DayZ - Standalone Thread

1. Q: The camo/ghillie skins are missing, any plans to add them back in? [Me]
A: * [FIXED] Clothing no longer spawning (now it spawns as it used too) [Patch notes for 1.7.2.4]

2. Q: What are some improvements we might see when DayZ is ported to RV4 (Arma3) engine? [Blaf]
A: DayZ will run on a branched Take On helicopters (RV3) engine. It is already being customized to DayZ specific needs. The main improvement is an engine tailored to DayZ's specific needs. An example being weapons being objects on a character and not stored simply as a string reference, this means the object can have durability, enhancements, etc...

3. Q: When are you going to add camo skins for the female character models..? [FallenSurvivor777]
A: With the standalone release. **

4. Q. possible to have running waterways ? creeks etc or is that a major rewrite of map/code etc. [Hetstaine]
A: I would not rule it out as eventually having, we have discussed it before but it is a major rewrite of both code and the map. Not for the initial release, but maybe something to be looked at in the future as it is a big part of survival (finding creeks etc...).

5. Q. What are some of the extra building mechanics..could we make a lean to shelter instead of tents to save equipment, make a raft etc.
A: Initially we have discussed having the ability to "shore up" existing buildings doorways. This will be something that may make it into the standalone, as we are preparing for this in the redevelopment of the art assets.

6. Q. Chance of getting a magazine jam or a barrel blockage ?
A: Absolutely, See #2 above it is work that has been occurring to turn weapons into objects rather than string references (allowing them to have their own attributes while on the player, that they retain when dropped).

7. Q. More wildlife ..crows at dead bodies, cats, dogs in cities ..very rare chance of a bear ?
A: Wildlife and survival elements are a priority, as are more atmospherics around dead bodies and such. Additional animals will be something to look at after the initial release, as they require creation, animation, etc...

8. Q. Actual supermarkets with a lot more items instead of the tiny corner stores ? For instance you could change to hiking boots and grab a proper outdoors jacket to combat the colder conditions at night.
A: The addition of clothing is a key design feature I would like to expand. This has significant programming implications, but I consider it one of the main design priorities.

9. Q. Chances of an overflight by a military plane..just cosmetic for atmosphere.
A: I would prefer all this kind of thing to come from players. I just need to give them the tools to achieve this.

10. Q. More carnage in the cities, the streets are too clean? [/Hetstaine]
A: Absolutely, 100%. This is a key art priority of mine. But not in the short term (content issue: standalone)

11. Q. Are you planning to add some type of armor at some point? [Chaos5061]
A: Body armor would form part of the clothing system, most likely, if it got implemented

12. Q: How long before we have more large fortifications (log walls, etc)? We've got the code precedent and models for them... [Publik]
A: I do still envisage some for of above ground fortification. But as noted, I see us having the elaborate, large scale building over months (years) using below ground development.

13. Q: Do you have any plans to turn off name tags across all server difficulties? (I believe name tags / distance markers have no place in a game which is trying to be "authentic"). [SystemiK]
A: This is the sort of thing we would deal with in standalone. Come up with a standardized method and apply it to everyone.

14. Q: Is it possible to force all servers to update to the latest DayZ release within a certain amount of time or risk being blacklisted? (having such a fractured server base due to running so many different versions is not helping anything). [SystemiK]
A: Not really.

15. Q: When will MyLittlePonies be added into the game? Or if not then what about rideable horses as a type of vehicle? [Redshift]
A: MyLittlePonies already exist in the heart of every player.... Rideable horses we have discussed, I even did some preliminary work on it. It will be more work than I initially expected but both me and Marek (CEO) are keen on this. But I doubt it would be in by the end of the year, something that requires more review.

16. Q: Any plans on adding group functionality within the game (even a simple way to designate who is in your group, and use group chat)? [Redshift]
A: Factions and clan support is something we are actively pursuing, probably with a rewrite of the current way it is done with ArmA2 grouping that is more designed around AI. the system will not be designed in a way that makes it easier to find your group, but to recognize those in your groups visually somehow (possibly creation of armbands or such, has been discussed). Still much more work to be done, and the initial implementation will require significant community input and feedback before I imagine we will have something resembling a working solution. Expect pain, mistakes, bugs, with QQ and then happiness.

17. Q: A large part of the community would like a harder game, where do 'you' see opportunities to make this game harder? And do you think this game should be made harder? [L0GIN]
A: The standalone game will get much, much easier when even some of the bugs are removed. But the standalone game is also getting much much harder, as a result of new survival elements such as a more developed medical system and diseases, etc... so i think the game will get harder/easier, and probably result as an overall experience that is harder but more intuitive. But who knows, that is my hope/guess. Reality remains to be seen. I think it should be harder, I want it to be harder. But it should be "fairer" (less sudden inexplicable bleeding... )

18. Q: The inventory and toolbelt are currently set up so a player can take the equivilent of a warehose and toolshop with them, can we expect you to trim this down, to actually allow specialization and teamwork to occur in this game?
A: The entire inventory system is being redesigned from the ground up, for a more authentic feel and set the stage for more interaction to occur between players. But this must be supported, and not forced in an unauthentic way. People generally accept requiring another player to apply a bloodbag, because giving yourself and IV is not very easy unless you are trained, a nurse, or chuck norris in which case you don't need an IV, you just snort the blood. I have been working with our programmers to discuss ways we can organically support specialization without tech trees, we have some ideas around social learning. I think the survival changes planned will add a new passive enemy to the game, a common enemy that players who organize will be better equipped to face (disease, medical issues). However, both evil and good can group.

19. Q: Do you think there is room for the community to contribute assets to the game (how ever small or big), or will you be doing everything yourself (with your team)?
A: Absolutely, 100% think this is the case. Maps, items, equipment, all of the above. In particular changes to the world itself.

20. Q: You mentioned recently that a stand alone game will be very polished and cost around €15, but do you realize a stand alone game will take a couple of years to flesh out, what will the fans do in between? and aren't you afraid the hype will die down during that time leaving you with nothing to show for your effort...
A: Standalone alpha (non-polish) release end of this year or we're screwed and I'll do insane. There will be plenty to do and talk about once we get it released.

21. Q: Any chance on a 'Learning by Doing' (hidden +1) system, that lets players improve on certain non-IRL-transferable skills?
(addition: certain IRL skills can be transferred over into the game like 'reading stars'; but there are also 'skills' that do not transfer over that easily, f/e bandaging, fixing cars, gutting; Introducing a chance on failure and having this chance reduced by giving players a +1 every X time they preform such a skill mimics the IRL learning process, aka 'learning by doing') [/L0GIN]
A: Agree, this is a complex area. I like it, but as you noted there needs to be some design there. Fixing cars I totally agree with especially with the new car construction/modification discussion we have had about design. I think we will take some steps in this area, and see what comes out of it.

22. Q: Any chance in the future the community can create skins for their characters, or develop the land to make servers unique? [nnuu]
A: Initially user made content will be unlikely for the alpha as we will make it as secure as possible. Armbands, etc... that is something we could easily have. I think over time the user content will be what makes the game fun. But we need to make the game, and make it secure, first.

23. Q: Will you add the ability to bury a rucksack or similar smale scale caching? [heretic]
A: We've discussed it, my gut says yes, but its not really a priority for initial development. It is more a variation of the placement of a tent or some object, once we get one type working properly it is very easy to do that with other types of storage locations.

24. Q: Do you plan on hiring anyone soon? Community/Engineering/Otherwise? [Black Widow]
A: Bohemia Interactive handle the hiring of personnel, some people have/are directly engaged to assist with the project. The core team is highly specialized and consisting of those who created and developed the engine over the last ten years.

25. Q: Rocket, do you ever have time to simply play the game outside of testing it? If so, what is your preferred playstyle? What is it that YOU find to be fun while playing just for the sake of enjoyment? [SystemiK]
A: When Rocket plays the game, he always play with a team, purely cooperative, and killed only 1 player since he released it and still feels guilty about it. He prefers running around helping people. [Source: Sidestrafe interview]

26. Q: Characters having auto-logging diaries (to create a depth and history to a character's life) that can be looted/read post death? [Athrins]
A: We have all discussed this on the team and it an area we really want to do, there is already some engine support for this that can be fleshed out. I am not sure how much we can do for Alpha (we have talked about creating notes, etc... that you can leave in the world or on your body) but I think it will be a real priority over time.

27. Q: Stronger, unique character identity for each 'life'?
A: I think allowing players to personalize their character more, through a combination of selecting your face, and then customizing your character based on clothing you find in the world, is what I would prefer here and within the realm of the possible. I don't want to dictate a back story for the character, you decide that. The start will always be ambiguous.

28. Q: Will it be possible for a single person to build an underground base, or is a group required?
A: My (very ambitious) plans for this, I see it as being possible but extremely time consuming for an individual.

29. Q: Will underground bases be tied to someone's character like tents, and if so, will they 'despawn' after death of said character?
A: They will be permenant structures, that can be taken over by other people, and then developed further, etc...

30. Q: A more intuitive system for holstering/lowering weapons (alternatively having it be the default mode as opposed to weapons-at-the-ready) and the ability to disarm other players? [/Athrins]
A: This is something be looked at currently, improving the animations here both while moving and standing still. Expect this to be greatly enhanced with the standalone. Some CQB moves may be available, that might help with disarming but I think they will be like punching or such, nothing military.

31. Q: Rocket, how goes the fight against the hackers? How high are combatting hacking on your list of priorities?[KField86/Zutha]
A: It is priority number 2, behind fixing major bugs. it is being dealt with by Bohemia's key programming minds, who have already implemented the initial solutions in the standalone code.

32. Q: IS the next iteration of dayz going to have anything to do with arma 3? as a free mod or paid expansion? Or is it COMPLETELY standalone with a different engine? [Guynumber7]
A: It will share a relationship similar to how VBS shares with ArmA. Less than ArmA2 <> TKOH, but a bit more than VBS to ArmA.

33. Q: Will you add any way, being non-lethal equipment or melee weapon, to knockdown another player? [RastaKoueR]
A: Melee development is confirmed, initial solution will be more focused on making it less crappy (no more reloading hatchets) and such.

34. Q: Do you feel that the presence of very high level weapons and equipment, like L85 with thermal optics, M107, nightvision, and so on, are in adequation with the authenticity of a Survival, Post-apocalyptic game?
A: Nope, they are not. but there was not many other options as ArmA2 is a military simulator. For the standalone, we are working on others but these won't be required to be finished for the standalone to be release, in other words the new weapons (more like what you would find at home) will be available as they get done, some of which may be when Alpha is released, rest of them will be next year as they get made. I think successfully raiding and finding military caches will be important, and will give you advanced items - but (i know from personal experience) maintaining this equipment is not easy. Durability, batteries, etc... will even these problems out I think.

35. Q: Would you implement a Handcuff and blinding system? (For people who roleplay a lot) [/RastaKoueR]
A: It has been very successful in popular ArmA mods such as Citylife - so I think that would be great, but not a priority and not specifically on the list at the moment.

36. Q: Any chance of a new island when you go Beta, specifically Taviana or Lingor? [Skint]
A: For the alpha (december), no. I am hoping we sell 1, 2 million copies. Then we can get really ambitious... what use are islands when you have proce... I've said to much.... Community wise, that is a different story. I think some officially support community maps would be awesome, personally.

37. Q: Can we get an odometer added to the debug window? I would love to know how much distance my character has traveled. [NFK]
A: Agreed, cool idea. but will probably have statistics as part of your character diary, not onscreen all the time (aim is to have nothing in the ingame UI).

38. Q: do you plan to add more character depth. This could add to some kind of endgame.[A Bush killed me]
A: I want to add more tools, more options, to the game - then the players can use these tools to find the depth, to world on trying to create their own worlds in this harsh forgiving environment. It's an ambitious goal but I think we have a good chance at it. So rather than character depth, I think more tools, more game depth (more survival stuff, more investigating the world/infection, more construction, more grouping tools, more vehicle repairing, more food gathering, etc...).

39. Q:: In the standalone, will the map be the same? Different? Bigger? Smaller? [CyFiN]
A: We have been revising Chernarus for DayZ for some time now. The working name has been "Chernarus Plus". More will be announced about that on the tumblr. Eventually we will create entirely new maps and/or the community will develop some.**

40. Q: when will we get the dog companion you teased us about awhile ago? [MartinCB]
A: Soon, I want to release it in a non-**** state. If it release it in a **** state, I will get a lot of crap.

41. Q: Are there plans for future additions to the map? Such as a new city, rivers, etc.? [Rickets]
A: The Chernarus map has been updated significantly, focusing on bugfixing, addition of some new areas, balancing resource items (such as water etc...), and development of interiors for buildings that don't have it. Not much more will be done for the map for the Alpha release.

42. Q: Is it possible that we can get versions of some of the simple features/solutions to common problems from other mods like ACE, such as: Grenade launcher reticle adjustments and foldable leaf sights, combat deafness, fast roping, fire, non-leathal devices, grenade throw adjustments, NVG adjustments, map tools, wire cutters, weapon resting/bipods, etc? [TheCapulet]
A: Some of these things will be developed, particulary those that have been identified as being significant problems (such as grenade throwing), so I guess the answer is "yes, for some of these".

43. Q: One of the things I got used to years ago with my experience in emergent gameplay/persistent worlds are "game masters", or trusted in-game 'moderators' (staff) who helped advance player/world story lines in ways not possible from simple player clients while always staying within the scope of the lore/narrative. Is this something you've thought about at all for DayZ? [TheCapulet]
A: I think that we will have only very limited "hard" in game lore/narrative, and the rest will be developed by the players as they play the game. We already have legends like the "black widow" and "Dr wasteland" so I think the development team should just recognize these organic story/narrative elements and then reinforce them appropriately in updates where it makes sense. But consideration to identifying specific game masters as described, that hasn't been looked at. Probably currently this could be easily achieved with a private hive.

44. Q: are there any plans to add more interiors to buildings prior to standalone? [adrianadrian]
A: Yes. This is confirmed, many have already been completed by BIS artists.

45. Q: When Day Z goes standalone, are there plans to add more random loot/heli crash/vehicle spawns? [adrianadrian]
A: The loot spawn system is being entirely replaced.

46. Q: Will you enable player to become infected with zombie virus, and to infect others? [Xiroth]
A: With the zombie virus, no, players are immune (the "zombie virus" concept in game is being developed by my brother Dr Richard Hall, a virologist).

47. Q: How far away are we from the new website design you showed us at "rezzed"? [Cutzero]
A: We have to get the standalone out and confirm how it is working, the architecture involved etc... before we can work towards that. The mod didn't have the server resources needed to pull off that level of detail (before private hives we could only barely cope with capacity).

48. Q: What do you think of adding local notification sounds and messages for player logins and logouts? [sheaf]
A: On the face of it, not a bad idea. But could get really repetitive and also prone to griefing. I think we can do better to solve these issues, more in line with what MMO's like WoW do.

49. Q: What`s your idea/plan to make people communicate more in this game? [Delta]
A: Focus on the elements of the game, with a view towards authenticity where possible (note: I did not say realism!). I believe more developed survival concepts, like diseases, and "end-game" content like vehicle and base construction, will promote more communication (for both good and evil reasons).

50. Q: With all due respect, how much of the threads in the suggestion forum board are actually read by rocket? I put quite some thought and time in trying to provide useful feedback so I'd like to know if the info was actually brought over. [Leo]
A: I block out time to review them each week. I think I read most suggestions, eventually. Some can be quite repetitive. There are some excellent ideas threads, particularly useful when they are consolidated.

51. Q: Do you plan on implementing radios in the alpha? On the subject, what a re your plans for the radio system? [Wulfsok]
A: I would say it less likely to be in the initial Alpha, but it would be a high priority for future updates. I think something like a very simplified ACRE would be a great place to start. The ACRE mod is an outstanding example of what can be achieved in the ArmA system. Probably a bit complex and resource demanding for the DayZ implementation but I think it's a great example of it.

52. Q: The ability to sprint for unlimited distances seems to completely counter the design of a giant map. Do you ever plan to put limitations on player sprint? [Zipper -82ndAB-]
A: There should be consequences to this but mobility is one aspect we probably need to compromise authenticity/realism in order to make the game actually playable at all. We could tie this in with the revised medical system (health + energy etc...) so that there is impact on those who run everywhere. Current ingame mechanics limit sprinting anyway.

53. Q: Can we get a /played hours counter that resets on death? [KgKris]
A: More statistics are planned for the diary statistics system I talk about in other questions.

54. Q: Rocket, do you plan on removing the option of third person view when you make it over to the standalone game? [Corvax]
A: I think it would be unlikely, I think having it at a server level is a good idea. Possibly we could come up with several agreed levels of difficulty that servers can run on, and then your character is limited to playing on servers of those difficulty levels. If you join another server with a different difficulty with your character you will need to make a new character, etc...

55: Q: Will there ever be rewards for surviving certain amounts of time? [Brudagon]
A: I don't think we should "manufacture" rewards. I like how zero punctuation put it... DayZ forces you to rethink how you play games as just because a ladder is hard to get to doesn't mean there will be anything on top of it. I think the immersive environment where you can do what you want, and play how you want, is the reward in itself.

56: Q: Rocket, what was your job title in the NZAF and what rank were you before you left? [Chick3enFingDing]
A: I left at the rank of "Flying Officer", although I was employed in a "Flight Lieutenant" paraline for most of my career in the RNZAF. My last job title was "Staff Officer Supply Policy", and I hated it (it was a job at Defence HQ and I was one of a handful of low ranking officers working at the HQ). My favorate role was as Flight Commander of our Emergency Response Group, at RNZAF Base Auckland. That was heaps of fun, but stressful.

57: Q: Is moving away from the client-server model on your wish list for the tentative standalone game? [AlphaStrik3]
A: Not initially, no. We don't have the resources or time to really do that currently. But I think it is something we will look at pretty quickly if we have the game design right and we don't screw this up. I.e. if the concept is commercially successful as it is.

58: Q: Do you envisage any further changes to the zombie spawn mechanic? Current immediate respawn is immersion breaking - areas are never cleared. [DannyBoy76]
A: Entirely rewriting it. So yes, it will be changed.

59: Q: In the stand-alone release do you have plans to properly close off the map? Perhaps a guarded wall/quarantine zone by an AI force (UN/US/PMC?) on the edges of the map. [lOldBoyl]
A: I think we will make the concept work with what we have, and then get really ambitious with all sorts of cool stuff, and think well outside the square, for what we could do here. Rather than just pumping out other maps. Mind you, I think the community will come up with awesome maps and we should support that (my opinion only).

60: Q: Will you be adding back a starting weapon? [Grizzly2O]
A: No put you will be able to punch.

61: Q: Are Characters liked to CD-key or profile? [waffen-79]
A: Currently CD-Key. Possibly will remain this way, or we have some kind of limit like one for each difficulty level.

62: Q: When there is a standalone version, will DayZ still be kept running on Servers for Arma 2 as a "mod"? (for the memories ^^) [S3V3N]
A: DayZ Mod will be available, but become more and more community run and developed until it is entirely community run. That is why Private Hives are so good for the project.

63: Q: Current "average life expectancy" is 49 minutes; What is your ideal life expectancy target for the mod? [CruelCoin]
A: I think around an hour is about right, which is what it is now. I just think the death should be more legitimate and less from bugs.

64: Q: Do you plan to implement any other needs besides thirst, hunger and keeping warm? [Rabbitman]
A: The medical system is being revised and redeveloped and I made extensive use of the suggestion topic on the subject made here on the forums. This will create new needs but they will be more behind the scenes, intuitive and the result will be somewhat the same as it is now. The team is giving serious thought to the (initially joke) suggestion for having characters having to go to the toilet, mainly because of how it could affect the spread of disease in game (highly populated areas would result in more disease etc...).

65: Q: Are you keeping in touch with ACE mod development team and do you plan to borrow some of ACE weaponry and features (for example changeable weapon sights and optics)? [Ravian]
A: I'm not in touch with mod developers in an official capacity I am afraid, although I know many developers personally and do talk. Because DayZ is branching from ArmA2, the method we are using for recording things such as weapons means we can be much bolder. We are moving to a truly objected oriented method of recording player weapons, whereas currently arma2 effectively stores your current weapon as a string.

66: Q: Are you going to work on optimization of the game engine to increase FPS? It seems that now you can only play comfortably in DayZ if you have the newest top hardware. [Hopss]
A: Very significant optimization is being done, much of it already in progress. An example being the zombies themselves. Their current models are high detail character models, with seperate heads from bodies. This means the model has eight "sections", each section effectively represents a pass by the GPU. Less sections = better performance. Imagine you have 30 zombies on your screen, that is 150 passes alone that must be done for zombies. We can easily optimize this down to 1 section per zombie without any loss in quality of the models (but initially, a loss in variation till we make more models). So 150 to 30 sections in a scene, for the zombies alone, is a good result. This is just a simple example of the many options available to us that are already in progress.

67: Q: Are you planing to remove the Zombie Zig Zagging or reduce speed? [TSAndrey]
A: Zombie pathfinding and behavior is being implemented engine-side, rather than as a mission script. This will allow the behavior to be appropriately implemented. So yes, it will be removed and the speed will be set to achieve the desired effect from the zombies (that they are scary, a threat, but not instant death).

68: Q: How will melee be in the standalone? Will it be directional like in Mount&Blade? [waffen-79]
A: We still don't know. I wouldn't go so far to say melee is a focus, but high end weaponry is not a focus. This means more focus is on melee than before. Wow, that really avoided directly answering, I should be a politician.

69: Q: how far away are you from adding new content to the game? eg more guns, animals, zombies? [God_his_self]
A: Content is being worked on concurrently by small art teams, using an "insource" model internally within the company. In other words, it is already happening.

70: Q: Is DayZ standalone going to be a BIS published game? [Joe Duck]
A: Yes.

71: Q: Is DayZ standalone going to be distributed online at BIS website or is DayZ going to be a spinoff with it's own full identity and maybe a separate studio?
A: I would like to run my own studio one day, but now is not the time. BIS is awesome and the natural partner for development of DayZ. Distribution is still TBC, but I would not expect a retail product anytime soon. It would be digital.

72: Q: Do you expect or even want to release DayZ on Steam/GOG/Desura/Origin/Amazon?
A: Personally, I like Steam. GabeN is one of my heroes, and Valve is an amazing company. Officially, I don't handle BIS distribution but I know they have an awesome and skilled team who do.

73: Q: Project Zomboid and Minecraft have already had huge problems selling Minecraft development type games with VISA and Paypal, as people was paying for an unfinished product. Have you worked this out yet?
A: I don't think it is as much an issue, because the engine here is finished (ArmA2). Notch seemed fine when I met him at PAX, so I don't think it's a big issue.

74: Q: Do you already have a name for DayZ standalone? Other than DayZ Standalone, that is...
A: Good point. Uh. Honestly I just don't know, we'll come up with something I guess.

75: Q: How many people is working in the standalone atm? Not testing, but coding and such.
A: We have about three senior programmers assigned to the project, plus myself, a production assistant (Matt), and then various microteams of artists (each about 4 people).

76: Q: Do you still expect servers to be fan hosted in DayZ Standalone? [/Joe Duck]
A: I think unless we did something like EVE Online, yes, we would have to do that. I would see possibly us hosting a number to kick things off.

77: Q: Why was damage reduced in the last beta patch? [xXl Mr Two lXx]
A: Look in this thread: http://forums.bistud...l=1#post2196367 [arma forums]

78: Q: Will any of the games hard core features such as realistic damage, perma death, eating, and open pvp be dumped to appeal to a more casual mass market audience like many other existing persistent world products?? [xXl Mr Two lXx]
A: Absolutely not, or I will resign and you will know about it. I'm not saying it would be a bad game like that, I'm just not interested in making that kind of game. I think it has been done well by other products, such as L4D (which I very much enjoy).

79: Q: With the new alt F4 tracking going in, have you considered asking suma/dwarden/whichever sorcerer is making new scripting commands to add in an "isSuppressed" command to help identify those who are logging out under fire better? [TheCapulet]
A: It's one of the many issues we're looking at with standalone, to see what the sensible approach is. We're asking the question "how best to solve this problem" rather than "what are our options" which is what we were doing with the mod. No answer to this as yet I am afraid other than to say it is on the list.

80: Q: When the standalone comes, will it use the arma III engine as you planned to with the mod? Also, kickstarter. [petllama]
A: It will run on its own branch of Real Virtuality **

81: Q: Will the DayZ stand alone support the use of TrackIR? [Skoaliosis]
A: Yes.

82: Q: Will there be ability for you to track and block the servers with altered serverfiles? I joined some of these servers and they had either junk instead of loot everywhere, or "top" loot from the barracks in every house. [Denix]
A: The server hosting process will be much more streamlined. We will probably define a few (2 or 3) agreed difficulty types and/or DayZ Modes. The servers will then cleary has these for filtering. This makes it much easier and removes the need for policing the servers.

83: Q: Rocket, please, can you seriously comment on the standalone release day rumours? They say it’s about to be released in September, but we all understand it’s unrealistic date. [shtirlizlive]
A: Before the end of the year the initial Alpha will be released.

84: Q: Will there be more of the random events like helicopter crash sites? [qvrock]
A: There will be more tools for the players to participate in the world, but I won't be scripting events. We do intend to have more depth, which kind of meets what you are saying.

85: Q: Are you planning to fix something to take out constant and total PvP on the servers? 14 of 15 cases players shoot each other without any reasoning. [_TONY_]
A: I think the additional depth, such as the new medical system, enhanced with disease mechanics etc..., will give a clear passive incentive for players to be more social within at least loosely formed groups. It will put more players in a position where they need help. Also more end-game content such as construction/repairing vehicles and bases will add more incentive to group. So I'm not going to "fix" it by stopping it, I'm going to give the player more to do than just PvP as it is currently.

86: Q: Amount of DayZ weapons is very short compared to Arma2 arsenal. Is it possible to add all the weapons from Arma2 but with some definitely rare spawn percent. e.g. 0.1%? [FiCS]
A: The weapons will be changed quite significantly over time with the standalone.

87: Q: Will there be any system to monitor the psychological state of your character? In reality all the murders, blood, body examinations, mass graves etc. influence personality very much. Even ingame it is influencing, I killed just one player in my whole game time and still feel guilty for it. [mel_F]
A: We will track stats, have some kind of visual humanity indicator (facial expression is the current favorite as their is already engine support for it), and also have blood on you hands if you loot a recently killed corpse. I think having a hard effect of your characters psychological state is not within scope, as it kind of can break immersion. Some people can deal with almost anything. It would also be extremely hard to balance.

88: Q: Will we ever get a heavier vehicle sometime in the future like a Hummvee, a BRDM/BTR or even a T-34? [Tygrys]
A: Yes I think so, but the new vehicle mechanic I have been designing will make this a real challenge.

89: Q: Is the Military Offroad still in game? [Nikolai]
A: Honestly, I don't know. Someone who has sniffed the config file recently would be best to tell you.

90: Q: Can you think of any, at least approximate, ETA on the final product? The stable game without current bugs, lagging and armies of cheaters? [2006]
A: Well, let me put it this way - I'm going back to New Zealand for Christmas, I have my exit medical for the NZ Army in mid December, and I need to squeeze in a training climbing trip in NZ before I leave in January, and then I'm off to Everest end of March. So things have to be done by then.

Dev Report: November 2012
The current phase:

Our development focus is 100% on core technology, the key architecture, and not on features (yet). A major stream developing assets also runs in parallel to the core development team.

Due to the success of the development so far, and the interest in the project in general - we decided we want to do things properly. This means we have been very bold with our architectural changes. We are moving to the server-client MMO architecture model. We are making weapons and items ‘entities”, meaning we can support customization and variables assigned against items. As discussed previously, this is a massive departure from the previous engine. In many ways, once this phase is completed - one could effectively say that DayZ is running on a new version of the engine. While the graphics may look the same (for now), under the hood so much is being completely rewritten.

Let me make this very clear, our foundation release (targeted for this year), is simply the beginning. We are committed to a period of development of at least 12 months beyond that. Our aim is to make this foundation strong, and use that time to improve the mechanics not through hacks, but through sound and quality development. Our initial build will test that this base architecture works.

I want to confirm the following:

Most settings will be forced server-side, such as gameplay and graphical settings (view distance, shadow distance, etc…). The exact nature of this and specific settings is very much subject to change, but this will be a significant departure from how it is currently with the mod.
Release will be on steam, using many of steams key features such as delta patching, VAC, server browsing technology. Patches to steam can be deployed by the click of a button in our build pipeline thanks to new technology developed by Steam, that is making our process extremely easy and exciting. We are very pleased that Steam is working with us so actively to make DayZ a great game and supporting us with quality features. I met many at the team at Valve at PAX, and really want to get them playing the game and getting their feedback to help in development. I’m incredibly thankful to people like Chet Faliszek (creator of L4D) who has been very supportive and helpful to me.
In using Steam for authentication, distribution, server browsing, etc… we are able to tap into their awesome resources in terms of scalability. The only hardware we then need to manage is the central database, which we already have some experience managing thanks to the DayZ mod. This means we can work towards avoiding the usual launch problems, by relying on the experience of Steam.
The controls have been completely rethought, using inspiration and design lessons from games such as Minecraft to make the player more engaged with their environment
Animations are being cleaned up to feel more responsive. This means trimming some transitions, so that you get quicker feedback from pressing the key to action (removing he “clunkiness” or “sluggishness”)
Player clothing is being implemented including: headwear, jackets, trousers, footwear, etc..
Weapons and items are now “entities”. This means they are more object oriented in structure, allowing weapon customization, degradation - the possibilities become endless. This is a major, huge, shift in engine architecture.
The Server controls character actions, a player’s client sends its requests and the server decides if this is possible. Our lead programmer in the company, Ondrej Spanel, is working on this currently. I believe this is one of the most radical changes ever implemented in the engine since Operation Flashpoint was released, and turns DayZ from an FPS into a true MMO.
A full-time map designer has also started work on ChernarusPlus now, redeveloping the world, placing new assets and buildings, fixing bugs, and creating new areas. This is in addition to the work done by Ivan and Maxell and will continue for the remainder of DayZ development.
The UI has been completely reworked, focusing on simplicity. We have studied games that we believe are leaders in this area, such as Minecraft, and are focusing on providing functionality without fancy complexity in this regard.
We have some outstanding former community members working on the project as paid members of the team. I hope to showcase their work and interview them on here for you, in the coming weeks and months. We are actively searching for more to bring them onto the team.
The future:

We are still working towards a target for an initial foundation before the end of the year. But we will slip this date if needed, we will not compromise the project for the short-term gain of meeting this date. The reasons for any slippage would be publicly discussed, and would most likely represent a failure personally on my part to plan correctly. We will be assessing the results of our major architectural changes at the end of next week, and reporting the results to everyone when we have assessed that.

Screenshots, videos, etc… will unfortunately have to wait. As they say, loose lips sink ships.