Gameplay Mechanics Pt1 - The Player(skills)

[akafugitive 244]

^{*Disclaimer* The following are my opinions of features I would enjoy seeing in the game, this thread is in no way intended to express negativity towards the current development or express ignorance towards current development plans. I am fully aware of what alpha or "work in progress" means, as such I am doing what is intended for alpha testing and making suggestions, not demands. Please keep feedback constructive, and on topic.}

Who you were and who you become...

I know a lot of you are against a skill attribute system but try to read through this before passing judgement/comment, if you still oppose I'm interested to hear why. I am for a hidden skill system that is subtle but effective in creating unique people. I believe base stats should be determined by who you were and your play style will effect your growth. a hidden skill system rewards longevity and creates a community of people all with unique skill sets. Time played and running back to your body will no longer be the way to be at the top, climbing and staying at the top will be about how good you are at surviving. I would also like to see these skills drop levels overtime if not being practised, just like in life you will loose fitness if you stop being active and forget aspects of things the longer you are away from consistently doing them, Regression will be significantly slower then Progression or on one will actually be able to retain skill levels for long enough for them to matter. (Eg: drops one level after 24 hours of consistent inactivity, gains one level after 1 hour of consistent practise). I believe rewarding someone who wants to take the time and "grind" or practise a skill in a controlled environment, like drawing and returning blood from a buddy for long periods of time should be rewarded since it would take about 10 hours to max out a skill from 0(10 levels), during that time they will be regressing in a skill they are not practising.(Is it worth loosing physical fitness to allow your medic to get some practise in case someone gets hurt)

Skill sets

Advanced Medicine

-Are more successful administering treatments, gains more information when diagnosing others

Progresses by administering advanced treatments (IV's/injections, treating heavy bleed wounds, etc. Does NOT grow by taking painkillers/vitamins, bandaging small bleed wounds, etc.)

Regresses slowly while not doing advanced treatments

Innovation

- Are more successful at creating improvised items, gains more supplies from harvesting

Progresses by slowly while harvesting, faster when crafting items

Regresses slowly while not harvesting or crafting

Mechanics

- Are more successful fixing vehicles, gains more information when diagnosing vehicles

Progresses by fixing vehicles (Does NOT grow by changing tires or fixing bicycles)

Regresses slowly while not repairing vehicles

Physical attributes

Endurance

- Length of time you are able to jog/sprint before becoming fatigued

Progressed while jogging and sprinting

Regresses slowly while being inactive

Pain tolerance

- Resistance to pain effects (see Pain Level under Health section)

Progresses by getting smacked around and living to tell about it

Regresses slowly while not taking damage

Strength

- Allows more weight to be carried before "overweight" status effects the player ("overweight" status will make fatigue effects kick in sooner and impact hydration/energy loss speed)

Progresses slowly while jogging and sprinting, faster while being "overweight"

Regresses slowly while inactive or not "overweight"

Weapon handling

Melee

- Swing recovery speed increases

Progresses by using melee weapons or fists

Regresses while not using melee weapons

Civilian firearms

- Speed of clearing jams and results from cleaning civilian firearms (rifles, shotguns, handguns, etc.)

Progresses by firing, reloading, clearing or cleaning civilian firearms

Regresses slowly while not firing, reloading, clearing or cleaning civilian firearms

Military firearms

- Speed of clearing jams and results from cleaning military firearms (carbines, assault rifles, SMG's, etc.)

Progresses by firing, reloading, clearing or cleaning military firearms

Regresses slowly while not firing, reloading, clearing or cleaning military firearms

Life before DayZ

On the player menu add a selection for what your background was before the apocalypse happened. This will allow you to have a starting skill set based on your play style and wont leave you at a huge disadvantage to survivors who have lived longer, but will still allow you to progress.(pre-set selections with different base stats for each one)

Backgrounds

-Hunter-

Advanced Medicine |.........

Innovation ||||||....

Mechanics ..........

Endurance |||.......

Pain tolerance .........

Strength ||........

Melee ..........

Civilian firearms |||.......

Military firearms ..........

-Paramedic-

Advanced Medicine ||||||....

Innovation ||........

Mechanics ..........

Endurance ||||......

Pain tolerance |.........

Strength |.........

Melee |.........

Civilian firearms ..........

Military firearms ..........

-Soldier-

Advanced Medicine ||........

Innovation ..........

Mechanics ..........

Endurance |||||.....

Pain tolerance |.........

Strength ||........

Melee ..........

Civilian firearms ..........

Military firearms |||||....

-Cop-

Advanced Medicine ||........

Innovation ..........

Mechanics .........

Endurance |||.......

Pain tolerance |.........

Strength |.........

Melee |||.......

Civilian firearms ||||......

Military firearms |.........

-Convict-

Advanced Medicine ..........

Innovation |||.......

Mechanics ||........

Endurance ........

Pain tolerance |||||.....

Strength |.........

Melee |||.......

Civilian firearms |.........

Military firearms ..........

-Engineer-

Advanced Medicine ..........

Innovation ||........

Mechanics |||||.....

Endurance |.........

Pain tolerance |.........

Strength ||||......

Melee ||........

Civilian firearms ..........

Military firearms ..........

If you liked this, also read/like/comment on these:

Gameplay Mechanics Pt1 - The Player

Gameplay Mechanics Pt2 - The Infected

Gameplay Mechanics Pt3 - Environment

Gameplay Mechanics Pt4 - The Weapons

Gameplay Mechanics Pt5 - The Interface

DayZ - How it all began... (coming soon)

Edited March 30, 2014 by akafugitive

[akafugitive 244]

Bump, Poll Added

[valtsuh 68]

they could make new gamemode like "skills" if someone doesnt like skills/perks and if this doesnt come in game i think someone will mod it

[Gdaddy22 299]

Yes

[mgc 92]

I think you should progress slightly in all areas based on time survived alone. 100 hours of game time on a single character would imo be a nice max level point.

 

Avoid the "press button x times = result" mechanic pls.

[akafugitive 244]

Cleaned for easier reading

 

I think you should progress slightly in all areas based on time survived alone. 100 hours of game time on a single character would imo be a nice max level point.

 

Avoid the "press button x times = result" mechanic pls.

 

I agree that complexity should only be added if it has a value to enhance gameplay, specially in interacting with others, the world around you, survival reasons, or creating long term goals. I dont want to see complexity just for the sake of making it "harder", it doesnt make thing more challenging, just frustrating.

 

Low/Ready stance has its purpose for enhancing interactions with others, so everyone isn't forced to point their guns at each other unless they choose to.

Edited March 17, 2014 by akafugitive

[a_ruttle 199]

Hmm for life before DayZ, I think it's kind of implied that you washed up ashore by the spawn points, given that, more maritime previous occupations would make sense, navy jobs [pilot, fleet protection, engineer, officer etc.], merchant seaman [doctor, engineer, ships officer, private security], fisherman [native to chernarus? can speak chernarussian (which could bring in a language element where by you cant read packaging when you use the inspect feature)]

[SGT. Kalme 106]

No as it is not necessary. Your player will gain skills in survival even if the skills system was not there - meaning player behind character learns and gets better. Levels should not determine what you are capable of as with so many different options player himself makes the limits for what he can do.

I don't think turning it into an RPG where you have to level yourself to do something would be helpful for gameplay experience.

No.

[akafugitive 244]

Hmm for life before DayZ, I think it's kind of implied that you washed up ashore by the spawn points, given that, more maritime previous occupations would make sense, navy jobs [pilot, fleet protection, engineer, officer etc.], merchant seaman [doctor, engineer, ships officer, private security], fisherman [native to chernarus? can speak chernarussian (which could bring in a language element where by you cant read packaging when you use the inspect feature)]

 

But why would everyone who escaped where they came from by boat all be marine based jobs. I would assume those who know how to survive and are immune did, everyone else who has relied on technology and modern life didn't. Getting thrown overboard and waking up on the beach is just where we start
 

 

 

No as it is not necessary. Your player will gain skills in survival even if the skills system was not there - meaning player behind character learns and gets better. Levels should not determine what you are capable of as with so many different options player himself makes the limits for what he can do.

I don't think turning it into an RPG where you have to level yourself to do something would be helpful for gameplay experience.

No.

 

Yes I agree with the person behind the screen having to learn more than a skills system, I covered some of that in my Health section with multifunctional status's, etc. What I want the skill system for is to create the diversity in areas a learn as you go system is unable to touch (success rate of administering IV'S, repairing cars, crafting items, etc.)
I don't want a skill system that holds your hand and makes you a magic healer when you decide to play a medic role, just sets you above the rest if you are able to figure out how to help people and are consistently doing so. I also want it to be simple levels eg:0-10 with a 1% increase per level to a max of 10% overall, the saying goes "practise makes perfect". Regression of skills that are not being used enough is also important to me (what goes up must come down)

Edited March 25, 2014 by akafugitive

[akafugitive 244]

Double post

Edited March 25, 2014 by akafugitive

[SGT. Kalme 106]

But why would everyone who escaped where they came from by boat all be marine based jobs. I would assume those who know how to survive and are immune did, everyone else who has relied on technology and modern life didn't. Getting thrown overboard and waking up on c the beach is just where we start

Yes I agree with the person behind the screen having to learn more than a skills system, I covered some of that in my Health section with multifunctional status's, etc. What I want the skill system for is to create the diversity in areas a learn as you go system is unable to touch (success rate of administering IV'S, repairing cars, crafting items, etc.)

I don't want a skill system that holds your hand and makes you a magic healer when you decide to play a medic role, just sets you above the rest if you are able to figure out how to help people and are consistently doing so.

 

If it would be basically invisible system that only improves your chances to do something successfully then sure. Main thing is that it wouldn't make players feel like they should be leveling their skills just to do something. I don't imagine the end result as of now but if it can and that would help gameplay then I give yes.

[akafugitive 244]

If it would be basically invisible system that only improves your chances to do something successfully then sure. Main thing is that it wouldn't make players feel like they should be leveling their skills just to do something. I don't imagine the end result as of now but if it can and that would help gameplay then I give yes.

 

Yeah that is what I'm going for. I dont want an RPG skill trees and blah, blah, blah.

 

Just an invisible system where instead of seeing:

 

You transfer only 70% of a bloodbag towards the beginning, eventually you will transfer 100% with practise

Fail 9 out of 10 times to find berries at the beginning, eventually you will find them 9 out of 10 times

Damage the spark plugs when installing them into a car at the beginning, eventually they will be installed with their condition intact

Getting smacked around will bother you at the beginning while you are still soft, eventually you will start becoming a little more numb to the pain

Carrying a heavy backpack will slow you down at the beginning, eventually it will strengthen up your shoulders and you will notice it less

Jogging for long distances will burn your inexperienced lungs at the beginning, eventually you will be able to do a 10k jog without breaking a sweat

Firearm experience was limited to a few nights at the range with your buddies at the begining, eventually you have become so accustom to having it by your side that maintaining it is second nature 

Etc.

 

 

Of course your background choice will give you a hand up in your prefered play style 

Edited March 25, 2014 by akafugitive