Short/long term solution for banditry/bandit skin system

[The OCD 10]

I read somewhere about an idea for another bandit skin system that was a bit more subtle then the one that was tried and removed recently: You would become "bloody" if you recently looted a body.

My proposition:

Subtle changes to your skin based on your number of murders.

Different thresholds for the amount of blood that would show.

0-2 Murders = Each murder in this range would add an additional alpha-layered blood spatter on your boots

3-5 Murders = Each murder in this range would add an additional alpha-layered blood spatter on your pants

etc.

These are example numbers and thresholds, so no flames for the actual thresholds please. AFAIK, murders are accrued by killing players that have no murders themselves? If that's accurate, there would be no blood spatters for killing other bandits.

The idea behind this is that it is difficult to impossible to tell whether or not someone is a bandit, and since we can't get an actual "feeling" about a person because they don't show mannerisms, I felt that some system is absolutely necessary for functional and collaborative gameplay. Let's be honest, there HAS to be a way to identify what kind of player someone is based on their playstyle. The way it is now... People literally just KoS 95% of the time, or if you yell friendly, they'll yell friendly as well then murder you within 30 seconds behind your back. This type of gameplay is not conducive to any kind of co-op, which you could easily argue is a massive part of any apocalyptic scenario.

Along with this, I think that people should get bloodier for every body they loot. Looting would spatter blood randomly over your skin opposed to a bandit's, which is from the boots up to the face eventually. So if you saw someone with a little blood on their boots as well as blood on their shirt, you could feel fairly confident that it was from looting bodies opposed to killing people, since bloodying your boots is a low number of murders.

Just an idea so far, constructive thoughts/comments/concerns are welcome.

[ItsMeAgain 0]

If they implement your proposition, then they should implement my proposition as well. My proposition is: a way to wash your clothes. That shouldn't be so hard, right?

What I think should be right is every time you loot a dead person. Not if you kill. Well depending the distance between the killer and the victim.

Edited August 11, 2012 by ItsMeAgain

[grayclay 0]

I like the idea, its novel and its a clear visual cue as to a players actions that you can glean without resorting to communication of violence. Of course, if some guy is running across a field, I probably won't look down the scope to check his boots first.

It could correlate with your humanity level, so the "washing of clothes" would occur as your humanity slowly inches back to positive.

[CerebralZombie (DayZ) 151]

Subtle changes to your skin based on your number of murders.

EDIT: hey, I'm taking a few days off from posting for making a racist comment here.

Edited August 12, 2012 by Disgraced

[grylsyjaeger 171]

People just need to realize that nothing will deter those who just want to kill other players. Let the bandits come, they shall know fear. XD

[dEnigma 1]

You wouldn't be able to distinguish a murderer from a normal person in real life, for all I know my friendly neighbour could be a serial killer. Bandit skins remove all the suspense.

Edited August 12, 2012 by dEnigma

[bazbake 456]

You wouldn't be able to distinguish a murderer from a normal person in real life, for all I know my friendly neighbour could be a serial killer. Bandit skins remove all the suspense.

It's called body language. There is none in DayZ. Everyone is a master of disguise capable of changing their race and name on a whim and has honed bluffing and lying skills that take years to master.

Yep. "Plenty realistic."

[gizm0 96]

It's called body language. There is none in DayZ. Everyone is a master of disguise capable of changing their race and name on a whim and has honed bluffing and lying skills that take years to master.

Yep. "Plenty realistic."

The problem is that without forcing it onto players it wouldn't really work :(

[gizm0 96]

bump cause this OP does have a point that needs to be discussed in more depth, at least about the body language. which he should add to his original post.

Edited August 13, 2012 by Orthus

[The OCD 10]

As much as I enjoy the bandit/hero skin system for survival reasons (as a hero, I only KoS bandits, and I can tell if they are a bandit from a long ways off), it is pretty broken.

One of the most enjoyable/adrenaline rush aspects of this game is determining whether someone is either on overwatch protecting his "hero" buddies, or a bandit preying on unsuspecting survivors. It becomes a bit less of instinct and on-the-fly calculations (like we do in real life based on a person's mannerisms and behavior and potential gains for doing something etc.) and more of "is he wearing a bandit skin? He must be a bad guy" "Is he wearing a hero skin? 99% sure he won't KoS me on sight if i'm not a bandit" "is he in normal clothes? Does he have a hatchet or less? He's not much of a threat", "Is he wearing normal clothes and does he have a pistol or more powerful? He's potentially a threat, and needs to be taken care of"

With the skin morphing, it's less of a survival game and more along the lines of "this guy is probably dangerous because of the way he is dressed". I get a huge rush when trying to figure out what type of person someone is based on their actions opposed to their appearance.

That is the major reason I think a more subtle approach that can be an either/or scenario would be more beneficial than designated skins.

[xximrtwoixx 104]

Try talking to them over direct....

You can tell alot by how someone talks, and if they follow your orders.

[captainwaffles 41]

if i go kill people im not going to run around wearing specific clothes to tell everyone

[indominator 95]

ok, so... hijacking the thread and putting into motion the idea of body language,

perhaps we can agree murdering another human been is not something you can escape with your psyche unscatched. I am no especialist on criminals nor stuff, but i can say that although staying sane, people who kill behave, act and have POVs different to people who dont or will never kill, and by implementing something sublte, like movement, briefing or stuff we can maybe indicate to survivors who can notice these diferences due to experience they will be able to identify a bandit easier, if he wasnt seem first and already shot.

Just some ideas, and someone should make body language an actual thread, just an idea

[gizm0 96]

Try talking to them over direct....

You can tell alot by how someone talks, and if they follow your orders.

While true, you cant deny body language helps a lot.

[The OCD 10]

ok, so... hijacking the thread and putting into motion the idea of body language,

perhaps we can agree murdering another human been is not something you can escape with your psyche unscatched. I am no especialist on criminals nor stuff, but i can say that although staying sane, people who kill behave, act and have POVs different to people who dont or will never kill, and by implementing something sublte, like movement, briefing or stuff we can maybe indicate to survivors who can notice these diferences due to experience they will be able to identify a bandit easier, if he wasnt seem first and already shot.

Just some ideas, and someone should make body language an actual thread, just an idea

The main problem with body language (and by extension talking to someone over local chat)is that established serial killers are more often than not sociopaths. In basic terms, they do not feel remorse or regret for killing people, and they believe that they can justify their actions. The reason they get to the status of serial killer is because they are good at what they do, and are experts at portraying themselves differently than they actually are. If we are going for realism, the absolute ONLY way I could see body language being used is if it was based on how many people you killed.

The more people you kill, the less your mannerisms/body language would betray you, and after a certain point would disappear completely. Which is why I suggested something more subtle that could be construed either way, opposed to being a dead giveaway.

Edited August 15, 2012 by The OCD

[xximrtwoixx 104]

If you talk to the player this is dependent on the player skill and not some stupid gamey mechanic that says I'm better at this now. The mechanics are already in the game, you don't need a visual indicator more than the gear they have. "Bush wookie with an M4SD walking around cherno" seems legit, he's probably just going to the super market....

A 12 year old manages to get out "I'm friendly" between insane gigles while he runs at you with an axe, bet he wants me to give him a blood transfusion....

Sneak up on a guy and he refuses to put his gun down after you tell him in direct, yea he doesn't want to murder you.

Its all there already, go get a mike if you don't have one and try talking to people, if they don't listen and you feel threatened shoot them. If you don't want to get shot then listen to the guy when he points a gun at you. Don't want to be sniped in chern/elec/stary don't go there.