Difficulty spotting players/positioning based on gunshots

[PooPoo 13]

I've had DayZ for about a month now and have a good hold on things. Played FPS games my whole life so I'm decent in combat. One thing that I'm really having a tough time with though is spotting players and knowing where their positions are based on gun shots. 

 

Will getting a better computer help with this (currently ordering parts for one)? Right now I'm using a 2 year old gaming laptop that barely runs the game. I can't go on high resolution and I only have texture details etc. on normal. I can spot players when they are running in open fields, but when they are in forests or places with high shrubbery, I can't spot them at all.

 

Probably the toughest thing for me is determine positions based on gun shots. Would getting good headphones help? For example I was playing with a friend and I hear this loud DMR shot. Sounds like it's behind me, but turns out my friend spotted the sniper very far on another hill to my left.

 

Also do all gun shots make that popping noise when they land near you? So if you hear a loud gun shot without the pop, you can assume it wasn't fired at you, or the person is a terrible shot?

 

If you could give me some tips on how to improve on these two things, that would be great thanks. 

Edited August 5, 2013 by PooPoo

[herrjon 478]

Better graphics will help with combat in general, but the key to figuring out position based on sound is a good set of headphones.  Don't have any firm recommendations as of right now, but you should be fine so long as they're decent quality and allow radial sounds.  Also make sure you have a mic, for other reasons.

 

The "popping" and "whizzing" means bullets are hitting things near you and flying by you.  If you're hearing that your main concern should be less of spotting the player and more of getting a general area of where they are and putting cover in between you and them.  You'll also want to look out for puffs of dirt on the ground and structures around you, as these are where the bullets are hitting.  There's really an art to it that I can't explain in so many words; just make sure you stay calm, monitor everything, and think logically, but quickly.  If all else fails, go with your gut.  If your gut feeling fails you, well you've learned your mistake and move on to the next scenario.

 

In general though, unless you have a gun and the skill to return fire, there's no need to get the exact position of a sniper after they've fired on you.  They have the clear advantage, they know exactly where you are, they are hidden from you for the most part(usually in a gillie), and they already have the right gun for the job.  You just simply need to know about where he is, predict where he may reposition to, and get to safety as fast as possible.  From there you can fight or flight, but that's heavily dependent on your play style, current gear, and combat skill.

 

One final tip if you're still struggling, try playing Arma II and its various other mods.  They are much more PvP focused than DayZ, and typically aren't so harsh on you when you screw up and die.  You can play the single-player missions, download custom missions, play armory, find a wasteland server if you want player enemies, or find another mod that fits your needs.  Regardless of what you chose, there's plenty of content and practice to be had, that doesn't have your beanz on the line. :)

[PooPoo 13]

Better graphics will help with combat in general, but the key to figuring out position based on sound is a good set of headphones.  Don't have any firm recommendations as of right now, but you should be fine so long as they're decent quality and allow radial sounds.  Also make sure you have a mic, for other reasons.

 

The "popping" and "whizzing" means bullets are hitting things near you and flying by you.  If you're hearing that your main concern should be less of spotting the player and more of getting a general area of where they are and putting cover in between you and them.  You'll also want to look out for puffs of dirt on the ground and structures around you, as these are where the bullets are hitting.  There's really an art to it that I can't explain in so many words; just make sure you stay calm, monitor everything, and think logically, but quickly.  If all else fails, go with your gut.  If your gut feeling fails you, well you've learned your mistake and move on to the next scenario.

 

In general though, unless you have a gun and the skill to return fire, there's no need to get the exact position of a sniper after they've fired on you.  They have the clear advantage, they know exactly where you are, they are hidden from you for the most part(usually in a gillie), and they already have the right gun for the job.  You just simply need to know about where he is, predict where he may reposition to, and get to safety as fast as possible.  From there you can fight or flight, but that's heavily dependent on your play style, current gear, and combat skill.

 

One final tip if you're still struggling, try playing Arma II and its various other mods.  They are much more PvP focused than DayZ, and typically aren't so harsh on you when you screw up and die.  You can play the single-player missions, download custom missions, play armory, find a wasteland server if you want player enemies, or find another mod that fits your needs.  Regardless of what you chose, there's plenty of content and practice to be had, that doesn't have your beanz on the line. :)

 

 

Yea when I hear that popping sound, I think of the most logical place they are shooting at me from and get cover. Like I said, I have really crappy sound at the moment, so can I assume if I don't hear a whizzing or popping sound, the gunshot is not directed towards me? 

[herrjon 478]

Yea when I hear that popping sound, I think of the most logical place they are shooting at me from and get cover. Like I said, I have really crappy sound at the moment, so can I assume if I don't hear a whizzing or popping sound, the gunshot is not directed towards me? 

 

Yes and no.  They could be shooting at something/someone else, or they could just be a lousy shot (a large number of "bandits" are).  Depending on the gun, distance, and location you can rule some cases out, but in general it's good practice to get into cover whenever you hear gunshots.  Generally though, if they're firing a big loud gun they're either a bambie that got lucky or they're not looking to make any friends, either way their dangerous and you don't want them to spot you.

[Vicco 123]

Surround sound and a decent directional headset  makes a world of difference.  I use a Corsair Vengeance 1500 headset.

Though I like my old 15 buck stereo headset better for some reasons, it gives no idea of direction.  The Corsair does that pretty well. 

 

It'll turn my head in the right direction.  Then it's visual.  If the shooter isn't moving, and well concealed, puffs of smoke are the big tell-tale.

 

Surround sound  and good headset might not be perfect, but it's a big jump in the right direction. 

In real life it's not always easy to pin down sound sources.  Echoes, walls redirecting sound, etc.

Seems the game might emulate that too, but I don't know.

 

 

[Statik (DayZ) 2695]

The smoother your game runs the better.

I also enjoy it on a larger screen (I play on a 27in monitor). The more monitors you have also helps (I know a guy with 3 monitors, and he spots people like no tomorrow).

 

I also need a surround sound headset. I currently have Sharktoon X-Tactic S7 headset. It's 7.1 surround, and it's amazing. Unlike a stereo headset, when someone shoots, I instantly know their general direction. If they shoot more than once I can pinpoint them quite accuratly.

 

EDIT: The cracking/popping/wizzing sound you hear, means someone is shooting at you, and it happens with all guns. If you hear that, serpentine like a mother fucker. I try to pinpoint the players general position (usually using sound) and run horizontal to them. While running horizontal, I freelook in the direction of the shots, and usually can spot the player by aggro, dust, muzzle flash (night time), or tracers. From there I usually get to cover, and if I have the option, flank the player. If I'm pinned down (i.e rock in the middle of no where, or something of the sort) my only option is to usually wait for the player to move, before I can roll out and take my shot/suppress him/her.

Edited August 5, 2013 by Statik

[boneboys 7988]

Dedicated sound card (X-Fi gamer here).

5.1 speaker system.

[danablo 12]

Can this game be played on an apple mac?

[Wolfensteinsaurus 2252]

Can this game be played on an apple mac?

NEIN, but if you use boot camp you can split the hardrive from apple to windows...

I did this, and it worked, but im warning you, its VERY HARD!

Also depends on what mac your using, im using the latest desktop iMac, its pretty good for gaming...

Edited August 5, 2013 by Wolfensteinsaurus

[dexoze 2]

if you get pinned what statik says is important wait for him to make a move if you are pinned or in cover and look in the direction where you heard the shoots (in 3rd person) generally you can spot him if you wait long enought. Dayz is a waiting game in fights (sorry for my english)