Instead of a class system

[Flambo (DayZ) 50]

Just make the tool belt extremely small, and make tools take more than one space in a backpack. There are currently twelve different tools, but a survivor can fit all of them on his belt and still have room for more. With a smaller tool belt, survivors would need to make decisions about which tools to carry. This achieves the same goal as a class system, which is to prevent every survivor from being a jack-of-all-trades, but without any of the drawbacks of a class system.

As an added bonus, it also should be much simpler to implement and test.

[wordplayuk@gmail.com 101]

Not the worst suggestion I ever heard. Would it make it too hard for solo survivors though?

What kind of combinations are we talking about.. Toolbox entrenching tool and flash light or axe, matches and knife?

Will we just carry everything in the back packs and switch em around?

[indominator 95]

interesting, but most people would go with the hunter stuff, its more usefull than toolkit and stuff

[xximrtwoixx 104]

alot of people would carry it in their pack rather than a second primary weapon, even at 2 slots each in back pack or inventory you would be able to fit all of the tools on you if half were on the tool belt.

Also I think a skill system will always be better than using inventory items to impart skills because those skills can't be replaced when you die. With the above system your buddy/group can just guard your body (skils) or they can simply pick them up for themselves.

Both of wich defeat the purpose of a perma death game, Death is supposed to suck. Skills drive this point home, and will also introduce speacilization that generates grouping.

Skills>Items

[Flambo (DayZ) 50]

Would it make it too hard for solo survivors though?

[...]

Will we just carry everything in the back packs and switch em around?

I can't say I have the answers to either of those, but it would definitely depend on the specifics. If a toolbelt fits 2 tools, and a tool takes 5 slots in a backpack, a solo survivor would have a really hard time. If a toolbelt is 4 slots, and a tool only takes 2 slots, then a solo survivor could just forego the usual backup-primary in his backpack for 5 tools, and basically have everything he could want. Also, does the definition of "tools" need to be reworked for the purpose of this suggestion, ie. should things like a map or compass take up as much room as a hatchet or tool kit?

Also I think a skill system will always be better than using inventory items to impart skills because those skills can't be replaced when you die. With the above system your buddy/group can just guard your body (skils) or they can simply pick them up for themselves.

Both of wich defeat the purpose of a perma death game, Death is supposed to suck.

Really good points that I overlooked in my initial suggestion. In addition to pointing out a hole in my suggestion, I think it sheds light on another room for improvement in DayZ: the ease with which players, particularly those in groups, can totally reclaim everything they lose when they die, essentially reducing the death penalty to a WoW-style corpse run.

Perhaps one useful suggestion for this would be to have some of your gear damaged or destroyed when you are shot, or when you die. Or maybe make it so that items carry hidden information about their previous owners, and use that information to prevent players from looting items they owned in a previous life.

[necroslord 73]

Ths could be tricky to mplement. For example, everyone should be able to have a watch on his wrist without wasting a belt slot then. Also map cant be that big, so tools would need different "sizes". The "unlimited" tool belt space allows to not worry about coding trivial stuff like this for now. However, in standalone maybe a more complex tool system could be implemented.

Edited August 6, 2012 by necroslord

[T.G. 48]

It seems like a lot of ideas for creating a class system for dayz revolve around driving players together to group. Why not just group up, the benefits for doing so are already there. Limiting what a single player can do is not going to drastically alter these benefits to the point of making all players get along and play cooperatively. Really though who would want that? Find some people who play like you do, in game or out, and I am pretty sure the need to refine roles to classes and add limits to players' options in game will seem much less important.

[bazbake 456]

As a solo survivor, I'm not bothered by this change to the system. Solo players only need a few items:

Map

Watch

Compass

Hunting Knife

Hatchet

Considering how often the hatchet is used as a primary weapon, that's really only four items you need on your toolbelt at all times.

With a GPS, that's two less slots in my backpack.

Toolbox? Four less slots.

Even with full loadout, we're only talking a coyote bag worth of stuff, and before I figured out the mechanics for backpacks I had no problem running around with nothing but my main inventory.

A more reasonable system, though, would have the map, compass, matches, and watch take up one slot, the hunting knife be a secondary weapon taking up four slots. GPS would take one slot. Toolbox would take two like the firewood.

Edited August 6, 2012 by BazBake

[Flambo (DayZ) 50]

It seems like a lot of ideas for creating a class system for dayz revolve around driving players together to group. Why not just group up, the benefits for doing so are already there.

The benefits are already there, but only for people who know each other outside of the game. The benefits for spontaneous cooperation with random strangers are really not there.

Moreover, this is only half of the purpose of a class system. The other half is to make a character worth more alive than the sum of its equipment. This, however, is not something my suggestion really addresses.

[necroslord 73]

The other half is to make a character worth more alive than the sum of its equipment.

I actually liked this part.

[L0G!N (DayZ) 149]

Good thinking ;) ... check out this suggestion and leave a comment if you like it: http://dayzmod.com/forum/index.php?/topic/29729-if-you-are-good-at-something-professions-teamwork/

[xximrtwoixx 104]

Really good points that I overlooked in my initial suggestion. In addition to pointing out a hole in my suggestion, I think it sheds light on another room for improvement in DayZ: the ease with which players, particularly those in groups, can totally reclaim everything they lose when they die, essentially reducing the death penalty to a WoW-style corpse run.

Perhaps one useful suggestion for this would be to have some of your gear damaged or destroyed when you are shot, or when you die. Or maybe make it so that items carry hidden information about their previous owners, and use that information to prevent players from looting items they owned in a previous life.

I like the gear being damaged or destroyed via combat, but I think adding additional meta data to items takes up to many resources than it would be worth when it could simply be accomplished via a skill system.

I would also like to see the "tool belt" removed completely in a new inventory system. This would force players to better manage their gear and make more choices about what they carry. If gear could also be represented on characters in a better way, IE additional weapons aren't in pack but slung etc. Then it would help identify player types, why would a survivor carry around so many guns?? This would be much more authentic than bandit skins, I think many of the games issues can be managed through a good look at the "meat and potatoes" parts of the game like the inventory, models, and the addition of basic skills.