Reduce player speed based on carried weight.

[TheBrassThief 3]

At the moment the game is fairly straight forward. There is an optimal way to survive. And thats to turtle. Turtle hard. Get ALL the tools, gather as much food as you can, a heavy pistol and a large sniper and turtle to victory. Become sedentary. Which is the total opposite of what a real zombie apocalypse would be like without a permanent base. In real life you could only carry enough water and food for a few days or even a single day (water is heavy) and even then the total weight of that plus your weapon (large sniper rifle if we are talking DayZ) would make you zombie chow when you tried to run (hobble) away.

In real life you have to make this decision on every hunting/hiking/walking trip by balancing two factors. What do i need? How encumbered can i afford to be? In a game where sprinting for your life is important i imagine this choice would make the game far more interesting. The DMR would no longer be an instant pick up because it would slow you down massively. Taking 5 cans of food and 4 canteens along with every tool wouldnt be a very valid play style and would carry huge risk. Players would have to travel light and fight hard to survive every hour. It would encourage more scavenging more frequently and more pressure when you need to do so. You walk in fast and walk out slow with supplies. Makes for a tense escape.

Real decisions would need to be made on what you can and cant afford to take. Maybe going around with just a pistol would be more efficient to allow for more food? Maybe dropping all your stuff for a fast escape would be a new tactic (which people would totally do in real life). Maybe you dont really need that toolbox? Or that heavier bag? DayZ doesnt have an endgame so it cant have a linear progression in items. There has to be compromise with an upside to every weapon. Having any one weapon better than all others is boring because players hunt for them and get them and then have nothing to do but deathmatch. More focus is needed on making basic survival harder. On making taking the DMR as colossal risk IF you can even find one. Encumbrance is the best way to limit gear hoarding.

Edited October 1, 2012 by TheBrassThief

[apache25 133]

yes i i agree. the players more they carry the slower they get. but they should get faster after awhile because they are used to carrying heavyloads. or else let people carry shopping carts to put gear into

[mibz0r 141]

It already does do that, try racing two survivors one with no gear and one with full gear see what happens

[TheBrassThief 3]

It already does do that, try racing two survivors one with no gear and one with full gear see what happens

If it already does that ramp it up. Hugely. In my view a survivor with:

A pistol, two bandages, some ammo, 2 cans of beans and a canteen should JUST be as fast as a zombie. Only on the basis that the zombies have slightly impaired motor function. Everyone else should get progressively slower than that. Someone with a sniper rifle a pistol and any amount of food shouldn't be able to sprint anywhere. Jog at best.

Edited October 1, 2012 by TheBrassThief

[enforcer1975 1111]

Not only would a loaded player be slower, he would also get tired faster nad have to rest or drop like in A.C.E. Hopefully it will be in the standalone in a similar way so people who have the "need" to carry a weapon for every case will become obsolete.

[Exenima 45]

It's allllllll happening in the standalone people.