Can't find any way to defend myself

[DarthVolga 9]

I got this game a few days ago and before hand I watched an entire LP based on the game. I have been through about 6 lives now, most of which lasted at least an hour, and I can't seem to find any kind of weapon.

I'm quickly losing interest in the game due to the frustration this causes. Before anyone tells me to be stealthy - I'm already doing this. There's nothing worse than spending 10 hours inching your way past dozens of buildings you can't even enter only to find one that has chemlights and an empty can of soda. I've been to so many different spawns, and yet I can never find a weapon. If I get detected by a zombie, I'm done for.

Do I just have bad luck? I'm on my wits end with this game. All I ask for is some low tier weapon that is supposedly "common". I wish there was a starting weapon.

[Legacy (DayZ) 1091]

Probably just bad luck/timing. Hope you end up spawning in a good city? Maybe elektro?

[FDFj 28]

Try searching Barns in the countryside, they have anything ranging from axes to sniper rifles

[Max Planck 7174]

Probably just bad luck/timing. Hope you end up spawning in a good city? Maybe elektro?

Gaaah! Legacy, don't tell him that...

Mate, run inland and find deer stands, they have good weapons and often morphine too. Then check out some villages and other lonely places. Castles Zug and Rog are good too, sometimes. Stay out of Cherno/Elektro/NWAF, they are full of people who only want to shoot you.

[Legacy (DayZ) 1091]

Elektro isn't that bad.

[ambientmf 0]

Don't give up! I was similarly frustrated when I first started playing DayZ. My general advice would be to keep this link bookmarked:

http://dayzdb.com/map

If you're bare with no weapons and equipment, best thing to do is to hit the deer stands, high value barns (green "!" spots) and keep away from the big cities. Going into the middle of any mid-size town will yield lots of zeds with varying number of loot locations (some towns have only a few spots to grab basic loot, others have tons of high value locations like Cherno and Elektro).

Keep your head down and stay frosty!

There's a bit of a learning curve in this game but don't get discouraged! You just gotta know where to look and where not to. I rarely sneak right into towns anymore because there just ends up being way too many zombies for even me to handle with some decent gear. Your best bet is to steer clear and hit the remote spots like the deer stands and the barns. After that, you should at least have something to defend yourself with.

[Max Planck 7174]

Elektro isn't that bad.

I guess it is better than Cherno... But if you head north just a little bit, there are clusters of deer stands up for grabs with very little risk of getting shot.

[Private Poptarts 23]

I had the same feeling at first, too. But when I found the hatchet I was like, payback time :D

No reason to check every house/backyard mate. See to those that have a door open or transparent windows (= you can actually see inside of them), they usually have something from soda, beans, bandages to ammo, pistol, basic necessities (knife/matches/map/etc.)

Also, farms and barns are your friend. You'll most likely find atleast some kind of weapon in those, and especially in those that have a round window on the top of the walls.

But before you do this, try to find some morphine. Deerstands or hospitals. But beware, there's zombies and even worse, other players about.

[raymix (DayZ) 1]

Check my signature. You're welcome!

[DarthVolga 9]

A wild makarov appears!

[thorgold 91]

Hatchet! I choose you!

Player uses "Right Click -> Remove Hatchet from Toolbelt!"

Player uses "Hack!"

It's super effective!

Yah, the humble hatchet. One-hit body shot on zombies and completely silent, so none of that annoying aggro. When used in conjunction with doorways, the zombies literally line up to get Jack Torrence'd.

Best of all, it's practically a 100% spawn rate for large barns, so farms become the go-to place for new spawns.

[djkling 5]

Or, just go south of Balotta airfield, there are FOUR deer stands. I tend to avoid the big coastal cities other than to grab a coke and some beans and head to check out various barns. My last barn jaunt yielded a Lee Enfield with 5 "clips" (I think LE uses clips, not magazines). Then I ended up at the airfield and had to choose between an AKM and my Lee... the weapons are out there. Hell, every supermarket i've been to have a M1911, and same with most churches.

i'm with thorgold... the hatchet is my FAV weapon of them all though...

[Max Planck 7174]

...Then I ended up at the airfield and had to choose between an AKM and my Lee...

Not exactly hard, is it?

*BLAM*-*BLAM*-*BLAM*-*BLAM*-*BLAM*

Aaaahh... AKM.

[DarthVolga 9]

I'm doing way better than before. I have a makarov and 8 magazines.

[KField86 237]

The first guns you're going to run into, in most cases, are makarovs, double barrel shotguns, and lee enfields, although OCCASIONALLY you can find AK74s at the Balota tent towers, and with mags. Also, either the remington 870 or M1014 shotgun. For a good pistol, I still recommend the 1911. It's all about routes my friend. Loot spawns are determined on specific events, times, etc. It's kind of like a science. Basically, goto dayzdb.com and use that website like it's your religion. Study it. Understand what the signs mean. In places like elektro, you need to hit up the pub building(apartment even I guess), Office/School, Hospital, Church, same with Cherno. Also the market places as well. Or grocery stores. Whatever you want to call them. If you're playing on a daytime server, don't clutter your inventory up with chemlights or flares. Instead, goto the hospital, get a few morphine sticks, bandages, a painkiller or two, A couple cans of soda/canteens, and canned food. If you can find a hatchet/hunting knife/matches you can hunt off the land and never have to worry about scavanging for food. Use that website, and visit ALL of the RED deer stands, they have good loot in them at times. And hit up all the red circles but be careful, there military item spawn locations, like good weapons and they will be fought over depending on if youre in the right place at the right time. Approach low and slow, get in, and GET OUT.

Thats the best advice I can give you.

[Azrail (DayZ) 211]

with time, you will recognize buildings you can enter.

you need a ton of patience for this game. you will die ALOT, even after you found guns and all the other shiny stuff, and then it will become really frustrating. but you have to learn to accept it as a part of the game, new game new luck. never get attached to your gear, no matter how good it is, you WILL lose it sooner or later.

from a fresh spawn, i have no trouble finding at least a hatchet, they literally spawn everywhere these days. once you have that, hack your way to the next barn/deerstand until you find a gun. use buildings for defense.

then get a map, matchbox, knife and you are good to go for some surivival.