Pretend for a second that you’re thrown into the world of DayZ (because let’s face it, no one wants to pretend The War Z). The world around you has become a harsh, zombie filled environment and your only purpose is to survive. Supplies are scarce, and undead monsters want you…. well, undead. It’s a PvE scenario, but the potential for PvP always looms ahead.
To have the standard rules of society suddenly lifted is an interesting scenario which can easily yield surprising results. In the ideal world, everyone would unite to survive as there is certain strength in numbers. But unfortunately, people have their own motives and if back stabbing promises an upper hand, then why not, right? Sure, you can stick to the beliefs you’ve always lived by: assuming the best of others because you understand the benefits of working together… but there’s always going to be an unquestionable level of uncertainty. The ones you “trust” could turn and kill you on a whim with little to no repercussion… Then there’s the doubting of your own conscience — that questioning of morals. Or maybe you choose to proceed completely void of morals. After all, what’s theirs could be yours with a pull of a trigger… Others do it, why not you? At the end of the day, it is a total free-for-all.
So how do you approach such a game and experience? Do assume the worst and simply attempt to eliminate all possible threats, or do you work to give others the benefit of the doubt in order to team up? How do you decide who to trust and who to avoid? Do you think the behavior of yourself and others would be a reflection of what would happen in a similar, real-life scenario?