First impressions of DayZ 2017 Namalsk

entspeak

Well-Known Member
I have to say, this is really a perfect map in terms of tone for DayZ 2017. It's spooky as hell. The bleak landsape works so well with the 2017 models. The sheer number of zeds is frightening! I don't think I made it more than 50 feet in any given direction without seeing another zed walking around - awesome!

One issue is with the amount of ammo available at the moment - 15rd Stanag taped mags everywhere. When I got up to the military installation above Norinsk, I came across 3 Mosins and 2 m16s in one barracks building - not such a big deal in and of itself, but with the glut of ammo around and given the size of the map, PvP matches may win out over survival. So, after a few hours play, I'm totally geared up - King Hobo pack, M16, Mosin and M1911... and I've only played on Namalsk once before and don't know the map at all.

Another issue is an area where the survival aspect of 2017 could really shine if implemented well - especially with a map like this (what a great opportunity!)... the weather. I realize the temperature is not working yet, but I think when it does, if you really want to add a harsh survival element, get rid of heatpacks and warm clothes... force people to build fires or use the barrels in the towns. The need to keep warm, I feel should, be a real issue and not one that can be easily escaped through the use of heatpacks and warm clothes. And, if people can't make a fire, they can hang out in a building for a time to get warm. Food and water shouldn't be the only element of survival that's difficult. You want to see a level of paranoia? Be forced to build a fire and have to protect yourself from zeds and other players while trying to get warm. Be forced to hang out in a building, but not wanting to really stick around because at any moment a player could come in. Two things can come out of this, either people will team up and share a fire or there will be a fight for it... either one is part of the story of 2017. Not senseless PvP slaughter, but a fight for survival. Imagine climbing up one of those towers and seeing a fire in the distance... or worse... very close. And, if the ammo is less available, making the choice to fight could have serious ramifications for longer term survival, so people would have to make choices. So much potential for upping the heart racing ante can be found by simply removing the crutch of heatpacks and warm clothes and making people work to survive the weather.

Thankfully, bandages are easier to find than in the current release of DayZ 2017, seeing as how the insta-hitting is an issue. In chats with some DayZ devs, it seems this has likely always been the case and is really hard to fix, but the added strength of the zeds makes this glitch all the more apparent and a clear issue... having bandages around helps to compensate for that glitch - so, thank you.

The only other issue I have is something that I hope can be changed - the sound level. The added noises and drones in the background are fantastic for making one uneasy, but it's really too loud - especially on the low end. It gives me a headache. I don't think it needs to go entirely, because I think it does actually make one uneasy... but it shouldn't be painful. This happened to me playing DayZ Namalsk as well, but I'd imagine it's something that can be altered even so.

DayZ 2017 Namalsk has a lot of potential. The map is almost perfect for the harsh natured theme of 2017. I look forward to seeing how it develops.
 
@entspeak

Nice summary. I f they could match the balance like version DayZ 2017 v2.01, and implement that in the namalsk 2017, including the weather and animal spawn of regular namalsk, it would be awesome. Because when it came to balance, i think v2.01 was the best version ever. unfortunately, you can't simply copy "balance" :) Also, Namalsk is a different environment with different opportunities.

Finding the right balance in the game is probably the biggest challenge for the devs. I think it also takes the most time to test. (also, one thing might affect another) Version 2.01 might have been a lucky shot ;) Now, i must say, that for me the balance of V2.01 is not working very well on an almost empty server. Because when you are all geared up, and just have to find your occasional extra bandage, gameplay becomes boring as hell because there is no real challenge.

If they use the features and zombie behaviour of Dayz 1.7.7 as base for the upcomming 2017 versions, they have to reconsider every parameter AGAIN. The new dayz patch is much more challenging for players. Faster infection (increase anti-biotics, yes or no?, should there be more ammo?, the number of zeds, etc etc), zed tackle you, and so on.

And I agree with you that Namalsk 2017 has a lot of potential. I would love to see a version were it is superhard to survive, but not impossible ;) (good luck achieving that, devs ) The cold that makes you shiver, finding a barrel to warm yourself up. and get going again. I personally would like to see EVR's in it, but that's just me. Gives you some extra thing to worry about every now and then. (i like the evr's in regular dayz namalsk)

I also think that warm clothing is just a "cheat" against temperature. Hope they don't put those in the game, when temperature is having it's effect. But then again, warming yourself up should get you going without shivering for a longer time. It's not realistic, like in the regular namalsk, that you start shivering that quickly. IRL, if you have warmed up, and eaten well, you can get going for longer, even when it's cold. (would be another thing to balance)
 
I've loved Namalsk and DayZ 2017, and even more with Namalsk 2017. The barren environment fits 2017 more than Chernarus in my opinion. However, I do agree that there is too much ammo and not enough struggle to survive. I find that I always have enough M1911 or revolver ammo to clear out zombies without considering stealth, and I often have no choice but to leave sidearm ammo on the ground. Same with rifle ammo. So, I would suggest that there be a decrease in sidearm ammo, along with more sidearm varieties (possibly the M9) so that finding ammo for sidearms is more difficult.

One thing I noticed was that food cans can be found in industrial sites, something that vanilla Namalsk had removed. Personally, I found that this made obtaining food a trivial task, especially when all characters essentially start off with free matchboxes. Food cans should be limited to Supermarkets so that players have to depend more on killing animals for food.

Obtaining water is also a trivial task since there is no need to boil water bottles and wells are somewhat common on Namalsk. On Chernarus, I found that I often avoided using water bottles because the process of boiling them was tedious compared to picking up a can of soda. If the boiling feature was added to Namalsk along with a decrease in chances of finding bottles, it would help make finding water a more important task.

Another thing that I think could use a tweak would be vehicles. Because the 2017-themed vehicles are all rusty and beat-up, I think it only makes sense to have vehicle components degrade as the vehicle is being driven. With the abundance of industrial loot on Namalsk, I find it incredibly easy to keep my vehicles in perfect condition.

Even though I have my criticisms, I am still loving Namalsk 2017.
 
They got rid of the EVR's and bloodsuckers because they don't really fit the nature of DayZ 2017. This doesn't appear as though it's intended to be a 2017 version of DayZ Namalsk; but, rather, a Namalsk version of DayZ 2017.

The bandage availability in Namalsk 2017 is fine, there's no reason to mess with it.

I think that the more environmental/resource challenges are a factor, the more players will consider how they engage other players - which can only be a good thing.

Yes, incorporating elements of 1.7.7 will impact the current parameters in 2017.

I think there should be a decrease in all ammo, not just sidearm ammo. As for the inclusion of other sidearms... it would be cool to have a makeshift flashlight version of a pistol... I'm sure they could 2017-ify some sidearms. That would be awesome.
 
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