Why we need smart Zombies.

[Gemz 0]

I guess infection combined with blood mutation creates a zombie. However bitten humans with certain 'rare' blood-types are seen to have outrageous side effects, carrying over some human traits like the ability asses danger to make it hard for anyone to survive alone.

Wouldent it be great if players stuck together instead of kill one another on sight? Improve the quality of zombie behavior to improve the quality of the multiplayer behavior.

Any Ideas?

peace/cheers

jim

[ChrisLeonard 14]

Can see what your getting at, but i honestly dont think that anything is going to stop people shooting on sight :/

[Mos1ey 6301]

Harder zombies = looting players becomes easier than looting towns.

Two sides to that coin. I think you'd just see more groups of bandits instead of individuals.

[enforcer1975 1111]

Harder zombies = looting players becomes easier than looting towns.

Two sides to that coin. I think you'd just see more groups of bandits instead of individuals.

Most pvpers are focused on players anyway, so no difference if you make the Zs more intelligent. Due to the infection i think they mindset is reduced to a minimum state anyway.

[Claytonaj 12]

This kind of feeds back to this thread. If Chernarus was a living hell -- no starting gear (not even a backpack); less predictable gear spawns; less food, less water, less medicine; less ammo, fewer weapons; more numerous, 'smarter', tougher zeds -- people would have to help each other, at least to become established in the game. New survivors would actively seek out others in order to survive the first crucial hour(s). During those first moments you are at your most vulnerable. You would have no weapons, no food, nothing to be looted for (your lack of backpack makes this apparent to others). You can trust another person on the basis that you have nothing for them to kill you for, you pose them no threat without weapons, and your cooperation improves their survival chances (they have a clear incentive not to kill you). You talk to them (as you would), and together you survive a few hairy moments. Before long you've got a DayZ friend. Trust begins to build. You decide to stick together for the current session, having found a couple of hatchets you can begin to approach towns with more confidence. By the end of your session you might know this person's name, roughly where they're from, their steam ID etc.. In effect you've developed a relationship that extends beyond the anonymity of the game, and brings with it safeguards against that person shooting you in the back when you drop your guard. A player committed to being a 'bandit' would almost certainly have to kill someone who had helped them, someone who has meaning to them, in order to get to a situation where they could sustain the playstyle they want. To me, at least, this seems like a hurdle to becoming a bandit. I know it wouldn't for all, but that's the beauty of the mod, it lets you choose to express yourself in this respect (though there still need to be far more modes of expression and communication implemented in the game, aside from shooting people).

In short, I want it to be near impossible to survive alone in the first hour. The game should all but force people to have to come together, at least at first. If someone reads this and doesn't think it sounds fun -- good! It's meant to be a simulation, an 'anti-game'. It makes no promise to be conventionally 'fun'.

[xDIx Revenge 51]

This kind of feeds back to this thread. If Chernarus was a living hell -- no starting gear (not even a backpack); less predictable gear spawns; less food, less water, less medicine; less ammo, fewer weapons; more numerous, 'smarter', tougher zeds -- people would have to help each other, at least to become established in the game. New survivors would actively seek out others in order to survive the first crucial hour(s). During those first moments you are at your most vulnerable. You would have no weapons, no food, nothing to be looted for (your lack of backpack makes this apparent to others). You can trust another person on the basis that you have nothing for them to kill you for, you pose them no threat without weapons, and your cooperation improves their survival chances (they have a clear incentive not to kill you). You talk to them (as you would), and together you survive a few hairy moments. Before long you've got a DayZ friend. Trust begins to build. You decide to stick together for the current session, having found a couple of hatchets you can begin to approach towns with more confidence. By the end of your session you might know this person's name, roughly where they're from, their steam ID etc.. In effect you've developed a relationship that extends beyond the anonymity of the game, and brings with it safeguards against that person shooting you in the back when you drop your guard. A player committed to being a 'bandit' would almost certainly have to kill someone who had helped them, someone who has meaning to them, in order to get to a situation where they could sustain the playstyle they want. To me, at least, this seems like a hurdle to becoming a bandit. I know it wouldn't for all, but that's the beauty of the mod, it lets you choose to express yourself in this respect (though there still need to be far more modes of expression and communication implemented in the game, aside from shooting people).

In short, I want it to be near impossible to survive alone in the first hour. The game should all but force people to have to come together, at least at first. If someone reads this and doesn't think it sounds fun -- good! It's meant to be a simulation, an 'anti-game'. It makes no promise to be conventionally 'fun'.

Your missing the 2 sided coin as well. If i can't predict loot spawns, have barely anything, and zombies are harder then ever. How is that gonna make me not want to put 1 winchestor bullet in the head of the guy looting that tin can, and steal all his work? PvP is as it is, and really won't change much, and shouldn't. Rocket should simply add more ability to team up, more things to work for towards end game, and sort of building society and such. Making the game harder in the PvE and looting aspect, won't necessarily stop KoS, or make the game any more enjoyable or simulated. However, upon full release, and standalone, a "Minecraft similar" hardcore mode would be awesome. Just as difficulty is now, but hardcore takes away all starting items, gives you less health, faster hunger and thirst rates, less spawns etc. Id like to see that as a mode, but not to replace the current style.

[Claytonaj 12]

I don't think I'm ignoring the flip-side, I just don't think it's quite symmetrical.

How is that gonna make me not want to put 1 winchestor bullet in the head of the guy looting that tin can, and steal all his work?

What if you couldn't get to that tin can without someone else distracting the zombies for you? How exactly would shooting another lone survivor help you in that situation? What if ammo were so scarce that, if you missed with a shot, you might have to search another couple of hours to replace the round you wasted, and even when you find a few bullets they're surrounded by a dozen zeds? (And, while you were searching for that ammo you could've been looking for water, and you're now dehydrated!) Would you still have the luxury of being able to shoot on sight? Would it still be the rational thing to do? The point is, if you can't survive alone, you won't, you'll either work with others or you'll soon die (unless you're incredibly lucky, or incredibly good -- I don't think it should be impossible to work alone).

In another scenario, if you met a stranger and decided to help one another to raid a house for supplies, only you then shot them in the back straight away afterwards and took the loot rather than share it. It might not seem like much but this is also still an important step further on than shooting on sight.

If, on the other hand, you're talking about you and your friends shooting people on sight to avoid them getting the scarce resources first then that's great, you're already working with others in game, which is what I was driving at.

I completely agree with having more and varied objectives, and an end game.

Edited July 29, 2012 by Claytonaj

[MikeTupper 68]

im not sure what you mean by "ability asses danger"

[soulres 1]

wouldnt make people work together. people are selfish and stupid. multiply it by 10 when inside of a video game.i got everything setup for making a actual Outpost near one of the cities, not just for my friends but for new players, because starting out and getting killed once you find somthing useful. after hours of crawling, well everyone see's " why this game sucks "threads. its becuase of Bandits/Bad sportsmanship. remove PVP guarantee newer players will enjoy it abit better.

[Gemz 0]

im not sure what you mean by "ability asses danger"

A zombie will be quiet if there is a group of people, A zombie will strafe if being fired at, A zombie will run away if out-numbered, A zombie will alert other zombies ect, catch my drift?