New players guide from Bandit point of view

[henrikpeinar@gmail.com 43]

Hi, I'm a bandit!

I don't consider myself as a expert of this game or anything but I know how to find my way and do things here and there. I've shot people... I'd shoot you if you get in my way and it'll stay like that. Sometimes I do make social contact with my target and let them live but life comes with a price (like your gun, beans and water etc). I enjoy killing people, nothing is more satisfying than killing another bandit or well geared / skilled player after tens of minutes of following, planning etc... It's not so satisfying to put a bullet into a running guy who has a hatchet. So my point here is to get rid of those running hatchet guys (or at least some of them). I'm trying to give you hints / tips what to do and not to do from my point of view, so you would get less killed by other guys like me.

I'm starting with a pretty simple, understandable list of TODO's and NOT TODO's. I will explain every statement later with more details:

- DO NOT run over open fields, even better if you DO NOT cross open fields at all.

- DO NOT up-run(running standing up) ever

- DO NOT shoot zombies / animals with something not SD (silenced). I can heard the Lee Enfield shot from FAR away and it only takes one shot to know in which direction are you.

- DO NOT agro zombies. I know it's a thought one, but at least try not to.

- DO NOT use flashlight, chemsticks or flares.

- DO NOT make fire at night

- DO NOT disconnect to avoid zombies, bandit or any other way of dieing

- DO NOT use the honk of your car

- DO NOT drive your car with lights on in the nighttime

- DO NOT go into houses with only one exit

- DO NOT investigate the body right away after the kill, give it time, there might be others around

- DO get an overview of a town before going into there (seeing zombies way before might mean something)

- DO look to your back from time to time (numpad 1 and 3 are your friends)

- DO turn off the in-game music and make sure you can hear the sounds well enough

- DO use building to get away from agroed zeds.

- DO look behind every corner before going out in towns

- DO move beside buildings and fences in town

Explanations:

DO NOT run over open fields, even better if you DO NOT cross open fields at all.

On a open field you are exposed, on a good day and in a good spot I can see a player running on a open field from about 900m away. That's close enough for skilled snipers to take you down. Of course it's hard to hit a moving target that far away and possibly you might run away from me (in that case, I usually don't come after you, closing 900m cap with a target might be too risky, of course there are exceptions, like if i know you're going into that town over the next hill etc), but if you happen to run towards me or just close I got time to plan my attack, switch positions if needed etc. You'll get a HS with silenced gun and you don't even know what hit ya.

Try to stay in the woods... sometimes it means you need to go round and walk bigger distances, but this might save your life. It has saved mine numerous times.

DO NOT up-run(running standing up) ever

Like the last tip... running standing up makes you being seen easily. It's hard to identify still target from a forest / town etc. If you move, it's easy to see you, if you run standing up I don't even need my binoculars to see you from 600m away. Also, running standing up attracts zombies very easily.

Crouch run. Even when you are traveling long distances like 6 - 10km... crouch run. Yes, it takes more time but again, might save your life. Also when you move slower it's easier for you to spot others and see them before they see you.

DO NOT shoot zombies / animals with something not SD (silenced). I can heard the Lee Enfield shot from FAR away and it only takes one shot to know in which direction are you.

Just yesterday a guy lost his life because of this in Mcta. I was minding my own business around Rog when I heard Lee Enfield shots. Being interesting what's going on I went investigating. Dude got a buttle into his head about 5m later.

Why? Cause he was using a Lee enfield to kill zombies instead of hatchet or using buildings to lose the agro. He also had M4 and Alice pack also some other stuff... When fighting zombies, try to avoid shooting, if you must at least use a sidearm. If there's no other way (sometimes might happen) shoot the zombie with primary and get outa there ASAP. If that Mcta guy woulda been walking away after the first shot, he'd still live.

DO NOT agro zombies. I know it's a thought one, but at least try not to.

To avoid being in the last situation after all, just don't agro zeds. Yes, I know the zed agro is mad atm, but if you crawl and keep your eyes open you should be fine. Agroed zombies draw attention very easily as they'r running fast, also giving up your position. Numerous times I've spotted people only because a zed ran to him (or to a house where there was someone in), also after agroing a zed you must deal with him which might cost you your life in one way or another. Snipers gladly shoot people who are standing still waiting for a moment to shoot the zombie they've agroed.

DO NOT use flashlight, chemsticks or flares.

Don't even pick flares up... NEVER EVER use em no matter where you are. A flare lasts for 5 minutes, when I see a flare I know someones close by. This is giving me an advantage over you, cause I know you're here somewhere, but you don't expect me. Of course you don't get killed every time you throw a flare, but you're doubling your chances for sure. This also goes for using a flashlight, which is even worse. When I see a flare, I know you're around but I don't know exactly where. When I see a flashlight, I can shoot you even without really seeing you cause it gives away your position so well.

DO NOT make fire at night

For the same reasons I pointed out in the last tip. Fire is seen from FAR away and noticed in the night very easily. IF you really need to make a fire, do it quickly, it doesn't take more than 10 seconds to light the fire, cook the meat and put the fire out. After doing that, don't be standing in the same spot, move as far as you can to be safe.

DO NOT disconnect to avoid zombies, bandit or any other way of dieing

This just isn't ethical. Alright, we can maybe forgive you avoiding zombies, but if you are getting shot at, don't disconnect. You got into the situation yourself and it's entirely your fault that you're shot at, die with dignity and accepting the fact that you made a mistake. Of course if you have the chance, fight back and give the best of you to kill someone who's trying to shoot you, firefights with other people give unforgivable memories and stories to tell. After surviving and getting into the safety analyze what went wrong and how could you avoid the same situation happening again.

DO NOT drive your car honking all the time

Unnecessary sounds might also cost you your life. Even when the car anyway makes a lot of noise, don't honk. It's easier for others to determine the direction and distance from you which gives them an advantage over you.

DO NOT drive your car with lights on in the nighttime

It's alot harder to shoot and see a car with no lights on. When you're driving with lights on you're seen from far away thus making you a good target.

DO NOT go into houses with only one exit

Markets, firehouses, barns, factories etc have at least two or more ways to come in and go out. If you go into a house with only one entrance, it's not very hard to guess from where are you coming out. In those 3 seconds what takes you to come out of the door are more than enough for a sniper to take the shot. He knew where to expect you if he saw you going into the house, he had plenty of time while you were looting inside the house to determine the distance, bullet drop etc.

While in bigger houses and houses with more doorways, it's harder to know which way are you going to use, thus giving better chances to live even if someone saw you going into the house. Also fighting zombies is easier (just use the other exit to go out and lose zombie agro)

DO NOT investigate the body right away after the kill, give it time, there might be others around

I know you all feel a rush for looting after killing someone but try to hold yourself back. Some days ago I shot a guy on elektro hill (he was sniping with .50 under the tree) from about 100m with a SD weapon. After the kill I moved a bit and tried to get an overview of the situation. Not long after I saw a guy stand up from the bush little down the hill and run towards the sniper body, if I had gone to loot that body right away I'd be dead... Instead I got two kills, more loot and a M4A1 CCO SD off the guy who tried to loot the sniper. After kill, just wait little bit, see if there's any more movement going on. Maybe the guy you shot had 3 friends... you never know.

DO get an overview of a town before going into there (seeing zombies way before might mean something)

If you're about to enter a town, get a moment to see if anything is going on rather than just rushing into the market. Also always ask a question from yourself "Am I close enough to spawn those zombies I see there?", have saved mine and will save your life if you do it. If you haven't spawned em, someone else is around and then you need to be extra careful.

DO look to your back from time to time (numpad 1 and 3 are your friends)

When going thru forests or moving in town, just check your back from time to time. Never know, maybe you see a guy following you or a flare far behind.

DO turn off the in-game music and make sure you can hear the sounds well enough

Hearing sounds is essential in this game. I know the music makes a good atmosphere and stuff, but if you want to live you need to hear loud and clear. I've spotted a guy just because I heard him cough. Plenty of times I've heard someone drink a soda before I even knew there was someone around.

DO use building to get away from agroed zeds.

As I was saying in one of the NOT TODO's, use buildings to lose zed agro if you happened to get any. Just run in from one door and out from another and be sure to pick a building which has two doors...

DO look behind every corner before going out in towns

In town you're never safe (actually you're never safe anywhere in this game, but it's especially bad in town) so when you move around be sure to look everywhere. You might spot another player or a zombie you didn't see before. Keep your eyes open and you'll be fine.

Those are my tips and tricks. If you don't like them, don't follow them, I'd be happy to shoot you because you don't.

Discussion is welcome, also feel free to add anything or correct me if you think I'm not right (or if my spelling sucks)

[federik21 42]

Man, what are the difference between a bandit and a survivor, except the murders's count?

Those suggestions are great for every one.

[M O N S T E R 599]

Bandits are supposed to be more player-aware than survivors - or at least that's what he's trying to get across I think.

-MONSTER

[Owangee1 2]

Even as more of a survivor, I respect your bandit ideals. More bandits should follow these rules, especially your disconnection morals. Teaching the basics to the new players is going to fill up my forests :/

[FrankTheDuck 99]

I agree with everything you have typed.... If your playing solo.

Last night i was playing with 2-3 other people, We took our ural armed to the brims with amo, on a pitch black server to the NWAF, Two of us had NV goggles one didn't.

Other then encounters with PvP, That was the best night i've had on DayZ, 2 or 3 close calls but plenty of medical supplies in ural. We just shot anything that moved. Was an excellent night.

If you play solo, Your guide is spot on in my opinion, But eventualy comes a time you want to let loose, Scratch that itch. Sure you might die, You might loose your gear, But if you are playing with mates, You're gonna have tents and vehicles brimming with everything you need to get back in it.

[P1nbaK 4]

I get what he's saying, knowing your complete surroundings is better than trailing 5 zombies because lack of attention lol

I've followed people too but never needed to shoot them, he had food water and weapons but it was easier to let him go , just remember, at any point in time you may be being watched.

#Woods

[noobfun 87]

DO NOT run over open fields, even better if you DO NOT cross open fields at all.

On a open field you are exposed, on a good day and in a good spot I can see a player running on a open field from about 900m away. That's close enough for skilled snipers to take you down. Of course it's hard to hit a moving target that far away and possibly you might run away from me (in that case, I usually don't come after you, closing 900m cap with a target might be too risky, of course there are exceptions, like if i know you're going into that town over the next hill etc), but if you happen to run towards me or just close I got time to plan my attack, switch positions if needed etc. You'll get a HS with silenced gun and you don't even know what hit ya.

Try to stay in the woods... sometimes it means you need to go round and walk bigger distances, but this might save your life. It has saved mine numerous times.

if you do cross the field for speed/need do it where theres a natural crease in the ground, run just below the ridge line (lets pretend its on the left)now if anyones over that side looking across your hidden, you now have less terrain to scan intently as you run, and if you get aggored from the right you can skip over the ridge line blocking incomming attacks

] DO NOT make fire at night

For the same reasons I pointed out in the last tip. Fire is seen from FAR away and noticed in the night very easily. IF you really need to make a fire, do it quickly, it doesn't take more than 10 seconds to light the fire, cook the meat and put the fire out. After doing that, don't be standing in the same spot, move as far as you can to be safe.

and if you do, do it in the woods, but not just in the woods, find a dip in the ground the deeper the better to block the view, then find some trees very close together in the dip (preferably bushes or confiers the thicker they are the better) as they aslo block light getting out, do what ya gotta do and kill the fire instantly, im sure its nice to sit around a fire and rp with buddies but its also dumb, if you need to warm up hence the fire lie on top of it, youll warm up faster so you can put it out sooner

Edited July 22, 2012 by stuffnthings

[Elmokki 6]

You can do all the Don'ts in the original post except the last one if you know what you are doing. Gunshots attract people - hide or run after shooting. Fire is fine as long as you do it away from where people tend to move. Running upright or running over fields is obviously always more risky, but if you know when to do that stuff you're fairly safe doing it anyway.

Corpses are, however, awesome survivor baits. The only situation when you should even remotely consider instant looting is when you yourself have friends around watching your back too.

But yeah, in general it's a great guide. People just shouldn't take it too strictly.

[henrikpeinar@gmail.com 43]

Man, what are the difference between a bandit and a survivor, except the murders's count?

Those suggestions are great for every one.

I think the main difference is that bandits don't think twice if they have a chance to shoot other player. Survivor will try to socialize or just stand still until the other player goes.

But yeah, in general it's a great guide. People just shouldn't take it too strictly.

I agree, but writing DO NOT instead of TRY NOT TO seemed better. Of course I've myself done those DONT's and even get killed because... but that's the main reasons I wrote it, people should learn from their mistakes but even better when they also learn from someones else mistakes.

Edited July 22, 2012 by Devil

[BlksnshN 127]

How does one become a bandit?

I was travelling to Bolotta (<spelling?) then I started hearing gunfire from the airfield just off to my right. I hit the deck in some bushes and spotted two guys looting a body that I presume they had just killed. I was carrying a AS50 so I took them both out. After a couple of mins I circled around to loot them but there was a third guy in the radio tower watching the body's. I saw him and ran, he chased and tried to shoot me, I turned at hit a lucky unscoped shot with the .50. Afterwords, my stats said I had one Murder and two Bandits killed. All three of the guys looked the same. So what determines who is a bandit?

[Dr. Cocks 5]

You're probably one of the nicer bandits I've had the pleasure of hiding from. A lot of these ideals align perfectly with what I do every time I play to stay alive. They work well. If you follow these, you shouldn't ever have a problem with another person.

If you ever do, keep a cool head, stay out of sight, don't try to make contact unless you're absolutely sure you have the upper hand, and simply get out of the way if you want to live.

[henrikpeinar@gmail.com 43]

How does one become a bandit?

you lose humanity by killing survivors, gain humanity by giving blood or killing zombies and bandits.. when humanity drops below 0 you're a bandit

Don't know what's the starting humanity tho.

Edited July 22, 2012 by Devil

[gizm0 96]

DO NOT use flashlight, chemsticks or flares.

Don't even pick flares up... NEVER EVER use em no matter where you are. A flare lasts for 5 minutes, when I see a flare I know someones close by. This is giving me an advantage over you, cause I know you're here somewhere, but you don't expect me. Of course you don't get killed every time you throw a flare, but you're doubling your chances for sure. This also goes for using a flashlight, which is even worse. When I see a flare, I know you're around but I don't know exactly where. When I see a flashlight, I can shoot you even without really seeing you cause it gives away your position so well.

so don't play at night unless you have night vision?

Edited July 22, 2012 by Orthus

[henrikpeinar@gmail.com 43]

DO NOT use flashlight, chemsticks or flares.

Don't even pick flares up... NEVER EVER use em no matter where you are. A flare lasts for 5 minutes, when I see a flare I know someones close by. This is giving me an advantage over you, cause I know you're here somewhere, but you don't expect me. Of course you don't get killed every time you throw a flare, but you're doubling your chances for sure. This also goes for using a flashlight, which is even worse. When I see a flare, I know you're around but I don't know exactly where. When I see a flashlight, I can shoot you even without really seeing you cause it gives away your position so well.

so don't play at night unless you have night vision?

Or use the gamma / brightness to make it visible to play.

I mean sure, you can use flashlight and flares but as I said, it doubles the chance you getting shot.

[arch3r (DayZ) 17]

lol DO NOT use the honk of your car me and my pals love doing this.

[Worrun (DayZ) 108]

Wow a great guide man. You are 1% less Bandit for making it! :D

[gizm0 96]

Or use the gamma / brightness to make it visible to play.

I mean sure, you can use flashlight and flares but as I said, it doubles the chance you getting shot.

so your endorsing the abuse of game options?

Edited July 22, 2012 by Orthus

[henrikpeinar@gmail.com 43]

so your endorsing the abuse of game options?

I find Arma 2 night being un-realistically dark thus yes, I can say I'm using the game options to make it less dark and I don't find it giving me or anyone else an advantage because you still can't see shit. But no, I don't endorse it... that's why I didn't put it into the guide also.

Edited July 22, 2012 by Devil

[TheLoneRanger (DayZ) 22]

so your endorsing the abuse of game options?

Are you high? Since when is adjusting video settings in game *abuse*? They're in every game, and its not a hack. Even with Brightness/gamma maxed you can barely see silhouettes against a rainy sky. When the moon is up it aint bad, but still. I get the *vision* and *the experience* arguments in most other aspects, but telling someone they shouldn't *abuse* brightness settings in-game is pretty retarded.

[2ugly 12]

Man, what are the difference between a bandit and a survivor, except the murders's count?

Those suggestions are great for every one.

The difference should have been obvious. He enjoys killing people. His excuses for killing people are completely barbaric, eg: "Why? He was using a Lee enfield". His logic is all based on fundamental animal instincts with a side of demented behavior. He provides the necessity to establish a study for gamers who play this way and how they progress in actual society. If pulling his Police report would provide understanding in the way he plays the game Has he left victims in real life? Saying all this..... Sounds like a fun way to play and good advice for this game whether you're a survivor or bandit, but not for life. Now go cap a bandit, which is still a good thing in real life.

Ohh! You were probably talking about visual differences........ I don't think there is any at the moment, but they are going to implement something. :rolleyes:

[herrjon 478]

I find Arma 2 night being un-realistically dark thus yes, I can say I'm using the game options to make it less dark and I don't find it giving me or anyone else an advantage because you still can't see shit. But no, I don't endorse it... that's why I didn't put it into the guide also.

I wouldn't say it's that unrealistic. I've been out in the woods in the middle of nowhere, and yeah, there's basically nothing to see except the top of the treeline. Now, eyes do naturally adjust, and that could be the argument for the game settings, but I prefer to go as is. Just rock the blue chemlights and be careful.

[gizm0 96]

Are you high? Since when is adjusting video settings in game *abuse*? They're in every game, and its not a hack. Even with Brightness/gamma maxed you can barely see silhouettes against a rainy sky. When the moon is up it aint bad, but still. I get the *vision* and *the experience* arguments in most other aspects, but telling someone they shouldn't *abuse* brightness settings in-game is pretty retarded.

well the brightness settings make tools like chemlights/flares/and flashlights useless, which in that sense I will say its abuse of game settings. Game settings shouldn't make tools useless and/or worthless. I run with .5 on both brightness and gamma and use flare as well as chem lights at night, because they make the world feel 'authentic" which is what rocket is going for.

[Doyle McPoyle 77]

use flares. It's fun to scare people or throw one into a place where you know someone is hiding(hi barbed wires).

[ZlobaRUS54 441]

Do not get in the car with strangers at night... even if they promise you great loots.

[henrikpeinar@gmail.com 43]

Do not get in the car with strangers at night... even if they promise you great loots.

To be honest, I wouldn't suggest you to deal with stranger at anytime.

At least when staying alive is your main concern.

Edited July 23, 2012 by Devil