Any Tips for a New Player?

[DeathisWeek 0]

Hello,

I've actually had this mod installed for a month or so now. I've played occasionally, which is less time than I would like to have spent with this mod. I love the idea and atmosphere - where things like enemy survivors and eerie quietness are each scary in their own rights.

But I just can't survive. Life expectancy is 49 minutes, and I've only made it up to that once or twice out of 20-30 deaths. I was unfortunate enough to have not gotten the hang of the game while the Makarov - a crappy weapon, but at least it's SOMETHING - was still in the game. In fact, I started playing right after they took it out. So I have no way to defend myself if and when zombies see or hear me.

I've looted and actually found a rifle once, a few hatchets, wire fencing...but I can't even get the hang of looting. It seems every time I try to crawl through a town, a zombie with ungodly hearing starts after me. The two times I've actually successfully looted a town (a coastal one, although I have ventured inland to no avail) I've either found nothing or a bandage and some soda. Yay.

I was fortunate to start in Elektro today and even found a 1911. But, once the server timed out and I had to join a new one, my gun wouldn't fire against the zombie that spawned behind me as I left a house. I even had enough ammo and attempted to reload with gun in hand - I checked while I was getting sliced to bits, just for posterity's sake. I knew I was doomed from the get go.

It's not that I'm particularly impatient, I just can't seem to simply loot things without drawing the attention of zombies. I crouch-walk in fields, prone on roads, and prone through towns...and still I die again and again in my best attempts to stay out of zombies' line of sight and earshot. When I'm successful, I find almost nothing. I go so far as to simply avoid towns and any populated areas with zombies (sad, but true) - 1 or 2 zombies is too much for me to handle because they will rip me to shreds the instant I prone my way into town in hopes of finding stuff!

tl;dr

I guess my question is...does anyone have any tips on how to get started as a solo new player such as myself? I just need to know the basics of looting really, so I'll have SOMETHING for once. I understand the mod is supposed to be harsh and realistic, but this is ridiculous. I'd enjoy playing some more of the mod, but every time I get into it I die for some silly reason or end up finding nothing and starving to death. Thank you!

[ThatGuyCalledReptile 314]

Search firehouses and inns.

Become a bandit, Move north.

Be polite

Be efficient.

Have a plan to kill everyone you meet.

[Stubbies 67]

http://dayzmod.com/forum/index.php?/topic/10051-index-of-helpful-threads/ have read. :>

[Friendly Zombie 19]

Don't trust anyone. <_<

[Femme Fatale 49]

There are some great guides and tips in this thread!

http://dayzmod.com/f...elpful-threads/ (looks like someone beat me to it and already post this suggestions...oops)

Enjoy the game and enjoy your stay.

Edited July 29, 2012 by Femme Fatale

[Father Time 15]

Hmmm I would suggest moving inland to get away from trigger happy bandits and stay off the roads completely. Crawling on roads still make you visible to zombies. Good luck and don't quit.

[DeathisWeek 0]

Thanks for the quick replies guys...I'll give those a read. Just been getting frustrated recently by how noob-unfriendly the game seems. Future updates to help the situation, maybe...?

[moriak 35]

I wouldn't count on that.. everything you need to get you started can be found on forums, the rest you just have to learn by playing the game

Edited July 29, 2012 by moriak

[ThatGuyCalledReptile 314]

This game has a learning curve.

It's unforgiving but fair.

Play the ARMA II tutorials and just keep playing you'll get better.

[DeathisWeek 0]

This game has a learning curve.

It's unforgiving but fair.

Play the ARMA II tutorials and just keep playing you'll get better.

The controls aren't the issue...I got the hang of those pretty quickly. I even figured out the un-intuitive inventory system.

But I guess you're right, the only way to get better is to keep playing...death after agonizing death...

[rocu 24]

Read your long story there and I pretty much had the same problem at first. Now I've too overgrown and filled with experience I actually want to go back to noob again because that was much funner.

Anyway, the way zombies work is that if you are in their line of sight, they will see you from VERY far away, even if you're proning. If they're facing the other direction you can pretty much crouch+run right next to them (on a grass surface). That might be a key factor of why you're always getting attacked.

As for not finding decent loot - the best suggestion I can give here is remember the best spots or buildings that can be entered. Then the next time you know where to go instead of searching through outhouses and finding nothing. For example when I started out, I just thought that finding matches was completely impossible, I never ever found one and even if I did I protected it like it was a damn helicopter. Now I know exactly where to go for some matches.

Finally your life expectancy. To be honest, the beginning of a new "life" is the most hardest. Finding supplies in crowded cities and known villages is damn right dangerous. If you actually want to stay alive a lot longer, you should first loot the basics from known areas then start moving inland. Go to other small towns and scavenge through deer stands/military bases. All this takes quite a lot of time and the next thing you know, you've been alive for almost a week already. So basically they key part is to move away from the coast as fast as possible, but to grab as much as basic supplies as possible. Because finding food and water if you're lost without a map can be quite tricky.

Edited July 29, 2012 by Rocu

[Hellvern 1]

Only thing I've sussed so far (being a noob myself) if you come across a settlement that looks empty, don't be decieved, bad stuff just tends to stumble out of the blue.

[w00tr4ng3@hotmail.com 18]

Trust no one

[Swineflew 480]

Play the game like you're a damn ninja. Sneak like your life depends on it. Stay in the bushes and outskirts of towns. If you're being chased by zombies in town, stand up and run like the wind. If you're running full speed they can't hit you so start zigzagging in and out of rooms and buildings and you'll lose them in no time.

Zombies really aren't that bad, you just have to get used to them and realize that they can't hit you if you're standing and running.

Once you're free of a zombie tail, return to ninja mode.