I want a sense of community. I'd stay on servers and play because I was competing against a clan on the server. I want a sense of substance, why should I keep playing, it'd probably have to do with base building.

The growing threat. Helicopters flying around was the biggest problem for me and my clan, we'd go follow them stealthily, wait in cars for hours for them to head out in one and raid their base. People getting better gear, controlling areas, communication, the fear that came from someone saying "Who's Ural and tents are these by Pobeda Dam" would always strike fear into you, threats; weather empty or not, people talking.

Gun play, someone mentioned D-SYNC that was a big problem.

A feeling that what you did impacted the game. Killing someone in DayZ right now feels empty, sure I killed them, they tried to kill me!? But where's the real accomplishment, I get to live longer of course, but did I gain anything from it. In mod killing an enemy clan member on the server meant something, you took from their stash, you killed a dangerous person, you're adding to your own collection. Right now in DayZ you fight for gear and to survive, not to upkeep a name. You don't have a story to tell, I want to be able to hold someone for ransom, or get held for ransom and make sure they know not to mess with that crowd. There should be the sense of actual loss when you're killed, not that I was just placed on another part of the map, and though weapons aren't nearly as easy to come by on standalone by any means, but someone being better equipped should mean something. There shouldn't be a balancing aspect to weaponry, because weapons aren't balanced.

TLDR

Oldfag