NPC survivors to encourage teamwork?

[s16 0]

First of all this is a great mod. I appreciate all the work, particularly the work put into updating it.

For me the main problem with the mod is the lack of teamwork. For people wanting to join up with others there really isn’t any reason to risk it. Also this makes been a bandit pretty boring as there are very few heavily armed and organized groups which to stalk and pick off one at a time. At the minuet most people seem to be wandering round on their own while bandits just camp near popular places and snipe lone survivors just for the sake of it (where’s the challenge in that?)

How about having small groups of unarmed NPC survivors spawn at random locations, when/if you stumble upon them they ask if you can escort them to safety somewhere on the map or off the edge of the map. Players will then be rewarded with loot depending on how many survivors make it. Maybe have it so bandit can’t do these ‘missions’ (NPCs run away from them or something), this would make not been a bandit more attractive and hopefully encourage teamwork.

Not sure if it would be possible to do or if people would even want it. Feel free to pick out the flaws, it’s just an idea.

On a side note I personally would like to see sniper rifles become very rare, and replace NVG’s with night vision binoculars.

[grandpa_smuckers 1]

Personally, I don't see a need for this. What attracts me most to DayZ is the feeling of helplessness. You have no goal other than survival.

I also find it much more rewarding and find myself more immersed when I come across a player and it appears they need help. At this point I am struggling morally with myself, I can save them from the horde/bandits pursuing them and risk my life trusting them, or walk away knowing that the survivor loses it all. These kinds of decisions are what makes the game so powerful. You don't get these kinds of feelings when you are working with NPCs.

Also couldn't you just shoot the NPCs and take their supplies rather than pointlessly helping them?

[Roshi (DayZ) 397]

Agree with Grandpa - the awesome thing about the mod is the mindf*ck. Don't want that watered down.

[kaze 0]

I suppose really the only people you can trust are your real life friends.

[Astral (DayZ) 2]

Also couldn't you just shoot the NPCs and take their supplies rather than pointlessly helping them?

This pretty much sums it up. Friendly NPCs would become walking supply drops for many players, as the incentive to "help" them would be very little, and you could easily drop them with a head shot in order to get whatever they're carrying.

[Samsquanch (DayZ) 8]

It would be possible to make the groups of NPC's have various stance types so that not all are passive and ignore you. This is going to probably be implemented in ArmA 3, as BI has been working on a more immersive AI system that allows for you to actually engage in a conversation with them, and possibly trade, even recruit them to your group.

Currently, the AI would only attack you if you kill one or more of their followers, or as I said before, with various search and destroy tactics [stances].

My main point, just wait till the ArmA 3 comes out because I bet a lot of this will be addressed in time for it when this mod is polished and ported to the new engine.