Keeping track of all the things that change during development of DayZ may be quite a complicated process. As the DayZ Standalone is still an alpha, things that previouisly worked can
randomly/intentionally break, or the
@DayZDevteam can introduce a feature or system that is incomplete, or only partially implemented => therefore, the game can feel more
rough around the edges.
While
this is to be expected from an alpha version, we know it creates confusion. This is why you should feel free to talk to our devs
here on the DayZ forums, ask them questions and get answers. Occasionaly, some of our developers may have the time to answer a bunch of your questions via Twitter/other social media as well. This was the case with our Associate Producer
@EugenHarton yesterday and this is the summary of his Q&A session.
Please note everything mentioned below is the state of development as of April 20th, 2015, 0.55 Stable Branch version. As the development progresses, we will try to delete things that are not relevant anymore, or add future Q&As in a new forum thread.
Subtle edits were done to make the Q&A a bit more clear and understandable - the 140 characters of a single Twitter post are a limit no grammar can survive unharmed.
Should you prefer a more "raw" format of this thread with neat categorization or Twitter links, mr. Tatanko was faster than me and he's got you covered with his own thread. Check it out.
Loot & Persistence, Basebuilding and Barricading Q&A
Q. @Undefined1223: What is the timeline to fix private shards loot spawning so we can go back to 0.55 loot system?
A. Next Stable Branch update - the 0.56 update.
Q. @VanillaFreak128: What's the current plan for loot economy and persistence?
A. We will return to the new system in 0.56 Stable Branch update, with additional fixes and configuration being done.
Q. @luderider69: Is there going to be a persistence wipe on Wednesday?
A. No, since 0.55, we do not regularly wipe persistence. Should there be a wipe, it will usually be announced via the official
@dayzdevteam Twitter account.
Q. @Cl3mson: Will DayZ always have its persistence wiped on Wednesdays or will that change in the near future?
A. We already changed that with 0.55. However, please do not expect that no wipes will happen in the future. The official
@dayzdevteam Twitter account should usually provide that info beforehand, so that you have time to save some of your things.
Q. @Johnny_Kash: Can the economy system be exploited by storing huge amounts of items in tents and thus preventing them from spawning in?
A. No.
Q. @Marcogrintjes: How will crashsites be handled when persistence is fully implemented? Will they auto respawn or do servers still need a reset?
A. They will automatically respawn.
Q. @jason_Dovey: How long will a Backpack persist on ground, compared to a Tent?
A. This is a design decision - and a design decision can be re-decided at anytime during development, so it could be anywhere from an hour to weeks.
Q. @hudson9700: Will the extremely low loot spawns on every server ever going to be fixed?
A. That is not the case at the moment, last week, we rolled back to old system again.
Q. @DJoul2154: When it will be possible to stock items in vehicle?
A. When inventories are implemented on vehicles, which is happening after the new inventory matrix for entities is.
Q. @PoperzenPete: When will it be possible to store things in crates or something like that? Thanks.
A. It' possible already (using tents, backpacks or protector cases), but world containers will be possible only with new inventory matrix tech.
Q. @FrittzeFriendly: I'd love making small stashes that are less conspicuous than tents, e.g. some items or a weapon. Will this be an option?
A. Yes, it will be an option.
Q. @iiRosco: Will there be craft-able tents implemented?
A. Yes, something like that is in our plans, no details yet though.
Q. @mcternand: Are you still recommending daily persistence wipes on private shards?
A. Yes, until the 0.56 Stable Branch update is out.
Q. @Alexboer3: Will there be base building in DayZ? Custom buildings?
A. Yes, in a way. It's not gonna be huge buildings all over the place.
Q. @paintballmiller: Will barricading buildings be implemented soon? Can't wait to hole up in a house and live off the land.
A. Probably sometime after summer.
Q. @GarryKGraham: Will we have base building or simple barracading ala Arma 2/3 before the year is out?
A. it's rather hard to predict, but yes barricading should get in, and maybe, maybe basebuilding.
Q. @siderius0: Any word on building crafting/ base building?
A. It's a rather long-term goal, not anytime soon.
Q. @Poppadawg2: Are underground bases/ bunkers going to be possible in the future?
A. No plans on that yet.
Q. @IvanDolvich84: Would it be possible to make a hiding place in a ground that is much harder to detect than tents?
A. Possible? Yes, if we will implement it, that's rather a design choice.
Q. @FrittzeFriendly: Is there going to be a loot-free way to cook food in 0.56? E.g. using nothing but nature to light fire and cook food.
A. Yes, we aim to introduce such option.
0.56 Stable Branch Update Q&A
Q. @m_bonus86: Is the 0.56 patch coming April 29th or May 6th?
A. We always aim for the last Wednesday of the month, but due to a big tech change, 0.56 stable update will likely get delayed a bit - estimated delay is one week, max. two weeks - so the first week of May, actually.
Q. @JakeHilk: Will there be a fix for one hit kills by infected in 0.56?
A. No. It requires a refactor of damage system and implementation of the new player character tech - so that said, it is a long term change.
Q. @Zirciu: Any chance new render will hit stable with 56?
A. Not really.
Q. @Tricskt3rz: Will the new inventory system be in 0.56 patch? Will the inventory issues (not being able to pick up some loot) be fixed with the new inventory matrix?
A. The new inventory interface will not be in the 0.56, but the new inventory matrix tech will be there. Not being able to pickup loot is a different problem, but some of it will be fixed.
Q. @ATLATRON: Is the Winchester model 70 being implemented in 0.56?
A. Yes.
Q. @Leozao_BR: You reckon next patch will bring VSS, Remington or SVD?
A. SVD should probably be in 0.56, yes.
Performance, Engine, Map and New Renderer Q&A
Q. @krazymunkey972: Can you guys optimize DayZ any more than it already is?
A. Yes we can and yes we will.
Q. @pvtPeels: When is the new renderer coming? My rig gives me 60 FPS on Battlefield 4 but I can't even pull an average of 25 on DayZ
A. Not sure precisely, but increase in FPS rate should probably happen in about 3-6 months.
Q. @WalrusInAnus: In future, will the graphics be improved? Not on the renderer side, but rather with higher resolution textures.
A. Some of it, yes.
Q. @TheRealJackzoo: Regarding the new renderer, I know your team is doing a wonderful job, but why does it take so long?
A. It's a task that requires a lot of programming hours (6-12 months) to get to even a basic version of it.
Q. @TheRunningManZ: Is the FOV slider always going to be accessible in game or is there a plan to remove unrealistic "FOV zoom" for long range shots?
A. Changes are coming.
Q. @unknownsniper23: Will there be an option to change the render distance in the settings, because it's hard to make really long range shots.
A. Well, maybe, its not a tech issue but a design one. Question is whether to force the same playing field or not.
Q. @fear91FIN: New renderer has an ETA set on late may... Does it mean it's going to be ready for stable or experimental branch of the game at that time?
A. No, in this time frame, we plan to have the new renderer implemented only in our internal version of the game, not publicly available.
Q. @MrNoobGaming: What is the status on new renderer? Is there any chance it will be ready during the summer?
A. We will see about that, not sure.
Q. @TheModernKilla: What were the specs of the first PC DayZ was run on?
A. Not sure. For specs, we don't have a set recommendation yet. We aim to support DirectX 11 tech (and probably higher) and exclude DirectX 9 altogether (meaning Win XP will not be supported).
Q. @Caemyr: Any news on multithreading? Will DayZ utilise multicore CPUs or should we rather invest in less cores with more performance per core?
A. We hope to change that with more tech, so yes, multicore CPUs should be utilized.
Q. @Rohrmann: Do you think more radical weather effects (like snow, or maybe even a simulation of seasons) will be possible in DayZ's future?
A. Sadly, no.
Q. @MShternberg: Is further expansion of the Chernarus map planned, or you're going to fill map with content in its current state?
A. No expansion in that sense planned, we're still adding new locations/redesigning the old ones though.
Q. @prophetAzekiel: Is it possible to add more to the map? Will boats exist? Will I be able to raise livestock at my camp?
A. Most of this are design decision and dev time questions, but we hope to have some of that. Unfortunately, we might not have enough time by 1.0, so these features may be added later on.
Q. @Derek5511: With the new tech, will it be possible to double the size of the map while maintaining performance? Any plans to do so?
A. It might enable us to do that (likely), but no, we are not going to do so.
Q. @prophetAzekiel: Will there be electricity? Will hacking always be a problem? Are animations with others (like shaking hands or high five) possible?
A. Electricity: yes. Hackers: kinda. Animations: yes.
Q. @Rhino_Rampy: Are you going to patch all glitch spots in DayZ?
A. Yes, over time, but not all at once.
Q. @TheGanitDayz: When will objects being thrown stop falling through the ground?
A. Grenades should stop doing that in 0.56
Q. @MrRealProGaming: Would it not be better adding the new render now and fixing bugs around that than fixing bugs and then adding new renderer?
A. No.
Q. @blue_collarhero: Will the new renderer allow walking speed uphill to be increased?
A. There is no correlation between those two things. Slower speed is intentional as well.
Q. @shivyboii: Will we see an immediate performance increase when the render is released
A. Yes and no, depends on various factors. In general, new occlusion system and the new renderer will smooth out the FPS and should help players get higher FPS.
Q. @Poppadawg2: Will the new engine give us 60 FPS whilst the game is in alpha, beta or release?
A. Cannot be sure. By the time we hit 1.0 we want to have smooth fps. I do hope it's gonna happen sooner (in a 4-6 months time frame maybe?).
Q. @Zirciu: Any chance new render will hit stable with 56?
A. Not really.
Inventory & User Interface, Inventory Matrix (and everything related) Q&A
Q. @Tricskt3rz: Will the new inventory system be in 0.56 patch? Will the inventory issues (not being able to pick up some loot) be fixed with the new inventory matrix?
A. The new inventory interface will not be in the 0.56, but the new inventory matrix tech will be there. Not being able to pick up loot is a different problem, but some of it will be fixed.
Q. @coffeesmoke: Will there be an in-game menu where players would be able to see latest Important Announcements/Status Reports/Changelogs?
A. Yes.
Q. @PoperzenPete: When will it be possible to store things in crates or something like that? Thanks.
A. It' possible already (using tents, backpacks or protector cases), but world containers will be possible only with new inventory matrix tech.
Q. @Kawaiino34: What about V3S repairs? (batteries, wheel...) And a new UI for the inventory?
A. V3S: It's planned for Q2, requires the new inventory matrix. New iventory UI also requires the new inventory matrix.
Q. @HarryConDog: Will there still be a server query when using the hotbar with the new inventory implementation?
A. Yes and no. It will be smooth soon.
Q. @BeavProductions: Will we ever be able to see items in vicinity without pressing tab?
A. No plans for that yet.
Q. @ZMBLACK: Any way to ID players planned in the far/near future? (nametag on close distance when looking at face or similar)?
A. That is a design decision, not a tech issue.
Zombies, Animals and AI Q&A
Q. @AnitaSarawak: How close are we to seeing fixed sound (i.e. silent zombies, gun shots, etc.)? Will the ambient noises also be removed/redone?
A. 0.56 should fix the silent zombies, gunshots are fixed already, yes for altering the ambient noises (no details on that though).
Q. @dominimkd1: Will zombies react on ingame voice? If so do they differentiate between whisper and scream?
A. We want something like that to work, yes.
Q. @JakeHilk: Will there be a fix for one hit kills by infected in 0.56?
A. No. It requires a refactor of damage system and implementation of the new player character tech - so that said, it is a long term change.
Q. @m_bonus86: Is the issue with zombies hitting from distance or other floors a server or a navmesh issue?
A. It's even more complex, its part the animation system problem, part the navmesh navigation problem, part physics and part performance.
Q. @m_bonus86: When will bugs like zombies hitting you without animation, holding landmines, traps, crossbows etc. animations be fixed?
A. No ETA, still requires a lot of tech to be replaced.
Q. @Igorzilla: How many zombies/animals will be on server (in beta)?
A. We are going to balance numbers based on the tech we manage to bring in, now it's around 1,000 animals/zombies. If we're able to get better performance, maybe 2,000+
Q. @DayZLab: Where is the bear from the files of the game? You have decided not to add it?
A. Predator AI has not been finished yet.
Q. @ChernarusExport: Could you explain what is the "Group AI" I have heard about some time ago? What will it do, behavior & gameplay effects?
A. Cooperation of AI controlled entities and their decision making based on other world entities.
Q. @TheRealJakczoo: Will there be sort of like AI in the game? Like AI bandits at skallisty with say blaze rifles, not too advanced weaponry?
A. No.
Servers, Server Tech and Desync Q&A
Q. @superDonkey: How far away are bigger servers than the ~50 player servers that are available at the moment?
A. We might get to 75 player soon-ish, but it's a design choice. We don't want cluttered servers.
Q. @Driller12356: People want interaction, PvP - otherwise, even 75 is not enough for a map that size. Cluttered? SERIOUSLY? I always thought at least 100 players per server would be the goal.
A. Yes, I am serious. As for 100 players - technology wise, yes, that is the goal. We are not sure what the final number will be though, it could be 150, it could be 75.
Q. @TGEgamersUK: Will there be player stats/leaderboards of how long player has lived, kills and deaths?
A. Yes, all of that.
Q. @hana_tomas: How long before the player stats are implemented?
A. About 2-3 months.
Q. @AvallancheGamer: I would like to know more about desync and input lag. Sometimes I can see my bullets hit the wall almost one second after shoot.
A. I`ll cover that in forums, it's a rather complex issue.
Q. @Muffinat0r: Is there any way you can quantify how good the server performance will be at 1.0? Smooth as butter?
A. No really, sorry. Unfortunately, that is a rather complex matter, but obviously, we aim to have a smooth experience for players.
Q. @SpinGee: Do you really think it's manageable to get smooth/fluid (no desync) gameplay with 50+ players and lots of zombies?
A. Yes, we do.
Q. @damon1337: Let's be realistic, do you think that this terrible desync will disappear in future? I think your game engine makes it impossible.
A. It's indeed possible, anybody saying otherwise is probably an #armchairdeveloper
Q. @HarryConDog: Will there still be a server query when using the hotbar with the new inventory implementation?
A. Yes and no. It will be smooth soon.
Q. @hrynielTV: Do you have plans to dump the current anti cheat, and get a more effective one?
A. No, it works as it should.
Q. @Wooloo_Mooloo: Will there be some special server modes and admin tools (i.e. Survival Games Mode + spectating) after release?
A. Not decided yet.
Q. @TheKaindl_AT: Will there ever be an Admin tool like infistar before 1.0 for admins (teleporting, spawning, god mode)?
A. No.
Q. @CedricLion: Any timeline regarding adding server settings/more indepth tools for admins and server owners?
A. No ETA, game first, servers second.
Q. @tamaster44: After 1.0 hits, will there be a release of server/hive files to the public? If not, will server prices go down?
A. Server prices are expected to go down, as server performance improves. No statement on the first question yet.
Q. @M1NDR: Any word of more server providers being able to offer services for master shards?
A. Not yet.
Q. @SoDoBeni: Will we get rid of server restarts at some point? Or at least higher restart intervals, e.g. 12h/24h?
A. We hope to get to 12/24 before 1.0
Q. @aedricLion: In future updates, waiting list for the full servers is planned?
A. Yes.
Weapons, Vehicles and Helicopters Q&A
Q. @jimmybobjoe11: When is SVD going to be added?
A. It's done internally, probably aiming for a 0.56 release.
Q. @ATLATRON: Is the winchester model 70 being implemented in 0.56?
A. Yes.
Q. @PhillyvanZand: Any plans on adding anti-material-rifles like a KSVK?
A. No.
Q. @Kawaiino34: What about V3S repairs? (batteries, wheel...) And a new UI for the inventory?
A. V3S: It's planned for Q2, requires the new inventory matrix. New inventory UI also requires the new inventory matrix.
Q. @siderius0: Any idea of when we can expect to see another vehicle added, or more vehicle aspects?
A. 0.57 Stable Branch update or later. I will not disclose the type of the vehicle, don't want to spoil all the fun.
Q. @AppleNutOfficia: Any chance there'll be motorbikes and bicycles in DayZ one day?
A. Not sure. If yes, than don't expect them anytime soon.
Q. @TheKaindl_AT: What's up with helicopters? Will we see them before end of 2015?
A. Highly likely
Q. @Werneq: The experience of a passenger in a truck is very annoying. Are there plans to fix it?
A. Yes.
Q. @DJoul2154: When it will be possible to stock items in vehicle?
A. When inventories are implemented on vehicles, which is happening after the new inventory matrix for entities is in.
Q. @Kawaiino34: Will the Ikarus Bus be drivable?
A. Yes, it will be drivable.
Q. @ManiacMike69: When can we start fixing up vehicles with parts? eg. Wheels, Spark plugs... Been awhile since V3S has been put in.
A. Soon-ish, in 1 or 2 months probably.
Q. @yvngdoodlebob: When will we see firing guns out of vehicles?
A. Late into development.
Player Character, Animations & Controls Q&A
Q. @Caemyr: Any chance for Player character to grow beard, the longer one lives, the bigger the beard?
A. Maybe.
Q. @vantezz: Will there be a detailed character customization?
A. Not really.
Q. @yvngdoodlebob: How about that limping animation from a year ago? For the bear trap, or any broken leg.
A. Only with the new player character tech (player character being ported to new animation system/physics/controller).
Q. @SoDoBeni: Will we be able to trade items directly from player to player instead of dropping the item to the ground?
A. Yes, after new player character tech is implemented (porting character to new physics, new animations system, controller).
Q. @TheHostileLlama: When do you think the first iteration of the character falling/landing animations will be implemented?
A. About 3 - 5 months from now maybe?
Q. @_bonus86: Are you planning to add simple idle animation to the game like in menu or in ArmaA 3 for example wiping the head or gun check?
A. Yes, ETA 3-5 months at least, requires player character to be ported to new physics, animation system and controller.
Q. @DayZPlay1: What exactly is a new "player character"?
A. Implementation of new physics, controller, and animation system on player character.
Q. @NikARHS1914: Movement animations and physics: are we going to see major improvements in these areas, maybe physics based movement?
A. New player character system is being developed for a better part of the last 2 months, so yes, there will be improvements.
Q. @Doomeyz_: Are you eventually going to remove animation for finding rocks / apples and make a more realistic / fun way to do it?
A. No plans yet.
Q. @MiamiDfann: Will DayZ have full controller support?
A. Yes, certainly, no date on that yet though.
Q. @HarryConDog: Will the new player controller change running uphill?
A. It will help with how it visually looks but the slowdown will stay (although it will have stages).
Q. @TheC1aw: Is the new 3pp camera still planned?
A. Yes.
Q. @blue_collarhero: Will the new renderer allow walking speed uphill to be increased?
A. There is no correlation between those two things. Slower speed is intentional.
Q. @prophetAzekiel: Will there be electricity? Will hacking always be a problem? Are animations with others (like shaking hands or high five) possible?
A. Electricity: yes. Hackers: kinda. Animations: yes.
Sounds Q&A
Q. @AnitaSarawak: How close are we to seeing fixed sound (i.e. silent zombies, gun shots, etc.)? Will the ambient noises also be removed/redone?
A. 0.56 should fix the silent zombies, gunshots are fixed already, yes for altering the ambient noises (no details on that though).
Q. @DayZ_TV: What about the new sound system? Will it enable acoustic sounds based on places/buildings (resonance, reverb)? Also: Megaphone?
A. Yes megaphone is happening, we do hope to get those effects in as well.
Q. @dominimkd1: Will zombies react on ingame voice? If so do they differentiate between whisper and scream?
A. We want something like that to work, yes.
Random Q&A
Q. @elfandangle: Is there a plan for a change in medical mechanics? i.e. surgical tools, preventive medicines and adjustments on current healing.
A. Yes.
Q. @TrueAmb_Erupza: Will we see an implementation of the old Bandit/Hero system, with stats effected by the play style such as zombie kills etc?
A. This is a design question.
Q. @Mantrunks: Is steam workshop integration only going to be looked at AFTER 1.0?
A. Before 1.0
Q. @DayzRussia: Will we be able to fake death and imitate zombie walk?
A. Fake death was talked about a lot, we will see about that.
Q. @JackTurvey: Why is your game dying?
A. It's not. Everyone's playing GTA V at the moment and DayZ is not even released (out of Early Access) yet. It's a game under development - and the player base will fluctuate.
Q. @TheMightySwordy: Do you think DayZ Standalone should be used for Survivor Games as it doesn't come across as stable enough at the moment?
A. It's a community event that is fun, so yes.
Q. @MiamiDfann: Will DayZ have full controller support?
A. Yes, certainly, no date on that yet though.
Q. @Baranock: Why did it stop raining in DayZ?
A. It's a bug.
Q. @YesteR_DayZ: What about food recipes & packing cooked meals in jars?
A. Maybe, but nothing around the corner.
Q. @GonzoPoet1001: What feature are you most excited about that will come out in the next 6 months or so?
A. Statistics.
Q. @Nextgen_king: Could there be an option to be a zombie?
A. No.
Q. @TheRealJakczoo: Will there be sort of like AI in the game? Like AI bandits at skallisty with say blaze rifles, not too advanced weaponry?
A. No.
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