Chat feature

[spicybluetaco@gmail.com 3]

Ok, so I have a question about the general function of the in-game text chat as I cannot get a response from people whom I either would like to trade with (after seeing them) or have a warning for them.

How the hell do you communicate with other players in this game?

I have used group chat (green), not even tried vehicle chat (yellow), and also used the light colored (light blue or white?) chat type (which can be accessed by hitting the begin chat key and hitting up arrow or down arrow) to even directly address players but to no avail. In one recent case I confronted an unarmed survivor who happened to be searching the same barn I was in but had camped for a few minutes. I asked friendly several times, at which point he picked up the lee enfield across the barn and shot me once (my character has been below 3,000 blood for three days now) at which point I ended his life. Am I just unrealistically expecting a response here, or am I missing something about the function of the chat feature?

In another case, two survivors with heavy military gear in Stary Sobor fired their weapons north of the base. This revealed their position to me, as I was in the very large but empty barn/steel structure southeast of the tent area. As a threat/warning, I asked Darren (and his friend) if they had matches (to light a fire so I could cook my meat and eat to restore my blood to full). Amazingly, they ran across the hillside directly to the barn I was in, made a very inadequate clearing of the building, and proceeded up a ladder in the center. With no response and having recently encountered survivors who won't chat, I waited for them to climb halfway up the ladder (where they would be helpless) and took one of them down. Darren was killed immediately, and his friend disconnected (while on the ladder!) to avoid being killed. I thought I had killed both of them, so I quickly made my way down to loot their bodies of the obviously high-grade military gear they were carrying. Darren had a sweet M4a1, tons of ammo, a map, a compass, food and drink (I simply carry canteens only, but whatever), a PDW, morphine, heat packs, a blood pack, a hatchet, and so forth...

So, does it seem like I am simply unaware of the chat dynamic, or am I learning that people are idiots and would rather walk into their own deaths trying to avoid working with anyone?

P.S., Darren's friend, I assume, logged back in and saw me making a break for it to the forest as I was receiving very inaccurate PDW fire from about the same direction Darren's body was. I managed to avoid it all and escaped into the woods. Nice job, chickenshit. You would have both been unharmed with a fair and gentlemanly trade. This game is UN REAL!

[fty170 2]

Well maybe you are chatting in the wrong chat the buttons (,) and (.) change chat channels back and forth. To speek to players within close proximity of you use the white chat channel "Direct Communication" holing down caps lock give you the ability to speak to the people that are close enough using the mic. Adding immersion to the game, the further you are away from a player, the lower the volume of their mic will be. Hope it helps.

[Elias (DayZ) 57]

Best thing to do is to go into controls and assign a key to 'talk on direct channel'. That way you'll always communicating on the right channel. You'll have to use the (,) and (.) like fty170 explaned when you want to send text on direct channel, though.