Trading system, changes to the thirst and hunger meters, fixing the chat system, and changing the spawn system.

[charlietomato 3]

Trading.

It's real simple, and I'm sure it's been suggested before, but trading between player and player as an actual feature of the mod would be nice to have. I'm not entirely sure of what effects it could have to change the overall experience of the game, rather or not it will take away from the influence of killing other players for loot, but rather giving them the option of trading them. Whatever the case, it's not an overboard feature and would make things easier if anyone wants to trade. Super simple stuff.

Fixing the chat system and how it works.

What do you mean, you ask? Well, I feel like there's an extreme lack of direct chat communication that doesn't involve a microphone. Granted, this isn't the best game to be typing in, but it's still necessary to offer a feature like this that works, especially on servers that have all but direct chat disabled. Communication is always important.

When players have a different beta version than you, they cannot read the direct chat messages you give them. I just feel like there's no emphasis put on the direct chat system that actually gives the player enough use to actually use it. It'd be nice if that changed.

It should also be suggested that the chat should be easier to notice when someone types in direct chat. Since this is a mod, I don't expect many things to change until it picks up as its own game and breaks the chains of what that is limited mod design. But, just as a suggestion for future thought, it should be asked that the chat should be more noticeable and easier to pick up to read when someone messages you in direct chat, which should only apply for servers that have side chat disabled.

Changing the thirst and hunger meters on your HUD.

I'm going to try and make this as easy as possible to imagine. Instead of the current design, where they change in color over time, and when it hits zero it begins to flash red, why not include a bar inside of the meters that goes down to the bottom over time, showing the player exactly how much time they have left? When the bar reaches the bottom, the outline begins flashing as the inside would be translucent. It's important to distinguish the outline of the indicator with the colored bar on the inside, so it isn't so easily ignored or unnoticed by the player.

Plus, wouldn't this be a fix for people who are colorblind and have a hard time reading these indicators?

Fixing the spawns for the players.

Instead of players spawning by the coastline, leaving a long line of new player zone and essentially making Chernogorsk or Elektrogorsk spots for new players, why not change the spawns to all of the enterable little brown houses spread out across the map, or at least near those buildings?

There can be a few problems with this - will people camp the insides of these buildings? Will someone spawn inside as someone is looting it? Well, the next best suggestion is to have players spawn near them instead of inside of them.

There would no longer be good or bad spawns, like Kamenka, where players would constantly respawn to get the good Chernogorsk or Elektrogorsk spawns. If these new spawns can be placed correctly, it should be a fair advantage for all of those who spawn, and doesn't split the map in two between new players and players with lots of gear.

But, again, I don't entirely know about that one. It could go either way, but we will never know if it's never tried.

Edited August 7, 2012 by charlietomato

[ACOGshot 38]

I like your suggestions, one thing I will add though, you are required to drink and eat more if you are running long distances as opposed to just camping, so displaying how long someone has might be an issue. I do believe that a bar would be easier though, as you suggested, similar to the fuel tank of a vehicle but not as dramatic.

Edited August 7, 2012 by ACOGshot

[T.G. 48]

Some interesting suggestions, I would personally like to see some modification to multiplayer gear interactions. The group I usually work with swap items through backpacks to avoid losing anything in grass, terrain, or just having items settle below a plane that is inaccessible. It works for the most part but I cannot keep items from being removed in this manner by my comrades, I will not tell you again those are my frags not yours.

[Colditz 54]

Plus, wouldn't this be a fix for people who are colorblind and have a hard time reading these indicators?

This.

[charlietomato 3]

Some interesting suggestions, I would personally like to see some modification to multiplayer gear interactions. The group I usually work with swap items through backpacks to avoid losing anything in grass, terrain, or just having items settle below a plane that is inaccessible. It works for the most part but I cannot keep items from being removed in this manner by my comrades, I will not tell you again those are my frags not yours.

I'm not sure how in depth this issue can go, but I'm fairly certain that's an issue with the engine in general. I could only imagine that if this mod ever gets to be standalone, it will use the ArmA 3 engine which seems to be far more polished and bug free.

[TehBigRedOne 1]

Like the idea

[charlietomato 3]

Instead of making a bunch of new threads with different ideas like what I did here, I'll just spare everyone the trouble and gather them up for content in this thread. I'll just keep updating this one.

Control where the player is limited to set up tank traps, barbed wire, and whatever else there is that is needed to be set up with a toolbox.

I'm sure people are tired of walking some place and finding that the entrance or stairway has been blocked by a tank trap or barbed wire that you cannot seem to get around. I would say to remove it completely, but these have their uses, and if they were to be controlled as tents were (before they were free to be put up anywhere), such as only in open areas (for things like camp perimeters), then it would be fine. It should be noted that tents should not factor in as objects when setting up barbed wire around them, which seems to be a popular thing among clans to do when setting up camps.

Church bells should attract zombies within the church limits, which could lead to lots of scenarios for the player.

Churches currently feel too safe. They often have good loot, are large and open on the inside, and serves as an easy bottleneck for killing hoards of zombies when you want to. The only difference now is that when the church bell rings, it would attract zombies that you may not want to or cannot defend yourself from.

I would say with high reward comes high risk, but since this is DayZ, any reward should come with high risk. Just as long as it isn't too far fetched to accomplish or too unfair or ridiculous.

On top of that, limit what weapons the players will be able to obtain in DayZ.

I feel as if weapons like high powered, military grade weapons really push away something that makes DayZ feel so special. You're just an Average Joe trying to survive the odds that are against you, and so is everyone else who is playing. That's sort of ruined when there are players who obtain high powered sniper rifles (more specifically, any type of military grade weapon) can be found.

Now, this subject is really touchy. There's too much emphasis on everything but survival. This is exactly why people go about Player versus Player instead of, well, actually surviving. They are only threats to other players because they want to be, and are doing it intentionally, or have nothing else to do. They essentially beat the game once that threat is gone.

I feel like some, if not most of it (but not all of it) could be avoided if there is far more survival aspects to the game with less emphasis on Player versus Player engagement, even though that threat would still exist.

Make it feel like it's really something to survive. Yes, you currently have to scavenge for food and drinks, but most of the survival aspects and non player danger goes away when you get a gun. At that point, you've stepped above what it was to be a survivor, and have a focus on better interests, like finding better loot to either protect yourself from players who want to kill you because they too have nothing else to do, or you yourself want to go and kill other players because you also have nothing else to do.

This is why Player versus Player engagement is so common. Once you put less emphasis on it, and more emphasis on actually surviving, and perhaps even make zombies the primary threat instead of other players, then it would most likely be a far more interesting experience. Adding in Player versus Player items, like helmets and body armor, would only encourage more Player versus Player engagement.

Player versus Player should not be the main survival aspect of this modification, and soon to be standalone game. At that point, it moves from a survival horror game, to a Player versus Player game with survival elements that are not the primary focus of the player. The threat will always still be there, no matter what, but I'm only saying it shouldn't be the main focus or main power behind the survival horror aspect.

Edited August 7, 2012 by charlietomato