Dean "Rocket" Hall, creator of the Arma II DayZ mod has released a new devblog for the upcoming standalone version of the game. It shows some new gameplay footage from a multiplayer playtest, and gives a summary of why Alpha isn't ready for release yet.

For more information and screenshots, check out the official dayzdev thumblr.

Thanks to Seriouslyzz for this summary of the video:

• There's a lot of focus on improving the "multiplayer network bubble", basically localising server updates to improve performance and resilience against hacking.
• Updating the infection and injury system, including new wounded / limping animations.
• Working a lot on customisation; trying to finalise the M4 and mods (flashlight, sights, mag extension, silencer, etc) and then using that as a template for the rest.
• Bleeding and injury stuff, so you bleed from where you've been shot.
• Database improvements for security and player load.
• Stability is still the biggest hurdle for alpha release, and still a way to go, "nothing there to play, nothing there to enjoy."
• Doing a lot of work on the north, including lots of new forests, cities, a railway network. Something new to explore, as well as incentivising some rarely visited areas of Cherno.
• Adding more small weapon / medical depots to decentralise gameplay a bit and avoid funnelling players into Cherno / Elektro.
• Unlikely to see map updates once alpha is released because it's very jarring and requires moving players / camps around, etc.


Basically they're working on a lot of stuff, but it's the sort of thing that's better to get right now, before release, than have to mess around with people by changing and updating it post-release. Once they've got the framework done, they can start actually responding to suggestions and implementing feedback from players during an alpha.