H1Z1 maps will be huge, players will feel a sense of isolation

H1Z1 will feature a huge map when it's first opened up to users, according to SOE boss John Smedley, but soon after it will become much, much bigger.

Speaking in a follow-up to his post on Reddit, Smedley said the amp editing system will allow the development team to "quickly add massive areas" once it's clear how people are playing the game.

"On Planetside 2 we made a mistake by making multiple continents before we had a strong enough idea of what worked and what didn't," he said on Reddit. "This game is different. We're doing it smarter.

"When we open up the Early Access there will be a massive map for players to enjoy. Over time (very quickly) they'll magically just be able to keep going further than they've gone before. It's a very unique way of doing it, but we actually think this is a better way to go."

Smedley goes on to say player will feel a sense of isolation in the game, as the team is aiming for a "remote and haunting" feel to it, and being scared when another player is seen.

"Your first instinct needs to be to hide," he said. "If there are 20 players in your view it's not a very convincing Apocalypse. So, not to worry: Zombie Apocalypse isn't going to be any fun if it's like Disneyland on Spring Break and super crowded.

"So how many players per server? Who knows. As we add more land the number of people we can hold on a server goes way up. We're excited. We have a ton of zombies for you to fight too. You'll be seeing hordes... oh yes you will."

Smedley said earlier this month H1Z1 would be fully playable "soon" leading many to believe it will be playable during SOE Live, which takes place at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas August 14-17.

However, E3 2014 takes place in June, so hopefully it will be on-hand at the event.

H1Z1 will be released on PC first with early access available for $20. The full game will be free-to-play and supported by microtransactions.