Bohemia Interactive have launched their latest update for infested sandbox survival game, DayZ. According to the ARMA developer these are landmark updates for the popular title, stating that “the scope of these is far beyond anything we’ve done before”.
Headlining DayZ update 1.12 are major changes to how combat gameplay works, alongside new weapons and revised systems such as food and horticulture.
Naturally, we’re keen to see the combat changes in action. Bohemia highlight how they’ve reworked infected NPCs to make them tougher and more versatile in melee combat. At the same time, they’ll be less aware to players’ movements, encouraging stealth tactics.
The studio have posted comprehensive changelogs for both the PC and console versions of DayZ update 1.12. In the meantime, here’s a deeper dive into some of the bigger changes and revisions.
- Infected are deadlier up close due to the increased frequency of their attacks and higher resistance against damage from melee. To counter their attacks up close, players need to use heavier weapons when trying to stun them. Their senses were tweaked in a way that makes them slower to react to nearby noises, making a stealth approach and stealth kills more viable. Infected are also more likely to leave their target alone if they lose it and they won’t attack unconscious players anymore.
- A massive balancing pass was done over existing firearms, making them more diverse while keeping rarity in the world in mind. This primarily includes a focus on non-automatic rifles being stronger and more precise than automatic ones. We also overhauled the audibility so smaller caliber weapons are harder to hear from a distance.
- The diversification of firearms also affects ammunition properties, which means we paid attention to damage to health, as well as shock differences between individual ammo types. This was also coupled with a major buff to protective gear with ballistic properties (selected helmets and vests), which now protects players a lot more from incoming damage to health and allows for more firefights to end in an unconscious state rather than instant death.
- Suppressors make firearms much more viable in the encounters and allow players to stealthily take down their targets without attracting a large number of lurking infected. Every firearm hit on an infected also offers a very high chance of having a stopping effect on them.
- Landmines went through a balance pass and are no longer lethal to healthy players. That being said, they will still cripple their victims, so watch out for them. If you manage to spot one before stepping on it, you can disarm it with the right tool.
- Speaking of combat, we’re introducing a brand new weapon to the game – the Pioneer. This special police force bolt-action rifle with a five round 5.56×45mm magazine is a strong contender amongst the arsenal that’s already available and is a welcome addition to police areas across Chernarus and Livonia. There are also two new exotic knives to be found.
Source: DayZ
