Kes

I have a theory that some servers are net producers of items and others are net consumers. For example, new spawns tend to log in on under-populated veteran servers (usually 3D:OFF/CH:OFF which is why they are under-populated). This way they can dash through cherno/elektro, up to Stary then the airfield with little or no resistance garunteed. It's a very safe way to gear up in under 2 hours on a fresh spawn. Then they simply log out of that server and into their main 40 player server where the rest of their mates are. So item inflation seems to be a particular problem on some servers but less so on others. I suggest moving to a server that is less busy - or has fewer clans perma-using it. It's certainly true that on some servers you can't even walk along the coast road without bumping into players or bodies with rangefinders/NVGs/AS50s/L85s etc. This isn't helped by item duping either.

Alternatively, if all else fails - try logging into a server with the wrong beta or DayZ version. It should get stuck on the "loading" screen. Then force-quit ArmaII with Ctrl-Alt-Dlt. Your position will be lost but your gear usually survives and you respawn on the coast - might take a few attempts in quick succession.

The L85 thermal is totally OP. Most people just use it as a thermal camera and then switch over to something like an AS50 to actually take their shots. Here's how I respond to it; Thermal has seen me and fired: If it comes to a shoot out, chances are you’re already doomed. However, try to have a system to handle unexpected engagements from unknown locations. Practise this as you move around in Chernarus so it becomes second nature (just imagine a shot suddenly lands in front of you and respond to it as if it were real). The system I use in open terrain is to instantly mash ‘D’ and ‘Z’ so I move to the side and go prone. Then I roll in the direction of the nearest available cover (like a tree). If I'm still alive at this point I can start to appraise the situation. Now the bandit has lost the element of surprise and may need to reload. The odds are still in their favour but mine are improving. Now think: Where? Usually you will be in natural defilade on at least one side – chances are that side is safe. So orientate yourself to the most likely field of fire – that way you can see what’s going on AND it presents a much smaller target. How many? The number and sound of incoming shots is a clue as to how many players you’re up against. What gun? Try to learn the specific gun noises, but if you can’t identify it think more generally – was it an assault rifle, heavy support weapon or scoped rifle? Don’t jump for your scope or binos instantly. Look for puffs of smoke in 1st/3rd person and get an idea of your new surroundings. Most people fail at this because they panic and try to sprint away. Then comes the hard part – try to stay calm and formulate a plan. Use the answers to the above questions to decide whether to return fire, rush, or run away. Tip: If you’ve been engaged by a sniper, and know roughly where from – quickly return fire in their general vicinity with whatever weapon you have. Snipers HATE rounds landing near them. Many snipers will panic and try to sprint out. Avoiding L85s To be honest, the thermal L85 is so OP it is hard to counter it. Rather than wait for one to shoot you, your best strategy is to make it hard for thermal bandits to spot you in the first place. Only move around in dense cover – don’t just hug the tree line – move further back into the woods away from open fields. Plan out your routes sensibly using the map – try to avoid the obvious paths to major areas like Stary/Berezino/NWAF. Never cross open terrain unless there is no alternative. If you do have to cross an exposed field, stand and sprint in a zig-zag, don’t even bother crawling. When you reach a tree line that has to be crossed, get your scoped-rifle or binoculars out and scan for other players. If you aren’t moving you are prone in cover. No exceptions. Never move along the summit of a hill/ridge – you’ll stick out a mile away (literally). Instead position yourself on one side (ideally the least exposed) and move below the horizon. The north of the map is flat and open. The south is wooded and full of small hills and valleys. So you can move more freely in the south as a player even 200-300m away probably won’t see you. This is a good place to catch L85s off guard.

I've seen a lot of tents along the Novy-Stary-Kabanino line. It would probably be a fair place to setup an ambush - but expect to wait an hour+ on a ~20 player server. There is also a decent chance of encountering a large squad anywhere north of Stary, particularly in the central area. -Also there are a lot of player logins so you constantly have to check your back, even in the woods up there. However, if you're smart you can catch a well geared player by suprise up there. My guess is most players rush through Cherno or Elektro, then sprint north to stary for the military gear, stopping at the southern barns en route. They then drop any spare stuff in tents just north of the Novy-Stary-Kabanino line and head up to the NW airfield to try their luck. So anywhere along that line is a fair place to setup an ambush.

I think a lot of this problem comes from the L85s thermal camera being so OP that it allows unskilled players to anhilate anyone that comes within visible range. Players can safely obtain the L85 in just 1-2 evenings by farming heli crash sites on low-population servers. Then they move over to high-population servers and abuse it along the usual south-coast bottlenecks. Without the L85s thermal camera they'd be a lot more vulnerable, even to new spawns - I think they'd learn pretty fast not to bother camping the busy south coast as its just an easy way to lose good gear. Personally I don't get why a player with that kind of gear would want to waste time on new spawns anyway. Don't get me wrong, when it comes to player encounters I shoot-first-ask-questions-later... but i'd much rather tactically ambush a well geared player/squad in the central/northern regions to supplement my gear than get kicks out of killing players that are hardly any threat to me and have no gear. But yeah, over the last 2 weeks I've noticed a lot of "bandit-snipers" with Range finders, AS50s, L85s and Ghillie. A month ago I wouldn't of imagined seeing that kind of kit south of Stary Sobor - let alone banking on it enough to farm it.