If they removed backpacks!

[SkrooLoose (DayZ) 143]

90% of current DayZ players would quit.

Having a backpack isn't just extra storage. Its an easy way of transferring items between players. Its a way of letting team-mates access medical supplies so they can fix you up if you go down (I always keep 1 bandage, 1 epipen, 1 morphine and 1 bloodbag in my backpack so even a freshly spawned friendly can fix me up if I'm too screwed up to do anything). Its a temporary resupply point when you're defending a position (drop your own backpack, take another backpack from a vehicle, load that backpack with ammunition needed, drop it at the position you're defending, go back and pick up your own backpack). Its a loot hording point (drive in with vehicle, drop off empty backpack and group of looters, drive away to a safer location, looters add found loot to backpack until full, vehicle comes back, parks next to backpack, loot is transferred quickly from backpack to vehicle). Its a trap! (place high-value backpack in high-traffic areas, wait with sniper rifle aimed at backpack - or for more hilarious results, put a satchel down first then put the backpack on top of the satchel)

So if DayZ never launched with backpacks to start with, then 90% of the current player base would have never started playing it?

Your rebuttal directly proves op's reasoning. He stated that it would really make the player choose what is necessary to survive. Then you go on to lay out examples of how having backpacks simplifies life. You even mention using multiple backpacks. Your examples show nothing more than convenience. The game shouldn't be about convenience; it's about survival.

*I just want to mention that I'm not saying you're right or wrong. This topic is just a "what if" scenario, so no one is right or wrong; everyone just looks upon it differently.

[Mattix90 10]

Jesus Christ... I am mortified that some of you are seriously considering that idiot's idea. Game without backpacks, eh? As someone said before - try game without bandages or make it randomly kill you every now and then, it will make it more challenging. No backpacks = no fixing vehicles, no scavenging (what's the point if you can only carry 1 gun, few mags and some cans and it's at BEST).

Ofc it would be unrealistic. I just think it would add a lot to the gameplay. What is wrong with the idea? The only thing I hear you say is "retarded" Try playing 1 life without without a backpack. It is really fun as it makes surviving harder. Right now the only thing killing me are players. If you had no backpack surviving would become hard, and players wouldn't be the only fucking thread in the game.

What exactly would it add to the gameplay? What is wrong with the idea is pretty much everything. Why would I play one life without a backpack? How would that be fun? How do you play that game anyway? Go from coast to elektro and get killed by a sniper every time you aquire something more valuable than an AKM? Also - it's fucking zombie apocalypse, you're on your own, don't trust anyone. Other players are not danger to me. I am the danger, I snipe the shit out of stary looters and NWA barracks hoopers. If you think it would be fun to limit this game to just collecting cans and avoiding gunfight then you probably should think of another way to spend your free time as this game is clearly not for the likes of you.

[w_epley 37]

I wouldnt disable back packs. Just make it so you can't store weapons in them. More than a 25% trolls would probably quit. Maybe. Usually.

[kebman 213]

For: Starting without backpack, or a smaller one.

Against. Removing it completely.

Assault-type packs are probably the most abundant, as it's used for school, work, hiking and biking alike. Then comes the other variants. Most sports stores would have plenty of those too.

EDIT: Also, it would heavily change and reduce the game. You wouldn't be able to loot, and you'd be forced to ditch most of the stuff you found. Yeah, sure it would make you give it much more consideration, and probably it wouldn't be much point in having sniper weapons anymore - but... having that threat against me is one of the things I really like. Meeting those odds are one of the things I really like. And hunting a bambi-killing sniper-griefer is one of the things I really like. Or trying to find that well guarded camp. I love those aspects of the game, and they wouldn't be possible without big ass backpack and people going nuts about looting for their tents.

Edited August 29, 2012 by kebman

[miket 92]

food is also common i have alot more food then backbacks in my house i hope you do the same, by your logic houses and supermarkets should be stocked with food and not just one can if youre lucky.

The difference between food and backpacks is that you eat food on a daily basis. A backpack on the other hand might last anywhere from a few months to a few years depending on how well its made and how well you maintain it and the loads you put on it. Also, 1 person needs one backpack, whilst 1 person needs many items of food. Whilst food stocks would be depleted quite quickly in the normal means of production were halted, backpacks and other luggage items may remain sitting in various areas throughout the supply chain for quite some time (in stores, warehouses, delivery trucks, shipping containers at ports, on cargo ships, at factories which produce them, etc).

I'm pretty sure most people would have atleast one backpack in their house, and in a massive viral epidemic I doubt the first thing on most peoples minds is going shopping for a new backpack (even if they don't have one).

[MoronToTheKore 57]

Rocket has already said he likes the idea of a wide variety of apparel, and that he supports clothing tying into inventory space. I see backpacks becoming a bit more rare sometime in the future, especially the military grade ones.

But the crux of this whole argument goes down to inventory, and right now removing backpacks would be pretty dumb. But I could stand to not start with one. At the very least it would make the Czech Assault Pouch (or whatever it is it's called) actually useful.

[Just a Goat 25]

What would happen if you started without one and every backpack in the game was removed? I personally think it would make the game much better as you would really really have to choose what the most important things are. Fx "Do I take a can baked beans or do ammo for my gun?" just imagine how fucking awesome it would be.

Who would run around the zombie apocalypse without a backpack?

I'm willing to bet most of these really silly comments and suggestions are coming from players living in urban areas. It doesn't make any sense otherwise.

As I've noted before, backpacks are literally stone age technology. The only way you're going to have humans without backpacks is by dropping them naked into a desert.

Edited August 29, 2012 by Uncle Scrotor

[BobDole (DayZ) 129]

Coyote packs are rare...Once again, they are duped. Alice packs on the other hand are in abundance. Really wish people would understand how many items in this game are scripted in/duped.

lol you dont even need to dupe them.... i find one every visit to the nwaf and when i die i always find an alice in cherno...actually i find about 10 alice pakcs in cherno.

[rockwood 10]

satchels or man purses?

[sausagekingofchicago 4711]

They should remove all loot. You'd be running around like 'I'm dying of thirst and starvation!'.

Imagine how awesome that would be...

Only if we can drink from pools of water or the blood of an animal. Should still be plenty of knives in game so meat would be easy to find, especially long pork.

[sixfeetgiantbunnyrabbit 40]

to my own surprise i found two things i like in this Thread:

no backpack for newly spawned players

and Dora the Explorer, knight rider and spongebob school bags in residential loot areas. I'd have to fight my tears if i would pick up the military backback and had to leave my peanuts school bag behind.

[Zombie Jesus 723]

This thread topic is stupid as shit, maybe remove the backpacks at spawn but beyond that they serve an important function in a game like this, looting. If I can only carry one gun then sure I have to make a tough decision, but after I get that MK I am done looting for weapons instead of looking for an awesome backup sniper rifle. Currently I have a MK, M107, and AS50 (I normally would put one of the sniper rifles up but I put it in my pack at the end of the day due to vehicle and tent bugs), without my Coyote (which is rare the guy who always finds them is incredibly lucky it took me over three weeks to find mine) I would have given up long ago at looting and would have resorted to newb killing in Cherno.

[deathstrike616 32]

Why not just get rid of that damn flashlight....... and then that damn bandage, you know, who needs that? If you really are stupid enough to aggro a zombie.... we need to lower the noob population of this game, how about we take away every weapon but the M107? And let's remove hatchets, what a waste, everyone can just have a M107! :D and then we'll put police barricades and barbed wire around every city in the South, like Cherno and Elektro and Kamenka and Balota? Then we'll remove loot spawns except for the ones at NWAF.... the other ones are used by noobs... Genius!

Edited August 29, 2012 by Deathstrike616