Make all servers separate

[11tw 106]

This is a radical suggestion, which will anger many. My idea is to make it so that switching between servers will not allow you to keep the character you are using. A character is bound to a server, and cannot be moved.

 

My inspiration for this came from playing on a private server (by accident). The result is a more enjoyable playing experience. When I encounter another player, I don't immediately assume that their military gear was acquired by server swapping (they could have duped, but different issue). It makes the game more challenging, but I feel more immersed and am enjoying the game more.

 

Considering the advances that have been made in recent builds with persistence and respawning, I would would argue that we don't need the ability to switch servers any more. The added bonus from this would be the effect it would have on the most annoying players. You know, the ones who

a) spawn in a 0-3 pop server

b) make a beeline for the nearest military base

c) collect military gear

d) server hop to 10 other low pop servers

e) switch onto a high pop server, kill, die and repeat

In my experience these guys are the most obnoxious after hackers. This would inevitably ruin the game for them, as they need instant gratification, leaving more DayZ for everyone else.

 

Obviously this is my experience, and I don't know how the community feels about this, so I thought I would ask.

[sachad 1016]

I'm no fan of public servers, but I wouldn't go as far as removing them altogether. I just stick to private hives myself.

[Killawife 599]

I also prefer the way private servers work. Teleporting around alternate universes to find loot seems so unrealistic.  Unfortunately private servers have some issues that public do not. Mostly the constant annyoing restarts but also more desync, lag and weird behaviour of clanmembers who rent the server.  Some middle-way maybe?

[liquidcactus 719]

I kind of agree with this but then think it would be a pretty drastic move.. but it would stop alot of bullshittery and cause some more at the same time 

[MadWookie 573]

In dear time. The devs won't have to do it. Just like in the mod, private hives will pick up when mods come out. Once that happens, you'll be lucky to find more than 20-30 public hive servers.

[SonicSonedit 36]

First of all there should be no any kind of server-hopping restrictions until loot system is finished, debugged and stable.

I think player equipment should be tied to server BUT: some time later you may understand that the server you selected - it may have some hidden weird bugs, too often/too rare restarts, weather or time presets you don't like. Or server can even just die. Yes, like that - they go offline and never come back again. What in that case? I think every player should be allowed to change their server once per day. That will mostly solve the loot-hopping problem and even bigger problem, when bandit sees you, you hold a good tactical position, bandit hops to empty server, goes to your position, jumps back and kills you from behind. I personally think it's a bigger issue than server-hopping for loot.

[Evil Minion 943]

Fix server hopping instead of simply disconnecting servers and calling it a day. Completely severing all connections comes with it's own issues and wastes a lot of potential.

I went into details elsewhere but in general you want the following:

• a significant cost to for switching servers (like increased waiting times or only being allowed to switch only a few times per day)
• being able to get around this cost if you start a completely new character (by extension free switching if your character is dead)
• being able to get around/reduce this cost in certain situations (like the server you played on before being full)
• loot spawns depending on the number of active players (less loot on low pop servers -> balance out the risk/reward)

In general if hopping for loot is much less effective than just staying and looting less people will do it and those who still stick with it won't get an unfair advantage.

Edited April 20, 2015 by Evil Minion

[gibonez 3633]

You meant heres a way to get rid of

 

• Server hopping
• ghosting
• combat logging

Yea making each server have its own character is ideal.

 

Plus it would allow things that are only available in other games like rust where you can have your character sleeping in game while logged out.

[therandomredstone 431]

I don't think this will ever be implemented.

 

Public servers will grow scarce as time goes by.

 

But if you are fully kitted on a server and that server shuts down, then you're in trouble.

[Chaingunfighter 917]

Plus it would allow things that are only available in other games like rust where you can have your character sleeping in game while logged out.

It'd certainly work for those aforementioned reasons but I'm not really sure sleep is such a good idea, because it'd likely mean that A: people can only play for periods of time before taking mandatory breaks while their characters sleep, and B: people have to leave their characters in game 24/7 with them always at risk.

 

The way rust does it is interesting but it just doesn't work well in the scope of the game to basically guarantee players that every time they login they're going to have to start over, especially considering by comparison DayZ is a lot more difficult and also puts a lot more emphasis on the build up of the player character than rust does.

[gibonez 3633]

It'd certainly work for those aforementioned reasons but I'm not really sure sleep is such a good idea, because it'd likely mean that A: people can only play for periods of time before taking mandatory breaks while their characters sleep, and B: people have to leave their characters in game 24/7 with them always at risk.

 

The way rust does it is interesting but it just doesn't work well in the scope of the game to basically guarantee players that every time they login they're going to have to start over, especially considering by comparison DayZ is a lot more difficult and also puts a lot more emphasis on the build up of the player character than rust does.

 

The benefits of such a system are too big to ignore though.

 

It especially effects player behavior in both Rust and in a Medieval survival game that also has such a system sleeping in game while not playing profoundly changes how people behave.

 

It forces players to be more cautious before attacking peopl and it seems to force people to form alliances. The theory behind them is that no one player can constantly be alert in game looking over his character so alliances help when you are logged off. Combine that with a competent base building and or house barricading system and it is indeed viable in dayz.

 

Not to mention it would forever remove combat logging.

[Chaingunfighter 917]

The benefits of such a system are too big to ignore though.

 

It especially effects player behavior in both Rust and in a Medieval survival game that also has such a system sleeping in game while not playing profoundly changes how people behave.

 

It forces players to be more cautious before attacking peopl and it seems to force people to form alliances. The theory behind them is that no one player can constantly be alert in game looking over his character so alliances help when you are logged off. Combine that with a competent base building and or house barricading system and it is indeed viable in dayz.

 

Not to mention it would forever remove combat logging.

Even with huge precautions and alliances there's still a pretty good chance someone will come across you when your 'allies' aren't on (I mean, most people don't play 24/7 and typically groups of friends play around the same time), and even if they are on you're still at risk if someone attacks the hideout and kills your friends. Also, with zombies and predatory animals wandering around it's also possible they'll just kill you if their respawn is triggered while your character is logged off and they spawn in the building you're in.

 

And it isn't even realistic, anyway, because if your character would sleep until you returned, which could be vast extended periods of time, and the character has no way to react despite the fact that you are capable of waking up in real life. Plus, it really does encourage the careless gameplay style we saw before, because anyone who isn't 100% dedicated knows that they will most likely only be enjoying their character in the current session.

 

If DayZ were built around such a system then it'd make sense but it'd be such a fundamental change at this stage that it's not worth it.

[Spesago 13]

I still feel the best way to beat combat logging/server farming/server hopping and also add some more risk to coastal camping is simple.

 

Your gear is Saved to you and can be moved between servers. I would also like to see personal vehicles (Motor bikes, microlite, Bicicle, ATV kinda thing) be transferable if you log out safely, the vehicle is reasonably working and you are in/next to the vehicle.

 

Camps, Structures and general vehicles are Server specific

 

If you log out suddenly (disconnect or whatever) your character drops prone and stays still for 10 seconds

 

If you log out suddenly while flagged as in combat your character drops prone and stays still for 30 seconds. if killed the body stays as normal

 

If you select log out it will count down 10 seconds that can only be canceled by being in combat or pressing escape then you will log out instantly

 

 

When logging in:

If on the same server: your location will be the same as when you logged out

If on a different server: You will respawn as if you are a new spawn but you will have any gear and maybe personal vehicle that you had when you logged out.

 

Also if you disconnected there is a 10 second delay to logging in.

If you combat logged you are unable to log in until a time set by the server you are connecting to. minimum 5 minutes

 

The reasoning:

If you try to server hop to farm, you end up on the coast and have to travel to get anywhere lootworthy

If you server hop to try and bypass physical defences you end up on the coast and thus cant

If you server hop to meet up with friends, you still have your gear and can arrange to meet based on where you spawn no major harm

If you server hop to loot on a quiet server and fight on a busy one, well you can but you will be at a disadvantage location wise

If you server hop because your usual server is dead/offline/glitched or you have a disagreement with the owner, you still have your gear all you lost is your location.

If you server hop because you know there a player hunting you and you want a new location then you can log off safely but you will be trading a threat you know about for one you do not when you log in again.

 

If you combat log preemptively you are vulnerable for 10 seconds

if you combat log you are vulnerable for 30 seconds and cant return for 5mins +

 

if you get D/Ced you are vulnerable for 10 seconds but if you were not about to be killed anyway you should be fine.

If you get D/Ced in combat you will likely die and wont be able to play again for a set amount of time this is the downside to the system. maybe make a 1/month exception to the login timer so counter this.

 

If you camp the coast there will be better geared opponents rather than new spawns which means while ou have an advantage in terrain your targets can actually fight back increasing risk

 

Can  anyone else think of a flaw? if you are sticking to one server you are unafected, you can still switch servers as needed without losing what you have worked for gear wise. but if you try to take advantage of servers to gain an upper hand you will fail and be putting yourself at risk.

 

If your usual server goes offline you lose your camp but not your gear so you can start over on a new server with what you last had on you instead of nothing

[BeefBacon 1185]

I only play on private servers. I really don't understand public servers as a choice. They don't seem to do anything but encourage server hopping. It's also ice to hop on a private server and go "oh, neat, that guy is playing again. Even better is actually meeting them. I've never experienced that in a public server.

 

I wouldn't necessarily say that public servers should be removed entirely, but I understand your sentiment. I avoid them since I'm perfectly happy to let the server-hopping bottom feeders run around on the public servers.