Tips for better situational awareness?

[Sunslayer 13]

Hi guys, I started playing DayZ about 5 days ago. I lost my first two character while learning the basic survival of this game in the first couple of days. My RL friend gave me the basic gears on my current character and took me around the map to gather better equipment. He advised me that since I was new to the game, I should stick to low population servers (<10 players) when gearing up. I spent the last few days looting around Cherno, SW airstrip and the satellite cities surround it.

 

Now the problem is that everytime I encounter a player, I don't usually spot him/her until they're near. I've been incredibly lucky so far, as the three players that came close were friendly and didn't put a round in my head. While I did get ambushed and shot at a few times, I was fortunate enough to run away. However, I am well aware that I am running around like a blind noob and my luck will run out sooner or later. I seem to have trouble spotting other players until they are within 50 meters of me. When I was shot at, I had no idea which direction the bullets were from either.

 

Just want to ask you veterans out there about how to improve my situational awareness. While I know everybody eventually gets killed in the game, I just want to survive longer. Any quick tips will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[mzltv 2281]

• Approach locations from an area that has higher ground than the destination - it will allow you to scope the general area for signs of movement.

Before moving out into fields, stay hidden in the treeline and scope the general area of signs of movement.

Keep off of the roads, but ensure you keep them in sight to ensure you're headed in the appropriate direction.

Sprinting everywhere isn't always the best way to travel.

Plan your movements - the map is your friend.

[Etherimp 1323]

- Pay attention to which doors are opened and closed, and which actually belong opened and closed.

 

- Keep an eye out for player dropped items inside of buildings. It helps if you know which buildings spawn what, and that certain things spawn in certain conditions. (Medikits always have the same 6 items in them.. Magazines always spawn with 100% ammo in them. Etc.)

 

- Scope out a potentially active area before entering it.. stay away, look for the following things: Open doors, movement, zombies..

 

If you see no movement, no opened doors, and zombies which look bored/tired.. The town is most likely untouched. Of course, there's no guarantee. 

 

- Use the "Zoom" option (mouse 2) while in third person to keep eyes out around you while you're travelling.. Look to tree lines, high points, across fields, check your 6 often, etc.

 

 

Just a few tips.. I could go on quite a while about this, as well as how to track people and hunt down targets, but these are some basic helpful rules about situational awareness. Also make sure you have your graphics settings set properly and you are using headphones. Sounds+accurate visual cues are extremely important so you get the initiative on others, and not them on you.

 

For example: Use your native desktop resolution, and use default or close to default FOV.. Not necessary, but the higher you take your FOV the less clear objects on the screen are going to look.. they're going to take on the "fishbowl" look, and they will look farther away and smaller.. This is not good for spotting players. It does give you more FOV.. but what good is more vision if the vision is not accurate or if it doesn't help you spot someone?

[novogeek 253]

@mzltv said it the best. 8-}

 

Good luck!!!

[dagnome 50]

Avoid electro, cherno and ballots airstrips, when you spawn in head north to berenzino and riff. Avoid airfields and gear up in hidden military bases (utilize dayzdb.com map)

 

If you stay north your survival time will increase by about 400%. Most players head to electro and the Bambi spawns when they are geared and bored.

 

ALT is your best friend.

 

Need a weapon? 3rd floor of office buildings. Most major city have at least one building of this type.

 

Avoid fire stations, they are usually camped by snipers.

 

Just some tips for ya.

[-MadTommy 367]

...don't run around!  So many players simply seem to sprint from loot spot to loot spot, as if the game is a loot collection game only.

 

My advise is to play on the highest population servers possible, explore the map, move from cover to cover and learn from experience.

 

The game is really pointless in its present state on low population servers.. its far too easy to get your gear and you don't learn or have fun without player interactions.  And get away from the coast.. 

Edited February 21, 2014 by MadTommy

[infiltrator 275]

IMHO having situational awareness is two fold. One side is innate, and is most helpful when you are already engaged - you can predict what poeple will do, and where they will show up next. The other part comes with experience, and that one will help you spot taletell signs of ambushes and prevent you from walking into a trap. For example, you are at the airport jail. You see a zombie in front of it and the door closed. All clear right? Wrong. That place is looted, and a guy might be inside. The zombie has his back turned on the entrance, meaning he can be sneaked by, and you can see that the jail door on the inside has been opened through the cell window by the door. That's a deathtrap packed to look like an unlooted area. I should know because thats what I do primarely. In fact thats a poorly set up trap, but most people leave the doors open anyway let alone bother to set tthe scene for loot bait. Some do, though, and having the awareness to stop and say 'something isnt right here' will save you many a times..

Edited February 21, 2014 by Infiltrator

[taikonaut 85]

To be honest... all of the tipps from above are fine for playing the game and learning the game. Situational awareness is not about gearing up and learning how to survive. It's about judging your close surroundings, which is: judging and predicting movements, accomplishing great team work with your mates (which is not done easily), judging a situation before entering the fray, judging other players in regard of their behaviour and gear... etc

 

But the only way to get some kind of situational awareness (which is kinda fake compared to real situational awareness) is the following.

 

play. die. play. die. play. die. play. play. play. die. play. play. play. play. play. play. die. play. play. play. play. play. play. play. play. play. play.

 

That's basicly it. Play more and you will get better in judging your surroundings.

Edited February 21, 2014 by dayzjarhead

[Apocrypha8 54]

Pro tip: use a spotter. In first person modes, having a spotter/scout on teamspeak is one of the most effective ways for looting high risk areas such as Balota. The hill behind and to the left(if you are facing the back of the hangars), with the rock formation, has a great vantage point for anything, regardless or not if you have a scope. Only has blind spots behind the jail and behind the ATC, you can watch your friend go down the mountain, into the jail and hope for the best, then have him loot barracks, with your scope zoomed in. Can see most of Balota town and almost all angles of airstrip. Run to the left a little and you can see almost the whole open field.

It's a really long/tough shot from the distance with a PU scope, but it's enough to do spotting/engage an enemy combatant with suppressing fire so that your friend can either engage or escape. Keep the person pinned down long enough with proper call-outs to take out a target.

TACTICS!

Edited February 21, 2014 by Apocrypha8

[taikonaut 85]

There is another aspect... there is a point in the game, when you just don´t care about the game mechanics anymore and moving around in Chernarus is nothing to deeply worry about. You will notice when reaching this stage of gameplay, your brain will start to focus on those things I described above. It´s like achieving a certain skill degree in martial arts. When you don´t need to think about your action anymore, your brain focuses on more important things.

 

And as I said, all other tipps in this thread are great and helpful and definately to consider. But still they are a little bit off topic, I assume.

Edited February 21, 2014 by dayzjarhead

[Hethwill_Khan 233]

First of all... 1PP or 3PP ? It is a world difference, not because of the advantages but because of how you can play stealthy.

 

As Tommy said above, there are no rushes. Take your time, make mental notes of the cities layout, give names to places, do different runs every time you enter a city, use several avenues to enter each time you go there and always, always have a fall back point to safety.

 

All in all, better to lose 5 minutes going through cover than rushing the open to grab a easy loot.

 

Look over the shoulder a lot. Make pauses a stay put and listen... sounds are as important as view range.

[archone88 29]

Always have the thought, that there could be aplayer behind the next tree or house.

 

Awareness comes in time, but always look around you. Stay still often enough to give you time. And use your ears aswell, people does alot of noise.

[taikonaut 85]

Oh... another one. Get attached to a veteran player. Having a sensei is not a bad thing.

 

Feel free to check the link below, if you´re in the GMTish part of the world. You´ll always find some dudes playing various styles (bandid, survivor, hero) there in the evenings. And most of them are pretty hardened veterans.

[Karmaterror 982]

Your AO is around a 1000m radius from the town you approach. Be combat ready when you approach that range. Scope from a vantage point.....but include the town, the treelines surrounding the town, and its entrance/exit roads. Take your time with treelines, checking under pine trees for concealed snipers. If ya set up a nest, clear it first....if you think its a good sniper spot....then someone else will aswell. Also check your 6 regularly weather moving or scoping...think that's about it from me  ;)

[bfisher 561]

I didn't see anyone say this yet, but constantly use the ALT key to swivel your head around while you are moving.  Use the "lean" keys to peer around corners and doors.  Double clicking them locks you in the position.  In fact, in urban areas, I often keep my character locked in that position with gun raised and move "tactically" through the town. 

 

Keep near cover or keep large objects and walls between you and potential sniper locations.

[Monkfish (DayZ) 339]

• Approach locations from an area that has higher ground than the destination - it will allow you to scope the general area for signs of movement.
• Before moving out into fields, stay hidden in the treeline and scope the general area of signs of movement.
• Keep off of the roads, but ensure you keep them in sight to ensure you're headed in the appropriate direction.
• Sprinting everywhere isn't always the best way to travel.
• Plan your movements - the map is your friend.

I didn't see anyone say this yet, but constantly use the ALT key to swivel your head around while you are moving.  Use the "lean" keys to peer around corners and doors.  Double clicking them locks you in the position.  In fact, in urban areas, I often keep my character locked in that position with gun raised and move "tactically" through the town. 

 

Keep near cover or keep large objects and walls between you and potential sniper locations.

To expand on these points;

REMEMBER: Human eyes are tuned to detect movement and can easily pick out movement against a static background. Picking out static objects against a static background isn't so easy unless they're contrasting highly with their backgrounds. This applies in game as well as in the scary place that is The Outside. Being careful about your movement is key to not being spotted. Running blindly will get you shot. Maybe not immediately, and maybe you've been running about in the wild for hours without a care in the world, but one day you will get shot and it might have been avoided by being careful. Besides, it's fun to skulk through the woods and pretend you're Special Forces or something.  :ph34r:

• MOVEMENT
  • Keep yourself as concealed as possible. Stick to the trees when moving from town to town and avoid open ground where you can. Going the long way around to stay in the trees might add ~30 minutes to your journey, but that's a reasonable price to pay to greatly reduce your chances of being shot out in the open. This is especially true in high-traffic areas. Be mindful of bottlenecks where others who are thinking the same would be forced to move through a narrow area of cover.
  • If you do have to move in the open, consider how you will do this. Staying crouched reduces your profile and makes you a little harder to see, but it also makes you easier to shoot (from the side) as you're moving slower. Standing up and sprinting makes you easier to spot, but harder to shoot (again, from the side). You have to weigh up your exposure and exposure time and make a judgement call.
  • In towns and built up areas, move along walls and high fences rather than across open areas and courtyards. Stay crouched unless you really need to haul ass. Make use of leans to peer around corners without fully exposing yourself. Always check the area before moving, the last thing you want to do is dart out from the side of the house and find yourself face-to-face with one or more trigger-happy bandits.
  • Avoid "Skylining", whereby you run along the top of a ridge or hill and silhouette yourself against the sky. This is a quick way to get yourself noticed and shot.
  • Stay crouched if you're in a high-traffic area or suspect that there may be people nearby. Crouching is slow relative to sprinting, but your profile is quite a lot smaller, making you harder to spot and harder to shoot from a distance. Always crouch to move whilst near towns/built up areas.
• OBSERVATION
  • Your head should be on a fucking swivel at all times. Check over your shoulder, to your sides and your diagonals at regular intervals. TrackIR: If you don't have it, seriously consider either getting it or making your own. The immersion this brings is second to none (except maybe Occulus Rift, but that's neither out nor supported, so meh) and it also frees up your mouse to continue aiming/turning.
  • Check your six! Players occasionally like to stalk their prey a little and try to move up on your position undetected, so stop occasionally and check to make sure you're not being followed or that the area you have just cleared has not suddenly become a little on the hot side. Being aware of what's behind you might save your life if you need to bid a hasty retreat!
  • If you're scouting an area, make use of the look function (default: ALT) rather than just turning. Your entire body swivelling on the spot is quite obvious, even at distance, due to the movement whereas the subtle movement of your head is not so obvious. Sometimes, staying still can work in your advantage. Look in a direction, zoom in and observe for a few seconds. Any movement? If not, check the next angle. Be sure to pause rather than just sweeping your view from left to right, your eyes will be far more likely to pick up movement this way (it's a technique used by pilots during lookout).
• TACTICS AND COVER
  • As before, concealment is key. Try to blend in with your surroundings as best you can. That doesn't necessarily mean banging a shitload of TTsKO combat gear on, but just be mindful that a pink baseball cap, orange raincoat and yellow trousers aren't going to be effective camouflage against green bushes.
  • Defilade and Enfilade. The first is cover from enemy fire, the second is open to enemy fire. Always try to move within defilade of your enemy's position or, if you don't know where they are, move in defilade of their potential positions. For example, if you want to check out a building that has a high wall around half of it, approach from the side with the wall. This gives you cover from anyone inside the building looking out should they be there. Granted, you can't see into the building yourself, but it's better to check when you're closer and more likely to see/hear someone rather than running in full enfilade of anyone inside looking out.
  • Use trees and bushes to conceal your movements. If you stop to check your six, try to do so so that you have your back at/into a bush when you turn. This reduces the possibility of being spotted by someone in front of you (previous movement) whilst you check your six. Similarly, if you want to scout an open area in front of you, do so by moving into a bush and looking out rather than standing between bushes or something else equally obvious.
  • If you need to move across open ground, are there any bushes, treelines or walls you can make use of? Move along them, or from bush to bush if you can. Whether you stop at each one for a lookout is a judgement call you make, with each option having merits and pitfalls. If you're on your own, it's probably best to just move as quickly as possible and get back to more substantial cover. If you're with someone else, then leapfrog each other from cover to cover so that one can provide cover whilst the other moves.
  • If you've encountered a village that hasn't been looted, consider closing the doors behind you. Whilst it puts you at a little risk doing so, the advantage is that anyone else encountering the village may assume it is empty and safe, therefore dropping their guard and getting sloppy. You might be able to either slip away undetected or gain the upper hand in the situation depending on your preference.
  • If you have a firearm, keep it in your hands but lowered when near built up areas/towns. This means that you can react quickly if you need to start shooting but is a reasonably non-aggressive posture to take. If you meet someone with their weapon up and readied, chances are they're going to shoot you so it's always best to drop them. If you meet someone with their weapon down, they might not be immediately hostile and are just ready, just in case, like you.
• GENERAL
  • Check out through building windows before leaving to see if the area is clear. When you leave, open the door but don't immediately go outside. Pie (technique called "Slice the Pie") the doorway to see as much as you can with as little exposure before leaving. When you leave, it is best to move away from the direction the door opens and along the wall, although this largely depends on where you're going next.
  • Keep your ears pricked. Sound, whilst a bit broken at the moment, is nevertheless still important and telltale signs of activity can give clues as to what someone else is doing, where they are or what you should do. For example, if you know someone is in a building and you hear them eating, that would be the ideal time to burst in and hold them up (should you be so inclined to do so). You're at your biggest advantage when you catch someone with their pants down (figuratively). Be aware though, this might panic the person so be ready to drop them if they act aggressively.
  • You will die at some point, either because someone got the drop on you or you got unlucky. When it happens, review the situation and ask yourself how you could have perhaps acted differently and maybe changed the outcome. Can you learn anything from the experience?

 

I may update this if I think of anything more to add. Enjoy!

 

NOTE: If you wish to comment on this post, please don't copy the whole thing, it's quite long and doesn't need to be posted more than once. Thanks.

 

EDIT: Typo/formatting errors

Edited February 21, 2014 by Monkfish

[Hutch (DayZ) 116]

A HeadTracker is the best thing you can do for situational awareness. It lets you keep your head on a swivel.

TrackIR is what I use ...

http://www.naturalpoint.com/trackir/

FaceTrackNoIR is a free alternative ...
http://facetracknoir.sourceforge.net/home/default.htm

 

Check out his video from Dslyecxi on how it works in game.

 

DayZ isn't listed as a supported game but it does work perfectly since it's based on the Take on Helicopters engine.

[Monkfish (DayZ) 339]

FaceTrackNoIR is a free alternative ...

http://facetracknoir.sourceforge.net/home/default.htm

 

Ooh, this looks interesting. How reliable is it compared to TrackIR? I really want to get some headtracking on the go and if I can do it reliably with something like this rather than making a TrackIR setup then I will.

[Hutch (DayZ) 116]

I haven't tried FaceTrackNoIR so I don't know how well it works.

ToH is listed under it's compatible games so I expect it will work with DayZ.
 

Edited February 21, 2014 by Hutch

[pacific_coast 632]

There is another aspect... there is a point in the game, when you just don´t care about the game mechanics anymore and moving around in Chernarus is nothing to deeply worry about. You will notice when reaching this stage of gameplay, your brain will start to focus on those things I described above. It´s like achieving a certain skill degree in martial arts. When you don´t need to think about your action anymore, your brain focuses on more important things.

 

And as I said, all other tipps in this thread are great and helpful and definately to consider. But still they are a little bit off topic, I assume.

this

 

 

THIS

 

 

THIS

 

 

"Are you saying I can dodge Bandits?"

"No, Bambi... when you are ready, you won't have to."

Edited February 21, 2014 by pacific_coast

[MetapoliC 263]

You better learn the Doggystyle sprinting technique. Fast and unseen from town to town ^^

[Duenan 226]

Common sense things.

 

Right now zombies dont respawn so if you come to an area with no zombies. Watch out.

 

Also be aware of what buildings have open doors naturally and what areas' don't. Sure fire give away someone is around are a bunch of open doors.

 

Also be tactically aware if you feel something is up. If you going inbetween alot of buildings that could be open, Slice the pie as you go around corners and entry ways.

 

If you don't know what slicing the pie is here is a vid

 

 

Other than that stop look and listen. Its easier to pick out movement when you're not moving so find a cover position look and listen for movement

[Rudette 435]

That's very comprehensive monkfish, if it isn't posted somewhere as a guide already it should be.

[StayAlive (DayZ) 169]

B)

[PJSleaze 111]

In addition to looking behind you, look up and down, especially if you know there's people around. I think it's natural to keep your head level the same and tend to focus on what is at eye-level; this can be exploited by hiding on rooftops or lying prone. I've had people run right past me while I was flat to the ground. If they had looked down, I'd have been dead.