One Month of DayZ...

[TnT Vader 0]

One Month of DayZ, A players thoughts.

One thing I took into account before writing this is something that certain people still fail to grasp. DayZ is still currently in an Alpha Stage. I based my thoughts around that fact before writing this to help better support the points I make. In addition I fully am taking into account my group’s thoughts and adding them into my own.

So, I could say that it’s been a little over a month and a half now that my friends and I have been playing DayZ. There were always ups and downs in the period as with any game that is played. DayZ is first and foremost a Zombie Simulator based around the concept of no mercy and realism. (Realism to the extent that we know of in terms of undead.) It puts you in a 225 square kilometer word with little supplies and gives you only one goal, to survive.

One could say my first experience was less than stunning, but still fun. My first spawn was during the dark of night and I was astonished on how little I could see. But when I logged in with two other friends for the first time I admit I had the wrong mindset for the game. I was full on thinking a play style similar to Left 4 Dead combined with Skyrim, or something of that nature. That was a fatal mistake. My group’s first night was spent sprinting up and down the coast, not worrying about stealth or having caution and getting countless Zombies on our tails to only die just a few moments after we all met up. We tried again, this time we succeeded in our gathering, mainly just out of pure luck. Battered and beaten we logged out together on top of a building. We all decided to log in the next morning and give it another go during daylight. I have to say, although my first night was full of laughter and fun, that initial joy of having something new to play would change into a different kind of feeling.

After a night’s rest you could say my mind set changed about how to play. I turned on the “Survival Mode” switch in my head. My group soon grew to about eight-to-nine close friends (Along with friends of friends.) I have been gaming with for as long as I can remember. (Of course, rarely were all eight on at one time.) The next few days of DayZ was filled with gathering the troops while getting them all situated on how to play. No longer did we sprint through towns, no longer did we carelessly run onto the near-coast airstrip, and no longer did we have the mindset that this was going to be an easy shoot-em-up Zombie Survival Game. We took our time, we planned, we played the game the way it was meant to be played.

So after a few days of wandering the coastline and growing familiar to the game, we decided to get a little bold. We moved inland towards the North West Airstrip. Gathering about five people of our group we headed north. I won’t bore you any longer with this mindless story. I’ll make it short. It was at the NW Airstrip what we had our first encounter with Bandits. (We didn’t make it.) A lot of things have changed since that time weeks ago and you could say we’ve gotten smarter on how we play. Since that time we’ve began to record our journey’s…But more on that later…

Story time is over though…We are here for another reason…

Overall, I’ve found my time in DayZ to be enjoyable, if not one of the most fun games I’ve got my hands on in a long while. Once we adapted to the play style, the game opened up for my friends and I into something that was not only refreshing, but a good change from Halo or Battlefield. We all love the concept in DayZ of Zombie Survival to its most extreme. And for now, it’s the closest thing to a real life Zed apocalypse that we can get. (No, we aren’t hoping for one.) To us, DayZ is both a simulator and a game. People may argue that it is one or the other, but we personally like to think it’s both. If it wasn’t fun like a game we most likely would’ve quit long ago, but if it wasn’t realistic and intense like a simulator, it would’ve gotten dull and tasteless. (For us at least.)

Now then, I’m not going to say that DayZ is perfect. That’s why it’s an Alpha. There are things that need to be tweaked and changed and fine-tuned. (What game doesn’t need that?) But, from what I’ve experienced and seen from the DayZ Team, they are going in the right direction. Zombies are harder to sneak around and supplies aren’t as bountiful as people may like. With that in mind, I must say that, for us, the changes have been enjoyable. (Although for a bit it seemed like the Zeds were super human and that my bones were glass.) The game is meant to be hard. And in addition, what Zombie apocalypse wouldn’t be? You wouldn’t see me crouch walking in the middle of a street that is infested with undead if it were real.

And like anyone I’d love to see some things added or changed…Read below…

- More variety in supplies. (Bottled Water, Different Sodas, Different Caned Food, etc.)

- Different supply set at spawn. No, I’m not saying spawn with a weapon. My point is, that due to the realism factor in the game, most people would have at least one can of food or a can of soda at home in addition to a flashlight and/or bandage. (I myself own an actual weapon in my home and I could care less that I don’t spawn with a gun.) But I also know the reason for not having them at spawn as well. (Bandits.)

(As you can see, these two things are pretty small and not needed in the long run. With or without, I’ll still play.)

So in conclusion, my friends and I have not only found DayZ fun and refreshing, but also have found it a way to look at other types of gaming. There are more things out there than just First Person Shooters, Role Playing, and Real Time Strategy. So, I want to thank the DayZ Team for giving us this game. It’s great. Keep on doing what you’re doing.

Anyway, now here are some tips for some new players if they find themselves still reading after this long…

#1 – Remember, It’s an Alpha.

Everyone must remember that this game is still in an Alpha, not a Beta, but an Alpha. Of course some things aren’t going to work right or be prefect. Deal with it and move on. I did and so can you.

#2 – Play with friends.

If you can’t find friends to play with in-game, grab some real-life buddies and bring them in. That’s what I did and so far it works great. In addition it makes this game much more enjoyable if you aren’t traveling alone. (You have some pretty strange conversations along the way.) This sometimes is the most important thing about the game. If you have friends, you’ll have fun. Want to see what I mean, look below…

Example #1 –

Example #2 –

Example #3 –

(Caution, videos contain language.)

#3 – Take your time.

DayZ is not a game to rush through. Take some time and plan your route and raids. Give people jobs and split up supplies amongst your friends. I’m usually what we call “Over Watch and Navigator” when I’m in my group of friends. (Due to the fact that I favor the Sniper Rifle.) Don’t run through a city or airstrip, more often than not you’re going to run into something you don’t like.

#4 – Get a map.

No I’m not taking about an in-game map. (Although those are nice to have.) I’m actually talking about printing one off. I did so and placed it in a sheet cover. In doing so I’m able to mark on the map with a dry-erase marker and navigate easier as well as plan our routes. This helps when you respawn as well as get lost.

#5 – Don’t get attached to your stuff.

Chances are you’ll be killed with it in the future. Don’t expect to get it back. Take a deep breath and try again. It’s not the end of the world.

So that's it. My first post in these forums...

If I see you out there in Zed Land, good luck to you...

[peliluola@gmail.com 28]

I often play in the night (suits me better) and I make up a route as you said that I try to go through looting places along the way. If I get 100% through my designed path it should take about 6-8 hours and my guy should be loaded afterwards. Haven't succeeded once. Mostly because I get sidetracked by bandits chasing me or someone has a vehicle and I steal it etc.

[TnT Vader 0]

Of course, Things like that happen to my group all the time. It's all apart of the game. Sometimes those extra things help...Or hinder you...

[Crooze 0]

Yeah, I think the most important thing to keep in mind when playing this game is that you will die. You will lose all that epic loot that you had worked so hard for. Usually to something stupid or an accident. But keeping that in mind, it has helped me a lot in the game, when I lose really good gear I just sit back for a second and go "Welp, I guess I get to start again!"

And, can you tell me what map it was that you printed off?