How to learn the map?

[Spillar 0]

Absolutely loving this so far. However, the biggest problem I'm running into is the lack of knowledge of the map. It makes it incredibly difficult to meet up with people or trying to track back to an area.

I like to learn from playing and bit by bit its slowly working, I'm now familiar with Elektro/Cherna and thanks to a very helpful person on chat yesterday I managed to work out I was at the most bottom point of the map Kamehka? which was incredibly useful as I navigated myself up the environment taking note of places.

Still due to the extremely hostile nature of the game world its difficult at times to try and focus on bearings (usually because I'm sprinting through the woods screaming). I understand due to the size its not something thats going to be learnt over night but if theres some way I can speed it up it would be immensely helpful. I don't know if theres some part of the single-player campaign that would be helpful or just any general tips people can offer.

Thanks.

[Snuffy McGee 17]

The best advice I can think of is to get a copy of the Chernarus map online and learn how to read a topographical map. Knowing how to spot terrain features by glancing at a map of the game world will make your life much easier.

[Octavia 0]

Yes I might got something for you ...

Try to print out an Chernarus map, Find where you are and navigate yourself to any town.

Or just use an Compass, most big inland city's are located N / 40 Degrees, or if you find an map on an regular server, just use Shift + Left mouse button to set your destination and follow the marker.

[Ketsugo (DayZ) 1]

Playing Warfare/Domination modes on Chernarus really helps a bit with the lay of the land, but like you said, it's not anything that will happen overnight. :p

[dut 21]

Single player -> Editor -> Chernarus

Double click somewhere

Unit type -> Air -> Helicopter

I like to spawn enemy and friendly combatants around the map too so I can enjoy the DayZ background gunfire and occasional stray bullet.

[woodstock21 1]

i agree with Dut, just spawn a chopper in the editor and take a look around, On my clans server section 8 i setup a map where at the Bolota airstrip (IE the grass airfield by the coast) with pretty much every car, tank, heli, and plane that is avilable in the game, as well as i setup a shooting range on the north airfield, just so some of our newer friends who only bought the game cause of DayZ could get a feel for the controls and the area before diving head first into DayZ because DayZ is unforgiving. So anyone feel free to look up our server Section 8 and check out your surroundings.

[Spillar 0]

Thanks for the response everyone, some useful tips there. Any idea where I can find a good full sized maps as I should be able to print one of a decent size at work.

I'm sure the chopper method is probably the best way of doing it, but I just wouldn't feel right doing it, I want to actually learn it having properly explored it for myself, the hard way.

[woodstock21 1]

good place for arma map, would be at arma2.com man when in doubt go to the creator of the game. http://www.arma2.com/arma-2-chernarus/map-of-chernarus_en.html great if you have duel screens, if not you just google chernarus map

[zippy32 1]

Learning how to read a topgraphical map is a useful skill for this mod, particuarly as GPS's are hard to come by. Look for things like hills (marked with elevation lines), roads, paths, and other landmarks. Road junctions in particular are handy.

If you get a compass it does make things a lot easier.

Break your planned journey into sections.

For example, if you know you are north of a particular town, look on your map and see where you want to head to next, say an airfield in the NW. Then plan your journey looking at the map thinking about obvious landmarks. I.E "I want to head on a westerly heading, passing through that forest, and when I reach a clearing, I then turn NW and head through some more forest until I reach a road. I follow this road (from the treeline! Don't walk on roads!) on an west heading until I get to a T junction and then from there turn North and that will eventually take me into the airfield.

First post... - Hi to everyone, awesome mod Rocket.

[Spillar 0]

Thanks for the help everyone. Managed to find a really nice high quality map image 700cm x 700cm which I've just set of printing onto vinyl, so may even stick it onto a board.

Edit - And here she is in all her glory

[jskibo 143]

When you spawn, the lower left corner gives you an approximate clue as to where you are. Look left and right and compare that to a map (either printed, or Alt tab out to one).

Once you get to cities, they are marked with roadsigns, major junction points are as well.

Follow powerlines if lost, they always lead to a city somewhere.

I keep a map in a window on my desktop and just Alt-Tab over to it when safe. Make sure its high res enough to zoom in on and keep it in a jpeg picture window for easy zooming. Web page map doesn't zoom well. Over time you'll learn some areas pretty well...

[whtwlf 8]

While the ArmA II maps are quite different from real world military maps, they do share one important feature- contour lines. This nifty .pdf guide provided by the Army's ROTC can teach you how to properly identify various terrain features on a map. The whole guide is worth a read if you're interested in learning how to read a proper real world map but I recommend skipping to page 207 for the important bits you'll be using in game.