Current opinions regarding players killing on sight?

[Sterling (DayZ) 22]

Last night me and my friend were entertaining ourselves on a server with the map known as Panthera. We decided to pretty much claim New Skooma and "invite" players to join us, where "things are better" and we even used advertisements in side channel to attempt to draw in more people, we wanted action. Panthera typically doesn't have a "Cherno" or "Elektro", so we decided to make our own at New skooma. Some more advertisements we had were "HaNewSkoomatata, what a wonderful city," and "Come to New Skooma, named after the very renown drug from Elder Scrolls Lore." Needless to say, a lot of amusement was derived from this, we had our own little "flight channel", lots of action took place here, lots of vehicles came by and accidents occured, the Industrial Building located around the Southwestern Area of New Skooma was toppled by two helicopters crashing into the exact same level, killing both me and my buddy, a "repeat of 9/11" as the player so enthusiastically claimed. As I was about to get off of the game for the night, I approached the southern end of Panthera to situate myself for when I log in next. But as I was steadily nearing New Skooma, I noticed a player not too far off. The player had neither a hero skin, nor a bandit skin, and he had some sort of rifle on his back. He clearly did not notice me in the least, he stopped to loot a dead player's body and continued on further South. With a m9sd in hand (the server spawned you with a m9sd), I made quick haste and managed to shoot him a few times, he turned around and made several quick shots out of desperation, all but maybe one of them missed, and I finally finished him off. He was clearly unhappy as he wrote "YOU F**KING C**T." A friend told me to write "Welcome to New Skooma, <Insert player name here>." And I did just that. I looted his body and found some very nice loot, a M24 with several mags for it, a FN FAL with mags for that as well, an ALICE Bag and a crap-load of supplies. Eventually he respawned and complained a bit further, except this time in Side channel. Can't really remember what he wrote, if I recall correctly it was just rage, and then a good 10 or so minutes later me and my buddy called it a night.

Looking back at the above story, I remember killing on sight without hesitation. I enjoyed it. I never thought it through, I never thought "what if these players were fresh-spawns", nor did I ponder on the legitimacy of their own vehicles / items and the possibilities of whether or not what I did was of any moral righteousness, or if morality plays no role in this what so ever, this is a video game isn't it?

I've played this mod since around July and August, but haven't touched it since then, what are people's current opinions regarding killing-on-sight-players?

Edited January 3, 2013 by Sterling

[Rage VG 4033]

I believe we should quickly define what we mean by KOSing and intentionally going around looking for kills.

By KOSing, I mean when you happen upon another survivor, you will shoot the moment you get an opportunity. This wouldn't be looking for someone to kill, and I am fine with it. I don't do it myself, but if other people do it, it's okay. It's part of the game that makes it what it is.

[RoastEl_Cheapo 1]

I don't KOS, but if they have weapons better than a hatchet, I don't see a problem with it.

[Sterling (DayZ) 22]

I believe we should quickly define what we mean by KOSing and intentionally going around looking for kills.

By KOSing, I mean when you happen upon another survivor, you will shoot the moment you get an opportunity. This wouldn't be looking for someone to kill, and I am fine with it. I don't do it myself, but if other people do it, it's okay. It's part of the game that makes it what it is.

I guess you could say what I did within my story was "lure players in" and then "kill on sight." A nice mixture of both I suppose. There are clear differences between the two, one is killing on sight, in every sense of that phrase, and the other is the direct action of attempting to draw players to you for kills. The actions are different, but the behavior is similar, same as the outcome.

[BwobBwub 660]

I think some people over-react to bandits.

OH MY GOD YOU KILLED A FRESH SPAWN!1!!!1 YOU BAMBI!!""!11 ILL GET FRANKIE TO KILL YOU!!

It went something like that.

Funniest reaction to bandit I've seen.

[terminal_boy 860]

Personally, I'm not shooting anyone who isn't a threat.

Everyone else can play DayZ their way, but if you choose to shoot fresh spawns who are zero threat to you, you're a bellend.

[Rage VG 4033]

The actions are different, but the behavior is similar, same as the outcome.

Quite the opposite, imo. The actions are the same (Ending the life of another person to better your position and well-being), however the behavior is different (One is an aggressive act of self defense, the other is more offensive and may not be for self defense.).

[smore98 225]

I don't tend to kill people very often, and when I do, it is usually in the matter of survival ratio or supplies.

I create a survival ratio in which I examine the player from a safe, unnoticeable distance, examining their gear and actions. If they prove to be a threat, I will execute the step in which I will have to terminate them, to increase my odds of survival. This accounts for future encounters, so I don't get bitten in the ass later.

Supplies, or just plain "Banditry", is not a step I tend not to preform in order to assist me with whatever situation it is, whether it be blood, food, water, or broken bones.

Do I kill for fun? Occasionally, usually with some buds to increase the odds. It's best just to condone the PvP within the game, as long as it's not killing a bunch of fresh spawns for giggles.

And no, the excuse "I am giving them my ammo" does not account for you actions...

[krihelion 175]

Leave no survivors

[Inception. 9443]

Generally I will only kill those in deservation, as I find that just.

But, there is a server that I play on [uS46] where in most cases everyone is bloody friendly. No one really ends up killing each other, if they're regulars on the server. So I tend to go full bandit--I will kill on sight anyone who I see that I do not know/I am not rolling with at the time.

Also, on AU46 I have a full-bandit character [but this only applies to up north, I'll tend to avoid people down south as a freshspawn]. I went on a killing-streak of 12 kills within 20 minutes near Starry Sobor. Blew up the abhorred bus with a grenade and killed two people.

[Siberian (DayZ) 527]

while i dont really have a problem with it so much as i fear for what it means for the game long term..

its a problem like a snowball rolling down a hill..it just keeps getting to be a bigger and bigger epidemic.

back when dayz first appeared people used to be very coop and KoS was uber rare. but as the asshats rolled in and people got sik of getting popped whilst trying to say friendly or worse yet told friendly then shot in the back later. ..

it soon started to become normal to just shoot first. now its become were coop is basicly the uber rare occurence..

its a shame really cuz if the KoS issue just keeps snowballing, all ur left with is DM on a massive map..

which is a shame cuz DayZ deserves a better fate then that.

[HouBaby74 6]

I always, always, always KoS bandits. I feel that others see you as a threat the second they see you with a long rifle or shotgun of some sorts.

If you are wearin camo or a ghillie, I will almost always try to break your legs somehow. I just don't like not knowing what you are.

[ZackInGame 22]

I don't usually kill on sight. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt. If I think someone's a threat, I'll do my best to drop them. It's usually an on-case basis, but I try to avoid contact. Surviving comes first.

[The Shadow 119]

To me, i think everyone has their own take on "Killing on sight".

In my eyes, you should not shoot first at anyone who doesnt seem a threat.

[mjkproductions 12]

I'm against it. I'm a bandit, and everyone just thinks "bandit, bad" but really, I'm a bandit out of self defense. Shitty shooters made me a bandit. If someone is shooting at another person, I take them out. If someone shoots at me, I take them out. I almost NEVER take the first shot.

[Rage VG 4033]

Oh, the irony.

[zombie_humper 1]

this is a good question. i chose the fresh spawns option , but in my experiance with the game before i stopped playing due to pc problems i found that KOS is the best way to be even if they only have an axe. i played for a few hours once, had some decent gear ... i was searching a house in cherno and i heard someone creeping up the stairs. i started shooting and he shouted friendly on his mic so i stopped and offered a bandage but he did it himself. out of no were his m8s spawned in behind me and killed me, i was a little shocked lol they probs got my gear. in this game if you play alone then KOS is the best way to be , after all it is a survival game ... but killing the second they have spawned is just awkward for both the guy just killed and the killer, sitting in the trees on the coast and waitin for ppl is boring. searching for gear and then lookin for kills is how i like to play. bandits are always a KOS, they would do the same !!!

[Spixx 1]

If they got anything I am in need of, or gear I can use, then I observe them untill I find a good way to take them down. I really don't give much of a shit if other people kill on sight, or kills me on sight.

[Brittanica 26]

I kill everyone because it's fun to see others fail.

[Sutinen 635]

On the private hive I play on, I'm always friendly as long it's not a guy camping Elektro with a .50 cal. I have gotten to a few firefights because of that, but I have won them all. I still don't have the bandit skin, because I bloodbag people :D

[DiscetoPT 7]

Personally, I'm not shooting anyone who isn't a threat.

Everyone else can play DayZ their way, but if you choose to shoot fresh spawns who are zero threat to you, you're a bellend.

Me neither. The problem is anyone with a weapon of any kind becomes immediatly a threat. I once spawned in electro and was looting the industrial building in the east of it and a new spawn just approached me. I had already noticed him but did nothing about it, I had an m16 with 2 mags. The guy started following me as I was heading my way over to berezino and I saw a farm and started walking away from it so that the player hopefully wouldn't check it for a gun. He did check the farm for a gun and found one so I shot him in the face the moment he came out.

If anyone approaches you with a weapon, in the heat of the moment, they will probably engage and with that in mind at all the times, the only situiation in which I do not engage is if the person speaks to me in direct comm or if it is someone with no weapon at all.

[Chips- 58]

I try to avoid other players if they're armed. Kill if I have to. Fresh spawns should be let go or helped. It's really annoying to spawn in, run for five minutes and get shot while two bandits circle around you laughing and taunting. Happened to me today