DayZ

mobucks

mobucks

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Zombie Apocalypse meets Cormack McCarthy's The Road in this open world survival game. The only goal: Survive. I havent had this type of gaming experience... ever. Other players could be helpful allies, or dirty, dirty bandits wanting to take that can of beans off your corpse. The zombies are of the 28 Days Later variety, never tiring, always giving chase untill put down for good.
This is a popular mod for ARMA 2:Combined Operations, made by a Bohemia Interactive Developer. The setting is ARMA 2's Chernarus Map, a 255 sq km zone that apparently works just as well for a zombie apocalypse as it does for tank battles and close air support. It's still alpha, so all the particulars are still being added/balanced/fleshed out. But its still a blast to play.

www.dayzmod.com

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Sounds awesome but what does dying do exactly? Why would anyone actually put the gun down when approached by two assholes?
 
Dying simply makes you start all over again from scratch. The guy in that video probably realized he wasnt much better off alive without supplies so he fought back. The reason those guys tried to rob him without killing is, there is a "humanity" stat, that if you murder other players, your player skin changes to that of a bandit, so people know you have murdered other players. (all this humanity stuff is being fleshed out still)

You start out with a basic Makarov pistol, ammo, medical supplies, some food/water and some road flares. (it can get pitch black on moonless nights) You don't even start out with a map or a compass, they must be found. The objective is just to be dropped into this huge world and see how long you can survive. You can choose to go it alone, killing any other survivors for their supplies, or you can try to find some friendly survivors for safety in numbers. Not everyone is a bandit, and not everyone will kill you outright (as seen in the video)

It may sound harsh, and trust me, it is, but I've died quite a few times and starting all over isnt as bad as it sounds. The human element is what really makes the game; one night we watched from a rooftop as another survivor attempted to leave a schoolhouse we were holed up in.
"I dont see any zeds out there, I'm gona go out to that appartment building across the square."
All of a sudden 20 zombies are chasing him all over the square, till finally one drops him and they start eating him alive. (small chance to be knocked out depending on how much health you have) I ran out and dropped a few, but it was too late. There was nothing we could do but watch.
 
From what I've seen on youtube, it's incredibly clunky and laggy but it's got a fantastic feel to it overall and I love the idea. Perhaps Valve can hire this guy to make a proper game as they tend to do.
 
yeah thats the thing, it has all the regular clunkiness of ARMA 2. If you are well versed in ARMA 2, you wont mind, but someone new to ARMA 2 will probably be immediately turned off by standard mechanics of the game (inventory, movement)

I'd love to see a big studio make a full game out of an idea like this, just afraid they would be afraid to make it as unforgiving as it currently is.

As for the lag comment, I get very little lag. Maybe it looks laggy because the guy falls down dead a few moments after being shot? Thats him bleeding to death.
 
maximaz said:
From what I've seen on youtube, it's incredibly clunky and laggy but it's got a fantastic feel to it overall and I love the idea. Perhaps Valve can hire this guy to make a proper game as they tend to do.
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Arma 2 is a military simulator, it's not a "game" like the ones Valve creates.

I agree that it can be laggy and buggy, slow and somewhat clunky and it's definitely not very noob friendly but when it all comes together it's one of those truly terrific and unique experiences.

DayZ allows people to play on one of Arma's huge (225km2) maps* and gives them total freedom.

The mod plays out in "actual time" so if you play at night it will be night in-game which is not really ideal for new players...

You start out with very basic equipment and without an in-game map or compass so you will have to rely on the the sun/ moon and your surroundings to navigate.

If you're unlucky or reckless and encounter bandits or zombies "too early" they will likely kill you in seconds.

You can also cripple your limbs, bleed to death, die of hunger and thirst,....

Zombies are attracted by noise (and maybe light?) so you best move slowly and make yourself small when you have a limited view/ understanding of your surroundings.

You can hunt for weapons, food, medicine, maps, flares and flashlights,..., explore towns, villages and the countryside , repair vehicles (not sure which are usable in DayZ), form a band of raiders, seek shelter, get lost in huge forests at night,...

In terms of atmosphere this mod does remind me of The Road and STALKER.

This is a mod well worth checking out if you have the patience to learn Arma's basic mechanics (they're not that daunting) and have a fairly powerful computer (ARMA 2 is still a massive resource hog).


*Map and some screenshots:

[spoiler:c54156d5a2]

The massive map:

209rnfl.jpg


Wounded and out of ammo on hospital roof:

2nbyhxe.jpg


Nights are really dark (and scary):

3486h6w.jpg


Better light a flare, you can also pick up flares and carry them around:

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Crawling around (broken bones) surrounded by zombies moments before death:

e5qqv7.jpg


The Road?

2zp2sl5.jpg



[/spoiler:c54156d5a2]
 
Reminds me of the old OFP zombie maps but with more players and more of a focus on pvp. I'll have to pick up Arma 2 the next time Steam has a sale if the mod's still alive.
 
mobucks said:
yeah thats the thing, it has all the regular clunkiness of ARMA 2. If you are well versed in ARMA 2, you wont mind, but someone new to ARMA 2 will probably be immediately turned off by standard mechanics of the game (inventory, movement)
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thats why I stoped playing arma in general.

Simulation or not. But there is no reason why it has to be so clunky and ugly in some parts. The world looks good. But the feel of the weapons not.

Interesting mod. But sadly killed by the engine they use. And its really not like there are not great ideas there like the WW2 mod

Iron_Front__3_.jpg


But I played arma long enough to believe that the engine is simply "shit".

But the worst part about arma actually is the way how FOV (Field of Vision) is handled. It is so strange compared to other games that I have to always spend some time getting "used" to it.

But thats my opinion about it.

Also Bohemia is probably one of those companies with the worst coders working for them. They always make a game, and then it takes them two other years to patch the worst bugs. Playing the singleplayer in Arma2 is still even today almost impossible (game breaking bugs). You can have the best hardware for Arma and you will still experience lags and issues and FPS drops.

I really hope they worked on that part for Arma 3. Otherwise its a no go for me. Trick me once, shame on you. Trick me twice, shame on me. And I have been a huge Arma fan to say that. But enough is enough.
 
yeah man, I hear ya. The guys on the TS3 channel were talking about it last night. Basicly, ARMA 2 is still on a modified 2001 engine (Operation Flashpoint!) ARMA 3 Is on it's own new engine apparently and is supposedly much more stable. As for things like clunky inventory (pick up something you dont have room for, it disappears) who knows if they will fix things like that.
Anyway none of that stuff bothers me to the point of not playing. ARMA, and simulations in general, be it flight/racing/military, are the gentlemans game of choice. Annoying children don't have the patience to play. I don't have the patience for annoying children, so we're all happy to play on different sides of the park.
 
mobucks said:
ARMA, and simulations in general, be it flight/racing/military, are the gentlemans game of choice. Annoying children don't have the patience to play. I don't have the patience for annoying children, so we're all happy to play on different sides of the park.
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thats only your opinion mate. I experienced a different situation in Arma 2 at least. Part of it was caused by players, the other by fucking stupid shit server controls. Seriously. It lacks the basics of gaming here. I have played a few games in my life that had "realism" as focus, and so far one of the best games so far was Darkest Hour (A WW2 mod). It was complex, yet you have never been completely destroyed by the controls. The motto? If its simple in real life, then it should be simple in the game as well. In arma its more like "we hit you with the controls so you give up on it and do something easier like C++ programing". Anyway. I cant tell how many times a game has been COMPLETELY spoiled by someone who had nothing better to do then to crash his own plane in his own full spawn but jumping out of it before it crashed. Or someone shooting the engine of our helicopter while it took of, or, or, or.

Believe. Me. Idiots. Find. A. Way.

*Edit maybe its better now, no clue, when I started Arma 2 I had to take long breaks from it sometimes. And then I gave up on this clunky mess.
 
I have no idea about the games engine, or the original games built with this engine, but...DayZ looks really fascinating.

The fact you only have one life is a great design decision, it makes the behavior of the players much more realistic and natural, when people flee for their lives from a fast zombie horde, it's great. I noticed there were no female zombies, or children, I hope they rectify that in the future. Also some wild animals, birds, etc, wouldn't go a miss. I wish players could climb trees. This game had the potential to be a masterpiece. Left for Dead has nothing on DayZ IMO.

Watch this video to see what I mean, it's like a worse case scenario.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e-9C09T-R4[/youtube]
 
there is game to shoot and skin/cook for food. need to find matches to make a fire, and a knife to skin game.
 
Double post necro or?
Anyway, anyone still playing? Still frustrating, but so was Ultima Online, and that game kicks ass. Add me on steam: mobucks
I'm so ronery.
 
I am not a fan of the latest changes: Starting with 1 bandage and 1 flashlight. No guns.

This stuff was added to get players to work in teams, but... It just doesn't work. Now you are even more fucked in the beginning and the guys with guns have a even easier time.

Also axe is the new lee enfield. You find it everywhere and nothing else. Very annoying.
 
I want to play this but my computer is not capable of such a feat - and yes, Ultima Online did kick ass.
 
as long team play has not a clear advantage in the game people will continue to play the game that way. Shooting first, asking questions later.

Like Lexx said. A full PVP loot game. And if you die, you start with no gear.

I think they should do something. Like a "parley mode". And then when you team up with someone, and you "shoot" him for his gear you get some penality. Like becoming a stray bandit. Or something similar to it.

Just saying. As long the gameplay seems to be of that kind I am not sure if I would be really interested. And I am when it comes to those zombie/Survival games the "usual" player.
 
Heh, I don't mind the starting gear in the least. I ran up to an airfield with the mindset "I will find a gun here."
Ran up, got an m16 right off the bat. "Oh hey guy with a AKM, you're dead now, this is my airfield." "Oh hey guy with no gun, you can die as well." (been killed without a gun many times, didn't bat an eyelash. If it wasn't the airfield, probably would have let him live.)

They fixed the hatchet spawns. Get to the nearest fire station/airfield/military camp for good loot. If you want to cheese it like me, find a server with only 4-5 people, get gun/supplies, then hunt players on a populated server. Also helps to get friendly on someone's ventrillio. Friends are not had in DAYZ unless you know people on ventrillio/Teamspeak.

They made zombies a bit harder to evade; no more Solid Snaking through hordes of them, you need to run into a building and lose line of sight.

Will be starting a new survivor tonight. I died last night fron a sniper. Actually a few zombies finished me off, but he got a shot off on me. That is DayZ.
 
still I think they should do something to promote team play. Otherwise its just a death match with AI thrown in. And from what you and others explain here, it does not sound like much fun at least in my eyes.
 
Lexx said:
I am not a fan of the latest changes: Starting with 1 bandage and 1 flashlight. No guns.

This stuff was added to get players to work in teams, but... It just doesn't work. Now you are even more fucked in the beginning and the guys with guns have a even easier time.

Also axe is the new lee enfield. You find it everywhere and nothing else. Very annoying.
Click to expand...

I had fun in the beginning playing with friends and figuring out the world.

Pretty goddamn hilarious moments.

I'll play again when it stops changing every freaking day!
 
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