So does the way you play Dayz reflect your 'real life' personality?

[Jock McScottish 216]

So I have been playing Dayz for a couple of months now, im no expert, but Im getting better at surviving the dayz experience. When I say survive I MEAN survive, as I just cannot bring myself to KOS. The amount of times I have watched a survivor running in the distance & thought "heres your chance jock, improve your pvp skills by hunting this unsuspecting guy down & feast upon his gear" only to watch him disappear into the distance cos I cant bring myself to shoot on an unsuspecting player. Why? Cos its a shitty thing to do, that's why. In a nutshell, end of story. Of course, I die many times due to my good guy style, cos when someone sneaks up on me & fires I run and try to reason via direct chat. Death usually follows shortly after.

 

Sometimes my missus will pass by and stop to watch me play, & shake her head in despair watching me try to be nice only to tell me that if she was in my shoes, she would shoot first, and ask questions later. Now shes a good caring helpful person IRL, but playing Dayz? She would headshot you & feast on your beans. What I love and hate about this game in equal measures is the moral dilemma this game throws at you constantly, play good and die a lot, or play bad & become an anti-hero of sorts. The server I am playing on just now, theres a badass who sniped me, & the regulars on side-chat LOVE him for his badguyism.

 

However, the odd time I meet a fellow good guy who doesn't shoot on sight, and its a VERY odd time may I add!! the feeling of mutual euphoria... when good guys collide and swap items & good luck messages more than make up for all those negative moments when someone snipes you in the back.

 

Just thought I would ask you regulars on here as you guys are hardcore Dayz'ers IMO how easy or difficult it is for you to change personalities from your real life persona to your Dayz persona? Cos I must admit, when I meet a cold hearted murderer during play, I usually think to myself Im happy I don't know them in real life :D

[Aporis 422]

So I have been playing Dayz for a couple of months now, im no expert, but Im getting better at surviving the dayz experience. When I say survive I MEAN survive, as I just cannot bring myself to KOS. The amount of times I have watched a survivor running in the distance & thought "heres your chance jock, improve your pvp skills by hunting this unsuspecting guy down & feast upon his gear" only to watch him disappear into the distance cos I cant bring myself to shoot on an unsuspecting player. Why? Cos its a shitty thing to do, that's why. In a nutshell, end of story. Of course, I die many times due to my good guy style, cos when someone sneaks up on me & fires I run and try to reason via direct chat. Death usually follows shortly after.

 

Sometimes my missus will pass by and stop to watch me play, & shake her head in despair watching me try to be nice only to tell me that if she was in my shoes, she would shoot first, and ask questions later. Now shes a good caring helpful person IRL, but playing Dayz? She would headshot you & feast on your beans. What I love and hate about this game in equal measures is the moral dilemma this game throws at you constantly, play good and die a lot, or play bad & become an anti-hero of sorts. The server I am playing on just now, theres a badass who sniped me, & the regulars on side-chat LOVE him for his badguyism.

 

However, the odd time I meet a fellow good guy who doesn't shoot on sight, and its a VERY odd time may I add!! the feeling of mutual euphoria... when good guys collide and swap items & good luck messages more than make up for all those negative moments when someone snipes you in the back.

 

Just thought I would ask you regulars on here as you guys are hardcore Dayz'ers IMO how easy or difficult it is for you to change personalities from your real life persona to your Dayz persona? Cos I must admit, when I meet a cold hearted murderer during play, I usually think to myself Im happy I don't know them in real life :D

Yah I think it does, when I'm on my normal mood, I tend to help people, when I'm pissed off I tend to help people, When I'm really Pissed off you're gonna have a bad time...

[meat pie 632]

ya when some fucks with me I go hunt them and kill them..............oh wait

Edited October 31, 2013 by meat pie

[Inception. 9443]

No, for I am aware that it is but a game.

[wild_man 4442]

only time tell if I taking KoS bandit code into army career life :thumbsup: :ph34r:

[beavis_5000 111]

only time tell if I taking KoS bandit code into army career life :thumbsup:  :ph34r:

 

 

 

What does your Fantasy/Horror/Survival/Zombie/Post Apocolyptic video game have to do with your Army Career? Dont get me wrong I agree with alot of your post and you make me lol quite a bit but your kinda starting to freak me out KoS.

[Rikarue 2011]

Not in the slightest.

I'm a cold blooded murderer in-game, but in reality i'm the polar opposite, i'd never do anything to hurt anyone in real life. (Unless they did something to really piss me off, but that doesn't happen often.)

[wild_man 4442]

What does your Fantasy/Horror/Survival/Zombie/Post Apocolyptic video game have to do with your Army Career? Dont get me wrong I agree with alot of your post and you make me lol quite a bit but your kinda starting to freak me out KoS.

 

what I saying is I don't know answer for OP question >:(

 

I play minimum average 1 hour pvP 1st person only shooter for 6 year kill maybe 10,000's player and is true central nerve system don't recognise different things for real and fantasy experience :o

 

who know what happen first time I see enemy with gun???

 

maybe I have auto pvP mode now from game and I make react shoot no think? :|

 

is why I try always make fair fight always is chance for lose or is no enjoy the win and always keep code

 

army using now 1st person pvP games for train new guys, is reason for this - is make brain tune in for combat ;)

 

for me dayz is not only game

 

is training :)

Edited October 31, 2013 by KoS

[beavis_5000 111]

what I saying is I don't know answer for OP question > :(

 

I play minimum average 1 hour pvP 1st person only shooter for 6 year kill maybe 10,000's player and is true central nerve system don't recognise different things for real and fantasy experience :o

 

who know what happen first time I see enemy with gun???

 

maybe I have auto pvP mode now from game and I make react shoot no think? :|

 

is why I try always make fair fight always is chance for lose or is no enjoy the win and always keep code

 

army using now 1st person pvP games for train new guys, is reason for this - is make brain tune in for combat ;)

 

 

 

 

Yeah a game like DayZ could certainly help you in a combat situation. At the very least it would be better than no combat situation at all.

 

But if your not recognizing reality from fiction you need to tell you chain of command.

[wild_man 4442]

Yeah a game like DayZ could certainly help you in a combat situation. At the very least it would be better than no combat situation at all.

 

But if your not recognizing reality from fiction you need to tell you chain of command.

 

don't worry for this :D

 

i do boxing for make my mind and body discipline ;)

 

is teach me slow down breathe, relax mind and trust body

 

this moment of fight is pure reality and is make sure i remember what is difference :thumbsup:  :)

[Hetstaine 10852]

I am pretty much always nice..and it does end up pissing me off sometimes seeming as how kos and pvp is so rampant..but..it's the good guys you meet that helps me keep the faith and i refuse to go to the dark side :) I basically still play full survival regardless of getting shot a million times in the back. As 'ceppy said, it's a game so it doesn't really matter but i do prefer to swap beans over bullets.

[Diggydug (DayZ) 331]

My personality is very prevalent when I play DayZ normally.

 

I will help those I think deserve it and kill those who I think deserve it. I deal my own justice and tend to keep to myself. I'm not there to kill you or anyone else, but if you come between me and my goals I will work to overcome you and enjoy doing it.

 

I'm reluctant to turn down a nearby plea for help, but am very cautious.

 

The people who do act completely different baffle me. Is being you so bad that you don't want to do it when playing a game as social as DayZ?

[Mos1ey 6301]

I would say yes, but not in a literal sense. i.e. I don't think your Mrs. is a psychopathic killer, but I'm sure it does reflect the way that she analyzes and deals with situations to a certain extent.

 

Then again there are some people that take a more 'it's just a game'/deathmatch apparoach to DayZ and in their case I don't think it reflect on their real life personality, other than showing that perhaps they don't take gaming so seriously.

[wild_man 4442]

I would say yes, but not in a literal sense. i.e. I don't think your Mrs. is a psychopathic killer, but I'm sure it does reflect the way that she analyzes and deals with situations to a certain extent.

 

Then again there are some people that take a more 'it's just a game'/deathmatch apparoach to DayZ and in their case I don't think it reflect on their real life personality, other than showing that perhaps they don't take gaming so seriously.

 

:beans: for first line

 

:emptycan: for last word you saying

 

serious don't belong in dayz

 

is game :|

 

game is for fun experience excite fear anger pain rage laugh cry whatever but never serious :D

[Mos1ey 6301]

:beans: for first line

 

:emptycan: for last word you saying

 

serious don't belong in dayz

 

is game :|

 

game is for fun experience excite fear anger pain rage laugh cry whatever but never serious :D

 

For some people the fun is in taking the game seriously, see RP servers etc. Everyone's different. :)

[wild_man 4442]

For some people the fun is in taking the game seriously, see RP servers etc. Everyone's different. :)

 

is fair point you making

 

I put beans back in empty tin :beans:

[EndEffeKt 87]

Its difficult to answer a question like this. I personally think that the normal kos playstyle is not suited to judge players according to it, because its just the easiest and straightforward playstyle. On the other hand I would see players that try to be friendly and trustful in others as a reflection of their normal state of mind. I personally am a friendly survivor, a dota2 support-player, a battlefield medic and am working in the healthcare system...Coincidence? I dont know, I think I might just be a carebear.

 

The opposite would be a guy I met some months ago. I was lurking through Berenzino with a friend, when suddenly a survivor followed by a trail of Zeds crossed our way screaming: "Friendly friendly dont shoot!". We were like: Wth! and replied that we wont shoot if he carries on. We talked a moment about if there is loot in the supermarked or hospital and then we went further for some bigger storagehouses 300m ahead. 4min later we leave that buildings just to get shot in the back by him waiting behind a wall.

 

Its nothing special but I was really mad. Most of you might say "Yeah your own fault" and yes it was, because we trusted in the promise of a stranger. But I think that it shows some of your character if you just shoot down 2 people that just let you live and even offered you help for your critical situation, the moment they turn their back on you. I know its only a game, but still I personally could never do that, because I would feel terrible.

[Aporis 422]

is fair point you making

 

I put beans back in empty tin :beans:

Ultimate BoS of KoS You can KoS me anytime :P

[dgeesio 1034]

i killed twenty people at my local super market i didnt even loot them

[xx_fr0st-w0lf_xx 53]

I can't bring myself to shoot unarmed players, that's something I really can't do. 

[Wayze 549]

Well, my playstyle quite differs from how I think I would really be.

In the game I either KOS or go around and team up with people. Depends on what I like to do. However, in situations that requires mercilessness, I kind of tend to not do it. I remember when someone screwed me over, he killed me although he said he was friendly. I changed my name, told everyone on the server that I would need help with my broken car. So I made an ambush the car was in middle of the street. I kind of was able to make him help me, so he came. When he arrived I shot his tires, and told him to move from the car put his weapon down. I came down and wanted to execute him, and he spoke to me in direct chat. He was like "Why are you doing this?" and he was kind of afraid. And I just couldn't do it. I knew it was a game, but that was just to cruel. This dude came up here to help me, he killed me before but anyways he came here to help. I just left him and drove away with my car that was not really broken. And I even felt bad for leaving him behind because I don't know if he was able to repair his car.

 

This is something that only DayZ is able to do with me. But, as I said I do not act in DayZ how I would in real life. In real life I would just avoid everyone, probably shot on sight if someone aims at me. And I would try to group up with a few people, atleast try to do it, just to not be alone and to have someone to care for me if I am wounded, ill etc.

However, these things are not required in DayZ. I don't need to avoid everyone and shot on sight because I have unlimited lifes.

Edited October 31, 2013 by Wayze

[Wolfensteinsaurus 2252]

Uh, well...

 

This is going to be awkward...

[mercules 1290]

A long time ago I took an ethics class as well as several other philosophical courses. In many cases we were forced to deal with hypothetical situations and explain what actions we would take and our justifications for such actions. Some class mate had a lot of trouble with the exercise usually because they were the type of person for whom certain things were concrete and never shifted and those were based off of nothing but preconceived ideals. The other ones who had difficulty were the ones who's morals swung like a pendulum back and forth as the situation changed. Some people could just not present a reason for their proposed actions other than, "It's right." or "Well that is wrong."

One of the hypotheticals we dealt with was granularity. He specifically mentioned games dealing with both board games and computer games. He found it fascinating that some people who would never cheat at a game would lie cheat and steal in more real life situations and that the opposite is true. 

It is fascinating that on one level where the situation will not really cost you anything other than time spent in an entertainment some people would refuse to break the rules even unspoken codes of conduct. Little gentlemen's agreements would come about when some people interacted on a "game" or other hobby level but those same personalities would not hesitate to gain any advantage they could in their work or personal life. On the opposite side were people who were ethical "because it was real" but then saw no issue with using exploits and even cheats because it was "Just a game". 
 

--------------------------------------

Where am I going with this? Well, DayZ gives you a whole OTHER level of it. Not only are their cheats for the game but there are moral quandaries within the game. You run into a wounded player with a broken leg who doesn't appear to have a weapon. You have plenty of morphine. Do you leave him and run off? Do you laugh at him? Do you shoot him and if you do is it to pad your kill count or mercy kill? Do you inject him and maybe even bloodbag him? Do you offer him a weapon? Do you drop the morphine nearby for him but run off?

All of these are possible and it's interesting to see what someone would do in real life, in that situation if it was real, and in that situation because it is a game. Personally I would probably ask him if he needed blood, blood bag him, then give him morphine then move off on my own. I have no idea why my empathy quotient comes out fairly low when I take a test that measures it, yet I tend to go, "That situation sucks. If I was him I would want me to help him."

I understand it is a game, but for me it is also a simulation. I would NEVER want to live in a zombie apocalypse but sometimes it is fun to fantasize what that would be like. DayZ gives me a chance to think about that and in such a situation I know how I would ideally act and that is how I try the play the game. I shoot bandits, avoid other players when I can, but if someone genuinely needs help I am willing to do what I can as long as it doesn't risk me and mine too much. 

In real life I am part of the emergency response team at work, I've been a First Responder, and was a lifeguard when I was young. I like helping people. I am more introvert than extrovert and I am snarky as hell. In fact I was told once by friends and guildmates I was not allowed to speak to people outside the guild while playing the game we were on because of how sarcastic I can get.

 

So yeah, I play DayZ as I am in real life. It goes back to the granularity thing. We were challenged with the idea that, If it isn't okay to cheat/lie/steal in life, why is it in a game, and vise versa? I guess ever since then I've thought about that and realized that morality in a game, where it doesn't matter in the end, is a true show of the character you at least want to have and hopefully do have. That your morality should match and "It's only a game." and "Well this is real with real consequences so it's okay to get ahead." are, for me, undesirable. I won't expect anyone else to follow my philosophy and code. 

Edited October 31, 2013 by Mercules

[Wayze 549]

One of the hypotheticals we dealt with was granularity. He specifically mentioned games dealing with both board games and computer games. He found it fascinating that some people who would never cheat at a game would lie cheat and steal in more real life situations and that the opposite is true.

In my opinion there is nothing fascinating about it. Peopl lie, cheat and steal in real life for their own advantage. People do not cheat in video games for their own advantage. Nothing special to it, you just have to ask the right question:

Why do people not cheat in video games? Well, first you have to realise that there are plenty of people who do that and who additionally lie, steal and cheat in real life. It is about the individual. Some see cheating as spoiling a game, not because it is not right but because it is boring.

The motivation behind cheating, lying and stealing can differ from person to person. You may cheat because your wife is unsatifying, you my lie to protect your buddy, you may steal to not starve. In games, people tend to see it as a challange. I want to be the best in the game, I want to win the game. By cheating a player admits that he is not capable of doing so, which kind of is the oppisite of what he actually wants to reach. People may cheat just for the fun of it or because they are very frustrated.

 

There are many factors, but I don't see a real connection between people lying in real life and not cheating in games. Sure there may be some moral code that does not allow us to cheat, but the moral code does exist for a purpose. If everyone cheats, the game would make no sense. If everyone lies, the world would look pretty much weird. But, there are certain situations and individual characteristics that can differ from the moral codex people have. Every person on earth has his own moral viewpoint.

 

 

 

Where am I going with this? Well, DayZ gives you a whole OTHER level of it. Not only are their cheats for the game but there are moral quandaries within the game. You run into a wounded player with a broken leg who doesn't appear to have a weapon. You have plenty of morphine. Do you leave him and run off? Do you laugh at him? Do you shoot him and if you do is it to pad your kill count or mercy kill? Do you inject him and maybe even bloodbag him? Do you offer him a weapon? Do you drop the morphine nearby for him but run off?

All of these are possible and it's interesting to see what someone would do in real life, in that situation if it was real, and in that situation because it is a game. Personally I would probably ask him if he needed blood, blood bag him, then give him morphine then move off on my own. I have no idea why my empathy quotient comes out fairly low when I take a test that measures it, yet I tend to go, "That situation sucks. If I was him I would want me to help him."

I understand it is a game, but for me it is also a simulation. I would NEVER want to live in a zombie apocalypse but sometimes it is fun to fantasize what that would be like. DayZ gives me a chance to think about that and in such a situation I know how I would ideally act and that is how I try the play the game. I shoot bandits, avoid other players when I can, but if someone genuinely needs help I am willing to do what I can as long as it doesn't risk me and mine too much. 

In real life I am part of the emergency response team at work, I've been a First Responder, and was a lifeguard when I was young. I like helping people. I am more introvert than extrovert and I am snarky as hell. In fact I was told once by friends and guildmates I was not allowed to speak to people outside the guild while playing the game we were on because of how sarcastic I can get.

 

So yeah, I play DayZ as I am in real life. It goes back to the granularity thing. We were challenged with the idea that, If it isn't okay to cheat/lie/steal in life, why is it in a game, and vise versa? I guess ever since then I've thought about that and realized that morality in a game, where it doesn't matter in the end, is a true show of the character you at least want to have and hopefully do have. That your morality should match and "It's only a game." and "Well this is real with real consequences so it's okay to get ahead." are, for me, undesirable. I won't expect anyone else to follow my philosophy and code. 

I think you got the point. You act in DayZ how you think you would act ideally in real life. And, I had the same problem with my philisophics teacher. Always these thought experiments: "What would you do if...?"

And always the people who kind of had the "perfect" answere, why something is good, why not and why he would act like that. Well, bullsh*t.

You don't know how you would act, you just know how you would like to act. You really think you would go to that person, give him a bloodpack? Well, there are so many factors that let seem this decision highly unlikely. How you act in DayZ, is very probably not even close to how you would act in real life. It is, like I said, how you would like to act.

But, when it comes to real life, believe me, peopel sh*t their pants. Morality? Never heard of that. People change and in a so extreme scenario as DayZ is, people would change very, very fast.

 

Now you say "I would have to help him, that is just how I am." but after you saw how a person was murdered, how children were eaten alive, you viewpoints about morality and the value of life will very fast become something completly different. Maybe not, sure, maybe you are the confident hero who is capable of holding his moral codex even in such a scenario. We don't know that. But A) it is just highly unlikely and B] even if so you probably wouldn't have had survived the first few days of the apocalypse. This is because the world changes, real life is not like a game. It is not that you can come back from death and go around help others again. Maybe even in such a world your heroism will prove as a deadly weakness. Which, in real life, was always the case. People who were heroic, died in war. The cowards (I don't want to offend them, maybe I would be the same coward as they are) who sh*t their pants and tried to avoid as much combat, they came back alive. They did survive, because their survival instincts kind of worked better than the ones of the soldiers awarded with silver stars and the medal of honor.

In a survival scenario you need luck, the right attitude, luck, luck and additionally more luck. The world is cruel, the world does not give a f*ck about your and my moral codex, it does not care if you are a hero or a bandit. The world is just deadly and both of us have never seen it. We live in our houses, sitting infront of a computer, writing about the world, but infact, we have never expirienced once in our life the real world. The world for billions of other people. We live in a time where we are allowed to talk about morality, where we are not under the constant pressure survival, where we sit on our as*es not even giving a single sh*t about people dying hundrets of kilometers away from us. We are as cruel as the world is, the only thing is that we do not realise it. You talk about morality, I talk about morality, but right now, at the same moment, children on the other side of the world die because of starvation. Isn't it ironic? We could surely save their lifes. But, in the end we decide to spent 20$ for a videogame, whether then saving a childs life.

 

We are all just spoilt children, living in an ignorant and selfish world. We don't even realise it, I mean, have you every thought about it? Have you ever thought about maybe spending the money you collected for a dying child, whether then for the DayZ SA? Hell, we all will buy the SA, that is for sure. And that means simply, realise it or not, that a human life is for us less worth then playing a videogame. We are all the same, we just don't see it. Even me, tomorrow I won't give a f*ck. Maybe I spend 10$ to starving children, to calm my conscience. But, what I know right now is that we all, you whoever it is who is reading this and me, whoever I am writing that, are hypocritical.

 

And now I ask you again, would you really risk your life for some random person, if you are not even willing to spend some money to starving children?

Edited October 31, 2013 by Wayze

[mercules 1290]

And now I ask you again, would you really risk your life for some random person, if you are not even willing to spend some money to starving children?

 

Of course and again this goes into granularity. That hypothetical person is right there needing help in a real and visceral way. The starving children which are very real are also very ambiguous as I can neither see nor assure that anything I do has actively helped them in any way. Instant feedback from helping the guy with the broken leg as opposed to no feedback from sending money to help children I've never seen or met. 

It's not hypocritical. There is enough food on the planet to feed every man woman and child. Some of the countries that have starving children also export FOOD, India for example. There really isn't a practical measure I can take that will effect something like that in a measurable way. So I educate people and give money to charities that work to actively CHANGE that situation through political means and within the system. Short of becoming an Indian citizen and somehow working my way into a position of influence in the government and/or financial circles there is nothing I can do to help those starving children, but that guy over there with a broken leg? Yeah, him I can immediately do something for and know my effort wasn't wasted.