Newbie. Can't find people, and can't access map

[PooPoo 13]

Hey everyone,

I join high player count servers all the time. Like 40+, however I've been playing for a week and haven't run into a single person yet. Is this normal? I know the map is huge, but do you have to plan to meet up with people if you actually want to see someone in the game?

Also I can't access the map. I press M and a screen pops up but it's blank (nothing there). Anyone know why?

Thanks

[Statik (DayZ) 2695]

As for finding people:

Do you spawn and just run wherever? Or are you running into large towns such as Cherno and Elektro? You're more likely to find players in a town/airfield then you will in a forest.

For your map, you have to find one. They spawn in residential areas, and the Super market. I would suggest going to a town checking any and all Stores, Pubs, Red and Orange brick houses.

Good luck!

[PooPoo 13]

As for finding people:

Do you spawn and just run wherever? Or are you running into large towns such as Cherno and Elektro? You're more likely to find players in a town/airfield then you will in a forest.

For your map, you have to find one. They spawn in residential areas, and the Super market. I would suggest going to a town checking any and all Stores, Pubs, Red and Orange brick houses.

Good luck!

Ah that explains it. When I spawn, I run to the nearest town. But there is usually only 1 or 0 buildings that I can even walk in. I just scavenge what I can, usually bullets and some random stuff like chemlights. Am I doing it wrong? Is there some place I should be going? If so, how can I find it without a map?

[1999ludo@live.it 4]

Its hard to casually find people in forest and/or bases, just go to Stary Sobor and meet 40 snipers with AS50s, SVDs and everything to kill every moving form of life.

[Statik (DayZ) 2695]

In the bottom right corner, when you spawn it will say two things, the first is "Chenarus" which is the country. The next is the town.

Some good spawns are "Chernogorsk" "Elektrodavsk" "Cap Golova" "Airstrip" "Balota"

Some "bad" spawns are "Kamenka" "Komorovo" "Crutoy Cap" and depending on where you want to go "Solnichny" and "Factory" and "Three Vallies"

The "bad" spawns aren't close to much loot, while spawns like Cherno and Elektro are close to big towns with a bunch of loot.

Keep in mind the "good" and "bad" spawns are personal preference, and just because you get a spawn like Kamenka, doens't mean you can't loot. Each spawn has a route that can get you good starter loot (i.e. Kamenka, run to Zelen, Vybor, NWAF).

Good luck.

[PooPoo 13]

Alright, so if I'm in a "bad spawn" with no map how do I find a good spawn like Elektro? The place is huge, I have no idea how I would possibly run there without dying of thirst.

[Trollz0r 5]

i dont know if it helps you but if you dont have a compass this is great: clouds in dayz ( chernarus) always fly to the east. It really helped me to find bigger citys like elektro or cherno without map or compass.

sry for my english im german :DD

greez

[GBTP 114]

You could look at a map online, but technically that might be considered cheating if you don't have one in game. Follow the road along the coast and you will find bigger cities. if you hit an area without trees or road youre at the edge of the map. turn around, rinse, repeat.

[SixGunLover 54]

People are evil, stay away from them.

[JeffDetroit 717]

Finding you way around the Chernarus without an in-game map is pretty straightforward IF you know what the map of Chernarus looks like.

While some might feel it is cheating to look at maps from other websites/databases, I figure that if you play DayZ enough, you'll eventually find an in-game map, and be able to absorb the landmarks/cities anyhow, so what's the harm in just having one to review from elsewhere? I actually downloaded one from online to my cellphone (as an App) and consult it from time to time.

Okay, so looking at your Chernarus map (from wherever) you'll see that typically you will spawn in along the Southern coast, sometimes, or along the Eastern coast (rarer). That means that, keeping the ocean to your right (or at least in view from the hill past the road) will (if coming from the West) lead you right to the fun cities of Balota, Cherno and Elektro. Hot spots of player v. player interation. If you find yourself in the middle of nowhere up along the East coast, then (duh) keep the ocean to your LEFT and make your way to Elektro, Cherno and Balota.

As for navigating without a compass and map, someone correctly mentioned that studying the movement of the clouds will show you East. You can use this to lead you to in-land places from "known coastal cities" but you'll have to be pretty diligent about keeping your movement as straight as possible (so as not to meander off that Northward line from your coastal city starting point).

Doing this, the NW Airlfield (a hot spot for PvP and Military Loot) is a straight North run from Balota. Stary Sobor is straight north (kinda) from Cherno.

Also, there are Town signs and road signs (in Russian) which will serve you well. You just remember what those Cyrillic letters look like, and check out your handy map (which has English/Russian town names on it) and there you are!

Now, if you find a compass, you can at least avoid having to check the cloud movement every 15 minutes. If you find a MAP, well, then you can set Waypoints and it is a NO-Brainer...

So... enjoy.

Edited June 13, 2013 by JeffDetroit

[GBTP 114]

Wait wait wait wait wait.... You can set waypoints!?

[colekern 1364]

Alright, so if I'm in a "bad spawn" with no map how do I find a good spawn like Elektro? The place is huge, I have no idea how I would possibly run there without dying of thirst.

If you spawn in Kamenka, look away from the coast then take a right and follow the main road.

[Nuubio 61]

I've played DayZ for a hundred hours and only seen a dozen people outside airfields, the three major cities or some of the more popular towns like Vybor, Zelenogorsk, Novy/Stary Sobor and Polana. There usually are people in the mentioned places but most of the time you die without seeing them. Other than that you can sometimes encounter other people if you're running on a road and they drive past/over you.