Things I like, things I dislike

[Mr. G]

After quite a few hours playing Epoch Mod I thought it would be nice to give some feedback on my experience.

 

First of all the game is already pretty smooth considering it's an alpha.

It's well promising and I am pretty excited to play the final result of development.

The graphics are great and though the map is not as good as Chernarus in some aspects there are others in which it's better.

 

Can't wait to se the underwater/underground potential being fully taken advantage of.

 

As for now... this is my list of thing I like and dislike (in no particular order):

 

LIKE:

 

SPAWNING/TELPORTING: I don't know if it will be kept in the final release but the spawning/teleporting idea is not bad.
Sure, it's really unrealistic, more of a fantasy game than a war/sruvival game, but It gives the player the opportunity to get back into action faster. A good solution for the problem of being on foot when fresh spawn and gives more variety of paths the players can choose when respawning.

 

STAMINA/FATIGUE: great idea. Could be developed even more by introducing maybe drugs or something like that. Maybe when hurt stamina should drop because you get weaker?

And more...

 

INTERFACE: having played DayZ Epoch this interface is a dream come true... drag and drop!! YEAAAH!! :P

(tho I got used to dayz epoch interface and I kinda liked it too lol... but at first it's really disorienting)

 

SNIPING/SCOPING: it's much more difficult (compared to arma 2) to aim since the scope keeps moving even if you're crouching or prone. Much more realistic, much more balancing. Snipers will have a much harder time hitting long range targets. Expecially if they are moving.

Sometimes it's even too difficult but I'll discuss it in the things I don't like

 

GROUPING: seeing where your mates are is really nice. Maybe less realistic but it gives the possibility for tactical playing almost from the start. Could be tuned by allowing to see the position of very far away group mates only if both have a gps and a radio... but it's not that OP as it is now. It can be kept as it is now I think.

 

ANTAGONISTS: they need to be fixed and tweaked but they are already nice and sometimes they really make me nervous and scared. Sometimes they are bugged or don't behave logically (example: sappers don't follow or run away for no reason) but other times they are really good and add a good thrilling atmosphere to the game experience.

Once I was hearing a sapper noise... couldn't find it to kill and couldn't hear the footsteps... then it then it suddenly appeared from behind a house running at me. I was I had just the time to turn and run away before it exploded. BOOM! Almost killed me and I was  :o

It was a tough situation, but being aware of the surrounding and with good reflexes I managed to survive. Very satisfying gameplay!

Another time a cultist was following me all the time. I had no weapon and every time I stopped it was behind me staring at me and starting to cast fire. Scary!
Another time, a cultist again, came to me. I was behind a house and just heard the foot steps. Thought it was a player and I sneaked behind a wall to see, ready to shoot, and the cultist was just standing there staring at me and started whispering. Creepy! (luckly this time I had a LMG and the basterd didn't last long  ^_^ ).

 

EXPLORING: there is so much to see and exploring is a really important part of the game. It need something more but I'll write about it later.

 

CLOTHING/GEAR: there are nice clothes and gear to find. Weapons are nice and even though there are not many they come in good variety. Some attachments are great, like the nightstalker scope. When I found it I was like ooooh!  :o 
Also like the fact that most of the scope have double mode for long and close range. It's modern warfare, I'm no weapon expert but I don't think there are many scopes that don't have this nowadays.

 

VEHICLES: good variety. Haven't found a chopper yet but I found some cars/trucks and they are good.

 

What else...?... well I'll add stuff later if I think of something else. Now it's time for the things I dislke...

DISLIKE:

 

LOOTING SYSTEM: it surely has to be tweaked and tuned but as it is now I don't like it much :(
I like the fact there are trash piles / trash bins and more stuff to loot that's not inside buildings. But I don't like the loot spawning inside buildings because sometimes I find like 100 (exaggerating) empty buildings then suddenly one full of furniture to loot.

From the role playing point of view it can be justified by the fact that everything has already been raided and you have to find the only few places that have not been explored yet but... it's frustrating sometimes, and it makes me feel like I have to enter every damn house or I could miss the one with loot inside.

When I'm fully geared and just exploring it would be nice to just choose some buildings to enter and scavenge and having a good chance to find at least something.

I don't know if I managed to explain myself... sorry for my not too good english but I hope it's understandable.

 

Also, sometimes the loot is too random and it's impossible to find what I'm looking for.
I don't want to find stuff too easily, I like the game experience being difficult but when I explore a whole city looking for some drinks and find only 1 it feels a bit too few...
Also, if we accept the fact that there is stuff left around, then there should be a logic in where to find stuff.

Need a weapon? Going in some kind of buildings I can probably find one or better ones. Need clothes? Go find some clothes store or look into houses...etc...

 

Also I'd like to see hospitals where I know I can find medical stuff (and others know ppl are going there to find it and maybe wait for their prey) or supermarkets where to find food/drinks/tools or clothes shops since there is more clothes variety in Epoch Mod...etc... (yeah like in dayz epoch, but even more developed).
The cities are just full of very similar building with no identification except for churches and chapels.

 

The only exception should be trash piles which should contain anything... and maybe contain even more stuff. Maybe less valuable stuff but still useful when put together (example: pieces of clothes that can be crafted into something... a clothing, headgear... or half empty mags...rotten food than can be cooked and made edible...).

 

It would also be nice to find clothes or backpacks or vest with something inside already (food, gear...)... if it's possible to implement it would be great.

 

EXPLORING: as I said I love exploring and it should be better rewarded. Don't know how it would be possible... maybe making special crates or other containers/trash to spawn randomly in remote areas. It's already like this for vehicle, 'cause in remote areas it's easier to find them because less players get around, but some other kind of reward would be nice too. Maybe implementing some timer in the loot chart so that if a player gets to an area where no one has been for some time then he can find better, more rare, loot...
I am not a programmer and I have no idea of what can be or can't be done with the mod.

 

TRADERS INVENTORY: whilst is nice the idea of traders having to sell only the stuff that's been sold to them by other players, it's also sometimes not really fun/rewarding. I see that in the future this could lead to more players interaction, having players that go to trade zones (if they will be safezones) to sell valuable stuff to other players or to buy it. But I think totally empty traders are too much. They should have at least some basic gear, food and ammo on them. Maybe not everything. But players should know that by going to a trader, even one that's in a remote position, they will probably find at least the basic stuff.

 

TRADERS DISTRIBUTION ON MAP: I guess the actual distribution is like that, concentrated in the central area of the map, so that players can cross their paths and be preys or hunters.

But when in remote areas it would be nice to have at least a chance to sell the stuff you've found or buy something you need like ammo or tools without being forced to walk all the way back to a trader or to base. Maybe not marked traders could be the solution. Or wandering traders that move around and you can find only by chance... Maybe moving traders with guards that you can either attack for loot or be able to talk to peacefully depending on your reputation.

and this leads me to...

 

NO REPUTATION SYSTEM: really? It was one of the best parts of dayz epoch though it wasn't developed enough and in the end being a hero (which is more difficult) wasn't really enough rewarding and everyone ended being a bandit. Is it going to be implemented in the future? It could be nice when combined to the previous thing I was talking about. Traders that wander around and attack or be friendly depending on the reputation. There could also be other kind of AI spawning/wandering around and being hostile or friendly depending on reputation (some vigilantes that help heroes or bandit groups that are friendly to bandit players...).

 

SNIPING/SCOPING: I don't know if it can be modified by the mod but aiming down should make aiming more accurate and scope move less. A couple of days ago I was on a military tower and I saw a player walking on the ground close by. I tried to shoot him and couldn't hit even when he stopped to shoot back because the scope was moving too fast. Ended up being killed and losing all my gear. I am not the best shooter in the world and I have some fps issues sometimes, but still I think it was really unrealistic for me to die in a situation like that. Or at least it should happen very rarely. The problem is that the protection barrier that is on top of the tower was so high I had to stand up to shoot down and that way my scope moved too much.
In real world I could have stabilized myself by leaning on the barrier and that way I wouldn't have moved my scope anymore.
Some similar mechanic, or something that simulates it, should be implemented (if possible).

 

OK this is enough for now... I have to go.
But I will add more if I have more ideas some time later :)

 

And sorry for the long post but it needed some explanations!

TL;DR: there are some things I like others I don't! Don't be lazy and read/comment  :P

[mikelfox]

After quite a few hours playing Epoch Mod I thought it would be nice to give some feedback on my experience.

 

First of all the game is already pretty smooth considering it's an alpha.

It's well promising and I am pretty excited to play the final result of development.

The graphics are great and though the map is not as good as Chernarus in some aspects there are others in which it's better.

 

Can't wait to se the underwater/underground potential being fully taken advantage of.

 

As for now... this is my list of thing I like and dislike (in no particular order):

 

LIKE:

 

 

STAMINA/FATIGUE: great idea. Could be developed even more by introducing maybe drugs or something like that. Maybe when hurt stamina should drop because you get weaker?

And more...

 

INTERFACE: having played DayZ Epoch this interface is a dream come true... drag and drop!! YEAAAH!! :P

(tho I got used to dayz epoch interface and I kinda liked it too lol... but at first it's really disorienting)

 

SNIPING/SCOPING: it's much more difficult (compared to arma 2) to aim since the scope keeps moving even if you're crouching or prone. Much more realistic, much more balancing. Snipers will have a much harder time hitting long range targets. Expecially if they are moving.

Sometimes it's even too difficult but I'll discuss it in the things I don't like

 

GROUPING: seeing where your mates are is really nice. Maybe less realistic but it gives the possibility for tactical playing almost from the start. Could be tuned by allowing to see the position of very far away group mates only if both have a gps and a radio... but it's not that OP as it is now. It can be kept as it is now I think.

 

 

Dislike:

SNIPING/SCOPING: I don't know if it can be modified by the mod but aiming down should make aiming more accurate and scope move less. A couple of days ago I was on a military tower and I saw a player walking on the ground close by. I tried to shoot him and couldn't hit even when he stopped to shoot back because the scope was moving too fast. Ended up being killed and losing all my gear. I am not the best shooter in the world and I have some fps issues sometimes, but still I think it was really unrealistic for me to die in a situation like that. Or at least it should happen very rarely. The problem is that the protection barrier that is on top of the tower was so high I had to stand up to shoot down and that way my scope moved too much.

In real world I could have stabilized myself by leaning on the barrier and that way I wouldn't have moved my scope anymore.

Some similar mechanic, or something that simulates it, should be implemented (if possible).

 

OK this is enough for now... I have to go.

But I will add more if I have more ideas some time later :)

 

And sorry for the long post but it needed some explanations!

TL;DR: there are some things I like others I don't! Don't be lazy and read/comment  :P

Ok I do enjoy the fatigue system as is now, I strive to live longer even if that means 1) Having to kill someone. or 2)Running from a fight. It adds to the pleasure of living and surviving.

On groups I love your suggestion about having a GPS in order to see your teammates that are far away +1 here.

 

On sniping, having served in the military I know that I  can engage targets 500y and closer with relative easy using a scope (expert badge ftw using iron sights {USMC}). Having fired various weapons unless your know proper breathing, muscle relaxation and slow steady trigger squeeze, sniping isn't as easy as you would think. Keeping in mind whats in your backpack and vest. I think all the gear on your body,stamina and fatigue should play a huge roll on how you fire and how much your scope moves.  Using cover and objects to rest greatly improves accuracy but remember other factors like fear and adrenaline can't be factored into a game, these will also increase accuracy/missing on/of targets.

 

TL:DR  +1 on gps/group idea, I like fatigue system as is. Sniping is fine for now maybe less sway but hey you run 3k and fire straight with gear.

[Mr. G]

Yeah I've never used a weapon but by using binoculars and cameras with zoom I can imagine how hard is to keep you aim steady with a sniper rifle.

 

The situation I described in the dislike list is just to point out a BIG FAIL due not only to my bad aim but also a situation in which I should have had a big advantage and it ended up being a disadvantage.
By having to stand up I had a lot of aim movement, whilst in real world I wouldn't imagine a place which would give me more cover and stability than shooting form the top of a military tower to a target on the ground unaware of my presence  :)

 

Overall it works great and I think it's a good simulation.

[nedfox]

IRL you would lean and stable your sights... In game you stand up and wobble freestanding.. yeah it's harsh, but you get used to it.

[cring0]

Arma 3: Drunken Gunslingers

 

Yeah, I really didn't like it at first, I thought it was just ridiculous.  But now that I'm starting to get used to it, I think it's mostly appropriate.  However, I don't like the fact that you can get a little hurt, only be able to heal up to 75% health and your aim is all over the place because of it.  Even when laying prone it still shakes a good bit.  We need bi-pods!  Wait, this is the future, how about a weapon stabilizing accessory?! XD

 

I want to read the entire post but I'm falling asleep, maybe tomorrow =P

[CoreyRo]

Arma 3: Drunken Gunslingers

 

Yeah, I really didn't like it at first, I thought it was just ridiculous.  But now that I'm starting to get used to it, I think it's mostly appropriate.  However, I don't like the fact that you can get a little hurt, only be able to heal up to 75% health and your aim is all over the place because of it.  Even when laying prone it still shakes a good bit.  We need bi-pods!  Wait, this is the future, how about a weapon stabilizing accessory?! XD

 

Right? I can get enough energy to move a building but not steady my aim

[Buttons]

I don't like exploding zombies. My friend died today by testing it. Actually I hate zombies because they are not exciting and challenging enough and just bother you around. I like the dogs though.

[Shadow Moses]

SNIPING/SCOPING: I don't know if it can be modified by the mod but aiming down should make aiming more accurate and scope move less. A couple of days ago I was on a military tower and I saw a player walking on the ground close by. I tried to shoot him and couldn't hit even when he stopped to shoot back because the scope was moving too fast. Ended up being killed and losing all my gear. I am not the best shooter in the world and I have some fps issues sometimes, but still I think it was really unrealistic for me to die in a situation like that. Or at least it should happen very rarely. The problem is that the protection barrier that is on top of the tower was so high I had to stand up to shoot down and that way my scope moved too much.

 

In real world I could have stabilized myself by leaning on the barrier and that way I wouldn't have moved my scope anymore.
Some similar mechanic, or something that simulates it, should be implemented (if possible).

 

 

 

^^^ this is Arma 3 and most likely hard coded. 

 

[Nic]

I also really want a humanity system, maybe with special hero/bandit skins similar to Dayz Origins. 

[Mr. G]

I don't like exploding zombies. My friend died today by testing it. Actually I hate zombies because they are not exciting and challenging enough and just bother you around. I like the dogs though.

 

They are nice because they force you to either run or shoot them.

And if they explode they give out your location (tells everyone nearby there is someone at the explosion).

They are buggy sometimes but they are nice and really dangerous if not taken care of.

 

I think all the antagonists thing is gonna be reworked quite a lot before release.

I hope there will be more different types and spawning a lot more.

 

The only one I really don't like are snakes unless they make them much more noisy and visible.

At the moment there is no way to defend from them unless you just keep moving.

But if you stop somewhere to hide then it's really easy you get bitten without even knowing it.

I must say I've never encountered one in the last days tho.

Maybe they removed them or lowered their spawn a lot.

 

 

 

^^^ this is Arma 3 and most likely hard coded. 

 

 

Yeah I think so too.

I just wanted to give my feedback on that.

It would be enough to implement the fact that if you're aiming down a lot (like I was in that situation),

stabilizes a lot your aim. But I think it's a setting in arma 3 that the mod can't change.

[axeman]

A reputation type of system similar to dayZ Epoch you say.. hmm.

 

They're not zombies, they are Sappers, poor sub human type creatures that may, or may not have, been experimented on..

[Mr. G]

A reputation type of system similar to dayZ Epoch you say.. hmm.

 

 

Well yeah but with some kind of leaderboards like CPC had, where players can check who is hero and who is bandit.

And it have to make more sense than in DayZ Epoch or it's better to leave it be.

Both faction must have pros and cons and not penalize too much heroes.

I played as a hero for some time and it was boring 'cause you just couldn't kill anyone or you were gonna lose points.

 

Maybe some other kind of faction...dunno.

 

But if you replied like that maybe you guys have already something in mind... :D

 

They're not zombies, they are Sappers, poor sub human type creatures that may, or may not have, been experimented on..

 

 

Yeah I know they are not zombies ;)

 

So you mean they are supposed to behave randomly like that?

It's not bad but sometimes they just run away so I thought they had some bug.

It's also true that when they run away I don't really feel safe because they may come back at any time.

Better hunt them and kill them (if they don't kill you in the process).

 

Also... yesterday there was a long firefight in Rodopoli on Skaronator server and there were a lot of sappers.

Probably because there were a lot of players around and a lot of killings...

It was cool :)

 

[HosteD]

i like the traders the way they are imo

[HosteD]

would be cool to have the option to enable zombies as a server hoster or not kinda like a init call in the mission file

[SkyDogs]

A reputation type of system similar to dayZ Epoch you say.. hmm.

..

I suggested a long time ago that the more hostile you were the more antagonists you attracted.

Also, if the AI were the authorities that teleported to you, it fits my narrative. The cctv in the sky finally spotted you and prompted the AI to port to you to dispose of you, bandit scum.

[axRhino]

I like what I have seen so far. It definitely has a minimalist survival feel to it. 

 

I do like the loot system but after three hours of play it was already very predictable. I knew which structures to look in and what to expect to find. I was a bit dissapointed with finding a lynx so easily. In fact most of the weapons we found were pretty powerful. I guess I would have like to have seen melee weapons first then handguns and single shot weapons long before finding a lynx of Mk200. Finding the high end weapons will appeal to P vs P guys but then the sappers and other dangers become almost no threat at all. 

 

I'd like to see the debug menu smaller..more compact of graphical but always optional or toggleable.

 

Overall its a nice start. On a larger scope there really isnt much to do yet. No missions...not very many sappers (in 3.5 hours we saw 3 or 4). Not many antagonists (we saw a squad of 3 AI guys) I'm assuming that's them. They weren't much of a threat. One vehicle a quad that we could keep yet anyways. No base building. Traders weren't working. 

 

How you make the game compelling, unpredictable, and keep the focus on survival without it turning into  P vs P Wasteland with sappers will be the trick that either makes or breaks the game I think. 

 

Its a good start but need a lot more "stuff" and the right balance before I can really get deep into it.  Thanks for all your work.

[Mr. G]

I do like the loot system but after three hours of play it was already very predictable. I knew which structures to look in and what to expect to find. I was a bit dissapointed with finding a lynx so easily. In fact most of the weapons we found were pretty powerful. I guess I would have like to have seen melee weapons first then handguns and single shot weapons long before finding a lynx of Mk200. Finding the high end weapons will appeal to P vs P guys but then the sappers and other dangers become almost no threat at all. 

 

 

That would be nice but the problem are:

1) people with guns will go grief the new spawns so as soon as possible you should find a good gun to defend yourself.

2) the fun part is the survival, sure, but also being able to get back to action in a decent amount of time. If that's not possible then the game becomes boring after a while or people don't risk their lives to hunt and fight because dying is too much punishing. 

 

 

Overall its a nice start. On a larger scope there really isnt much to do yet. No missions...not very many sappers (in 3.5 hours we saw 3 or 4). Not many antagonists (we saw a squad of 3 AI guys) I'm assuming that's them. They weren't much of a threat. One vehicle a quad that we could keep yet anyways. No base building. Traders weren't working. 

 

How you make the game compelling, unpredictable, and keep the focus on survival without it turning into  P vs P Wasteland with sappers will be the trick that either makes or breaks the game I think. 

 

Its a good start but need a lot more "stuff" and the right balance before I can really get deep into it.  Thanks for all your work.

 

I think and hope the antagonists will be changed. When there are fights with a lot of people they spawn more and get dangerous.

Their danger is not only that they can kill you but also that you'll make noise to get rid of them.

Or if a sapper detonates it will tell everyone nearby there is someone there.

 

If you're just walking around and you in a safe condition they are not a great threat.

But if you're in a gunfight, or just waiting to ambush some other player(s), they become a lot more annoying.

 

Building works but it's still in development...

Traders work perfectly. Are you sure you were on an official server?

Anyway, yes it's a good start and I hope they do it right.

It's great so far and I hope the community will be able to help making it better.

[Mr. G]

I suggested a long time ago that the more hostile you were the more antagonists you attracted.

 

Could be a good idea.

 

One important thing is let the Heroes be free to go around and shoot people without fearing to lose all their reputation at once like in DayZ Epoch.

An Hero could have a good reason to hunt and kill a "neutral" player. Even for defense.

In DayZ Epoch if a Hero got attacked by a neutral player (survivor) and he killed him he would get negative humanity.

I am OK with losing SOME humanity for that, but not huge amounts as in DayZ Epoch.

 

 

Also, if the AI were the authorities that teleported to you, it fits my narrative. The cctv in the sky finally spotted you and prompted the AI to port to you to dispose of you, bandit scum.

 

Yeah it could be nice.

But shouldn't be completely disabled for heroes.

They are a nice antagonist I wouldn't like to lose by playing hero ;)

 

Myabe some "bad" AI faction that attacks heroes.

[SkyDogs]

 

 

 

 

Yeah it could be nice.

But shouldn't be completely disabled for heroes.

They are a nice antagonist I wouldn't like to lose by playing hero ;)

 

Myabe some "bad" AI faction that attacks heroes.

 

 

 

 

How about they, or the flying eye, spawns immediately after there has been a murder, regardless of who done it? But I would still like bandits to have to deal with more antagonists than the pussy heroes. 

[vbawol]

Good stuff, Thanks for the feedback! 

[cring0]

I do like the loot system but after three hours of play it was already very predictable. I knew which structures to look in and what to expect to find. I was a bit dissapointed with finding a lynx so easily. In fact most of the weapons we found were pretty powerful. I guess I would have like to have seen melee weapons first then handguns and single shot weapons long before finding a lynx of Mk200. Finding the high end weapons will appeal to P vs P guys but then the sappers and other dangers become almost no threat at all. 

Yeah, I wish the Rollins was more popular than the rest of them, but I rarely come across them.  I know the Rollins is still high caliber and can still take a couple scopes, but I think I'd rather have a bunch of people running around with Rollins than Lynx.  Hell, I find the Lynx way more than the LRR.  Pretty sure BI is adding in a shotgun or two, so we should probably be seeing those soon as well.

 

I'd like to add that I've become attached to the Ruger, really quite silent and it takes a flashlight which is nice in certain situations. +1

 

 

 

That would be nice but the problem are:

1) people with guns will go grief the new spawns so as soon as possible you should find a good gun to defend yourself.

2) the fun part is the survival, sure, but also being able to get back to action in a decent amount of time. If that's not possible then the game becomes boring after a while or people don't risk their lives to hunt and fight because dying is too much punishing. 

Yeah, you really need to be able to find a weapon quickly, it's just the ratio of types of weapons that might be a little off.  Even so, I really don't think it's that bad.  When you have invincible Hunters rolling around everywhere trying to run players over, it's nice to have a AMR on hand.  Carrying an AMR, you're trading off the ability to suppress groups of enemies for more hit points per round.  I mean, I think it's not far from fair for a guy to have 10rnds of 12.7mm versus a guy with 60 or more rounds of 6.5mm, etc.  And if you're carrying around a Lynx or 408 and come across an antagonist, chances are you're not going to be trying to use your pistol on them.

 

 

 

I think and hope the antagonists will be changed. When there are fights with a lot of people they spawn more and get dangerous.

Their danger is not only that they can kill you but also that you'll make noise to get rid of them.

Or if a sapper detonates it will tell everyone nearby there is someone there.

 

If you're just walking around and you in a safe condition they are not a great threat.

But if you're in a gunfight, or just waiting to ambush some other player(s), they become a lot more annoying.

I've had mixed feelings about this for a while.  I think I've decided that sappers are a huge pain while in a gun fight, and dogs can be a nuisance as well especially if they don't make any noises.  It's not that bad if you have a group of people to manage them, but if you're by yourself and getting held down by multiple players and a sapper is coming after you instead of them, it's really quite unfair.  I'd rather see cultists and UAVs.  UAVs would put a hinder on player movement and maybe prolong a shootout.  Cultists don't run right up to you and blow up while you're trying to take a shot on someone, so they can be managed a little better.  Though, devs are probably changing them up so I don't know what they'll be like, UAVs would make things interesting enough I think.

[Mr. G]

Maybe it's not realistic to find a great weapon so easily, but it balances the game.

Otherwise there would be fresh spawns fighting with Rollins and bandits killing them with Lynx.

And when you find a gun you still have to find attachments for it like the scope, suppressor, extra mags.
You're not full geared in 2 minutes.

 

 

I've had mixed feelings about this for a while.  I think I've decided that sappers are a huge pain while in a gun fight, and dogs can be a nuisance as well especially if they don't make any noises.  It's not that bad if you have a group of people to manage them, but if you're by yourself and getting held down by multiple players and a sapper is coming after you instead of them, it's really quite unfair.  I'd rather see cultists and UAVs.  UAVs would put a hinder on player movement and maybe prolong a shootout.  Cultists don't run right up to you and blow up while you're trying to take a shot on someone, so they can be managed a little better.  Though, devs are probably changing them up so I don't know what they'll be like, UAVs would make things interesting enough I think.

 

It depends if it's fun or not.

Even if it is a big pain it can still be fun to have cahotic gunfights against both players and antagonists.

Provided they attack both parties, not only one unfortunate.

 

It's not easy to balance but the concept is interesting IMHO.

[lokibean]

playing solo today i had 3 uav's spawn on me in less than 10 mins. i managed to kill 1 before it called in the AI the second i killed the 3 AI 3rd mymother in law wife and kid came home so i had to log

[axRhino]

Sorry I have to disagree here about the weapons and loot. If the idea here is that we are many years past the initial outbreak or catastrophy in that scenario the number of high value weapons and ammo would be extremely small. The easy way to balance this out is that "common" weapons are supported by more available ammo in the loot tables and high value weapons aren't. Additionally you'll have to limit the number available at any type of trader or make them so costly that no one can stockpile them and use them as an everyday weapon. 

 

What makes survival fun and hard is that its not just a repetative process of spawn, get a gun, and go P vs P...die and repeat.  I can't speak for the devs of course but if they wanted militarized P vs P as the core of the game they could have just ported Arma 2 Epoch, added a few new perks and called it a day.

 

I'm hoping they have enough foresight to allow for unique and differing server setups. I'm sure in this day and age when gamers prefer things to be easy that Militarized P vs P will be most popular (like it has with Arma 2 Epoch) but for those of us who like a harder, more immersive struggle against nature, the undead, the unknown and other players hopefully there will be an Epoch alternative that fits that bill.

 

Like someone once said .." Its the hard part that makes it good...if it were easy everyone would do it."

[JackalopeHunter]

 

 

EXPLORING: as I said I love exploring and it should be better rewarded. Don't know how it would be possible... maybe making special crates or other containers/trash to spawn randomly in remote areas. It's already like this for vehicle, 'cause in remote areas it's easier to find them because less players get around, but some other kind of reward would be nice too. Maybe implementing some timer in the loot chart so that if a player gets to an area where no one has been for some time then he can find better, more rare, loot...

I am not a programmer and I have no idea of what can be or can't be done with the mod.

 

 

TRADERS DISTRIBUTION ON MAP: I guess the actual distribution is like that, concentrated in the central area of the map, so that players can cross their paths and be preys or hunters.

But when in remote areas it would be nice to have at least a chance to sell the stuff you've found or buy something you need like ammo or tools without being forced to walk all the way back to a trader or to base. Maybe not marked traders could be the solution. Or wandering traders that move around and you can find only by chance... Maybe moving traders with guards that you can either attack for loot or be able to talk to peacefully depending on your reputation.

and this leads me to...

 

 

 

 

Had an idea about exploring. Maybe put a crash spawner type system in? So when you were in remote areas you had a chance at coming upon a heli or ural crash with random stuff in it? Nothing marked on the map, you have to go out and find it. 

 

As for the traders, there are huge areas of the map with nothing. Would be nice to see a couple in that area.