⚠️Disclaimer⚠️
Please be aware: Information shared in our development blog represents a work in progress, not the final product. Contents and features discussed are subject to change before release. We aim to provide insight and foster community engagement, but details may evolve as development continues. Thank you for joining us on this journey, with the understanding that what you see here is a glimpse into the process.
Survivors!
Welcome to our Dev Blog, where we give a behind-the-scenes look at the development of the DayZ Frostline Expansion. This blog is all about sharing our challenges and successes with you, the community.
Your continuous support has been essential for the game's success, and consider this a way for us to showcase our appreciation by taking you on our creative journey.
Let us look into the New Environment Hazards.
Heavy Metal Poisoning
In our ongoing effort to enhance the survival experience within DayZ Frostline, we're excited to introduce a new challenge that will test even the most seasoned survivors: Heavy Metal Poisoning. This feature aims to deepen the player's engagement with the hostile environment and introduce a new layer of complexity.
Heavy Metal Poisoning is contracted when a player consumes water or snow that has been contaminated by volcanic ash—a scenario all too possible in the snowy wasteland of Sakhal.
The disease has multiple stages, each marked by increasingly severe symptoms and penalties. We won't spoil the "fun" of finding out about the stages and symptoms. The most important part to remember is that the fallen snow on Sakhal is consumable but with harsh risks if consumed without proper filtration.
Here's a comparison of what safe consumption and unsafe consumption of snow looks like:
Here's a little taste of what might happen if the effects of Heavy Metal Poisoningtake over:
Tackling the Threat
Fortunately, not all is lost for those afflicted. It can be treated through careful management and avoidance of further contaminated intake. Specific treatments have been developed to combat this insidious threat:
- Chelating Drugs: These powerful drugs can stop the disease's growth and reverse its effects. They can also be used to purify water.
Spoiler
- Filtering Bottle: This device ensures snow can be safely consumed, providing a lifeline in the snow-clad regions of the game.
Spoiler
It's important to note that recovering from Heavy Metal Poisoning grants no immunity, emphasizing the importance of mindful decision-making.
Heat Comfort
As DayZ Frostline continues to evolve, sodoes its survival element. With the introduction of the Sakhal map, players find themselves battling an eternal winter, pushing the boundaries of survival to new heights. Understanding and mastering theupgradedheat comfort system becomes key to enduring the harsh conditions prevalent in the Frostline expansion.
A New Layer to Survival: Heat Comfort
The Heat Comfort system is a sophisticated feature designed tosimulate authenticeffects of temperature, gear, and environment on the player's body temperature. Whether you're exploring the snowy expanses of Sakhal or navigating the familiar landscapes of Chernarus or Livonia, knowing how to maintain your comfort will be crucial.
Critical Factors Affecting Heat Comfort
Several variables play a significant role in determining your character's heat comfort level. These include:
- Environmental Conditions: Air temperature, altitude, and weather phenomena like snow and rain dramatically impact your comfort.
- Player Actions and Conditions: Movement speed, wetness level, and the presence of heat sources (like fireplaces) or cold sources near the character come into play.
- Gear and Clothing: Theinsulationvalue of your clothing, their condition, and whether they're wet or dry, affects your thermal comfort.
- Food Consumption: The temperature of the food you consume will also impact your heat comfort. Hot food will damage your health, while warm food will provide a bonus to your heat comfort. Food in a normal state will be neutral, chilly and coldfood will lower your temperature, and frozen food is not consumable.We have also tweaked the UI of items in inventory menu to reflect these changes.
Spoiler
The Impact of Discomfort
Failing to manage your heat comfort leads to various penalties, affecting your water and energy consumption, health, and even your ability to handle weapons steadily.
Navigating the Changes
The heat comfort system introduces specific gameplay mechanics and strategies for players to adapt:
- Clothing Matters: Pay attention to the state of your clothes. Pristine items offer full heatinsulation, while wet or damaged gear could reduce your thermal comfort.
- Environment Navigation: Seeking shelter can mitigate the penalties of bad weather, and finding indoor spaces or covered areas can offer a reprieve from the cold.
- Utilizing Heat Sources: Proximity to heat sources like fireplaces not only provides immediate warmth but also helps to fill a heat buffer, protecting you from dropping into discomfort.
Thermal Comfort UI
The game's interface gives you direct feedback on your heat comfort level through the HUD. Colors range from blue (cold discomfort) to red (heat discomfort), with white indicating a neutral, comfortable state. Pay attention to these cues to avoid unpleasant consequences. Visual Time Indicator: The Heat Buffer UI doesn't directly alter the target heat comfortbeyond keeping it from going negative.Instead, it serves as a visual countdown, indicating the duration for which players can sustain their current level of warmth before the heat buffer depletes.
Final Thoughts
Updating the heat comfort system in DayZ was an important step to take in getting the Frostline gameplay where we want it. It was a challenging task as we also had to be mindful of the impact that these changes will have on our existing, much warmer maps.
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