Subtleties of interaction. How about this?

[Disgraced 1123]

You're creeping through the brush... Scared, gripping your pistol and suddenly understanding why the grips have that checked finish, when you hear a twig snap... quietly, but it's there... You freeze.

There's a figure there, through the branches... It's vaguely human, but... so are THEY. You slowly concentrate to keep your breath from tearing in and out of your lungs so it can be heard for a mile in every direction. The figure stops, looking around, at a crouch, not unlike you. You take a chance and clear your throat. Hardly a whisper of sound, but your eyes lock, you and this stranger, and they are living eyes. Not the rotted eyes of the dead. You breathe a sigh of relief, but the other person raises a gun. A much larger and dangerous weapon than yours. You panic, and go to ground, then harshly whisper, "Don't shoot. I don't want to fight you."

"Ok," your unknown assailant slips out, "Just keep those hands where I can see them..."

And so it goes. Or WOULD go, if we had a little more at our disposal, mechanically.

I think that, in real life, there are those nigh invisible cues and tells that let us know (even perhaps falsely(!)) that another party is friendly, or hostile.

What I would propose is that there be a player initiated flag on each character to reflect demeanor. It could be as simple as 'friendly', 'neutral' and 'hostile'.

No, this won't help with snipers, but that's the realism of this mod, right?

So here's how it would work.

You come upon someone, say within 10 meters, you can read their flag, if you can see them. It says hostile. They look it. They are consciously walking around projecting the aura of 'kill or be killed'.

Likewise with neutral or friendly.

How is this different than bandit skins, you say?

Firstly, the perception distance. You cannot tell through a sniper scope, or binoculars, what that intention flag is on another player. Remember, it's small cues from close up observation.

So the real mechanic here is that you have to switch the flag to HOSTILE to attack someone. So there's that moment when the other party might suddenly realize that you are reaching for a gun, or looking around for witnesses, or slipping into an ambush position behind you.

The point is, some will miss the flag switching out. They aren't watching for it. But those of us who are have that split second to react, go hostile, and return fire.

So that gives a mechanic with many options. Walk around with your hostile flag and people will know. Shoot on site and all that. But you could be more subtle. Use the neutral or friendly flag to talk it up a little. Put the other party off his or her guard. Then, when they aren't paying attention, swap to hostile and take a bead on their head.....

Yes, no?

L

[Guest ragequitalready]

.

Edited October 25, 2012 by ragequitalready

[Disgraced 1123]

I chose to use more than two sentences.

You could have explained in more than one word to make a cogent case in the negative, but instead you chose to say nothing salient.

This would allow people who want to play kill or be killed to do so, while those who want to interact more or have a role playing style atmosphere to indulge that without harming (in fact, I think adding to), the psychological component of this mod.

But we all have our opinions, don't we... they're like... something... hmmmm....

L

[Razor (DayZ) 0]

This is not a literature contest and you are not presenting a project to investors.

[Disgraced 1123]

This is not a literature contest and you are not presenting a project to investors.

Wha?

OK, so do you like the idea or not? I'm trying to get the attention of rocket or the devs here to get their opinions, not snarky remarks about my delivery.

Thanks, though.

[Razor (DayZ) 0]

OK' date=' so do you like the idea or not?[/quote']No, I don't see any plausible logic behind it.

So the real mechanic here is that you have to switch the flag to HOSTILE to attack someone.

This just goes absolutely the other way rocket intends it to be.

[Disgraced 1123]

Really? I see logic behind it, and very clearly. We judge people all the time by the image that they project. This would simulate that.

I think it fits exactly into the vision for this mod. You still never know what a person will do. You can still give an appearance or projection as you please. You can still just kill at a distance. You can still try to fake people out, but it gives them a simulation of the reality of reading the change in a person's demeanor in the fraction of a second that they decide to drop the façade and let you have it.

I think it's a good suggestion.

L

[Razor (DayZ) 0]

Where i come from we judge people by their actions. Simulating that in Day Z is shooting at you or not.

And you still never know what a person will do.

Basically what you want is holstering weapon which was already suggested.

[Disgraced 1123]

Where i come from we judge people by their actions. Simulating that in Day Z is shooting at you or not.

And you still never know what a person will do.

Basically what you want is holstering weapon which was already suggested.

Except that this might be easier to build in, since it's apparently a basic function of arma to not holster a pistol... Although I believe I've read that other mods do it.

I think this has more implications, but bolstering a pistol would be helpful.