A few (valid) questions...

[FatKangaroo 72]

Hello, it's FatKangaroo! I've read many pages on a wiki, watched several videos, and play for about 24 hours now. Although, I still have a few question that would help me out. I'm sure the info is out there somewhere and I may have missed it, but your help would be greatly appreciated!  :D

 

 

I know there are day/night servers, but...

1) Are the times within the server fixed or do they progress. And if so, at what rate?

 

I've gotten a long range scope before but the wiki says there are no snipers but I have heard of the M107 before...

2) Is the Mosin 9130 only gun that can be turned into a long ranged weapon, as if it were a sniper?

 

I'd like to be up to date with the game...

3) Where can I go to be well and frequently informed about the game's patches/updates?

 

I feel like learning the world map is going to take a very long time...

4) Are there any tips to help me out? (I am using maps too, but it's still tough)

 

My biggest goal is to help out others and be a hero...

5) What are ways in letting them know I wish to do so? (I do have a mic btw)

 

Any other tips that you've learned along the way to help out a somewhat new player?

 

Thank you very much for your time!

 

 

 

 

[Zarniwoop 1193]

Hello there and welcome! ;)

 

1. On all servers with the cycle enabled, time progresses at the normal rate, same as in reality. There are various 24/7 day servers which I detest. Others have a different time zone.

2. The Mosin is the only long range weapon atm. No M107s though ever hopefully.

3. Pop into the frum now and again or hoin the steam group.

4. Go to small towns and follow the signs, or use the sun to navigate.

5. Approach cautiously and clearly state your intent from an audivle yet safe position. Remember being the helpful guy is the toughest to keep at. Don't give up after getting killed a few times, I know its hard.

 

 

Explore the map and don't be bored of running! Also do not underestimate the small towns.

 

Good luck.

Edited January 10, 2014 by Zarniwoop

[floj 393]

3+ http://dayzdev.tumblr.com/

4. Learn the various building landmarks around the map (radio towers, lighthouses, apartment blocs, industrial buildings and cranes are all prominent on the skylines). Powerlines, railway lines, contours, shapes of treelines can all help if you've got a map...and once you've done a few days of looking about you should be able to recognise the individual towns from a distance

 

EDIT

 

5+ Not carrying a gun makes you less of a threat...means you *might* not get gunned down like a dog...or it means you have nothing to defend yourself with

Edited January 10, 2014 by phlOgistOn

[(TMW) Merino 507]

My biggest goal is to help out others and be a hero...

5) What are ways in letting them know I wish to do so? (I do have a mic btw)

Avoid approaching well-equipped players. The more (visible) stuff they have, the more likely they will consider you a threat to their stuff - and the less likely that they need/want your help. Even if somebody doesn't have a visible weapon, always remember that they may have a hidden .45 or a Magnum. If they only have a (visible) melee weapon, still be careful about approaching them, they may still suddenly attack you. Don't move or even run directly towards people, it makes you look very threatening and they may panic, acting in self-defense which they may not have done otherwise. Obviously, don't have a weapon in hand and don't have your fists up. Personally, I don't carry visible weapons when looking out for people to help at all. Also, never get too close to anyone if they aren't aware of your presence yet. Make them aware of your presence by talking in direct, maybe from the opposite side of a wall or from outside a house while they are inside. Judge from their reaction what their intentions may be. If they run away, don't chase. If they approach you without talking, back up, but make sure you aren't being pushed into a corner. If they stay at a distance and start to communicate - those are the people you may be able to help.

Edited January 10, 2014 by (TMW) Merino

[tomroadrunner 69]

Merino, it's people like you that give me hope for Chernarus.

 

OP, if you're wanting to be a hero, he just laid out the blueprint above you. Be willing to help, but be ready to fight. Hope for the best, plan for the worst.

[DirtyscumbagLith 270]

its probably easier to have the map up and just follow it as you go. its pretty accurate. ive been lost and used those deer stands in the middle of nowhere to get my bearings again. worst case, find a sign in town and go from there.

 

"My biggest goal is to help out others and be a hero...

5) What are ways in letting them know I wish to do so? (I do have a mic btw)"

 

Im curious to if this will work or not. My guess is no, but that's me. In the beginning, I was trustworthy of people. I would talk with them, etc...but after getting blasted mercilessly over and over again, I really dont trust anyone. If I see someone, I do whatever I can to avoid them. "Why do they want to help me?" is always echoing in my head. For what? And secondly, why would I want to go with someone? Unless they are armed, they arent really going to help. And armed people usually dont run with other armed people without evil intentions.

 

But I am biased. I usually only play with a group of 4+ people at a time. Its amazing the different interaction when you are 4+ people as opposed to just a lone gun running around. People avoid us in groups, they run for the hills. Thats a good thing.

 

Once you figure out the game, you realize, aside from your friends, there's not much someone else can do to help you. Food? Bandages? I have, at the most basic level, or I can go find some with little effort.

 

Seems too risky to trust someone, esp all hell can break loose and they can grab your stuff and log.

[Window Licker 504]

If they approach you without talking, back up, but make sure you aren't being pushed into a corner.

This is usually when I decide between killing or running, also if you need to ditch out fast you run fastest with empty hands and by double tapping "w"

 

Edit: this will make you breathe heavily so if your using it to get around, make sure to stop and rest for a moment before entering hot zones

Edited January 10, 2014 by Window Licker

[mangozapp 46]

Hello, it's FatKangaroo! I've read many pages on a wiki, watched several videos, and play for about 24 hours now. Although, I still have a few question that would help me out. I'm sure the info is out there somewhere and I may have missed it, but your help would be greatly appreciated!  :D

 

 

I know there are day/night servers, but...

1) Are the times within the server fixed or do they progress. And if so, at what rate?

 

I've gotten a long range scope before but the wiki says there are no snipers but I have heard of the M107 before...

2) Is the Mosin 9130 only gun that can be turned into a long ranged weapon, as if it were a sniper?

 

I'd like to be up to date with the game...

3) Where can I go to be well and frequently informed about the game's patches/updates?

 

I feel like learning the world map is going to take a very long time...

4) Are there any tips to help me out? (I am using maps too, but it's still tough)

 

My biggest goal is to help out others and be a hero...

5) What are ways in letting them know I wish to do so? (I do have a mic btw)

 

Any other tips that you've learned along the way to help out a somewhat new player?

 

Thank you very much for your time!

 

Hi,

 

Beginning with the last question you asked, tips and tactics... 

 

Learning to observe and travel properly is the biggest thing that will effect you, its what took me the longest and changed my chance of success the most. If an experienced player spots you first you've practically no chance. If you spot someone and they don't see you: it doesn't matter whether they're a noob or Frankie himself, you're holding all the cards... 

 

Travelling (on a busy server):

• Scan everywhere before going anywhere.  :rolleyes:
• Use free-look to scan your area as you move. (Don't constantly sweep the camera around, move it around you in steps so you can study each view before switching your attention elsewhere.
• 'Check you six'.
• Turn 'View bobbing' to minimum in settings.
• Choose routes that give maximum visibility while providing cover between you and oncoming, unexplored areas. 
• Try to arrive at new urban areas at a good viewpoint i.e. a hillside with a clear view over your destination. Wait. Players busy looting are only visible occasionally.
• You're most visible when silhouetted against the sky - on a hill top or roof... Stay back, out of view, and peek over with 3rd person view.
• Stand upright when moving out of cover, you move faster, you're harder to hit, you reach cover quicker. Unless you're ducking behind something you're no better hidden crouched.
• If you're out of cover in a high risk zone (i.e Cherno area) then use Q and E to run in a zig-zag.  
• Don't stand still in the open. If you must pause then run 'in circles' (and free-look).
• You'll see that grass and small bushes disappear beyond 50-100m. Don't use that 'local' foliage to hide yourself. Use pine trees. (Many players choose to play with detail settings on low so they can spot players more easily.)
• Build an awareness of your line-of-sight, note blind spots, powerful sniper positions. Move through cover in respect of those 'question marks'.
• Keep your weapon raised while sweeping particularly high risk buildings/areas (military buildings).
• Look out of windows as you loot buildings and before exiting. The axe-man cometh while you're inside.
• You're most vulnerable when in-menu picking up loot.
• Oh **** it, just risk it and run in.        'You're dead.'       ...Soooo many times.  :blush:

If you see somebody:

• Don't go prone and think you're suddenly invisible, you ain't. Prone people are nice slow moving targets to pop away at.
• Don't panic fire, you'll give them the advantage: they know you're there and where. You're also a bandit, now they're coming for you.
• Unless you were running out in the open they probably haven't seen you. Watch them.
• If there's cover between you and him, you're safe. However much you're ****ing your pants.
• Try not to get out of breath in a combat situation as you cannot aim well. You're safest waiting for them to break cover for this reason.
• Bare in mind many players play in pairs - If you haven't been spotted then chill, wait to see if they've a friend nearby - I'd be on the hill if my mate was in town, spotting for him.
• If you decide to take a shot then relocate quickly once you've fired... If they've half a brain they'll run for cover, that's your chance to sneak away and flank around.
• Fire and flank on round... Fire and move people!
• If you shot my mate while I was nearby I would probably wait and try to kill you when you stopped to loot his body. Its desperately demoralizing old chap, the tables turn so quickly, so terribly quickly.

 

• Find someone to play with, put them on watch while you loot or vice-versa, keep your distance from each other, maximise your combined observational ability. Use Skype or whatever to communicate your movements to each other while playing... Warn each other before firing on zeds, likewise if you change clothes. Keep looking, keep flanking.  

 

Many of these tips came to me via FrankieOnPC's DayZ Mod video's - http://www.youtube.com/user/FRANKIEonPCin1080p  :thumbsup:

(Don't take too much notice of his two covering the standalone, they're OK videos but it seems he hasn't read the change logs so he explains a lot of things incorrectly.)

If you want to learn how to be a hero he's your man, a pro. He's playing the mod but you can learn loads of useful stuff from him for the standalone: watch how he observes and moves, how he uses cover etc. 

 

 

Your other questions...

 

 

1) Day/night cycle: Currently in-game time runs with server regions's time IRL - Dawn breaks on UK servers (my region) at around the same time as in reality (though it's not seasonal so it's not exact). If you wish to play in daylight at 12pm real time you may need to find yourself a server in a different timezone (and a higher ping). Server names often include a region prefix: i.e. 'DayZ - UK130'.

 

 

2) Ranged Weapons: There are currently only two rifles: M4a1 and Mosin. Mosin is as Mosin does. An M4A1 fitted with an ACOG scope has reasonable range. However, there is a bug (presumably) that makes the M4A1 terribly inaccurate at any range above, say, 50m - unless you find and fit it with some Magpul parts (military loot spawns). I currently have an M4A1 fitted with an ACOG scope, magpul stock and hand-guard - firing 30 rounds I guessed it effective to upto around 200m. As far as I am aware part condition does not currently change accuracy - but I might be wrong.

     

Zeroing:

DayZ has realistic projectiles - they do not fly in a straight line but fall through an arc as they fly. Your scope has zeroing (set with PageUp / PageDown) which will compensate for this 'bullet drop'. It works both ways though. If you have zeroing set at 300m and take a head shot at a...err... bandit sat 50m away, the bullet will fly way over his head.  :huh:

I generally travel with zeroing set close, 50-100m. If I come face to face with somebody at close range I don't want to be thinking about zeroing. With long range encounters, generally, one player is unaware of the other until the first shot is fired. If I spot them first then there's no rush, if I don't and someone's firing at me then cover is the priority.

 

 

3) Keeping up-to-date: If DayZ updates when you launch Steam then it has been updated, nothing changes without an update. When this happens check the Change-log which will be right there with other news on Steam under the 'PLAY' button. They are sometimes full of 'server security' stuff but are always worth reading through carefully as little changes often dramatically effect your survival options (as can bug fixes etc.). 

 

 

4) Navigation: They seem to have added a yellow marker to the maps telling players where they are and which way they are facing. You shouldn't have any problems now. Something I've started doing recently is taking a compass reading of the sun or which way the shadows are pointing. That way you can keep to a bearing while avoiding messing with the compass every time you turn around (locking free-look on helps with this too). 

 

I think that's a real shame, if you have a map the beautiful compass is pointless and there's no orienteering skills - its sat-nav really. Players used to learn a lot while navigating Chernarus - That kept the running interesting. An integral game component gone...  Truth is there ain't a great deal to do at the minute as it is...

 

 

5) Being a hero: Remember you're playing a very early Alpha version. As the game now stands, once you have your kit you're one side or the other of a man-hunt. So, I think this will be a frustrating area for you for some months. However, much is yet to come: radios, animals, hunting, cooking, crafting, much complex medical system, vehicles, persistent tents and bases... etc. etc. etc... Once this stuff comes into the picture there'll be a whole lot more to keep players occupied and on the defensive. That will hopefully mean a reduction in 'kill on sight' and, maybe, more need for heroes.

 

 

A heads up: The Arma II DayZ mod has been a popular game for nearly 2 years (?) so there is loads of information on the web relating to that. Currently DayZ mod has far more content (items, crafting options etc.) than the Standalone, including M107 sniper rifles, helicopters and... eh? Satchel charge excreting cows suddenly appearing in front of you... what the...? Oh FFS.

 

                            YOU'RE DEAD.

 

 

Praise be and blessed be your looting. :beans:

Edited January 12, 2014 by Harmonica

[broguenz 333]

Don't be completely passive is all I will add for your hero quest

 

If someone takes you on, kill them, if for no other reason then to stop them assuming that friendly equates to foolish