How can we make DayZ more unforgiving/brutal/fun?

[Luieburger 15]

This game is well known for being unforgiving, and in many ways that's part of what makes it fun.

Zombies

1.5.7 added a lot more zombies. 1.5.8 nerfed them in several ways, but some good ways. They move much more fluidly now so they don't jump all over the place and zig zag everywhere. That's a good thing, but it seems like they are too easy now. Here's what I propose.

Kiting zombies for miles isn't exactly fun. Slow the zombie runners down a bit so you can lose them and add maybe a 1%-2% of zombies that can catch you and hit you at jogging speed (but not sprinting speed). Sprinting to safety should be a viable escape tactic, but gathering up zombies and running for miles to a building or a dock or some other place where you can easily stop and head shot them is not fun. It gets boring fast. Which brings me to my next point.

Let zombies run inside buildings. I'm sure this is in plan. Slowing zombies in buildings was probably implemented to prevent zombies from quickly jumping you through walls. I'm looking forward to using choke points and high places as defense rather than just a warehouse or a dock.

Balance all of this out by making zombies eventually give up chasing you, or give up once you're on top of a building without making noise for 5 minutes, and we have something that's less forgiving, more fun, and not so hard that it just wipes everybody out.

Tents

Tents are a cool idea, and of course they are buggy right now while they're developing. Why aren't they packable by every player? It's possible that they don't want players to go around packing tents just to delete the loot in them that they can't carry. It's also possible that they don't want 1000 posts on the forum saying "the sever deleted my tent." Maybe when a tent is taken it leaves a small bag on the ground with the remaining contents that can be looted for 30 days before de-spawning. This fixes the problem of dead players having to re-deploy a new tent just so the stuff in their tent doesn't de-spawn after 2 days and also allows people to steal each other's tents.

As it stands right now, I use 2 or 3 neighboring tents near my camp to store stuff because my current tent is full. Of course, who knows when those will de-spawn.

Vehicles

We need more fixable vehicles, and fewer parts. As of right now it's just dumb luck if you find a vehicle. By the time you find it you already have (if you're a pack rat like me) enough stuff to fix 3 cars and a chopper. In a real zombie apocalypse, parts would be the limiting factor. Not the vehicles themselves. This would make the game more fun because parts would be more valuable, and something worth fighting over. We'd probably find more half-fixed vehicles on the map as well, which would lead to more vehicle fixing battles and more player interaction/strategy/team building.

Ammo

Right now, half-used magazines are full upon login. Just disconnect and reconnect to re-fill your ammo. I expect that this will be fixed eventually, but there is a fine balance between having too much ammo and so little ammo that your firearms are worthless. I'm sure we can find a happy medium somewhere.

Starting gear

This has been stated in another thread, but players should start with nothing more than a flashlight and a stick for a melee weapon. The discussion about this is here: http://dayzmod.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=6718

Tube magazines

Firearms with tube magazines should load one at a time. The Winchester is still overpowered since it takes 2 seconds to load 15 rounds. The other shotguns should be the same. The benefit of firearms with tube magazines is that you can stop right in the middle of a reload and fire. You can't do that with a firearm that has a detachable magazine. See my other post for more on firearms: http://dayzmod.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=6924

[[email protected] 1]

Interesting ideas... however.

Zombies:

I agree with your points to some extent. Personally I'd like to see zombie population server dependent eventually, as there is a lot of division between slow vs. fast zombies. The servers could decide the percentage of population ( ex. 5% sprinters, 5% hoppers, 90% walkers). Granted there would have to be a change to the walker "class" zombie as they would be a snap to outrin in the open, but there are some good ideas in other threads ie.

-Can only be killed with a head shot

-Implement a fatigue system more unforgiving than the current one

-Increase numbers

To which I would add another two others one

-Walkers have better detection

Since they are so easy to avoid have them detect you easier. How long do you want to spend staring at that loot pile now?

-Any hit = infection

I don't mean a head cold infection, I mean an actual crap I'm going to turn into a zombie infection. After all that's the real threat and scare of those shambling hordes. Yeah you can outrun them, in the open they aren't much threat, but it only takes one swipe, one moment where your mind wandered elsewhere and its over.

That infection could start a timer, maybe based on your humanity, maybe not. when it reaches 0 you die, back to the lobby, but your survivor (or bandit) stays in game as a zombie. Now not only do you have to worry about getting shot in the face while trying to team up, but turning around to find what was once your partner is now something else chewing on your leg.

Tents:

Until we get characters localized to specific servers I don't really see the point of tents. I see this as a work in progress, but fail to see why you would use this to make the world more "unforgiving"

Vehicles:

I kind of agree, but would rather see the parts already in the vehicles. Rather than a tire in someones warehouse what if you've got six repairable cars spawned, but each one only has one part needed. Remove the battery from one car to move it to the one your working on.

I also saw a thread where you should have to "equip" the item and actually carry it. You've got to carry the tire so no gun. Based on the information that this is the anti-game and is suppose to be a pain in the ass I agree with that concept.

Ammo:

More weapons, more ammo types. I read somewhere about needing to refill magazines. I like it. I don't think ArmA 2 can do it though, but maybe with ArmA 3. Have 120 7.62x39 rounds, great! Unfortunately you've only found one magazine for it so you can only shoot 30 rounds at a time before you have to open up your inventory and reload the empty magazine click by click so you can fire off another 30.

If you really wanted to get sadistic add in weapons jamming and require people to dissasemble and clean their weapons to avoid this, also firing using a magazine with 30 rounds has a greater chance of jamming than one with say 25. (the preasure on the magazine spring from 30 rounds weakens it over time not allowing it to feed correctly -even though the magazine holds 30 rounds most only put in 25-28 rounds to avoid this). Make this an unannounced effect.

Starting Gear:

ArmA 2 is horrible with melee weapons, although there have been some mods that have added bayonets to mixed effect. If ArmA 3 allows a more robust melee I'm all for it. Either way starting gear should be less, should be random, and starting over should be a major pain in the butt.

Tube Magazine:

That's an ArmA 2 issue and I'm not sure if it is workable. Not to be a nitpicker, but just to point out it is possible to fire in the middle of reloading a detachable magazine (but not in game) if you reload before you've fired the magazine dry you still have one in the chamber. That's why its common to load a magazine starting with 2 ball and 3 tracer. When you fire off three tracers in a row its time to reload even though your magazine isn't completely empty with the bolt locked to the rear.

Additional Points on Bandaging:

I like the current would system, but would suggest the following improvements:

-Player bandages himself bleeding slows, but doesn't stop.

-Other player bandages you bleeding stops.

(increases the need to rely on each other while simulates the difficulty of say bandaging the left arm using only the left one and your teeth).

-When shot the bullet has the possibility to pass through or get lodged in a bone or what-not.

Effects -not sure, but something rather inconvinient.

-If shot you need to find someone with the item "surgical tools" these could be collective and take up say several slots, or need to be found individuially and each take up one slot (surgical thread, scalpel, forceps, rubber tubing) with those in the inventory they can "remove bullet" from another player. The operation itself shoudl drain you somewhere between 3000-6000 blood, so you may need to get a transfusion prior to the operation to ensure you don't die under the knife.

Interested in hearing some feedback.

-Cheers

[aragos 1]

I like the ideas. Especially like the idea that you only may have a min or two before the guy you just killed becomes a Zed. Sort of makes PK'ing a bit more hazardous. Not sure on the more detailed medical system. Yeah, what we have is gamey right now, but to add in a realistic level of detail...e.g., how many folks know how to remove a bullet? Secondary infections? And so on. Neat concept, I'm just not sure it would actually work in game very well.

My suggestions. Military camps should have heavy weapons--M2 .50s, 60mm and 81mm mortars. They are very, very heavy, usually requiring a team to move them. Multiple parts to assemble,etc. Just think of the teamwork and logistics it would take to get Ma Deuce on the hill outside of Electro. But think about the fun. Or to rain down 81 mike-mike on a building full of Zeds. Would be cool.

I'd like to see at least a few military ground vehicles. HWMMVs, BRDMs. Make finding the parts, very, very hard. But that would be fun. Nearly impossible to really abuse (I mean, you'd run out of MG ammo quickly...then what? You have a cool looking truck.).

[oktyabr 53]

The zombies in DayZ aren't dead so they aren't even really zombies, in the classical sense.

I just want a couple thousand things... 2000-3000 zombies on every server and a good portion of those in the wilderness areas, maybe migrating from off the map (the dry edges) towards the coast.

[Lulu! 3]

Boredom level. If you sit still long enough your boredom increases drastically and eventually blood starts pouring out of every major organ in your body. After that you'd explode.

[FAAmecanic 5]

New survivor here....

I play with a few friends and as Im sure MANY have stated in the past... it would be great to spawn together.

Playing solo is intense...but playing as a team opens up all new levels of fun. The best time I have had yet was when I eventually (after an hour) hooked up with one of my 4 friends, we aggro'ed a bunch of zed and ran into a house in Novy. We each had what we thought was enough ammo....well we were wrong. We got back to back in a hallway to cover two doors and killed about 25 zed...until we ran out of ammo. We turned and said "Nice knowing ya"...as the zed ate us.

Most fun I have had yet getting eaten by a zombie :)

[HeinzGurke (DayZ) 0]

So what I learned in TV about zombi science is, that the most dangerous issue with them is to get bitten and than turned into one of them.

So this would make your lifetime expectation very low but with a smart idea for a mechanic like maybe a cure if you are bitten not long ago or something else i don't know.

Maybe some of you have a good idea but for sure i would like to see the fear of zombis ramped up.

[Hesher (DayZ) 2]

Books/manuals for advanced surgery, helicopter flying, car/weapon fixing(if weapons have durability), and what not, making you a specialist when you learn it, till you die of course.

[Sgt.Spam 42]

You get to make one character every 24 hours.

How's that for brutal?

[Kirjava 7]

You get to make one character every 24 hours.

How's that for brutal?

Too far in my mind. Stopping people from being able to play the game is going to just push people away from playing it.

[griffinz 2817]

remove global communication altogether

[Luieburger 15]

remove global communication altogether

I like it! I've been thinking the same thing. Direct comm should be all you get. Of course people will have teamspeak/vent either way, but within the game sphere it should be very limited.

[_Profile_Shame 37]

persistent bodies = hardcore mode :P

[Tuomio (DayZ) 3]

Just saying that spawning with only stick and flashlight is not a good idea. There would be even more hunters on the coast just to kill everybody spawning just for "fun". And they wouldnt have almost any threat because spawners could not defend them selves. Just game mechanically stupid idea.

[eAt LeAd250 0]

The zombies in DayZ aren't dead so they aren't even really zombies' date=' in the classical sense.

I just want a couple thousand things... 2000-3000 zombies on every server and a good portion of those in the wilderness areas, maybe migrating from off the map (the dry edges) towards the coast.

[/quote']

I like that. Migrating "herds" and wandering walkers. And yea, the modern day zombies are infected people with a serious case of mad rabies and a large dose of PCP. And a serious case of munchies.

[pauleh 1]

Since unforgiving/brutal = fun.

Godmotherfuckingzilla.