ethics of first kill

[NinjaTurkey 255]

The first guy punching you fine he engaged you. In my eyes he dies. The second time with the group of three i believe gou were wrong to shoot. You had two options in that situation (well three but i highly disagree with the third).

1. Hide and hope they dont see you.

2. Get behind cover (make sure they cant flank you as they had 3). Then talk and tell them to stand together and put their guns down or on their backs. Once they have done that you should be ok as long as you are pretty strict about taking out a weapon and keeping a distance of atleast 10 metres.

Shooting on sight is easy and boring as hell. Talking and controlling the situation is much more fun and will make you a better player.

Plus it is fun as hell to shoot someone too stupid to put their gun on their back and attacks you for no god damn reason.

To all those players that say "i was friendly at first but then i got betrayed so now i kos" try again, dont give up. You are missing out on a huge portion of this game, please rethink your actions cus your adding to a problem otherwise.

[General Zod 1118]

Plus it is fun as hell to shoot someone too stupid to put their gun on their back and attacks you for no god damn reason.

Wait what ? You actually you expect me to put my gun away when I meet another armed player as a sign of my good will ? Or you mean that I should run around with my gun on my back not in my hands ?

Both ideas mean you will die a lot. 

[NinjaTurkey 255]

Wait what ? You actually you expect me to put my gun away when I meet another armed player as a sign of my good will ? Or you mean that I should run around with my gun on my back not in my hands ?

Both ideas mean you will die a lot.

Ok so based on your logic one of two things happen here.

1. I ask you to put your gun down, lets assume you do. My word is good and i wont shoot aslong as you do what i say. However there are people out there that will just shoot when you do so. So you could die.

2. You dont put your gun away and you go to aim at me/other player that holds you up or your start to run (dumb cus i would assume you are relocating). This means your life ends here. Plain and simple.

So lets review this. One option gives you a 50% chance of living depending on the good will of the player holding you up. The other option is 100% death on your part.

Up to you of course.

[General Zod 1118]

Ok so based on your logic one of two things happen here.

1. I ask you to put your gun down, lets assume you do. My word is good and i wont shoot aslong as you do what i say. However there are people out there that will just shoot when you do so. So you could die.

2. You dont put your gun away and you go to aim at me/other player that holds you up or your start to run (dumb cus i would assume you are relocating). This means your life ends here. Plain and simple.

So lets review this. One option gives you a 50% chance of living depending on the good will of the player holding you up. The other option is 100% death on your part.

Up to you of course.

1, How do I know that what say is what you mean ? How do I know that the second my gun is away you won't shoot me ? When we both have our guns we are at equal terms. 

2. I never run around places where it's easy to run into someone with my gun lowered, at this point this it's good old wild west, who shoots first. And I won't hesitate. 

 

At the end of the day I'd rather take my chances and give you a run for your money rather than surrender and let you take control. 

[NinjaTurkey 255]

1, How do I know that what say is what you mean ? How do I know that the second my gun is away you won't shoot me ? When we both have our guns we are at equal terms. 

2. I never run around places where it's easy to run into someone with my gun lowered, at this point this it's good old wild west, who shoots first. And I won't hesitate. 

 

At the end of the day I'd rather take my chances and give you a run for your money rather than surrender and let you take control.

Then you die simple. Cant take chances with someone who doesnt put their gun down.

[General Zod 1118]

Then you die simple. Cant take chances with someone who doesnt put their gun down.

Well I killed far more people than I died, so my methods seem to work, what you say is based on you ambushing me, taking me by surprise. And that didn't happen often since I got this game. 

Also unless you go for a head shot there is a good chance that I will fire at least one shot at you before I die, it won't kill you sure, but some of your gear will be ruined, so at least I died fighting. 

Edited June 25, 2014 by General Zod

[blaeZ 95]

I really love this game for playing with your emotions like no other game has before. The heart racing panic during an engagement and the tension leading up to it. That feeling of shame that washes over you after killing the player who maybe didnt deserve it, or wasn't equipped to protect himself. Then there's the feeling of confidence that comes from killing someone trying to ambush you or some a-hole picking on bambis.

 

The reasons above are why the countless bugs and other things are bearable. Im glad I finally convinced myself to buy this game work in progess.

[ZombieHeadHunterALPHA 7]

There are no ethics and morals in Dayz. It's kill or be killed at the moment. Nothing else to do but gear up and kill. But I cant do that right now cuz my mouse cursor wont show up in game.

[barnabus 1708]

I have been impressed by the way day z makes you think about your actions. The other day I killed for the first time.

 

I was typing a message to a friend on stream when my character starting making noises. I got back into game and some guy was punching me for no reason so I had to shoot him (I have no issue with this kill).

 

10 min later, I was running down a road in a town and came across 3 guys all running towards me about 100 m away with guns out. I jumped behind a building and then poked my head around the corner to see them stood in the road about 50m away looking around. they looked threatening so I shot one of them and he died. The other two ran away. I did not go near the body because I feared a trap/reprisals.

 

What is everyones view on the morality of this? I probably could have run away/hid, and have pondered this since it happened. They did seem to be a significant threat however...how would you have dealt with this situation?

You are fine and here is why.  There is no real content in this game as of yet, no "quest for can opener" or any such thing like it, so lots of players KoS just because they are bored.  I think that will start ending sooner rather than later since lately, it seems, everytime I have killed someone everything was on them ruined except for the primary weapon (in hand or not).  I was the trusting type, no longer though, it is rare I have an encounter that doen't end with me or the other guy dead.  Anyone, anywhere, anytime carring a weapon is fair game as far as I am concerned. No warnings, no hellos.  To hell with being friendly and to paraphrase Goering "everytime I hear the word friendly I reach for my browning".  Live and let die, mother lovers.

Edited June 26, 2014 by Barnabus

[tom0311 1]

Well I almost just had my first kill on a 'friendly server', but I decided to trust the guy instead. I was on the top roof of the elektro power plant, eating and checking the map on my phone. I saw him running toward me a while back and told him I had eyes on him. He said he was friendly, we discussed trading some stuff and he had a couple of clips for my M1911 pistol. After asking each other over and over if we were trust worthy, I decided to go down to meet him in the firestation warehouse thing. He dropped the clips on the floor, and as I picked them up he pulled out his mosin and shot me in the head. Then I could hear 3-4 people laughing over direct comms.

 

I was so p****d off, that was my first real encounter on this game and I lost so much stuff. I had the higher ground, his head in the sights of my mosin and should have told him to go or die. Lesson learned.

Edited June 29, 2014 by tom0311

[Death By Crowbar 1213]

I treat DayZ more as a survival game than FPS. But I've noticed an evolution of play style, that at least for me, when something like this:

1. Killing is bad (avoid it), stay alive. Converse whenever possible.
2. Killing is maybe ok, I've died a half dozen times and I'm tired of being a victim.
3. Killing is the only way, everyone is out to get me, I'm tired of dying.
4. I WILL KILL EVERYONE I SEE REGARDLESS OF THEIR THREAT LEVEL!
5. Dying makes me sad, I don't need to kill everyone. Let the fresh spawns live.
6. ALL FRESH SPAWNS MUST DIE, ALL THEY DO IS ATTACK ME!!!
7. I met some nice people the past few days, I don't need to kill anyone who doesn't appear threatening.
8. EVERYONE MUST DIE, BECAUSE EVERY TIME I LET MY GUARD DOWN THEY KILL ME NOW!!!
9. I'm so angry inside I'm even going to chop down and kill every tree I can find until my ax is ruined.
10. I'm so angry because I just died because I couldn't defend myself with a ruined ax. EVERYONE MUST DIE MORE!
11. I'm over being angry. I'm going to avoid people like the plague, and when they approach me I'll just protect myself.

It's an emotional roller coaster. But I started on the passive side, the game has made me more aggressive.

[CJFlint 357]

It really amazes me how people inject ethics into these conversations, or making a big deal about shooting another player. There is no ethics in DaySA currently or a score card. The term "Bandit" or "Hero" is really lose term that spilled over from Day MOD were it was a player status. Now its just used to either make player feel good about him self or demonize someone he or she is shooting at. I do not care to use the term "Hero" or "Bandit" in DayZs current state because there is no mechanic for it currently. It also is just a game, no one really gets hurt....well except egos.

 

I have played this game for a few months and seen quite a few different scenarios were I shot other players, beat them with fists, axes, even a fire extinguisher once....lol... was shot my self, captured people ect ect ect ect Both in a clan and out of clan solo. I have died more times then I care to count. I have also shot other players more times then I can count. Its pretty routine. It means nothing to me, and hearing exploits of other player shooting other players does not impress me anymore. What impresses me is a player who is able to survive for weeks even months playing. There ability to survive danger and handle ones self. DayZ SA is a survival game to me most of all.

Edited June 30, 2014 by CJFlint

[Pvt_Larry (DayZ) 98]

I just don't shoot people. Why bother? 

 

On the other hand, I've been killed dozens of times for the simple act of offering out some beans.

[vladomir 8]

These are all great stories. This is what drew me to this game. True open world where anything can happen. I met two guys rummaging through a small town one with a pistol and the other with a hacksaw. I had a shotgun but at the time I didn't know how to load it yet I had ammo but was literally my first gun. The guy with the pistol had it drawn the whole time and I soon realized they were RL friends. After one disappeared into a building the guy with the gun (not pointed at me) kept using the look key to turn twits me a few time like he was checking I was still there. A funny feeling came over me. The hacksaw guy wants my shotgun so I backed off and ran like hell. After hitting the tree line I thought I had better figure out how to load this thing and fast. I survived that encounter. While not a kill story it made me realize that death can be just around any corner if you are not aware. Maybe I was paranoid but anytime a guy won't holster his gun I feel a little uneasy.

[Molochius 2]

I have been impressed by the way day z makes you think about your actions. The other day I killed for the first time.

 

I was typing a message to a friend on stream when my character starting making noises. I got back into game and some guy was punching me for no reason so I had to shoot him (I have no issue with this kill).

 

10 min later, I was running down a road in a town and came across 3 guys all running towards me about 100 m away with guns out. I jumped behind a building and then poked my head around the corner to see them stood in the road about 50m away looking around. they looked threatening so I shot one of them and he died. The other two ran away. I did not go near the body because I feared a trap/reprisals.

 

What is everyones view on the morality of this? I probably could have run away/hid, and have pondered this since it happened. They did seem to be a significant threat however...how would you have dealt with this situation?

my view on the morality of this is you take this `video game` to seriously....its a game, you caused someone no real life harm...get over it....bloody morals a in a video game who needs them! we play games to escape reality!

[General Zod 1118]

my view on the morality of this is you take this `video game` to seriously....its a game, you caused someone no real life harm...get over it....bloody morals a in a video game who needs them! we play games to escape reality!

 

Finally someone with some common sense.

Edited July 2, 2014 by General Zod

[herrjon 478]

my view on the morality of this is you take this `video game` to seriously....its a game, you caused someone no real life harm...get over it....bloody morals a in a video game who needs them! we play games to escape reality!

 

Except in order to escape reality, something has to fill the void, and we naturally get immersed into the game.  With DayZ specifically, knowing everyone else is a player that invests so much time into their characters and is struggling to survive as much as you, coupled with the natural immersion of a game, can give a similar moral feeling to harming another.

 

And sure, we could just not take it as seriously, but what's the point in that.  We play games for an experience, why would you dilute and flatten that experience by distancing yourself emotionally?  At that point you're just clicking pixels on a screen and clicking on cans, not much of an experience there.

[General Zod 1118]

Well being an idiot is one way to get killed.

I was following a geared guy myself being partially geared. 

For some reason he decided that leaving his character in front of a sign with city name while checking a map was a good idea on a moderately populated server. I shot him in the head at took whatever I deem worthy. 

 

Ps I have two monitors so that never happens to me

Edited July 2, 2014 by General Zod

[krihelion 175]

3 people in the middle of the road, if only you had an m4 or akm, should of sprayed all those morons down

[General Zod 1118]

3 people in the middle of the road, if only you had an m4 or akm, should of sprayed all those morons down

Or an SKS two shots to the chest are usually enough to kill.  

[doctorbadsign 645]

The first person I killed was quite clearly driven to insanity by the events in Chernarus, they could see I was well armed, yet they attacked me with their fists inside the barracks. No sane person would do something so nihilistic and stupid. I fired a couple of shots and they dropped to the ground, dead. I didn't feel bad. Whoever they were they died a long time before I opened fire on them. I couldn't risk someone so murderously insane picking up a weapon.

 

The second person I killed was more out of reflex than anything else. I went in the prison building at Green Mountain to find a guy inside looting. I panicked and cursed myself for not approaching with more care. This guy was well armed, his back was to me, and it seemed he was just as unprepared as I was. If he turns around I'm dead I thought. I sprayed him with bullets. Piercing his backpack and peppering his entire body. I felt horrible. But I was too scared. If he turned around to see me pointing a gun at me he would have fired I swear. The guilt plagued me for a long time. Perhaps he would have helped me and we could have become friends, but instead I killed him. Shot him in the back like a coward.

 

Since then I have not killed anyone. I have become adept at seeing people before they see me. I stay out of their way.

[krihelion 175]

Or an SKS two shots to the chest are usually enough to kill.  

I have noticed the SKS and AKM have the most stopping power, starting to prefer them over the M4, just killed a guy running down a flight a stairs, dumped 20 bullets of m4 into him because it didnt put him down.

[alldaypk 63]

What you did was not wrong, but you could have found cover and tried to make contact. If they dont reply, they're bandits, if they do ask for their names, and if they give it to you most likely they're friendly. I've made some very valuable friends in DayZ just from being nice but you can always run away if you feel any more unsafe. The clan i'm in all look like bandits, we wield AR's and sniper rifles, dress all in green, but we're friendly; we'll talk first and shoot later.

[General Zod 1118]

I have noticed the SKS and AKM have the most stopping power, starting to prefer them over the M4, just killed a guy running down a flight a stairs, dumped 20 bullets of m4 into him because it didnt put him down.

They do because they fire faster than mosin which uses more powerful rounds, and use more powerful rounds than M4 which fires faster. I've been walking around with SKS and I really like that gun. And with clips the SKS can be reloaded pretty fast. 

[zoxintv 22]

Personally, I find that I try to keep as many people alive as I can.

 

With that said, however, I always try to be the one in control of the situation. I have a total of 6 confirmed kills so far, with having encountered 9 people in total.

 

My first kill involved me saving a fresh spawn form a zombie, followed by him punching me, telling me to kill him. He told me this was "the law of the jungle" for this encounter. Cracked me up a bit.

 

Second kill involved my friend and I looting a building, when a player, who was also looting that town, waltzed in on us, panicked, and began swinging his baseball bat around at us. In the middle of the panic between the three of us, I accidentally killed my friend in the process. Two confirmed kills at this time, unfortunately. I then avenged his death (I guess) and killed the lone wanderer. Definitely didn't feel bad about that one; it was self defence.

 

My fourth kill started with my friend and I exploring the supermarket one day, when we start getting fired at. We instantly shout "friendly!" at our attackers, and create a very hostile, shouting match with the players, ending with us all putting down our weapons for a chat. We befriend them and I drop them a morphine auto-injector as a sort of peace-token, I suppose. We part ways, but I'm skeptical, so I take cover in a nearby building, and get eyes-on with my scope to make sure we aren't being followed. I see them looking through the supermarket, then see one of them lay down on the ground behind a wall outside, so that I can only see one of his legs. My friend is telling me to take the shot, but I hold. I see the other player sneak over his friend's body, and notice that his friend isn't moving... And he's looting his friend! My friend's urging finally sinks in, and I make the shot. The player's body falls, and we move in to examine their loot. On the body of the player I killed, I find a defibrillator. I had killed someone trying to revive their unconscious friend (probably was hungry/thirsty or something, right?), and that was finally a kill that I had felt relatively bad about. Simply because we had already befriended these two moments before.

 

My fifth and sixth kills involved my friend and I trying out a high-loot spot for the first time; the Northeast Airfield. In the process of our trek, we noticed two players running out of the hangers and made our first rash, cold-blooded decision; that this airfield was going to be ours, lest we die trying. We worked our positions, flanked where we could, I shot my friend a few times in the chest with a magnum by accident (I'm surprised he hasn't tried to get revenge on me yet), and claimed our prize. I'll honestly say that I didn't feel bad about these kills. These guys knew what they were risking when they came here; so did we.

 

Every other player encounter has involved me controlling the engagement and getting players to put down their weapons, handcuffing them, and, if they look like a fresh spawn, checking their loot to make sure that there's nothing they can use to hurt me hiding in their inventory. I like to think that my cautious approach to the game has let me stay alive for this long; I've been playing DayZ for about 5 days now (approx. 50 hours logged), and I still haven't been killed yet.

 

I mean, I did die, but only from the duplicate player spawn glitch that somehow broke my legs and killed me when I was already on the ground. Obviously, I haven't really counted this at a death.

 

TL;DR - Either way, it's hard to tell what you should feel when you kill someone in DayZ. Do you want to play the game to be the strongest threat and to beat the rest in a competitive environment, or do you want to roleplay as if this is really what type of person you want to be in a zombie apocalypse? That's up to you.

Edited July 4, 2014 by ZoxinTV