DayZ · published
Hey Survivors,
Welcome to Dev Blog 7 (Week 84) of the DayZ Badlands expansion.
The dev blog was written by our colleagues from our art and marketing departments with the help of members from our design, audio, and programming teams. The blog covers yet another major piece of content coming to DayZ Badlands: motorbikes.
But first, we sincerely apologize for not being able to stick to our dev blog schedule. It's the final hurrah for most of the team, while we from the marketing department were also busy with our Gamescom showcase. We are all back at it now and will try to increase the frequency of the dev blogs as we move towards the release. We plan on showing the music production behind DayZ Badlands, as well as some animals that are coming to Nasdara.
For now, though, please wishlist DayZ Badlands!
Disclaimer The information shared in our development blog reflects a work in progress. The details discussed are subject to change before release. We intend to share these progress updates to provide some insights into the development process and foster community trust. Thank you for joining us on the road to Nasdara!
Bikes were not planned at the inception of DayZ Badlands but became a natural fit for Nasdara. It’s the biggest map we have ever built, and having a third mode of transportation between cars and walking will make travel much more interesting.
Bikes will not be limited to Nasdara. You will also find them across all terrains, albeit in lower numbers. We would like to monitor and observe how you utilize bikes on each map. Speaking of which, Experimental Update 1.30 will introduce the “Many Bikes” servers, where you will be able to test them out in advance.
Motorbikes feature a two-wheeled simulation with immersive leaning characteristics unlike what’s been seen with our existing vehicle options. That said, the car networking upgrade we implemented in Update 1.28 provided essential groundwork for making motorbikes possible. The handling is designed to feel intuitive and immersive, with character leaning integrated into turns. The handlebar-turning animation plays a key role in this, and we upgraded our animation systems to achieve it. In addition, the front-mounted light should follow the direction in which you are steering.
The gears operate the same way as in other vehicles, but we have added animations that support “walking” the bike. This can be used to reposition it or, in the unfortunate scenario that your spark plug is busted, drag it into the shade. You should be able to walk the bike while the engine is off or while it is in neutral gear. We are pleased to say that if you have the unlucky experience of being ejected from the motorbike you will see the re-introduction of ragdolls. This will be reserved specifically for bike crashes. If you crash while traveling at a relatively high speed, the ragdoll animation will trigger from another character’s point of view and more importantly, all clients will see the character in the same position. From your character’s perspective, you will briefly fall unconscious.
As for why we chose these specific bikes, let’s start with the moped. As you may already know, we like to draw heavy inspiration from our home base, the Czech Republic. The Jana moped is directly inspired by the Jawa 50/05, one of the most commonly owned bikes in rural parts of the country. In the late ’60s, it was either the bike every teenager had or the one every teenager wanted. Jana mopeds will come in three fixed color variations: blue, red, and yellow.
The Czech Republic also has a long history of motorcycling and dirt bike racing, which brings us to the other bike, inspired by the Jawa 500 682 Bitrak. You can read more about it in detail below. For now, here’s a cool old performance test video we found on YouTube.
What makes the dirt bike special is that some of its parts are removable, purely for cosmetic customization. The base colors are red, yellow, green, and blue, but you can mix and match the parts however you see fit. The moped should do a maximum speed of approximately 70 km/h, while the dirt bike should reach a maximum of around 130 km/h. Be extra careful, however, when pushing the speed limit. Bikes are generally smaller in size and frame but still have powerful engines, meaning you can damage the spark plug if you are not careful. We have adjusted the balancing around this, though, so you shouldn’t need to worry if you are already a cautious player. If you are into stunts, please keep in mind that there is no air control for now. But we have placed ramps all over Nasdara, where you can do small jumps. Here's a showcase video of the suspension on the dirtbike.
Going back to maintenance, you can repair the bikes with a blowtorch. Neither bike will have a separate battery like cars do, so putting one together should be less of a hassle. As always, the tires will also be replaceable. Neither bike will have inventory space, as they are designed purely as a mode of transportation. They will carry only one character, with no passenger seats. The audio of the Enduro should also sound as authentic as its real-life counterpart. We struggled to find a working real-life model because it’s a rare racing variant which was produced in very small numbers. We started thinking about recording alternative bikes with the same engine specifications but luckily we managed to get our hands on the bike. We recorded a lot of various RPMs of the engine so it would sound the best our game allows, and made sure the typical exhaust note is spot-on. We also captured all the little sounds on the bike and made several new tire recordings. Here’s footage of our audio team recording it.
The Enduro bike in the game is based on the Jawa 500 682 Bitrak motorbike.
The model sports a 362cc two-stroke motor with a single cylinder. It boasts great torque and offroad performance, as well as complex sport suspension and large, 270mm all-t errain tires. Both the front shocks and rear swing arm have long travel and excellent all terrain properties, with the rear arm riding on springs and shock absorbers. It can handle all kinds of crazy stunts. Regarding the spark plugs, the real bike has two for redundancy, as fouling is an issue. But we simplified it and you only need one. Since it’s simple and rugged, it doesn’t require radiator fluid or a battery. The gearbox in real life can have its gears swapped for either short tracks or offroad rally style driving. Ours has longer gears and high top speed to move swiftly across the map. It also has some aftermarket gauges that aren’t found on motocross specimens. This will let players manage the bike, as well as its non-obligatory lights, while navigating at night.
Certain compromises have to be made to achieve such ridiculous speeds. The bike has no cargo capacity of any kind, no provisions for passengers, or a place to hang any bags. The utilitarian construction is made of steel pipes and a few fiberglass shells. A lot of research went into it as I didn’t know anything about the bike category. I had to trace every switch and cable line to figure out where they connect to. I learned a lot about this class of bike, like how they are stopped, started, and ridden.
I also had a lot of fun recreating the complex cast shape of the engine and the complicated linkage the rear suspension relies on. The bike frame was imported into Zbrush and merged there to sculpt all the welds. This was my first time doing hard surfaces in Zbrush.
The Jana is a vehicle inspired by the Czechoslovakian classic, the Jawa 50/05, with its distinctive bodywork, unusual proportions, and characteristic large double seat. Its design combines large, rounded body panels with exposed mechanical components and a relatively narrow frame, creating a silhouette that is instantly recognizable.
References
The process began by gathering a wide range of visual references. Particular attention was given to the vehicle's overall proportions, silhouette, external frame, and the relationship between its individual body panels. These references provided the foundation for recreating the distinctive shape of the Jana as accurately as possible.
Modeling
A Sub-D workflow was used to achieve the smooth curves and transitions characteristic of the original design. Keeping the geometry clean was also important for avoiding shading artifacts and ensuring a reliable result during the normal map making process. Unlike the hard-surface components, such as the metal panels and wheels, which were modeled in Blender, the seat was sculpted in ZBrush to achieve the desired shape and surface detail. Once the high-poly model was finalized, the focus shifted towards creating an optimized low-poly version. The objective was to significantly reduce the polygon count while preserving the smooth silhouette and defining shapes of the original vehicle.
Texturing
The texturing focused on making the Jana feel at home in the post-apocalyptic world of DayZ. Rust, dust, dirt, and grime were layered across the vehicle, with additional fuel and oil stains around the tank and engine. These details help convey a vehicle that has seen extensive use and survived years of neglect.
Wrap-up
The Jana adds a new option to DayZ's current lineup of vehicles, offering a lighter and more compact alternative to the larger cars already available to survivors. Its small size and modest engine make it a different experience on the road, while still providing a useful way to cover longer distances and get around the map.
We hope you enjoyed this dev blog. Get ready for the motorbikes because we cannot wait to see what you do with them. The elephant in the room now is the release date of Experimental Update 1.30, which we’ll let you know about as soon as possible. Stay tuned! And don't forget to wishlist DayZ Badlands. Tell your friends, enemies, and lovers to wishlist it as well. The time for dirt biking in the desert is nigh!
Stay safe and stay hydrated.
Big love,
The DayZ Team
Why Motorbikes? : Jacob, Martin, Lynn
Handling & Simulation: Jacob, Martin, Lynn
The Bikes and Their Gameplay: Jacob, Martin, Lynn, Jan
Creating the Enduro: Marcin
Creating the Jana: Philipp
Capture Support Screenshots: Lynn, Marks
Capture Support Video: Marks, Lynn, Jan & the Audio Team
Editorial Support: Tom, Lynn, Eszter, Jacob, Martin