My game experience until now (100+ hours) and how it changed

[MarchmelloMan 16]

Hey Survivors,

I want to share my game experience, and how it has changed until now. It changed quite a lot I would say.

My first “life” in DayZ was like: where the hell am I, how do I get food and soda (not even thinking about weapons) and how do I escape from those zombies??

I walked around for 6 hours, totally disoriented and starved to death. The zombies were a real threat for me and I didn’t know how to fight them, every weapon I found at that point was too weak.

My second life was similar, I almost starved to death again, but I got even more unlucky and somehow I managed it to fall from a ladder and get crippled. Crouched to the street and got munched by a zombie.

Then I thought that I really need some input and looked for maps/navigation tools/forum input.

Found something about navigation with the sun and finding the right sky direction but I skipped that. I used the DayZDB map and finally could navigate a little bit. It took a long time to locate myself and walk into the direction I want plus I needed to work with a compass (if I found one) for some time.

After, dunno somewhere after 10-20 hours, I got myself to a fabric (cause it was the nearest fat red spot on the map) and found my first weapon: the SKS. At that point I thought it would only be possible to find one every 100 years, so I really watched my back like a gold digger.

To the interactions: I only had a few cause I looked for low-middle pop servers since I read a lot of Bandits stalk around and try to hunt “bambis”. The players I met so far were quite friendly though!

With the SKS I made a plan for myself, kinda like a travelling route, and set as my final destination the NW Airfield. I stealthed from one city to another, still looting most houses cause I didn’t know which are worth to plunder and which not, and I still had problems to find enough food. Later I learned that the fat spots on the map are the ones with more value.

Half a kilometre in front of the airfield I went prone and observed the situation, crouching slowly towards it. I could only see trees, but I knew behind that treeline was.. the famous airfield, a hotspot for many players and a very dangerous place to be. I think it took me over half an hour to approach the airfield and I was really excited of what would await me. Tons of cool weapons? Sounds from heavy gunfights? Big fat airplanes guarded by survivors? I was curious and excited. And damn cautious.

I made it to the trees near the prison of the airfield and went prone. There was a corpse lying around, well equipped but I didn’t dare to touch it yet. Voices came out of the prison, damnit was my heart beating. I didn’t know what to do. Suddenly two guys came out of the prison and they just stood right in front of it, talking, heavily armoured. It was the first time I saw other survivors while having a weapon on my own and not being surprised by them. I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to test my weapon and shot one of them, still hiding on the floor between the trees. He fell, and the other one fled. I didn’t see him anymore.

In the next hours and lives I learned to know the map, which houses to loot and what routes are good to get equip. I had the attitude of not killing people on sight, of never killing people who have no gear. KoS was real shit and it sucks especially when they ambush you or you get sniped by a camper from nowhere.

Now, after a long time playing the game, I have made quite a development. Technically and psychologically (or however you want to call it).

I know as soon as I spawn where I am. I know which houses and places are best to loot and I can equip myself in about one to two hours no matter where I spawn, meaning I get enough food and drinks to survive, a primary weapon, ammunition and a bag to carry stuff. I run to airfields without crouching/observing the situation and just plunder every prison/hangar looking for weapons. If I don’t find any, I take the next server. As soon as I have a weapon and ammunition I join high-pop servers and go looking for trouble. I’m not that excited anymore because I can aquire new stuff in 1-2 hours and the zombies are no threat anymore too. Actually they are more annoying than exciting/dangerous. So they don’t stop me from plundering airfields/piano buildings/offices whatever places have a high chance for dropping weapons.

My attitude changed too. I was a friendly player and I was really surprised of how fast you can change to the “evil” side. Situations like the following made it:

I ran out of a hangar on the NE airfield, turned right, was running to the next hangar, had nothing else than food and an axe and I literally stumbled into another player who came out of the other hangar. Fully equipped, fully camouflaged, with a mosin and a LRS on his back. We said hello, he literally screamed that he was friendly (though he was much better equipped than me) and we started talking. He seemed to be nice, we said goodbye to each other and I turned my back on him, made some steps and heard a shot, followed by a black screen.

Seriously, at that point I wasn’t even in anger, I was simply very very disappointed. I was killed several times before by KoS, while spawning, by a sniper, but never by a player whom I talked to and who acclaimed that he is friendly. The same thing happened to me again by a guy with an axe. Roles switched, I was fully equipped and he attacked me, after he confirmed he was friendly.

Now I simply don’t trust anyone, again. I swore I wouldn’t do that mistake again and now I just keep shooting/axing every guy I see, no matter what he says.

And what is my goal now? With zombies not being a threat and that surviving is not much of a problem anymore I just equip myself as fast as possible and then run around keep shooting everyone I see. The most boring lives are these, when I run around for 1-2 hours, don’t meet any player and then get sniped from nowhere. Another disadvantage from having big loot is my own caution. When I have really good equip, like M4A1 with RDS and full military clothes I am still afraid to join fights, but what happens then? I get sniped.

Well, this is my experience so far, and everyone of us has made a different and plays different. I just wanted to share mine here.

Greetings!

Edited April 10, 2014 by MarchmelloMan

[So Sexy 259]

Happens to everyone at some point.

Edited April 10, 2014 by So Sexy

[newguyzombie 122]

hey,

your point is nearly the same as mine, after a while you know what to do and where to go. but this experience is the same as in every other game. its like getting the same all time.exept for one point.

you and your friends connect to a server, 30+ people, while connecting you see the name list: 3 clans, every clan 5-7 players on it. then sneaking around in electro, you are as careful as you can be and then... m4 shot. -hit, screen blurry black and white, bleeding. you try to cover behind a wall and your heart goes boom boom pow like you got shot in real life :)

thats what it is for me, and still after 100+ hours of gameplay :)

Edited April 10, 2014 by newguyzombie

[cruiseashimself 56]

I am pretty much in the same boat as you. I'm currently been running this same char for two weeks. I'm so bored I'm heading to the coast so I can find some trouble.

[Jex 1104]

All video games are the same to a degree. They're all fun until they're not although it's an alpha so we haven't even played the game yet. 

 

However, no other game gets you sweating like DayZ does.

[kingbritain 63]

You've really learned the core game. A lot of babies join, die a few times, and never play again because they don't know that in its simplist DayZ is a vicious cycle of dying, gearing, and dying again. For me, that's half the allure.

[brumey 116]

this was pretty much my experience too the first 100 hours!

 

i am playing altis life mod now. we are 15 People and am having a blast

[ErichZann 28]

All video games are the same to a degree. They're all fun until they're not although it's an alpha so we haven't even played the game yet. 

 

However, no other game gets you sweating like DayZ does.

 

Well yeah, few games have as little content as Dayz does...

[deebz1234 243]

and then you start playing arma 3 more and its various mods...coming back to SA every once in a while hoping some major updates have trickled down...realizing that nothing much has changed except spawn points...sigh

 

bp+bystrica ftw for now

[zeroy 240]

And what is my goal now? With zombies not being a threat and that surviving is not much of a problem anymore I just equip myself as fast as possible and then run around keep shooting everyone I see. The most boring lives are these, when I run

 

well beware, it only takes 10-15mn now with the extra loot spawns... :)  -- Hoping this is only a overload test by the devs or in a few days everyone will be sniper-camping in da woods!

 

As to your experience and how it changed I think I can see where you are coming from. I started playing solo (up to 50h at least) but now play with a buddy of mine and how boy this is a very different experience! But if I was still lone wolf I guess I would try stalk others players and ambush them or things like that. I would recommend maybe you join a clan or get a friend to play with you.

[MarchmelloMan 16]

 

well beware, it only takes 10-15mn now with the extra loot spawns... :)  -- Hoping this is only a overload test by the devs or in a few days everyone will be sniper-camping in da woods!

 

As to your experience and how it changed I think I can see where you are coming from. I started playing solo (up to 50h at least) but now play with a buddy of mine and how boy this is a very different experience! But if I was still lone wolf I guess I would try stalk others players and ambush them or things like that. I would recommend maybe you join a clan or get a friend to play with you.

Yeah, I should try that.

Actually funny you post this now, I just had a nice interaction with two other guys in Elektro, and I thought about giving them some contact information, but we were all three ambushed by a clan before we could get over with that.. I guess thats the downside of the communication - they hear you out of a distance and know that you are busy, and last but not least you are quite distracted :P

Not a rare experience actually, two guys talking happily in a house totally unaware of the fact that anyone in 50 metres around them and outside can hear them :D

[Somestupidusername 6]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts about the game! We all feel pretty much the same about it.

[Jex 1104]

Well yeah, few games have as little content as Dayz does...

 

Your comparing completed games to a game still in development? it's an ALPHA!!!! helloooooooo lol

 

Seriously wtf? Do people not understand that's it's ridiculous to complain about the state of something that hasn't been built yet. 

 

I was down at the shipyard the other day with my mates and we were all laughing at this guy building a boat. It hardly had a hull and the mast was half built. Jeez what a piece of shit boat it doesn't even have half the stuff all the other boats on the dock have I don't even know why he's bothering to make it might as well give up  :rolleyes:

[thesodesa 99]

Your comparing completed games to a game still in development? it's an ALPHA!!!! helloooooooo lol

 

Seriously wtf? Do people not understand that's it's ridiculous to complain about the state of something that hasn't been built yet. 

 

I was down at the shipyard the other day with my mates and we were all laughing at this guy building a boat. It hardly had a hull and the mast was half built. Jeez what a piece of shit boat it doesn't even have half the stuff all the other boats on the dock have I don't even know why he's bothering to make it might as well give up  :rolleyes:

 

It's not that people shouldn't be critiquing the game and it's features. It's just that people seem to have bought the game without reading the HUGE disclaimer stating what an early access game is on the game's steam page. People also don't seem to read the disclaimer that is displayed every, friggin', time, the game starts up.

 

They just don't understand that they are testing the game, not playing the final product.

Edited April 11, 2014 by TheSodesa

[deus_drone 98]

The waiting for features and content between patches is what kills me, sadly I am playing several early access games!! I am a sucker for punishment and disappointment.

[Jex 1104]

I don't get how they just ignore the big disclaimer they see on every load up. Still, they're the one's looking like idiots when they come here to complain. With regards to features, play something else then in the meantime. I'm giving Dayz a few hours a week right now. I'll play more after a patch release to test things out but then I'll go play something else.

[Sistinas1973 50]

Dayz in a nutshell. You're right though. Once you've learned where to go and how to set yourself up in a minimal amount of time, you only got 2 options, hunt players or help them.

I enjoy being a freshie though. The less gear I have, the more confident I am taking risks like approaching others in a place like Elektro. My usual routine consists of: gear up, get kos' ed, rinse and repeat. Yea, it's not much, but I can log in and do my thing without a feeling of grind or level gimmicks other mmo's throw at you to keep you paying that monthly sub.

[ErichZann 28]

Your comparing completed games to a game still in development? it's an ALPHA!!!! helloooooooo lol

 

Seriously wtf? Do people not understand that's it's ridiculous to complain about the state of something that hasn't been built yet. 

 

I was down at the shipyard the other day with my mates and we were all laughing at this guy building a boat. It hardly had a hull and the mast was half built. Jeez what a piece of shit boat it doesn't even have half the stuff all the other boats on the dock have I don't even know why he's bothering to make it might as well give up  :rolleyes:

 

Has nothing to do with alpha or not in my opinion. The hope with the standalone (for me!) was, that there would be more "goals" than the mod... a purpose, something to work for. And there is nothing. Sure a real quest system would not work in this game, but even if the game is finished there will be no end game other than killing everyone else. And repairing some vehicles is not what I call content in a game, same as just more weapons or whatever. When the game is finished it might just be a slightly extended version of the mod, bit better inventory system, nicer graphics, etc. but thats quite sad in my eyes, then they could as well have continued to develop the mod, and all the "mods of the mod" can probably do much more now, than the standalone when its "finished"...

 

We will see if this is true, but for me it sure looks like it.

[Jex 1104]

Has nothing to do with alpha or not in my opinion. The hope with the standalone (for me!) was, that there would be more "goals" than the mod... a purpose, something to work for. And there is nothing. Sure a real quest system would not work in this game, but even if the game is finished there will be no end game other than killing everyone else. And repairing some vehicles is not what I call content in a game, same as just more weapons or whatever. When the game is finished it might just be a slightly extended version of the mod, bit better inventory system, nicer graphics, etc. but thats quite sad in my eyes, then they could as well have continued to develop the mod, and all the "mods of the mod" can probably do much more now, than the standalone when its "finished"...

 

We will see if this is true, but for me it sure looks like it.

 

THE GAME ISN'T FINISHED!!!!

 

Can you understand this? The hope was that there would be more to do are you serious? There is going to be more to do, read the roadmaps. Quests could be good but could be bad and it's not that type of game anyway - it's an apocalyptical survival game. 

[kingbritain 63]

Your comparing completed games to a game still in development? it's an ALPHA!!!! helloooooooo lol

 

Seriously wtf? Do people not understand that's it's ridiculous to complain about the state of something that hasn't been built yet. 

 

I was down at the shipyard the other day with my mates and we were all laughing at this guy building a boat. It hardly had a hull and the mast was half built. Jeez what a piece of shit boat it doesn't even have half the stuff all the other boats on the dock have I don't even know why he's bothering to make it might as well give up  :rolleyes:

That was about the most apt description of alpha phase I've ever heard. Good point!

[LeChat 131]

Give it a couple of patches and return. If you're not into pvp there isn't much else to do right now, once you've explored the map that is that.

More features/mechanics will come, but I wouldn't hold my breath for any ultimate 'goals to work for'.