DayZ: Night Life, the way it should be IMO

[sgtredphoenix 13]

Hey,

I made this short video regarding the concept of light in DayZ, or to be exact the lack of. The idea is still very much in its infancy stage, things like repairable power generators, fuel sources ( more than petrol/diesel ) are all a possibility. This is how I think every sever should start.

[hollenfeuer88 124]

I wish Dayz was more playable at night, it would add to the creep factor.

[Riem 164]

Now, while I do not like the idea of the lights still being on so long after the virus struck. And things such as infection and npcs have already been discussed a great deal.

Regardless, however.

While not containing original suggestions, this post has a description no page of words can match.

I absolutely love the way you've set up lights, and I think they would be the perfect set up for night if/when players build bases and are able to make generators, etc.

The tactics that this would force you to use would be simple, yet provide a layer to the night time play. Do you shoot out the lights as you go, alerting players to your general location to avoid zombies? Or do you try to sneak around undetected, but in the dark? See what you can lure out by taking the lights out at range? The myriad of possibilities are only made better because we can see what the lights would look like.

Thank you for this video, I wish half of the suggestions here contained content like this.

[sgtredphoenix 13]

Now, while I do not like the idea of the lights still being on so long after the virus struck. And things such as infection and npcs have already been discussed a great deal.

Regardless, however.

While not containing original suggestions, this post has a description no page of words can match.

I absolutely love the way you've set up lights, and I think they would be the perfect set up for night if/when players build bases and are able to make generators, etc.

The tactics that this would force you to use would be simple, yet provide a layer to the night time play. Do you shoot out the lights as you go, alerting players to your general location to avoid zombies? Or do you try to sneak around undetected, but in the dark? See what you can lure out by taking the lights out at range? The myriad of possibilities are only made better because we can see what the lights would look like.

Thank you for this video, I wish half of the suggestions here contained content like this.

Hey, thanks for your input. There is a few things I would like to add. Not all light's should be on full beam. I would like to add flickering lights, dimmed lights etc. Again to achieve this light source you should have to work for it. Repairing generators, fueling them etc. A fuel source shouldn't always be petrol/Diesel. How about wood? We have the ability to farm woodpiles for campfires, so why not use them for something else?

You hit the nail on the head with the night tactics. Sure taking out the lights would give you more cover, but shooting them out will alert them with gunfire and then the fact the light is no longer there.

[magicool 115]

but where would the power for the lights come from?

I mean nobody works in the power plant in Elektro anymore since the Zombie invasion

[Michaelvoodoo25 3120]

This is fantastic! Hope rocket see's it, would set the scene for night terrors!

[GLRUBBERDUCK 19]

Would be good if the lights run only if being powered so people would have to find a power source to get the lights on e.g. a generator

[MLI 6]

Yeah, could use flood lights powered by gensets/vehicles for electrical power rather than street and building lights.

Although wood fire lights placed by players would be more feasible considering the shortage of working engines.

[FireWalker 2]

I like it a lot. It looks as if the infection has just begun, and towns are starting to get overrun. It would be cool if the smaller towns on the outskirts lost all their power first (over time) and as the grid goes down, the towns slowly go dark towards the big substations. In other words, cherno, berezino, and elektro would lose power last.

But survivors could be racing a clock trying to keep the generators running in the different towns and as long as they do that, the power grid stays up.

I think that if a bandit squad wants to take over a town at night, they should be able to figure out what substation is feeding that town or region and set charges on certain pieces of equipment. When the charges go off... well so does the power in that town or region. But they would have to take out any survivors that are trying to keep the power grid operational. Survivors in a town would feel like they would need to set up some surveillance to protect themselves from bandits.

o, and there are those infected people, dogs, and cats running around at the same time...

[Jellis (DayZ) 18]

i really like this. Nice job. :)

[m.w. vindicator 880]

I think power should be out by default. The player could repair generators and local power sources to bring electricity to an area. survivors could turn on the lights in a town if they desired. Maybe if the lights are on in a town Zeds don't spawn inside the town but on the outskirts instead.

Lights would lure in players. It would be cool though and would add a lot to the sand box.

[Thunderous Thrust 5]

I don't think there should be light, but rather the night shoudn't be so dark. It's literally impossible to see at night in Dayz and it's just not fun

[joeoblong@yahoo.com 614]

but where would the power for the lights come from?

I mean nobody works in the power plant in Elektro anymore since the Zombie invasion

Most modern power plants are automated. That said in the chaos of the outbreak I would bet sub stations and power lines would be knocked out.

I do love this video tho! And if Rocket added these features, I wouldn't complain!

Nice work Sgt.! Beans for you!

[Mos1ey 6301]

I like it a lot. It looks as if the infection has just begun, and towns are starting to get overrun. It would be cool if the smaller towns on the outskirts lost all their power first (over time) and as the grid goes down, the towns slowly go dark towards the big substations. In other words, cherno, berezino, and elektro would lose power last.

But survivors could be racing a clock trying to keep the generators running in the different towns and as long as they do that, the power grid stays up.

I think that if a bandit squad wants to take over a town at night, they should be able to figure out what substation is feeding that town or region and set charges on certain pieces of equipment. When the charges go off... well so does the power in that town or region. But they would have to take out any survivors that are trying to keep the power grid operational. Survivors in a town would feel like they would need to set up some surveillance to protect themselves from bandits.

o, and there are those infected people, dogs, and cats running around at the same time...

DayZ is 5 years after the infection began. Any generators and stuff will have been neglected and might not even work any more.

[joeoblong@yahoo.com 614]

DayZ is 5 years after the infection began. Any generators and stuff will have been neglected and might not even work any more.

Where did you get this 5 years after theory? I've never seen any (official) time line of the events. Not calling you a lair, just curious if I've missed some tidbit. (has happened before)

[Taiphoz 95]

this is a cool idea, and adds to those already out there about repairing elektro power station , it could be a task taken on by the server as a whole during the day so that the night time has more light.

have my beans sir.

[Michaelvoodoo25 3120]

As stated before a great idea. I liek the potential of it affecting NVG and thermal tools, this would render them almost useless in lit up areas, A gameplay changer.

Groups or teams of people could make it their gameplay of choice, An engineer if you will. repair vehicles and repair downed facilities without an actual class system.

I would love to be part of a community in game with a specific role. From medic to security and everything inbetween without breaking any realism.

It goes without saying after 5 years there would not be any working infrastructure in Chernarus, so Player interaction would be needed. Isn't there also a Generator in Arma 2? it could be ported in and allow a means of powering most basic elecrical systems. It could not however power a whole power station, so I'm wondering could here be a re-fueling vehicle near an airport for example? Or perhaps a ship yard tie in? (On a long note a train delivery, but admitedly this would take the game away from the apocalypse scenario) Fuel would eventually run out and is not a finite resource so could scavenging vehicles etc, produce a sustainable source (think spawning items but in motorised forms)

Edited September 25, 2012 by Michaelvoodoo25

[dallas 5195]

I spend atleast half my time on night servers and really enjoy nights being a completely different game.

When playing at night you're relying much more on your ears and if you haven't got NVGs or exploit gamma settings, artificial light becomes a valuable rescource. You have to be really careful, because light draws in unwanted attention and many times flashlights, chemlights and road flares, just provide enough light to make you even more scared, because it also creates a contrat between your very limited light scource, while killing your eye's perefial nightvision. Mostly I think NVGs need to be much more exclusive and we have to even the playing field, by finding a sollution to players exploiting gamma/brightness.

I'd classify running a city's powerplant, lighting up street lights serious end game content, atleast a 5-10 man task. There'd have to be implemented serious pitfalls, random powerouts suddently blinding the urban population, dangerous critical malfunctions, with the risk of deadly explosions or electrocution for those maintaining the turbines/generators.