How do you handle other survivors?

[CottonHill2 5]

  So the first 3 times I encountered another survivor in game I tried to be friendly and speak with them and they just shot me dead, even though I had no guns to shoot back.    I was also shot in the back by someone I never even seen.    So the next time I run into someone I pulled out my gun and started blasting them, and they were yelling WTF but IDK maybe you want to kill me lol.     What is the proper game edicate lol?  

[McWendy 675]

There is no more proper etiquette.

The friendly wiggle will get you killed.

The yelling im friendly will get you killed

The teaming up will get you killed

Basically you end up getting killed.

Welcome to dayz! 👍😉

[CottonHill2 5]

8 minutes ago, McWendy said:

There is no more proper etiquette.

The friendly wiggle will get you killed.

The yelling im friendly will get you killed

The teaming up will get you killed

Basically you end up getting killed.

Welcome to dayz! 👍😉

So basically kill anything that moves, take their stuff.   Got it.  

[drgullen 596]

Unfortunately, it happens a lot this way, which is really a shame.  I play like this:

If he has a gun in his hand, I approach with one in mine.  I will tell him I'm friendly and ask him to put his gun away.  If he does, I'll do the same.  If he doesn't, I fire.

If he doesn't have a gun in his hands, I raise my hand to say hello, tell him I'm friendly and not going to kill him and see how he responds.  If he doesn't pull out a gun, it's potentially the beginning of a team up.  If he does, I'll whip mine out and blast him.

If I don't have any guns on me, I try to avoid others at all costs until I have found a pistol at least.

As McWendy says, it's DayZ and you'll end up getting killed from something -- but not everyone plays this as if it's PUBG or CoD, so there are definitely friendlies out there -- just keep looking for some and you'll eventually find them.

[McWendy 675]

55 minutes ago, drgullen said:

 

As McWendy says, it's DayZ and you'll end up getting killed from something -- but not everyone plays this as if it's PUBG or CoD, so there are definitely friendlies out there -- just keep looking for some and you'll eventually find them.

Obviously my post was partially a joke, but like @drgullen suggested just keep at it. You WILL meet those who don’t kill on sight. Most will tho.

-So always use caution, trust nobody.

- never stand still 

-typing long messages can get you killed

Ive had encounters with people I now play regularly with

Ive had encounters where you'd loot together for a few hours and ended up being A mule.

So always and I mean always use caution!! 

No joke 😉

 

[damnfreshspawn 0]

I began playing this game with the plan to try to interact with other players.  After being killed countless times by KOS types, my policy now is to shoot first, and ask questions later.

[William Sternritter 449]

13 hours ago, McWendy said:

 

- never stand still 

Yeah … to me that means you're dodgy and just waiting for the opportunity to draw your gun. All interactions with characters who constantly run around are like that, not to mention very annoying from my perspective. Never had issues with those who behaved calmly 🙂 I even turned my back on those people and didn't get shot. I would never turn my back on a character that is constantly moving. 

That being said, currently I'm a stalker, taking my shots from the distance 😛 

[Alphajim 16]

Pretty much the same here. I avoid people, unless it's an unplanned encounter.

If I'm geared, I aim at the guy and wait his reaction, or salute him and ask him what he's doing / he need. If he attack then I shoot, else I draw back my gun and talk if I'm in the mood (but I'm still cautious).

If I don't have any gun, I take a melee weapon and wait to see the type of player I'm facing. Then I either talk, go elsewhere, or fight back if he attack me and I stand a chance to win.

Anyway I never teamed up with any unknown player, besides some help to get food or stuff I don't need. The fact I don't have a good english might be a reason, besides avoiding being shot on the back.

[McWendy 675]

9 hours ago, damnfreshspawn said:

I began playing this game with the plan to try to interact with other players.  After being killed countless times by KOS types, my policy now is to shoot first, and ask questions later.

So you're adding to the problem and now are the problem.

Kudos for making chernarus a better place...... ow wait

[Uncle Zed 272]

Find a community server that enforces PVE if you'd like that sort of gameplay.

[McWendy 675]

1 hour ago, BetterDeadThanZed said:

Find a community server that enforces PVE if you'd like that sort of gameplay.

That sort of gameplay doesnt exclude a pvp session.

Always kos is what op is experiencing was the point @BetterDeadThanZed

[EzyStriderPS4 191]

On 10/13/2019 at 12:31 PM, CottonHill2 said:

"A bunch of brainless idiots keep killing me and they aren't even Zeds."

There is NO etiquette, this isn't a Country Club! Hahaha, but kidding aside, this game forces you to stay aware of your surroundings and navigate social situations with extreme care.  

As a good starting reference: check out and research John Boyd, an F-86 fighter pilot during the Vietnam War.  MiG fighter pilots had the upper hand in maneuverability and speed, however, the Lt. came up with a mental advantage which completely upended the aerial dog-fighting theatre's mechanics.  He called it "the OODA loop."  Observe/Orient/Decide/Act.  The reason it is a loop, is the second you finish doing "A," you go right back to "O."

A good secondary reference:  Read Chapter 10: Terrain, in Sun Tzu's Art of War.

Now that we have that covered, NEVER rush in blindly without having a Plan B at the very least!  There are many different types of players out there: we could talk at length about human psychology, stress responses, and coping strategies.  Nonetheless, each of these different player types may react unpredicatably given a number of varying situations.  Many players suffer from material attachment disease of the brain in DayZ---I've heard of players simply killing others so they can get the gun or coat they wanted off another survivor's back.

NEVER spill your guts and talk about where you have stashes or have a base. Trust is earned.

Edited October 14, 2019 by EzyStriderPS4

[DayZNightStalker 1]

They have no Karma system.  There's no incentive to be friendly other than RP.

If you try to be friendly, you will die A LOT.

If you are always hostile, you will live A LOT longer.

 

I wish it was different, but with the current setup, I always KOS everyone.

[Brother Hao 28]

9 hours ago, DayZNightStalker said:

They have no Karma system.  There's no incentive to be friendly other than RP.

If you try to be friendly, you will die A LOT.

If you are always hostile, you will live A LOT longer.

 

I wish it was different, but with the current setup, I always KOS everyone.

What do you play DayZ for if not for interaction with other people that doesn't necessarily involve you or them dying?

[rickyriot 1009]

"How do you handle other survivors?"

'Badly' would be my one word answer. Despite having 1000s of hours over the years covering both mod and SA I still have no way of determining if someone is going to kill you or not.

A few months back, I set up a farm near one of the coastal spawn points. The intention was to run a little test to see if people would be happy to take the (literal) fruits of my labour. I was purposely unarmed, no backpack etc, all my farming tools and loot was stored in a nearby shed. I also killed all the localised zombies, collecting the food and clothes they spawned with. I was the full package. A nice fire to warm yourself by, some free food and some clothes and loot. Considering I was giving away free stuff that could save them, the percentage of people willing to kill me was still very high. Even after I explained the full scope of what I was doing. Granted some avoided me like the plague, assuming I was tricking them, but others would grab some food, grab a bag and some clothes then would attack me. Not being armed I was easy prey - but that was the point of the exercise. Over an 8 hour session (heh, yes, irl 8 hours - which was effectively 4 or so days including a night cycle on the server I was on) I must have died about 12 to 14 times out of maybe 34-40 odd interactions. The interesting part was when those who didn't kill me, came back after they respawned (or brought fresh spawns to me). Several of those then acted as my guards. While that meant it looked a bit shadier rather than one unarmed person, the whole psychology experiment was quite interesting.

I might try that again, although record it and stick it up on YouTube for all to see (including the offenders!).

 

So after all that, my only advice to OP is to do two things;

1) Find a friendly server (ideally with an interactive admin). The more you play the more people get to know you. From experience most KoS aren't actually "kill on sight", more a "kill on speak". Sure, there will always be some that just tap you from a distance and that's where you need to play clever - avoid all to obvious line of sight, and keep an eye out for vantage points like hillsides, tree-lines and tall buildings - and accept that is part of the game.

Once you get a rep you'll find when people make first contact, they will get to know you and be far less likely to take you out as you will no longer be a perceived threat.

2) Learn what you look like to others. This might sound odd, but you do this with people you see, so reverse the perspective. For example, if you see a medium to heavily geared player that is beyond the usual military "hot spots" then you can deduce one of three scenarios; they are looping back for a friend, traversing from one "hot spot" to another or is looking for a fight. The first two should be obvious, the latter less so but if it's not a case of someone going from A-B, rather someone going to A, shuffling in or about A, returning to A then that (for me) is a sign they are to be avoided - especially if they are hovering about the spawn points. You will need to take your time, but that's one thing DayZ can provide you with. Hours upon hours of watching randoms just "dick about".

When you realise that others are weighing you up the same way you do them, then you learn to present yourself in the least threatening manner. You will be surprised how easy it is to run through a town unscathed if you are only in the most basic clothing and no obvious weapon. Ammo, dependent on what duping bug is the order of the day, tends to be limited and people won't waste it if they get no return. If you have a shotgun, saw that down and stick it into a bag. Sure it'll affect the firing stats, but it's a lot less threatening to see someone with a bag than it is a bag and a shotgun on their back.

 

Ok, so...

...what have we learned?

Probably nothing, you'll still get shot, maybe just a bit less.

Edited November 12, 2019 by rickyriot

[Kirov (DayZ) 585]

On 10/13/2019 at 6:31 PM, CottonHill2 said:

  So the first 3 times I encountered another survivor in game I tried to be friendly and speak with them and they just shot me dead, even though I had no guns to shoot back.    I was also shot in the back by someone I never even seen.    So the next time I run into someone I pulled out my gun and started blasting them, and they were yelling WTF but IDK maybe you want to kill me lol.     What is the proper game edicate lol?  

There are many friendlies out there, don't give up. KOSers are a big group and by the nature of their condition, they believe and they will tell you that they're the only ones. That's simply not true, you just need more experience in judging behaviour.

There's no one specific protocol for approaching players and your awareness will only grow with time. If I can recommend something, give a try to 1-person perspective, it attracts more mature players. Servers with nighttime or stuff like 'no crosshair' also tend to come with more interesting interactions.

If you're fed up with losing progress or KOS bores you, there are also servers with strict anti-KOS or anti-PVP policies. I'm not fond of them as I like the threat level on 'open' Chernarus, but it's a matter of taste. Sometimes it's a very fresh change to cruise around the map knowing you won't be shot at.

Play more, don't be afraid to engage other players but watch them closely, try various servers. Let us know how it goes.

[William Sternritter 449]

29 minutes ago, rickyriot said:

A few months back, I set up a farm near one of the coastal spawn points. The intention was to run a little test to see if people would be happy to take the (literal) fruits of my labour. I was purposely unarmed, no backpack etc, all my farming tools and loot was stored in a nearby shed. I also killed all the localised zombies, collecting the food and clothes they spawned with. I was the full package. A nice fire to warm yourself by, some free food and some clothes and loot. Considering I was giving away free stuff that could save them, the percentage of people willing to kill me was still very high. Even after I explained the full scope of what I was doing. Granted some avoided me like the plague, assuming I was tricking them, but others would grab some food, grab a bag and some clothes then would attack me. Not being armed I was easy prey - but that was the point of the exercise. Over an 8 hour session (heh, yes, irl 8 hours - which was effectively 4 or so days including a night cycle on the server I was on) I must have died about 12 to 14 times out of maybe 34-40 odd interactions. The interesting part was when those who didn't kill me, came back after they respawned (or brought fresh spawns to me). Several of those then acted as my guards. While that meant it looked a bit shadier rather than one unarmed person, the whole psychology experiment was quite interesting.

I might try that again, although record it and stick it up on YouTube for all to see (including the offenders!).

Heh, we thought of doing exactly that with a friend 🙂

Anyway, this brings me to the most puzzling point of my overall Day Z experience. Around the spawn points you can be most certain that other people will attack you without a word or anything. Proper KoS attitude. While everyone is wearing fresh spawn clothes and NOTHING ELSE. I get it that people shoot without asking in a military area, but overall meeting random player way inland, with various gear, has a higher probability of being a friendly encounter than on the frickin coast among fresh spawns. In Livonia I had one session where I've seen the most player corpses ever, they were literally meters apart from each other and no one had anything on them besides the starting gear. 
Spawn points is where I would expect everyone to be trying to survive and help each other. You have nothing to gain from killing other fresh survivor. At one time I openly laughed at other survivors who immediately started shooting and attracted infected on them. They saw me not even trying to come close to them, yet one of them still tried to shoot me. Only pity is, the infected did not swarm them enough and I could not be bothered to agro more infected on them.

So in the end ... just decide on the spot. 

Edited November 12, 2019 by William Sternritter

[sokaku 50]

The first wish I have with this game would be to make ammunition and magazines a lot more scarce. Make shooting another player that isn't posing an immediate threat a decision "is it worth the ammo?"  It's an apocalypse, stuff is in finite quantities so it should be far more scarce and far more valuable. Of course this could lead to more "opportunity" kills, 1 bullet to potentially score more ammo or a better gun. The game lacks an objective, so when 2 reasonably geared players meet, the only reason to be reasonably geared is to kill other players. Things like griefing, robbing, murder, canabalism, they need to be in the game because that adds to the tension of being in Chenarus, but there's got to be some kind of incentive for players to take a risk cooperating with others on a server. It's moving in the right direction by discouraging things like server hopping/ghosting, and I get now why they've made it tougher to get inland from the coast (starting condition, lack of resources) even though that's gotta discourage new players to the game. It helps cut back on "Negging" Something from the old Subspace MMO days where new players had a negative bounty so bountied up players would lose points if they attacked them, even if it was just to defend themselves. It meant you have fresh spawns being a pain, rushing back into the fray with nothing to lose and everything to gain. 

I get why many people shoot on sight because if you do interact with someone in an area, it's not always evident if they are carrying a weapon, and between the rather insane sprint speed and the fact that you can draw a pistol or even SMG out of your clothing as quickly as pulling a gun off your back, it makes encounters quite tricky if you're not a confident twitch shooter. You're giving up your advantage in a gunfight, the element of surprise.  The second wish is that they adjust the inventory system so that items in your backpack cannot be quick-slotted, and pulling an item out of a shirt/pants is made slower than out of a holster or shoulder. Put a shoulder strap in the game or require a piece of rope to be able to put a weapon on your back.  Weapons should be concealable, however it should be a trade off for ease of access. Having a shotgun in your backpack should *not* be able to be whipped out in an encounter. They've already added a nice touch with need to pre-load mags.  if the guy's got a weapon on the back or a holster, tread carefully. If it's tucked down the pants or in a jacket, the animation to pull something out should give you a couple extra seconds to get your own weapon up in case they are pulling a gun.

 

[SurviveTomorrow 1]

I just avoid all contact with other survivors if I got alot of gear on me. If i just recently started a new session then i try to interract, if i get killed its not big deal.