New player - What do you think of my strategy?

[indalcecio 23]

I'll try and keep this relatively short: been playing for only a week, but I have put a lot of hours into the game just in that week. I think one of the first nights I played for like 8 hours straight - needless to say, I'm liking it.

So basically, my strategy is this: immediately after spawning, I go to the nearest city, and loot it. This is because, well I just spawned, if I get killed, no big deal, just respawn.

But then, once I get just about ANYTHING worth taking (usually I try and get everything I need to make fire and kill/gut animals), I get the hell out of the city, and head north. I wander around the countryside, only looting the small villages and barns and stuff while staying in tree lines. Eventually I get some decent gear.

This is sort of a slow way to play, but I don't get bored. And I've noticed that when I wander around the countryside, sooner or later I have a good chance of finding a heli crash site. I've found three so far already.

So I figure since I'm able to get decent gear, I must be doing something right. After that, I do it again: I just keep looting fairly safe villages. You might ask why I don't try anywhere more dangerous once I have better loot....well the answer is I don't try anywhere more dangerous BECAUSE I have better loot. What it adds in protection, having better gear MORE than makes up for in making you a higher value target.

This time, though, I try to find a tent. Then I make myself a "kit" - I put survival gear and the best weapon I can find (second best, actually, since I like to actually USE the best) in a hidden tent. This gives me a safety net of sorts, so I can go to Cherno or Elektro and try to find other players to team up with, or occasionally run into bandits and kill or get killed. I'm still really new so I do get killed somewhat often, but the one thing I've noticed I'm pretty good at is hiding tents - none of them have been found so far.

I like playing this way because I know I'm going to die eventually, and it's really nice to not lose EVERYTHING when that happens. Makes things really fun, and I'm not so afraid to take risks every now and then. If anyone has any criticism or insight/advice to add, please share.

[Falabox 76]

I like your strategy but I will not leave tthe first city without a comppas or a map and a good amount of food and drinks (or tools to make them) and then I plan my route passing by all the deer stand until stary sobor and after that I go to the NW airfield.

(But you need l337 skillz to do it brah

With affect

xXTh3Zn1p3rXx)

[beastoverlord 574]

Best strategy: Avoid Cherno and Electro like the plague. There is no gear there you can't get somewhere else. They are overrated.

[indalcecio 23]

Best strategy: Avoid Cherno and Electro like the plague. There is no gear there you can't get somewhere else. They are overrated.

I agree. I only go there right after spawning if I spawn close to one because I have nothing to lose.

[DemonGroover 8836]

I love the Cherno/Elektro trail - in fact i haven't been much further north in months.

[Trizzo 632]

Best strategy: Avoid Cherno and Electro like the plague. There is no gear there you can't get somewhere else. They are overrated.

NO! Don't deprive yourself of one of the most nerve racking experiences you will ever have!

Cities have one thing. People. Looting where there are lots of people is fun. I started out as a bambi pussy as most did. Now I'm a hopeless adrenaline junkie. As you collect more gear the tension rises. The more time you invest in a city the more you have to loose but the longer you stay to more you will gain. The longer your linger the greater the chance of a player encounter.

My favorite feeling is exfiltrating a city with a kit that I am happy with, bursting with potenital and fear, heading for the country...dreading the snipers. One of the core experiences of DayZ is the two cities. More and more I stay in the cities for extended periods trying to almost get a full kit, from loot spawns and dead players. Living as a city rat is fun. Next death I'm planning to live in Cherno with a commitment to staying alive for as long as possible. Surviving, looting, hiding...and maybe killing :)

To the OP, your strat is pretty much the standard one I feel. I feel that there is no point not running into where the loot is good when you have nothing to loose. When I have some loot, even some basic stuff (that can be pesky to aquire) I then switch to guile.

Edited January 14, 2013 by Trizzo

[Xucphra 453]

Gear is overrated. There are so many "rare" items in the system because the script kiddies are always bringing more in. I've never had a hard time finding NVGs and things of that sort when I want them.

Virtually everything is easily replaced in DayZ. Hanging out in the dangerous player-frequented places is much more interesting than playing countryside hermit.

Edited January 14, 2013 by Xucphra

[HooWoo 107]

First time I got an m14 aim and a dmr I went straight to Cherno, why? Because I wanted to lose my stuff, sounds weird I know but I kind of wanted to start again, I think I got killed by an invisible hacker with a silenced weapon because I was going down the fire station stairs and looked to my right as I half went down one and then I got shot from where I was going to be in a few seconds of side strafing

I just can't stay away from the adrenaline rush, 18 kills on my first character, not bad ay?

Sniping isn't fun, I layed down for 10 seconds with my DMR and then decided against it and went straight into the city with my m14, love that gun :')

[pr3llox 63]

aaaaaah the adrenalin of running into cherno with hardcore gear on a full server with fresh spawns that has nothing to lose...

Thats whats Dayz does best: literally makes you feel that your hearth is pumping inside of your chest.

You should try that sometimes too..

[OrLoK 16190]

<----- city rat also.

[Bludy 324]

i play like you, same strategy dealing with the big cities..i stay without problems in special occasions, like spotting people with heavy gear, or if i find a vehicle(once i fixed the famous motorcycle at the gas station of cherno, and actually two others were repairing that)

i also team up with a friend and go for military spots or vehicles, and this often causes our death. i like the hermit style..you get some decent gear from deerstands and it's quite funny to spot people in the distance and trying to see what they are doing..

[20thCenturyGamer 16]

1st thing i do aft respawn , rush to cherno /elektro get the best gun i can find that has ammo which arnt hard to find. Gather as much tools , get a balance of meds , food , ammo and drinks.

This is what i aways take : atleast 2 morphine , 3 bandages , 2 pain killer , 8 pistol bags , 3-5 primary ammo , 1 chem light , 3/4 drinks , as much food as i can carry.

[DMC14 46]

Gear is overrated. There are so many "rare" items in the system because the script kiddies are always bringing more in. I've never had a hard time finding NVGs and things of that sort when I want them.

Virtually everything is easily replaced in DayZ. Hanging out in the dangerous player-frequented places is much more interesting than playing countryside hermit.

i have only ever found one set of nvg's (i died before night fall).

[indalcecio 23]

I know it probably seems like "new player, scared of dying in the big cities" but honestly that's not it. Yeah, I'm new, but I like encounters with other players (when I'm prepared anyway - sometimes it happens when I'm not, that's part of the game). It's more the simple fact that there isn't anything in Elektro/Cherno that you can't get walking North for 20 minutes, with way less risk. And then you have the advantage of being closer to NWAF.

[bad_mojo (DayZ) 1204]

If you avoid taking risks because of the gear you have, you're missing out on playing the game. The same can be said about not valuing your life because you have no gear.

Basically, don't let your gear define your game.

[LeReidy 8]

I do the exact same. Me and my friends usually loot out cherno for our starter gear then head north to stary/nw taking our time in hopes of heli crashes. It works everytime. Usually find 2 or 3 on the way up.

[jesterthemolester 0]

this is my main route from anywhere i usually head towards Zub since its a castle that no one really knows about and if they do there may be tents. The reason there are so many stops is because I just avoid cities and farms and little cities still have food/drink loot. http://imgur.com/X171U,CUVXA#0

-The red line maze more up north is just several different options depending if the loot in other areas weren't that great.

Edited January 15, 2013 by jesterthemolester

[victusmortuus 1074]

I'm going to scout around the outskirts for a year and then finally come into Cherno like this.

[Sula 1205]

Benito, sounds like a great strategy! :thumbsup:

Me I head for Cherno, which I don't like, and then on to Elektro, which is my favourite place on the map. Then I hit the deer stands, then fill up on more water, hunt more food, head to Stary then cross country to either airfields after a maybe a day trip to Zelano or Berezino . :)

[mariokartjkl 3]

after i spawn i go to a city for take some foods and drink,and a map,after that i go to the city where i can find a weapon etc etc

[brievolz84 0]

I too have been playing for about a week now and what I normally do is high tail it to the nearest city either Elektro or Cherno (once I get my bearings because I have yet to find a map or a GPS) and begin to creep around and loot the normal spots. Once I get a good pack and some food, water and a weapon, I head north. I'm not that paitent so once I get the gear I try to exfil as quick as possible which normally results with my death, but it's really fun having a group of zeds follow you and evading them in the city. Most of the time I'm playing at night because that's the only time I can play so once I get a melee weapon like the hatchet, I merc zeds that are in my way.

Playing during the daytime is a bit more challenging because you have to use cover and, at least for me, I have to observe and crawl to get to my loot (if only there was stealth camo from MGS4!). Does anyone know of a better strategy for fast movement in cities and the coast or does everyone that resawns follow the same techniques of observation, crawling and cover??

[Rott (DayZ) 218]

<----- city rat also.

love the

Zardoz avatar pic ... gg

[Catalyzr 0]

That's a great strategy.

It's worth it to risk going into Cherno/Electro right when you spawn, so that you can quickly loot for basic survival items.

I've found supermarkets to be the best resources in the game right when you spawn; in addition to food, you can sometimes find decent weapons, ammo, or even compass/map at a supermarket.

[Jakalanche 3]

My strategy is quite similar to yours Benito. But to be honest the reason why I survive for long periods at a time is because ( Im amazingly talentent and) I live with what I got and not be greedy. Yeah sure you want a nice gun, but ask yourself, is it worth it when I already have nice stuff? No. Reward divided by Risk. If you have a positive number that isnt 1, go ahead. Otherwise staying away from high risk places are the best way to go (unless your noob and play on servers with low populations, which is ok until you get better). My next move is to find a very low trafic area, hidden and far away from anything but water, make a small base, invite some friends and there you have it the best way of surviving. Have the bare essentials and a solid weapon and your good.