So it's night out. A newbie's overview to playing past 8:00.

[amaROenuZ 144]

DayZ is a very fun game to play during the day, but that's not always an option for you. Sometimes you have to work late, and you just want to scavenge some barns before you go to bed, but fumbling around in the dark sounds like a great way to be hanging out on the Krutov Cap again. DayZ is perfectly playable at night though, with some proper preparation, and night servers often have very few players to frustrate you. First, look for:

• Chemlights. Glowsticks provide a small but helpful source of light, and can be useful for being able to find members of your group at night. Keep in mind that blue glow sticks are visible for the shortest distance, and green the longest. These are probably your best ambient source of light, since their illumination doesn't carry nearly so much as flares Glow sticks can be picked up using the mouse wheel menu and carried around like a lantern.
  
• Road Flares: Flares provide a massive amount of light at night, and draw Zombies in. Use these either sparingly. These can also be carried, like glow sticks.
  
• A map: Maps let you navigate easier at night, rather then making guesswork. Landmark orienteering is still possible in the dark, but I cannot stress how useful one of these is.
  
• A low population server. This guide is written from the perspective of a player who's moved inland and does their homework to avoid bandits. Low pop servers are a part of avoiding bandits. Given the preference most players have for daylight, this should be fairly easy.
  

Optional, but hard to come by items include.

• The Remington 870. It's a rare military spawn, and it doesn't snipe as well as other shotguns, but it has a flashlight on it.
  
• The Glock 17. One of the better sidearms in the game, with ammo that spawns at most military loot spots. It also has a flashlight on it. You should probably be looking for this gun if you don't already have a M9 Supressed or a PDW in any case.
  
• The M4A3 CO: Same as the above. Don't you love your electric torch?
  
• The FN FAL ANPV S4. It has a night scope on it, making it possibly the best weapon for a survivor at night, but if you have one of these, you probably don't need to read this guide.
  
• Night Vision Goggles. They are the best you can get, but I doubt you'd need this guide if you had them.
  

So now that you've filled out your grocery list, what now?

• Practice light discipline. Your flares, chemlights and flashlights should only be activated sparingly. These items are excellent for helping you get your bearings and for illuminating your target, but they broadcast your position to curious players and unpleasant walkers.
  
• Check your map frequently. If in a group, use this time to eat, drink, or prepare food.
  
• Have a goal in mind. During the day, you can wander to your heart's content. At night, you are strictly functioning in a point A to point B capacity.
  
• Stick to the woods. At night, the open fields that surround cities are just as full of danger as they are during the day, only now you can't see well enough to avoid that danger. I cannot stress how important it is that you expose yourself for the shortest possible period, even if that means a 10 minute detour.
  
• Listen carefully. If you hear anything but the sound of your own footsteps, assume that you are in danger and act accordingly.
  
• If you're in a group, leave one person outside of the area you want to investigate, preferably with a scoped weapon or binoculars. They'll be able to sit in the dark and keep you safe, or at the very least, informed.
  

Did it hit the fan? Are you being chased by undead, or worse, bandits at night? This will happen from time to time, so plan accordingly.

• Have a regroup location for your group, if you have one.
  
• Find a choke point, preferably indoors.
  
• Lights on the entrances, not on you. Your goal is to force your attackers to reveal themselves while you can aim from relative safety. If you have a flashlight, that goes out the second you think that a bandit is after you.
  
• Keep an eye out for lights yourself. If you see a glow anywhere, that is a no-fly zone.
  

And as a closing remark, always be careful when you lay down, or have a friend nearby who's prone. Being walked over can cause significant damage and broken limbs, and opening a door on your face has a similar result.

Comments? Concerned about something? Let me know, and I'd be happy to edit the post to accommodate for it.

Edited July 29, 2012 by amaROenuZ

[QuantumJZ 0]

Gamma:Max, Brightness:Max, Go on day time server are my solutions for this ;) though this is basically cheating.

[Femme Fatale 49]

Good tips Quantum ...like to add one more set HDR in graphics settings to highest setting will really help when you crank up the gamma and brightness! ;)

[davidecibel 55]

how do you turn the glock/remington flashlight on?

[Femme Fatale 49]

how do you turn the glock/remington flashlight on?

Would guess when you have the gun out use L? But careful you can be spotted from quite a ways off and might get shot at while using flashlight....

[amaROenuZ 144]

Bump/Necro for the sake of helping the fresh wave of newbies looking to play at night. It's a lot of fun!

[ACOGshot 38]

Would guess when you have the gun out use L? But careful you can be spotted from quite a ways off and might get shot at while using flashlight....

Yup, press L when your gun is out. It is very dangerous to use in built up areas as it creates as much light as a flare but in a more focused beam, so you can be spotted more easily, but you can also use this to your advantage if you spot someone, shining the light in someones face will pretty much blind them at night, even more so if they have NVG's.