Server with low player count, to one with hight PC

[CerebralZombie (DayZ) 151]

So after dying for the first time I started looking for a server with more players on it, and noticed that when I'd gotten to a town I'd either find no supplies/gun and I'd usually run into an ass that kills me even though I've said through the mic, "I have nothing, just spawned." So tonight I joined a server with a med player count of 25-30 people on and spawned near a pretty big town off the bat. I found tons of ammo, gear, n' supplies and then a Winchester rifle. Now I am set, and heading up north but I'm taking a break now. Not sure if I want to continue North, wait for friends to join, or go into a server with a high player count and see what's up.

Any ways, I guess this should help with those new players that can't seem to get a break, or get any supplies. Just join a low player count server and loot away!

[CerebralZombie (DayZ) 151]

Hm... My bad. Can't change the title to the post. I've thought of a better title for one, n' two my spelling. Haha

[ColdCamV 20]

It usually is wise to start on a lower popped server and get some gear before moving across simply for the better chance of actually finding gear, however, in my tendancy I choose to pick a high popped server simply because I like to have the thrill that even if I spawn and someone kills me I atleast know I also have a chance to find gear and kill them in return.

It all comes down to preference really, you can stock up on a low pop server and then head to a higher one and then repeat if you die, or, you can join a high pop server straight off the bat and even if you die you havent exactly lost anything seeing as how you just started.

[Arnie (DayZ) 21]

I shared your logic of the low player count servers untill a friend and myself got killed by a group of 6 on a server with 8 people on it in total. It was nighttime too and we were pretty far up northeast nowhere near a city. Coincidence I guess to bump into them there at night. If someone is cheating and the server is full then at least you are not the only possible target.

[DoshDosh 62]

Yeah one thing to keep in mind is that some bandits purposely head to low-pop servers to hunt people. I'd recommend avoiding NWAF and Stary Sobor on low-pop servers in particular, since a lot of players like going to those servers if they want to raid either of those places solo. Even coastal areas usually have a sniper somewhere in NW Cherno or Elektro near the firehouse.

If you go to a low-pop server for the purpose of gearing up, just don't let your guard down and assume you won't run into anybody, since mostly the people who join low-pop servers either have the same mindset as you (so the chance of encounters is higher) or will be hunting people like you (so the chance of encounters is higher... again).

EDIT:

On the other hand, I think low-pop servers are excellent for hunting animals and restocking food/water in general; there are lots of smaller towns that people rarely visit that have some good basic materials, and you can usually hunt these areas and animals without worry as long as you're far from the danger zones. I'd go as far as to say that you can loot deer stands and helicopter crashes fairly safely, but I think I would remain guarded around any crash site.

Edited July 19, 2012 by DoshDosh