First impressions, 10+ hours later

[hammy55 81]

I had pussyfooted my way around buying this game for awhile now before I finally bought it. Boy, am I glad I did.

 

I didn't really 'get' this game at first and actually felt like I had wasted my money after the first couple hours of gameplay. The learning curve combined with the unstable alpha feel is pretty unforgiving for the "bambi", as many of you call them. Once I got the mechanics down, I found it rather enjoyable to raid houses, chop wood, feed myself, stay warm: stay alive. The moment I learned how to open canned food with bladed weapons boosted my survival rate significantly, and actually made me shout out "booyah!" over a spilled can of imaginary "Tactical Bacon". I still didn't 'get' the game, though.

 

I didn't really concern myself with ranged weapons, figured everyone had taken all the good stuff way ahead of me anyway. Instead I focused on the life and death stuff, and after I had that down, I started getting the "what do I do now?/where the hell is everybody?" feeling. Dayz was really getting kind of lonely. Six hours in and on a 30 person server I still had not seen a single other survivor, and having only zombies for company was really getting on my nerves.

 

Then it happened. A voice from behind me declared in a long trailing voice, "hellllloooo". I whipped around, my heart was pounding, my axe out and ready. My very first instinct was to shout back, "BACK OFF MAN, I DON'T WANT ANY TROUBLE".

 

The guy's reaction was priceless as he held up his arms and said, "woah woah woah buddy, be cool, be cool"

 

It was in this very encounter that I finally 'got' DayZ. The oppressive atmosphere had driven me into a simulated paranoia, that while subtle, flowed consistently beneath the current of the entire experience. Health, protection from the elements, food and water is one very controllable aspect in this game, the human element is not. 

 

We talked a bit and he turned out to be friendly enough, and after a short while we raided a house together where we were promptly split up  by zombies and I never saw him again. He must have died, oh well.

 

I was alone again... and I felt it.

 

Shortly thereafter, I was armed too.

 

I mean, really really armed. I found some spawn points lucked the hell out and scored three guns that fit some clips and bullets I had been carrying around, and while I felt safer in one respect I also felt a lot more exposed at the same time. I had not shot a single round in this game and had no idea how weapons reacted or the subtlety of reloading and inventory management, the realism of the game really began to sink in at this point. If this were real life and I had "scored" some weapons, I would be in the exact same position. I know how to basically shoot them, but can I risk range testing them?

 

It is a strange feeling to find a weapon in this game and never know if you will live long enough to use it. So much time spent raiding for equipment and some jerkoff with a round chambered in a popgun could just drop me and loot my corpse/wounded body. This feeling is wonderful in terms of how easily it is invoked in DayZ, but horribly self aware and paranoia inducing at the same time. Its like a good horror movie, the experience is stressful but engaging on a primal level.

 

I saw a few more players at a distance, but instead of greeting them I just let them pass. Motorcycle helmet clad backpack wearers with rifles made me uneasy. Was he a regular guy, friendly but cautious like me? Or a bandit on rendeavouz with some of his buddies.

 

I don't know, I don't know... better not to risk it.

 

 

 

Shortly after this encounter, I killed my first player.

 

I really didn't want to, but the guy forced my hand.

 

I was inside a cabin, sorting my equipment and discarding ruined items when I saw a player enter my living space. He had that bambi look: default jeans/shirt and armed with a pitchfork. I immediately raised my gun and asked him to leave me alone.

 

The guy said he was friendly, raised his arms and kind of watched me for a moment. I asked him what he wanted and he responded, "man, you are breaking up. I can't understand you. Type in the chat box". He edged a little closer.

 

Type in the chat box and let him get the jump on me? Do I look like I was born yesterday? Hell no. I told him in no uncertain terms to "get the f*** out or receive a bullet to the spine". Holy crap did he haul ass.

 

This is where I made my mistake. I should have shot him the moment I suspected such a deliberate move to get the drop on me. Instead, I closed up shop in preperation to log off when I saw him sprinting into the building through an open window. It all became clear:

 

 

I had only enough time to raise my gun when he burst in. The awkward engine and item switching gave him enough time to land several successive shots with the rapid pitch fork. In the surpise/adrenaline I had accidentily lowered/unequiped my gun too, which gave him more chances to stick me. If I had not been wearing a helmet, I'm sure he would have landed a head shot and my character would be dead right now.

 

I finally got my semi-automatic rifle up and kept shooting until he dropped. I probably overdid it, and wasted five bullets on him, but the situation and the blurry grey screen made me lose my cool.

 

In end, you could call it a victory albeit a costly one. I survived, he didn't.

 

My heart was pounding as I bandaged myself up. In his inventory: A can of ruined beans and some torn up rags. Experienced player on respawn, or fresh bambi: it didn't matter. I had WAY more to lose than this guy and he knew it.

 

 

 

 

Now this is game is a RUSH... but I'm getting that anti-social feeling again. This attack affected the way I play this game. I can't trust anyone, but this game is sort of boring if I spend it completely alone in secluded areas... I want to reach out, but I can't.

 

 

 

 

 

[dirrly 70]

This attack affected the way I play this game. I can't trust anyone, but this game is sort of boring if I spend it completely alone in secluded areas... I want to reach out, but I can't.

 

Yes. That's the dilemma... you can trust noone, that makes it difficult to find persons to play with... My advice: Don't fear to lose the stuff you already gathered... it*s just... stuff. ;-)

 

Ehm, I don't want to say "Go out there and let them kill you.". More like "Go out there and have experiences with the other players." Really... searching for stuff is quiet fine for a while. But it becomes boring after a several time, when you are all alone. Searching one more rain coat and another can of beans... the encounters with other players are far more exciting. Some end bad. Probably the most of them. But the few good ones, are even greater, because it are rare moments. ;-)

[Conrad_The_Comrade 577]

You practically summed up the basics of my feelings towards this game, and sadly, I rarely find anyone with a mindset like this. Yes, you need those encounters, but take every precaution possible to survive, and just don't get attached to anything, or anyone, because they can all be taken away in a split second. Best of luck, and keep warm :)

[escobert 112]

I don't wanna lose my black skull balaclava! :(

[fluxley 2228]

You've managed to put why i love this game into words better than i ever could, Welcome to DayZ.

[gannon46 788]

good story sir. you seem like you got the hang of it hope to hear more stories once you get more hours to see how your perspective changes if it does.

[MadWookie 573]

I wish I could have this virgin feeling of DayZ again.. I remember my first life, throwing a flare and picking it up, finding my first AK and killing my zombie train on the docks of Cherno in the mod... good times.. sadly once you get over 200 hours in SA or the Mod the rush just isnt there like it used to be.. Enjoy it while you can dude, because before you know it, that rush will be gone or at the very least, toned down.. a lot.

[dirrly 70]

I don't wanna lose my black skull balaclava! :(

 

You will. I am sure about that. But at least your enemy wont shoot into your face, so he can wear it... :P

[escobert 112]

You will. I am sure about that. But at least your enemy wont shoot into your face, so he can wear it... :P

hahaha right on you are!

[modis002 78]

man this is the best story i have ever red. i hope i could get those feels back. oh well, guess i will have to keep looking for people who i can help. it's a nice feeling too. when your giving something instead of taking.

[dedoolb 157]

What an engaging account, hammy55! Had me smiling and nodding all the way through, and you summed it up nicely: "I want to reach out, but I can't."  Like you said, the volatile human element lends to the atmosphere of danger-around-every-corner. I think, because of this, DayZ could develop into one of the most copycatted games ever.

 

I've played this game since day zed of the mod in A2OA, and nowadays I still run around with the same level of intense distrust while gearing up. The difference is, after you're fully geared there's nothing to do solo except help or kill others. That will change once more gameplay elements are added. You joined the Alpha at an exciting time in its development.

 

Time for me to log back into experimental and catch some fish with a water bottle trap.

 

You better write more accounts of your DayZ adventure in the future! :thumbsup:

[Gth 18]

The best advice I ever got about this game was to not to fully trust anyone you couldn't personally walk up to and punch in the face in real life.

[northofnowhere 39]

     That was a very well defined explanation of why I am addicted to this game.  I clanned up after getting tired of the loneliness, we typically go out in force engaging the equipped and letting bambies go free, but sometimes decisions are made where the bambi's need to perish too.  I have been in a clan for some time, but the other night we had a competition to get the most "selfies" with random non-clan members.  That night I went out naked and gave anything I found to anyone who would take it.  The rest of my clan went out geared and tried to get people to stand still.  I ended the night with three hours of drastic highs and lows, 12 screenshots of randoms, some fully geared, some who had killed me once, and a bunch of crazy no holds barred bambi's.

 

     It was a unique experience that brought me back to the first few weeks of trying the game out.  There are nice folks out there, I swear, I have pictures of a lot of them.  There are bandits out there.  There are those that are both depending on their mood and recent interactions.  It's a crazy fucking world out there that is completely unpredictable.  My only dissapointment in this game is the blatant hacking that the dev's will not give server managers access to identify and control.  I love going into battle, and I don't mind dying in an honest battle of wits, but losing everything in seconds to a teleporting hacker on your own server and not being able to ban them is utterly disappointing.

 

    Glad you are enjoying the game.  If you are lonely, and don't have IRL friends to play with, try a clan or even a few.  Events and team gameplay change the dynamic a lot, and even then, you still have lone wolf options.

 

     Good luck.

[alijax 3]

Welcome to Dayz Man, yo uplay like I do - wondering around and then by chance meet up with either friend or foe & not knowing until they change your mind one way or the other.

 

Have my beans, good luck and keep on surviving next to a warm fire in the hills.

[hammy55 81]

It was awesome to read all of your replies. It feels like I've really tapped into the main vein of this game and you can all vibe where I am coming from, which is great. I rather like writing retrospectives and am happy to continue sharing my experiences.

 

 

At present the raiding/scavenging continues. I've found an isolated town somewhat off the beaten path that also happens to have a police station and government building. Close enough to civilization to interact with other players when I feel ready but reasonably far away that I feel somewhat isolated too. I find this to be a comfortable middle ground. 

 

On a side note, five years of studying Russian and a little time abroad has kind of come in handy with this game. The Russian setting is a total bonus for me personally. I let roleplay fantasies pop into my head of playing a character that got trapped during the Apocalypse during a study abroad. I wonder if there are any dedicated Russian speaking servers? That would be cool as hell. I found that as a foreigner, it was easy to ingratiate myself with Russians - I'd be interested to see if the novelty of being a curious traveler carried over in DayZ. 

 

So I staked out the entire town from a nice vantage point and have since raided each building more than once. I've learned a few more things about this game too. First off, I discovered that buildings labled гостиницы (hotels) often have lots of food, clothing, and weapon tech (scopes/unusual equipment). I suppose because the hotel also doubles as a столовая (basically, kitchen)- which makes a lot of sense that they are so well stocked. The town I was in had two of these places so frequent scouting turned up some cool trinkets like a gun scope for my SKS and a waterproof container (as well as a good condition can opener!).

 

I've put away a lot of ammunition and was able to score two 30 round clips for my 22. rifle which I've managed to fill up completely with about 25 rounds left over on reserve. Its a quiet gun and I like that because this town also has a hell of a lot of zombie spawns crawling around. I discovered that if I hug walls and stay off the city streets, that I can usually avoid zombie encounters - but just in case, I feel a lot safer having a more stealthy gun with plenty of bullets. I also feel a lot more comfortable with the shooting mechanics now that I have practical experience aiming, reloading, holding my breath and naturally, capping zombies. 

 

I had to log quickly while still inside the police station. I knew it was a risky maneuver but I took the chance. I was nervous when I logged back in later, and sure enough, as soon as I did I heard people talking to one another.

 

I raised my gun and listened to their conversation. With 30 rounds packed I was SURE I had the drop on them. There was no way for them to know I had logged in right on top of them, and while my heart was pumping and I felt taken by surprise, I KNEW that I had the element of surprise. Let me tell you, this was a powerful feeling.

 

I sat inside of a storage closet, gun ready, and listened.

 

"Ha ha, you got that right, man" one of them said.

 

"Shit, dude. I might log soon, I'm hunnnngry." said a second.

 

"Alright, let's blow." Said the first. 

 

Okay, there is probably just two of them, I thought - and they are leaving, great. I waited a few beats and crept out of the closet. No one. I made my way up to the coopala on the roof and entered third person where I easily saw the two of them making their way down the street, carelessly playing tag with a zombie. I placed my .22 on the ground and pulled out the SKS, angling myself in the doorframe where I scooted forward until I had them in my scope.

 

These guys were totally screwing around, checking out buildings and melee killing zombies. They looked like they were having a good time too. I envied them, actually.

 

Then the inevitable thought popped into my head: Should I stay put, say hello... or kill them?

 

As friendly as I portrayed myself to be, I found myself actually dwelling on the "kill them" decision a little longer than I expected.

 

A lot could go wrong, sure. There were two of them, and I would probably only be able to kill one of them right off. But from my vantage point I could easily see his friend run away, allowing me to loot the corpse. If he chose to stay and fight I stood a fair chance taking him out. The more I thought about it the more powerful I felt.

 

What a strange strange feeling that no game has ever invoked in me before. Any other shooter, and it would have been little concern to kill these guys. They would respawn full stocked and good to go. In DayZ, absolutely not. I don't have to imagine how long it took them to learn this game, gear up, or find one another. I was in an interesting position to end their fun and if I'm being completely honest I found the prospect tantalizing. 

 

I lowered my gun. No. There was no need. My guy was energized, hydrated and healthy. My vision clear, my backpack stuffed with food and bullets and I knew my terrain. Most importantly: they were leaving. There was no reason to kill these guys, who seemed to be rather enjoying the apocalypse, together.

 

I watched them go for awhile, heading west, presumably towards the next populated city. It was at this moment that I decided it was time to leave and set off South, into the woods.

 

My destination: one more side city and then back towards the coast, where I will seek out other players and see what the hell happens...  

  

 

 

 

[Robert Neville 59]

That's a hell of a few good stories.  Thanks for sharing.

[DocWolf 146]

When people talk on the forums about realism, they always discuss game mechanics and features.

Almost no-one ever talk about the feelings and psychological aspect...you landed what is truly a perfect description of a "true" day for a survivor of the Chernarus apocalypse. What will happen if one day I will not find enough supplies? Where I'm going to find water? It's cold and raining hard, and I can't find ANYTHING to wear over my shirt. Will I know how to shoot effectively this gun when the time will come? Will I be able to understand it's the right time at all? How can I trust strangers if I have things they need to survive? Am I going to play friendly and look for trade or talking instead of shooting is a naive risk?

Very good post. Very, very good indeed.

[BeaverProductions 441]

Keep them coming.  Enjoying the reads.

 

You should consider starting a DayZ blog.

[Element47 2480]

Thanks for sharing. Your experience is exactly what sets DayZ apart from other games from me. Never, nowhere, has interaction with randomly met players felt so meaningful, so engaging, as in DayZ.

 

It may appear strange, but I am very glad that you were able to make that experience, to "get it". Knowing that people starting to play this game experience it similarly to the way i did, does matter to me - and this is another interesting thing, because in most games, i wouldnt care.

 

P.S. I agree with Beav. You are a gifted writer, please continue.

[call him Steve 46]

Ya dude, start a blog. You have some good stories and it seems like you get "IT"! 

Again, great stories and good times.

[s0locup 1]

Awesome read man. Looking forward to getting this game after reading this

[hammy55 81]

Hey all. Thanks for the positive comments and beans!

 

I would love to continue with my retrospectives but I've run into a game breaking problem: for some reason my game now has horrible texture load lag. Its strange, because DayZ was running fine the first 20+ hours and now I have this problem all the time even though I didn't change my settings.

 

Basically, it is a texture load issue. The game starts up and DayZ begins to load all the textures - trees, buildings, lamp shades, items, zombies etc. If I am inside a building, the walls and floor will be invisible for several seconds while everything loads around me and eventually the walls will pop up and my game will start to run smoothly.

 

Turn my screen to the left or right more than 20degrees, and everything starts to load in again, the building goes invisible, everything gets blocky then BAM, pops in smooth. Turn my head again and it does it all over again.

 

I can move with good FPS if I don't move my head, but as soon as I do this new game breaking texture loading kicks in.

 

As it stands, this is totally unplayable.

 

I've tweaked my settings based upon various guides but nothing is helping.

 

My rig isn't great but its not horrible either, and besides, I was running DayZ fine yesterday morning.

 

Anyway, I'm sure someone will ask but my rig is:

 

q6600 (quad core) 2.4ghz

geforce 660t (2g memory)

4 gigs of ram

 

I don't mind getting killed in a fair fight or due to my own stupidity, but I don't want to die just because I lagged out and someone got an easy drop on me :/

[hammy55 81]

Holy crap, I never expected to resolve this issue so quickly.

 

The texture load problem seemed to be a kind of confusion between LOD and HOD textures (err, distance textures and upclose textures). My game was compensating in real time between both sets of textures and effectively reloading every time I change my perspective.

 

I fixed it by cranking my texture detail to maximum. It sounds totally counterintuitive but kind of makes sense - if all the textures are maxed, the game will load and maintain those textures instead of switching out LOD as much.

 

May the retrospectives continue!

 

PS, I may actually start that blog. Does this forum support in-house blogs? 

[CJFlint 357]

Sounds like you have the right idea about DayZ. Your story and that profile pic reminds me of that movie, "the road". I think your 1st game exp was harder then mine, there are now weather effects, and some loot is harder to come by. But there is hunting now.

 

When I 1st started it was there really wasn't much for weather effects, and you could find an M4 with all the attachments with in an hour or so. A simpler time lol Now days its ruff for a new spawn. You will know with in 15 minutes weather you current life will have a fighting chance or not. I used to gear up in a matter of an hour or so, really well in a day (with every thing I want). Now its harder, you got to work much harder. But thats the way it should be. New player get thrown in the fire right away.

 

Your story sounds like your getting into it and enjoying the game and seeing it the way the devs intended it to be seen. Its good to hear new players fresh to the game are saying good stuff, and not dis ing the game.

Edited October 20, 2014 by CJFlint

[Kajuana 0]

Great stories! Keep them coming.

 

I think if we could get the creators to let users create blogs and allow more storywriters like you to write on them,

then the Dayz funding would get in much more quickly.

If they could tie this up with Steam, this would be a money machine.

 

And glad you got your problems fixed so quickly.

 

The choice between kill and not kill is quite conflicting indeed... especially when you join a "no-pvp" server.

You're morality pretty much lasts until your first death. Such a thrill!