The rush of your first moments in Chernarus

[sachad 1016]

I was talking with one of my Chernarus pals, and both of us were being sort of nostalgic about our first moments in the game. Neither of us played the mod, so it was all new to us. And I remembered the actual fear I felt.

 

I didn't know what I was doing so I just picked a low-ping server with about 10 players and clicked 'Connect'. I washed ashore half a mile from Kamyshovo, in the heart of night, in the middle of a raging thunderstorm. On a hardcore server. Within 15 seconds of shuffling about in the dark, I heard a zombie groaning. Then it screamed. Then it screamed again but closer. I ran and ran until I stumbled across the road and started following that, the zombie still hot in pursuit. I reached Kamyshovo, then heard gunshots further up ahead. I hid in a shed, but the zombie found me and smacked me around, ruining my shirt and making me bleed. I punched it to the ground and ran away again, screaming for help, but whoever fired those shots was either long gone or not interested. I finally collapsed from blood loss, and died shortly after. 

 

It was one of the most frightening game experiences I had since playing Resident Evil 2 alone in the dark as a kid. And it struck me just now that I'll never get that feeling again. In my first days, even if I had an axe or a gun, zombies still scared me. Now I put them down by the numbers. I'm no longer frightened, I'm wary and alert. Other survivors are now the main threat. It's like I've grown numb from all the violence I've seen and committed. Chernarus will do that to a man...

 

 

[NuckFuts 265]

 

I was talking with one of my Chernarus pals, and both of us were being sort of nostalgic about our first moments in the game. Neither of us played the mod, so it was all new to us. And I remembered the actual fear I felt.

 

It was one of the most frightening game experiences I had since playing Resident Evil 2 alone in the dark as a kid. 

 

 

Couldn't agree more! RE2 was also one of the first games I played as a young lad with 'real scare value', (after RE1 of course) so were definitely on the same page :)

 

I started out in the early mod days, when it was just DayZ, before mods of maps and mods of mods.. the thing wasn't even You-tubed on a huge scale like it is now.. I actually first heard about the mod on a torrent site of all places.

 

I very much miss the initial lost, lonely and scared outta ya pants DayZ feelings I got back then, now its like spawn, die, respawn, die.. rinse repeat, it becomes more like a chore than an experience, that's usually when I take a break and try it again 3 months down the line.

 

I doubt no matter what changes, now or in the future, I will ever get them initial feelings back, honestly.. I'm very sad about it  :(

[VermillionX 78]

First time in DayZ...

I'd seen all of FrankieOnPC's videos so I was pro from the start. Never played the mod or any of the Arma games. Was well-geared in 15 minutes but unfortunately I died in a barn when I fell down some steps after finding a Gorka helmet.

[Calvin Candie 189]

I was talking with one of my Chernarus pals, and both of us were being sort of nostalgic about our first moments in the game. Neither of us played the mod, so it was all new to us. And I remembered the actual fear I felt.

It was one of the most frightening game experiences I had since playing Resident Evil 2 alone in the dark as a kid. And it struck me just now that I'll never get that feeling again. In my first days, even if I had an axe or a gun, zombies still scared me. Now I put them down by the numbers. I'm no longer frightened, I'm wary and alert. Other survivors are now the main threat. It's like I've grown numb from all the violence I've seen and committed. Chernarus will do that to a man...

Oh exactly how I felt when I started to play the Mod. Scared as hell and the soundtrack there was brilliant made the feeling even more intense. Find the soundtrack on youtube and you will see what I mean.

In the Mod you could not melee with hands, you only had a worthless pistol with one clip. After that you were pretty much screwed and forced to hide and go around Zeds.

Those were the days.

Edited December 16, 2014 by Calvin Candie

[Deathlove 2280]

Those were the days.

This is probably what bothers me the most currently with the game. Those still SHOULD be the days. Lets hope things ramp up for this coming year in development. And this game gets back to its Horror roots more so than just survival bullshit.

[McWendy 675]

This is probably what bothers me the most currently with the game. Those still SHOULD be the days. Lets hope things ramp up for this coming year in development. And this game gets back to its Horror roots more so than just survival bullshit.

I like survival bullshit, but i agree the level of horror needs to be taken up a few notches.

As for the OP; doesnt this happen to every experience? Gaming and irl. Repeat things and it WILL get better/easier. I wish it didnt obv. ;)

[punkvegita 44]

I like survival bullshit, but i agree the level of horror needs to be taken up a few notches.

As for the OP; doesnt this happen to every experience? Gaming and irl. Repeat things and it WILL get better/easier. I wish it didnt obv. ;)

That is very true, I'm sure even in real life after a few times killing zombie you'd be doing it like a pro just look at Carl lol, Walking Dead reference. But guys there's other experiences to be had in DayZ. The thrill of chasing people city after city, the fear of being chased city after city. Have you seen someone else drive by a truck yet, scary shit guys. That's the great thing about Dayz.

[TheHermit (DayZ) 22]

I still get a little jittery at night when it's raining.

The random sounds really keep me alert.

 

First time in dark reminded me of the old Silent Hill.

[Deathlove 2280]

I like survival bullshit, but i agree the level of horror needs to be taken up a few notches.

As for the OP; doesnt this happen to every experience? Gaming and irl. Repeat things and it WILL get better/easier. I wish it didnt obv. ;)

I do to but its just overshadowing the fear elements to much now it seems.

 

That is very true, I'm sure even in real life after a few times killing zombie you'd be doing it like a pro just look at Carl lol, Walking Dead reference. But guys there's other experiences to be had in DayZ. The thrill of chasing people city after city, the fear of being chased city after city. Have you seen someone else drive by a truck yet, scary shit guys. That's the great thing about Dayz.

And im not talking about ppl you could get scared seeing some one in game running at you with a dress on and a golf club and that wont change. It has to be the NPCs im hopping that increase that element more than anything because lets face it. They are extremely bland at the moment. Because on empty servers you NEED that boost in AI to keep you on your toes when you got nothing else to do. We need the AI just as much as we need real ppl in game.

[Tatanko 5591]

I like survival bullshit, but i agree the level of horror needs to be taken up a few notches.

Same here. I want to be SCARED again! But I also want to be able to sit on a log next to a campfire and cook venison stew. Is that too much to ask? :)

[punkvegita 44]

DayZ at its core will always just be a sandbox pvp. NPcs will never be as intelligent and dangerous as another player. Being scared of zombies is a thing in the past. Get ready for the bandits and cannibals

[Bonappetit 117]

My scariest moment was in DayZ mod. First time playing as a fresh spawn and on a night server I went prone from all the fear running through my body. Wind sounds, grass moving and scary zombie on 10 meters from me made me freeze irl. I quit after 5 minutes how scared I was :) Never played the mod again.

[yazar8 584]

I had a female char. Tried to change it, came back and It was still a female. I said "ugh oh alpha!!!" then I learned I need to die first. I had spawned somewhere close to Chernaya Polona. I found a water container to jump off so I would get my male char. Hopped to a full server.

Spawned at Svetlo, got shot at the TEC building while spawning. Kept dying to zombies and was almost always hungry. This went on for the next 15 hours of my gameplay.

[sachad 1016]

I like survival bullshit, but i agree the level of horror needs to be taken up a few notches.

As for the OP; doesnt this happen to every experience? Gaming and irl. Repeat things and it WILL get better/easier. I wish it didnt obv. ;)

 

It does, unfortunately. But I did not necessarily wanted to say that is a bad thing. Getting that intense pants-soiling horror is nice, but so is mowing down a 8-zed train with an axe :)

[Im Old Gregg 7]

My first moments were far from this interesting.  Spawned in and spent about 10 minutes trying to loot cabinets. Then realized the game was a bit loud in my headphones.  Went to adjust volume and heard the audio cues used to adjust volume.  Didn't realize they were audio cues so I nearly defecated myself and quickly went prone. Tried talking to the non-existent player who I heard "shooting".  Realized my mistake and walked up to Berry. Looted for a bit and ran into my first player.  I called out to him, he shot me.  End of sad story.

 

Cut to 700+ hours later.  Talking to a friend in TS3 and he went to adjust his volume since the trucks are so loud now.  He heard the cues and immediately started panicking.  Glad to know someone with 700+ hours can still make the mistake I made within my first hour.

Edited December 16, 2014 by Im Old Gregg

[foolee 43]

It's all good until you find one piece of valuable loot, then the DayZ paranoia sets in. You start being more cautious, KOS and eventually die due to in game bugs... :(

Edited December 16, 2014 by Foolee

[BleedoutBill 1636]

Have you seen someone else drive by a truck yet, scary shit guys. That's the great thing about Dayz.

I heard it coming from 1KM away. What the hell is that? Sounds like a friggin' space ship. I'm already up to my ass in zeds and now the War of the Worlds is starting. RUN AWAY!!!

[thedogfoodyayho 295]

I got the mod in about the last week when you spawned with a makarov. I spawned in a completely pitch black night (Back when there was no moon most of the time) having only watched one video.. PSIsindicate's first dayz video. I crawled along the beach for a few minutes, scared shitless by the soundtrack, until a reached the Cherno docks. I had found a flashlight on some dead body, but i was to scared to put my pistol away, and to scared to leave the beach, so i tried to swim across the port. Two hours later, i got across, and i see a Mi-17 flying over the ocean i run along the coast after it, and soon draw a large crowd of zeds, use my 8 rounds (Hitting nothing ofc) and get eaten. The next few days were similar. Swimming out to drakon island (Still not having learned my lesson about swimming) getting eaten outside balota military base (Twice) finding a bus, then have it stolen by bandits (And i was shot running after them) in the dead of night, looting the cherno apartments, crawling in, armed with a crossbow (Didn't know zeds couln't run indoors - i became a good shot with that thing) and eventually making a base on sniper hill. Best few weeks in my gaming life.

I wish every time i play dayz i could be a noob again. (Lol), and i've even tried other games like 7 Days to Die, the Forest, ect.. but i don't think i'll ever be that scared over a video game ever again. They're all to easy now...

[BiGoDeViN (DayZ) 423]

I played the mod but my first memory of DayZ SA was back in the dark ages. Every server was night time. I remember finding a body that, back then, seemed decked out. Not sure how he died. Had a raincoat, a holster, good pants and boots. I was amazed. I took all of his shit. Found a nice wood axe. Ran into some kid. I'm no bandit but I had to kill him. Chased him around with that axe in some dark town. Finally killed him. It was my first kill in DayZ SA. I took a screenshot of the poor bastard's corpse too. But can't find it. :'( Here's this instead:

 

 

 

[CANUCKinNZ 108]

I think, (Hope.) once zombies and AI are working better that feeling will come back.

Imagine sitting on top of sniper hill covering your mate as he loots looking for that final spark plug needed to start your Ural. He gets spotted by a zombie and has no choice but to shoot his G17 or risk getting infected himself. This awakens the hoard! You as overwatch must make a choice, start picking off zombies with your last 7 bullets....or shoot your friend to save him from certain death or infection and start looting yourself before the mountains zeds start eating your brains!

Hopefully....

The big threat will always be players but making noise, not crouching or sneaking near a group of z's was always a bit of a risk in the mod, (okay not that much.) but if the new AI and all the rest is better this game will bring the rush again!