Classes and Zombie changes (especially in the standalone)

[Pandacar 0]

I feel like the biggest problem with the game right now is that it feels more like an open world death match with some zombies mixed in than a zombie survival game. The way I envisioned this game was a sim of post zombie apocalyptic mayhem wherein the survivors worked together to fight against the zombies and for their own survival. The first time I joined the game, and ran over to save the first poor soul I found from the mob of pursuing zombies, I was extremely disappointed when he thanked me with an axe to the head. From there on out I understood that the idea of the game was to run around and kill as many players as possible. I spent hours running around collecting items with my friends and building camps and raiding others camps and killing anyone I saw. The fatal flaw here is that after time zombies just became a nuisanse while we mostly just ran around trying to screw over the other players to become top dog on the server.

When everyone is just trying to control the server there is no community. I think that a fix for this, (though I am not sure if the arma engine will allow it or if it will have to wait for the standalone) would be classes. Have proffesions that players can train or just choose even that are desirable. Something like perks in the fallout series ie mechanic, doctor, chef, pilot, soldier etc. Really the more the merrier because then players have some reason not to kill the person nearest them. The mechanic doesn't kill the doctor because he needs medical help and is not equiped to treat major wounds. The doctor would not want to kill the mechanic because he may know where a vehicle that needs repairing is.

If there were some type of consequence for doing things yourself that you were not equiped to do ie repair a vehicle the vehicle may become more badly damaged if repaired by a chef. Performing a blood transfusion my cause more medical problems because a pilot doesn't know how to perform them. Preparing food as a soldier may make you sick etc. This will cause more lone players to need to join up instead of a free for all sort of feel.

Also I understand that with the current restrictions the zombies need work but hopefully we can address some of these problems better in the standalone version. I would love to see a more zombie focused game. Setting up a camp should mean something other than having a constantly at risk loot stash. It should mean some sort of much needed shelter from the zombie assault. I love the idea of having some sort of base that needs protecting from the zombies instead of just a solitary outpost where we gaurd our hard earned loot from other bloodthirsty survivors. If this was well implemented you could have a whole new gaming experience.

With these 2 things implemented you would start to see clans developing on servers and there would be maybe 6-8 man groups forming and in some state of perpetual warfare over resources but maybe and allying of 2 settlements to take out the constantly assaulting other settlement. Or sharing long term cons where someone gains the trust of a clan and then steals their gear in the night to benefit their true clan. Obviously there would be consequenses for this such as; the potential allying of another clan to take back their things, or just the general mistrust of that player on the server. Also with a constant threat of alerting zombies outside a stronghold could provide added difficulty for trying to take over another player/clans base. Zombies would be attacking the attackers making it more difficult as well.

I love this game in concept and I think we all share a similar idea as to the feel we are going for. I believe these thing would not be too difficult to impliment and would vastly change the feel and playstyle of the game for the better. Let me know what you guys think.

tl;dr Make classes that fill a role and make zombies more of a threat.

[Kerwyn 77]

I've never liked the idea of overly restrictive classes myself, but I can see where you're coming from with the idea. However I don't really see it changing much as far as player interactions go, and to be honest, I like having the fear of not knowing whether this random survivor is a simple man trying to survive the end of the world, or a bloodthirsty psychopath out for my beans. I do think implementing a pseudo talent tree might work, where instead of being locked as a cook, you can, say, take a few points in several different areas, so that us lone wolves can still play that way, just without some of the advantages a more specialized character may have.

The other question to ask, is your class permanent, or can you change it upon death?

All in all, good idea, but would need a lot of tweaking to fit with DayZ

[Grodenn 53]

This have been suggested countless of times and is a really bad idea and doesn't fit with the game. The idea of the game is that you spawn in to an open world where you can do what ever you like. No restrictions, hence having a forced play style selection before you even start the game will ruin that concept. Another idea of the game is "if you can do it in real life you can do it in game" rocket gave the example if you can read the stars you can read the stars in game (this is actually a feature btw), and as far as I know he want to add more stuff like that.

I would rather add more tools to the game that is needed to do more advanced stuff, say more medical tools for different type of wounds etc, then lower the amount of tool slots. That would in effect be some sort of 'class' system BUT you do not decide that before you start the game but rather while the game is going on. It also means you are never stuck with your choice and it leaves you open to do what ever you like to do, + it will add more combinations of different skill sets than a class system could.

[Senection 6]

i cant tell you how shitty your idea is

Edited August 17, 2012 by Senection

[cstriker01 0]

Perhaps instead of pickable classes, scavengable class packages. Ghillie suit for snipers, CLS kit for medics (Combat Life Saver...military medical bag) that has extra storage for meds and maybe makes meds a little better or better chance for antibiotic spawn, Load bearing vest for assault, more mag storage or grenade pouch, engineer kit repairs vehicles quicker with less items or quicker defensive items built...just throwing an idea or two out.