IshFingers

Met up with 2 friends in Berezinho on a 4/something server - 3 of us, 1 randomer. We wanted to teach one of the guys a few basics - he was new - so started on a low pop. server to ease them in. As we go in the school building, the only other guy in Chernaus comes in shortly after and proceeds to kill us, one by one. We even got the initial drop on him (with friendly intentions, I can assure you.) It was that day we learnt we just aren't very good at this game. Still fun though.

I don't consider it cheating, but I do think it takes away a large aspect of the game (exploration, becoming lost and 'survival instincts' kick in etc.). Before I knew the online map existed, I thought the landscape was much bigger and every turn in the road was an adventure. Now it feels like more of a rush to get from A to B. I do think it removes the frustration of not knowing where the f**k you are - in particular when you're looking for friends or other people in general. Especially if you're only surrounded by fields. I don't reccommend using the online map initially to newer players (including friends) but don't begrudge anyone who does.

Found & drove my first V3S. Got over-excited. Got lost. Died. I love this game.

Is the eating/drinking mechanic different between 3pp and 1pp servers? The reason I ask is because I'm usually on 1pp servers, but hopped onto 3pp for a while today for a change of pace and noticed exactly what OP is saying. 1pp: Perfectly fine. I ate/drank when I needed to, could comfortably hit the 'energised', 'hydrated' and 'healing/healthy' status bars and things just worked. 3pp: 'Stuffed' within 15 minutes of beginning a new character, with no indication that I had eaten or drank too much. No other status bars, just 'stuffed' or nothing. Seemed to be massive fluctuations in how energised/hydrated I was. Only noticed this after I had drank 3 times from a pump. It's not unmanageable - defiantly not game-destroying - but kind of annoying.

Started a fresh character last night on 1pp server after 6 month hiatus, to see how things are progressing. - Started on a 6/50 (I think) pop. server - Wanted to give myself a bit of a chance and hopefully get to grips with some of the newer mechanics. - Spawned inland & ran around lost for hours. Immediately sought out food & drink which was by-and-large in plentiful supply. - My sledgehammer has been my best friend for most of the day; very little luck when it comes to weapons so far. Plenty of ammo though. - Endless entertainment with the thought of opening a can of beans with a sledgehammer. - Eventually found a gun - a Mosin - about 3 hours in. This defiantly helps... Seem to have run in to my fair share of zombies so far. No humans though. - Found the castle, tried to use this to head towards NW Airfield. An hour later I'm on the coast... the fuq? (Trying not to use any outside 'interference' to get the most out of not knowing what I'm doing). - Headed towards Elektro hidden in the tree-line. It's here where I discover the shift-key-sprint feature. - First encounter! Where else... Inside one of the fire stations in Elektro. I was attacked by 2 zombies and bled. To get shelter I duck inside only to hear another zombie on its way... Following some bloke with a gun. He wasn't very friendly, shooting first (hit me twice with an automatic) but ran off when I managed to get a shot off hitting him square in the chest, still chased by the zombie. - All my sh*t is ruined, minus my weapons. Bleeding, grey-screen, thirsty, cold... Suicide run through the buildings of Elektro to gather what I can. (By this stage pop has risen to 20~ something). - Manage to stabilise myself but back to square one - no clothing (all ruined), no food or drink (found meager scraps but still 'hungry' & 'thirsty'), no first aid - used a t-shirt to stop my bleeding, my first-aid kit was ruined. 2 bullets for Mosin, but on the plus side I did find a pistol & mag. just before I logged. Kinda enjoying this feeling of being 'new' again. A lot of things have changed/been added, most notably (for me, anyway) the cold/damp mechanic. Things feel a little slicker (i.e. Melee combat, while not great, seems less random) and loot is less predictable. I did get frozen out a couple of times, both times when I tried to throw a flare - is this a known bug or could it be on my end? Literally just the action of throwing a lit flare caused me to root to the spot. I could still interact with things, just not move - and I could light a flare and drop it just fine, or throw other objects just fine with no problem (other than having no idea where it landed). Tomorrow: To Cherno!

I watched a guy fall from the school in Elektro and break his legs, then crawl towards the Fire Station. I spoke to him, wondering if he needed 'assistance'. Turns out he was trying to suicide but failed. So I ran away.

I agree with no Kill-Cam: I feel the unknown aspect of how exactly you died is an important aspect of DayZ. Similarly, I feel it is important to remain anonymous - so no mentioning who killed you etc. That said, some fun demographics/statistics about your survivor could be nice. You know the sort of thing... Time survived, zombies killed etc. etc. And if it is death by zombie, a nice animation of zombies gnawing at your corpse possibly? Little touches like this would add a bit of 'polish' to the game, but are perhaps a step away from the hardcore-gritty-realism the game is loved (and loathed) for. On the whole I feel a few of the UI choices could do with a touch-up but largely for aesthetic purposes, rather than to influence gameplay. And I understand that this should be way down the to-do list.

A while back, myself and a couple of friends met up and headed to NE Airfield (after Berezino > Rify > Krasnostav). We were quite nicely geared up but still needed a few bits ''n pieces. Got into the jail, all doors closed but mostly looted already. Anyway, I picked up what I thought was a water bottle and as we left the building, I closed the door behind us but my character began the drink animation. Turns out my inventory was full so the 'water' bottle was automatically placed in my hands, and rather than close the doors I began drinking it. It was disinfectant. Blind panic ensued. Needless to say in my toxic state I died, but not before attracting any and all nearby groups to our location. Firefights broke out and the death toll totalled over 15 dead players. Fortunately only 1 of my 2 teammates was caught up, with the survivor catching the resulting frenzy on camera. All because I didn't think to check my inventory. Edit: Between the three of us we've each killed one-another at inappropriate times. You know; axing each other when zombies attack, shooting each other thinking they're someone attacking us or simply poorly timed shots which inadvertently end up with the 'You are dead' screen. We're not very good...

Sorry to go off-topic here, but am I the only sceptic at the prospect of modding in this game?Don't get me wrong, I like and support the modding community by-and-large, but to me DayZ just doesn't need it (well... By the time it's finished). Granted I never played the DayZ mod, but to me it all seemed like a step in a different direction. Edit: On topic: Ever grouped with strangers? I don't think I've ever felt so happy with myself/anxious the whole way, the first time I 'grouped' with a bunch of randomers. Part of the fun IMO :).

Whilst I don't disagree with the OP, it's worth noting that this has been acknowledged and it's a work in progress. My understanding was that the North is gradually being worked on with some bigger cities appearing over the coming months. It could just be a case of finding a starting point and working from there, or coincidentally the rate the work has progressed means that, temporarily, there appears to me more focus on the NE. Doesn't the comment of the Sobor's being either neglected or looted by players somewhat contradict itself? I mean... players have to loot, surely? Granted, they're not the most vibrant of cities but there's still a fair share of [decent] loot if you fancy the hike. I've come across a few players in these cities - though none of these ended friendly - and am still cautious around them. I don't always play on high-pop servers (ave. probably being low-teens) and find that I'm least likely to bump into other players in the very SW or directly North. Isn't there also a town in development North of NW airfield? I'm not sure, I've just been told by a friend (and we've tried to go there, but both times were accosted in the Airfield on the way - yeah, ok, our own fault). I think it's also important to note that it's sometimes nice to have a quiet zone. If every town/area was busy, I personally think it would diminish some of the atmosphere from the game. In a nutshell: Give it time. There's more to come, I'm sure...

Send the team in first... "I've got your back, lads!" :)

I'm generally a lot more reckless and gung-ho as a loner - generally on 3PP servers. Reason being I a) don't mind death/enjoy re-equipping myself, b ) need a break from the sometimes tedious sneak & scout routine, and c) don't have anyone else to look after. That said, when in the 'hot-spots' I try to scan ahead and, if the opportunity presents itself, would rather stalk someone/take 'em out without confrontation. Unfortunately this never goes to plan. For example: if entering Elektro (or other cities of interest) I will do a 'spiral' of the city - edging further into the centre (supermarket/school/police station) and looting what I can along the way. If I see somebody I make it known (not what I have in mind) with a poorly-aimed shot. I think I've been successful... Twice? Similar tactics to airfields/military bases etc. In smaller towns it's a case of run in, look around, and react on the go. Disclaimer: I am terrible and a liability to myself at the best of times. In fact, if you want to survive just follow me and do the opposite. When with friends etc. I try to be more cautious: though we're by no means experts at this game, we try to add a bit of authenticity to it (I.E. Tactics). Though that usually goes down the pan when you hear "uhhh guys, I think I've done something wrong/drank disinfectant/shot you instead" down the mic... So yeah, I don't think I've been particularly constructive here. Job done.

Glitched through the 2nd floor of an office building, slowly heading towards to my impending doom... Seriously, it was like gravity had been replaced by treacle for the duration of my 'fall'.

I regularly play with two guys fluent in Cryillic and I can only imagine them wincing every time they hear my piss-poor attempt at pronunciation at some of these names. Though I agree, the 'k' makes all the difference :).

I'm not really thinking about this in terms of realism - more in keeping within the theme of the game (or at least, with the way I'd like to see it progress). Yeah, sure, stick down a generator and power your private security system. Hell, hook it up to the microwave while you're at it... Where does it stop? Maybe generators will make an appearance? I hope not... Again, I like the rustic, gritty nature to the game. But at the same time, if something is presented in a well-constructed, meaningful way that makes sense (not like.... Say... A fully-functional tank makes an appearance) then sure.