Merchant Prince, Bandit Kingpin.

[K0ldKn1ght 2]

Long time listener, first time caller.

TL/DR. Make certain items and resources rare and finite, encouraging players to set up trading hubs/shops and create influence. Introduce the real zombie infection to create a currency.

Introducing a mechanic like a temporary Zombie Infection Blocker (ZIB) (which gives immunity to the infection for a certain amount of time) could be used as an effective currency. Introducing ZIBs (love the acronym) would mean having all attacks by zombies spread infection, once infected players will have a certain time to take a ZIB or risk becoming a zombie. On the map there should be a central city/town where a facility was located that manufactured ZIBs but has been wiped out, the area should spawn ZIBS in a steady stream but be the only location for them. A group of people or clan could theoretically control the territory inluencing the entire maps supply of ZIB. Homemade ZIBs could be possible after collecting the necessary tools and supplies but be of very poor quality.

Examples of changes to resources.

- Fuel. A big one. At the moment all fuel stations have unlimited fuel in the tanks and all services stations have tanks. Only a fraction of the service stations should have fuel in the tanks and the tanks that have fuel should change randomly. The tanks should start full then when depleted fuel should spawn into a different tank somewhere else on the map. The tanks should be destructable and if destroyed the fuel will be on a substantial timer before respawning again though in a defferent tank. Fuel tankers should be introduced onto the map, making excellent targets of opportunity for bandity either stealing or destroying.

- Weapons. I've seen many other people suggest weapon degradation and I support it 100%. A rare weapon rapair "tool" could be added making people with the tool highly sought after. Weapons of the same kind could be broken down and used for spare parts. Lubricating oil could be a rare resource found in residential garages or service stations, used to maintain a gun reducing wear and tear and the chance of jams.

- Other. Someone else smarter than me think of some. :)

I think an idea like this opens up so many opportunities and possibilities for this game.

Become extemely influential by controlling a servers fuel supply, the ZIB manufacturing plant, merchant lord by establishing a safe trading zone or just create total mayhem as a bandit leader. AMAZING

I love this game and the community. PEACE OUT

Edited August 28, 2012 by K0ldKn1ght

[liquidcactus 719]

I dont have time for a sufficient response but i do find your idea interesting.. very interesting (the ZIBS)

I shall return !

:D

[Mos1ey 6301]

This would completely destroy the game, lol.

What are lone players supposed to do when a bandit group has all the zombie cock blockers? And if these exist then why are there even zombies? And what about when griefers blow up all the fuel tanks on your server for the lulz?

Edited August 28, 2012 by mZLY

[K0ldKn1ght 2]

One ZIB manufacturing facility in the entire country could not hope to sufficiently supply the population with enough "temporary" vaccine, so there will always be plenty of people going without. lone wolves would find it harder to get ZIBs but thats just natural lots of things are harder when alone but its easier to stay hidden when alone, and they can always get by with the homemade ones. Griefing is always possible but thats a part of the strategy if you want to become a big fuel supplier, create stock piles or protect as many stations as you can, or actively hunt the bandits. I'm assuming alot obviously and it would have to be large servers.

Edited August 28, 2012 by K0ldKn1ght

[nihilisst 43]

ZIBs ? Nah. At least not as "Currency"

Items already have a "worth", that is based on their rarity. This already allows trading.

I think everything has to become rarer: Weapons, Ammo, Medical supplies, Fuel, ... Just not Vehicles (but very limited fuel supply)

I'm thinking of Highways, where (working) Cars stand bumper on bumper, but They'd be difficult to get out of the jam and would have almost empty fuel tanks.

But! They could be scavenged for Supplies, Parts, Fuel, ... Thus creating new High traffic - high risk areas.

(Of course, there'd be only few Cars that'd have the occasional Morphine Injector or some Painkillers, maybe a knife... Most would only have Soda Cans, Empty Cans, Trash, And maybe - if this'll make it into the game - Information/background story about the infection)

[bazbake 456]

Trading already exists. Fact is, it's a little too prevalent in a zombie apocalypse all things considered, thanks to tents ending permadeath and allowing you to keep a stockpile of loot without the risk of losing it upon dying, server hopping, and duping/hacking.

[xximrtwoixx 104]

Point buy at character creation with an option for immunity to zombie virus but costing all point buy points would allow lonewolfs to bypass the ZIB economy. As long as other options are as valuable in aggregate it equals out, like spawning on your group or at your base, or spawning with certain gear.

[K0ldKn1ght 2]

Hhmmm...I don't know about trading being to prevalent in a zombie apocalypse. Thinking about it, if after I saw a stranger and felt certain he was friendly the first thing I would say after hello is "got anything to trade."

The whole point of the ZIB (now I'm getting sick of saying it, go figure) economy is options. I know from playing Dayz mod for a while that after a few deaths the usual go to 'cherno' find some supplies, go inland get better guns, find people to kill/help gets a little lackluster. With an enonomy in place it gives fresh characters the option to say go to a merhant or a clan and offer their services in exchange for ZIBs which they can in turn use that to purchase items or equipment they might not otherwise had access to. Role players could really get into it, perhaps playing a mercenary protecting a fuel convoy or trading post.

A quirky idea for the tents and loot piling could be, having new characters be the offspring or relative of the previous character. The previous characters tent and stored belongings could be randomly relocated (outside of cities) on the map then the new character would start with a piece of paper with a crude map showing the new lcoation of the tent, a will of sorts.

My ideas are more for when the game ages and people are looking for purpose to continue playing. Please think in those terms when reading my posts.

[nihilisst 43]

I think this idea of currency doesn't really fit into the setting. We're immediately after the Apocalypse, the only survivors. The main objective is to survive. We haven't yet arrived at the point where new societies and economies start to evolve (like it does in Fallout).

We are at the point where every kind of trading is based on the needs of the individual. But for this to work, the availability and rarity of items and resources has to be tweaked.

Players can offer their services as Guard, Courier, Hitman, ... For anything they need. For example you carry a load of bandages to a camp and get some ammo in exchange. Or some food. Or some tools. Or you keep the bandages and start your own first aid business...

Right now, the only player-to-player trades are "L85 for SVD Camo" or "Pickup Truck for 3 Tents" or "20 Stanag SD Mags for AS50 with 5 Mags"

I would love if we reach the point where it goes " 3 Bean Cans for 2 Cokes and Some Matches" or " Half full Nato Mag for 2 Raw Meat"

And, like Rocket says, it should - and will - develop on its own. With some tweaking of the Rarity of Items and resources, the game and its players will develop economies and "politics" of some sort.

There are already trading posts on some servers. With improvement to the construction system, they can become much more fortified and develop into those "central locations of interest".

The Dev team just needs to give us some fundamentals. (Rarer Items, rarer resources, construction, Radio/Pen + Paper for Communication, ... )

There could be central location (that would determine itself on its own), where players can post Papers with information about what they have and what they want, a bit like the subreddits for trade, group finding, missed connections etc.

But it would stay inside the game.

"I need Stanag Ammo. Have food, drinks + tools to trade. I will be waiting at the Deer Stand east of Vyshnoye every day around 6pm." You read this, go there. You can simply complete the trade, or kill the other one. Or the other one can set a trap for you. Or you can team up. Or you can be surprised by a third player that kills you both. or or or.

(Plus: Infections + Cure (Antibiotics) are already in the game...)