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"Permadeath" - Long Play & Roleplay Game


Strider

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Foreword

 

I'm considering running an alternative to the servers currently out there at the minute. This stems from my disillusion at how I see 95% of most people playing PZ at the moment. As in, wrongly. Every, and I mean every person I've played MP has done so in such a way knowing that they can simply rejoin the server and collect their stuff. For me, this completely undermines the PZ experience and, for me at least, the entire point of the game.

 

The Reason For The Server / The Concept

 

In the simplest of terms, the big difference is permadeath. If you die on the server you get moved to the back list. Your character is dead and everything you've done on that server belongs to the group.

 

Reasons: 

 

 - To bring back the tension of PZ that you first experienced when you first loaded it up.

 - To make the game more difficult.

 - To stop people from taking stupid risks.

 - To better emulate 'The Walking Dead' / Night Of The Living Dead' / <Insert your zombie lore of choice here>

 

The Server

 

 - The server will be my PC. That is until such time as I find someone who could host this on a dedicated server 24/7 & (most importantly) shared my ideals and understands what it is I'm trying to achieve. It'd be better to find this person before we start rather than after as part of the idea is to create a long play.

 

Server Settings: 

PVP = False

Global Chat = False

 

http://imgur.com/a/JDA89

 

The Conditions / Rules 

 

 - PvE only. PvP will be impossible. There are many servers out there that cater for this style. This will not be one of them. The idea is to live out your life with as little incident as possible.

 - Players who die from 'natural' causes like: Hunger, thirst, zombies :P will remain dead and be moved to the server blacklist. In their place another player may be allowed to join. This is what I call 'The Walking Dead Season 4 syndrome'

 

Some Questions

 

1. Is there any easy way to backup the game world. A long play like this would require that the game world be saved. Just in case

2. Is the whitelist created in the same way, using the SQL table?

 

Final Thoughts

 

I'm really unconcerned either way if this takes off for me. At the very least it might inspire others to try this. That said, it'd need a strong admin to ensure that those that died were not allowed to rejoin. I also like the idea that others can join in their place. I feel this would create a new dynamic to the group.

 

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This works in principal but not in practicality. A 30 minute night time should be when the players rest but instead they need to work through the night.

 

Regrettably that does spoil the RP aspect of it somewhat. If you still like the idea then perhaps you and Greg could host a server between you (it's pretty easy) and give it a go.

 

It's not for me. I've all but give up on MP at this point and shall wait for NPC's.

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  • 1 month later...

A server like this sounds really impressive honestly. Players would be able to do co-op style play here so realistically and have a great time. Not have to worry about dieing to a random idiot but they can still trade/meet-up and deal with strangers and whatnot over multiplayer. 

 

If this server was made I'd be there in a flash !  8-)

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In due course, Strider. :)

I hope your interest in this resurfaces once sleeping has been introduced to Multiplayer.

 

If I were ever to play Zomboid away from my usual circle of friends, this is how I would probably like to play it.

Perhaps not at the moment, but definitely at some point. It's how I play single player - I delete my world upon death.

 

As for the black list, I would suggest considering re-entry conditions. With this being a fairly niche idea, your server will become incredibly barren and empty of other eligible players once you start cutting them off. You would essentially being playing single player or private co-op with the 1 or 2 that remain.

To allow blacklisted players that are still interested in playing (and may have died unfortunately) back into the game, it might be worth considering a re-introductory timescale. 2 days? 1 week? I guess that's up to the host or "game master".

 

Just a thought for your initial guide / list of rules. :)

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As for the black list, I would suggest considering re-entry conditions.

 

Nope. I very much doubt I will. Or at least not beyond the 20 seconds I just gave it :)

 

With this being a fairly niche idea, your server will become incredibly barren and empty of other eligible players and you would essentially being playing single player or private co-op with the 1 or 2 that remain.

 

I'd already considered that and am entirely comfortable with it. It'll make me appreciate who is still left alive all the more.

 

To allow blacklisted players that are still interested in playing (and may have died unfortunately) back into the game, it might be worth considering a re-introductory timescale.

 

I doubt very much this will be introduced.

 

I have (in the past, more than the present) read this forum quite a lot. I also follow the PZ reddit too and I've a pretty good idea of what many people like and how they prefer to play PZ. 

I'm sure many will say they want a more accurate 'Walking Dead' experience but they will jump in a server and take risks. I hope it goes something like this:

 

1. Several people join.

2. Several people get to work, find, fortify and stock a safe-house full of food and supplies.

3. Someone dies. Said someone tries to talk their way back onto the server and fails.

4. Everyone else begins to understand the permanence of their actions. 

5. People are even more cautious and appreciate the moments of tension a lot more.

 

That's what I'm looking for. That all said, it's all a little irrelevant until the sleep problem is addressed.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm probably going to wait until sleeping is implemented into MP before I try playing on a server, but this concept is what I'd be looking for.  Hope there will be these conditions once they figure out how to integrate a sleeping mechanic. 

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Just having a player die, be greeted with a custom server message ("You have died! Your account will be locked out for 30 minutes. Be more careful next time!"), and then be banned from joining the server for a half hour could work.

 

There's your consequences. You have to stop playing or thirty minutes. True, they could run and get their stuff on respawn, but in that time someone else could have grabbed it.

 

Plus, thirty minutes isn't -too- long of a time. If I got banned in that fashion, I'd facepalm, head to the bathroom, then make lunch. Or read a book. Or watch an episode of a TV show. Something like that.

 

If you -really- want to start pushing the hardcore button (i.e: Jumping up and down on it :P), you could have players who die a certain number of times be permanently blacklisted. Three strikes and you're out, that sort of thing. At least that way stupid deaths, such as being distracted by someone IRL, aren't the be-all end-all, but you really, really don't want to die regardless.

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I commend the idea of having death be somewhat of a permanent ordeal on your server, it does bring focus onto how dangerous the world you've crafted will be and how any risk may cause you to lose your place in that world. The addition of having zombies take on a much heavier role seeing as they're greater in numbers, in strength and in speed, does really embolden them as the major threat. Even still, I do still have some questions about the entire idea, questions that when left unanswered makes it quite hard for me to remain excited.

 

 

Firstly, with your sights set on a PvE experience - which, for the record, I prefer over PvP - what are your plans for creating and sustaining forts? What exactly is there to stop someone from simply wandering into a populated safe house, grabbing an armfull of canned goods and walking out with there being no ability for anyone to stop him or her beyond begging for them to stop? What's stopping people from griefing others by laying down campfires around their home or on their farms? I guess the questions really just boil down to; despite death being permanent and PvP being disabled, what's stopping people from becoming spoil sports? Will there be rules enforced?

 

 

Secondly, will your server have any form of whitelist? I'm assuming that if you're going to bother with a black list in the first place, and with you stating that "those who die will simply leave room for others to take their place" that a whitelist will not be established, but then, what will you do to solve any potential server population issues? Will it just be first come, first serve, or do you have a plan for such an event?

 

 

Thirdly, what will happen if and when there are simply no players left alive? Granted, I'm sure you're confident in yourself and in others, but shit happens - and PZ thrives on the notion that death is inevitable, the goal merely being to survive as long as possible. Even if some manage to surpass expectations, what chance do new players have when the city they spawn in is completely dried of resources? Especially if the only sources of food and water are from farms and wells which are, obviously, beyond the reach of anyone without a good amount of supplies for the trip.

 

So, what will happen to the server when and if zombies ultimately wipe out the player population? Alternatively, seeing as respawning zeds have yet to be implemented,  what will you do when the zombie threat has been completely eradicated? Will the server simply start anew, will you pardon the players whom you've grown fond of, or will you just retire the entire idea?

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