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.
Hey Survivors!
Welcome to our Dev Blog, where we take you behind the scenes of the DayZ Frostline Expansion development. Here, we share the ups and downs of our creative process with you, the community. Your continuous support has always been a lifeline for the game, and we're excited to give you a sneak peek of what DayZ Frostline has in store!
Let's talk about Clothing Insulation Variants, New Map Size* and Terrain Builder QoL enhancements!
We’ll aim to discuss further and provide clarity on a particularly hot community topic—inventory size changes—in the next dev blog.
Insulation Variants
As many of you know, DayZ's diverse maps each come with their unique climates and weather conditions. Our goal with DayZ Frostline is to make your survival experience even more immersive and challenging by reflecting these environmental differences through our clothing system.
Seasonal Clothing Changes
One of the key changes we've implemented is the introduction of seasonal variants for certain types of clothing. For instance:
Summer Hunter Gear : In the heat of Livonia, you'll find a Summer Hunter Gear set designed with low insulation to accommodate the summer heat. Perfect for when you’re navigating through its dense forests and open fields in warmer temperatures.
Winter Hunter Gear : Conversely, on our new winter map, Sakhal, survival against the biting cold is paramount. Thus, you can expect to discover Winter Hunter Gear with high insulation to help you stave off the chill. Sakhal’s unforgiving climate necessitates outfits that provide maximum warmth and protection.
Item Spawning Rates
Each map will feature a unique system for spawning these seasonal gears, adhering to a logical rule of thumb:
Cold Maps : Higher spawn rates for warm clothing. Expect to find Winter Gear with greater frequency.
Warm Maps : Higher spawn rates for lighter, low-insulation clothing, making your scavenging efforts more fruitful in suitable climates.
It's important to remember that while these changes enhance realism and tactical play, all items remain transferable between maps . So, even if you choose not to purchase the DayZ Frostline Expansion, you can still acquire these seasonal gears through player trades or cross-map transfers.
Map Size
We initially shared that Sakhal would feature an 83km² traversable terrain, excluding the expansive ice sheets. However, we're pushing the boundaries—quite literally—and it's time to reveal some major enhancements!
From 83km² to a Massive 105km²
In our early communications, Sakhal was set to be our most compact map yet, focusing on an area of approximately 83km². This decision was inspired by observing player interactions on community-favored modded maps, which showcased a preference for more intimate settings that foster player encounters and engagements.
Since then, we've introduced ice sheets to Sakhal's geography. This update significantly expands the landmass, increasing it from the initial 83km² to an impressive 105km². As a result, Sakhal now further surpasses the landmass of the community modded map Namalsk, which measures 27km² without ice sheets and 63km² with them.
Community Modded map - Creator: Adam Francu - DayZ Creative Lead
A Colossal Playable Area
With the recent introduction of boats in DayZ, your navigation and exploration capabilities now extend far beyond the confines of land. When factoring in the navigable waters, Sakhal's overall playable area surges to an impressive 236km² . This significant expansion offers you a plethora of new routes to conduct your loot runs, scavenge for essentials, and fight for survival. Despite the increase in size, we've thoughtfully designed key points of interest to maintain high player traffic, ensuring that encounters and engagements remain central to the experience.
Fine-Tuned, Immersive Terrain
Base building and placements on ice sheets will not be available at the release of DayZ Frostline but will be iterated on in updates following its launch.
The newly introduced ice sheets will appear barren and empty, providing an alternative travel route for those wishing to avoid main thoroughfares. Although these vast expanses of ice will support base building and placements in future updates, they will remain devoid of loot to keep players focused on scavenging more high-risk areas and encouraging engagements. We're particularly excited to see how the modding community will expand on this feature, adding further layers of complexity and innovation to the gameplay. (Hint hint: Build Anywhere mod)
Even as Sakhal's landmass expands, our commitment to creating an immersive environment remains unwavering. The increased size does not detract from our focus on rich storytelling and intricate details. Our primary goal continues to be delivering the deeply immersive survival experience that DayZ is renowned for.
Terrain Builder - Improvement for Modding community
With the release of DayZ 1.26 alongside the Frostline Expansion, we are excited to introduce a range of quality-of-life improvements tailored specifically for the modding community. This update brings enhanced tools and more streamlined workflows, allowing modders to create custom terrains more efficiently and effectively.
What is DayZ Terrain Builder?
DayZ Terrain Builder is a powerful tool designed for the creation of DayZ's virtual worlds. It empowers users to build extensive and immersive landscapes from scratch, offering endless possibilities for creative modders.
Key Improvements:
PNG Generator Speed Boost
- The PNG generation process for satellite images, satellite normal maps, and surface masks has been significantly optimized. Now, these tasks run approximately three times faster than before. This improvement will greatly enhance your workflow efficiency, allowing you to spend more time on creative aspects rather than waiting for processing.
Improved Road Object Handling
- Moving road objects in Bulldozer used to drastically decrease performance. This issue has been addressed, and the operation now only triggers when you stop moving the road object. This tweak ensures better performance while editing roads.
Additional Enhancements:
Library Manager Window Search Bar
- A new search bar has been added to the Library Manager window. This feature enables users to filter template libraries by typing search terms, making it easier to find specific items.
Usable Console for Useful Logs
- The console window, accessible via Window → Console, now functions properly without freezing Terrain Builder (TB). It provides valuable log information for different actions, helping users troubleshoot and optimize their workflows more effectively.
Bug Fixes:
Selective PAA Generation
- The PAA generation tool has been fixed to generate .paa files only for the tiles specified by the user, rather than recreating files for every tile in the layers folder. This targeted approach saves time and resources during the export process.
Layer Operations Refined
- Renaming object or shape layers now correctly renames the existing files instead of creating new ones. Additionally, deleting layers from the Layers Manager now properly removes the corresponding .tv4l files, cleaning up unnecessary files and reducing clutter.
Fixed Clear & Fill Operation
- The "Refill (clear & fill)" operation now works as expected, removing existing objects within a shape and generating new ones according to preset names. This functionality ensures that your terrain modifications are accurately reflected.
Thank you for joinng us for this weeks Dev Blog. To stay up to date with everything DayZ Frostline related. Please Also show your support and Wishlist DayZ Frostline here:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2968040/DayZ_Frostline/
