A new post at the DayZ dev blog has detailed that a patch with significant additions is on it’s way to Steam “sometime this month”. A lot of what is coming will be pushed into experimental servers first in order to gather player feedback, and will eventually graduate to public servers.
In your zombie-infested future lies fireplaces that burn, heads that turn, and a fancy new pistol for you to blast holes in people with. Nick should be over the moon if his DayZ review is anything to go by.
One of the big technical elements of the forthcoming patch is a client/server messaging fix that prevents the system ‘spamming’ itself with updates, and the issue believed to be restricting servers from holding large amounts of players. With this fixed, the team believe that they may be able to break through the 100 player barrier. Expect this on experimental servers next week.
Fireplaces are ready to be pushed out now, with all flammable objects able to be burnt in hearths. There will be a variety of ways for players to build and light fires, so hopefully the system won’t feel too restrictive. Here’s hoping rubbing sticks together is a valid choice.
Throwing is also making its way to DayZ, with a physics system having being implemented to allow it. Don’t expect it too soon, but a new set of animations for throwing are slowly being worked on, and will allow you to power up a throw for longer or more powerful passes. This is achieved by using the same system as the draw on the bow and arrow, holding down the mouse for more draw.
You may have noticed when playing DayZ that there’s notable lag when looking around, which can make it frustrating, especially when quick reflexes are needed to escape bandits. The team are finalising some raw 1:1 mouse feedback on head turning, allowing a more natural feel for body movement. Weapons will still lag behind, but lighter weapons will move notably faster than slower, more cumbersome guns and tools. This is due to be in experimental next week.
Archery is being polished with new motion captured animations, and bows and crossbows are due to be released quite soon. Along with some new wildlife models and the campfire aspect, the team hope DayZ’s hunting/survival experience will be well received.
A new pistol will also be deployed: the P1 pistol. The AKM is also complete but needs a little extra work before it’s ready to be released. Some other weapons details have also been created, such as animated stripper clips for the Mosin reload animation, and some tweeked firearm cfg values. There’s also an SMG in the works, which will be revealed very soon.
A new town will come with the patch too: Karmanovka. At 3,000 objects strong, it’s a new looting spot that should provide a new tourism attraction for players.