas with actual SOLDIERS / COPS?

Imagine the airfield with all the nice loot! Stary Sobor military camp! Other places?

I mean, no more "loot farming". Normal case? You just have to get rid of the zombies there, that is not too hard. Then you just have to hope there's no player around and you can loot, heck, even jump around servers until you're good.

But what if there are soldiers instead of zombies?!

Get what I mean? It may also encourage the coop aspect, since loners would hardly be able to rush the airfield with all the soldiers. Even a lone sniper may have problems, since they return fire with a group, or maybe even have their own sniper(s)!

It would add a bigger challenge other than just players. Again, despite the tweaks, I imagine zombies to be something easy to get rid off with decent equipment or tactics. With soldiers, you could also not sneak between them, obviously. Hurr.

The stuff lying there would truly be "high-value" loot then, if soldiers would replace zombies in some locations. Like the airfields, and Stary Sobor. Maybe not Cherno tents and fire stations, since they're mostly in starter areas. Or you could add cops with (cheap?) pistols, who may be hostile.

Of course, in that case, you'd have to tweak respawn times, I think. If you clear an area of one or several squads, it should remain "safe" for some time. Again, details have to be discussed and conisdered ... and even tested (It's an Alpha. Nothing to lose, besides some gear). But the rough direction is, in my opinion, something worthy. We should take the step as a whole, as community, with the devs, if they deem this step worthy, too.

And hey, we can still test it. If it does not work well, we just go back and head in another direction.

[spawn (DayZ) 217]

exactly what I think would be a great addition.

[Argus (DayZ) 3]

Obviously giving the soldiers, Minimum gear though, To avoid player farming?

Aswell, They only respawn at server reset?

Also, Some zombies still spawn near the airfield and DO attack the guards? >=D

Would be quite interesting.

Binocs and watch them get over-run. >=)

[Combine (DayZ) 247]

Good idea, argus. You could mix it, too. They could spawn at the outer area and move in that direction, and of course usually get shot down.

But no respawn (apart from server restart) would be "too easy" for other groups who arrive later on, when most may've been shot. Maybe something like every 15 minutes, or 30? Something like that sounds okay-ish. Or every 40 minutes... etc.

[spawn (DayZ) 217]

yeah now we are talking. hope rocket reads these. maybe make the soldiers less powerfull or not very accurate otherwise it may be very hard to survive without a sniper rifle. but it will add an extra threat that no1 will expect or want