Myriad of Suggestions

[Cole2999]

[SIZE=3][B]GUI, Menu, Performance, and General Non-Gameplay Suggestions[/B][/SIZE] [LIST=1] [*]Pause for SP, useful in case you're doing something for a quick moment but are surrounded by zombies [*]Offline mode. I'm not only often in cars, but my internet acts up sometimes, so I can't play the game unless it's already playing, and then you cannot pause it. In fact, I'm in a car right now, and I closed it accidentally a second ago. [*]Hounds on/off; Hornets on/off. While I rather like these challenges, when I first started they were obnoxious. Might be nice to have this option. [*]Cheat detection. Maybe as an option for server owners, simply because they may have instances where they spawn items to build structures, or hold contests, various things. [*]Improvements to the crafting grid. I've always found the grid to be laggy. It often is the case where when I am making an item it just doesn't register the right click to place the item down. [/LIST] [size=3][b]Assault Rifle[/b][/size] Before you trip on me, hear me out. The Assault Rifle requires a "Skilled Combat" skill book to be [b][I]built[/I][/b]. Then, you need to gather the parts: AR Stock, AR Grip, AR Firing Mechanism, AR Barrel, AR Shroud. Using these 5 parts, and the book, once can build the AR. However, the AR is poor in recoil, sway, and is very loud. It also is Semi-Automatic. This encourages upgrading. Because the AR is a tactical rifle, though, it comes upgrade-ready. No mounts need to be installed; 3 rails and a barrel mount come ready. More below in Upgrading Weapons It can also be upgraded using Firing Mechanisms, which can only be obtained by crafting them, which to do you need the "Advanced Combat" skill book. More below in Upgrading Weapons. [SIZE=3][B]Upgrading Weapons[/B][/SIZE] Insanely long explanation: [Spoiler]My thought behind upgrading weapons and tools is to provide players with some customization, an edge. It also means you don't just stop once you get a gun, and you treasure each weapon you upgrade. To upgrade a gun, you first make a "Firearms Workbench". Once opened, the GUI consists of a large, blank square in the center, an input slot in the lower-left, a medium panel on the right mid/top, a "Craft" button in the lower center, and an output slot on the lower-right. When a firearm is placed in the input slot, 2 things happen: the large central panel shows an enlarged, translucent 90-degree profile of the weapon, and the panel on the right shows the stats for the weapon (accuracy, reload speed, magazine size, damage, sway, recoil) in two states, current durability and max durability. When a weapon is in the bench, the profile of the weapon will have input slots surrounding it in various places. These are called "Upgrade Points", and they dictate what upgrades are used and where they go. Some of these are darkened; this is because the Upgrade Point requires a "Mount". A Mount is one of two items, a Rail Mount or Muzzle Mount. These are one-time use items, and need to be crafted onto the gun (in the desired location) prior to upgrading these points. After that, the darkened points should be replaced by normal points, and can be upgraded/downgraded at will. All points upon hovering the cursor over them, dictate what upgrades they will accept. Darkened points will also have the appropriate requirement listed at the top. To upgrade the weapon, you put an upgrade into the appropriate point and hit craft. Any number of upgrades (save darkened points) can be applied at once. The stat panel on the right will display any change in stat for current/max durability of the weapon. Only one upgrade can exist in a point, but upgrades can be freely add/removed, save Mounts. This allows for the transfer of attachments between weapons, or the customization of a weapon for a particular situation. [/spoiler] Various Upgrade Points and available upgrades for weapons: [SPOILER] [LIST=1] [*][SIZE=3][B]Pistol[/B][/SIZE]; 5 Upgrade Points, 3 Part-Dependent [SPOILER]The Pistol has 5 possible upgrade points: [LIST] [*]Muzzle (requires Muzzle Mount part) Equips Muzzle Upgrades [*]Slide (requires Rail Mount part) Equips Optical Upgrades [*]Front Receiver (requires Rail Mount) Equips Tactical Upgrades [*]Magazine Equips Pistol Magazine (Magazine Upgrades) [*]Grip Equips Pistol Grip (Stock and Grip Upgrades) [/LIST] [/SPOILER] [*][B][SIZE=3]Hunting Rifle[/SIZE][/B]; 3/4 Upgrade Points, 3 Part-Dependent [SPOILER]The Hunting Rifle has 3/4 possible upgrade points: [LIST] [*]Muzzle (requires Muzzle Mount) Equips Muzzle Upgrades [*]*Underneath Barrel (requires Rail Mount) Equips Rifle Bipod (Specialty Upgrades) [*]Ahead of Bolt (requires Rail Mount) Equips Scopes (Optical Upgrade) [*]Stock Equips Stocks (Stock and Grip Upgrades) *This is only a possibility, due to the limitations of its use (see Rifle Bipod description) [/LIST] [/SPOILER] [*][SIZE=3][B](Sawed-Off) Shotgun[/B][/SIZE]; 3 Upgrade Points, 1/2 Part-Dependent [SPOILER]The (Sawed-Off) Shotgun has 3 possible upgrade points: [LIST] [*]Muzzle (requires Muzzle Mount) Equips Muzzle Upgrades [*]Pump (possibly requires a Rail Mount) Equips Shotgun Grip (Specialty Upgrades), Flashlight (Specialty Upgrades), or Flashlight Grip (Specialty Upgrade) [*]*Stock (Non-Sawed-Off ONLY) Equips Stocks (Stock and Grip Upgrades) [*]*Grip (Sawed-Off ONLY) Equips Grips (Stock and Grip Upgrades) [/LIST] [/SPOILER] [*][B][SIZE=3]Assault Rifle[/SIZE][/B] [SPOILER]The Assault Rifle has possible upgrade points: [LIST] [*]Muzzle Equips Muzzle Upgrades [*]Top Rail Equips Optical Upgrades [*]Side Rail Equips Tactical Upgrades [*]Bottom Rail Equips Tactical Upgrades [*]Grip Equips Grips (Stock and Grip Upgrades) [*]Stock Equips Stocks (Stock and Grip Upgrades) [*]Firing Mechanism Equips Automatic Mode (Specialty Upgrades) or Burst Mode (Specialty Upgrades)* [*]Magazine Equips AR Magazine (Magazine Upgrades) *These are permanent upgrades, such as mounts. When equipped, the mode is changed between any installed modes. [/LIST] [/SPOILER] [*][SIZE=3][B].44 Magnum[/B][/SIZE] has NO upgrades available due to its extreme nature. [*][SIZE=3][B]SMG[/B][/SIZE] has NO upgrades available due to its extreme nature. [*][SIZE=3][B]Sniper Rifle[/B][/SIZE] has NO upgrades available due to its extreme nature. [*][SIZE=3][B]Rocket Launcher[/B][/SIZE] has NO upgrades available due to its extreme nature. Plus, come on. It's a Rocket Launcher for f*ck sake. What are you gonna do, put a silencer on it? [/LIST][/SPOILER] List of available upgrades by category: [SPOILER][LIST=1] [*]Muzzle Upgrades: [SPOILER][LIST] [*]Silencer This upgrade allows for the silenced killing of zombies. While it does not fully silence the weapon, it greatly reduces the noise created by firing a shot. Reduces damage and accuracy. [*]Muzzle Break Allows for slightly increased damage to zombies at cost to noise and accuracy. [*]High-Quality Muzzle Break Great increase to damage, but at the cost of recoil, accuracy, and greatly increases noise created. [*]Extended Barrel Increases accuracy at the cost of reduced damage and increased noise. [/LIST] [/SPOILER] [*]Optical Upgrades: [SPOILER](These increase in accuracy as the list goes on)[LIST] [*]Red Dot Sight Boosts accuracy. [*]RTA Optics Boosts accuracy. [*]Marksman's Scope Boosts accuracy. [*]2x Scope Boosts accuracy. 2x zoom. [*]4x Scope Boosts accuracy. 4x zoom. [*]8x Scope Boosts accuracy. 8x zoom. [*]16x Scope Boosts accuracy. 16x zoom. [/LIST] [/SPOILER] [*]Tactical Upgrades: [SPOILER][LIST] [*]Flashlight Allows use of 'F' key function to toggle rail-mounted flashlight. [*]Red Dot Increases hip-fire accuracy. [*]Bayonet Heavy melee damage for CQC. Hit 'E' to melee. [/LIST] [/SPOILER] [*]Stock and Grip Upgrades: [SPOILER][LIST] [*]Padded Stock Decreases recoil and slightly increases accuracy at the cost of reload speed. [*]Sturdy Stock Decreases sway and slightly increases accuracy at the cost of reload speed. [*]Tactical Grip Decreases recoil and increases accuracy at the cost of reload speed. [/LIST] [/SPOILER] [*]Specialty Upgrades: [SPOILER]These are upgrades that don't have a category or are weapon-specific.[LIST] [*]Rifle Bipod This upgrade can be equipped on the Hunting Rifle or the Assault Rifle's bottom rail. When crouching and aiming, the accuracy significantly increases and the sway significantly decreases. [*]Shotgun Forward Grip Stabilizes weapon by decreasing sway and recoil; increases reload speed significantly; decreases accuracy. [*]Shotgun Forward Grip with Flashlight See above. 'F' to toggle flashlight. [*]Automatic Firing Mode Continually fires bullets while trigger is pulled. [U]Skill book "Advanced Combat" required to craft.[/U] Permanent upgrade. Modes switched by pressing 'X' while equipped. [*]Burst Firing Mode Fires 3 rounds for every trigger pull. [U]Skill book "Advanced Combat" required to craft.[/U] Permanent upgrade. Modes switched by pressing 'X' while equipped. [/LIST] [/SPOILER] [*]Magazine Upgrades [spoiler][list] [*]Pistol Extended Magazine Increases cartridge quantity for Pistol at the cost of reload speed. [*]AR Extended Magazine Increases cartridge quantity for AR at the cost of reload speed. [/LIST] [/SPOILER] [/list] [/SPOILER] Thanks for reading, put around 6 hours into this ^.^

[Guest Brains]

Just my opinion. AR / M4 recoil in real life is minimal / almost none and rarely "sways" (accuracy). Actually sways less than a hand gun does (has much better accuracy than a hand gun).

[Cole2999]

Yeah, but I wasn't sure on what might be needed to make up for having an automatic weapon. Maybe just it being harder to get than a sniper is balanced enough.

[Cole2999]

I also forgot to mention generators. These would be machines that require tons of air filters, iron bars, forged iron, maybe tungsten, brass, the whole 9 yards to make. They'd create a lot of noise; maybe that of an auger, but constantly, maybe even louder. The only problem with this is making some sort of electrical transfer system; wires. This would be a complex game mechanic, as it would either take a lot of space, or there'd need to be hollow walls to put them in. Complex game mechanic, but wouldn't mind seeing it at some point. Though I know you guys have stated you're working on it, one update I really want to see is movable storage containers (anything you own that can be locked, such as gun safes, chests, etc). Another concept I had was an ammo pouch/bandolier. Equipping this to your person (maybe chest, maybe some new category) puts a 2x5 bar on the side of your inventory, where you can place an infinite stack of any ammo in each slot. This would be bolts, .44, 9mm, 7.62mm, rockets, shells, 10mm, and 3 spaces for any future expansion, such as slugs, incendiary rounds, etc. Maybe a nicer looking GUI idea would simply be 1x5, with a scroll bar, that way it reduces the used space and more easily allows expansion. [B]Or you simply make it restricted to holding 4 or so types of ammunition[/B](I like this idea the most, a pouch bandolier would more realistically have 4 or so pouches, not 10). Just as a suggestion, as I know you've considered cars, and probably by extension bikes, it may be a good idea to have a sort of Mechanic's Workspace or something, similar to my weapons upgrading thing. This would mean an organized view of seeing what parts are needed to complete your car/bike. And, this workspace block needs either two or four (bike is two, car is four) steel tracks or something placed in a pattern next to the workspace block. This way, the car can be built in real time, but has to start from the ground up, and can't just be put in an inventory. Just my thoughts to creating an organized system to building it.

[Scornstar]

[QUOTE=Cole2999;126447]Yeah, but I wasn't sure on what might be needed to make up for having an automatic weapon. Maybe just it being harder to get than a sniper is balanced enough.[/QUOTE] No need to balance it. Make it realistic. Balanceing is for arena PvP focused games. DayZ has that covered. If your looking for a balance with out artificially hamstringing it keep it mind if its better, it gets used more which means more repairs and ammo cost.

[Cole2999]

[QUOTE=Scornstar;127135]No need to balance it. Make it realistic. Balanceing is for arena PvP focused games. DayZ has that covered. If your looking for a balance with out artificially hamstringing it keep it mind if its better, it gets used more which means more repairs and ammo cost.[/QUOTE] A few problems with that though. AR's are well-known for their reliability; they don't break easily. The firearm would probably have one of the highest durabilities of the game. Also, balancing IS necessary. Say it's PvP. One person gets the books, gets the molds, and mass produces them for his team. If they have the resources, they could fully upgrade them and if it isn't balanced then they get sky-high damage, precision accuracy, no recoil or sway, fast reload with extended mags, the whole 9 yards. Whether or not you realize it, everything is balanced. An SMG? It burns through ammo and has a low accuracy with above-average recoil. The .44 Magnum is currently extremely OP, where while the reload time and ammo count is sh*t, and the sway and recoil are horrible, and it creates tons of noise, the firing rate is almost semi-automatic, the damage can kill (to date) anything with a headshot, no matter the durability, and it has a high durability. And on the server I play on, I own 10 magnums, roughly +1 per day from gun safes. Balancing is one of the most important, yet hardest, aspects of a game. Look at Halo 4, certain guns (haven't played in a long time, can't remember) are just way overpowered. Or how dual-wielding Needlers in Halo 2 made you invincible, whereas in Halo CE they sucked.