Week 5: Reflections

How do the 3D spaces used by different people online in DayZ reflect their interests & personalities? 

The 3D spaces of DayZ are divided by the type of map in which the player wants to play on. Currently there are nine alternate maps: Chernarus, Celle, Fallujah, Lingor, Namalsk, Panthera, Takistan, Utes, and Zargabad. Each has distinct features that are unique to each map.

Chernarus is the largest and oldest of all the maps containing more forests and limited high military spawn points. Celle is a small island covered with residential buildings and spawns pushing players into close quarter combat. Fallujah is a massive desert with limited residential spawns and very large and high military spawns pushing players into open combat. Lingor is a tropical island with decent spawn points pushing players into jungle and vehicle combat. Namalsk is a small frozen wasteland with high military spawns and low food spawns. This map pushes players to the temperature and food limit resulting in a bloodbath from all players. Panthera is a semi jungle/desert island with great spawn points around the entire map. On this map players engage is fights where the player with high ground has the greatest advantage. Takistan is a desert map with small packets of forested areas. This map pushes players to the major military spawns to keep the map as active as possible. Utes is a small residential island. This map strips players of the many easy residential resources pushing them towards constant contact with other players, resulting in the bloodiest map around. Zargabad is a desert map with many residential and military spawns. This map pushes players to gear up quickly and awards the best, or luckiest, player the most kills on this PvP map.

Each map has certain types of gameplay which attract a certain type of gamer to the mix. Friendly players usually steer clear of PvP and small maps to avoid the constant pressure of having to kill or die from other players. Large scale maps provide players with many opportunities to try and survive the environment and avoid other players. This also allows players access to the many vehicles and other major rewards that take time to build.

There is a map for every type of DayZ player. There is no right one or best one to play one. There is only the map on which the player has the most fun. Play them all and decide for yourself!

*Following the pictures above these pictures delve into the rest of my stay on Chernarus, enjoy!*

Week 4: Sales

What types of virtual goods are on sale and how does the economy of virtual good sales work in relationship to the broader online economy?

In DayZ virtual good can't be bought or sold, they can only be traded. All loot will spawn in certain areas of the map and have a certain chance to drop. Most players will pick up any and all gear they find. The best and rarest gear is usually carried on the player at all times making them a walking loot spawn. Only when players want to skip the time it would take to find such an item they visit message boards and other social networks to find other players who are willing to trade.

These transactions are usually carried out by two players who are being protected by trusted teammates. Players will exchange items as requested on the social network and usually leave in peace. These items can range from backpacks to military vehicles. At times there are those who decide it would be easier to kill the other player and take their gear rather than trade any item. This is a major concern when dealing with rare high grade military gear. Most players are very civil and such transactions allow gear to be spread to multiple players across multiple serves. Only when the player dies will their gear be lost unless retrieved by them or others before a server restart. This way of ensuring no gear can be bought is what really make DayZ a fun game to play. It ensures that there is no pay-to-win function that many other games have. This allows gives more dedicated and lucky players an upper hand against others. 

Week 4: Goods

What virtual goods get bought and sold in DayZ?

Virtual goods can't be bought within DayZ. All loot items must be found within the world be each survivor. With the constant stream of updates gear is now unique. Each item that spawns has a certain percentage drop chance on it. Certain items have a greater percentage drop than others. Rare weapons can only be found in certain location and each type of gear can only be found in certain areas. This is what has made DayZ the game is has become.

Players must each scavenge what little gear they can find to ensure their survival. This has led to many different outcomes. Some players find helping others will get them the gear they want. Other players find that a dead player wont fight for their gear. This is the same logic many have when looking for the few precious vehicles presented on each map. All vehicles are up for grabs which allow players greater mobility and at time firepower.

Week 3: Noob

You will not have a customized avatar (unless you pay for one). Is how you are treated as a 'newbie' different from how those are treated who have custom avatars etc?

In DayZ customizable avatars have no relation to the skill level of the player. Each player is allowed to alter the look of their avatar in terms of gender, preset head, and some accessories. In-game players can only alter what their avatar wears by finding certain packages of clothes to change into. These clothes can help the player survive within the environment to a certain degree. Camo clothing conceals the player in a green shirt and camo pants which allow the

player to hide within the environment easier than while wearing their default civilian clothes. A  ghillie suit covers the player in a grass like suit. This makes players harder to see while hidden in grass, bushes, and other areas of foliage. Warm clothing keeps the players temperature level up while venturing into cold snowy areas, which prevents infection. While playing the game a players skill is only determined by how they interact with the environment and other players. Only by understanding the movements of the player and their habits can another player understand their skill level. Some questions to determine another players skill level are as follows. Do they know how to properly loot? Do they know how to avoid zombie aggro? Do they know how to lose zombie aggro? How do they traverse the terrain? How do they fire a weapon? Are they calm and collected under pressure? Only be spending time with the player or stalking the player will you discover their skill level. This can then allow you to determine how you want to interact with the player.

Week 3: Players

List five people you met online per week. Who were they, what did they hope to get out of DayZ and how did they view you?

*My interaction with each player varies depending on the situation in which I met them and the type of server in which I was playing on*

Skullord: Skullord was a friend who I had convinced to play DayZ after showing him a few videos. Once on we began a two man hunting team. His main objective is to find a sniper and kill other players for the thrill. As a team I am his preferred spotter when on the search for other players.



Wes: I met Wes on the island of Lingor after Skullord and I had begun our bloody rampage. He was a new player trying to figure out the mechanics of the game. Once befriended he joined our team as a counter sniper and zombie hunter. His main goal is to find a decent weapon and reach the #1 leader board status for most zombies killed. We are usually good friends in-game, however, there have been a couple times where I received a bullet in the back due to a "misfire."

Chillaou: Another new player drawn towards DayZ from the many viral videos online, David, was interested in surviving on the wastelands on Chernarus. Our team met with the friendly known as David and have created a great circle of trust between us. David is a fiercely loyal friend and squad member. Since joining our squad he has become a dedicated medic and defender. His main goal is to ensure the survival of other survivors with a helping hand. We are more than great friends since sharing a tent together.

Tim: Tim was the first friendly survivor I had met on DayZ. After hearing the buzz of DayZ from the UK he decided to give the game a try. As luck would have it we bumped into each other running from zombies only to die a most gruesome death. We met up again and began to learn the map and basics of survival. His main goal was to find the best gear in the game and survive as long as he could. I was a trusted partner to Tim during our tun together.

DataCruncher: Data was a friendly player who I met through a forum post on the Reddit subgroup r/LFG. He started playing DayZ after viewing the many videos on Youtube to see if he could survive in a zombie simulator. We worked together with other Reddit members for a week before our group disbanded. He was always looking to survive and fly a helicopter rescuing other survivors. I was an experienced partner for Data and a good friend.

Throughout the many days playing DayZ the number of survivors can greatly vary. One day you can meet 3 bandits wanting to take your gear. On another day you wont see another survivor for hours. At times you may be the only survivor playing on the server. How you choose to play can greatly affect how others view you and react to you. Friendly players can group together in the hopes of building a civilization in this apocalyptic world. Others only want to survive alone and live another day. Some want to gather materials and build large camps to survive. Then there are those who only want kill others and keep the precious resources for themselves. There are many different ways to play DayZ and interact with other players. Your choice decides your fate.

Week 2: Attraction

What type of people do you imagine are mostly attracted to life within DayZ?

There are multiple types of people who will enjoy playing DayZ. With the multiple aspects of the game and alternate goals that players set for themselves there is no one true way to play. Those who will mainly be attracted to playing DayZ are FPS, zombie, and survival fanatics. Players can decide to work alone or with a group. Each player can play the game as they decide. Some may like to role play while in game, others may want to kill zombies, and some may just want to kill other players.

No two players are the same and this allows for many different stories which can be told on the wastelands of the world. Certain players may scramble to kill zombies in the hopes of reaching a high score. This will carry over to multiple servers as long as the player is not killed and grants them bragging rights above others. These statistics are also carried over on the global leader boards and added into the pool. Players can now see how long an average life is or how to change from a bandit life to medic. Players can work together in this fight to gain the most precious resources, gear, and weapons each map has to offer. This effectively turns them into walking hoarders and an effective loot pile for greedy survivors. By working together and understanding the system at work players can survive days, weeks, even months on any given map provided they are cautious.

List five types of virtual goods for sale this week - how much were they? Who would use them?

There are no virtual goods for sale within the game. Unlike other pay-to-win games out there DayZ does not allow players to buy their way into the top spots. Each player must start a fresh character and build up their character by scavenging, searching, stealing, and killing. If a player is killed at any time all of the gear on them is lost and the player must begin again. Certain high end players seek to maintain the loot they have found in their travels. Low end characters will be looking for these high end players as a source of great gear and/or a possible ally.

A survivor poses in front of a Ural found in the middle of a forest.

I provide another survivor with clothes, food, and drink.

My new "friend" and I set off together looking for gear and other players.

Week 2: Player Behavior

*Note that for this post I will be using the map Utes to compare and contrast the main interactions that are presented on DayZ*

Background information on Utes
Utes is a 5 km2 map that is heavily focused on the PvP aspect of DayZ. The map is home to two small towns, one airfield, and multiple heli crash spawns. A trip around the map can take about 15 minutes. Like Chernarus, players will begin at the coast, in the water, or on one of the small islands around the map. The map is mainly built for deathmatch style gameplay while still presenting the zombie survival elements of DayZ.

Now that you have been in DayZ for a week, what types of of behaviors do you notice about your own relationship to the world and that of others toward you?

Playing the multiple maps within the DayZ mod have been quite a great experience. Each map has its own unique features and sets which separate itself from the others. From the rural forests of Chernarus, jungles of Lingor, the desert wasteland of Fallujah and Takistan, to the cold snow ridden mountains of Namalsk. There are multiple environments to experience, understand, and develop on. Hiding in a thick forest can hold animals as a source of food, lakes for water, and areas to hide tents and vehicles to store gear or other precious items.

A "heli crash" site which holds the rarest military loot in the game.

While playing alone I found myself scavenging high military loot spawns looking for a decent weapon. After finding a weapon I would look for other players in the hopes of earning a quick kill to gain their precious food, water, and medical supplies. In any map, especially PvP heavy maps, there is a clear advantage by being within a squad of survivors. While being a large moving target the advantage of being a large destructive force is advantageous enough. The ability to help, cover, heal, and coordinate with others is a huge advantage. Making friends in a game like DayZ can drastically increase or decrease your life depending on their mood. Other players will be out to help you, avoid you, or kill you.

Meeting my first two survivors! The one center screen is in a bandit skin. 

When you do manage to find friends and build a squad there are more opportunities to be open and wild. This does not mean you should lower your guard as anyone can be watching you at any time. Work with your squad and find the best position that suits you. Maybe you want to be the designated sniper and take out targets from far distances. Or take up a medic role to carry supplies that will heal your squad mates in dire circumstances are some quick examples. There are multiple roles to pick so find the one that suits you. My experience with other players has been both positive and negative. At times I may have forged friendships that last through multiple lifetimes. Other times my friendliness has earned me a bullet in the back of my head, or theirs. In the end your experience and skill level will determine how well you do when trying to survive in the harsh environment of this post-apocalyptic world.

Finding some dead survivors. "What was their story?"

My first kill of the day. 

9 Bandit kills, 1 Murder. Notice on the right of my screen the broken bone indicator

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After a successful run of 10 bandit kills and 1 murder I was killed by a lone bandit.

Week 1: DayZ

What happens when the world is destroyed and you wash up alone along the shore of an unknown world? DayZ is a zombie survival simulator mod for the game ARMA2 developed by Bohemia Interactive Studio. This has been one of the fastest growing mods since its release earlier this year. The mod is very intense and exciting sporting over 1.5 million unique players. The game is very difficult for new players and will require many restarts for players to learn the core mechanics of the game. The mod is in the alpha stage while a standalone being developed with a release date of late 2012. Both will be constantly updated with new updates and hofixes. Each update or hotfix may contain changes that alter the game drastically. Over the course of this project I will explain the game is about, what the goal is, why it is fun, and how others can play.

What is the nature of the social life in DayZ?
DayZ begins in Chernarus, a 225 km2 post-soviet state. An unknown infection has changed most of the population into zombies. You are a survivor currently immune to the infection. You must now fight in this world for food, water, gear, weapons, and vehicles. Your main goal is to survive against the zombies and other survivors in this wasteland. The main hook for DayZ is the one character rule of the game. Once your character dies in-game you loose all your gear and must begin again. Being built within the ARMA2 engine allows a major realism factor to present itself within the game. Your character will get hungry, thirsty, loose blood, catch the infection, break your bones, gain shock, pass out, and die.

How do people converge and what is the main purpose of this form of online community?
As a simulator people can converge in multiple areas of the map even if another player does not know they were there. Players will spawn on the southern coast with a backpack, flashlight, painkillers, and one bandage. From here each player must find heir way through the terrain gathering whatever supplies they need to travel north. Most players will meet in the two major cities presented on Chernarus, Cherno and Elektro. Here a player can find food, water, weapons, tools, and more. Players will constantly walk, run, sneak, hide, or kill during their life. Each player will be checking behind them, around them, and ahead of them. They will be listening for certain specific sounds which may indicate a hostile presence. All of your movements in-game risk revealing your position to the hordes of zombies that roam the map and other players. Players can choose many different options when interacting with other players. They can decide to avoid them, become friends, help them, and more. When playing lone wolf or with a group of friends there are multiple advantages and disadvantages. From safety and security, firepower, and experience. The goal for players is whatever they choose. Some players decide to survive as long as they can without interacting with other players. Other decide to kill other players, also known as bandits. Some decide to find a vehicle and create a taxi service for supplies and weapons. There are those who become medics and help any survivor in need. Or a player can become a mercenary for hire at the right price. Friends can build a camp filled with weapons, gear, and vehicles. Or they can capture random survivors and pit them against each other in hatchet battles resembling that of gladiator arenas.

First Spawning In - "Freshspawn"

"Where do I go from here?"

Starting Inventory

Week 1: Wired.com Examples

1.) "Breathtaking. I shall call him... Mini-Me" - Dr. Evil

Friday marked the release of the Apple iPad mini. Like the iPod, iPhone, and iTouch before it the iPad mini has been "cut down to size." The new iPad mini stands at 7.87 inches tall and 5.3 inches wide. Available storage space in the margins of 16GB, 32 GB, and 64GB. Wi-Fi connection, LED backlight, and 1024-by-768 resolution with 163 pixels round out the product. The iPad mini is the slick new addition to the Apple family and should open a new stream of revenue an consumers for the company.

source: iPad mini

2.) The Social Advance

Register your location with Facebook today! Facebook is not trying to get mobile users to check their location by offering them free Wi-Fi at certain locations. The internet giant is giving businesses free Wi-Fi routers that offer free internet to those who check their location. This incentive may be enough for many mobile users to update their locations as needed. Why pay for an internet connection when you can get it for free at a small check? Facebook will be on a constant lookout for how users interact with their new program. Will this place Facebook ahead of many other social networks? Only time will tell the outcome.

source: Facebook Wi-Fi

3.) A Champion of Smartphones?

With the large selection of phones on the market today it takes research to find the one that best suits the user. The Nexus 4 could be the next phone for you! Built by LG and Google, this new Android phone may be a rising star that can stand against the iPhone. While the phone does not support an LTE it still fights hard with its array of impressive features. The Gorilla Glass 2 used for the phone helps keep those pesky scratches away. The rubber plastic band around it helps users keep a strong hold on the phone and, prevents many from dropping the phone to its demise. It has a 1280-by-768 display with an impressive 320 pixels. The phone also sports a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, Adreno 320 graphics processor, and 2GB of RAM. An interesting piece of hardware that is sure to find a place among leading smartphones. Pick one up for yourself today for around $300.