Why am I so bad?

[Scofflaw 73]

I was going to post this in the new player section, but I have >300 hours, so I'm not exactly brand new to the game.  I just died again, and I'm starting to get a little annoyed at myself.  A little back story :

 

I was on a 4-5 player server, climbing one of those green metal guard towers to see how I fit in them.  I get to the top, "YOU ARE DEAD", not a sound, nothing.  Fine, probably got sniped, my fault for being silly.

 

Respawn, join a high population server, gear up a bit, go up on the hill that overlooks elektro, and I prone in a tree root.  The tree root basically hides my entire body, but I don't think you can shoot in or out of it.  Lame I know, but I like to lay down there and watch all the fighting in elektro sometimes.  I had a Blazer, so there's no way I could hit anyone if I wanted to anyways.  I see someone run down the hill behind me, right up to my tree, and unload into my little cover spot.  I walk out, get shot down, whatever, kind of asking for it.  But how on earth did he see me from behind the tree from up the hill?  You can barely see me from the front if you run up to the tree.

 

Respawn, join another server with 1-2 people on it, spend a few hours getting geared, finally find a mosin with a LSR, and also a rangefinder.  I go on top of a building in vybor, and see if I can shoot into the barracks of the military base to test my rangefinder.  I keep turning backwards to keep an eye behind me.  I aim, take a shot, turn around, someone somehow already got behind me, I say hello, "YOU ARE DEAD".  I felt stupid because I was looking around the building quite often, and somehow someone just appeared there.  Fine, maybe he got up there really quickly while I was looking down the scope.

 

Respawn, join another server with 4 people, spend a few hours getting geared, run from elektro to cherno, along the forest, keeping an eye out ahead and behind me.  Near the rocky hills between the two I quickly glance into the little town to see if anyone is there, I hear "DON'T MOVE".  I get robbed by the 3 other people on the server.  My first time not getting KOSed, so that was a positive experience at least.  Not in the mood to regear, I take a break for an hour or two and come back to a server with 1 other person on it.  I logged out on the roof of the office building, figuring it would be safe from zombies. I'm not even able to prone before "YOU ARE DEAD" without a sound.  Really?  One other player on the server, and he happened to have a sniper rifle pointed at the roof of a random building in Elektro right as I logged in?

 

Respawn, join a different server with 5-6 people, run to Svetlo, "YOU ARE DEAD" without a sound.  At least the only gear I lost was an axe and a battery.

 

 

What should I be doing differently?  I have garbage aim, and I'm aware the game is buggy sometimes, so I don't get mad when I die, but I'm basically spending 95% of my playing time running around to find gear and then I just die.  It's really taking the enjoyment out of the game for me.  No matter how much I try to spin my head around to keep an eye around me, I never see people before they see me.

 

Do people camp in bushes on empty servers and wait for me to go by?  How do people keep finding me and then getting the jump on me on nearly-empty servers?  I used to be somewhat decent, and actually managed to kill other players back when we were all spawning near Berezino.  Not that killing other players is a measure of skill, but at my level it probably is.  I haven't even seen who's been killing me in the last few weeks.

 

/rant.

Edited December 21, 2014 by Scofflaw

[Atom Quark 437]

If you wonder how people saw you hiding somewhere, its because they saw you run there.

[NinjaTurkey 255]

Might sound a little harsh but the reason you seem to die so much is because you have little awareness of other players. This is because you join servers with 1 - 5 people in them. Join a full one. Play with the fear of being seen. It will make you a better player.

[robbyj 77]

Hey man. No worries! I am quite like you some days. I don't think you are a bad player either. Here, I will share my experience from yesterday with you. One month old character. Just put down my mosin for an sks with no ammo. Wanted to try the gun out. Up at north east airfield with about ten others online. Could not find any ammo for the sks so I looted the town to the southwest. I enter into a building as I hear a gunshot behind me, screen flashes gray, but I didn't lose blood or anything. I switch rooms and begin talking to the player telling him I am no danger to him. I see his buddy racing past through a window. Neither reply to my call. I fully type out my good intentions. (At no point was I holding my sks as it was on my back.) A few seconds later, laying prone on floor of a two story building, without a noise, "you are dead". Nothing I could have done. Part of the issue is we play alone. Which leaves 80% of gathering loot up to chance without anyone to aid or cover us. It is a tactical nightmare to walk into a town alone. No matter which way you slice it there is no "method" to safely loot a town alone. So, in reality, we play with a huge disadvantage without any way to correct it. Someone may disagree with what I am saying here, but no matter how good they claim to be, playing alone is playing hoping luck is on your side.

Edited December 21, 2014 by rjclock

[MurQ 33]

Luck is a big factor in all things especially in dayz.

I would say focus on improving your situational awareness, always assume someone might be watching so act accordinly zigzag and use cover.

Never log out on top of buildings and never assume that you are hidden especially on sniper hill.

Also try playing in a group some people are much better at spotting other players so playing alongside someone like this will increase your chances of survival.

[Whyherro123 2283]

-snip-

As it should be. The "lone wolf" playstyle SHOULD be the most difficult, simply because you have no support. 

 

Wilderness survival, as with literally everything else in life, is far FAR easier when done in groups. In a group, you have division of labor (saving everyones time and energy), specialization of tasks, and the ability to watch each others backs. By yourself, you have none of this, just what you know and what you carry.

 

Again, "lone wolf"-ing it should be the hardest playstyle, and most players should be playing in groups. Unfortunately, the game has not yet reached the level where group play is required.

[Irish. 4886]

Try to find a private hive server, that you can call home.

 

Play there, only. You will start to learn the way things flow on the map, how people act in certain areas, where its somewhat safe.. etc.

 

Good luck! Remember, dont let dying get you down. Only let it bother you if there was nothing to be learned or gained from it in any way. The more you learn, the better you get. Practice always makes as close to perfect as you would like to get. :)

[sneakydudes 278]

and don't camp out on 2nd floors of any buildings its known to glitch out, plus you maybe attracting some zombies to you before you log in that glitch through walls.

 

The other stuff we wont talk about, let the devs figure that out.

 

Bugs are known to happen but camp out in the bush.

[robbyj 77]

-snip- haha

yeah. I agree with that. Hopefully OP understands this and doesn't think he sucks, it's just that playing alone is hard and a tactical nightmare.

[TSVStriFe (DayZ) 13]

I always play with one friend and we're mostly together. He is definetly a way better shot then me, but it is such ashame that most ppl use this game to use only for the PvP. I said this in another post aswell, the main stay of this stays survival, not necessary PvP :)

[yazar8 584]

You got your answer above, but I just want to add:

 

You said you have crappy aim, nobody is born as a professional shooter, get your hands in a weapon, don't get to the fear of getting killed / spotted, shoot all zombies you see till you learn how to aim and control your weapon.

Edited December 21, 2014 by Yazar8

[harteman 155]

I was going to post this in the new player section, but I have >300 hours, so I'm not exactly brand new to the game.  I just died again, and I'm starting to get a little annoyed at myself.  A little back story :

 

I was on a 4-5 player server, climbing one of those green metal guard towers to see how I fit in them.  I get to the top, "YOU ARE DEAD", not a sound, nothing.  Fine, probably got sniped, my fault for being silly.

 

Respawn, join a high population server, gear up a bit, go up on the hill that overlooks elektro, and I prone in a tree root.  The tree root basically hides my entire body, but I don't think you can shoot in or out of it.  Lame I know, but I like to lay down there and watch all the fighting in elektro sometimes.  I had a Blazer, so there's no way I could hit anyone if I wanted to anyways.  I see someone run down the hill behind me, right up to my tree, and unload into my little cover spot.  I walk out, get shot down, whatever, kind of asking for it.  But how on earth did he see me from behind the tree from up the hill?  You can barely see me from the front if you run up to the tree.

 

Respawn, join another server with 1-2 people on it, spend a few hours getting geared, finally find a mosin with a LSR, and also a rangefinder.  I go on top of a building in vybor, and see if I can shoot into the barracks of the military base to test my rangefinder.  I keep turning backwards to keep an eye behind me.  I aim, take a shot, turn around, someone somehow already got behind me, I say hello, "YOU ARE DEAD".  I felt stupid because I was looking around the building quite often, and somehow someone just appeared there.  Fine, maybe he got up there really quickly while I was looking down the scope.

 

Respawn, join another server with 4 people, spend a few hours getting geared, run from elektro to cherno, along the forest, keeping an eye out ahead and behind me.  Near the rocky hills between the two I quickly glance into the little town to see if anyone is there, I hear "DON'T MOVE".  I get robbed by the 3 other people on the server.  My first time not getting KOSed, so that was a positive experience at least.  Not in the mood to regear, I take a break for an hour or two and come back to a server with 1 other person on it.  I logged out on the roof of the office building, figuring it would be safe from zombies. I'm not even able to prone before "YOU ARE DEAD" without a sound.  Really?  One other player on the server, and he happened to have a sniper rifle pointed at the roof of a random building in Elektro right as I logged in?

 

Respawn, join a different server with 5-6 people, run to Svetlo, "YOU ARE DEAD" without a sound.  At least the only gear I lost was an axe and a battery.

 

 

What should I be doing differently?  I have garbage aim, and I'm aware the game is buggy sometimes, so I don't get mad when I die, but I'm basically spending 95% of my playing time running around to find gear and then I just die.  It's really taking the enjoyment out of the game for me.  No matter how much I try to spin my head around to keep an eye around me, I never see people before they see me.

 

Do people camp in bushes on empty servers and wait for me to go by?  How do people keep finding me and then getting the jump on me on nearly-empty servers?  I used to be somewhat decent, and actually managed to kill other players back when we were all spawning near Berezino.  Not that killing other players is a measure of skill, but at my level it probably is.  I haven't even seen who's been killing me in the last few weeks.

 

/rant.

#1 you fell through the floor.  2nd story elevations or higher carry this risk.

 

#2 everyone knows to check the hills around elecktro.  Now you do too.

 

#3 never camp for long in an elevated position, people WILL see you and come kill you.

[Jesus Christ The Goblin 71]

I learned pretty early on ladders and stairs are your mortal enemy.

They put you off guard by working perfectly fine 1000x and that is when they strike, They are the most ruthless enemy in Dayz.
Sometimes they will execute you, Sometimes they will simply wait until you are in the middle of no where and break your legs, You will never know when they will strike but when they do you will be left wondering, What actually happened?
Now you may have climbed a ladder and been sniped but there is also the possibility that the ladder decided you don't deserve to live and took your life, but waited until you were at the top so you would always wonder what really killed you.
They are pure evil and strive to torture you for their sadistic pleasure.
Beware the evil that is ladders and stairs.


If you are in Elektro or Cherno on a high pop server you are probably being followed/stalked or someone nearby would want to kill you if they knew you were there.
I used to try and help people there, Offer canteens, Handguns and ammo.
Every single time I go there, I end up in a firefight, melee battle or some people attempt to rob me.
Not everyone is going to try smash in your skull but most will if given the chance so I don't suggest hanging around in one spot.
Gave a guy a rifle, He immediately tried to shoot me but it jammed.
Another screamed friendly while shooting his shotgun at me several times... Even after I spoke to him, He simply tried to get closer and shoot more while saying friendly.
Now I have a rule, If anyone brings up their gun and it aims close to me they get shot.
Also when in doubt about a person, Shoot them in the legs.

People are unpredictable but they can be managed with practice.
 

Edited December 21, 2014 by Jesus Christ The Goblin

[FortheEnts 22]

Try playing with a small group of people to start out on a private server. Patience is key in this game. If you don't have patience you will die, over and over.

[nexventor 429]

You should pay attention to the first two post below your OP. I will add some insight into some things you should start immediately thinking about.

 

General Rules:

1) Never spawn in a city (towns are ok but personally I never do when alone), always log out somewhere with the best view of the area

2) GET OFF THE COAST

3) Elecktro and Cherno are NOT friendly places. The only time you should be there is if you spawned there (leave), or you are well kitted, with a team and prepared to die.

4) Find some people to play with, the game is SOOOO much more fun and there are plenty of communities recruiting.

 

 

I just died again, and I'm starting to get a little annoyed at myself.

 

This is good, if you learn from your mistakes. EVERY time you die, you should analysis why, how and what you should have done better. From your post it seems you are struggling to identify those and it is happening way too often.

 

 

I was on a 4-5 player server, climbing one of those green metal guard towers to see how I fit in them.  I get to the top, "YOU ARE DEAD", not a sound, nothing.  Fine, probably got sniped, my fault for being silly.

 

Good you learned something, never go in them again.... EVER!

 

 

Respawn, join a high population server, gear up a bit, go up on the hill that overlooks elektro, and I prone in a tree root.  The tree root basically hides my entire body, but I don't think you can shoot in or out of it.  Lame I know, but I like to lay down there and watch all the fighting in elektro sometimes.  I had a Blazer, so there's no way I could hit anyone if I wanted to anyways.  I see someone run down the hill behind me, right up to my tree, and unload into my little cover spot.  I walk out, get shot down, whatever, kind of asking for it.  But how on earth did he see me from behind the tree from up the hill?  You can barely see me from the front if you run up to the tree.

 

This is probably the most infamous hill in Chernarus, you are ill-equipped, you are out manned, your situational awareness needs work, you deserved to die. As AtomQuark states they probably saw you run there. Just don't go there.

 

 

Respawn, join another server with 1-2 people on it, spend a few hours getting geared, finally find a mosin with a LSR, and also a rangefinder.  I go on top of a building in vybor, and see if I can shoot into the barracks of the military base to test my rangefinder.  I keep turning backwards to keep an eye behind me.  I aim, take a shot, turn around, someone somehow already got behind me, I say hello, "YOU ARE DEAD".  I felt stupid because I was looking around the building quite often, and somehow someone just appeared there.  Fine, maybe he got up there really quickly while I was looking down the scope.

 

I really want to drive home NinjaTurkey's post here. Running around on low pop servers gives you a false sense of security, it really is a very bad training ground. Hit high pop servers as much as you can, slow your game down, scout out towns and villages before looting them and get in and get out as quick as possible. Secondly NEVER snipe from tops of buildings, I never go on tops of buildings ever and here's why.

 

- Ladders, too easy to fall and die or break your legs

- Totally vulnerable while climbing up and down

- You aint as hidden as you think you are.

- It is the first place most experienced places look at from high vantage points cause we all know scrubs like to snipe from there. We will kill you before you even know we are there. I have killed more people on roofs than in other spot and I won't even loot your body cause it is too bloody risky

- If you get into a fire fight you are screwed. You can't go down the ladder as you are vulnerable and you can't log out as you will stand up. Either way resulting in your death. 

 

 

What should I be doing differently? 

 

So to recap:

- Stay away from ladders, roofs, cherno, elektro, low pop servers, green guard towers

- Pick better log out points. Under trees, outside of towns with a good vantage point overlooking your area.

- Look around you more, you should be constantly looking 360 around you. Stay in tree lines, never run on roads and paths.

- GET OFF THE COAST

 

 

No matter how much I try to spin my head around to keep an eye around me, I never see people before they see me.

 

Then work out how they are seeing you. Retrace your steps and one of the golden rules of DayZ is to act you are being watched the entire time, make it hard for people to follow you. Don't be predictable.

 

Anyway that is enough out of me, Watch some of my videos and you will see how often people think they aren't being watched and how some teams have multiple overwatch positions covering all angles, team members in other strategic areas. If you watch what we do you can see what to avoid. 

 

Hope that helps and good luck

[DeatHTaX 1217]

 

Do people camp in bushes on empty servers and wait for me to go by?  

 

 

No.....

[Dagwood 680]

Play 1pp servers. You're diligent head swiveling will do you good there. On 3pp, the person on the move will always get spotted by trapdoor bandits that are invisible to him. In 1pp, they have to be within LOS to see you, which makes moving up on you while remaining hidden AND not losing you a real challenge. It'll feel scary at first, but you'll learn to love it.

1pp master race for life

[Judopunch 523]

Play 1pp servers. You're diligent head swiveling will do you good there. On 3pp, the person on the move will always get spotted by trapdoor bandits that are invisible to him. In 1pp, they have to be within LOS to see you, which makes moving up on you while remaining hidden AND not losing you a real challenge. It'll feel scary at first, but you'll learn to love it.

1pp master race for life

I also assume he is playing in 3pp servers. Its laughable that people think they can be stealthy in any situation other then on top of the tallest building in the area.

[Bororm 1156]

I feel for ya OP, I used to be pretty decent at DayZ but after a point I felt like I was playing a completely different game than everyone else.  The truth is, if you have your settings high, you kinda are.  People love to throw their settings down to lowest and take out those shadows, extra foliage, etc and make seeing you when you think you're hidden a piece of cake.  This was truer to an extent in the mod, but it's still applicable to the SA.  Something to consider if you're playing with nice settings.

 

Personally I'd rather have the game look good than be a dirt bag.   =P  

There are a large amount of players who have to legitimately use those settings though.