DoomsdayClock

Seconded. The TV show is okay, but I always preferred the comics. I just don't like a lot of the changes the show made or the portrayal of a lot of the characters.

I don't see third person as being a cheat or a hack. If I'm on a server that allows third person (which is most servers) then I'll take advantage of it just as most other people will. But the most fun I've had in the game was on a hardcore server with first-person only. You get immersed more so in the game and you don't have to worry about being spotted by someone hiding behind a building who can see you with third person. I found that it made running through towns and cities more exciting, you're constantly looking behind you for zombies and bandits. I just enjoyed it a lot more and it gave the game a more realistic feel. But first-person isn't for everyone, so like I said, I'll still take advantage of third-person if it's available. I'd say still include third-person in the stand alone, just make more hardcore servers.

I don't hate snipers or bandits even. Yes I do get frustrated when I've just spent the last hour avoiding bandits and zombies and getting myself geared up only to get killed by some guy wtih an AS50 from 700 yards away. I don't quite understand the thrill of getting a sniper rifle and camping a town and killing people from a distance. But I do appreciate the sniper rifle as a form of covering a friend or group from a distance and as a way of scoping out a town/city from a safe distance. I've learned to accept snipers as just another obstacle in the game. The odds are if you go to Cherno or Elektro on a populated server, there's going to be someone hanging around with a sniper rifle picking off players. It's just the risk you take by going to those populated areas. It's only really when someone's picking up fresh spawns that I see it as being pointless and unfair. Bandits are part of the game. I used to hate on banditry all the time because I felt the game was more productive when you were able to form alliances/help each other/work in a team etc. but bandits are a necessary evil in keeping the game exciting. I usually play as a survivor and I'm generally willing to help out other players, but I know that if everyone played like that then most of the thrill of the game would be gone. And there's definitely benefits to playing as a bandit. For one thing, it does make survival that much more certain. Ideally I think DayZ needs a more stable balance between the friendlies and the bandits. If everyone's a bandit then we might as well be playing BF3 or CoD, but if everyone were a hero then there's very little point in playing as well. The idea of the game is "trust no one." That's what makes the game exciting and fun, you interact with other players at your own risk. The game would be boring if every single player you saw greeted you with a hearty hello over direct chat and a free can of beans.

The first kill I ever got was in a shootout at the schoolhouse in Elektro. Me and my buddy were raiding the buildings in Elektro. He was in the bar and I had just finished raiding one of the large orange residential buildings when I decided to check out the schoolhouse. But then I saw someone running around on the roof with a bandit skin, I decided to take cover. I asked him if he was friendly over direct chat, but he didn't answer at first. But then he asked if I could come upstairs and give him a blood transfusion, apparently he had been shot at before and lost a lot of blood. Being the naive survivor that I was, I decided to give him the help he was requesting. My friend left the bar and came with me, deciding we'd have safety in numbers. My friend had a Lee Enfield and I had an AK74. We climbed up the staircase and headed to the roof where he was at. As soon as we got close to him, he unloaded on us with an AKM. He killed my friend and wounded me pretty badly. But I riddled him with bullet holes, killing him before bandaging myself up and taking all of his loot. That was my first defensive kill. My first actual murder wasn't too long ago. I was in an industrial building with a hatchet. I started walking downstairs just as a player with a shotgun started walking upstairs. Rather than tempt fate by asking him if he was friendly, I simply hacked him to pieces and took his shotgun. Still feel kind of bad about it.

I'd go for it. There's still no solid release date for the standalone, Arma 2 doesn't cost heaps at the moment, it's well worth it. Plus it'll give you a good idea on what to expect in the standalone

My friend and i were playing the other night. We were both fresh spawns near the south east corner of the map. We decided to make a break for Elektro. I had a double barrelled shotgun with two slugs and two pellets. My friend had a crossbow with only two bolts. Neither of us had any melee weapons or sidearms, so we were pretty poorly geared. We decided to approach Elektro from the north east, cutting over the hills. As we drew closer, we could hear explosions and loud gunfire. We could hear multiple weapons being fired, they sounded like high powered rifles. With very little to lose, we decided to stupidly track down the source of these gunshots. We edged closer and closer to the seemingly endless gunfire. We assumed that it was a group of people on sniper hill shooting into Elektro. Every few seconds ".... was killed" was popping up. "Go prone!" My friend shouted at me. He was a few metres ahead of me. We both hit the deck as we crawled further down a hill. We reached the edge of a treeline with Elektro in view and the power station closeby. We found the source of the gunshots. Four bandits were looking down at Elektro shooting sniper and assault rifle rounds at players entering and exiting the city. One of the bandits even had a rocket launcher. But what caught our attention the most was the shiney new pickup truck they had parked in the treeline. We had successfully proned behind them without them detecting us. They seemed way too preoccupied with sniping Elektro. With our severe lack of firepower compared to what they were packing, we realised we wouldn't be any match for them if we got into a firefight. We decided instead that we wanted their truck. My friend began proning towards their pickup truck, which was maybe only ten-feet away from where the bandits were sniping. Realising that there was no way my buddy would be able to get in the truck, start her up and drive off without getting shot, I decided to run defense. I got the bandits attention, firing blindly at them with my shotgun. I managed to get one of them down low, breaking his leg. I yelled profanities through direct chat before running off back up the hill and into the woods. Gun shots followed, I was definitely hit. But I kept running despite losing an insane amount of blood. I ran over the hill, weaving in and out of trees with bullets spraying every which way. I looked over my shoulder every few seconds to see at least two of them pursuing me. I was just crossing my fingers that the one with the rocket launcher wasn't going to try anything. My blood was getting extremely low, it was difficult to see anything as my vision was going blurred and grey. I started to head for the treeline, doubting I'd make it much further, until my friend pulled up in our brand new pickup truck, honking the horn. I jumped in the passenger seat and we drove off into the sunset with bullets whizzing past us. And that's the story of how I got my pickup truck.

Back when I first started playing, saying "Friendly! Don't shoot" actually seemed to work more often than not, and I would end up making friends/finding groups to play in. Made the game more fun at the time. But yeah, nowadays saying friendly is basically just advertising the fact that you're not going to shoot someone first. Which is why I tend to avoid players rather than engage them now.

Ahh he didn't get that bandit skin by giving out free hugs; you almost definitely did the right thing kililng him

I've only really murdered someone once without being provoked. I was walking down a staircase in an industrial building with a hatchet. Another player came running up the stairs with a winchester rifle. i'd had a frustrating run of deaths where I'd been betrayed and killed on sight without any means of defense, so rather than tempt fate by asking him if he was friendly, I simply hacked him to pieces with the hatchet and took his gun and beans. I actually did feel really guilty about it afterwards to the point of apologizing in side chat and offering to leave his stuff on his corpse, but he didn't reply. While I somewhat benefitted from the banditry (got myself a gun and some supplies), it's nothing that I wouldn't have gotten from doing a quick run through one of the cities or hitting a couple of smaller towns. But if we're talking about killing other bandits then i don't really feel guilty. If I feel threatened/have reason to think another player is going to attack me, then I generally feel justified in kililng them. I'd just feel guilty if I murdered without reason.

I don't care if it reaches console, I'll still just play it on PC instead. If we're considering DayZ's current form, I can't see how it could possibly get ported to console. The inventory system alone would be such a pain with a controller. It would definitely need a lot of tweaking. But eh, I'll reserve judgment until I actually see it happen.

Some tips I've learned whilst playing: Don't get attached to your gear or vehicle. Death is a part of the game - accept it and move on. Take advantage of night time and the weather. It might be harder for you to play when it's pitch black - but it's also just as hard for other players (without NVG) to play. It also makes you much less visible to zombies. I've also found that night time servers generally tend to have less bandits/hackers on them, and they're generally easier to get around populated areas without being sniped. Only go to the major cities if you A) absolutely need to go there to hit a hospital or B) you're a fresh spawn and have nothing to lose. Even then, make it a quick in and out operation. Trust no one! I've had people that I've trusted and played with for hours and hours turn around and stab me in the back for a better gun or some ammo. While there are other friendlies out there who will help you - remember that everyone's also out for themselves. Most people will kill you if it means that they get some better gear Don't approach groups of players. It's risky enough approaching a lone survivor, but approaching a large group of them can often mean suicide. Conserve ammunition, especially if you have a gun that has rare ammo. Learn to identify a trap. See a tent or a car in the middle of an open field? Someone's probably already got their crosshairs on you. People with bandit skins got their skin for a reason. Don't go to North West Airfield on a populated server without expecting to die a painful death.

I am so joining, best recruitment speech ever

I've only ever found 3 CZ550s since I started playing, each time they've been in those long white animal barn type buildings.

I agree, I think 98% of guns in general should be a lot harder to find. I think the game would be more realistic if sniper rifles, high powered assault rifles etc. were an actual challenge to find. Of course you should still be able to find the odd revolver or makarov around the place. But it would be so much more rewarding when you eventually do get your hands on an L85 or an AS50 or something. I found a truck on the side of the road the other day, only about a 5-minute run from Elektro. It was packed with AS50s, M429 SAWs, Bizons, Satchel Charges, NVGs etc. But yeah, as long as hacking is prevalent in the game, military weapons will be easy to find.

I think you're morally in the clear, you were logging out anyway. It would be different if you attacked someone, then logged out before they had a chance to defend themselves. Same thing happened to me once, I had just raided the North East Airfield, scored myself an AKM. I then decided to head for the treeline and log out. Just as I went prone, opened up the menu and put my cursor over the log out button, I heard a gun go off very close by (most likely directed at me). But I still logged. I figured I was already logging out anyway. Doesn't make you and Alt + F4er in my book.

You walk past a pond or river and think "Shit do I need to fill up my water bottle?"

Yeah the L85 is awesome. I found mine nearly 2 weeks ago, haven't used anything else. It's also saved me several times. I don't cross a field or enter a town without using the thermal scope to check out the surroundings and see if there are any other people waiting to pick me off. The other day at NWAF, I had two bandits shooting at me and my friend from behind some trees. I turned the thermal scope on and they stood out like a sore thumb. Two headshots took them both out. I am very much enjoying the awesomeness that is the L85A2 AWS.

Those axes you see in the logs can't be picked up. They're part of the scenery. The only hatchets that can be looted are those found on the ground. PVP and banditry is, unfortunately, a necessary evil in this game. It adds another layer of action and tension to it, otherwise it's just a co-op zombie sandbox. Shooting unarmed players is frowned upon but it does happen. Jerks who are overly geared and bored will often head to the coastal towns and cities to kill new players. A lot of unfair deaths do happen in this game, it's just something you have to accept. I've been killed so many times when I've been unarmed, but if you get angry each time then you'll never have fun playing this game. Join unpopulated servers with like 15 people or less. Keep your head down, don't approach or make yourself known to players with bandit skins or who are considerably better armed than you are. Check houses, churches and barns for sidearms. If you're feeling like taking a risk, try to hit a firehouse, military tents or even an airfield as that's where most of the military weapons are. Deer stands CAN have good loot in them, but not always. Sometimes they just spawn ammo rather than guns, and there's always a chance that someone's just been and looted it a few minutes before you. Don't get deterred by all the griefers and bandits who KoS, there's a lot out there, but there's also a lot of friendly players out there too.

This game is definitely brutal on newbies, and the other players more often than not go out of their way to make it worse. I would try a different server or see if you can get yourself started up on a low populated server (under 20 people for example). Bandits love to camp out on the coastal towns and spawn locations, and as soon as they get a sniper rifle, they generally head to Cherno or Elektro and start sniping. Don't get discouraged though. Death is a major part of this game. Never let yourself get attached to gear or your character, because you will die. And you will die in many frustrating ways (i.e. jerks sniping you, being stabbed in the back by a "friendly", hackers nuking the server etc). But it's also an exciting and rewarding game once you get into it. If you want to avoid bandits, head north a bit. Towns like Zelenogorsk and more central towns don't usually see too many griefers/bandits. You can get yourself some basic gear there before moving onto the cities and airfields. But like Cinnabuns said, this a game that you learn as you play. You'll gradually get the hang of it, and learn to avoid death a little easier.

I generally only shoot in self-defense or if I feel threatened (i.e. someone in a bandit skin persistently following me and not communicating with me) From your play style there, I wouldn't quite call you a bandit except for line where you say that you kill people if they have something you want. I understand if you're dying of hunger or thirst and have nothing to eat/drink and you see someone else and decide to kill them for their food simply to live. That's not so much banditry to me as it is more of an extreme means of surviving. But murdering someone because want their gun or NVGs is very bandit-like behaviour in my view.

I've been fortunate in that I haven't really come across a malicious hacker for several weeks now, although I have bumped into a "friendly" hacker or two, but they weren't intending on nuking the server or anything. Still wrong IMO though. Hackers definitely are a major issue in this game, and it's one that clearly the developers can't really control at the moment. I just don't understand why people hack this game. Honestly, it's a fun game, if you need scripts to spawn in tons of weapons and to give yourself god mode, then you're playing the wrong game. What's worse is that it is obviously turning players off from the game. Every few hours there's someone posting in the forums about how they're quitting until hacking is stopped. On top of that, new players would be extremely deterred from playing if they can barely get off the coast thanks to script kiddies and griefers. Unfortunately, I think the answer is that we'll have to wait for the standalone to come out before we see a serious drop/end to hackers.

Do you mean find a tent that you can pitch? Or find someone else's tents? You can find unpitched tents in grocery stores and randomly in other areas, just keep looking But if you're looking for camps that have already been set up - search the edges of the map. I spent half an hour on the western edge of the map the other day and found over half a dozen camp sites (most loaded with high end weapons, NVGs and other good tools etc) as well as vehicles. Just look at the map and try to find places where you think few people would have reason to go there, other than to try and hide a tent. NVG's are rare military spawns, you can find them at crash sites and barracks as well (I think). I've also heard that some military zombies have an extremely low chance of dropping them, but I can't really confirm that myself.

The thing is, there's only so many good sniper locations in and around the major cities compared to the ridiculous amount of snipers, bandits and griefers that waltz into Cherno or Elektro with an AS50. So you probably will face competition for sniper locations, especially on the most populated servers. On top of that, there are also a lot of people who will regularly visit these "hot spots" (i.e. sniper hill at elektro) just to kill unsuspecting snipers. Camping isn't always the best idea - in fact staying in one spot for too long in DayZ is a bad idea in general. But kudos for at least trying to use your sniping skills and gear for good and not for evil :D

I agree and disagree. Don't remove military sniper rifles - just make them even harder to find, same with the ammunition too. Make ammo nearly impossible to find; that way campers will be a little discouraged from wasting what little ammo they have picking off new spawns on the coast at least. I've personally never understood the appeal of sitting on a hill and shooting players from 1000 metres away who can't even see you. Seems pretty weak to me, actually engaging the enemy in close quarters or having a proper firefight where the enemy at least knows you're there seems more fun.

Chainsaw ftw. Although I imagine starting up a chainsaw would aggro every zombie on the map, but it would just be awesome to rev it up and cut through zombies and bandits. I think more melee weapons need to be added, and I agree that the hunting knife should be wieldable, even though it probably wouldn't do a hell of a lot to a zombie. I also agree that there needs to be more civilian weapons. Outside of the revolver and a few of the lower end rifles/shotguns, most other weapons are pretty heavy duty.