DayZ Standalone

[Ecko7]

After more than a year of the original "release date", DayZ standalone is finally out on steam for $29.99.

I want to hear the thoughts and opinions of the people who played the mod.

Personally I think Rocket had a small window to release standalone and he missed it by about a year. As the game stands, early alpha build, I'm not going to invest in it atm.

Gonna wait a bit and see how it develops and whether there will be any South African servers or a nice SA community of players.

[Phatso]

(wall of text. do read)

I haven't been at my PC since SA got released and partially glad because it would have been a complete no brainer for me and it still kind of is. I am going to give it the course of the day to decide. If you can, watch some streams of the game before taking a leap so you know what you are getting into. Let me elaborate.

DayZ was one of the first games in a long time that hooked me properly. The gameplay was so-so and bugs existed all the time but there were a few mechanics that made the experience so addictive. I started playing DayZ the mod shortly after it was released so was fortunate to experience the "old days" of DayZ without vehicles and high end weaponry everywhere.

The emotional rollercoaster I think is what got me the most and is DayZ's strongest attribute and defining feature.

When you die, you die and lose all your stuff - never has a mechanic in a game been so rage-inducing, but so brutally satisfying at the same time. You actually build a connection to your character.
The ingame proximity VOIP - I love this mechanic. Basically if another character is within earshot of your character in game, you can talk to them... But there won't be any visual indication to them that you are talking so you can use this for a number of things eg: scaring guys, negotiating, stealing stuff, distractions, grouping up etc etc. It enhances the relationships you have between other players.
You start with NOTHING - everything you have, you have to salvage and find and look for. This gives a strong attachment to loot and we all love loot.
Not everyone is out there to kill you.. sort of - in the harsh post apocolypse, strength is in numbers. This makes you team up with players of all sorts and build trust.. or not. The lack of name tags also means that you won't know who you communicate and link up with. Makes for some great teaming up and some twists.
Its quite realistic - You need to eat, drink and rest (in Standalone). Your gear takes damage when you get shot, there are item slots and inventory management and you apparently even get tired faster when wearing a motorcycle helmet (but more protection from it etc).

All in all, watch some streams at http://www.twitch.tv/directory/game/DayZ and make your own decision.

I know a lot of [grrr]bians said they would wait till standalone, but I would make sure you know what you are getting into before purchasing. Its in ALPHA which means bugs will be everywhere. The advantage of picking this up now is that you would get it at a lower price (albeit $30 or so). As the game progresses to BETA later next year and finally full release (who knows when), the cost is going to go up, similar to how ArmA 3 did.

I will almost definitely get DayZ Standalone. I know that the original release window was nearly a year ago and people are mad at Dean Hall, but he followed his vision and was given the resources to build the game as he saw fit. So far, I really like the way the game is looking.

I have chatted to a few [grrr]bians and I know a few guys are most certainly going to get this game. The advantage we would have of having a small crew, as we did we the mod, would be tremendous and I think this is definitely something that anyone who is a fan of the survival/zombie genre should check out.

[Kyuubidemon]

I shall take the plunge and get the game, would be nice to play with some [grrr]bians.

[Ecko7]

I agree with everything you said Phats. The absolute shock when someone you trusted murders you in cold blood. The real adrenalin you get when engaged in a fire fight with the risk of loosing gear that took days to collect.

Dayz was the first game to really give me an adrenalin rush but after all the pvp/hacking/massively weapon stocked servers, it sort of took that away. I will definitely watch some streams and YouTube vids. And of course hear what the [grrr]bians have to say who have already bought and played it. And based on that I will decide whether it is worth it.

If the game had come out when Dean said it would I would have been on it in seconds. I'm just worried that people are over it.

[Morphza]

I never played the mod, but I'm keen to get the standalone.

[NoMaD]

So i have just purchased it on steam...

My reasoning is this... Opportunity cost of money. If say it takes them a year to release the full game, and the price does jump up from $30 to $60 then I have a 100% opportunity growth in comparison to say 15% if i had it in savings.... Not to mention a full years worth of potential entertainment and fun with clan members...

Yes, i know i am a financial nerd... but it makes sense to me this way.

I am actually really looking forward to having a jump on before i go on holiday... so phats we must organize a sesh!

[Kyuubidemon]

Mine finished downloading, lemme know when you guys are gonna jam. Will join

[Hubris]

Well... I'll be honest I haven't a clue what "great new" features the stand alone has but I am sure I can suss it out when I get back on YouTube. The issue for me is that I have done and seen literally everything in DayZ. After gearing up and storing redundant helicopters and multiple caches/camps you ultimately lose everything if you're not playing 24/7 (although it could be argued even that doesn't help).

So the meta game is fatally flawed for me as there's no real end game beyond spending all your ammo on noobs before it's stolen from your tent.

There may be a host of changes that for example allow you to save gear in a tent totally free from looters but even then... What is there to do except spend all your ammunition on noobs? I dunno... DayZ was a great fad but it lacks any serious story or substance to give it staying power. Honestly I can't think of anything they could add beyond progression to other maps to give the game new life.

To all the new players, have fun. But I'm not going to bother spending the hours to have the same experience at the cost of $30. You may not be aware, but Zoombies and Breaking Point (Arma3 DayZ) were forced to shut down because of their "similarity" to DayZSA so that just tells me Rocket has failed to substantially differentiate SA from the mods. Why pay this prick $30 for the same old game after he declared himself a gaming rock star and went to climb Everest instead of delivering the game?

IMO: wasted opportunity and I'm not going to float Rocket's lack of vision/focus out of some misplaced loyalty to what was a fun, but buggy and terminally broken mod.

#yolostratscomment
#gitrekdrocket
#controversyismymiddlename

[TygerBS]

Aaah thanks for the insight Hubris.

Yea i think there are better persistent zombie games coming in future. Will wait.

[Phatso]

Sad to hear that Stef, but the game has its merits.

I have played maybe 1 hour total in the EARLY ACCESS ALPHA that was delayed a year because Rocket was too busy doing other shit instead of releasing the game when he said he would. How DARE he!!!!! What a complete moron that he had the audacity to follow a lifelong dream instead of delivering a game to us!!!!!!

#justsaying
#cutnoseoffspiteface

I know you sank a ridiculous amount of time into DayZ Stef and have been there, done that and seen it all. Now I ask you, the feels bro. Were they not sufficient to want to experience again? I know that you and I had some absolutely epic gaming moments that in my gaming career of 24 years has never been able to replicate. Ever.

You state that the mass hoarding of vehicles and masses of firearms was destined to be stolen? Correct. You (and in some cases we) worked damn hard to get all those pretty pixels only for them to be jacked by guys that searched hard enough. Bare in mind that when we found stockpiles, we would PILLAGE! Its part of the game! If that doesn't work for you, then you won't enjoy the game.

Besides, helicopters and tanks and dirtbikes and all that shit isn't what DayZ was about in the first place. Its what the mod after some months became and not what I really enjoyed. Its also not what Rocket envisioned.

Don't forget that if it weren't for Rocket, part of ArmA 3's funding wouldn't of been there. Also, Breaking Point/DayZero/Overwatch/Zoombies/Pantera/Epoch... all those are spinoffs of the original DayZ.

I have heard a lot of ex-players of DayZ say the exact same thing as you and at the end of the day, its your decision. But don't close your eyes completely too it :)

Lastly, its an ALPHA.. and it runs better than BF4.

#loveStef
#bestDayZpartner

[Phatso]

Running through Cherno, fresh spawn. Grab a few goodies and find a first aid kit, and a crazy clown mask. I run towards the firestation and start taking fire from who knows where.. Couple of hits and my screen goes all blocky. Panicking, I sprint inside firestation and quickly bandage up with my shirts rags. Suddenly another survivor runs in.. Uh oh. I only have an axe as does he.. So after a stare down, I yell "friendly bro.. I just need help with some blood". So I try talking him through how to bloodbag (its quite a process) and we see one of the doors open and 2 survivors with backpacks, helmets and axes come in. Again, I shout "FRIENDLY! Put your axes down guys.. I just need a transfusion". They reply with some epic 4-letter banter and start hacking at my new friend! NOOOOOOO!! I go mental with my axe and dispose of our attackers swiftly Saved my buddy! So we loot their bodies and my buddy kinda starts mumbling something over voip.. "Whats up man?" I ask... He swings at me with an axe and connects! "..... why .... ?" I ask before swiftly ending him with spammed axe swings. I creep out the firestation, very paranoid and rattled but now fully loaded with practically everything but a gun... And I come face to face with a zed.. before I could even swing my now trusty axe, he knocks me unconscious and I die...

[NoMaD]

Hahahahahaha! those DayZ moments... that is the stuff that thrills and annoys to no end. it is what makes the game spicey...

[RussianElite.]

Phats your story moved me, I'l get it then :P

[Ecko7]

That is DayZ

[Ecko7]

Got ambushed by two guys in Zelenagorsk, killed the first, mortally wounded the second before getting killed. Spawned in Balota, fully kitted bambie killer chilling outside the barracks. Can't shoot to save his life but after 3 mags finally gets me.

Really think it is time for the grrrbians to squad up in DayZ. I rate just after the first hang overs of 2014 have settled down we should start a nice jam session.

Merry Christmas and have an epic new years