Sal's 13 Rules For Lone Wolves

[TheSalamander 79]

Yesterday I had the pleasure of playing with someone who was pretty new to the game. We ran around for a while and it was great fun sneaking around in the big cities on high pop and avoiding being murdered, and it got me thinking about the first few times I played and how frustrated I was, so here are some of the things that I wish someone had told me to make lone wolfing more fun.

 

1) When you spawn, you will be given a flashlight and a battery. Open your inventory and put that shit on the ground, because that is where it belongs. Light is death. If it's really too dark to see, turn your gamma up or change server. Same goes for other light sources. The only thing that paints a bigger target on your ass than firing a gun is turning on a light in a dark environment. Imagine the beam as a neon sign pointing directly to your position that reads: "Dear Bandits, please rape me."

 

2) If you are in a high pop server, crab-walk should be your fastest speed when anywhere near a building or place where there could be zombies, and a good deal of the time besides that. This means that inside a town or city you should never stand up. Not once. Not only will your character develop wicked thighs and glutes that would put Arnold to shame, you will avoid a lot of unnecessary zombie aggro.

 

3) Get strapped. It sounds like obvious advice, but I mean it. Right after you get a backpack and enough food and water to prevent you from keeling over in the next 15-20 minutes, you should go find a weapon, and I mean a gun. Pick up all the ammo you see and then ditch the extraneous calibers once you locate a weapon. Certain types are better than others to pick up right off the bat. The SKS and the Mosin have integral magazines, meaning you don't have to locate mags as well as ammo.

 

4) Once you have a gun on your back, it is a 99% certainty that you will be shot on sight, regardless of your intentions or protestations. The good news is, this is only a minor increase from the percentage certainty of being killed while unarmed. Yeah, I know. You wanted to make friends, but if you want to live your best chance is to either turn around and go the opposite way or ambush them.

 

5) At some point you are going to shoot someone. That's why you picked up the gun. When at range, always resist the urge to blaze away the moment you see exposed flesh. He might have friends that you haven't spotted yet. Wait. Breathe. He hasn't seen you yet. Take your time to collect yourself, tamp down some of that excess adrenaline, and make a plan. Make sure your mags are topped off. Pop some painkillers if your aim is unsteady. Allow your character time to catch his breath. Wait for them to stop moving. THEN shoot.

 

6) You can either track down every shard of the map and piece it together with crazy glue, or you can use the map at DayZDB. I would recommend doing the latter, because very few people have the luxury of living long enough to discover all the maps. Just make sure you're in a safe place when you alt+tab.

 

7) Don't try to gear up on high-pop servers. A lone wolf can only watch one sector at a time. It will end in tears.

 

8) Knives, machetes, hammers, wrenches, and pretty much anything besides the good old splitting axe is useless as a melee weapon. You might as well use your fists.

 

9) When in high pop servers, always assume there is a sniper in every treeline and in every window. Hugging the walls will keep you out of open spaces which and potential kill-zones, provided you have the good sense and luck to pick the right walls to hug.

 

10) The serpentine is not a joke. It works. Bob and weave. Zig and zag. Many would-be bandits cannot shoot worth half a good god damn. At ranges beyond two hundred meters it can make you extremely difficult to hit. Conversely, standing still will get you killed every time.

 

11) Ate bad food? Charcoal tablets. Need health? Blood bags. Need to wake somebody up? Epi-pen or saline drip. Broken bones? Splints and morphine. Took two swigs of disinfectant? Sorry old bean, you're fucked.

 

12) Unless you are desperate, avoid most of the residential houses. They have shit loot, lots of windows to get shot or seen through, and few exits.. Red buildings and anything with two stories is good luck, even if you can't actually go upstairs.

 

13) Realize that in the end, unless you have a large amount of patience, you will probably end up looking for a group. The life of the lone wolf is highly unforgiving. Without someone to call your name and ring their hands over your unconscious body, you are always one mistake away from death.

Edited April 20, 2014 by TheSalamander

[Electi 149]

Probably might be useful for newbs,it's short and easy to read. GJ anyway.

[hitt0r 78]

Yesterday I had the pleasure of playing with someone who was pretty new to the game. We ran around for a while and it was great fun sneaking around in the big cities on high pop and avoiding being murdered, and it got me thinking about the first few times I played and how frustrated I was, so here are some of the things that I wish someone had told me to make lone wolfing more fun.

 

1) When you spawn, you will be given a flashlight and a battery. Open your inventory and put that shit on the ground, because that is where it belongs. Light is death. If it's really too dark to see, turn your gamma up or change server. Same goes for other light sources. The only thing that paints a bigger target on your ass than firing a gun is turning on a light in a dark environment. Imagine the beam as a neon sign pointing directly to your position that reads: "Dear Bandits, please rape me."

 

2) If you are in a high pop server, crab-walk should be your fastest speed when anywhere near a building or place where there could be zombies, and a good deal of the time besides that. This means that inside a town or city you should never stand up. Not once. Not only will your character develop wicked thighs and glutes that would put Arnold to shame, you will avoid a lot of unnecessary zombie aggro.

 

3) Get strapped. It sounds like obvious advice, but I mean it. Right after you get a backpack and enough food and water to prevent you from keeling over in the next 15-20 minutes, you should go find a weapon, and I mean a gun. Pick up all the ammo you see and then ditch the extraneous calibers once you locate a weapon. Certain types are better than others to pick up right off the bat. The SKS and the Mosin have integral magazines, meaning you don't have to locate mags as well as ammo.

 

4) Once you have a gun on your back, it is a 99% certainty that you will be shot on sight, regardless of your intentions or protestations. The good news is, this is only a minor increase from the percentage certainty of being killed while unarmed. Yeah, I know. You wanted to make friends, but if you want to live your best chance is to either turn around and go the opposite way or ambush them.

 

5) At some point you are going to shoot someone. That's why you picked up the gun. When at range, always resist the urge to blaze away the moment you see exposed flesh. He might have friends that you haven't spotted yet. Wait. Breathe. He hasn't seen you yet. Take your time to collect yourself, tamp down some of that excess adrenaline, and make a plan. Make sure your mags are topped off. Pop some painkillers if your aim is unsteady. Allow your character time to catch his breath. Wait for them to stop moving. THEN shoot.

 

6) You can either track down every shard of the map and piece it together with crazy glue, or you can use the map at DayZDB. I would recommend doing the latter, because very few people have the luxury of living long enough to discover all the maps. Just make sure you're in a safe place when you alt+tab.

 

7) Don't try to gear up on high-pop servers. A lone wolf can only watch one sector at a time. It will end in tears.

 

8) Knives, machetes, hammers, wrenches, and pretty much anything besides the good old splitting axe is useless as a melee weapon. You might as well use your fists.

 

9) When in high pop servers, always assume there is a sniper in every treeline and in every window. Hugging the walls will keep you out of open spaces which and potential kill-zones, provided you have the good sense and luck to pick the right walls to hug.

 

10) The serpentine is not a joke. It works. Bob and weave. Zig and zag. Many would-be bandits cannot shoot worth half a good god damn. At ranges beyond two hundred meters it can make you extremely difficult to hit. Conversely, standing still will get you killed every time.

 

11) Ate bad food? Charcoal tablets. Need health? Blood bags. Need to wake somebody up? Epi-pen or saline drip. Broken bones? Splints and morphine. Took two swigs of disinfectant? Sorry old bean, you're fucked.

 

12) Unless you are desperate, avoid most of the residential houses. They have shit loot, lots of windows to get shot or seen through, and few exits.. Red buildings and anything with two stories is good luck, even if you can't actually go upstairs.

 

13) Realize that in the end, unless you have a large amount of patience, you will probably end up looking for a group. The life of the lone wolf is highly unforgiving. Without someone to call your name and ring their hands over your unconscious body, you are always one mistake away from death.

 

5) Do painkillers work in the current version?

 

8) The Hoe is on par with a splitting axe.

 

Overall great job , beans en route.

[teapot156 79]

11) Took two swigs of disinfectant? Sorry old bean, you're fucked.

 

If you drink disinfect find a well and continue to over-hydrate yourself. This will induce vomiting. Make sure you have enough food on you to prevent starvation as well.

I have no idea if that works for TWO swigs, I know for a fact it works for one on a healthy victim.

[anothercynicalbrit 166]

This should be stickied, all the problems i had seen with it have been addressed so pretty much spot on. But yes eventually i think everyone will need to find a group as it increases the enjoyment in the game ten fold, for me anyway.

[terminal_boy 860]

6) You can either track down every shard of the map and piece it together with crazy glue, or you can use the map at DayZDB. I would recommend doing the latter, because very few people have the luxury of living long enough to discover all the maps. Just make sure you're in a safe place when you alt+tab.

6a) Always hit Esc before Alt+Tab if you have a firearm equipped to avoid the very rare and random "Alt+Tab = Mouse Button 1" ArmA bug when you return to DayZ.

6b) View the DayZDB Map on your smartphone or tablet so you don't need to Alt+Tab. iZurvive is a good offline map for iOS, but it does only show major loot locations.

[TheSalamander 79]

If you drink disinfect find a well and continue to over-hydrate yourself. This will induce vomiting. Make sure you have enough food on you to prevent starvation as well.

I have no idea if that works for TWO swigs, I know for a fact it works for one on a healthy victim.

 

My friend had his Teamspeak PTT button on middle mouse button if you can believe it. He happened to be walking around, disinfecting weapons and dead bodies like a post-apocalyptic Mr. Clean or something, and he accidentally took not one but two swigs.

 

Apparently it compounds in severity similar to food poisoning, although the symptoms are still the same. His whole vision went blurry and he was dead inside of fifteen minutes.

Edited April 20, 2014 by TheSalamander

[Ramblin Hans 118]

his is only a minor increase from the percentage certainty of being killed while unarmed.

 

Haha, I worry when I pick up a gun without ammo, then this goes through my head too. "They'll probably shoot me anyway"

[teapot156 79]

6a) Always hit Esc before Alt+Tab if you have a firearm equipped to avoid the very rare and random "Alt+Tab = Mouse Button 1" ArmA bug when you return to DayZ.

6b) View the DayZDB Map on your smartphone or tablet so you don't need to Alt+Tab. iZurvive is a good offline map for iOS, but it does only show major loot locations.

I always open up my inventory because i've been known to have little accidents during an alt tab.

iZurvive is such a cleaner map, I use the steam in game Shift-Tab browser and set the hompage for that. My squad and I are also in a editing group for it so we can update positions etc.

I find that iZurvive has a cleaner map and only shows the loot spawns and locations that are really important.

[Hopix 44]

Stopped reading at turn your gamma up.

[CyberGuru 35]

thats good stuff - thanks for posting it!

[Powell (DayZ) 734]

While I don't agree with a few points, I imagine a few people could benefit from this, I've been lone wolfing for about 2 years now, it doesn't really get old to me

[doctorbadsign 645]

6a) Always hit Esc before Alt+Tab if you have a firearm equipped to avoid the very rare and random "Alt+Tab = Mouse Button 1" ArmA bug when you return to DayZ.

6b) View the DayZDB Map on your smartphone or tablet so you don't need to Alt+Tab. iZurvive is a good offline map for iOS, but it does only show major loot locations.

 

Also you don't need to alt-tab, just shift tab and click "web browser" on the bottom of the Steam overlay.

[sausagekingofchicago 4711]

Great tips but I disagree with a few of them.

 

1) When you spawn, you will be given a flashlight and a battery. Open your inventory and put that shit on the ground, because that is where it belongs. Light is death. If it's really too dark to see, turn your gamma up or change server. Same goes for other light sources. The only thing that paints a bigger target on your ass than firing a gun is turning on a light in a dark environment. Imagine the beam as a neon sign pointing directly to your position that reads: "Dear Bandits, please rape me."

 

I can't disagree with this more. Always keep your flashlight. Your first action should always be to place the battery into the light. Hold onto the flashlight like its your life. Unless you insist on experiencing only part of the game, by only playing on 24/7 daylight servers, should you ditch the flashlight. The game is much more immersive at night. Use your flashlight and remember rule #1 of DayZ, do not get attached to your gear, but use it smart. Only use it when you really need it. You do not need it if you're running across an open field.

 

2) If you are in a high pop server, crab-walk should be your fastest speed when anywhere near a building or place where there could be zombies, and a good deal of the time besides that. This means that inside a town or city you should never stand up. Not once. Not only will your character develop wicked thighs and glutes that would put Arnold to shame, you will avoid a lot of unnecessary zombie aggro.

Again, I disagree. Any gear you have is not worth you wasting your time. Depending on your location and server, you can freely move about but be smart. You can run across an open field to a town, after observing it for a while, but don't run blindly around corners once you get there. Standing also offers the fastest player movement and that half second you save by not needing to stand up can be the difference between life and death.

 

3) Get strapped. It sounds like obvious advice, but I mean it. Right after you get a backpack and enough food and water to prevent you from keeling over in the next 15-20 minutes, you should go find a weapon, and I mean a gun. Pick up all the ammo you see and then ditch the extraneous calibers once you locate a weapon. Certain types are better than others to pick up right off the bat. The SKS and the Mosin have integral magazines, meaning you don't have to locate mags as well as ammo.

You do not need to carry more than a water bottle or a couple sodas unless you're exploring the unfinished sections of the map. Wells and ponds can offer ample supply until we're required to purify water. Don't bother picking up every bit of ammo. Even when I do find a gun I never carry more than a stack. You'll likely never use more than a few mags or a few rounds depending on your weapon, especially if you're new. While you may think you're depriving other players of ammo by gathering up everything you see, you're only really feeding into the server hopper bandit games by preventing others from defending themselves. (if you're actively holding down a town rather than passing through, gathering up everything dangerous is a smart move)

Besides, all you're doing is delivering loot to campers, hoppers, and mindless deathmatchers if you repeatedly pick up gear and die.

 

5) At some point you are going to shoot someone. That's why you picked up the gun. When at range, always resist the urge to blaze away the moment you see exposed flesh. He might have friends that you haven't spotted yet. Wait. Breathe. He hasn't seen you yet. Take your time to collect yourself, tamp down some of that excess adrenaline, and make a plan. Make sure your mags are topped off. Pop some painkillers if your aim is unsteady. Allow your character time to catch his breath. Wait for them to stop moving. THEN shoot.

Great advice here. But why fire unless you're in absolute need? Even then, what do you really have to lose if you called out from cover? You're going to die a lot no matter what you do, why not try to experience something other than what you can find in all the other shooters on the market? Keyword: Try

  

8) Knives, machetes, hammers, wrenches, and pretty much anything besides the good old splitting axe is useless as a melee weapon. You might as well use your fists.

 

Knives, while almost useless against zeds, can also open cans of food and are almost guaranteed to cause bleeding in other players. So can the axe but do you really want to dull your melee weapon by opening cans of food? Nope. Pick knives and screwdrivers up.

 

12) Unless you are desperate, avoid most of the residential houses. They have shit loot, lots of windows to get shot or seen through, and few exits.. Red buildings and anything with two stories is good luck, even if you can't actually go upstairs.

Only avoid them if you're set on food, clothing, and bandages.

[TheSalamander 79]

I don't hoard all ammo, just certain types. Mostly stanags and large caliber rifle cartridges. There's nothing better than running across an M4 and realizing you have over 200 rounds for it.

[sokaku 50]

My additions:

Eat everything you find, and don't drink your stomach full like you see in some videos. Drink until you get a light-green Hydrated  indicator, then 2 more for good measure. Eat until full when you get the chance. Carrying more than 1-2 tins of food is pointless, just water. Go into town if your Energized drops to dark green or disappears before you notice. Aim to maintain light-green energized/hydrated and Healthy. It will save your life. I survived a double-ambush when I made the mistake of trying to counter-snipe with a PU scope. Backtracking to safety I ran into a bandit taking pot-shots at me and scoring a hit, then after bandaging and retreating I encountered a group of bandits/hunters that opened up without warning and I was hit again. I sprinted away, bandaged again, and headed south. By the time I entered a familiar inland area I already had most of my colour back. Several minutes later I was Healthy once more. Blood bags aren't really an option when going lone-wolf.

 

Jog rather than sprint. Sprint does burn down your energy/water considerably faster than the time you save. Use it when you're in trouble, but conserve it because staying healthy for when you find yourself in trouble can mean the difference between life and death. (Sprinting away while bleeding, you will last longer when regenerating 3 blood a second.)

 

As for disinfectant or any type of poisoning, inducing vomiting does not help. If you're healthy and fully hydrated, you will survive it, just keep your water level up. Check out videos from Merino on DayZ, very informative stuff for avoiding wasting inventory and surviving things like poisoning and illness.

Edited April 21, 2014 by Sokak

[sniperdoc 251]

You can also stop dying from bad food by inducing vomiting. Just make sure you at least have food to stop from starving after the vomiting (I assume you'll be near a well so you'll have plenty of hydration).

[angry cub 37]

2) If you are in a high pop server, crab-walk should be your fastest speed when anywhere near a building or place where there could be zombies, and a good deal of the time besides that. This means that inside a town or city you should never stand up. Not once. Not only will your character develop wicked thighs and glutes that would put Arnold to shame, you will avoid a lot of unnecessary zombie aggro.

 

 

Dude?  Crabwalk?  That's the perfect speed to get shot.  If you're a new spawn run at full sprint everywhere and don't stop except for the half second it takes to pick up some ammo and a gun.  Full sprint is best.  Zombies can't catch you and players have a hard time shooting you.

[jukaga 271]

2) If you are in a high pop server, crab-walk should be your fastest speed when anywhere near a building or place where there could be zombies, and a good deal of the time besides that. This means that inside a town or city you should never stand up. Not once. Not only will your character develop wicked thighs and glutes that would put Arnold to shame, you will avoid a lot of unnecessary zombie aggro.

 

 

Dude?  Crabwalk?  That's the perfect speed to get shot.  If you're a new spawn run at full sprint everywhere and don't stop except for the half second it takes to pick up some ammo and a gun.  Full sprint is best.  Zombies can't catch you and players have a hard time shooting you.

QFT, zobmie aggro is not a problem and crab walking just makes you easier to shoot. New spawns should be balls to the wall sprinting 100% of the time.

[angry cub 37]

You can also stop dying from bad food by inducing vomiting. Just make sure you at least have food to stop from starving after the vomiting (I assume you'll be near a well so you'll have plenty of hydration).

Thanks Doc! lol

btw STA?  damn you're old  :)

I was a corpsman as well - maybe Ill see you in Chernarus sometime - I'll throw you some beans

[sniperdoc 251]

Thanks Doc! lol

btw STA?  damn you're old  :)

I was a corpsman as well - maybe Ill see you in Chernarus sometime - I'll throw you some beans

Yeah... :) You? I guess STA has been deprecated? I hope they still have Scout Sniper Platoons...?!? It'd be a shame for them to be integrated into the companies now.

Edited April 23, 2014 by sniperdoc

[DemonGroover 8836]

My tip is to always keep yourself hydrated, energised and the rest...that way any hits from zombies can be healed pretty quickly after a bit more food and drink, to get the Healing icon.

[angry cub 37]

Yeah... :) You? I guess STA has been deprecated? I hope they still have Scout Sniper Platoons...?!? It'd be a shame for them to be integrated into the companies now.

Haha no they're still there - they just call them Scout-Sniper platoons for some reason - instead of STA - same thing though just different name 

[sniperdoc 251]

Haha no they're still there - they just call them Scout-Sniper platoons for some reason - instead of STA - same thing though just different name 

Gotcha. Yeah, when I first got assigned to STA 3/5, the H&S Co commander asked what I wanted to do at 3/5 and I told him this was my first time with a grunt unit and wasn't sure. He first offered me Lima Co (boat crews) but they had a full complement. Then Kilo (helos) and I asked if there was anything else. He then told me STA had an opening for a corpsman coming up, but I had no clue what that was. He clarified that it was Scout Sniper Platoon and I immediately volunteered for it. Never did I spend my time with a more awesome group than those guys. Small group, worked well with all the companies and other outfits and all of them were an extremely humble bunch of guys... you would never be able to tell that any of those guys were a cut above the rest. Lots of competition between all of us in STA though... on a more fun level though... not like politics wise... ;) All of that was in 1994... ;) Yeah... I'm old. xD

Edited April 23, 2014 by sniperdoc