Idea for more cooperative gameplay - using skins

[Elmaex 1]

Hi there!

I had an idea about how to make to gameplay more cooperative and would like to know how others think about it. This is going to be a rather long post, so I try my best to mark the sections containing the actual idea. On a side note, please apologize my Englisch.

Furthermore, this refers to the Arma 2 mod only! I'm sure rocket will have a whole lot of better ideas for the standalone :)

What upsets me (can skip)

Like many of you, I learned that playing DayZ in cooperation with other players is much more fun. However, mistrust has reached a level that makes it very rare to find other players to cooperate with, apart from those that are your friends/clanmates already. In a post-apocalyptic world, there should be a decent level of mistrust, but shooting on sight in 70 % of all encounters is not in proportion anymore! I'd like to to see players team up with others on a regular basis...

What's in the way (can skip)

Firstly, mistrust. That's part of the game and should stay that way. Secondly, assume that for some reason you trust everyone - and everyone trusts you. No killing whatsoever. Would this game still be fun? No, I'd say. I think most players actually like to shoot others or at least having the possibility to do so.

What's the idea

First and foremost, my idea is based on a change of appearance, i.e. the skins of the players, only! Therefore it is pretty similar to the survivor/bandit/hero-mechanics being in game right now. However, I don't think the good guy/bay guy discrimination works. Most players don't want to be good all the time. Those who still are in a survivor skin just haven't had the possibility to kill others - but they probably would.

Instead, I'd give players the possibility to gain a certain skin showing their affiliation to a certain "faction". If a player kills another player of the same faction, he loses that skin again. Consequently, if you see another player who happens to have the same skin as you, you may want to regard him as trustworthy. At least, he hasn't shot anyone in your "faction" for some time.

How do you get a faction associated skin?

I'd propose that it depends on an attribute, like humanity, whether you can acquire a certain skin. Let's put more of those attribute (each of them showing you personality) in the game. How about greed or faith? Let's say you bandage a lot of other players and you humanity increases. Or you take stuff from a supermarket and your greed increases. Or you shoot zombies in a church and you faith increases (yeah, whatever :D). As soon as you hit a certain value with one attribute, you will be invited to change your skin. Other players see this. If they happen to have the same skin as you do, they might want to team up instead of shooting you. If they shoot you, they'll lose their skin, becoming "factionless", i.e. survivor again.

What's the impact on the game?

First of all, if you don't care about "faction", not much will change for you. You can still shoot anyone you want. You also don't have to change your skin. You will just be invited to do so. This option might be interesting for bandits or clans who just want to continue playing the way they are right now. Or for medics, who don't want to be associated with a faction.

However, if you are alone most of the time and would like to team up with other players on a regular basis, the faction thing might be good for you. Do some stuff to gain a new skin and then approach players with the same skin.

What if you have skin A and the friend you want to play with skin B? Well, you can just play with him. Nothing changes. However, if you meet another player with, let's say, skin A, some new situations arise. Will that new player trust your friend of skin B (who might have shot some skin A players)? Maybe you can convience him to do so?

Now, what do you think of that idea?

[Welch (DayZ) 756]

Eh, it's alright.

[Guest]

---

Edited November 12, 2024 by Guest