How the hell do you suppose to know where you are?

[SeaNanners (DayZ) 1]

Ok I'm a new player. So basically every time I spawn I'm in middle of nowhere. I have no clue what location I am, so how the hell do I know where to go etc? I had a map once and I have no clue where I am located at. It dosent even say where you are in the map. Am I missing something here? Can someone guide me? Thank you :(

[Zombie Jesus 723]

Open the map with m and then shift left click an area on the map. that will place a map marker and after exiting the map there will normally be a waypoint with distance measured in meters.

When you spawn it will tell you where you are at in the lower left hand corner (but quickly) and you will always be on the coast. The clouds move to the East and if you really want to lose that sense of being lost you can always check out http://dayzdb.com/map. Enjoy being lost and just get your bearings on the coast. It is a process to learn how to properly navigate but that is what makes it fun/infuriating. Try to take notice of points of interest and different buildings so the next time you are in an area you will recognize it.

Edited September 12, 2013 by Zombie Jesus

[rossums 2190]

Normally when you load a server it tells you in the bottom corner where you are when you log on.

Just like if you were to wake up on the coast in real life from being unconcious, you wouldn't know where you are immediately, you can find your bearing using landmarks, use road signs, use a map and compass (if you can find one), the position of the sun (if you have a watch).

Plenty of ways to work out roughly where you are!

[SeaNanners (DayZ) 1]

Open the map with m and then shift left click an area on the map. that will place a map marker and after exiting the map there will normally be a waypoint with distance measured in meters.

When you spawn it will tell you where you are at in the lower left hand corner (but quickly) and you will always be on the coast. The clouds move to the East and if you really want to lose that sense of being lost you can always check out http://dayzdb.com/map. Enjoy being lost and just get your bearings on the coast. It is a process to learn how to properly navigate but that is what makes it fun/infuriating. Try to take notice of points of interest and different buildings so the next time you are in an area you will recognize it.

Do I need a map to do that? Wow Im so confused Im always by the beach -_- not a clue if im facing north, east, south or west :(

[applejaxc 2500]

What's with the copy-paste? For that matter, why do small post count members always have strange text?

 

Anyway:

 

 

Run around until you find the coast; that's generally a solid indicator of direction/location, once you've learned the map. The BEST thing to do is unload DayZ and go into the vanilla ArmA 2 editor. Spawn a paratrooper over the major cities (the ones with large, black text when zoomed out of the map), fly down slowly, run around the cities, then do the same for the airfields and random locations around the map. That's how I learn ArmA maps; hours of pissing around in the editor.

[SeaNanners (DayZ) 1]

should I follow the road to be safe? will i lead somewhere good if I follow the roads and no walking in the fields?

[Conkykillz 791]

Just Run son, and explore, it will take time but soon you will recognize your different surroundings.

[Barack Obama 215]

OMFG GUYS ITS SEANANNERS!!! I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS!!!

[SeaNanners (DayZ) 1]

OMFG GUYS ITS SEANANNERS!!! I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS!!!

Don't piss of the Syrian please. 

[elf cakes 559]

one of the best parts about playing dayZ for the first time is that you're completely lost :D enjoy it while it lasts, soon you'll know the coast better than you know the way to school :P

[*Exile* Sami 188]

Dont listen to anyone, to have the best experience is seriously to just spawn in, and run, run anywhere. I miss the days when i had no clue where i was, oh those days c:

[tommes 331]

People these days just would die with no GPS in their cellphones I guess.

[callsignBravo (DayZ) 323]

OMFG GUYS ITS SEANANNERS!!! I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS!!!

You really think thats acutally him? Derp.

Edited September 13, 2013 by callsignBravo

[fluxley 2228]

You really think thats acutally him? Derp.

 

Dude, you can't talk to President Obama like that.

[Hetstaine 10852]

Just Run son, and explore, it will take time but soon you will recognize your different surroundings.

 

 

one of the best parts about playing dayZ for the first time is that you're completely lost :D enjoy it while it lasts, soon you'll know the coast better than you know the way to school :P

 

 

Dont listen to anyone, to have the best experience is seriously to just spawn in, and run, run anywhere. I miss the days when i had no clue where i was, oh those days c:

 

 

all of that. The original feeling of not knowing where the hell you are and actually getting totally lost in a game is awesome. If you play on a regular server with all of the map markers enabled you will miss that whole experience. Just dive in and work it out  :thumbsup:

[iegle 117]

should I follow the road to be safe? will i lead somewhere good if I follow the roads and no walking in the fields?

 

Oh, yes.  Follow roads.  They are the safest places to be in the game; by all means do this.

[mr_chabowski@live.co.uk 2416]

If you see a nice man with a shemagh over his face, ask him for directions.

[Hetstaine 10852]

...clearly his outstretched hand is holding either a water bottle or a map..maybe even antibiotics.

[sausagekingofchicago 4711]

You're not supposed to.

Waypoints and starter maps ruin the experience. I found it much more fun having to use a compass and a map or even just a map to try to figure out where I was. That's just me though.

[p4triot 207]

If it was for me game wouldn't even tell you where you are when login in. I find much funnier having to find a road, and then follow it until you find a sign.

[Jex 1104]

Ok I'm a new player. So basically every time I spawn I'm in middle of nowhere. I have no clue what location I am, so how the hell do I know where to go etc? I had a map once and I have no clue where I am located at. It dosent even say where you are in the map. Am I missing something here? Can someone guide me? Thank you :(

 

This is the whole point of the game - you wake up and there's zombies everywhere. You washed up on shore maybe and don't know the land you're in so....explore and survive - this is the point of the game.

 

I would also caution the use of crutches as suggested by other players (i.e. don't use the waypoint marker on the map (which in fact only works on certain servers anyway)), just try to work it out for yourself like we all had to :)

[timedance 120]

I personally do not use a ingame-map. I also do not search for looting map...

I have a hardcopy of the arma2-map... - and a compass in the game, is all you need ;)

[Pvt. Kairis 14]

I wish I could be lost in game again.......I envy you...

 

Best is to play the game untill you know it

 

pitty you wont know what you have till you lose it

[bfisher 561]

should I follow the road to be safe? will i lead somewhere good if I follow the roads and no walking in the fields?

 

Following roads and power lines is not a terrible idea as they do eventually lead somewhere.  However walking right down the middle of the road might not be the greatest idea as there are a lot of players who will just kill you on sight for your supplies or simply just because.  Of course the places those roads and power lines lead are also filled with players who will kill you on sight for your supplies or just because,

[LeeHarveyEnfield 311]

Lost???

 

Unable to use an ounce of initiative or creative thinking to figure it out??

 

Unlucky!

 

Kill yourself, respawn and keep your eyes glued to the bottom right hand corner of the screen.