so, dayz is infact mainly pve, not pvp as i thought.

[Johnny Trigger 3]

i really want to like this game for the pvp aspect of it and i gave it several hours playtime today, but i am frustrated and near to being finished. i guess this post is a final grasp for air.

 

Now i have to ask, is this game mainly about dealing with zombies or is it about pvp?  it was my understanding that this game was about pvp in a post apocalyptic setting...  this was my purpose in buying this game (arma 2). but i find that it is mainly about crawling through grass trying to be silent to avoid zombie detection.

 

and to add to the frustration, i am having trouble just getting a melee weapon to deal with zombies.  it is my understanding that there are only 2 melee weapons in this game?  a axe and a machete?  why cant i find a pipe, or even tear a branch off a tree, or a dead branch in the forest, anything blunt and hard to bash in a zombie skull?  no. you can only use an axe and good luck finding one.  i have searched towns. crawled around looking for open doors.   occassional find something but never in all my hours of searching have a found a melee weapon.  i found a pistol once. that is the only weapon i found.

 

speaking of towns, every town is full of buildings but all i can search is maybe a random shack or an outhouse? all others are just props (so frustrating to crawl up to a building and realize its just a prop, and then to further realize that 90 percent of the buildings in the town are props so there is no point even trying to approach them).

 

so sadly i have come to realize that dayz is not mainly about pvp, but it is mainly about evading zombies, crawling through grass looking for shitty gear in outhouses attached to prop buildings.

 

if anyone wants to help me then please let me know where i can gear up without having to crawl around a town that is fully emersed in pve (zombies)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Beck (DayZ) 1768]

Someone spent way to much time watching awesome youtube videos of combat, and didn't realize that, to get the gear they had to crawl through city after city to get it. (Or they just hack it in like frankie)

You need to find yourself a server where you spawn with everything.

BTW: If you bought ArmA 2 for DayZ you are missing out :\

Edited August 3, 2013 by Beck

[-Gews- 7443]

if anyone wants to help me then please let me know where i can gear up without having to crawl around a town that is fully emersed in pve (zombies)

 

1. ArmA 2, filter for "Wasteland".

2. DayZCommander, filter for "spawn with DMR".

3. PvP-oriented private hive.

[Grunner 96]

• Welcome to the forums.

• You probably need to dedicate more than a few hours play to obtain a reasonable grasp of the mechanics & loot spawns.

• The game can be about PvE or PvP or a combination of both. Play how YOU would like to play.

• There is also a crowbar & baseball bat available as melee options, & engine limitations mean you can't break off tree branches, lead pipes, etc. but that is a splendid suggestion. Loot spawns are divided into different categories: military, residential, farms & industrial. If you can't find an axe easily you're doing it wrong, so check this map because clearly you're not having fun 'earning' your gear. http://dayzdb.com/map

• After a while you'll know which buildings are props, and adjust your route through towns to compensate. Loot can spawn on the ground around (some of) these buildings too.

• DayZ is about survival. That's all. It is unforgiving, and you won't be greeted by playful little tooltips or a tutorial fairy holding your hand the whole way. You're a grown-up & if you're not then you probably think you are so I'm sure you can work the rest out.

• Bullet points rock.

[other_barry 9]

The beginning is more PvE as you work your way up from your humble beginnings, then the PvP comes as you gear up to a level where you can engage people with a good chance of success.  "Several hours" of play is really just dipping your toe into the game, learning where to loot and how to avoid zombies.  After several more you should have the water canteens, hunting supplies and familiarity with the world to sustain yourself, then you'll be ready to start gearing up for PvP, establishing tents and working on vehicles as you see fit

 

The best advice I can give is, if you haven't already, familiarize yourself with the map at www.dayzdb.com/map.  There you can learn which buildings will give you loot, what kinds of loot to expect, and how to get around the huge map.  Probably the best way to get a decent weapon without encountering other people at the "hot" military loot sites is to go deer-stand hopping around the map.

 

What makes this game's PvP so intense is that it can break out when you least expect it, and every fight puts your hard-earned gear on the line

[dallas 5195]

DayZ is what you make of it.

 

Search work sheds, industrial areas, barns and farm houses for axes.

[C0okieH 156]

DayZ is what you make of it.

 

Search work sheds, industrial areas, barns and farm houses for axes.

Edited August 3, 2013 by C0okieH

[prominentalex 76]

http://dayzmod.com/forum/index.php?/topic/47694-general-survivorbandit-tips-for-beginners/
 
Is a decent, but kinda outdated guide I made but haven't updated.
 
 
 
No PVP you say?

Edited August 3, 2013 by prominentalex

[BwobBwub 660]

You got DayZ and you think it's possible to get even basics without looting around towns. D'oh.

Looting is one of the basics of DayZ.

[Level19 19]

so what did you expect? that was the main objective of the game to start with.

 

the pvp aspect is an optional thing because if you were to survive in a zombie apocalypse, people start to feel unsafe because they try and protect the last source of materials they have left.

[Fraggle (DayZ) 15720]

This post is actually quite refreshing, usually it's the opposite:  "DayZ is just a pvp game QQ" and so on.

 

OP - It really is what you make of it, that's why it's become so popular, it's also popular because at first it's a very hard game to get the hang of and many people like that as opposed to the usual hand-holding we get in other games.

 

It could be that it's just not the game for you.  If PVP is your sole focus you may be dissapointed as at it's heart it's a survival game.  Having said that, if you stick with it and learnthe basics, when you do have your first firefight you'll start to see why people like it so much, for many the combat in DayZ is more tense/exciting than any other game out there because if you die, it's game over.

[kander 80]

I've played for hundreds of hours now, and my main tip is the game gets so much easier once you get your first melee weapon. Even a baseball bat. EVEN a baseball bat.

 

Sure, you'll need to sneak around for a while. By all means pick up a rifle or shotgun for emergencies / unexpected PvP situations, but drop it the second you find a melee weapon unless you have a pack that will take it.

 

Then you can sprint around towns to your heart's content looking for good stuff. To lose aggro, all you need to do is run into one of the larger buildings (supermarket, fire station, industrial barn, pink house) and line up zed kills as quickly as they come through the door. This will help you clear spaces easily and keep up your supplies of the basics such as beanz, soda and bandages as the zeds will drop them.

[OrLoK 16182]

Hello there

 

As the others have kindly pointed out, this is not your usual run of the mill game and some aspects are "illogical", but when one considers it's roots and does a little Googling (or even reads the forum) then one can see that it's not "just" a slap the Zombie game, rather it's leaning towards a sandbox environ where the world is player driven.

 

At the moment it's "easy" for those with a weapon to simply shoot another player and take his well earned gear, hence the vast amount of PVP. This is an issue the dev's are aware of.

 

A few hours in game on a vanilla server is really not enough IMHO to get a decent taste of what the mod (which is continually evolving) can offer both team players and lonewolves.

 

Lastly I personally would stay away from "custom" servers which offer more loot/areas etc as they usually dilute the game far too much IMHO.

 

Rgds

 

LoK

[Johnny Trigger 3]

thank you for all the replies.

 

the most helpful tip has been the use of the dayzdb.com map, paying attention to where you spawn and getting your bearings.  i did not realize the map shows loot points and even a image of the structure.  once i made this discovery things became easier.

 

also i have discovered that sprinting to a barn or other large enterable structure is a great tactic, in that the zombies cannot run once inside. 

this discovery ties in with Kander's comment.  great idea Kander, in harvesting zombies that way.

 

i have also discovered that you can 'farm' a barn for example by logging inside one, and going to a different server.   kind of a hacking way to find gear but it seems to work.

[kander 80]

thank you for all the replies.

 

the most helpful tip has been the use of the dayzdb.com map, paying attention to where you spawn and getting your bearings.  i did not realize the map shows loot points and even a image of the structure.  once i made this discovery things became easier.

 

also i have discovered that sprinting to a barn or other large enterable structure is a great tactic, in that the zombies cannot run once inside. 

this discovery ties in with Kander's comment.  great idea Kander, in harvesting zombies that way.

 

i have also discovered that you can 'farm' a barn for example by logging inside one, and going to a different server.   kind of a hacking way to find gear but it seems to work.

 

Not a problem JT! glad to be able to help.

 

Re your barn farming, this is generally frowned upon and may result in being banned from a server if you do it too obviously. It's not the worst DayZ sin, but still... It's better to patrol routes where you can hit up a number of places in what could be considered a legitimate gaming 'session' (for me these days it's about an hour!) and yet still be in the area for next login, or for the loot timer to reset (see below).

 

Also, do note that if you log in on top of a loot spawn site, then loot will not spawn. The mechanic is that loot spawns as you approach it, i.e. crossing an invisible line coming from far to near. I think this is about 120m and you have to leave and come back 10 mins later (the loot timer) for (re)spawn if no loot is present.

Edited August 5, 2013 by kander

[Fraggle (DayZ) 15720]

thank you for all the replies.

 

the most helpful tip has been the use of the dayzdb.com map, paying attention to where you spawn and getting your bearings.  i did not realize the map shows loot points and even a image of the structure.  once i made this discovery things became easier.

 

also i have discovered that sprinting to a barn or other large enterable structure is a great tactic, in that the zombies cannot run once inside. 

this discovery ties in with Kander's comment.  great idea Kander, in harvesting zombies that way.

 

i have also discovered that you can 'farm' a barn for example by logging inside one, and going to a different server.   kind of a hacking way to find gear but it seems to work.

I'm glad you've started to have fun.  

 

As Kander said above, farming gear the way you described by server hopping or "ghosting" is frowned upon by many.  It's doesn't really matter I just thought I'd let you know, many people feel that it defeats the whole point of the game, and some admins may ban for it it they see you doing it too much, although I think that's fairly rare.

 

My tip for looting would be to just explore the map.  That's half the fun of DayZ.  I personally can't think of anything more boring than trying to loot the same building over and over, it just doesn't make sense to me.

 

Be aware that in the Standalone version of the game measures will be put in place to eventually stop people server hopping so it may be a habit you want to break now rather than later.  

 

Also, logging out during combat is probably one of the worst things you can do in terms of bad sportsmanship.  Many admins will ban you straight away if you do that.  I know you're still learning and probably aren't at that point yet but i just thought I'd let you know, if someone starts shooting at you then you either have to fight or run, forget about logging out.

 

Have fun dude, sounds like you're getting the hang of it.

Edited August 5, 2013 by Fraggle

[Johnny Trigger 3]

so, i have drifted back to my first rant.   i have to say, a hatchet IS VERY VERY RARE.  WHY?  i have been playing for 4 days and have found only 1.

 

and to top that off, a pistol does not one shot a zombie, it does not 2 shot a zombie, nor 3 shot. maybe 4, probably 5 or 6.  now we all know that ammo is not plentiful in this game right?

 

hate to gripe because i was starting to get a feel for the game. but after the pitiful experience i had with a G17 and M9, i went searching.  found this:  http://dayzdb.com/news/weapon-changes-in-arma2-162?p=1#comments

 

did this gun nerf actually go in? cause i sure can believe that it did, given the behavior of the 2 pistols i found.

 

so, bottom line, a hatchet is very very very rare (seen one in 4 days) and pistols are worthless.  zombies are super fast and dont quit chasing you.  why?  honestly do something to balance this...

 

i like the zombie concept, the feel of risk to get gear, but cmon this is ridiculous. 

 

reading the comments on that link above just shows that i am not alone. honestly guns should be affective or make ammo more plentiful., OR have melee weapons scattered about like empty tin cans are,  OR tone down the zombies.  something really should be done.  the game is not balanced at all.

 

 

edit:spelling

Edited August 6, 2013 by Johnny Trigger

[TIC 1050]

I kinda blame Youtubers for promoting DayZ as something that gives people before buying Arma 2 an idea that "it's intended to play strictly to killing players for survival"

[chillobongo 2]

try just to headshot the zombies.saving much ammo. and if they r hunting u look for the next pine tree or bush and go in it. after they loose aggro u are good to go again ;)

[Fraggle (DayZ) 15720]

Headshots are your friend.

[LordDante 30]

Headshots are your friend.

Also never get cornered, always run.

Cut corners, loose the zed by cutting their line of site to you (works really well in cities).

When chased by zed, never enter a building that only has one entrance.

Hatchets are most commonly found in industrial building, you can't just find them anywhere.

And most important: NEVEReverEVEReverNeverEVER use a Lee Enfield in a city.*derp*

[xWildChild 30]

And most important: NEVEReverEVEReverNeverEVER use a Lee Enfield in a city.*derp*

 

Unless you can handle it!

[Johnny Trigger 3]

found a machete.  thank you dayz gods (small g).   then, after i find a machete, i find another machete... ,and a hatchet.  go figure..

 

now zombies are easy to kill.  so i find a rifle. and then find out that you have to choose between a rifle and a machete.........????

 

why isnt the machete (or hatchet) a side arm?  it is the replacement for a pistol (close range) so why would it not be designated a side arm?  is this an arma 2 thing or a dayz thing?

[kander 80]

It's a hassle JT, but not a real problem. Now, drop the machete. It does no more damage than the hatchet (AFAIK) and the hatchet is more useful. Add the hatchet to the toolbelt, freeing storage space. All you need to do when trying to get rid of a bunch of zeds is go to the back of a large building, drop your rifle on the ground and pull out the hatchet (remove from toolbelt) to kill the zeds. Put the hatchet back on the belt when you are done and pick up the rifle again. This way, you can run and gun most of the time, with the only exception being if you are in a town with no large buildings and you need to sneak kill zeds because engaging in melee is too dangerous. You start off thinking that it's a pain having to drop your gun when you fight with a melee weapon, but it is quite realistic and doesn't take long to drop/pick up when appropriate.

 

You should, though, have the option of just shouldering a rifle if you have a strap so that you could still wield a hatchet, maybe wield a hatchet with decreased accuracy and damage because of the rifle maybe getting in the way. New idea for DayZ SA - rare find - rifle strap: allows you to quickly 'store' a compatible primary weapon for quick access to another primary/hatchet etc. 

Edited August 7, 2013 by kander

[Fraggle (DayZ) 15720]

found a machete.  thank you dayz gods (small g).   then, after i find a machete, i find another machete... ,and a hatchet.  go figure..

 

now zombies are easy to kill.  so i find a rifle. and then find out that you have to choose between a rifle and a machete.........????

 

why isnt the machete (or hatchet) a side arm?  it is the replacement for a pistol (close range) so why would it not be designated a side arm?  is this an arma 2 thing or a dayz thing?

It's an Arma 2 thing.  Remember that DayZ is a mod of a pretty old game that is a military sim.  Arma 2 had no melee combat at all so the mod developers have done their best to shoehorn it in.  Technically in the mod melee weapons are just modified sidearms.  There's nothing more the devs can do about it because it's a mod. 

Edited August 6, 2013 by Fraggle