Jonah_Hobbes

Actually this is the strategy I used, but I lost my geared up toon and started again on the coast and it's not been as effective. So I'm eating humble pie at the moment. I discovered parts of the map are empty of loot and I'm not just talking about looted houses on the coast. I've hopped a couple of 1-2 player servers that I know are always around that number to test the loot. I found x1 soda can in an hour in little villages like Polana. They look unlooted but are empty apart from some clothes. Compare that Karsnoe which has every 3-4 houses dropping a can of food or drink. I've noticed that a lot of the coastal and middle map towns don't have outside toilets. Yet you go north and they are there and jam-packed with loot. I'm almost dead after eating some raw steak from a cow I killed and getting sick and then getting jumped by a z. Hopefully my next spawn will be different. On bigger populations you now have idiots trying to stop and eat you. How you can survive long enough with everything looted within a 30 minute radius of the coast? Yep I'm living off apples and berries but it's tedious as f*ck. Missing the zombie melee but I can live with the stealth. I think they are easier to avoid, but are a pain as they are silent when they attack. Wish they'd get rid of the greyed-out screen when you are sick, etc. Sure make me move slower, sure have more vomiting, but can we keep the color vision? love it, but as others have said lets make it surviving more achievable rather than down to low pop servers or pure luck.

Due to the increase in using guns now that melee weapons are more risky to use, for the first time a gun I'm using has got to badly damaged stage and I've not seen a weapons cleaning kit since the last patch. I've only ever possessed a worn. Is the gun likely to reach ruined and I'm guessing its screwed when it does? Anyone else used/using a badly damaged MP5 and how many rounds did it take to get to ruined? Also weapon cleaning kits are gone?

I'm just unlucky I guess, hell I fallen over more tents than I have cleaning kits. Not one kit in about 6 hours play. So I'm checking all farm buildings and all garden sheds too. Ok I'll keep looking.

OP:You have to use stealth now and avoid the big towns. As Jesus says carry a bit of everything ammo-wise. I dropped my MP5 as it was on the way to being ruined. I soon picked up a PM73 which I accidently dropped, (that was a tad annoying). So I found a Trumpet which can take down a Z quietly in about 5 shots at a distance. I have a sawn-off for surprises looting buildings and a CR75 as a back up. As I hate dropping things on the ground I've picked up another PM73 and dropped the Trumpet. Yeah the ammo is scarcer for the PM73 but once you pick up a couple of mags you are good to go in case you have a shoot out with another player. Z's you just run away from or pick off at distance. Sad that melee are a bit pointless but that will change.There is plenty of food and drink around they are just not spawning in the old places. This means you check everything. Vests are spawning well so you've got extra space and there's no rain at the moment so you can wear tactical jackets. There I've told you what you should have picked already if you've truly run around for hours rather than just server hopped.

Ok not new but I must have missed something. I have an old style bronze pristine compass. When I try and use it I get nothing, Have they changed how's it's used? All I can do open close and inspect;. I can't get to the old compass screen with the points of the compass on it, i don't actually need to use very often as I know the map but once or twice would be nice.

I been playing on an Aussie server for the last two hours with around 43-46 other players. I waltzed into Severograd cop shop and looted the place. Never saw a soul. Running from Novaya to Severograd I never saw another player. Surely the can't all be on the coast or sitting at airfields? I thought with the changes that you'd see the loot heaven that is the north having a few more visitors but I've not seen anyone. Aussie guys if you are playing on high pop, (for us - yeah I know 25 players is amazing), servers where are you?

Lol just met someone. I was yelling "Friendly" "Friendly" and he did nothing as he was looting a car. I let off a round and erm I swear nicked his leg by accident. It was then I knew it wasn't going to end well, He then turned around and pulled out his shotgun so I had no choice. Guys: 1) Always have your mic on. 2) Don't stand around in wide open spaces. 3) if you've been hit get the f*ck out of there and find cover. I'm really sorry mate I'd say you've spent several hours getting that stuff and I'm sorry I hit you in the leg. I got brained by a guy with a sledge hammer the other week for giving him the benefit of the doubt so I ain't doing it no more. I don't kill on sight but If you are so clueless when looting then you are a danger to me.

Yep totally agree. Also when kicked sometimes I can't always find my fav servers the vanish from my list.

Was on a random server and got a restart warning from 15mins to 10 to 5 to 1 min. I ran back to the police station I'd just looted :P

If you have any lag issues that's when meleeing a Z becomes silly. I suspect that's why most people are taking a lot of hits to kill them. I find with a sledge hammer it's taking between 5-9 hits and I'm aiming for the head and not moving.

Yeah but market forces drive game development just like in the movie industery. That's why we have a lot of crap blockbuster films. Most of the games you mentioned are pants. Nothing to do with them not being a hardcore survival sim or not. DayZ hasn't been a HC survival sim either, It's been a zombie survival horror game with pvp and survival elements. This is how it should remain. I actually think some of the survival nuts would be happy to have all the Z's removed.

Yeah but what I don't get is all this crap about it not being a Zombie/pvp game. Sure Dean wanted a pure survival game but he realized why the mod worked and didn't want to mess with the formula. People want Zombie and PVP games you just have to look at the market. Farm sims? Not so much and even Minecraft has its monsters. When I've asked people about DayZ those that have heard about go 'Oh yeah that Zombie game'. Nobody mentions it as a survival game because everyone wants to play at the Walking Dead. Would it have even got off the ground of a Standalone without Z's? I very much doubt it. I'm loving the game at the moment a very good balance and no rain!!

I've not got sick from drinking PET bottles or canteens even if they are damaged, etc.

Keep your canteen out of you toolbar. Why do you need it there? Drink indoors or only when you've checked an area - same with food. With an MP5 it takes 2-3 shots to kill Z, take your time aiming and when you kill it move immediately as there is usually one running up behind you. They lose interest pretty quickly so it's easy to lose their aggro - just keep running. Unless you are weak they won't kill you in 3-4 hits. I have no problem with them - far far better than the older zombies.

I hate it when people quote how many hours they've played and 'End game loot"? ffs.

They are going to have to tweek police stations as they contain far to much loot at the moment.

Yep it sucks. But in DayZ life is random. Look at when the server is likely to restart and don't hang around in hotspots when you are going to be kicked.

Sorry I was flippant and I'm assuming you are not trolling or a server hopper. When you want to stop playing go and find an place that looks safe from other players and Z's. A bush off the side of a road or behind a building if you are in town. You'll get to feel if a place is safe to exit the game or not. Just understand that if you exit a game in town you'll always increase the chance of getting attacked by a random Z or even another player if you log in or out in a hot spot.

Yeah try not to log in/change server in silly places. It's happened to me, you'll learn not to log in in bad places.

You had me until you went on about making a farm plot. Yeah I've washed up on a beach, I'm cold and I have a torch. There are people running around trying to kill me and eat me??? I know I'll go and plant a garden...

Yeah I've noticed the same thing. I had about six chasing me and then they lost interest . I think even if it's a broken element to the game it's better than some random Z picking you up and then chasing you for several miles, even when you broke line of sight etc.

Then they are looted. Honestly there are silly amounts of loot in police stations.

You've got to pick your battles these days. Don't be shooting Z's in the middle of a town with a pistol or shotgun unless you absolutely have to. Shotguns have always been about dealing with sh*t then running away. New Z's are strong but their aggro is weaker. If you see one, stop, crouch and wait for it to pass on don't just kill it. Loot a buildings whilst crouching if you think a Z is hanging around.

This is basically how you play DayZ at the moment.

Game is great. Z's are brilliant-super strong if you aggro them, but they've lost that stupidly huge aggro area they used to have. I'm actually using STEALTH again!!!! I have silly amounts of ammo and an MP5. Mind you I need it as I don't like going toe to toe with Z's these days. I love it though that if you shoot a Z in town you'll summon 4 more and then you are f*cked as you try to reload. Love it! I have spent hours in towns where there are no other players and that's despite being on some mid level and high population servers - get off the coast people! Piano room, school/office building are gone at the moment. Look at cars and crappy buildings. Unlooted police buildings have insane loot. Also crap buildings spawning amazing stab and press vests! My only quibble is the hydration - I've done a fair bit running in real life and I don't get that dehydrated that quickly. Also I can't get the bloody compass to work anymore!!