How I have stayed alive for 6 weeks on a single character

[knar33 158]

I just wanted to give some tips for people struggling to survive in DayZ. I have been alive since the 23rd of December on a single character, I have not killed a single player (except one time I killed my friend to test something with his permission) and I have done 20+ medic runs as a Trusted Medic of the Wasteland, which has put me in the line of fire multiple times. As a friendly medic, I never shoot unless I am shot upon and absolutely HAVE to return fire. I have 250+ hours logged on DayZ, and before you ask: I don't sit in the forest hiding all day....unless I am milking my type o- blood with a friend :P

 

Here are my tips for survival:
 

• Get the "Healthy" status ASAP and keep it. This is the only way to regenerate your health. Eat all food as soon as you find it, and drink at every pond/well you find until your stomach is full.
• Don't play on 40/40 servers. Most of the people joining these servers are just looking to kill other players. I tend to stay around 20/40 servers (but never empty, that is boring).
• Leave the coast as soon as you find a melee weapon. Everything you need to survive can be found inland, and murder spree junkies hang out on the coast camping fresh spawns for fun(?).
• DONT climb ladders, DONT go upstairs. These are both recipes for death, especially ladders. You can run straight through walls, doors can push you through walls, and players can push you through walls....and you will fall to your death. Hopefully these will be fixed, but even when they are I will still follow these rules.
• If you see a player in your town and they don't see you, leave if you can. People fail to realize that they don't have to stay in a town, and instead they rationalize KOS with "if I don't kill them, they will kill me". Usually the situation can be avoided altogether.
• If you like to do player interaction as I do, make sure you make vocal contact before showing yourself. Speak to the person and listen to their voice. Usually you can tell a bandit by the way they speak (but some sound deceivingly friendly). Always assume the worst, and never turn your back and let your guard down. Don't run up to an armed player yelling friendly and hope for the best...9 times out of 10 you will get shot. If you want to see how NOT to play friendly, watch DevilDogGamer's "Friendly?" video, where he fails entirely at player interaction in order to make a point that KOS/Bandit is the only way to play the game and survive. He is wrong.
• Before entering a town/city, take a few minutes to observe the town from a high vantage point. See if you spot movement or hear any shots fired then make the decision if you want to take the risk. Usually players who shoot zombies tend to be trigger happy with players as well. If the area has popular sniper spots, approach them from behind and clear the spot before you consider entering the town.

Hope these tips help someone in their survival. Some claim that the friendly play style is not fun, but it is in fact a far greater challenge that is much more rewarding in the long run. If I want to get in big gunfights, I hop onto arma 2/3 wasteland and have a blast. When I want to survive in a post-apocalyptic world, I play Dayz :)

Edited February 2, 2014 by Knar

[crimsonbzd 247]

I must be missing something because even if you avoided all glitch deaths you still would have gotten hit by a character wipe...

[Gandalf the White (DayZ) 72]

Don't play on 40/40 servers. Most of the people joining these servers are just looking to kill other players. I tend to stay around 20/40 servers (but never empty, that is boring).

 

I stopped right there. If you're not on a maxed out server it doesn't count. Anyone can survive in a medium to low populated server.

[bad_mojo (DayZ) 1204]

Good advice. Another thing I would add to the last point, don't let players stand right next to you. They might try to force feed, restrain, or punch you out.

 

Couldn't agree more about the devildoggamer video, what a jackass, can't believe I was ever subscribed to him.

[Karmaterror 982]

Nice, mines been alive for a few weeks following pretty much same rules....except I trust stairs lol

 

Iv stuck to one server since the start of alpha and haven't had 1 wipe ;)

[frosti 2165]

 

• Don't play on 40/40 servers. Most of the people joining these servers are just looking to kill other players. I tend to stay around 20/40 servers (but never empty, that is boring).
• Leave the coast as soon as you find a melee weapon. Everything you need to survive can be found inland, and murder spree junkies hang out on the coast camping fresh spawns for fun(?).
• If you see a player in your town and they don't see you, leave if you can. People fail to realize that they don't have to stay in a town, and instead they rationalize KOS with "if I don't kill them, they will kill me". Usually the situation can be avoided altogether.

 

[over9000nukez 199]

your advise is valid.
 

but I usually play hero, and heros stay on the coast, and staying on the coast usually gets you a "bandit" tag smacked onto your forehead

 

[Killerboner 0]

One thing that comes to mind is also that never play alone. My character has now been alive for about 2 weeks when i mostly play with friends, usually 1 or 2 friends and me roam the coast. We like to help freshspawns and check out what electro got for us.

[wild_man 4442]

no thankyou :|

 

fuck that shit  >:(

 

this is like 'HOW TO LIVE LIKE A COWARD AND AVOID RISK' guide for paranoiac carebears who suffering with anxiety panic attack nervous personality condition :huh:

 

no risk no reward

 

no danger no fun

 

no adrenalin no point

 

make new name for topic

 

HOW TO SUCK FUN AND ENJOY FROM DAYZ WITH POWER OF STARVING WHORE :D

Edited February 2, 2014 by KoS

[DirtyscumbagLith 270]

So you basically dont interact with anyone, run when you see players, and loner it in empty towns.

Cool story, bro. 

[frosti 2165]

Funny thing is that surviving is the easiest thing to do.

 

Hunting down players is the hard part.

[bad_mojo (DayZ) 1204]

no thankyou :|

 

fuck that shit  > :(

 

this is like 'HOW TO LIVE LIKE A COWARD AND AVOID RISK' guide for paranoiac carebears who suffering with anxiety panic attack nervous personality condition :huh:

 

no risk no reward

 

no danger no fun

 

no adrenalin no point

 

make new name for topic

 

HOW TO SUCK FUN AND ENJOY FROM DAYZ WITH POWER OF STARVING WHORE :D

 

He said 20+ medic runs, been fired upon lots. Sounds like risk to me.

[DarkwaveDomina 1099]

So you basically dont interact with anyone, run when you see players, and loner it in empty towns.

 

Says the person who admitted on this forum to being a shameless server hopper.  :lol:  :rolleyes:

[thelonewarrior 886]

Chill the fuck out KOS  its just a game and the way he plays, no need to insult the guy

 

 

So you basically dont interact with anyone, run when you see players, and loner it in empty towns.

Cool story, bro. 

 

And dude really? Hes a medic, he risks his life going to help people when they need it

 

I play on about 20/40 man servers and today my group met about 15 of them at the coast, most of which were hostile, I don't play on 40/40 servers because its true, these people want maximum chance of encountering players and usually stick to elektro and cherno

The other night 8 of us joined and the server was full, in elektro there were at least 20 people fighting it out in the dark, muzzle flashes everywhere and fully armed players killing each other

We couldn't secure the city as most of them were logging and ghosting.

 

On meidiem population servers you can actually find some nice people, but as I said above we must have shot about 8-10 people today on a 20 man server including the 5 of us

 

And just to add, I died today to a server hopper and had been alive for 2 weeks (if you discount the character wipes) because I have people watching out for me as I watch out for them (also a bit of luck too, I was lucky not to get hit in the firefights I guess)

Edited February 2, 2014 by Regulator Lone Warrior

[Flight96 99]

• Hopefully these will be fixed, but even when they are I will still follow these rules.

Lol..? Nice advice there.

 

"DON'T GO UP LADDERS OR STAIRS!!! EVEN IF THEY FIX THAT SHIT! DON'T DO IT!"

[Fear The Amish 40]

 

Favorite movie there... Also you can survive alone... just be very careful i have a Mosin with a long distance scope and i watch a place for about 20 minutes from half a mile away before i even go in. Basically pretend your person is you and you MUST survive.

 

- Never EVER skylight yourself This means when you are walking along some were at a heightened elevation walk about 3/4's of the way up. Never walk along the crest.

 

-If there is cover to move in always use it. So if you can get to place A by running across a field or take a longer way by going through a forest always go through the forest.

 

-If the only option is the field RUN across while zig zagging. If you aren't running across a field always move in prone.

 

- When coming into a town find a place that you can observe the town from a distance from cover. Spend about 5-10 minutes observing it, use this time to check windows doors and surrounding area. While doing this plan which buildings you are going to hit and locate exits and avenues of fire.

 

- When you finally hit the town move quickly get what you want and get out. If you go in a building from the front door always exit from the back and vice-versa.

 

I am neither a hero nor a bandit, if i want to go into town and spot someone they never will know what killed them.

Edited February 2, 2014 by Fear The Amish

[BadAsh (DayZ) 1513]

 If you want to see how NOT to play friendly, watch DevilDogGamer's "Friendly?" video, where he fails entirely at player interaction in order to make a point that KOS/Bandit is the only way to play the game and survive. He is wrong.

 

Just watched the video and you are right. It seems the only friendly about him is his yelling "Friendly", he does everything possible to come off as the most threatening and annoying person ever. I like the video The Austin Experience made "Operation Friendly", which is basically a spoof off of that (or at least he ridicules that kind of behaviour, while still making it clear that most people are actually rather nice even with the abuse going on).

[jimbomobo 1]

pretty much following the same set of rules. Only time I have been killed is when I was unaware of the player sneaking up on me!

[thelonewarrior 886]

If you guys want some more tips, I made a video some time ago with a few situations and tips for being friendly and what to expect from people and what to do

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-8NQZetsco

[knar33 158]

Funny thing is that surviving is the easiest thing to do.

 

Hunting down players is the hard part.

 

Hunting down players is really easy as well. The most dangerous game is going into major cities to help people you've just met, all while following strict rules of engagement. Anyone looking for a real challenge in DayZ should give it a try.

[pacific_coast 632]

Funny thing is that surviving is the easiest thing to do.

 

Hunting down players is the hard part.

[SolidOwlPL 37]

6 Days without dying on hardcore servers (40/40 players), died about 2hrs ago. Why? Let my guard down while opening the doors to the prison - they say that you feel safer in a group, well its bullshit* (pardon me for that). I got shot in my face so did my friend.

 

Rule nr 1: never ever play in a group it WILL get you killed.

[omgwtfbbq (DayZ) 1069]

no thankyou :|

 

fuck that shit  > :(

 

this is like 'HOW TO LIVE LIKE A COWARD AND AVOID RISK' guide for paranoiac carebears who suffering with anxiety panic attack nervous personality condition :huh:

 

no risk no reward

 

no danger no fun

 

no adrenalin no point

 

make new name for topic

 

HOW TO SUCK FUN AND ENJOY FROM DAYZ WITH POWER OF STARVING WHORE :D

 

Yeah this is obviously the most mature way to respond to a different playstyle than your own

 

(I also have been alive for 4 weeks now, yet I play on max pop servers)

Edited February 2, 2014 by omgwtfbbq

[DarkwaveDomina 1099]

Let my guard down while opening the doors to the prison - they say that you feel safer in a group, well its bullshit* (pardon me for that). I got shot in my face so did my friend.

 

I feel too safe in a group, I always find myself playing with much less care and attention. One of these days it's going to bite me in the arse.

[rydekk 250]

I must be missing something because even if you avoided all glitch deaths you still would have gotten hit by a character wipe...

 

 

Not really, i though my character was wiped previous patch. still had him when i hopped a few servers...