S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Dust

Updated: Updated 15 May 2014 (Message Only) will update as soon as possible. Hello Everyone! My name is Dust and I am a survivor just like you in Chernarus, I'm writing this guide to help players start out and begin in a seemingly OVERBEARING game that is really simple to learn and difficult to master. This will be a COMPLETE GUIDE from first start-up to my S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Endgame Strategy. This guide will be updated as the game gets updated thus is a LIVING document meaning that until more stable patches are done this guide will never be finished or have a set longevity period until most likely the games release. If you have any questions or comments about the guide please feel free to reply and to also email me at iClearSkies@outlook.com and I will attempt to get back to you as soon as possible. Legal Information: (Sorry it has to be done someone tried to claim it as their own on a different site) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 1: Lets Begin! OK, lets assume the following things: You are "New" (or DayZMod Veteran) who just bought DayZ-SA (Stand Alone)You have just downloaded and installed the game for the first time and are at the main menu. Congratulations! you made it to the main menu and you are ready to hit play....STOP before you do ANYTHING I highly suggest you do the following things: Setup your video settings, everything from resolution to UI settings make things that are comfortable for your PC now what other people say. I highly suggest turning off ambient occlusion and the only FXAA to use is Normal-High. Reduce other options at your own leisure, another useful thing to do and I HIGHLY recommend for multi-core users is this guide located here: http://forums.dayzgame.com/index.php?/topic/31609-ultimate-fov-field-of-view-guide-for-arma-2-and-dayz-from-dayzpvpcom/Setup your Key Bindings (duh), Things to consider while binding are cross keyboard controls (IE reaching across the keyboard to hit a specific key that's a hassle) I Highly suggest you bind the Following Keys FIRST and then add more as you progress through the game:Infantry Movement - Forward, Backward, Strafe Left/Right, Crouch (NOT TOGGLE), Prone (NOT TOGGLE), Stand Up (aka Jump and hop over fences).Infantry Weapons - Raise weapon (TOGGLE ONLY), Fire weapon, Aim Down SightView Controls - Freelook (Not TOGGLE so you can look around while walking SUPER IMPORTANT), Third-person (usually the enter key)Inventory - Map Key (you don't have a map when you start see item section below)Multiplayer - Playerlist (Important), Voice Push to Talk (Important), Direct Communication (Important if you don't have a mic normally the / key)After you are done setting up your game return to the main screen (it says DayZ) and enter the character creation screen, Inside this screen pick and choose how your character will look etc. *NOTE* As a word of caution I suggest you select earth tones for clothes colors (ie Green, Brown, Black, Tan) and stay away from bright colors (ie White, Red, Orange) the brighter you are the easier it is for other players to see/locate you from a distance. Chapter 2: Lets press Play already!!! Great, now with our game setup properly we can enter the play phase of this guide, When you press play for the first time you will automatically be brought up to a server browser. When you first enter make sure to click the internet tab (default is on LAN tab) and wait for the servers to populate. After you get a decent size server list you have alot of choices typically to choose from: Player Size - Normal servers run a 40 man setup, Chernarus is a FRIGGIN HUGE MAP 20% of the time you will not see another player typically unless your in city areas (not towns) I highly recommend a low server player count when you start out to allow you to breathe and get some room to explore and figure thing's out. The higher the player count the more likely you will run into a player in the costal areas (each person represents about a 5% chance of seeing a player somewhere)Map Time - The current time of day for this server, Daylight Hours are from 0900 - 1600 and Nighttime hours are 1600 - 0900Difficulty - Regular servers allow third person viewing (standard damage?) Hardcore server do not allow third person and only allow first person. (more damage?)Ping - This is probably the most important stat in this game, DayZ has a lot to run on these servers and without going full blown nerd the further away from the server you are the more issues your likely to have with DayZ and item pickups and movement and COMBAT. Choose a server that has 50 Ping OR LESS but no more than 65 Ping.Welcome to Chernarus Now that you have chosen a server and have loaded a map lets get cozy with Chernarus: For a bigger more detailed map right click and view image in new tab. Now lets start with a legend: Purple - Anywhere in these circles are places you can spawn for your first time. The areas near the coast have a higher percentage but you CAN spawn inland too its just very uncommon.Red - These are military outposts, if you want to find gear like camo and M4a1's etc these are the places to go. HOWEVER, going to these places poses a risk and you must accept that another player (bandit) or a few zombies may kill you in no time at all before you can get there. Its a survival game and im not going to tell you how to play it but a suggestion would be to not go there without a gun.Yellow - Main cities and medium size towns these areas have surplus items and tools that will help you in your journey but be warned higher population areas (as in a city compared to a small town) have a higher zombie spawn chance make sure you find a weapon (melee) fast when entering a City.Orange - Common Sniper locations overlooking key areas, direction of cone represents possible viewing area range is otherwise 900 metresCordon's: are like regions that you can usually find a player and are zones were players know well and call their cordon their home. Some cordons are more dangerous then others due to popularity but many are considered safe. Areas not marked off by cordons are Be aware and Be Safe status and you should always keep and eye out for the random player encounter. Starters Cordon (Purple) - This cordon is were all new players start, this area contains starter level gear and is a good place to gear up before heading to the North east or South west Cordons.South West Cordon (cyan) - This cordon can be very dangerous depending on the server population. It has a high reward value due to towns and military bases being so close together and 75% of all players head this direction to find some "Epic military loot" I suggest you stay away from here if possible and head to the north east but its entirely up to you.North west Cordon (green) - This cordon is for individuals who have a decent amount of supplies and gear and want to take a hike up to the largest military base on the map. This area has high reward but is a vast flat area where snipers love to hang out and kill you. North East Cordon (orange) - this is my hangout, I love this cordon due to the fact that the towns are spread apart and there's alot of varying landscape and decent loot in each town. Most players who are in this town can be considered friendly but always be alert. The airfield in this cordon is the smallest in my opinion and does not has as much military loot as the other cordons but it is relatively safer then the others as well.Northern Cordon (white) - This area is not for the feint of heart, Water and supplies are scarce and chances of finding a player here are locked at less then 5%. Individuals that come here know advanced survival skills and want to be left alone and most unprepared players especially those without a compass will fall fast. This area is also locations for new towns and cities that will be added in later patches.So now that we have a good enough idea of what to expect and were some of the points of interest are (there are far more these are EXTREMELY general in nature) we are going to our first spawn scenario. When you first spawn you will wake up inside one of the red areas but BEWARE just because you spawned does not mean YOUR SAFE, I cannot tell you how many times I spawned in or near a group of zombies and it blows trust me. When you spawn keep a level head and try to remain unseen by both zombies and obviously NOT NEW players (ie they look like a SWAT team member). When you first spawn these are the things you must come to face: There are no rules to how you play, this applies to everyone. This is a survival game meaning that players can kill YOU to get your supplies or you can adventure with players and face the horrors as a team. Treat your character about how you would treat your life if this was you in a REAL LIFE SITUATION.Zombies have destroyed pretty much about everything and occupy majority of towns and cities (and roadways)You are NOT AN ACTION HERO, you can die with 1-2 blows to the head, you can bleed out, get sick etc. if you don't take care of yourself YOU WILL DIE.The game is designed to be in a ways fair and unfair (as much as an alpha can give) there will be bugs and some things will not make sense (like zombies running through walls)Once you spawn take note of your surroundings, things you should be looking for are towns, road signs, obvious landmarks, and ANYTHING THAT CAN EAT YOUR FACE!!! But, jokes aside. You need to really find out were you have spawned in the world cause that will make or break your strategy greatly. Once you spawn I highly suggest you open your steam in game menu and in a web browser go to www.dayzdb.com and look at the interactive map while you play. When you have a good general idea of some of the landmarks (the biggest being a dock or a shipyard) attempt to find were you are by using the docks and the shoreline (or a street sign town name) to find out where you are exactly so you can setup a plan. When you spawn you will have the following equipment and the following issues: You will have on you a T-Shirt, Jeans, Athletic Shoes, a Flashlight, and a 9-Volt battery.When you spawn you will have the "Thirsty" status condition. If you do not find a water source (see Scavenging chapter) you will die in under 30 minutes of dehydration.Once you have a general idea of where you are located and what your current situation is you now have to make a plan to travel to towns and eventually raid a military base when geared up. Chapter 3: The Hunt Begins Scavenging and you Now knowing where you are its time to begin the scavenging process, once you travel from your spawn point to a local or nearby town/city you will have multiple buildings which can contain various amounts of loot based on the residential zone of that building as well as the size of the building can alter the types of loot, not every building will have weapons but not every building will have things in it, this is for you to explore, these are the types of zones and what you might find. Light/Med/Heavy Residential - These buildings are general homes found in towns and cities, your light and med. size buildings will be 1-2 story houses while your condo apartments, block housing (large towers for residential) will be were you make your main loot at. In the residential category you can find many items but items that will mainly spawn are things such as Food, Water, Melee weapons, Ammunition, Medical supplies and much more. There is not limit on what can items can spawn but the more expensive looking the house most likely you'll find some good loot. here are some examples but there are many styles of buildings, make a good assessment using these. Small House (Low Loot) Medium House Large House (High Loot) Light/Med/Heavy Industrial - These buildings are utility structures, warehouses, sheds, oil/coal factory's, barns, shipyards etc. Industrial areas will contain more tool related items and more clothes and equipment then most of the other residential homes and you will find some of the "Cool Guy Shit" here are a few examples of what to look for when scavenging. 2 Story Barn Office Building (Tech) Parking Garage/Crane Building Public Service Buildings/vehicles - These buildings are very few in number and there are only 1-2 in each major city, The most common ones are Hospitals and Fire Stations which can supply you with great items such as firearms, medical supplies and possibly military gear also included in this category is the supermarket which can contain a large amount of food items and possibly gear. Raiding these buildings poses a slight risk due to other players seeking them as well so be wary when you search. Fire Station General Hospital Supermarket Military Forces Buildings - These buildings are the endgame goal of any DayZ survivor, these structures contain Military grade gear, weapons, supplies and equipment that will gear you up relatively fast. Other then the three main military bases (Balota , Western Airfield, North Airfield) you can expect good things to come out of these buildings and will not leave you disappointing. Tents and military camps will contain mainly weapons and weapon parts and some ammo (scavenged from magazines) and airfield buildings (hangars towers and barracks) will contain more tailored military gear and high level civilian gear. GP Medium Tent Barracks Building Hangar Military Jail House Aircraft Control Tower Deer Stands / Guard Towers - they as of now do not contain any loot but will eventually always have a low chance to hold some military or civilian gear later on.Castles (Rogg and others) - Castles are older buildings and are very scarce and secluded, you will find these more inland but they do contain high levels of loot and weapons, there will always be high grade civilian gear (ie backpacks, clothes, food, medical) near these strongholds. Castle Tower Once you explore these types of buildings you will come across many items, some varying few and far in-between to being useful and utter junk some things you should always consider is weather you will use the item within the next 30 minutes or so if your going to bring it with you. Prioritize Food, Water and Health before worrying about extra stuff like handcuffs and masks. Im not going to tell you what or where to raid (unless you see the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Guide at the End) but I highly suggest wherever your travel plans take you I would make a travel plan to sweep a few towns in the direction of Bolas Airfield. Chapter 4: Weapons and Ammunition's DayZ-SA contains a varying amount of weapons, the selection will of course not be as vast as the DayZMod (that bases off ARMA-II weapons and vehicles) but eventually it will get there with time as it develops. When you first start out your are pretty much looking for ANY melee weapon your can find, fists are ok to attack zombies (see combat chapter) but are more and less used the absolute FINAL RESORT full lists of equipment and such can be located at http://dayz.gamepedia.com/DayZ_Standalone_Wiki. Melee weapons come in these categories: Blades - weapons in these category are considered those with a sharpened edge regardless of size, blades will always be the fastest in regards to TTK (TIme to KIll) versus other weapons. Blades consist of the Axe (highest damage in category) and the Knife (lowest damage in category)Blunt- weapons in these category are smashers, Blunt weapons are Bats, hammers, wrenches, crowbars Etc.Of course everyone's real objective is to locate and find a firearm, which can in certain cases be the life or death of a player but is not necessarily a "I'm a survival god" factor. Good survivors will always prioritize the right amount of weapons and ammunition (see S.T.A.L.K.E.R. guide at the end) firearms contain multiple parts in most cases and depending on the durability (see items chapter below) can vastly increase or hinder their accuracy all weapons (minus the Mosin) will require you to have a LOADED magizene before you are allowed to use them, but you can also chamber a round if you cannot find one and shoot it one at a time.. These are the current firearms in the game: FNx45 - The FNx45 is a handgun that uses .45 caliber rounds, the FN is a great starting weapons and has a high capacity of 15 rounds and has decent fire rate and accuracy but has very low damage in the handgun category. FNX 45 Handgun .45 CAL Loose Ammo FNx45 15 Round Magazine Magnum .357 - The magnum is a beast of a handgun, It has efficient stopping power and range in trade of capacity and ammo occurrence the magnum is good for individuals who shoot less or know when to shoot and aim accurately. The magnum does not require magazines to load however a speed loader (loads the ammunition REALLY FAST) can be used to make this an advantage for loading without going into your inventory. Magnum 357 Revolver 357 Magnum Rounds Loose Mosin 9130 - The mosin 9130 is a bolt action sniper rifle, its a general purpose rifle that has a low reload speed but trades off for high damage and instant wounds. The Mosin can be outfitted with a few attachments (See attachments below) and is most commonly pared with the PSO Scope. Like the .357 the Mosin does not require magazines but does take time to load and only carries 5 rounds at a time. Use the Mosin if you like to keep a distance from your aggressors and are a decent shot its not suited for close quarters shooting. It uses the 7.62 Ammunition which comes by itself or inside a 20 round box, you can right click on the box and eject the rounds and you will get 20 rounds of 7.62. As of the January 22nd patch you are also now able to spray paint your Mosin to camouflage colors. Mosin 9130 Bolt Action RIfle Boxed 7.63x51mm The IZH Shotgun - The IZH Shotgun is by all definition a double barreled shotgun. The longer version carries a more focused spreadshot while the sawed off version is more of a spray and pray variant. As of current I have used the long barreled shotgun and its fantastic against close range players (about 50m away) its a one hit kill or a one hit unconscious. Weapons like the shotgun will vary the amount of sniper bandits hopefully. The shotguns use buckshot and slug shells (use buckshot trust me) and a speed loader is available for the shotgun which works the same as magazines and allows you to reload without opening the menu. (For speed loaders load the shotgun normally and then keep the speed loader in your inventory once you expend your normal rounds you can reload from your snap loader.) You can slso find a hacksaw and creat a sawed off shotgun which can be stored in your inventory for 5 spaces.The SKS DMR - A new weapon to DayZSA The SKS is a medium between the Mosin and the M4a1 allowing medium range combat with the versatility of having semi-automatic fire. The SKS Chamber different Ammonuition then the Mosin 9130 so you cannot share ammo. THe SKS only allows the PU Scope to be attached to it and has a Speed loader as well (Strip loader) 7.62x39mm Loose Rounds SKS Speed Loader Clip The M4A1 Carbine - The M4A1 is a multipurpose assault rifle, the M4A1 is the only current fully customize-able weapon so far and parts you add to this weapon change its base stats. the M4A1 uses 5x56 Ammunition which also comes in a box or loose. The real specialty of the M4A1 is the types of magazine that are found with the weapon, they range from 10 round magazines to the awe stopping power of 60 round magazines, choose your magazines based on your play style (See S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Guide at end) and see the attachments for a better description of what you can add. M4A1 Carbine 20 round box Unboxed 5x56 A 30-Round STANAG (standard Magizene). Chapter 5: Weapon Attachment's (General not Full guide) Attachments are a great part of the game and add a nice flavor to the weapon scene, although this chapter will not be a FULL GUIDE to attachments you can get a basic understanding of what to expect in your attachment and how to use it. A full list of attachments can be viewed here http://dayz.gamepedia.com/Attachments. There are very different types of attachments and knowing how to use them and when to use them is important, attachments can be used on certain weapons (IE FNx45, Mosin 9130, M4A1 Carbine) and some can be mixed with others and some cannot. Here are a list of different categories: Ironsights (manual sight) - All weapons have an Ironsight to start off with, they are the most basic sights and are useful for close to medium range combat. The Mosin cannot be upgraded with ironsights as well as the FNx45 and the Magnum. M4A1 Carbine Carry Handle Ironsight (standard) B.U.I.S. (Back Up Ironsight System) Aimpoints and Red-Dots - AimbpointsRed-Dots are close range systems and can be attached to the M4A1 Carbine and FNx45 Respectively. They are useful for individuals who do not like the zoom of scopes and are a general close to medium range alternative to ironsights to obtain a quick sight picture. The Mosin and the Magnum cannot use Aimpoints. FNx45 AImpoint M86 Aimpoint (more open view) Hard Scopes (Magnification Scopes) - Are scopes that in some sense magnify the area you are looking at and can help you acquire medium to even far range targets. Hard Scopes are typically used for the Mosin 9130, SKS and the M4A1 Carbine but the Mosin and SKS are the true weapons that shines here: M4A1 Acog x4 Scope AK Series x4 Scope (tri-sight) Mosin 9130 Long Range Scope Bayonets - Bayonets are blades that are put on the front of your weapon for the Mosin 9130 and the M4A1 Carbine. There are only two bayonets and they currently serve no purpose other then cosmetic, in future releases they will eventually do something. The M9A1 Bayonet currently takes the spot of the 5x56 Supressor and cannot be used along side it. (Mosin 9130 Bayonet image coming soon)Suppressor's - There are two types of suppressors currently in the game, the M4A1 and FNx45 Suppressor and is currently "Not very suppressible" (Alpha will be added later on i hope) The Suppressor in theory is supposed to reduce the sound of the gunshot (to a quiet talking) and hide the muzzle flash. In DayZMod this was useful to keep your presence in large towns unnoticed and not attract bandits.Atlas Bipod - The Atlas Bipod is used tor long range and stability assistance when prone while shooting. It can bee attached to the Mosin 9130 and M4A1 Carbine Respectively but must be right clicked and "Deployed" before it can be used. Typically you must law down and deploy it before shooting to get the added effect.M4A1 Attachments - The M4A1 is the most customize-able weapon in the alpha so far, there are 3 different types of Hanguards, Buttstocks, and Scopes and flashlight (requires RIS Monorail Handguard) that work with the weapon.Compensator's - There is only one compensator at the moment and it belongs to the Mosin 9130 It reduces the jump of the gun allowing more rapid and accurate shots.Chapter 5: Items A General Guide There are many items in DayZ-SA almost too many to write about, so this chapter will be Textual based only and be very general with some lists so you can see what you need to have or look for. Many of these items can be found in Residential or Industrial areas (Cities and Towns) and some items like Maps are VERY RARE. Food - Food comes in many forms but is a must have for the game to live, when you start out you will not be hungry but after 15 minutes (half of the Thirsty death meter 30 min) you will begin to get hungry. Most food items such as canned food's require the Can Opener Item to open the can, the only one that does not is the Canned Tuna the foods that are available are somewhat clean and always are edible but make sure you know what your eating before you put it inside your mouth. Rotten foods can give the the sick modifier and spoiled open cans of food can make you even more sick. When you eat food you should eat roughly about 3-4 items (if cant of beans/fish) before you consume water so you know you have enough energy to carry on. Hunting is another form of food in DayZ and is currently not implemented in DayZ-SA but will be eventually. Water - Water is a very important mechanic when you start out because you will be thirsty at the begining. If you do not drink water for 30 minnutes when you have the thirsty ailment YOU WILL PASS OUT AND EVENTUALLY DIE, you want to drink and consume water AFTER FOOD until you get the message "My stomach feels really full" and then you will know if your fed and watered properly. There are 3 main sources of water: Streams - Streams are sources of water found inland or in marshlands, they are ok to drink but its best to have WATER PURIFICATION TABLETS or a gas powered stove and cooking pot to purify it so you don't get SICK.Wells/Water Pumps - are located in towns and cities in certain areas and are a clean source of water, you do not need to purify it when drinking from here.Items - Such as water bottles and canteens are great sources of water, for an endgame strategy canteens are a better bet but can be refilled from one of the two above location by placing the container in your hand and selecting fill bottle.Books - Some books are mainly cosmetic placeholders and are there for an roleplay element. Others have actual tips on how the game and its mechanic works just make sure to inspect the items. Bindings - If you are a robber or bandit (Or S.T.A.L.K.E.R.) these may be useful to you, when you encounter a player you may have to threaten someone on the ground and hold them temporarily while you figure out what to do with them. Binding them will prevent them from placing anything in their hands and attacking you until released or until the user breaks free. Durability of your bindings also affects how easy they can break out of them. (Prestine handcuffs are hard to break from while Badly Damaged Cuffs will be easier). Maps - Maps of Chenarus are VERY RARE and Important but the mechanic is not explained thoroughly and I recently figured it out using the power of mathematics. Maps are useful because they tell you exactly where you are (by means of a orange circle) and can tell you when you pass by a loot able building (in cities this does not work) maps can also allow you to place custom map markers and they are share-able to some degree between channels (not sure how this works) but is good when you find water or something you might come back to later. Full map of Chenarus - is made when combining a North and South Map , Or an East and West MapWest Map of Chenarus - is made when combining a Northwest and Southwest map.East Map of Chenarus - is made when combining a Northeast and Southeast map.North map of chenarus - is made when combining a Northwest and Northeast map.South map of Chenarus - is made when combining a Southwest and Southeast map.Communication Devices - There are communication devices that are in play the item is called a Transmitter and is most commonly found in the fire stations. To use the transmitter you must attach a better to it and select a frequency using the right click menu then change direct communication to the radio channel (,) and (.) keys by default if you don't have anyone or a common server frequency using the radio it gets kinda boring but it does help with large groups. Containers - There are a few containers located in the game, Containers can be specified to hold certain items such as medical, ammunition, and whatever you deem fit, here are a few types of containers. **Note If you place an item in your hotbar (toolbar) and place an item in the container and then place it in your backpack you can STILL ACCESS YOUR ITEM! This is extremely useful for bandages, Epinephrine Pens, Defibrillators, and Handcuffs. Store your items and toolbar them to increase your space in your backpack!!* Most of the cases are 2x8 or 2x10 but in your inventory only take up a 2x2 square, these items are sought after and are very useful. Medical Kit - a bagged item that contains a small amount of medical supplies, If you locate a newly spawned kit it will contain x3 bandages, x1 syringe, x1 blood bag kit, x1 IV starter kit. I highly suggest you remake this bag to contain x1 Bandages, x1 Injection Vial (for chemical poisoning), x1 Auto-Morphine Injector (broken Bones), and x1 Complete Saline IV kit (IV starter kit + saline bag). Medical kits are found in hospitals and residential areas. 300 Round Ammunition Box - This box doesn't contain 300 rounds (sorry!) it starts as an empty box that you can place rounds and boxed ammunition (7.62/5.56 boxes) inside to reduce the carry in your backpack. This item is a must have for any decent survivor. For optimal usage Carry 8 spaces of your primary weapon (see S.T.A.L.K.E.R. guide photos at end) and 2 spaces of secondary weapon loose rounds. Boxes are found in military areas or military outposts.Small Protector Case (Pelican Case) - This case dosent contain any loot or special items. However its a 8 space case that can fit any item placed into it reducing your inventory clutter even more. I highly suggest keeping things like your Handcuffs/Key, Compass, Map of Chernarus, in here with hot bar links to them. Protector cases are found in fire stations and heavy industrial areas.Spray Paint - Spray paint is a newer and fixed item currently in the SA It allows the user to paint the M4A1 Green or black and allows the user to paint the Mosin 9130 Green/Black or Forrest BDU to combine colors on the MOsin pain the mosin a base color then attempt to pain the Mosin with another color and "Add Spraypaint color" to add both Green and black colors for BDU, The only items you can currently spray are: M4 Buttstock (Magpul)M4 Grip (Magpul)CMAG MagizinesThe Mosin 9130 (Green, Black, Mixed BDU)The M4A1 (Green, Black)Ballistic Helmet's (Not Tested)Chapter 6: Medic!!!!!!! Getting injured in DayZ-SA is a common occurrence you will always be under some form of attack by the games status checks and balances. here are a few of the statuses and how to fix them. Thirst - Thirst is obviously meaning that you need to drink water. the only way to cure thirst is by drinking alot of water from your bottles and canteens or from a stream of fountain. Typically when you consume from a fountain you eat all or half of your food then spam the fountain to drink until you get the message "my Stomach is Full" this is a proper way to be healthy. When water is below 3/4, the Survivor will see one of the following messages: "I feel tired", "I feel run-down", "I feel worn-out", "I feel like taking a nap", "My mouth feels dry", "I feel thirsty", "I'm thirsty", "I need a drink", "I feel like having a drink", "I want to drink something". When water falls below 1/2, the Survivor begins to dehydrate, he will see one of the following messages: "My mouth feels dry", "My head pounds", "My head throbs", "My head hurts", "I feel dizzy", "I feel light-headed", "I feel faint", "I feel unsteady", "I feel exhausted", "I feel extremely tired", "I feel thirsty", "I'm thirsty", "I need a drink", "I feel like having a drink", "I want to drink something"When water falls to 0, the Survivor will see the message "I'm dying of dehydration" and loses 5 health/s and 1% blood/s.Hunger - Hunger is related to energy and is tied with Thirst as well. When energy is below 3/4, the Survivor will see one of the following messages: "I feel tired", "I feel run-down", "I feel worn-out", "I feel like taking a nap", "My stomach grumbles", "I'm feeling hungry", "I want to eat something", "I feel hungry". Some of these messages are the same ones seen when the player is Thirsty.When energy is below 1/2, the Survivor begins to starve, and he will see one of the following messages: "I'm extremely hungry", "My stomach grumbled violently", "I'm starving","I feel exhausted", "I feel extremely tired", "My head pounds", "My head throbs", "My head hurts", "I feel dizzy", "I feel light-headed", "I feel faint", "I feel unsteady", "My stomach grumbles", "I'm feeling hungry", "I want to eat something", "I feel hungry"When energy falls below 0, the Survivor will see the message "I'm dying of starvation" and begins to lose 1 health/s and 0.5% blood/sSick - comes in two forms it comes in food poisoning and chemical poisoning you get food poisoning by eating rotten or bad foods while chemical poisoning you get from bad blood transfusions and drinking alcoholic tenure. The Survivor will see the message "I think I'm going to vomit..." after consuming excessive amounts of food. The status "sick" will also appear next to the survivor's model in the inventory screen. Another symptom is the message "I have a funny taste in my mouth..." after eating rotten food. The status "sick" will in this case also appear next to the survivor's model in the inventory screen. Drinking disinfectant can also cause chemical poisoning.Food Sickness Cure: (Minor issue) Drink water and eat food (preferably eat 40% of rice or 80% of cereal then full stomach with water) to obtain healing/healthy status or close to it.Do not Sprint (ie x2 W key movement) keep at a jog or my preference WALK.Every 15 minutes take a Vitamin pill and a charcoal tab (if you are not sick anymore dont take a charcoal tab it will make you sick again.)Chemical Sickness Cure: (medium issue that can cause death if not treated) Drink water and eat food (preferably eat 40% of rice or 80% of cereal then full stomach with water) to obtain healing/healthy status or close to it.Do not Sprint (ie x2 W key movement) keep at a jog or my preference WALK.Every 15 minutes consume a portion of an Injection Vial**BOnus* Saline bags will further your Purge of chemical sicknessInfection Sickness Cure: (Urgent issue that can definitely cause you death) [Received by zombie attacks, gunshots, broken bones] Cure initial issues (bleeding, shock, broken bones etc)Find Alcoholic Tenure and apply to your wounds every 10 minutes until bottle is emptyFine Tenzolorite Antibiotics and Consume every 15 minutes until package is empty**IMPORTANT** Drink water and eat food (preferably eat 40% of rice or 80% of cereal then full stomach with water) to obtain healing/healthy status or close to it. DO NOT OVER EAT OR YOU WILL HAVE TO START ALL OVER.Blood Borne Sickness: [Received by injecting in-compatible bood types into people] There is no cure for this, you will die pay attention to blood types.Bleeding - is a status when you are attacked by zombies while not wearing armor or from gunshot wounds or falls when bleeding Blood will spurt out of the player, which can be seen by other survivors and the player themselves in third person. The screen color will slowly fade to gray as the amount of blood decreases the more black and white you see the more in trouble you are. BLEEDING IS A STOP EVERYTHING YOUR DOING STATUS IF GOES UNTREATED CAN DIE. This condition is cured with a Bandage or with rags (right click and tear a Tshirt related item). A bandage can be used on yourself or on other players using the action menu. It is recommended that you have at least two bandages in your inventory at all times.Bleeding will sometimes stop on its own, without the need for a bandage. If you continue to bleed, it will not stop until you reach 1/4 blood or apply a bandage. Gain "healthy/healing" status by eating and drinking enough food to regain your blood levels.Shock - Survivors only get shock from high damage hits (IE a gun wound or a significant fall or extreme zombie damage) The only cure is time, and whatever you do DO NOT LOG OUT OR EXIT THE GAME YOU WILL BE UNCONSCIOUS OR DEAD ON YOUR RESPAWNPain - aka the most annoying status in the game, you will groan and moan like your having a good back rub for hours, take pain meds or log out and log back in. Broken Bones - How to see if you have Broken Bones, The player will lie prone, he will be able to stand, crouch and even vault, but will fall if attempting to move. if you have broken bones the only thing you can do is find a morphine auto injector or find sticks to make a splint. Unconscious - A black screen with the words "You are unconscious," and the inability to see, hear, or move. this means that you either were just shot, lost too much blood, you logged out with the shock condition etc. If you are unconscious you are near death or dying.The only thing that can save you is another player that must have the following for a successful revive: Bandages + Epi-Pen (Or Defibrillator with Battery) If you do not have another play or friend you are quite simply boned and have to wait until you wake up or die.Chapter 7: Durability of your items Durability is a relatively new function in DayZ and as of current items are now fixed with durability and will damage and express wear and tear normally. If you find an item with a higher durability then yours (Ie Clothes, Bags, Canteens, Weapons, Storage boxes (Ammo cans and Pelican Boxes), Tactical vests, Helmets etc I suggest switching it out because your durability level matches how well you can take a hit from zombies and players. A fully Pristine Survivor with military gear can take a bullet and hit like a champ (might bleed) while a fully Badly Damaged Survivor with military gear will Bleed, take health loss, shock etc from 1 shot or hit. Pristine - This means that the item is "Out-Of-The-Box" new, Clothes and equipment will be bright and colorful and have no holes/tears, weapon attachments will not be cracked or broken (for example a ruined Acog scope will have the glass shattered) and backpacks will look better, also will absorb 80% of damage if on armor.Worn - This means that the item is "Been around", Clothes and equipment will be soiled slightly and be off color a bit and have some holes/tears, weapon attachments will not be cracked or broken and backpacks will look ok, also will absorb 60% of damage if on armor.Damaged - This means that the item is "Seen better days", Clothes and equipment will be more soiled and be faded in color and have holes/tears, weapon attachments will be cracked or broken and backpacks will look faded with holes, also will absorb 40% of damage if on armor.Badly Damaged - This means that the item "needs to be replaced with something better in quality", Clothes and equipment will be soiled heavily and be extremely off color and have many holes/tears, weapon attachments will be very cracked or broken and backpacks will look off color with holes, also will absorb 20% of damage if on armor.Ruined - These items basically do NOTHING for you (if armor) other items such as attachments will be broken or effect your aiming, All items in this category are USELESS to the player and CANNOT BE USED.Repairing your items: The only way to repear your items currently is a weapons cleaning kit and the planned sewing kit. The weapons cleaning kit will restore a Badly damaged weapon to Worn depending on the durability of the kit (IE a badly damaged kit will only restore a Badly damaged weapon) Once a weapon loses Pristine status it cannot be regained. Chapter 8: Combat (Thunder-Cats HO!!!!!!!) All jokes aside combat is a serious deal when you first start out. Zombies are a big threat because they can indefinitely chase you down and eat you regardless of the distance. Players are also more damaging and a majority of things want to hurt you. But lets start out with...a RANDOM ENCOUNTER! So joe Snuffy the survivor just spawned and walked to the nearest town. right when he enters the town a zombie spots him and immediately runs towards him, Joe has no weapons or anything other then a flashlight, so out of desperation Joe raises his fists (Using toggle weapon with nothing brings up fists) and punches the zombie straight in the face knocking it down..HURRAY Joe exclaims but then the zombie gets back up and joe is in the same predicament..what can joe do? Joe has many options as he starts out fighting a zombie, when fist fighting a zombie you want to aim for the face to stun and knock down the zombie, what joe didn't do was run away from the zombie after knocking it down and breaking the line of sight with the zombie. Breaking Line of sight and knockdowns are very hard at first but you will eventually get them. Whatever you do, DO NOT FIST FIGHT A ZOMBIE YOU WILL DIE. Depending on your weapon (see weapons above) you can take a zombie out in about 5 hits or 1 hit with a gun or powerful melee weapon. Be careful when you engage in fights because fighting zombies makes noise and noise attracts other zombies within a 100 meter radius, so now your crowbar fight just turned into the mob squad of zombies zerg rushing you to death. If you happen to kill a zombie there are no rewards as of current just the fact that the world is a little bit safer in your little corner of Chenarus. Fighting a player is a whole other story, because a player is just like you wanting to survive and scavenge. The player may be underexposed or more equipped then you are and pull out that FNx45 hes been carrying in his waistline and bow you away. In all sense of the terms players are typically scared of each other because this incident just might happen and they don't want to die as much as you do, however sometimes if you declare yourself a friendly over and over and listen to the other player they might not be hostile but then again YOU NEVER KNOW (that dosent mean just blow them away KoS [Kill on Sight] is highly discouraged among the community) if anything take this following quote from the great safety officer of Black Mesa told me and ill never forget it. "Stay safe, Stay Smart, Your life and the lives of others will depend on it." -Black Mesa Chapter 9: Other Survivors and you (General Rule of Thumb) As we approach the last chapter of this guide I want to touch base on an important topic that most new players have a hard time understanding, In DayZ there are no right or wrong decisions, just Choices. You are your own person and this is YOUR survival story how will you be remembered? Will you be the cut-throat bandit willing to pave his way to the top of the food chain in other survivors blood? Are you the Hero who seeks out these bandits and protects other players from this type of injustice? Are you the medic who offers medical aid to those who are in desperate need while traveling in Chenarus? Or are you the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. , Who chooses the best decisions based on his current situation? The choice is ultimately YOURS and YOURS alone. Your actions can have inverse effects and may come back to haunt you (like when my friend in steam was killed I tracked him down in the town next door and murdered him cold blood) When you meet another player a sense of fear should be about you, some thoughts should be weather if he/she is good natured or dangerous to you. When deciding to make first contact take into account the following steps: Is the player more equipped/armed then you? - Most endgame equipped players (S.T.A.L.K.E.R.'s) will not take threat to a newer survivor but try to make contact with a player to determine their intentions. Always go into a first contact with a low threat level and always declare "Friendly! Friendly! Friendly! entering your area!" this will reduce the chance of the other player to randomly blow you away out of surprise or self defense.Does the player have something you might trade him for? - "Thats a nice magnum do you have ammo for it?" Most players have different loot and don't have things that they need to better themselves. Some require another person for medical assistance, some require ammunition, some require food or sometimes just water. always go into a conversation with good intentions.Large groups - Large groups 3+ players are most likely good natured and wont do anything horrible due to their size, they are relatively secure about themselves and wont harm you unless you pose a threat to them.Don't give too much or take too little - there are other people in the world too, if you have 7 M4A1 Magazines and 500+ rounds to boot don't be selfish and take more, only carry what you need and move on. Once your fully geared (see S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Guide in the next chapter) the only thing you should be seeking for is food now and then and some ammunition to replace spent ammo on zombie hunting.If all else fails - Don't make contact, sometimes its better to be safer then sorry and die and start over. Chapter 10: The Final Chapter and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Guide by Dust Congratulations, you have made it to chapter 10 the final chapter in this guide and my closing thoughts and have read the above chapters to get you to this point to be ready as a survivor in Chernarus. But now the real question to ask yourself is if you are prepared to be a S.T.A.L.K.E.R.? Stalkers do not make good or bad choices, they make choices based on their current situation and will handle it like a reasonable human being. Most stalkers are endgame equipped and their inventory looks like the following (however as of January 22nd I now choose more civilian clothes due to being shot at ect because I have military gear, I now wear civilian ish clothes that blend in with environment): A Kit considered to be "Fully Geared" (player preference dependent) But what does this all mean? What this means is that before I go far into the north or anywhere in Chenarus I make sure I have the following and have done the following: Make sure I am equipped - All of my armor and weapons are pristine meaning I will always have max absorption damage and have the best accuracy.Make sure that I Am supplied - I Travel far north and sometimes away from a military base (this is only dangerous if you use a M4A1 like me, Ammo will be non-existent in towns and you can only resupply from other people) I make sure I have at least two bandages (100%) A Saline IV bag, Auto Morphine Injector, and a Syringe Filled with Antibiotic in my Medical Bag. I also have enough ammunition to keep myself entertained with a sidearm with ammo that's commonly found in towns (FNx45) and not having to worry about LONG EXTENDED travels away from my home region.Make sure that I am Healthy/Fed - I always make sure that im healthy (status) because its alot easier to maintain eating 3-4 cans of food or ONE Powdered milk is the stalkers food choice its space saving and gives a full energy reading does not need water to use. I typically eat food cans and fill up at the drinking well until it says "My stomach feels really full" in town and when abroad every 15 minutes Ill eat one Powdered milk (10%) and take a sip of canteen water. this ensures that im always healthy and always able to go long distances.Make sure im friendly but neutral - Being a S.T.A.L.K.E.R. isn't about being a badass (though somehow im precieved as a bandit), its about helping other players while helping yourself. Don't take it as a sign of weakness because I will END YOU if you make or pose a threat to my safety. I tend to walk other survivors from town to town and help them gear up and sometimes they join me in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. ranks.Location, Location, Location. - I travel from one areas to another, I don't sit around the coastline and ask for trouble like most players do. You will find me most likely Inland or near the big Airport in Eastern Chernarus and Bolas Airfield because I feel comfortable in the BlackMoore mountain ranges. When you decide to take the step to become a stalker take ownership of an area and know it well enough to recite were you can find supplies on a moments notice. But do not kill because its "Your area" just keep the peace.*BONUS* I play this soundtrack when I play DayZ its awesome http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q01tES5AzwHere is a simple List of everything that I Have when I leave my Region (assume worn equipment is Pristine): Basaltic Helmet [Prevents Headshots of DEATH]Gas Mask (Or Respirator for those who don't like masks) [Prevents Sickness]Designer Glasses (They look like Shade-Pro [ARMY JOKE])Working GlovesCombat Boots (Military Works too)TTSKO Jacket - Containing x3 60-Round 5.56 Coupled Magazines TTSKO Pants - Containing x3 60-Round 5.56 Coupled MagazinesTactical Vest - Containing a FNx45 (with Magazine insert and FN45MRD sight) and x4 FNx45 Magazines (Preferably find a press vest, this is the highest form of protection)Hunting Backpack - Containing a Map of Cherarus (full), Can Opener, x2 Cantine (100%), x1 Roll of Bandages, x1 Handcuff, x1 Handcuff Key, Suppressor (optional), Tactical Flashlight (Optional) with battery, Bottle of Vaccine (to cure chemical sickness), and Defibrillator with battery, Walkie Talkie (not used yet but will be in handy on update)Medical Bag - x1 Bandages, x1 Syringe, x1 Auto Morphine Injector (For broken bones), x1 IV Starter Kit, x1 Saline IV Bag (Completed to heal others or self when assisted)Ammunition Can - x8 60 Round 5.56 Stacks (to do this place ammo in a 60 round Mag and empty it and repeat), x2 40 Round .45 Stacks.M4A1 Carbine - MagPul Handguard, MagPul Buttstock, T3N Optics, Bayonet (Suppressor), x1 60-Round 5.56 Coupled Magazine [On Back]Fire Fighters Axe(Optional) Mosin 9130 - Bayonet, Long Range Scope, Atlas Bipod [Held in hands M4 on back] (if im going scouting)Pledged S.T.A.L.K.E.R. List (Message me or Post a reply wanting on the list and ill add) [s.T.A.L.K.E.R.] "Dust"[s.T.A.L.K.E.R.] "Wh1spY"[s.T.A.L.K.E.R.] "Doviszxc"[s.T.A.L.L.E.R.] "Albinorhino1"[s.T.A.L.K.E.R.] "Andrebrvas"[s.T.A.L.K.E.R.] "Agorafobik"[s.T.A.L.K.E.R.] "Nightmare"[s.T.A.L.K.E.R.] "Jesus"[s.T.A.L.K.E.R.] "Luther"[s.T.A.L.K.E.R.] "Strelok"[s.T.A.L.K.E.R.] "TheDeadHunter"[s.T.A.L.K.E.R.] "Sanguine"[s.T.A.L.K.E.R.] "CarlosDMC"[s.T.A.L.K.E.R.] "Sol"[s.T.A.L.K.E.R.] "Outland"[s.T.A.L.K.E.R.] "William"[s.T.A.L.K.E.R.] "Dewdrift"[s.T.A.L.K.E.R.] "Comstedt"Closing thoughts This guide was put into a day of hard work and some photographing and other information research on the Wiki site and other areas of the inter webs mixed in with my own Spin on this whole en-devour. When I first started to play this game I died ALOT and was having a tough time understanding why and then I thought about how the STALKER Games used to be, exactly like this. I took the same attitude with the STALKER games and brought it on here and I haven't died in 2 weeks of owning the game and ive made some good friends who can help me out in a jam and visa-verse. When you first start out I highly suggest you Do what I did and FORGET GOING TO BOLATA AIRFIELD When you first spawn hit up a couple towns grab some ammo and a weapon and get some backpack and stuff and march your way to the Eastern Airfield Near Vybor and get your equipment there. you have a 25% less chance of dying when starting out this way and its worked for me this far. If anything in this guide has helped you please spread it around and link others to this guide and you too can become a Chernarus S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and make your own legend. If you REALLY Liked this guide and took the guide to heart I would love to see some other users with the [s.T.A.L.K.E.R.] "Nickname" and begin your own journey, Meet some other stalkers and let it be known that anyone wearing a [s.T.A.L.K.E.R.] Nametag has taken an oath to be as human as possible and not a Blood treading death machine that a majority of players have become. remember that a true S.T.A.L.K.E.R does not make good or bad decisions be makes decisions based on their situation. Im Not starting a clan or anything but a group of Lone Wolf Players with VALUES is a lot more valuable then Run-And-Gun tactics and makes people not want to interact with eachother. But alas its time for me to return to the Zone and stop writing this guide and I hope to see you all out there feel free to message me in this board, on my email or in game.. Good Hunting Stalker, "Dust" S.T.A.L.K.E.R. of the BlackMoore Mountain Range

A large apology letter to the DayZ Community, Hello everyone as your all aware of my name is DUST (S.T.A.L.K.E.R.) or in real life communications Donald. Im writing this letter as an apology in my absence in this guides attendance and updates as im known regularly for. but here are some of the things going on in my life that have occured in the past 2 months since my guides update. - re-deployed home from overseas + TOD: Afghanistan + TOD2: Afghanistan + TOD3: Ukraine - Retired from the United States Armed Services + Staff Sergeant, United States Army, Military Police 31B - Moved to Los Angeles to finish second bachelors degree (first in Business Administration) +Rented new apartment + Transferred FFL (Federal Firearms Licences) + Transferred Weapons and Ammunition + Get basic internet services running + overall get settled in Although these are not an excuse for my absence I am extremely sorry about my absence and i will be updating the guide as soon as possible with all the updates and I will go over the guide to replace errors and new additions the best that I can. Please be paitent with the notifications and I will try to backlog all the New stalker members as soon as possible! Thanks for understanding, Donald (DUST) Military Police SSG, USA (RET.)

Too many guns, i normally keep one now TBH

Filling from a Pond: (not an ocean or body of water connecting to ocean) Hold Waterbottle In FIRST PERSON stand in water and look at it Use scroll menu to fill with water Filling from well: Hold waterbottle Look at well in first person (near stone base) Scroll menu fill bottle.

The improvised backpack is a great backpack for those who dont need all the items that normal players get. From a distance if your wearing the right gear it looks like a rock. However in urban environments you stick out like a sore thumb. and in woodland (dark green) environments you might as well be wearing all white.

You only need 3-4 mags TBH, in all opinion the SKS ammo and the M4 Ammo are exactly the same if not more in rarity. The only gun I can think of thats kinda an all rounder is the Blaze.

Havent used the Blaze so I cannot give an opinion on it. ILl add it though when I can get a few TGA pictures. Where at?

Yeah his name is John Doe, he lives in the black body bag near that stump were i left him. Also he had beanz,

I wish there was global chat at least like 1 message every 120 seconds or 300 seconds to reduce spam. Its like spawning in a empty server at times and thats why a main populace of the game is KoS is because As a social species were being removed of a basic convience of Social aspect other then fourms.

Thanks! Added Thanks! It will only get better. Also............. NEAR 10,000 VIEWS?!?!?! I LOVE YOU ALL

Ak74u Enough said.

All your posts repeat the same sentence. Please stop, also the Orange doesn't make you special it just makes me imagine a normally loud person being given a microphone until it explodes into Glitter. Ive seen a few Script Kiddies (anyone who buys a hack isnt a hacker there a kid with their moms paycheck) but mainly they go after large groups or clans. I had a hacker teleport into me and I shot him with a shotgun and he died just as easy. The teleport scripts are not perfect and most often then not hurt the individual that help them. as for the OP theres not that many SCript Kiddies to make a legitimate complaint. Lower population servers will haven them but some stay away from high population.

Yes but at the same time don't REPEATEDLY Put replies until you are added It takes me awhile but I will get around to you.

Updated. Apologies for my absense I was moving and retiring from the army Ill be more active in the coming weeks. Best Regards, IClearSkies

guide has been updated with the recent forum border change. Im working on getting the new image format so I don't get weird borders anymore. As a Side note I plan to add this guide to some websites other then the DayZ Standalone Fourms, Current Projections are considerations but depending on transition and work hours on formatting will depend on how fast they are added: -DayZ DB

Once you join a server your timer begins, when you play on the server for at least 5 minutes the next time you attempt to join a server you will only have a 15-30 second respawn so everyone dosent spawn at once.

Sorry for the long dely on the updates I was waiting for everything to settle down........ Updates: Spray paintWeaponsDurabilityAmmunitionSTALKER LISTMap UpdatesGrammar and Punctuation

Updated Transmitters and Raidos.

That seems bit weird. Try resetting your keys to default and then reediting the ones you need.

Added along with others who have messaged me in fourms.

Yea ill try and do that for the next guide. Although im pretty content with what it has now the rest is all text TLDR kind of thing. My next project is the bandit guide and Ill attempt to do that after ive done 15 successful bandit holdups in my opinion and ill know what to bring and not bring.

Your welcome, Updated spray pant description with warning.

The name is based off your current user account on your COMPUTER nothing to do with STEAM simply click it in the main menu to change it.

Nearing 5000 Views?!?!!? I would like to say thank you to everyone who has read my guide and as a 5000 view special I will be making a bandit guide for all you black hearted pirates out there. I really love and appreciate you all! Stalker List Updated.

As much as I would LOVE to do this Unfortunately there is a picture limit per post and I am exceeding the limit of photographs. This is why I separated the topics between weapons and attachments both guides are simple enough but I could only include SOME of the attachments and mainly ones that are most common for everyone to find. Ill take a look to see if I can simplify my guide in the weapons department. Updated the map and legend to match current build