Stealth Vs. Speed

[iegle 117]

When travelling from A to B alone through a wooded area, how do you do it? Crouch walking is quiet, you are harder to spot, and you have more time to scan the area, yet you are an easy target if spotted. Crouch running is faster, you are harder to hit, but you also do not have very good situational awareness.

I am assuming we all crouch when moving about, and that we all run when crossing open areas. These may not be valid assumptions, but let's keep them out of the discussion. Also assume you are alone, so any sort of bounding overwatch is not an option. Also assume that when running we all use evasive zig-zag type movement.

For me, if the cover is decent I will crouch walk, and scan like crazy. Try to stay hidden and get the jump on others. If the cover opens up I run, slowing on occasion to survey the area. Looking for other tactics here.

[Kain Phalanx 9]

A wooded area? Like a random forest? I auto-sprint and go afk. Pretty low chance of danger.

[Inception. 9443]

A mixture of crouch, prone and sprint.

It will always depend upon the situation.

[bfisher 561]

I usually do full-on sprinting, occassionally sidestepping, then running backwards, then sidestepping the other way. My logic is other players can see you no matter how fast or slow you run or how much you crouch. But a faster target is harder to hit. You're also harder to track in a full-on sprint.

In a CQB situation like around buildings, slow and low, that is the tempo.

[camycamera 36]

A wooded area? Like a random forest? I auto-sprint and go afk. Pretty low chance of danger.

how does one auto sprint? or do you mean just hold down w? i've checked the controls and i cant seem to find a auto-sprint button :/

[iegle 117]

A wooded area? Like a random forest? I auto-sprint and go afk. Pretty low chance of danger.

Yeah, another assumption: there is a reasonable likelihood of contact with other players (e.g. woods neighbouring a city).

[Kain Phalanx 9]

how does one auto sprint? or do you mean just hold down w? i've checked the controls and i cant seem to find a auto-sprint button :/

If you use steam, there's a trick you can do with the steam overlay. It remembers what buttons you were pushing when you bring it up, so you can use it to effectively auto-sprint.

People also use weighted items on the keys. Ratchet sockets are good for that I think.

[FrankTheDuck 99]

If you use steam, there's a trick you can do with the steam overlay. It remembers what buttons you were pushing when you bring it up, so you can use it to effectively auto-sprint.

People also use weighted items on the keys. Ratchet sockets are good for that I think.

Yea I also auto sprint, Across massive distances, Although I don't use the steam over lay as it hampers my view, I simply jam a small but of plastic into the keyboard so I can still see everything clearly. I've only or twice ran into people in the open.

I rarely sneak, Unless there are other people, Even in town i pretty much always crouch running, Unless there is a reason to sneak, I won't waste my time being slow.

[Siberian (DayZ) 527]

i leeroy jenkins all the damn time.

i never crouch except to get under some low ceilings.

since i never stop moving i find speed is crucial to staying alive.

Edited November 15, 2012 by Siberian

[Goggalor 191]

I always sprint through the woods, crouch run around towns. If I'm in a really low pop server I'll just sprint through towns and duck into builds on occasion to shake the zed.

[bottar1 18]

i have an l85a2 thermal so i scan my area 24/7 and run or crouch and move fast.

[Draxx (DayZ) 61]

In the woods I am careless. Running straight into the direction of my goal.

In towns it depends: If I see Zeds spawning upon my arrival I just run through the town, loot and get the hell out of it. If Zeds are already spawned and I suppose another player is in the area I sneak and be very careful (crouch, prone, all the time in cover)

And the better my equipment is, the more paranoid I become. If I would possess a L85 I would scan all the time.

[puppetworx 474]

Auto-sprint while scanning with the 'look around' button, it's a bit of a bad habit. Yesterday I was ambushed and killed by three wookies but later I ran into two seperate players in the woods who were completely oblivious that I was there. Generally it's low risk, best not to do it around towns or in the South though.

[zackthazman 23]

Springing never any danger

[dallas 5195]

Run couched/run standing depending on the situation. I never sprint, since I'm suffer from the misconception that you exhaust your stamina too fast and are actually better off jogging. I might switch to walking, if I really don't want to get detected.

But I'd rather alert the whole town than go prone. That shit's beneath me!

Edited November 15, 2012 by Dallas

[Jex =TE= (DayZ) 218]

double tap left ctrl to lower my rifle

double tap left shift to walk

push my joystick throttle forward (mapped to move forward)

Double tap left alt to allow me to look around

I'll stop occasionally to crouch and look around, sometimes I run through a wood, sometimes I go afk whilst doing it. I never met anyone in a wood.

[DrunkPunk 159]

Unless I know for sure someone is around, I go full sprint everywhere. Hardly anyone is good enough to hit a springing, weaving target, and if they wanna try and shoot me, I'll know where they are at that point, get behind cover, flank and destroy. I very, very rarely get hit doing this. In fact, I can only think of one time someone has managed to peg me while doing this. And he was practically firing his DMR at full auto.

Yea I also auto sprint, Across massive distances, Although I don't use the steam over lay as it hampers my view, I simply jam a small but of plastic into the keyboard so I can still see everything clearly. I've only or twice ran into people in the open.

I rarely sneak, Unless there are other people, Even in town i pretty much always crouch running, Unless there is a reason to sneak, I won't waste my time being slow.

if you bring up the steam overlay while holding W, you don't need to leave it up to keep moving. it acts like you're still holding the button down, so you can alt look around freely and smoke a bowl or whatever while you travel :P

Edited November 15, 2012 by DrunkPunk

[Baka Survivor 20]

I crouch run and keep my gun lowered for better concealment and for looking less threatening should I be observed or accidentally bump into a friendly player. I frequently use alt to look around and stop quite frequently to listen to the surroundings and catch my breath. If i hear shots I investigate. Surprisingly many times have randomly encountered players in the woods, even on very low population servers. Usually they did not even know I was there as they were sprinting past.

[iegle 117]

Interesting discussion, thanks for all of your thoughts.

I am apparently far to the left on the caution scale, as I tend to crouch walk through woods 90% of the time, only running when darting through open areas to the next cover. I use the thumb button on my mouse for free-look, and scan constantly while walking. I also double back frequently to try to catch stalkers.

My characters live a long time (I must average >20 days), but they don't get as much done as you guys. :) I guess I just have the patience to enjoy long walks through the woods. Then again, I am the guy who crawled from Bor to Berezino. ;)

In my next life I might try running more and see how it goes.

[klesh 2423]

A wooded area? Like a random forest? I auto-sprint and go afk. Pretty low chance of danger.

The only times I have been shot at on site were by unseen enemies deep in a random forest. One got me, one (last evening in fact) didn't.