Item-Sinks : we need one

[Fat-Marco 13]

I'll attempt to keep it brief (edit: attempt failed :P)

Everyone knows that item duping and hackers influxing large numbers of scripted items into the game has ruined the day-z economy. Hopefully that will all get resolved in future patches and in the standalone.

But another issue that needs to be addressed is along a similar vein (although it does not involve cheaters).

Essentially, the game needs better balance in terms of -- items in vs items out.

Item influx to the game

Randomly spawning gear which players find/loot

Item outflux

- Not reaching a body in time so it dissapears.

- Destroying a vehicle that is stockpiled with weapons

- Bugs. Things like players destroying weapons when backpack eats weapons due to lack of space. Buggy mechanics on how long a dead body remains lootable.

The main mechanic for item outflux seems to be the timer on a dead body expiring so you cannot loot it in time. In my opinion this only affects new players. When I first started playing I rarely managed to recover my body because I was dying in high traffic areas close to the coast, and I did not know the map well enough to find my body again. Once I got more experienced, I would always be able to recover my body unless I died to an enemy player at close range (where more than likely I've been looted). Deaths to zombies (rare as they are), or buggy deaths like spawning in trees were never much of a big deal because one could always recover the body.

Now considering what I just mentioned (namely that experienced players more often than not tend to recover their items) and that most item sinks are due to bugs which will get fixed .... we need more ways for items to exit the hive. Otherwise after a period of time (even in absence of hackers and duping), items will naturally lose value purely as a consequence of them saturating every server.

Suggestion

- Zombies hits should have slight % chance to damage equipment permanently. So for example lets say NVG's have a spawn chance of 0.10% at a high end military loot spot. A zombie hit should have something like a 0.05% chance to damage your NVG's. An AK47 might have a 20% chance to spawn at loot spawn point, so a zombie hit should have something like a 10% chance to destroy your weapon when they hit you. (Similar to the way zombies have a % chance to break your leg)

If you find it unrealistic that weapons can be damaged by a zombie, than for weapons we can have something like a % chance that a bullet destroys an weapon. So if I spray someone in the chest with an assault rifle, theres a chance his as50 will be destroyed by my bullets.

The numbers themselves are not that important right now, but what i'm suggesting is merely a way to help balance the incoming items into the game with the number of items which exit the game. In other words, help stabilize the demand and supply so that rare items actually remain rare

*this would also help make zombies more of a threat.

Edited September 5, 2012 by Fat-Marco

[boneboys 7988]

Good suggestion.

Needs soap & water.

Wrong Forum section.

Moved.

[Pyro_Marine 147]

I just see it giving shitty players another reason to dupe. :/

[Fat-Marco 13]

I just see it giving shitty players another reason to dupe. :/

The suggestion is not meant for current state of game. Right now item saturation from legit finding of items is a small fraction of the issue. Right now its the mass duping and hackers.

This suggestion is meant for the game once those issues have been addressed (whether it be in the standalone or if future patches fix tents/duping).

[synddd 10]

Like^^

What about weapons taking damage on use? A-la the Jagged Alliance series, but will need to be repaired with parts...

Come to think of it, make weapons take damage just like vehicles running out of fuel.

The weapon can be repairable with parts but if the damage gets to 100% it is deemed unrepairable and may as well be thrown away.

Also, when weapons are below 50% status then they have a chance of malfunctioning when you fire it.

Just some more ideas to throw into the discussion.

[Fat-Marco 13]

Like^^

What about weapons taking damage on use? A-la the Jagged Alliance series, but will need to be repaired with parts...

Come to think of it, make weapons take damage just like vehicles running out of fuel.

The weapon can be repairable with parts but if the damage gets to 100% it is deemed unrepairable and may as well be thrown away.

Also, when weapons are below 50% status then they have a chance of malfunctioning when you fire it.

Just some more ideas to throw into the discussion.

Thanks for the reply.

Personally id prefer not to punish players for doing nothing wrong. Degrading weapons naturally is too punishing. It is better to punish a player for taking damage like getting hit by zombies or getting sprayed in the chest area. That way at least a cautious/skilled player could hang on to their hard earned items (and in a world free of duping/hacking and proper economy management, items would be TRULY hard earned).

It really kills incentive to find items when you think "meh whats the point, their just going to degrade and i'll need to find more of them".

But if you mean weapons degrading but being able to be repaired with weapon kits then i'm all for that! Its a good idea because it would give another incentive/reason to go out exploring areas to gather more items. Beef up the survival aspect even more.

[Zeppa 562]

I think you(OP) need to change your avatar, its verry disturbing...

weapons could jam without maintenance and long enough they could break...(this has been said(weapon degradation) and its coming to standalone somepoint)

Gunsmith could remove jams and take better care of weapons..

Edited September 5, 2012 by Zeppa

[synddd 10]

But if you mean weapons degrading but being able to be repaired with weapon kits then i'm all for that! Its a good idea because it would give another incentive/reason to go out exploring areas to gather more items. Beef up the survival aspect even more.

Yeah, thats what I meant.

@Zeppa

Guess I missed that post somewhere, but that is exactly what I was proposing, so I will go back in my little hole now and wait for my next good idea that has already been mentioned ;-)