Progress report for DayZ's standalone version shows off completely "redone" world

One of the last times we heard about DayZ was about the standalone version's delay. This wasn't a bad delay, however, as it's for an entire overhaul of every aspect of the game. The overhaul certainly wasn't the intention of DayZ's creator Dean Hall, but it's a most welcome one for anyone waiting on the standalone release.

The experience will be entirely new. There is virtually nothing that has been directly ported from the mod, everything has been redone. This wasn’t our original intention (hence the December deadline) - but it has evolved this way. We’re all glad it has!

New graphics, new character models, character creation, inventory system, and more are just some of the changes for DayZ. Character models and design are a huge focus of the development team, and in fact character customization and development is going to take up much of the time until the game releases. Some of the new ethnic female character heads can be seen in the gallery below, with some very impressive details.

The multiplayer engine is being moved to a "server-client MMO model," which means more players and vastly more stability. Initial server testing begins next week (provided the game build is stable enough) with 50 players, then it moves to 150 and higher in order to find the limit. Private servers will still be available too, but private hive servers won't be supported at first.

There's still no word on when the standalone DayZ will arrive, but you can read more details on the game at the official blog. In the meantime, check out the screenshots below to see how well the overhaul is shaping up. The island is being renovated, too, since designer Ivan Buchta can help out again after his Greek prison release.