How careful are you?

[cuddly_rabbit 102]

I am still very fresh, but slowly getting into it, so please forgive me my newbie questions.

 

I am interested in how careful your play.

 

If you assume that you are alone, I assume most jog/run (like when moving between cities).

 

When approaching a city, do you divert from the road, crouch and scan the city (I mean.. 40 players max. It's very unlikely that you meet someone outside of the hot spots (fire/police station, etc), or do you just barge in and make things quick (taking the obvious risk).

 

And, my last, likely most important question as I just died another very... unworthy death (logged out where I thought it was safe. Came back to hear a single shot and wake up to the "You are dead" screen): What are the signs of danger that tell you: "F.... now I better get off thr road, look for cover, and take my time?"

 

I somehow feel I die a lot because I am reckless because I can't stop thinking: "Ah... there is no one... why waste time sneaking around?".

 

How careful are you?

[Hayez 18]

You should always be more careful than you need to be, It really depends on the amount of players on the server you are on and depending on the amount of gear you have, remember that the game is about survival not just looting. 

[Steak and Potatoes 13480]

I tend free winded when going through forest areas and the like.   If I do enter a city, especially hot spots I sit and watch it for a few minutes and move around trying to assess as much of the area I can before entering.

[Korsbaek 1778]

You should always be more careful than you need to be

 

This is why I scout Elektro for an hour before going in.

[Knock (DayZ) 111]

I'm careful every time I enter a town or city. We'll be traveling by road and when the city is in sight, we move somewhere out of the sight of anyone there. One time when my friend and I were entering Zelenogorsk (from the south I think), we came to a road where it split into two pathways. One went straight into Zelenogorsk and the other went to some barn on the outskirts. We went to the barn and then traveled slowly to the city from there. 

 

While on the other road, we saw somebody running around a fence of the city towards the road we would've been coming from. We gunned him down (this was when we first started and we had the KoS mindset). If we would've entered through the main pathway, he would've had the jump on us. So yeah, I'm always careful around those places. Being careful also saved my life when I was outnumbered 2-1. I almost always spot people first.

 

 

I goof off more when I'm on the road though. Me and my friends can't help it sometimes lol.

 

EDIT: There are different things to look for when spotting danger:

1. gunshots (obviously)
2. voices in direct chat (just in indicator that someone is nearby)
3. open doors (someone has been looting)

That's what I look for. The open doors part saved my life before. Listen to your gut as well

Edited April 6, 2014 by Knock

[FloydP 22]

How careful I am depends upon several things:

1. the number of players in the server
2. when that last server reset was
3. where I am
4. if I'm alone or not

(1) If I'm in a low pop server, I don't worry about it too much. If I get taken out by a loner, meh...so what.  I'll just have to start over (that's the fun part, imo). If I run into a player or two on a low pop server, I often approach them and see if they need anything or any help.

(2) Lots of people time server restarts. If its been a while since the restart and I need something, I just head inland. If I'm in good shape, I'll go down on the coast and look for new spawns to help out.

(3)  If I'm at an airfield or military base, you bet your bottom dollar I'm careful. It is rare that I head into those alone (even on low pop servers).  If my buddy(s) or I get taken out, by some KOS'er, we like to have someone close by that can reciprocate the love (if they don't chicken out and log out)..

(4)  As with above, I'm a little less careful about my personal safety if I'm traveling with someone.  But I am a little more careful about where the people I'm traveling with are.  I don't want us to accidentally mistake us for others.....Especially if a firefight gets started.

 

Having learned the first lesson of Early Access DayZ standalone, I am NOT attached to my stuff.  If I die, I die.  When I die, I get the joy of traveling inland, seeing the sights and trying to outwit the zombies and avoid starvation...... 

Edited April 6, 2014 by FloydP

[toasted duckie 156]

I like to think that I'm pretty careful. I avoid Elektro and Cherno like there's a plague raging there, partly because of the poor performance/fps in that area, partly because of... well you know ;) I almost solely travel in the woods, avoid roads and make sure I get low in the terrain and not silhouette myself. I check my rear from time to time, and I stop from time to time, when I get a good opportunity (like one of those fallen over trees, maybe a small shed, a barn or something) .. Then I sit there for a while, checking the direction I came from, to see if I'm being followed. 

I scout out the cities I'm going into for a little bit, and when all seems clear I go in and loot. I do notices, however, that when I'm looting houses etc I strongly lose the focus on seeing if there's any other players. I do close every entrance door of every house I open. 

 

This method seems to work quite well, since I rarely run into people.... -ever-... And I only play on high-pop servers (35 - 40 players)

 

Oh and I don't play longer than a couple of hours per session. One reason is boredom/tiredness, but the other is that I think my concentration will plummit after an extended period of time ;)

[IshFingers 26]

I'm generally a lot more reckless and gung-ho as a loner - generally on 3PP servers. Reason being I a) don't mind death/enjoy re-equipping myself, b ) need a break from the sometimes tedious sneak & scout routine, and c) don't have anyone else to look after.

That said, when in the 'hot-spots' I try to scan ahead and, if the opportunity presents itself, would rather stalk someone/take 'em out without confrontation. Unfortunately this never goes to plan.

For example: if entering Elektro (or other cities of interest) I will do a 'spiral' of the city - edging further into the centre (supermarket/school/police station) and looting what I can along the way. If I see somebody I make it known (not what I have in mind) with a poorly-aimed shot. I think I've been successful... Twice?

Similar tactics to airfields/military bases etc.

In smaller towns it's a case of run in, look around, and react on the go.

Disclaimer: I am terrible and a liability to myself at the best of times. In fact, if you want to survive just follow me and do the opposite.

When with friends etc. I try to be more cautious: though we're by no means experts at this game, we try to add a bit of authenticity to it (I.E. Tactics). Though that usually goes down the pan when you hear "uhhh guys, I think I've done something wrong/drank disinfectant/shot you instead" down the mic...

So yeah, I don't think I've been particularly constructive here. Job done.

[IronCross 78]

Once you gain the feel of the game, you'll have a bit of a sixth sense about things. This is derived from reading the environment, disposition of the city so to speak.

 

Doors, zombies, corpses, loot--all of it contributes. This helps but doesn't completely absolve you of the responsibility to take a stop/look/listen halt for a few minutes or maybe much longer depending how patient a player you are.

[barnabus 1708]

I am just this side of not careful enough I'd say.  I try to use the terrain to my advantage when moving through the country side, use the military crest and all that, so I do that pretty well.  On airfields and such I run with my axe in the attack position and this can lead to a whole lot of misunderstandings when running into real people who have guns, so I get shot or shot at a lot, I then try to get back and avenge my toon, that NEVER works out..  I carry the axe that way for the zeds not the people.  Anyway, I started pulling a pistol to ready when I am indoors because of the axe thing. 

 

I tried ear buds and my God, all the new sounds, can't do ear bud anymore, freaks me out. 

 

I actually get vertigo too, can't do heights either, I'd be a cruddy sniper..  Vertigo can lead to me making that slow motion fall from great heights, you know the one where you are thinking "I hope I only break my legs" before you splat.

Edited April 6, 2014 by Barnabus

[airfell 179]

Since we have the godlike ability to know how many people are on a server (because in the zombie apocalypse we would have that knowledge)... my gameplay/safety level depends on server population.

[Johnny Rocket 4]

It obviously depends of the amount of people on the server, but I normally follow a few simple rules.

 

- Between cities, always travel on one side of the road, the more trees and vegetation the better.

- Between cities, always keep an eye on your back and the other one on the road.

- When aproaching on a city, going on crouch mode, and try to enter by an elevated zone, so you can have a general view of what's going on there.

- Take a look to the doors; Open doors mean someone has been there, be careful. Also, don't waste time trying to loot anything, there is probably nothing left.

- Don't trust anyone with a gun, especially if you're on solo mode. Remember you have more posibilities to get killed if you are carrying military gear or big guns.

- Avoid groups of more than one survivor, They will probably try to wipe you out.

- Do not waste time on looting the entire city. Learn hi-loot buildings and do it fast.

- Try to consume all food and drinks outside cities, in the woods, preferably on crouch mode.

[The_Monk 320]

 

Seen here: Stealth

 

 

 

The way I see it, 90% of players can't hit the broad side of a barn, let alone a moving target. You'll get the occasional half decent player but it definitely isn't often.

 

On full servers there is a chance I'll stick to treelines but it isn't often. Use available cover when you stop moving, move as fast as possible when you are.

[bw_spectre 14]

Im quite new to the game, i bought standalone couple days ago and i never played the mod, but these couple days teach you alot. 

 

Basicly if i play alone, i just want to meet as many people as possible, when im not geared up, often you run into sadistic sociopaths who forcefeed you the worst things on earth,

but theres a good chance to find some friendly players too, new spawns and heros, who either stick with you or help/protect you while in hotspots, and the cool thing about that is you get geared up easily,

after looting a bandit, that those heros helping you, shot down :)

 

If im fully geared and alone or with friend, i play quite alot more carefully, since many heros seem to think that any and all full gear people are hostile bandits... Its very hard to interact with them as friendly.

So in entering a city, i find it rediculous to scout the city for an hour and then go in slowly, thats boring and in many cases you wouldnt even gain any advantage of doing that.

Just check your surroundings, run in, and expect that someone saw you running, while IN the city, you can usually outmanouver most people as long as you look around and know roughly where people are, flank and escape or go behind them and try to take them out. Also because many people suffer from bad FPS in towns, they wont usually be able to gun you down when running, if someone tries to, a little side to side menouver will only waste his bullets.

 

NO RISK - NO FUN. 

 

Alltho there is a slight difference in taking a risk, and being stupid. Dont take unnecessarily stupid risks and youll be fine :)

[nexventor 429]

Ok first off, welcome. I hope you enjoy the game and become intimate with it's mechanics quickly.

 

Secondly, act like you are always being watched.

 

Thirdly, always play on a full server. The game is amazing when played to its harshest setting and taking short cuts only leads to bad habits (like rushing into situations) and ruins everything that is great about this game.

 

Finally addressing your questions below

 

 

I am interested in how careful your play.

 

Towns, very. As a team we have at least 2 on over watch while the rest loot. As a single player depending on what town, I watch for about 3-5 minutes before entering. Look for open doors and don't enter if they are open <- This is also dependent at what stage of the game you are up to eg what gear you have.

 

Forest areas a lot more relaxed but there are certain trials you need to be on guard, you will learn them. Stay away from roads and if you need to follow them stay in the trees 10 mtrs from the road. 

 

 

If you assume that you are alone, I assume most jog/run (like when moving between cities).

 

Never ever assume this, always assume there is someone watching you

 

When approaching a city, do you divert from the road, crouch and scan the city (I mean.. 40 players max. It's very unlikely that you meet someone outside of the hot spots (fire/police station, etc), or do you just barge in and make things quick (taking the obvious risk).

 

Depends on what stage you are up to. If you are new spawn you have nothing to lose so can be a bit more careless. If you are starting to gear up then you should exercise extreme caution.

 

And, my last, likely most important question as I just died another very... unworthy death (logged out where I thought it was safe. Came back to hear a single shot and wake up to the "You are dead" screen): What are the signs of danger that tell you: "F.... now I better get off thr road, look for cover, and take my time?"

 

You shouldn't be on the road in the first place. There are no signs, there is no intuition. It is only you and your knowledge. This game is so so so very different from other FPS. The map is large which lures you into a false sense of isolation that can and will come quickly crashing down on you.

[Capiel 13]

I play like a crazy dog, everything i run, shooting, zombies, noises, every fucking thing i run, and i run in the direction of the noise haha

[gorvi 189]

I'm a ghost.  When I see a less geared player, I lay out extra food in plain sight for them to find.  Freaks them right out sometimes.

 

Cautionary signs would be ammo stacking/pop opening sounds, open doors(for now) and lack of Zeds in spots they should normally be.

[cuddly_rabbit 102]

That was a good read. Couldn't help but laugh louldy a few times.

Thank you, that was great imput.

 

I guess, I'll stick with the semi-secret/careful appraoch.
And I will gear my next guy on a high pop server. 2 more challenges ahead. :D

 

[Skyelur 57]

I get bored once I'm geared, there is no point in anything once you can fully sustain yourself. So I go LOOK for danger (not snipe newspawns lul)

 

I either try to hunt sniping bandits, or hold up some moderately geared people.

 

 

In other words, I'm careful when I am gearing, but once geared, I get bored and am completely RECKLESS

 

Here is what I am basically

 

[herrjon 478]

It depends on how I'm feeling.

 

Generally I'll be very careful, especially if a patient or medical supplies are on the line, always scouting and watching out, as well as keeping up the pace and not being a sitting duck (once I leave the treeline).

 

Other times I'll go running into a known active area without a care in the world, and just doing my best to maintain reasonable cover and reposition when I can.  I would of course though be doing things like jumping into the line of fire just for the rush and running up to a fully geared guy laying on a pile of corpses and saying hello.

 

In either case my life expectancy is great.  You can make it work however you go about it.

[nikko 0]

This is what happens when you get lax and think you are all alone on a server. After dieing so many times from starvation on populated servers that appeared to be cleaned out of food I had had enough so joined a server with no people just to finally experience having food and drink. I trecked across the map to the NE airfield and enjoyed all the plentiful loot and food, The thought entered my mind that I could live there for ever as I ran in to the fire station without a care in the world.....

 

 

 

 

and was promptly shot in the back by someone who'd spawned in :(

[guppy22143 1081]

I have a few sure-fire rules that have kept me alive for awhile now.

 

1. The forest is your friend: Stick to the trees and only loot small villages, taking enough to sustain yourself.

 

2. Keep Low, Move Slow: My little slogan. If you take those extra few minutes to get from point A to point B, keeping low to the ground and moving slowly, you are less likely to blend in.

 

3. Cover vs. Concealment: While cover may seem to be the best option due to, well, not being shot; your goal is to stay hidden. Keep in the foliage and move from shadow to shadow, stay clear from big cities and roads unless out of necessity.

 

4. Proper Camo: If you plan on blending in, obtaining the proper clothing to do so is paramount. In Chernarus, earth tones and greens work best. I recommend dark shoes, green pants, a TTsKO jacket, brown gloves, and a boonie. Avoid flashy objects like a press vest, masks or glasses. Choose a dark tone of skin color for your character, that way he blends in better. Objects being slightly damaged also helps, as it breaks up the coloration and makes it look less man-made.

 

5. Silhouette: Probably the MOST important piece of advice I can give you. A silhouette is your body being visible in open space due to a light source being behind you. The best way to avoid this is to stay IN THE WOODS. NEVER LEAVE THE WOODS. Running across an open field leaves your silhouette highly visible, due to the short plants. You will stick out like a sore thumb whether the sun is hitting you or not. The WORST silhouette is also the least taken into consideration- Standing on a hilltop. If you stand on a hill, the sun will hit you. Anyone looking up at the hill will see you, and thus shoot you. Always stay low on top of hills and get lower down the slope ASAP.

 

6. Low Sound: While looting, try not to attract zeds. Zeds make sounds and get you seen. Don't eat, drink, open pop cans, rearrange item stacks, or anything else that makes sound.

 

These tips could save your life, I recommend following them.

Edited April 8, 2014 by Guppy the DayZ Medic

[Skyelur 57]

I have a few sure-fire rules that have kept me alive for awhile now.

 

1. The forest is your friend: Stick to the trees and only loot small villages, taking enough to sustain yourself.

 

2. Keep Low, Move Slow: My little slogan. If you take those extra few minutes to get from point A to point B, keeping low to the ground and moving slowly, you are less likely to blend in.

 

3. Cover vs. Concealment: While cover may seem to be the best option due to, well, not being shot; your goal is to stay hidden. Keep in the foliage and move from shadow to shadow, stay clear from big cities and roads unless out of necessity.

 

4. Proper Camo: If you plan on blending in, obtaining the proper clothing to do so is paramount. In Chernarus, earth tones and greens work best. I recommend dark shoes, green pants, a TTsKO jacket, brown gloves, and a boonie. Avoid flashy objects like a press vest, masks or glasses. Choose a dark tone of skin color for your character, that way he blends in better. Objects being slightly damaged also helps, as it breaks up the coloration and makes it look less man-made.

 

5. Silhouette: Probably the MOST important piece of advice I can give you. A silhouette is your body being visible in open space due to a light source being behind you. The best way to avoid this is to stay IN THE WOODS. NEVER LEAVE THE WOODS. Running across an open field leaves your silhouette highly visible, due to the short plants. You will stick out like a sore thumb whether the sun is hitting you or not. The WORST silhouette is also the least taken into consideration- Standing on a hilltop. If you stand on a hill, the sun will hit you. Anyone looking up at the hill will see you, and thus shoot you. Always stay low on top of hills and get lower down the slope ASAP.

 

6. Low Sound: While looting, try not to attract zeds. Zeds make sounds and get you seen. Don't eat, drink, open pop cans, rearrange item stacks, or anything else that makes sound.

 

These tips could save your life, I recommend following them.

 

Good tips,unfortunately steps 1-4 won't work on the people that lower their settings on purpose to get an advantage.

[antykain 200]

I'm generally a pretty cautious player ingame. When coming up to a town/city that usually is a 'hotspot' for player activity, I'll always try to get a good vantage point of the town and check things out before entering. A little overwatch action. If I am playing with clanmates or other buddies, we usually try to setup a few outside squadmates the city, around high traffic areas, watching to see anyone coming in/out of the city. While these players are providing overwatch/cover to these areas, we'll have a others, the looters, go into the city and scope out any goodies anyone in the squad may need at the time.

I do tend to often play solo as well, but still always play the cautious role and scope of the city as much as possible before entering. And when wandering the Chernarus wasteland heading to wherever I may be going, I will usually avoid the roadways.. if the server if pretty well populated. Unless you want to run into others and draw attention to yourself, then you can keep yourself out in the open.. depends on your situation.

[The-MCV- 149]

I just barge in in obscure towns, regardless how many players there are, but in the fairly known ones I go in slowly and carefully with the weapon out.

Edited April 9, 2014 by DontGoToBalotaAlone