How was your Day(Z)?

[QUAZIMOFO 275]

Oh I knew all that. I just never made or even seen one before other than on videos and such. It just gave me something to do and I love the look of it.

[eno 1049]

Had a bit of an active evening last night... Svet was apparently THE place to be for everyone but my two sidekicks! I was running solo so kept an understandably low profile. Well- I tried to. 

 

Almost immediately I noticed two yahoos running around shooting wildly trying to get zombies to attack them. They were both just standing out in the open being morons so I took some pot shots at them. I'm an awful shot- they were in no real danger. 

 

About 10 minutes into my surveillance I noticed two geared characters working their way towards me from the south at a distance, weapons in hand. They ducked into the dock side and headed towards the guard house. They didn't spend much time there... I have it ranged at 400 meters so I wasn't worried about them necessarily. But they weren't giving me a warm, squishy feeling. They had some pretty high vis gear on which in the state of mind I was in was like a poisonous fish... "I don't need to hide because looking at me can kill you." 

 

Challenge accepted. 

 

One of them moved into the middle of the road and I took the shot. I don't think I hit him (stupid reload)- but he quickly ducked around behind that large pre-fab shop with the blue doors. I saw him again pretty quick so I don't think he had time to bandage. They didn't stick together long- they split up. Wise move, hombres! 

 

Uh oh... I don't think they knew where I was exactly but I think they had a good idea. One of them headed out of sight around my left (NE or so) and the other ran towards the hospital. Was one going to act as bait for me to shoot while the other used those shots to guide himself in on me? 

 

Sniper induced paranoia. 

 

I should move... or will moving give me away? Had another sip of vodka soda... then decided to stay put. And 456 I can't wait until ghost sounds are fixed. Jesus it's going to be an empty, boring world without them slamming gates, reloading, drinking, splitting ammo and birds taking flight sounds. Good grief. 

 

Every sound I heard could have POTENTIALLY been the dude with the red backpack getting the drop on me as I sit there laying out in the sun like a crocodile after eating a cow made out of nyquil. 

 

Minutes went by... I lost the one guy in town since I kept looking over my shoulder every quarter of a second- I didn't even want to drink for fear of making noise. Of course the guy would probably write the sound off as a ghost and pay me no attention. 

 

I saw something in the corner of my eye on the hospital roof so I looked over just in time to see a rainbow of dudes wearing dry bags in a large group- probably 4 or 5. They were just splitting up when I zoomed in. I lost all but one guy I saw make his way behind the box over the stairwell. I could see him through the open door since there was a window on the wall he was beside. I could see him there with some yellow attire... looked like he was a lookout. He was moving just a bit- probably looking back and forth with his whole body instead of just turning his head. Idiot! Even a noob like me knows that's a visit from the reaper. 

 

I watch him closely- trying to figure out if they're part of the smaller group I saw earlier. Are they all going to try and flush me out? Are they all going to different parts of the city to listen for my near impossible shots at Mr. Yellow? 

 

Okay- smart guys. Glad I had 5 aces up my sleeves. I felt so cunning and superior right at that moment... I wanted to shout out to him "Wait there all you want buddy- I've got all night!" Moron. I'll be here digging your grave while you sit there and hang your yellow carrot out for me to shoot at. But after about 20 minutes of waiting for the sure SINGLE shot I could take- killing him and not giving his friends enough opportunity to converge on me- I realized I had double head faked myself.  

 

I'd watched Mr. Yellow carefully- taking my eyes away from him only long enough to occasionally spot some of his other companions moving building to building heading generally west. Something changed- the light... the angle I was sitting at the monitor... something made me take a really long look at Mr. Yellow. He's moving- there's no doubt about that. Wearing worn yellow jacket of some sort... maybe a tanned leather vest as well? 

 

Wait a minute. I took a few seconds to take a quick look at the tree swaying just beyond him. It's yellow... with brown / tan shades within the branches... and it's moving as well- swaying side to side gently in the breeze. I matched up its movements with Mr. Yellow- 

 

Awwww faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack. 

 

I'm an idiot. 

Edited July 18, 2015 by ENO75

[Hairy_eyeball 82]

Unfortunately just about everything in all those screenshots won't be rendered past about 100 feet so it'll look like you're lying out in the open. 

 

Literally not wanting to sound like a jerk or rain on your parade... it was a discovery I made after a couple of ghillie attempts. It does work in close- as I'm sure you've seen with videos or buddies or whatever. But out where you'd expect to be using a ghillie more often (especially a full one)... you stand out with excruciating clarity. 

 

In addition- the underlay of the world is more of a tan... so at a distance the stock ghillie is actually the better colour since it tends to blend in with what people can see further off (out in the open anyway). Many turn their shadows off... and grass won't be visible at a distance. It really is brutal and I would love for it to work but it just doesn't.

 

Oh and notice that "you're rapidly warming up" message? Get ready to see that a metric shit ton. 

 

You may already know all this- but I remember how much time I spent packing around all that netting and burlap... and how much gear I dropped without a pack. All to find out that I was barely hidden at all. 

 

Best of luck with it- just always remember in the back of your mind it's an instant death sentence if you're spotted... and you'll be spotted. 

 

thats why i dont use ghille anymore lol

[Syphonz 64]

One of my favourite times in DayZ so far.

 

 

Me and my friend decide to head down to the coast and see what we can find. Why not, if we die, we can gear up again.

 

 

So, we decide to head to balota airfield. Bright idea.

 

As soon as we get into one of the hangers, the "weapon in your hand" glitch happens and I cant draw my AUG. I decide to take a run around to the back of the hanger (outside) and I get shot. So, I run back inside trying to fix the issue. Then the guy appears in the entrance and guns me down, DOESNT kill me though (thank the lord for motorbike helms).

 

 

When he goes inside to loot my body, my friend is standing inside the doorway, and just unloads on him Takes him out then kills him.

 

 

Then he gets me back up, saline, bandages, whole 9 yards. Then, as SOON as I wake up, I see a guy sprinting across the field towards us, with his gun out. My friends back is turned, so, obviously, I make the obvious choice. I open fire, gun him down. He goes to loot, I cover him, and we get SWARMED by infected.

 

We decide to head to the control tower to rest a bit, but, then, ANOTHER sniper tries to hit us, and we get pinned in the tower. At that point, I have to log off and go to work, but, my friend stays in, the guy goes up to the tower, and he manages to gun him down. It was a eventful day in Dayz :)

[Pipe Down 4]

The Jacket:

 

I was making my way from Cherno to Electro, had some nice olive/green gear on, an axe, a rifle with no rounds, and a makarov with 2 clips in my belt. I enter a very small one room house to have nosey. See some items are ahead as I enter, nothing useful, I look to the corner and there it is, a pristine violet quilted jacket on floor. I take off my more subtle and larger pocketed olive jacket and try it on. I switch to 3rd person to admire its magnificence.

 

I see something move fast past the window! I pull my makarov and in runs another survivor armed with a sledgehammer. I expect him to rush me, thinking he must have saw me enter, instead he looks into the same pile of junk ahead of door I did. The room is tiny and he is near on top of me with his weapon ready. I unload my clip into him before he can turn round and see me. My mind races and my heart pounds, I take a look at the body of the man I have killed in cold blood. He is dressed like policemen, all in blue, complete with hat and vest. I feel a pang of guilt, could he have been friendly? No matter now, as I then realise, I only saw this man come in due to The Jacket. If I had not basked in its glorious colour I never would have seen him pass the window, and despite is glory he did not see me, I resolve to never take it off.

 

I make my into electro and stop by a guardhouse. I grab a black combat vest and boots, and a PM73 with a clip. I also grab a combat knife and place it inside my new boots. Feeling bold, I make my way to police station. The roads are quiet and I enter the station through the front door, I turn and enter the jail cell when I hear a noise, someone else is in here.

 

I cloister myself between the bed of the cell and the wall, giving me a good view of the door. I ready my new SMG and remain perfectly still. I hear a little more movement and a door closing, then silence. An eternity seems to pass, did they leave? Only moments later, I hear a door open and the sound of approaching footsteps. A red clad figure comes down the stairs and passed in front of the door, his huge red backpack obscuring his form as he enters the room opposite, He didnt see me? I see he is carrying a shotgun. With little hesitation I fire a burst from my weapon into his back, He panics as the rounds hit him, firing his weapon into the floor ahead of him before he turns to flee back upstairs, I hear him slam a door shut behind him. 

 

Whats happening to me? I was never the killing sort. I had always tried to make friends or at least pass other peacefully, but now? I had killed once already today, and I would soon add another to this tally. I stalk my prey upstairs as my conscience wrestles itself. All doors are open bar one, I know my unfortunate victim is on the other side of this door, waiting for me. I move to side of the door and open it. I charge into the room like an angry violet rhino, my prey misses his chance to strike as I am soon on top of him as he lay prone on the floor. A burst from my weapon sees him off of this mortal coil.

 

I stop and listen intently, to be sure no others have come to investigate our exchange. With it seeming safe, I now I get a good look at my victim. I see a skull balaclava covering his face, I take it as well as many other belongings. I change my view to get a good look at my new headgear and I am struck by the glory of The Jacket once more, and I say a thanks for its protection and guidance. It is then I am also struck by the thought that my prey has yet more to give me.

 

I take my combat knife and begin to dismember his corpse, I take the pieces of what was once a man and place them in the burlap sack I have been keeping my other items in. I do not know what I have become. All I know is that I am alive and others are dead, I am now well armed and very well provisioned, And it is because I have The Jacket with me. 

 

I then head north, into the woods, and into the night.  :D  :beans:  :emptycan:

Edited July 20, 2015 by Pipe Down

[schwaBAM 200]

*snip*

Simply awesome.

Edited July 20, 2015 by schwaBAM

[Mookie (original) 799]

I killed a guy last night. Didn't really want to, felt bad.

 

I was running up to a chopper crash when he ran around the side. Weirdly, given that he was about 10m away from me, he didn't see me. I tried to switch out to my MP5 without remembering I had an AUG in my hands. After five seconds of desperate fumbling, I got the Aug up and let rip, putting a final shot in his head, to be sure.

 

He wasn't that well geared, and what he had was ruined.

 

My only excuse is that crash sites are not the best place to hang around trying to make friends.

[Killawife 599]

I only met one other guy yesterday and bashed him with a hockeystick for a little bit. He squealed somethign in russian but I dont speak russian, so....squealers must die. 

 He didnt die though but ran away bleeding and squealing. He had just killed a guy so I felt righteous about it. I then found a shotgun but couldnt find him again so I went to cherno instead.

[schwaBAM 200]

This happened a couple of days ago, so I may be off a bit on the exact exchanges:

 

Eno and I were at our normal hangout in Svet trying to encourage people to talk to us before committing suicide.  Shortly after logging in, Eno called out that a guy with a rifle on his back was coming into town and ran into a red 2-story house.  He directed me in as I quickly rushed over and ran up the stairs behind him before he knew I was there.  I saw him changing his shirt while looking at the shelf and I called out to him asking him how he is doing.  He quickly put his hands up and then proceeded to drop everything on the floor, gun, hatchet, and other items.  He then decided to roll over and over all over the room all while not saying anything or typing.  I kept talking over voice and told him to relax and to pick his gear back up.  He must not have been able to hear me (even though Eno could hear me fine), so he got up and walked past me, down the stairs, out the door, and down the street heading towards Novo.  Not in a full sprint, but at a jog pace.  He never looked back or said anything during that entire exchange.

 

I was so confused that I wasn't sure what to do.  We laughed it off and decided to go back to over-watch position.

 

Shortly after Eno spots a guy coming in from the East but he has an AK in his hands.  I wait a moment, before deciding to engage regardless, so I start to head towards him just as Eno spots another guy near him.  They don't seem to know each other and shortly after start exchanging gun fire with each other.  Some bullets must have randomly come close to Eno, so he shuffled back a little bit as he was not 100% sure it was "random".  They ran around a bit, shooting a bit more before taking off in different directions.  

 

I then started looking for .308 ammo for Eno in random buildings.  I checked the entire west side of town except for one townhouse building.  I was ready to give up as I entered the last room of the house, right as I stepped on 40 rounds of it.  Woohoo!  Eno came down to collect and fill his water bottle.  We embraced each other by hugging tightly before logging.  The end.

Edited July 21, 2015 by schwaBAM

[Mookie (original) 799]

We embraced each other by hugging tightly before logging.  

 

Hmmm.

[eno 1049]

Hmmm.

 

I know, right? Those are some lonely moments up in the nest let me tell you.

[Killawife 599]

No good day today. First I had the drop on two players at the airfield but my scope acted up so I had to leave. Then I played with another well-geared character and got killed by two campers in Kamyshovo. One on the hill and another among the houses. I saw a player they had murdered on the police station roof and thought I'd slip away along the treeline but it was not to be.

 I repsawned in Berezino and got shot before even finding a weapon.

I then repsawned in Cherno and looted up nice. Found a mosin, ak74su,mp5,cr75,fnx and magnum but no ammo for the weapons. I then ran into two germans and talked to them for a bit. Then one of them tried to restrain me with duct tape so i left. They followed so I went on a roof and found a box of 9mm bullets. I told them to leave but they didnt so i left again, then they attacked me. We ran aroundd for a bit, all firing off single loaded rounds. In the end they got me.

 I respawned outside elektro and thought Id go back and get revenge but fell off a crane instead. A helpful girl helped me get a splint. I then proceeded to gear up but could find no ammo. I also noticed the murderers had logged out so i called it a night.

[schwaBAM 200]

I logged on to my 1pp character last night and saw that I was in Cherno (west side, near the water).  I got my bearings and stepped outside and looked both ways down the street.  I saw a guy with an  orange mountain backpack jogging towards the stores near the water  (good timing eh?).  I ran to intercept him and see if I could help or give him anything..

 

Just then two zeds jump out and molest me.  I dispose of them quickly with my AK but obviously give my position away.  I run back towards the guys direction and see that he has ducked in one of the buildings.  I call out to him:

 

Me: "Hey bud, it's cool, come on out" (as I glance in windows looking for him)

 

Him: "H-Hey man, please don't shoot"

 

Me: "It's cool, it's cool, I had to get rid of some zed aggro, you can come out"

 

Him:  "Please don't shoot, I about shit myself when you shot a moment ago"

 

Me: "Ha ha, it's all good, you need anything?  Come on out"

 

*He comes out and sees me*

 

Him: "Holy shit, you're armed to the teeth, nice outfit"

 

Me: "Thanks? It's just me out here.  I'll lower my weapon"

 

*We exchange pleasantries and I offer supplies, which he rejects.  I then let him go and run off in the opposite direction looking for certain gear.  I then get a friend request on STEAM shortly after.  I add the person and it turns out to be "him".  His in-game name in Chance.  We chat for a bit and he tells me he is looking for supplies to make a ghillie.  I find some netting and 4 burlap sacks for him during a 30 minute run through  Cherno and on the coast.  He ends up running to Balota as I head towards the apartments (north of Cherno).. just then he types to me advising that someone is shooting at him.  We end up voice chatting over steam as I rush over..

 

**I notice that there are 5 other people in the server as I rush over to Balota from the apartments north of Cherno.

 

Me: "Where is he?"

 

Him: "Not sure, I was in the military prison building and I am now running to the tower"

 

Me: "10-4, I'm looking everywhere with my binoculars and I don't see any movement, plus the zombies have not moved either"

 

Him: "He hasn't shot in a couple of minutes"

 

**Just then the server is empty except for us two.  I alert him of that as he discovers an active mine in front of the steps of the other prison building (west side).  I tell him I do not know if you can disarm them but that he can try to shoot it to see if that makes it explode.  He fires a bunch of shots at it which do nothing.  He then goes to disarm it (lol) and he deactivated it on his end, but on my end it exploded.  He said he got the message that it hurt him, but nothing is ruined on his person.  Weird.

 

We loot the rest of Balota and the town, head along the shore as we find items for each other.  He thanks me for being friendly as he does not normally see friendlies in this game anymore.  I logged off after an hour of scavenging.

[hippokaba 0]

Been playing for a week, trying to understand the game and how to survive.  Decide on a pretty full 1PP private server, spawn near Nizhnoye (maybe??  I don't recall exactly), locate myself after studying youtube videos and online maps and am so pleased.

 

So begins a week long trek around the east and north east with a cowboy hat, mosin and child's red backpack/target on my back and no ammo.  I've decided to try and avoid people (I think in Frankie's DayZ video he says KoS only works if you're seen, so I aim to not be seen).  I raid small villages after watching from the trees.  Sometimes I see another looter and I wait till they leave.  After several hours in game I have a longhorn too but still no usable ammo.  Maybe I have to go to more dangerous places?  I follow the compass north and pick up some binoculars in a deer stand.

 

This changes my game completely now.  Whereas before I was just squinting my eyes, now the ground under every tree within sight is laid bare.  I travel much more slowly and approach every place from high on a hill.  In Krasnostav I find mosin and longhorn ammo, I run down the airfield runway and back down towards Berezino.  I get a burlap sack and make a backpack and run through the industrial parts of Berezino hearing some gunfire but don't encounter any trouble.  I shoot a zombie in the docks and squat under a bush near the sea, near where I started.

 

I loved this solo trek, and feel I succeeded in getting basic gear and surviving, but I'm curious as to how cautious other people play.   Watching youtube or streams it seems many people charge about like rampant elephants and tool up ASAP.  How risky is that technique?  I assume there is an inherent randomness to encounters that no amount of precaution can eliminate, but is it crazy to try and minimise that chance?

[schwaBAM 200]

It is totally up to you and how you want to play.  A lot of people like to PvP and rush to gear up as soon as possible so that they can rejoin the fight.  

 

I play both ways; some dayz I take my time and sneak around (more so on first person servers), while other dayz, I crave the interaction (3rd person servers) and may join in on some PvP or try to make contact to help people.  By sneaking around, you definitely reduce the amount of exposure, but it does not eliminate it as you stated.  I've died too many times due to bad luck.  I can recall one incident where I was sneaking around testing the zombie aggro range and checking over my shoulder on all angles while in Cherno (going building to building near the coastal area).  Shortly after I notice movement on the high factory building (golden spire building I think it is referred to) and a shot comes through the window and hits me from 400-500m away.  I was literally sitting in a building looking out the window and this guy spotted me.  It was a nice shot, I must say.

Edited July 23, 2015 by schwaBAM

[schwaBAM 200]

I logged in for 30 minutes to find a pistol holster for the plate carrier and I am having no luck.  Anyways, I logged in just outside of the NWAF (I had forgotten that I logged out there in a hurry previously) on my 1pp character.  Just as I run inside the fence (near the prison/barracks building just south of the tents), I see a guy running past me towards the guard house just before the tents.  I check the server list and see that it is literally only me and him in there (lol).  What are the odds of that happening twice in such a short period of time?

 

Anyways, I minimize and press record on my handy-dandy recorder program and follow him through the trees towards the guard house.  He has a weapon in his hand and a backpack, not totally kitted out but looks to be dual carrying.  I watch him stop at the entrance of the guard house as I rush him (allowing the shed out front to block my approach).

 

I run past the fence surrounding the building, come within 20m, raise my weapon, and..

 

Me:  "Hey bud!  How're ya doing?"

 

**He looks up at me with his weapon in hand.. he does not raise it but I have my AK raised and pointed at him as I side step slowly..

 

Him ("THURMO"): "OH GOD dude, you scared the shit out of me, I thought the server was empty."

 

Me: "Ha ha!  This is the second time I've logged in right behind someone."

 

THURMO: "Do you want me to get naked and drop all my stuff so you can check it out?"

 

Me: "No, hah, I just wanted to see what you were up to.  Tell you what, if you can just drop your weapon(s) until I leave, I will leave you alone."

 

*He drops everything and strips anyways..

 

Me: "Alright, that's cool, cya!"

 

THURMO: "Thanks for not killing me! Cya!"

 

 

I finished looting the tents, hangars, and all other military buildings with no luck.  Loot is pretty scarce in that area.  Anyone know where to find a pistol holster for the plate carrier?

Edited July 24, 2015 by schwaBAM

[eno 1049]

Been missing my sidearms (Bam and DaveB) for the last few sessions but I have had a chance to go at it solo for the last few days. As pitiful as it sounds, I've just been sitting back watching. Watching people go about their business... judge, jury and executioner.

 

I'm happy to watch freshies come in and head to the nearest crane to suicide. Yesterday I watched a guy try to commit suicide off the crane and nearby industrial building half a dozen times. Looked silly- but he was committed. Went to the crane to jump off... Nothing- still standing. Tried again- Still standing. Building- jumped... Nothing. Still standing. Back to the building for another go- no joy. Still standing. Harvested the attention of a nearby zombie and it beat on him for about a minute... He obviously got bored with that because he went back to the building. Nothing- still standing. Crane? Still standing.

 

I figured he had some invincible hack going or something- looked just stupid watching him throw himself off everything just trying to die. Finally I even got bored watching him and started looking around. Went back to him a few minutes later and he was dead with a zombie on top of him. No idea how he died and don't really care. That was idiotic to behold.

 

Saw the first truck pass through town since I took up my post... Dudes stopped by the industrial building and at least two geared players jumped out and maybe one fresh- couldn't tell if he just stumbled in on the group. Cue on the dude with the motorcycle helmet (never liked them much- innocent or not they're going to die... Call it my "thing").

 

Shot went wide but they got the message and didn't hang around.

 

As I'm sitting there- relatively motionless- I'm watching for a few things:

 

1) Geared up? Gun in hand? For the most part I'll leave this guy alone unless he kills a fresh or has a motorcycle helmet on.

2) Pairs? Teched out pairs are going to get my attention for the same reason I'd expect to get attention if Bam and I are hanging out. People in pairs aren't often friendly- I roll the dice. Sometimes it's enough for me to put "a shot across the bow." Takes them off their game... I'm in their head.

3) Fresh straight to common buildings- guard houses / police stations / relative hit-points depending on patch. If you're fresh and heading straight to "ammo up" points I'll keep my eye on you and will "get in your head" if you let me. And by "get in your head" I mean with a bullet if you'll give me the shot.

4) If you shoot openly with no discipline or concern of your environment I'll kill you because you're an idiot.

5) If you're running building to building and happen upon a building of interest then I'll generally leave you alone.

6) If you're showing up in a truck with a bunch of teched out buddies- I'll "get in your head." I'm not so concerned with killing you as much as getting you to move on.

 

There's something about sitting back, relatively invisible, watching people go about their business in the game. I see a fresh come in and I'll watch over him the same way I'll watch over DaveB and Bam. Anyone gets in that circle and I'm instant on. I'm not interested in shooting the fresh. Yeah, I have fantasies about being able to shoot accurately enough to hit some of these suicide dudes in the leg so they can all lay there crawling around with broken legs... But I don't shoot that well. Man I would love that...

 

Some guy coming around to suicide and sees a half dozen guys crawling around the area begging people to kill them so they can get on with it and go do whatever stupid ish they're doing wherever they're doing it. Oh yes... please yes!

 

But no- no such joy.

 

If you're teched out then you should know better than to give me a shot. If you don't know better already then my bullet through your brain should be the memo.

 

If you're fresh... No shot- unless you're straight to common points... In which case I'll be watching you carefully. Moving around like someone who knows what they're doing? If you give me the shot, I'll take it.

 

 

All of this is measured against a risk of exposure... Tough shot or a likely miss? What are the chances that someone will be able to anticipate my location, find me and kill me? This is important since I'm not really in a "mobile plain" at the moment. I want to hunker down, stay in my cozy spot and do my thing. If you're all over the place, at a distance, and not giving me anything to shoot at I'll leave you alone.

 

Why am I typing this? I can't imagine that many other snipers are thinking differently than I am. We're just sitting back- sucking at pvp- with more patience than we have skills. We're trying to help without helping. Trying to make a difference while not really able to...

 

 

Anyway- just some thoughts.

[Hairy_eyeball 82]

the pistol holster can supposedly be found at crash sites. although it could be just like the battery and not spawning at all. 

[krazypenguin 174]

Hi guys, been a long time... :-)

 

Maybe 3 months ago I took a break for a while but about a month ago I started playing again.  I’ve seen the changes in the game, animals seem to have been removed and are either still absent now or at least so rare that they may as well be, whilst guns and ammo seem to be almost everywhere.  Every police station has half a dozen Makarovs and a couple of MP5s and RAKs, usually with mags in the same room.  Then there’s the guard shack (not sure what it’s supposed to be but I think that’s what it is) that had about 10 assault vests, boots, and rifles on a ledge just outside the door.  Basically, it seems like the Devs are making a clear statement, they want players to PVP.

 

Now I’ve always maintained that I’m not a PVPer, to the point that I’ve only ever killed 2 players both in self-defence.  Usually I just run away when I make contact – or get killed.  However, my return to the game coincided with my friend, DC, also returning to the game so we hooked up.  Whilst DC is not a full-on KoSer he will fight and is actually very good at it.  More importantly, military locations are KoS areas for him – no messing.  So, playing with someone who will fight and finding no animals to hunt and guns and ammo everywhere…it’s PVP time.

 

We geared up quickly and easily, and roamed the West side of the map, making our way up to the airfield, but without any sign of another human.  Unsure of what to do next we decided to head East, towards Stary Sobor.  When we got there we spotted the new military tent area on the North side of the town, in the shadow of a massive red barn-like building, and we moved in to investigate.  We were halfway through clearing the compound when the bullets starting thudding into the ground all around us.  With no idea where the shooting was coming from, we reverted to type.  DC threw himself to the floor to make himself the smallest target possible, maybe break line of sight and, more importantly as far as he is concerned, to allow himself to accurately return fire once the enemy was located.  I, meanwhile, accelerated to a sprint and hurtled towards the nearest hard cover, i.e the big red building, hoping to take shelter inside.  On the way I took a hit which broke my arm and started me bleeding, but I managed to jink my way into the building only to realise I’d made a big mistake because as I burst through the door – high up above me on the catwalks I immediately caught sight of a figure with a gun. 

 

I’d run into the lion’s den.

 

Fortunately, this particular lion’s den had another door in the South wall so without breaking stride I banked hard right and carried on sprinting through, and then out of, the building.  Whether they had seen me enter or not, or just were concentrating on trying to hit DC I don’t know but I managed to sprint all the way out of the South of the town.  Safely hidden behind a bush I bandaged myself, topped up my food level to start myself healing and then headed back towards the enemy.  Whilst this was happening DC had, of course, managed to shoot one of the enemy in the head but it turned out there were 2 of them and the other had him pinned down.  I was maybe 100 metres from the building when the guy spotted DC and took him out. 

 

1 versus 1 might sound like equal odds but when the 1 on your side is me, you’re in trouble.  I quickly weighed up the options, either break & run and thus survive, or try and fight it out?  I figured the latter would end with me dying but living whilst DC had died felt like the coward’s way out.  I chose to fight.  I moved into position and luck was with me – I had a clear view up into the top platform in the shed and could see the enemy looking out to the West.  Presumably, they had completely missed me running into their building and then out through the South and he must have thought I was still in the tent area.  The only problem was my SKS had no scope and the range was still too long.  I tried a couple of shots but think I missed and he moved to his right and out of my line of sight.  Annoyed that I had potentially given away my location I decided to get in close by walking up the stair case on the outside of the shed for a clearer and shorter range shot. 

 

The end turned out to be something of an anti-climax.  All the shooting attracted every zombie in the town and I got jumped by 4 of them at the foot of the stairs.  I tried to run past them but somehow they blocked me and I had to shoot them all.  I reloaded and started climbing the stairs but the element of surprise was lost.  Using the third person view I could see him inside, looking towards me and clearly waiting for me.  A few steps above me was a hole in the wall which is what I was seeing him through.  I walked up 2 steps to get into position to take a shot through the hole when something went wrong.  Maybe a glitch or just me being kak-handed (as my dad would have called it) but whatever it was I somehow got stuck against the wall with my head exposed but my gun not clear.  As I was fighting the controls to break free he shot me in the head.  Another stunning PVP success for krazypenguin… ;-)

 

Back on the beach near Berez we quickly re-geared before calling it a night near Gorka.

 

The next day, as we logged back in, we talked about our aim for the session and I said that I would like to go back to Stary to see, on the off-chance, if we could find our killers.  Perhaps, I argued, they were constantly camping the same spot, looking for easy targets in the military tents below.  (In fact, we later discovered a permanent chopper crash site just to the North so that area is presumably quite highly trafficked).  DC agreed and so we rolled out heading West.  Inspired decision ;-)

 

We got to Novy without seeing anyone and got into the treeline on the immediate Western edge of the town, with the huge red shed in Stary Sobor already visible in front of us.  I was using binoculars but couldn’t see anyone in the shed, hardly surprising from that side as there are no gaps on that side of the building.  We noted a crashed truck next to us which was an obvious warning sign but we seemed to be alone…  Unable to get a decent line of sight to the shed we decided to move up to the next tree line and had just reached it when, with a final situation check looking over my shoulder, I saw a player in the treeline we had just left!  Has he seen us or not?  Is he friendly, neutral or hostile?  Maybe’s it just random coincidence that he is there, maybe he’s part of the group in the shed and is trying to outflank us?  We lost track of him on the trees and, whilst attempting to maintain situational awareness I caught sight of a gun glitching through the side of the red shed, way up high where the top walkway would be.  Jackpot – our sniper killers were back.  With a definite hostile in front of us and an unknown behind us we’re now officially in full-on PVP mode now and DC is already preparing to take a shot at the guy behind us.

 

Turns out he was interested in the truck.  We spotted him again as he broke cover and jumped into the truck and then, realising it’s totalled, jumped back out at which point DC opened up on him with his AK, putting a hail of bullets into him with fatal consequences.  Sorry, wrong place, wrong time.  DC went back to check his gear out, found he had the same AK type as DC with about 200 rounds so he grabbed all the ammo and left him there.  One down, one to go.  Then things went nuts.

 

DC was halfway back to me in the tree line when we heard the truck coming.  We froze in position, hoping that the poor visibility trucks offer would give us the advantage.  Was this a friend of the guy we had just killed, was it the guy from the red shed or was it just a random encounter?  We watched in confusion as he drove in circles around the field, all the while I was creeping to the North, trying to get North of the red shed so I could see into it but also staying hidden from the mad truck driver.  At the same time, DC was stealthily crawling towards the tree line.  I figured this guy knew we were here and the circles he was driving in was to help him to try and spot us – why else would he drive into an “empty” field and start driving round and around?  Anyway, I’m not sure what went wrong but all of a sudden the truck driver just lost it - maybe he desynced or stopped concentrating, but whatever the cause he drove into the tree line, hit a tree or fence, and then flipped over onto his side.  With his truck incapacitated the driver jumped out but DC was only a stone’s throw away from the crash site and the guy never stood a chance.  Second kill down.

 

Meanwhile, I’d made it to the copse of trees on the hill to the North and finally had an uninterrupted view into the red shed where, lo and behold, I saw an armed figure lying on the walkway.  I kept him under observation whilst DC moved into position below him and he quickly became our third kill.  Revenge!

 

I bagged 2 kills later on.  My third was something of an accident – we’d made it to the military base just South of NWAF where I literally bumped into another player – in the surprise neither of us fired and both claimed to be friendly.  We spoke very briefly and I was suspicious of his line of questioning before he appeared to leave.  Me and DC continued to search the buildings in the compound including the prison whilst keeping an eye out for the other guy but there was no sign of him.  Our standard tactic for clearing a building like the prison is to both enter and then close the door behind us.  I’ll then cover the door whilst DC clears the rooms one by one.  He was just coming down the stairs when the front door opened and, acting on pure reflex, I emptied my 10 round SKS clip into the figure in the doorway.  Turns out the guy I had bumped into had come back.  I felt bad for him, but at the same time he knew 2 armed players were in a military base so that was the risk he chose to take.  He could have left after we initially made contact but decided to stay.

 

My fourth kill was my first “conscious” kill – i.e. where I chose to kill of my own free in a situation where I was in control, not out of reflex or in self-defence.  We’d made it to the NWAF and roamed up and down the North side until we spotted a guy standing in a tower in the tent end of the airfield.  DC took some shots at him and, for once, missed or at least didn’t kill him.  By now I had an SKS with PU Scope so I lined up a shot and got him.  I still felt bad about killing another player, even in a military zone, but if I am totally honest, I mostly felt proud of myself, that I had actually managed to hit him.  Maybe I’m not completely hopeless.

 

More kills followed, all by DC, and we’ve racked up at least 10 kills now (this all happened about a month ago now and neither of us can remember the exact number – I think it’s 10, DC thinks it’s 13).  Our characters are still alive and waiting for us to return.  Maybe we’ll get more, or maybe we’ll be the next to die – who knows and, in the crazy mess that is Chernarus, who really cares?

 

So that’s my public character, reserved for playing with DC.  Meanwhile, I’ve been playing extensively on private shards…. 

[krazypenguin 174]

So, onto a private shard where, on Sunday, I generated a new character on the Tartan Army server - a high pop private shard.

Spawn in and I'm somewhere on the coast.  I'm on a road with the railway track in front of me, just down a slope.  I turn South and there's nothing much to see, certainly no town or city so I swing North at which point my game freezes - something it does with depressing frequency for reasons I do not know.  I patiently rap my fingers on my desk once, twice,  three times.  Still frozen.  Ho-hum.  4, 5, 6 raps and my screen updates.  I am back in the game and the game is.. dangerous.

A guy cradling an AK in his arms is about 25 metres away from me and jogging towards me.

Now even if I do say so myself, I'm pretty damn good at evading other players - it's basically my "thing".  Others can snipe you with a head shot from 500 metres, or are just CQB pvp kings, but in a run away and hide competition I'll back myself to win every time.  What can I say, not getting shot is a great motivator for me.  But even I need something to work with.  I'm in the middle of the road and the nearest cover, which is the thin treeline just down the slope and past the railway, is too far away.  Ah well, maybe he's friendly, you never know your luck, right?  I raise my hand in greeting and do the friendly wiggle.  He put away his gun and I breathe a sigh of relief - he's friendly!  

Then he pulls out a pistol and points it at my face.  

RUN!  Bang, bang, bang! The shots ring out but none connect as I sprint down the slope and, with a surge of relief, I realise he has remained in place whilst trying to shoot me and by dropping down the slope I have broken line of sight - game on!  Initially I was angling away from him to his left but I turned right as I went down the slope.  Hoping to shake him off I reverse course but he either guesses correctly or had just not seen me make the right turn at all and he appears at the top of the slope slightly ahead of me as I steam towards him.  Damn.  I jink left and right as I pass by below him.  He empties his pistol clip at me but all his shots miss and he starts to get his AK out but I'm past him now and, whilst I've been jinking, my overall direction has taken me to the tree line.  A chatter of shots ring out as he opens up on me with his assault rifle but again he just cannot hit me.  I look over my shoulder and see he has started running along the top of the slope parallel to me.

I keep him in sight until a particularly large fir tree blocks the view at which point I skid to a halt, reverse direction and run back the way I came.  That does the trick.  He's lost sight of me and continues heading South, presuming I am still heading that way myself in the trees, whilst I speed North.  A few minutes later I reach a place I know - I'm at 3 valleys.  I quickly consider my options.  I'm already very hungry, having burned a lot of energy getting away from Captain Psycho and I'm sure I'll be thirsty soon.  Ok, so food is a real priority, even more so than usual.  I'm not heading South in case he has reversed course or is still down there somewhere.  Heading North to Solnichniy isn't attractive either - if he has reversed course he might catch up to me as I stop to search the town.  Ok, so it's inland.

The road away from the coast at 3 Valleys splits almost immediately.  One route heads straight inland twisting and turning until it reaches Msta.  It's a long way with only a few buildings on the way so the chance of finding supplies is slim.  I've also twice visited Msta only to find it has already been stripped clean and I've subsequently died of starvation before I could find food in Staroye, the next town inland. The other road immediately bends to the left and runs roughly South, almost parallel to the coast, albeit behind a very high and steep hill.  It leads to Tulga, which is a relatively small town high up in the hills and basically a dead end.  

And that's precisely what makes it attractive to me.  Small and not on a main looting route it's likely to have at least some supplies, enough to at least stabilise myself in preparation for the push inland.   It's also highly unlikely that a bambi hunting PVPer like Captain Psycho will be there - because there's no one for him to shoot.  I follow the winding road as it climbs higher and higher, jogging slowly to conserve my energy as much as possible.  Every other second I look over my shoulder and expect to see my assailant following me but there's no sign of him.  

When I get to Tulga it's clear I guessed wrong.  Someone has been here and pretty much cleared the place out - they've even pitched a tent near the town but it's empty.  Thanks to some careful checking in the houses I do find 2 cans of beans but nothing to open them with.  Not having played for a long time I forget about trying to find a stone to make a stone knife and when I finally find a crow bar I'm desperate enough to use to open both the cans of beans - I get a pathetic 4% from the first and, still desperately hungry I open the second one too, getting 20%.  I'm still hungry.  Fortunately, there is a well here and I even manage to find a canteen so I'm good for water.  I also locate a Sporter and a box of ammo for it, though no mag.

Checking my map, I know that the small castle at Rog is nearby - maybe some tourists have left food there?  I push on, taking it easy but before long my situation is once again critical.  If I don't find food in the castle I don't think I'll be able to make it to Staroye.  I walk up the stone ruins to find a veritable armoury of swords and maces - the first ones I've ever seen.   Great, but without food I will not be able to enjoy them.  Fortunately, the next thing I find is a sachet of powdered milk.  I've never used it before and I have no idea how you use it or how it affects your energy and hydration but I have nothing to lose.  I scoff it down followed by a swig of water and immediately I feel a hundred times better.  Crisis averted!

I head to Staroye, hoping to pick up a decent weapon in the police station or maybe in the animal pen behind the town.  I'm just passing the petrol station outside the town when I hear a truck.  I hug the wall and scan all around me but I struggle to determine exactly where it is and, although I can here it nearby for at least 2 minutes I never spot it and then it's gone.  Hesitantly I check the police station and then a few other buildings in town but all I can find are a box of Mosin ammo, 2 Mosin strip clips and a PU scope.  But no Mosin.  I find a little food but still not much.
 
I decide to head up to Polana (my favourite town) where I pick up a 10 round mag for my Sporter but little else until I find a truck.  Aware that to the South East there is a construction site with one of those assault vest\boot\gun spawn buildings next to it I decide to drive there.  Ah trucks…  I’ve written before about how I love DayZ trucks (they’ve always been good to me) but they do of course have one massive advantage, i.e. everyone in 10 miles knows you are there, but, whilst the server was quite highly populated (about 30 players I think) I figured that this construction site is in the middle of nowhere so it’s probably safe, right?  Lol, wrong, of course.
 

Not sure why but I left the engine running – first time I’ve ever done that – and sprinted to the building.  Nothing, just junk.  Ok, I’m not getting shot but let’s not hang about and get back to the truck pronto.  I was in the animation of getting into the truck when I heard the first bullet hit.  The second hit as I closed the door and a third came in as I accelerated as hard as I could.  For a horrible second the truck lurched off of the road and I thought it was going to roll over but I powered through the danger and got away.  There followed an even more terrifying minute as I suffered a period of horrific desync – with the truck dematerialising and rematerialising, and jumping all over the place – all whilst I was speeding towards a tiny gap in a tree line but I managed to make it through and came to a stop on the road South of Polana.  I jumped out, ran a short way and then bandaged myself because at least one bullet had hit me.  Short of food and low on blood I decided to head down to Dolina to try and find some food and maybe a better gun.  Found a little food and a nice M65 jacket but still no Mosin.  Called it a night and logged off.

Last night I was back on.  I headed back to Polana and once again found a truck there.  Deciding that the chance of someone being camped out at the construction site a second night running was unlikley (even though I had experienced EXACTLY that sort of behaviour in my previous story above) I decided to go back.  This time, however, I stayed in the truck and scanned the construction site which was a good idea as after a few seconds I spotted a guy on the middle floor pointing a gun at me.  Just as he shot me.  Pain flared through my arm as I mashed the accelerator and more and more bullets thudded into the truck's cab, all fortunately missing me.  I sped down the road through Orlovets and into the countryside where I, as before, jumped down from the truck to bandage myself and then make myself a splint.  

To be honest, I was a bit pissed off now.  Time for some payback.  I finally managed to find enough food to get myself sufficiently energized and hydrated to start the healing process and I headed back towards the construction site, but deep inside the treeline, out of sight.  I took my time, being as careful as I could and scanned it for a long time with my binoculars.  Nada, but the line of sight I had wasn't great so I took my time to head way past the construction site, almost as far as Polana, before crossing over the road and heading back towards it, again using the forest for cover.  Just before I got there I spotted a hunting tower so I climbed it and was stunned to find a pristine Mosin lying inside it.  I duly attached my PU scope and loaded 5 rounds.  Game on Mr Shooter! :-)

I crept up to the back of the building, taking my time, listening for any sounds of life.  Nothing.  I crawled through a hole in the bottom of the wall at the back of the site and stopped for several minutes, just listening and watching.  Still nothing.  I removed the PU scope from my Mosin - at these ranges dead sights would be sufficient - and then moved into the building itself.  Despite having seen the sniper on the 2nd floor I went straight to the top floor, albeit still very slowly and as quietly as I could.  I carefully checked the top floor from the stair well, not wanting to risk exposing myself on the open top floor, but it was all clear so I made my way back down to the middle floor.  This was where I had been shot from.  The room was large and open, but with many large pallets of building materials which someone could easily be hiding behind.  Hugging one of the walls I moved across the floor.  Empty.  No sign of life at all.  With much trepidation I finally went down to the ground floor and swept that.  The place was deserted - he'd left.  I retired to the forest and called it a night.  

Maybe next time...?

[schwaBAM 200]

Love your stories!

[eno 1049]

Bam and I got on last night again after I'd played a couple of relatively uneventful solo sessions trying to recoup my gear after getting shot in my perch. I got lazy, and greedy... and punchy. Started shooting a bit more and let's face it... the spot I was working is relatively inconspicuous but when you start shooting there's really only one place it can be coming from so tracking you down becomes pretty easy. 

 

I didn't heed my own advice- increased my exposure and someone mowed me down. Not sure if it was from the town or from behind- either way. 

 

You are dead. 

 

So back I go... started at a Cherno spawn, headed over to the various deer stands- all relatively clean of anything useful. Up through Novoselky and Nadezhdino to the north... deer stand... deer stand- Found some binos and I think a hunter scope (damaged). Looking for my winchester but no weapons at all were forthcoming. Sidestepped to Pulkovo and up to Rogovo where I realized I was in heli crash central... looked around there a bit but didn't put much energy into it. Figured hey- if I'm going to stumble into a crash site then so be it... but I'm not going to find what I WANT there so meh. 

 

I did happen across a truck so took that east with the intention of getting back to Svet where Bam told me he was going to hang out. I glitched the truck into a wall at some point and lost the front tires. Was still able to drive most of the way until I hit the tracks by riffy at which point going up and turning at the same time turned the truck into a curling rock. Hoofed it to Svet and spent the rest of the time in that session going between local deerstands looking for "my precious" since Bam had to log early. 

 

Last night fit our normal profile. Like a dummy I was back up in my little spot -without a sniper rifle this time but with a pristine scope I'd found. I figured that would help prevent me from getting rammy. Like everyone else in the world I'd found an AK and had a Kashtan scope on it and enough ammo for it to wage war against the Ukraine single handed... but it was of limited use at that range. I'd seen a few people mincing around town but everyone fit a relatively casual profile. One dude was just casually jogging with his red dry bag- must have been new since it was REALLY glowing- with a splitting axe out and a cowboy hat on. Another couple of fresh guys made their way around but I lost site of them eventually as they headed west. 

 

Bam came in and staged at the guardhouse to start- then moved around to the red house at the base of the hill I was on. One fresh came in and Bam intercepted. Offered him food and water but the guy tried to punch him. Bam shot him a couple times in the legs, then offered to help him just as he went unconscious. An epi pen later and the guy was up and crawling around so Bam gave him a morphine injector too. The guy got up, made a nodding action with his head, then went on his way where I lost him behind the hospital. Nice work Bam! 

 

 

Simultaneously, 2 freshies showed up from different directions. One came from the water and the other from Novo to the west. They both literally met up around the crane nearest the guardhouse. Looked like they chatted very briefly (Schwab said he could hear them talking) and then headed to the ladder of the nearby crane. 

 

"I think they're going to jump-" 

 

"I'm heading out," Schwab said as I saw his character run into view towards them. The two characters made it to the first platform... "Hey- Hey! Don't do it guys... Don't do it- c'mon... you have so much to live for." I could hear him through our Steam Voice Chat but I knew they could too since they both stopped and looked down at him. "Please guys- just don't do it. What do you need?  Water? Food? Hey, if you're going to jump I'll try to catch you!" 

 

One guy crouched then leaped to his doom. The other guy jumped but then lived. 

 

Bam was standing there talking to him and I had the scope zoomed out. Movement by the seacan behind him caught my attention. Looked like someone relatively fresh with a large, dark green backpack on. He was half glitched into the seacan so I couldn't tell for certain whether he was armed. 

 

"Hey Schwab- get out of there... someone's behind the seacan from you- just standing there. Just back off... Seacan towards the guardhouse. Guy has a pack on- unsure if he has a weapon. 

 

Schwab instantly started heading for the first warehouse. He later told me the guy he was talking to instantly changed his tune- trying to talk him down a bit. "Hey buddy, it's cool, it's cool..." Schwab has enough gear on that I'm sure he looked like a lucrative target- but taking him out would be a workout. Two against one with everyone's superhuman direction changing / speed altering capabilities is a challenge at best.

 

He talked back and forth with them briefly. The large green backpack turned out to be a military tent that they set up in the middle of the warehouse. 

 

"Too bad they're no good for anything right now," Bam said to me over SVC. 

 

"Hey man, do you have any rice?" 

 

"Uh- no... I don't think so." 

 

"Well- what kind of stuff you got in your inventory?" 

 

Bam could tell they were just trying to get him to look into his inventory so they could jump him so he didn't take the bait. If it had been me I'd have been dead 2 minutes earlier. 

 

"Yup, they're coming at me-" I can hear gunshots through his mic. Eventually all is silent. "They didn't get any hits on me- surprising since there was two of them." 

 

Spotting the guy poised for the ambush was validating and helped to remind me why I'm actually there. More watching, less shooting!

[schwaBAM 200]

I made a video for that second part of Eno's story but before that clip I put in a short clip of a funny encounter I had the other day.  Good stuff.

 

 

 

[eno 1049]

I sound SO much cooler in my stories... 

[Killawife 599]

I tried Experimental for teh first time today. It was pretty nice til some douche shot me in the back up in Stary Yar. I saw him earlier but figured he wouldn't be a complete asshole so I let him be. I was wrong.