No starter weapon removes survival instinct, and respect for zeds

[Castle (DayZ) 23]

You could do the exact same thing with a makarov.

For me' date=' and my friends, I felt the opposite way. Crawling and sneaking into cherno and elektro to try to get some food and initial supply is more tense than ever.

[/quote']

Except you don't have time to sneak, and given the sheer impossibility of it and ease of which you can aggro everything and run through buildings there's no point.

[Murdernickle 0]

That's funny... with a makarov I used to do the same... run into the airfield, up the tower, turn, kill every zed as they shambled through the door., then loot for real weapons.

Now with nothing, I actually try to be careful and move in. I was actually ridiculously excited to find a makarov in elektro last night.

TBH I think they should remove the backpack too at this point.

[kergan (DayZ) 0]

Everyone has their own opinion and each are as legit as the other's...but I agree 100% with the op. My playstyle changed just like his when the starter gun was removed. I see the theory behind it, what with the ease of breaking zed's los now, etc. When I start with a gun I feel I have a chance and I try to survive. I was born and raised with guns as were many of us, and it is a rarity that I am far from one. The odds I would be without one in any type of apocolypse approach zero. Also, when you're in the woods there are all manner of materials that can be readily used as bludgeons, spears, staves, etc.

The idea that you have zero way to defend yourself aggressively (hand-to-hand, rocks, sticks...something!) until you crawl your way past zeds into a building is about as stupid and unrealistic a feature as has ever been in any computer game in the history of mankind. It's more like some evil group has intentionally put a bunch of survivors on the beach of an island to bet on which one will survive the longest. If that's what's intended, fine...but we all know it's not don't we?

Whatever...it's a great gaming experience and I love it! I'll keep playing regardless of a char's starting state and can't wait to see what comes next.

[ZedsDeadBaby 2287]

given the sheer impossibility of it and ease of which you can aggro everything and run through buildings there's no point.

Do you really believe that the current zombie AI is the intended final functionality? Yes, it's easy to cheese zombies right now. No, that's not always going to be the case. There's a sticky thread, right at the very top of the forum for you, that discusses this very topic and advises you that detection behavior is incomplete and partially functional. So maybe we should hold off basing our critiques of the other design choices on incomplete zombie behaviors?

And anyway, just because you lose the zombies doesn't mean you didn't just expose your position to 5+ players in the area. You can pull a nightpaws: run headlong through town with 50 zombies screaming at you, and then come to the forums and complain the game needs to be fundamentally changed because someone found you and shot you in your face.

[bra1n 2]

I think starting with no weapon is cool, it has cut the coast wars down in my experience.

Before this ppl would run up and down coast killing spawned ppl to get their morph, painkillers and ammo. Now there no point of doing this cus we have no shit to loose :)

The way i play is to horde stuff to my tent, so when i die i have all survival shit and an armory waiting for me. Had my tent for a month and never been robbed (touches wood).

[breetai3 0]

How does a gun help you anyway? Honestly' date=' what will you do with it once you have it? You're still going to loot towns, still aggravate zombies and still not care about your life.

Having no gun actually makes your life worth something when you do actually find some weapons...

[/quote']

I care greatly about my life in this game, otherwise I wouldn't play it.

I can only tell you that in the month+ of playing I have NEVER behaved the way i did last night.

In the past I have always headed straight inland when I spawn. I am generally the wilderness survival type guy. Head north, loot small towns, and then if I'm feeling ready, cautiously investigate airfields/castles etc. My friend always makes fun of how cautious I play because I take the survival aspect very seriously.

Now when I spawn I immediately make getting a weapon a priority and I will have zero regard for survival until I get one. I can only tell you how I reacted to the change, and it sounds like some people are agreeing with me.

I want the game to be tough. But I want it to be realistic too and not make it push me into doing things a standard video game would.

[RECO (DayZ) 2]

Its almost like a twisted version of Hunger Games with Zombies. Spawn. Run and find food weapons a safe location. Kill or be Killed rinse and repeat.

[Vr5fx 0]

I'm with the topic starter with this. 100%

[breetai3 0]

I think starting with no weapon is cool' date=' it has cut the coast wars down in my experience.

Before this ppl would run up and down coast killing spawned ppl to get their morph, painkillers and ammo. Now there no point of doing this cus we have no shit to loose :)

[/quote']

coast killing is a silly way to play to me and sounds like amateur hour. The original starting equipment (beyond the pistol) isn't worth squat to me. It's all things that can be found within 15 minutes of running inland if you wanted them.

[enigma (DayZ) 0]

How does a gun help you anyway? Honestly' date=' what will you do with it once you have it? You're still going to loot towns, still aggravate zombies and still not care about your life.

Having no gun actually makes your life worth something when you do actually find some weapons...

[/quote']

I care greatly about my life in this game, otherwise I wouldn't play it.

I can only tell you that in the month+ of playing I have NEVER behaved the way i did last night.

In the past I have always headed straight inland when I spawn. I am generally the wilderness survival type guy. Head north, loot small towns, and then if I'm feeling ready, cautiously investigate airfields/castles etc. My friend always makes fun of how cautious I play because I take the survival aspect very seriously.

Now when I spawn I immediately make getting a weapon a priority and I will have zero regard for survival until I get one. I can only tell you how I reacted to the change, and it sounds like some people are agreeing with me.

I want the game to be tough. But I want it to be realistic too and not make it push me into doing things a standard video game would.

Spawning without a weapon should not prevent you from heading inland. Anything you can find on the coast you can find inland.

[Remix (DayZ) 14]

I care greatly about my life in this game' date=' otherwise I wouldn't play it.

In the past I have always headed straight inland when I spawn. I am generally the wilderness survival type guy. Head north, loot small towns, and then if I'm feeling ready, cautiously investigate airfields/castles etc. My friend always makes fun of how cautious I play because I take the survival aspect very seriously.

Now when I spawn I immediately make getting a weapon a priority and I will have zero regard for survival until I get one. I can only tell you how I reacted to the change, and it sounds like some people are agreeing with me.

I want the game to be tough. But I want it to be realistic too and not make it push me into doing things a standard video game would.

[/quote']

I'll address each paragraph;

- Clearly you don't because otherwise you wouldn't be running through towns looking for loot (with no gun) and ignoring the stealth aspects of the game.

- You're in the minority and even then, everything you just listed can be done without a gun. Spawning with a gun doesn't impact your style of play whatsoever.

- I understand where you're trying to go with this, and the generic counter-argument is "if you want realism, don't assume every survivor has a gun".

- Uh, yep? That's why you should value your life every time you spawn, regardless of whether you have a gun or not.

Like I said in the previous post, everything you mention can be achieved without a gun. I used to run through the towns with zombies trailing behind me even when I did have a gun - it made no difference.

I haven't even listed the positives of having no gun on spawn, but I'm sure you already know them. Think about it rationally man, c'mon.

[breetai3 0]

Spawning without a weapon should not prevent you from heading inland. Anything you can find on the coast you can find inland.

But why bother when your chances are reduced? Why should I bother running inland for 15 minutes with nothing when i will respawn again on the coast if I die? Much easier to act like "the roadrunner" as someone else said, and finding what you need in the spawn areas.

I'm the Dad of a 7 year old. It's all about conservation of play time for me because I don't get enough of it. =)

[deepfried 95]

I spawned near Kamenka' date=' so I just ran to the airfield and without care for bandits or zeds, aggroed the entire base and ran them around in circles while searching for weapons. Inside the hangars, up the radio tower, I imagined the Benny Hill music playing in the background as 20 zombies chased after me. Oooo...an AK in the radio tower....grabbed it, ran down the ladder and off into the woods for 5 minutes until they were all gone.

[/quote']

How is that any different to starting with a guaranteed makarov?

your attitude to the game has changed because you're experienced and know what you're doing... not because the starting load out has changed.

Spawning without a weapon should not prevent you from heading inland. Anything you can find on the coast you can find inland.

But why bother when your chances are reduced? Why should I bother running inland for 15 minutes with nothing when i will respawn again on the coast if I die? Much easier to act like "the roadrunner" as someone else said' date=' and finding what you need in the spawn areas.

I'm the Dad of a 7 year old. It's all about conservation of play time for me because I don't get enough of it. =)

[/quote']

Chances of what are reduced? finding gear? maybe. Surviving? definitely not. Are you playing this survival game to survive or to run and gun with the bandits in Cherno?

Your choice I guess but just letting you know thats not the only way.

[Remix (DayZ) 14]

Spawning without a weapon should not prevent you from heading inland. Anything you can find on the coast you can find inland.

But why bother when your chances are reduced? Why should I bother running inland for 15 minutes with nothing when i will respawn again on the coast if I die? Much easier to act like "the roadrunner" as someone else said' date=' and finding what you need in the spawn areas.

[/quote']

I'm so confused at to what you're trying to imply. This thread isn't even remotely cohesive.

Did you honestly survive better when you had a gun? The gun that took three bullets to kill one zombie, and also attract an entire hoard towards you?

It was still easier to act like "the roadrunner" when you spawned with a gun...

[breetai3 0]

I haven't even listed the positives of having no gun on spawn' date=' but I'm sure you already know them. Think about it rationally man, c'mon.

[/quote']

Huh, and here I was thinking I was using a logic based argument on human behavior to make my points. =)

To address your argument that I don't care about survival because of my new behavior: The main impetus for survival is protection of your goods in this game. Obviously someone with completely decked out gear cares more about their life than others.

With a starting weapon, I have removed a huge hurdle towards goods acquisition. I have the ability to immediately make a decision on where I want to go, or what I want to do because I know I have the main tool to do so.

Removing that tool makes your absolute first requirement getting one with all other decisions now completely marginalized. Even surviving.

I can only tell you that last night was the first time I ever intentionally started a zombie train. That with the sound of this playing in the back of my head

made me question what the heck just changed in the game to alter my behavior so and come here and post about it.

[ZedsDeadBaby 2287]

But why bother when your chances are reduced? Why should I bother running inland for 15 minutes with nothing when i will respawn again on the coast if I die?

Why bother doing anything in the game if your goal is not to maximize your survival? If you're unwilling to take the most basic steps toward safeguarding your own life and ensuring your survival' date=' then why should your evaluation of the game's design be taken seriously?

What is your goal in the game? Just to get 'lewtz' regardless of the risk? If so, then yes - by all means run around like a complete idiot at the start of the game aggro'ing every zombie in sight. No reason not to. But, you can't play this way and then come back to the forums expecting to get traction on ideas for changes to the design to somehow facilitate your game play choices or encourage you to make different ones.

You chose to play recklessly and throw away your survivors. Fine. Go do it and have fun.

Many of us play more carefully. Hour 1 or Hour 51, I treat every survivor as a precious commodity and play to "win" which is to say not die, regardless of how much gear I do or do not have.

I'm the Dad of a 7 year old. It's all about conservation of play time for me because I don't get enough of it. =)

I hear you. I have 2 kids and I don't play DayZ alone so I have to synchronize my play time with others as well. It's not easy but we all have the same attitude - survival above all else.

And the core members of our group are all having great success. We have had only 1 death in the last ~30 days approximately.

[enigma (DayZ) 0]

I haven't even listed the positives of having no gun on spawn' date=' but I'm sure you already know them. Think about it rationally man, c'mon.

[/quote']

Huh, and here I was thinking I was using a logic based argument on human behavior to make my points. =)

To address your argument that I don't care about survival because of my new behavior: The main impetus for survival is protection of your goods in this game. Obviously someone with completely decked out gear cares more about their life than others.

With a starting weapon, I have removed a huge hurdle towards goods acquisition. I have the ability to immediately make a decision on where I want to go, or what I want to do because I know I have the main tool to do so.

Removing that tool makes your absolute first requirement getting one with all other decisions now completely marginalized. Even surviving.

I can only tell you that last night was the first time I ever intentionally started a zombie train. That with the sound of this playing in the back of my head

made me question what the heck just changed in the game to alter my behavior so and come here and post about it.

The reason why you see an increase in zombie trains is because its easier to just run through a town and lose them than to sneak by them. This has nothing to do with not starting with a weapon. It has to do with the new zombie behavior.

[breetai3 0]

And the core members of our group are all having great success. We have had only 1 death in the last ~30 days approximately.

Well that's fine and it sounds like you haven't died so haven't had to experience what I'm talking about. But others have and happily I'm seeing by posting here that I'm not the only person who felt this way.

My survivor has indeed always been a precious commodity to me....until last night. That's really my point.

[Remix (DayZ) 14]

The main impetus for survival is protection of your goods in this game. Obviously someone with completely decked out gear cares more about their life than others.

With a starting weapon' date=' I have removed a huge hurdle towards goods acquisition. I have the ability to immediately make a decision on where I want to go, or what I want to do because I know I have the main tool to do so.

Removing that tool makes your absolute first requirement getting one with all other decisions now completely marginalized. Even surviving.

[/quote']

Oh, so the game is harder without the gun and you don't like that? Is that what you're suggesting? Because like I and thousand of others will tell you; that's the intention.

It's entirely possible to survive without a gun. If you don't like the stealth aspect of the game in it's current state, wait until the next hotfix and then you might find it a little easier to survive.

---

My survivor has indeed always been a precious commodity to me....until last night. That's really my point.

The starting weapon has absolutely nothing to do with that. You've realised that the game is faster paced if you rush to find a weapon (whilst attracting a train of zombies behind you) and that's simply because you are more experienced with the game.

Edit: So lets summarise; your initial point that "no starter weapon removes survival instinct, and respect for zeds" is completely unrelated to your current viewpoint. The survival instinct and respect for zeds is completely unrelated to the starting weapon, and your outlook of the game has changed due to your experience.

Glad we got that sorted.

[SilverWeed 0]

I disagree with the title of this thread entirely. Lack of a starting weapon makes you respect the infected even more - whether you are sprinting from a train through town in hopes of reaching a hospital or on your belly trying to sneak into a suburban shack, you aren't going to let them touch you after they score that first critical hit.

The infected AI is a WIP, that is clearly stated all over this forum. However, the morphine vs. broken bone situation has made for very desperate times to new spawns. People say you can run inland and survive, but I genuinely believe that is total BS for a lone wolf that spawns anywhere in the Southwest in the current game. Your chances are no better than throwing caution to the wind and legging it through the towns.

[evotech 0]

You don't have more fun then you make yourself, if you want to play the game like that, have fun

[bogroll (DayZ) 26]

To OP - balls.

Just check out this night time vid:

Scary shit.

[breetai3 0]

You don't have more fun then you make yourself' date=' if you want to play the game like that, have fun

[/quote']

it's not more fun. It just makes more sense. It's the quicker way, as absurd as it is to get to the "fun" part.

I mean we are all just talking here. It's my view. Obviously people will agree or disagree. I will keep playing the game as long as it is fun. The end result is it is a minor enough change to not matter. I still got to the place I WANT to be in rather quickly, I just had to do some silly crap I'd prefer not to do again to get there.

I am just happy based on some posts here that I'm not the only person who feels that way.

[Remix (DayZ) 14]

it's not more fun. It just makes more sense. It's the quicker way' date=' as absurd as it is to get to the "fun" part.

I mean we are all just talking here. It's my view. Obviously people will agree or disagree. I will keep playing the game as long as it is fun. The end result is it is a minor enough change to not matter. I still got to the place I WANT to be in rather quickly, I just had to do some silly crap I'd prefer not to do again to get there.

I am just happy based on some posts here that I'm not the only person who feels that way.

[/quote']

It's more sense to spawn without a weapon. I'm sorry that you are the % of the people most of this community hates - the % that feel they need a gun to have fun. Your definition of 'fun' is different to mine mate.

You don't have to run to find a weapon - use stealth. It's your choice.

I'm going to assume that the select few who agree with you are more or less the people that aren't intelligent to view your thread with an hint of rationality.

Unfortunately, your opinion is wrong in every aspect. <3

[dsi24 227]

People are doing some serious mental gymnastics to conceal their whining for a spawn gun to continue the CoD DM.