Nasakinai's Immersion Ideas

[Nasakenai 34]

I’m still somewhat of a new player and have only been playing for a month or so, but I’ve realize that Dayz is the kind of game I have been looking for for a long, long time. Finally a game that lets me CHOOSE what to do instead of telling my what to do and forcing me to grind for points, levels, etc.

I have come up with a number of ideas as I’ve been playing with my friends to improve the immersion and “adventure” feel of the game. I’ll list them here:

Bodies – when I come across a body I want to be able to study the body and find out exactly how that person died. “There are small gunshot wounds in his torso”, “He appears to have been hit in the head by some sort of large caliber rifle”, “blunt force trauma”, “he appears to have been shredded and partially eaten (in the case of zombies)”, “there are no external causes of death visible”, etc. I’d also like to know how long the body has been dead with something like “the body is still warm/cold/etc.” These things will give the perceptive and patient player an edge helping to know which towns to avoid, if there are snipers in the area, etc. All of these things could possibly be done visually as well – perhaps showing the wounds depending on how the person was killed, perhaps a pool of blood that slowly dries/evaporates as time goes on so you can see if the person just died recently and stuff like that. I also think the same could apply to fires – you could see if they were still warm or doused by checking on them, etc.

Trash – When you use a bandage, blood bag, drop an empty magazine, etc. I’d like to see the remains of these items remain persistently on the ground – at least for a time. They could be picked up and/or moved by players but if not could leave a “trail of events” for the next experienced survivor that comes by. For example you walk in to a town, and upon exploring a barn you see an expended magazine, several dead zombies that died of gunshot wounds, and an empty blood bag outside on the ground – you now know that there was recently a cooperating group in the area with at least one military grade weapon. Had they been more careful in hiding their tracks they may have forever been unnoticed. This would add a huge element of excitement for the surveil and survive style of player.

Sniping – in my opinion sniping needs to be re-worked simply because it’s so damn effective. First thing to change needs to be grass and underbrush disappearing after 100 meters or so which makes it virtually impossible not to be spotted (this would also help with tents being more easily hidable). After that, extremely long range guns such as the AS 50 should not be able to be fired farther than a few hundred meters unless prone on the ground, and certainly not from standing. I think that the AS 50 in particular should have to be set down on the ground and then utilized as an emplaced weapon to make longer range shots, so that the player can’t just switch to “run and gun” mode the second he sees somebody closely attacking him (he'll have to pick back up the rifile, etc.). He should have to rely on other players helping him for closer range support, or a backup gun. Anybody who’s ever held a .50 caliber rifle knows that the gun would be completely ineffective from a standing position. This should relegate the .50 caliber sniper rifle to a true "special purpose" rifle rather than a "yay time to go snipe noobz" gun.

Birds – I’d like to see smaller birds take off in startled flight and and/or animals run when loud shots are suddenly fired. If you’re in a city and you hear a sniper shot you can look to the treeline and try to see if there are any startled birds flying in to the sky to get a fix on roughly which direction the guy is in, etc.

Vehicle Repair – In a real life situation you can “reserve” your vehicle for you just by taking out the spark plugs. I’d like to see something similar in Dayz since vehicles remain when you get off the server and are a lot harder to hide. Maybe not spark plugs but I’d like to see players at least able to take off a wheel or two and hide it in a remote tent (the same way you put on a wheel) before they log off so that somebody who finds your vehicle hideout at least has to work a little bit for it.

Rare encounters – possibility of roving military patrols that will go from one area of a map to another with orders to “clear the quarantine area” meaning KOS. It would take a coordinated ambush and a lot of risk to take them down but would be well worth it in gear/ammo if you could do it. They could travel at walking speed through the map on roads maybe with a truck or two driving slowly so that once spotted you could have time to run ahead/set up an ambush with some fellow survivors if you knew which way they were going.

Plants/Gardens – ability to plant plants that would persist on the server and grow and provide food after a few days that you could plant in a forest or field depending on the seed. Would make more fun things to do “at the camp”.

Hunting – add deer/elk/bears. They will get spooked and run if you don’t kill them with one shot or get too close (no more hunting with a Makarov or hatchet). Make hunting things other than livestock (which are near towns and thus a little bit dangerous to hunt) a little more challenging and require use of a larger caliber bullet and risk of noise.

Burying bodies – should take longer and the ground be slightly changed afterwards so a curious player could dig up the grave and see what’s there. If players want to bury bodies (or loot) they should have to drag or bring it to an obscure spot if they want to ensure nobody finds it.

Character classes – mind you, not your typical “engineer, support, recon” or any of that. Choose between a few character types with slight differences and maybe give one additional starting item depending on which you chose – here’s a few ideas:

Soldier: Maybe start with an M9 or camo clothing. Slightly faster runner and more physically in shape so he can have slightly more health and a better chance to survive short falls. (more likely to spawn at airstrip or military blockade?)

Civilian townsman – Start with toolbox or local map. (More likely to spawn in small town?) Good at gardening to get more produce than average (see above plants entry), cars take slightly less damage while he is driving them due to being “used to driving in the area”.

Local Hunter: Could start with a hatchet/hunting knife. Ability to get more meat from animals, better ability to creep silently and an run faster up/down hills due to hiking boots. (More likely to spawn in wilderness or outside of a town?)

Businessman/medical professional – Could start with a few extra medical supplies. Could make a splint using harvested wood (acts as morphene), and revive unconscious players by using CPR (acts as epi pen). (More likely to spawn in big city near hospital or near military hospital area)

Survivalist/Alex Jones fan – Could start with a compass and/or personal map indicating a stash of “preperedness gear” somewhere on the map that would have some supplies and possibly a rile and some ammo if he found it. Slightly better at shooting assault rifles and pistols accurately due to preperedness practice. (Likely to spawn in towns, cities, or outskirts of town)

I’m sure there’s plenty of other ideas that could be explored along those lines. The point would not to make any of these “defined roles” meaning that you are forced to play a certain way, but give each one ever so slight differences or abilities that could encourage a little bit of teamwork.

This is a few of my ideas for now, I’ll add more as I come up with them or remember them.

Edited September 25, 2012 by Nasakenai

[Sir BBQ 2]

Very nice man, I like the idea about having Anti-Material Rifles having to be prone to fire.

Not so fond of the classes though.

[jabberwock (DayZ) 24]

You had me until character classes. "Classes" are something that should develop out of necessity, gear selection, play preference. I do not like the idea of perks.

[MasterZ 90]

Stats post saying how it's enjoyable to have a game that does not tell you what to do:

Suggests classes that pretty much point people to what they should be doing.

Got to love the forum sometimes.

Anyway there are some other decent suggestions in there. Maintaining a car should be important, farming and hunting would be nice activities to perform to stay alive without going out to loot and I also like the trash items.

I wont give you beans, but I have this can of pasta you can have,

[Michaelvoodoo25 3120]

Alex Jones class?

[Nasakenai 34]

Stats post saying how it's enjoyable to have a game that does not tell you what to do:

Suggests classes that pretty much point people to what they should be doing.

I honestly don't like the idea of "classes" either. I do think it would be nice to have some various start options and some ways to encourage teamwork. I think it could be done effectively as long as they don't force you into any certain playstyle - as in you get very minor perks and maybe an ability but nothing that locks you in and makes people say "You're X why aren't you X-ing correctly". In other words every type should be able to play the game the exact way.

It could be fail - to be honest it's probably the idea I had that I was the least enthusiastic about but it was an idea none the less so I added it.

[John Spectre 32]

I don't like the idea of 'classes' at all, although skill progression based on things you do repeatedly would work well.

You ideas on gathering info from the environment are very good, especially dropping trash! for which I give you beans sir

(from a recce soldier who knows how important it is to clean up after yourself when your in the field)

[Forgewolf 70]

If you think about it.. Playing in Large groups.. Your all either going to have a little bit of everything.. OR every person in your group will have a set task/job.. A medic, a Mechanic, etc.. So in a way.. Having classes is realistic. I am more of a fan of all the ideas though above that one. Especially making High Powered weapons requiring you to either kneel or go prone.

[MasterZ 90]

I don't like the idea of 'classes' at all, although skill progression based on things you do repeatedly would work well.

I'm also a big fan of skills people can progress in by performing them.

The big issue with this is that many people would start grinding these skills and it would also give older players a clear advantage above freshly spawned players.

So in the end it's not something that is compatible with DayZ.

[Olisonera 126]

I'm also a big fan of skills people can progress in by performing them.

The big issue with this is that many people would start grinding these skills and it would also give older players a clear advantage above freshly spawned players.

So in the end it's not something that is compatible with DayZ.

Unless you lost these skills when you died... Would mean folk would focus on the skills that appeal to them, knowing they could die at any moment. No one would grind to improve all their skills knowing they're only good 'til the next respawn.

Edited September 26, 2012 by Olisonera

[Zeppa 562]

skills would be good to have, but every skill should be open to everyone... nothing that you can choose at spawn(class), but what you can start learning. You could learn every skill if you took the time...

Ideas are ok, tough already suggested many times.

Skills would make individual lifes much more valueable, and people more afraid of death.. now its just items, that you can get back in no time.

Edited September 26, 2012 by Zeppa

[Hetstaine 10852]

The trash one is good and great for immersion :) Beanz my man.

I often set up a few little fires in out of the way places and leave them in the hope that someone will come across them and get a bit jumpy, wondering if anyone is around.

[Inception. 9443]

Everything except classes, yeah.