MeatAbstract

I'm still quite a newb on DayZ but it's quickly becoming the thing that has taken over my life this past week or two. When I initially heard about DayZ, I looked into it, read up on it and watched some videos online. I felt I understood the ethos of the game. Danger, survival, teamwork and yes, betrayal and murder. A harsh and unforgiving world. While it will always be a game, it's rare that a game has me so involved, fearing for my life and actually taking things slow. I haven't experienced anything like it since when I first started playing Demon's Souls. But like Demon's Souls, it begins to attract those that just look beyond the ideas of the game, the philosophies behind it and see simpler things: Gear, PVP, 'tiers'. No longer do people have the patience to explore, crawl past zombies and hope to christ they don't see you before you get to that barn. Now they server hop until they find the best guns so they can sit in Cherno or Elektro and snipe noobies like it's some CoD deathmatch. I have no problem with PVP (again, another term which can make me sad when used in this game but I guess its nessacary here). There is a thrill of approaching a new area and wondering if someone else is there, sneaking into a town and hearing gunshots is enough to stop you dead in your tracks. Seeing another player on their own adventure causes you to jump down into the grass and you watch and wonder if they're possibly friendly. Now it's just "I'll sit here and snipe noobies just to ruin their day". If DayZ was some sort of social experiment then the results show community has declined in gaming. We seem to be stuck in the mentality of 'shoot first, ask questions later' mentality and its now stuck in a vicious circle. Like the kid that was bullied at home and now bullies at school, so do the noobies that are constantly shot for going near Cherno. Once they've gotten the gear, noobies die by their hands. I'm not saying this is the end of Dayz (lol), no doubt this mod will blossom and grow as more is added, but we may see things we don't like and become more restricted thanks to the tunnel vision view of PVP.

No, no, no. Cherno and Elekto will always be warzones. I accept that. Infact, as I said, I love it. The point I'm trying to make is, people are approaching DayZ with that sickly WoW mentality. Best gear, 'high end gear' I've heard some people say. The simple of joys of exploring a town and finding a gun with a few clips and some equipment are gone. But because people want the best it's just server hopping. But hey, I guess thats what happens once you've mastered everything, PVP is what you have left.

And that is one thing I loved about it when I first joined. Huge cities were and still are, dangerous places. It's the way that developed on its own, a rule that was created, not by the developers, but by the people playing. I love that. But the sheer amount of people that decide to get the best gear just so they can sit outside these places is ridiculous. No doubt the danger is PVP is a constant while you're playing but its become that people no longer care about survival and exploring and keeping alive; its now about server hopping, the best gear and tiers (likes it a MMORPG or some crap).

When you start on the south coast instead of heading into Cherno, Elekto, head east and then North along the coast. Hit the towns there. You'll find plenty of food/drink and at the very least a hatcher. At around Solnichniy, follow the path inland til you reach Berezino. This is a town with a supermarket and a hopsital and you will find a gun here and you should be set to keep heading west inland then. I started doing this after Cherno and Elektro got too much for me with snipers and madmen that chase you with an axe. It's worked pretty well so far, just take it slow.

How do you carry all that!?

The fact he shot your friend on watch was a clear indication not to trust the guy. Should of got rid of him then and there.

I was a good guy, I hadn't killed anyone, I just wanted to help people. But then I had to kill not one, not two but three people. They forced my hand! They came at me with an axe and one pointed a shotgun at me! IT WASN'T MY FAULT I TELLS YOU! I'm a good man.

Perhaps just a little facetious :P But it still wasn't nice! We were ontop of a tower to the north, thats where I had logged out earlier. Logged back in and theres 3 guys blocking my exit. I panicked. One pointed a gun at me and I shot one, one tried to drag his fallen friend away. Call it a game and fantasy an all that, but I felt bad! I expect some moments where you'll have defend yourself against some far away sniper but this was up close and personal. The guy making his last ditch attempt with his axe was the worst, my heart was racing because I was reloading and bam, put him down. Ugly moment. The seeing my murder count on 3 made me feel really guilty. Poor bastards.

I would of liked nothing more then to say 'Hi' and make friends with them. Later after the weeping, I found a car. If they had been alive and joined me, we could of driven it all together, all 4 of us singing happy songs of love and life as we drove around, helping people and saving lives. We could of started a family together and had little babies. We were all guys but we would of worked around it somehow. Oh god, what have I done!?

I haven't killed anyone. I'm a good guy.

If it wasn't for work, I'd play this for 24 hours. It's addictive as crack and pringles combined into a paste and injected up my piss-slit.

Someone mentioned factions. Could this not be tried? You choose a faction to begin with him (back to Bandits and Survivors, perhaps?) and each faction spawns on each side of the map (west and east). You can't kill others in your faction. I know this is basically sounding very deathmatch like but regardless of what gets implemented, people are gonna kill each other. This way when people spawn, they'll be near, say, a survivor occupied place with other people. You all set off in search of supplies and you end up working together but then theres bandits to deal with. People are just cold blooded in this game. Weapon, no weapon, you're gonna die. This way, people are guranteed some allies.

Because then people would just be joyriding everywhere. It takes time for you to build up your equipment and putting a car together takes time. Plus I know people say the game goes for realism but it's a still a game and unrealistic stuff will happen. Like the dead walking the earth, for example.

Sometimes, story just isn't needed. Your mind can create a more satisfying picture of how things happened. Besides, look at most zombie films, it's never really clear on what helped the dead to rise, there are just theories. It's another thing DayZ players can debte and discuss: how did it all happen?

There's a hardcore mode where you lay and a crawling zombie mounts your body and.... Well, you know... Seriously, the game has a steep learning curve but once you get over that, you'll know where to find gear. Take it slow, crawl or stay low and move slowly near zombies.

What server do you guys play in?

Choppers were taken out? I saw one the other night on NY8

I met my first friendly today. He helped me when I was low on blood and holed up in a warehouse and he came running in with an axe. We fought our way out and started moving to Elektro to gather supplied and he said he'd help me get to a hospital. On our way we met two other people. One was armed, the other way saying "I have a flashlight and I know how to use it" so I both typed and said down the mic "We mean you no harm, you can lower your gun" because I was becoming wary of his mate pointing his winchester at us. After a stand off I turned to my friend to leave and the guy shot me in the back of the head so his friend could take my rifle. Scum.

I'd be interested in this. I am, however, morally opposed to ambushing survivors if they're unarmed. It's wrong man, WRONG!

I understand people killing others because: A: They have a gun B: They are considered a threat So when I'm chased down by a guy with an axe, I don't understand the mentality of it. Several times now, I've been killed entering a town/city to get some equipment. What can you possibly gain from killing a newly spawned player? One bandage and One box of painkillers? I think not. Some men just want to watch the world burn, I guess....

I'm still a noob really. But this evening I had successfully snuck into Elektro, gathered enough equipment and weapons, managed to get by a sniper and escaped north. I was lasting well, finding food and drink along the way and I even had two guns with plenty of ammo. But sadly, I died. Zombies. Damn them! How do you cope when a character you're doing well with dies?

By god you're right.... BACK INTO THE FRAY!

I don't shoot unarmed players and if armed players leave me be then I leave them be. You should be ashamed of yourself! :P

Think it's a great idea. Power up small buildings, settle in and defend yourselfs.