Nuingaer

400 ping and higher you are likely trying to join servers on a different continent. You need servers 100 ping or less - preferably 50 and less if possible. As above posters say, sort it by lowest pings. You may have to wait a minute or two (keep resorting it by lowest pings) for all the servers to come up.

Its not a bug. The zombies are actually 'infected' - hence being able to run etc. They know how to climb a ladder, and they know how to swim like most animals know how to swim. You can lose them by climbing a ladder and lying down as far as possible on top of the roof - depending on how big it is. Or, sit at the top with a hatchet and wack em, or shoot them with a gun. It actually still fits that 'I couold climb up there and be safe for a few moments!' - you will be; for a few moments. Pass through doors is fine too - sometimes you will see them open it (or close it) sometimes they just pop through. Treat all doors as open all the time, and you're good to go.

I think this is a great idea. Water canteens are actually very easy to find, and I usually roll around with 4 or so for safeties sake - When I was only carting one I had some close shaves where I had run out of soda, drunk my water and was a distance from places to get more. Simply adding in the need to boil at fires instantly would be sufficient, but having to wait a small period would be great. Inventory space is limited... so having to carry something like a pan as well would make it a bit annoying (4+ water bottles plus 2+ slot pan = lots of used up space). HOWEVER, if you are going for a reality perspective, having to carry such a thing would be good. I know I'd be carrying at least a billy (a sort of metal pot with a wire handle for hanging over fires on a hooked branch or makeshift thing - used in aus a lot). Alternatively, from supermarkets and/or hospitals have purifying slips/cubes (in stacks of 10, as they aren't that big) that have a lowish chance of spawning.

I have the FN FAL ANPV S4 and have had it for many days now. As stated, you cannot turn the night vision off - its a night vision scope. Occasionally it will be off by itself - this is just a quirk of the game. Hit N to turn it on and it goes back to usual. If you leave it off, log off and come back, its back on. Keep it for night time usage, and get a second primary to use during the day. Or ditch it and have something else. You can only switch between night/thermal on guns that have both, such as the L85 AWS.

My advice is don't hug the coast at all. If the server is emptyish maybe you can risk a run into cherno or elektro. Otherwise, a) there will be snipers or b) most of the useful things will likely already be looted. Find a map, figure out where you are, and head inland ASAP. If you're on the south coast hit up some barns and smallish towns on the way north (to ensure you have enough food/water/supplies to survive) and eventually try and get to Berezino as mentioned up above. It's generally quietish and has some large residential points, plus some military tents. After that I find it easy/isolated in the middle-right of the map. Constantly go to the small towns/large numbers of deer stands, as well as checking the open fields for heli crashes. Once you're good with the game and have some experience and confidence, you can start heading to the more high-value targets. Keep in mind, if you do this you need to go in assuming that you will likely lose everything. If you don't want to lose your stuff - don't go there.

At the start, get off the coast immediately. A good bet is to head north and then after not too long, start heading north-eastish (depending on your location). Avoid the north-west of the map at all costs unless you have gotten experienced, well equipped and hopefully in a group to watch your back. Find some barns to loot - generally easy to sneak (crawl if you have to) into them. Most will have a hatchet unless they have been previously looted. Once you have the hatchet, you're good as gold. Currently however you can break your leg quite often by being hit by zombies - so get to know that range of the hatchet. You should be able to hit them before they get into range (the range of the hatchet is quite far - practice by slow crawling up to zombies and then start wacking once they are a few metres from you). Most of the time it is one hit kill.

I've learnt to shoot first ask questions later. If they are still alive after shooting, and I think I have the time, I'll bandage them, maybe morphine for the likely broken leg (if I have any to spare), then leave while they are unconscious. If they are dead, I shrug and loot em. If I'm in a city and I had to shoot, I don't even check if they are alive. I get the hell out of that deathtrap before I bring all manner of crap down on myself. The only times I 'trust' a player is when I'm down on the coast looking for entertainment (usually binocular watching some newbie doing something stupid), and if they are close and it looks safe, I may venture down and yell 'friendly', get them to follow me, either lose or shoot the zombies in the hills. At that point I'll 'trust' the player so long as they don't have a gun. The minute they loot a gun - I point mine at them, tell them to turn around and start running till they can't see me anymore. Then I sprint in the opposite direction. NEVER trust anyone with a gun, unless you know them in real life.

If there is other loot around it, you will find it difficult (usually impossible) to find/see the pack on the scroll list. You need to transfer the things around it into your inventory, drop them a few metres away or something, and then pick up/access the bag. To be safe if there is anything you want thats still in your pack, drop your pack first.