A new 'status' to encourage cooperation

[Sabata (DayZ) 1]

This is the exact addition that dayZ needs to kick all the normal players like me that don't team up and probably wouldn't want to stay near other strangers fearing some sort of ugly end for such relationship.

The medication is supposed to make the whole thing more palatable, in the end may be used as a reason to kill and loot other players for their medication as well...

I welcome any effort aimed towards KoS reduction, this may backfire though.

[Strategos (DayZ) 190]

"I think this would fit into some kind of subtle skill system like being "hardened" or whatever. "

I hate skill systems as well :p

"I am just saying that even people that claim to be lone-wolves in real life still have human contact. You and I are communicating right now."

As i said in another thread about this subject, people endure all kinds of traumas. Some crack, some don't, some people thrive in situations that would crack other peoples minds. Human beings are incredibly tough when it comes to the crunch. You cant turn this stuff into a simple set of rules.

Just looking at the different kinds of players in the game and the variety of their reactions to the game world should be proof enough that you cant slap some single psychological rule onto us all.

In a game like Amnesia which is a narrative where you are playing a specific character such a mechanic is acceptable but not in a game like this, in my opinion of course.

[.:14A41:.Pvt.p4lztZ 3]

I am just saying that even people that claim to be lone-wolves in real life still have human contact. You and I are communicating right now. If all of this was cut off from you and you found yourself in the woods' date=' [b']that would probably affect you.

That right there says it all. The point being is that you have no way of knowing for a fact how it will affect someone.

[Strategos (DayZ) 190]

Lol Pvt, so much more concise than me!

[A Man Named GOB 1]

All I will say is this. Half of the threads in this sub-forum are about PVP. I personally dont really feel like its a problem because I dont run around the big cities standing up and sprinting.

It seems to me that the Devs want to encourage interaction and also limit immediate Shoot on sight. Most likely to do this, they will have to introduce something that is more of a mechanic that a true to life element. Including some almost universal psychological effects might just be the way to nudge people in that direction.

"I think this would fit into some kind of subtle skill system like being "hardened" or whatever. "

I hate skill systems as well :p

"I am just saying that even people that claim to be lone-wolves in real life still have human contact. You and I are communicating right now."

As i said in another thread about this subject' date=' people endure all kinds of traumas. Some crack, some don't, some people thrive in situations that would crack other peoples minds. Human beings are incredibly tough when it comes to the crunch. You cant turn this stuff into a simple set of rules.

Just looking at the different kinds of players in the game and the variety of their reactions to the game world should be proof enough that you cant slap some single psychological rule onto us all.

In a game like Amnesia which is a narrative where you are playing a specific character such a mechanic is acceptable but not in a game like this.

[/quote']

[#BASEDGOD 27]

This is another suggestion that is forcing one group to change for another group. You have to encourage team play by other means. Adding a debuff to solo players is pretty stupid.

Team play has to be encouraged in other ways. As of right now, none of the new players are smart enough to realize that team work dominates. My squad of 4-5 can take over Cherno and Elektro in a couple of hours. Well-coordinated players working together will always overcome the lone wolves but no one trusts each other because everyone sees videos of this game on youtube and assumes that it is a death match where you cannot trust anyone.

[eldritch (DayZ) 17]

This is one of the best ideas I've come across.

Being alone=>depression=>talking to self randomly=>gives away your position

Alone for a long time=>insanity=>screaming randomly?(from hallucinations?)(actual hallucinations would be really freakin cool but probably very difficult to implement)

This would add a lot to both the horror and survival aspects of the game. Love the idea of being able to find drugs/antidepressants to fix this without having to meet other people, so lonewolfs could stay lonewolfs if they really wanted to.

Edit: I'm part of 10man group, but due to working graveyards half the week I frequently play in the early morning and thus by myself. I don't think this addition would change game play for solo players that much as long as the "depression/insanity" took a reasonable amount of time to manifest. It would just be one more type of loot you would need to find to stay alive. Having to find some antidepressants once a day or so wouldn't be that bad, and like I've said, insanity would definitely add to the horror aspects of the game, and new requirements to stay alive/functioning would add to the survival aspects.

[#BASEDGOD 27]

Why would you start talking to yourself?

Like I've said before. Some people can hack it in these type of environments. They can detach themselves from it and adapt to the hostility. People attempted to grasp at their old life or self tend to do worse since they are holding onto something that will make you a weaker survivor.

[A Man Named GOB 1]

I don't think that going through a period of acclimation to being alone is a debuff. If you feel strange for a while, then begin to feel more normal and eventually become better at dealing with certain things because you've been alone for a long time wouldn't be a debuff. If for example, you are more likely to panic for a while and then gradually become less likely to panic than someone who groups up wouldn't be a debuff.

Why would you start talking to yourself?

Like I've said before. Some people can hack it in these type of environments. They can detach themselves from it and adapt to the hostility. People attempted to grasp at their old life or self tend to do worse since they are holding onto something that will make you a weaker survivor.

[eldritch (DayZ) 17]

Why would you start talking to yourself?

Like I've said before. Some people can hack it in these type of environments. They can detach themselves from it and adapt to the hostility. People attempted to grasp at their old life or self tend to do worse since they are holding onto something that will make you a weaker survivor.

I think we can all agree that long term isolation CAN lead to depression/mental issues.

So make it random. One life you might have no problem with being alone, the next life you start muttering to yourself after the first couple days in the forest.

Ever played Amnesia? :D

One of the scaryest games I've played and it used a similar system to this, only darkness instead of loneliness.

[octopos 26]

EXCELLENT!

In real word, the humanity stay together to survive. And people that stay solo get crazy. In your RL history, we have so many examples of catastrophes, and the team work of the survivors, and the alone crazy people that start to see devil/monster/enemy in other survivals and get killed because it turns to much violent .

The schizophrenic effect is awesome, the player with to lower humanity(stay alone AND killing people don't do better to your mind) start to hear and see things, and SAY things.

So a player with tooo low humanity will make crazy noises, ever time ones approach. Because he/she isn't accommodated to companions =]

[Skint (DayZ) 138]

good idea' date=' but it affects a lonewolfs gamestyle alot so [b']maybe adding some antidepressants is the key.

Woah, woah. You actually might be onto something here... could we get some feedback from lonewolf players?

I'm not wanting to make things easier or force playstyles, but adding some psychological tension would be awesome. Something related to being around people, that could be medicated if you want to lonewolf. Thoughts?

I've been playing for 4 weeks and I'm 100% Lone Wolf avoiding players and hot spots like the plague, but I have noticed when I'm playing I subconsciously feel the need to see other humans, I get the urge to "creep", get the binoculars out and look for signs of life. I don't want actual contact because I don't trust anybody anymore, but I am human and this Mod pulls human emotions out and dumps them on my character. I could easily believe that if my current character survived for a long time it would start acting like a castaway, talking to scarecrows or animals, hallucinating, talking out load, etc.

So yes, medication to deal with this is definitely worth considering.

[thoxon 26]

As someone who plays lonewolf all the time, I like the idea of having symptoms of being alone for to long. Depression wouldn't be the only symptom though. There's also paranoia, delusional behavior, rage,anxiety...etc. Just think of all the mental states Tom Hanks went through in Cast Away.

side notes;

Is there a function already to wave to people? If so, maybe, the lonewolf waves overzealously signaling that he's been along for far to long.

Some of the side effects of being along for to long could be halluications of things. As in, people who aren't there, like a player running across the field, or gun shots casuing increase anxiety which would lead to increased thirst and hyperventilating.

[robosheriff 13]

Why would you start talking to yourself?

Like I've said before. Some people can hack it in these type of environments. They can detach themselves from it and adapt to the hostility. People attempted to grasp at their old life or self tend to do worse since they are holding onto something that will make you a weaker survivor.

Yes, but the thing is rewarding players for grouping up, while not affecting other players that like to be alone.

You know instead of trying to "fix" the shoot on sight trust nobody thing by making weapons have less accuracy, you reward people for grouping up and its up to them to choose if they want to have a partner or go to scavenge a supermarket to keep themselves mentally stable.

I don't think that we are basing every survivor in an "Ultimate terminator SHOOT TO KILL YOU ARE EXTERMINATED" behavior but on a more human one, that starts to loose his head due to be alone in an apocalyptic world.

[Nick Darnoc 1]

I wouldn't consider it punishing to lone wolf players, playing alone should be harder as I doubt that a majority of people are so mentally stable that not seeing another living human being for a very long period of time just doesn't even phase them. Also they already have the huge advantage of knowing how to hunt, shoot, play nurse, fix cars as well as helicopters, and sleep in a forest all alone without having to worry about being hurt while they log off because they can do everything themselves, when normally no normal person could.

[sheaf 2]

good idea' date=' but it affects a lonewolfs gamestyle alot so [b']maybe adding some antidepressants is the key.

Woah, woah. You actually might be onto something here... could we get some feedback from lonewolf players?

I'm not wanting to make things easier or force playstyles, but adding some psychological tension would be awesome. Something related to being around people, that could be medicated if you want to lonewolf. Thoughts?

Personally, I don't so much like making up rules to force a particular atmosphere. I find that the feelings of tension and paranoia when going alone are already well present and meaningful (as a player); making that an ingame "depression meter" seems to miss the point.

When you're going alone, any sound you hear is terrifying. Maybe someone is lurking in the dark waiting for you, and no one is there to help you. That has impact. I don't see anywhere near the same impact in imposing mental states, it should instead emerge naturally from the player's actions.

DayZ shines in really connecting to the player and making him feel what it can be like. At least that is my experience. I don't see the same appeal with ingame mental trauma effects. (See e.g. Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth which has a lot of those effects)

Edit: I agree with what's been said before:

I really hate these ideas that tell me my own mental state. I find being around people more depressing than being on my own most of the time. I don't see why I should be told that my character cant stand being on his own.

Especially if it ends up in ANOTHER screen blurring effect.

Everyone feels cold' date=' everyone bleeds when they get shot, everyone needs to eat and drink but only Some people are weak mentally, I don't think you should add mental illness to everyone it just doesn't work like that.

[/quote']

It really should arise naturally as the player's own emotions. Being told what to feel by the game seems quite artificial.

[A Man Named GOB 1]

Lets face it, grouping up in itself is a buff. If anything there should be consequences for being in a cluster like being more visible to Infected. I still like the idea of acclimating to being alone but I dont think it should be some kind of constantly managed by pills mental disorder. Force a lonewolf to go through a period of mental change where they start off feeling more paranoid and panicky then gradually harden their mind to it. I dont think I would go batshit crazy from being alone but I do know that I would need to acclimate to the change.

[zeeb 6]

Take Resident Evil for example, that movie in the desert, When she finds this girl K-Mart, and ask her what her real name is and she responds "Everyone that knows me are dead, so I thought it was a time for a change" I mean, if I want, I can change my name anytime I want, cuz when I meet a new person I can just say my name is Dogshit, and then by his knowings, I am Dogshit.

Heres a little song about change

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[joikd 25]

Wait, so the lone guy needs meds, so he doesn't experience negative effects. But, a group of two just cruises along merrily in a world where freakin' bandits and zombies are constantly trying to kill them as well? I've said it before that I don't like being told how I feel. But, if this is going to be implemented, please have it affect everyone. I'm okay with a loner being affected more severely, but everyone should be affected. The only difference would be degree of effect.

[Nick Darnoc 1]

everyone should be affected. The only difference would be degree of effect.

I agree this could be a good way to go about it, even with one other person around you still could be distressed.

[richard_b 15]

Rocket, good call on antideppressants!

This mechanic should actually be implememented. When a player first spawns, for 3 days he should take no effect, but he should find a friendly survivor after that fast. And anti depressants should have a high drop rate in hospitals, like Epi-pens, and have a %1.00 drop rate in homes. I'm a lonewolf and I approve this message.

[Strategos (DayZ) 190]

"All I will say is this. Half of the threads in this sub-forum are about PVP. I personally dont really feel like its a problem because I dont run around the big cities standing up and sprinting.

It seems to me that the Devs want to encourage interaction and also limit immediate Shoot on sight. Most likely to do this, they will have to introduce something that is more of a mechanic that a true to life element. Including some almost universal psychological effects might just be the way to nudge people in that direction. "

"Lets face it, grouping up in itself is a buff. If anything there should be consequences for being in a cluster like being more visible to Infected. "

Im afraid your arguments arnt really standing up.

Firstly : You cant just bypass points someone makes by changing the direction of your argument to stopping PVP.

Secondly: Your arguing for a mechanic that artificially urges people to group up. Then arguing a different point by suggesting grouping up is a benefit on its own and should be penalised in some artificial way!

In one swift stroke your debunking your own argument for needed an artificial method to get people to socialise. You dont need one because your absolutely right being a in a group is an advantage of itself.

On top of that your suggesting a punishment for this by making groups more obvious to the undead. missing the obvious fact, that being in a group DOES make you more noticeable to the Z's. If your in a group your much more likely that one of you will draw agro.

Its quite masterfully done! I'm impressed.

[A Man Named GOB 1]

Im not sure any of my statements negate what I am saying in any specific post. People post about PVP. You think that adding a mechanic that encourages human interaction isn’t directed at limiting PVP? Come on, it doesn’t need to say PVP in the title for you to see the undercurrent of what is being suggested.

All mechanics artificially push the player to do something or another. This is a game so you need something artificial to tell you what you need to do. I don’t have a red flashing food icon that blinks when I need to eat.

I cant imagine that there is anyone who would say that grouping up isn’t a buff. Being in a group should have some negatives and so should playing alone. People already group up in this game but it generally happens between people that are already friends and who use some sort of 3rd party voip. Unless I am mistaken most of what is being discussed here is encouraging random players to meet and work together. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t consequences to walking around as a group.

"All I will say is this. Half of the threads in this sub-forum are about PVP. I personally dont really feel like its a problem because I dont run around the big cities standing up and sprinting.

It seems to me that the Devs want to encourage interaction and also limit immediate Shoot on sight. Most likely to do this' date=' they will have to introduce something that is more of a mechanic that a true to life element. Including some almost universal psychological effects might just be the way to nudge people in that direction. "

"Lets face it, grouping up in itself is a buff. If anything there should be consequences for being in a cluster like being more visible to Infected. "

Im afraid your arguments arnt really standing up.

Firstly : You cant just bypass points someone makes by changing the direction of your argument to stopping PVP.

Secondly: Your arguing for a mechanic that artificially urges people to group up. Then arguing a different point by suggesting grouping up is a benefit on its own and should be penalised in some artificial way!

In one swift stroke your debunking your own argument for needed an artificial method to get people to socialise. You dont need one because your absolutely right being a in a group is an advantage of itself.

On top of that your suggesting a punishment for this by making groups more obvious to the undead. missing the obvious fact, that being in a group DOES make you more noticeable to the Z's. If your in a group your much more likely that one of you will draw agro.

Its quite masterfully done! I'm impressed.

[/quote']

[robosheriff 13]

I've said it before that I don't like being told how I feel.

The way i see it is like this. Arma 2 is a military simulator dayz being an extension of it should be somewhat a zombie military survival simulator lol.

And well you can confirm it right now as it is simulating things like hunger,thirstiness,temperature. Personally i think that setting up a phsycological factor is a good idea mainly to encourage communication with other survivors.

Its just setting up Advantages/disadvantages depending on your playing style

And most of the times a trip to the hospital or market can be easier than coordinating a bunch of guys lol.

[ScienceCow 2]

I thought up another possible fix to such a status rather than pills or having a buddy around. Maybe killing zombies relieves some stress/depression/anxiety. I mean they are the reason things can't go back to normal. Since most of us end up killing zombies anyway it works out as an convienent solution.

I personally try to avoid engaging zombies, but I'd be happier doing it knowing that my character feels better about themself afterwards. :D