Need some explanation! (New Player) + Greetings

[Karunashi 1]

So first off, I'd like to say I just started the game a few days ago and still learning what I can with my friends. Great game by the way, a totally new experience in survival!

What I'd like to ask though, is how do people keep finding our group when we're traveling. We usually travel as a group of 3-4 and end up surviving and gearing up for the next five-six hours, then end up dead by unlikely encounters.

So here's some situations that has happened in the last few days. My friends and I are traveling up to Berezino and the server is pretty empty, no one's on but us and three other guys that we don't know (Luckily enough, at night). We visit the convenience store, head to the hospital, head back and all of a sudden three guys are waiting, all ready and shoot us down. For this incident, we find out another friend told few guys before they killed him where we were headed, so later that made sense. But this recent (and next) situation I'm about to describe leaves me wondering if I'm missing a key component in losing any stalkers.

But what really got me was earlier today (Just a several minutes ago, and it still baffles me). We were driving a military-truck I think that fits like 200 supplise (in space from what my friend said) and can hold 14 people. We fix it up for the most part and drive along the coast, we meet two guys. with campfire in between Balato and Cherno, they don't shoot the first encounter and run off, the next encounter, they start shooting. Expected from a PvP-type game. We get away with only one guy getting into shock from a lucky shot. We later travel up in full speed and make random turns, cut across forest, and drive up a hill in complete darkness. We decide to hide it behind two-three large boulders and call it night. I go back on to inspect if it's still there a few hours later and I hear footsteps, it's one of them (only those two are on). I heard footsteps so I hide, and as soon as I look their direction, they shoot at me. I die bleeding + broken bone, but what eludes me is the fact that they found us. I'd assume driving would allow us to outrun the two. I also doubt that they were following us as it has been literally one hour and a half since we left. Can someone with more experience maybe enlighten me on how they might have gotten to that location? It was literally, in the middle of the forest and clearly hidden from outside view. The server is pitch black as well. I've considered certain theories, such as, maybe they had bicycles in the forest near their campfire, and followed after us... But I want others to maybe share their theory.

And since this is my first post, I'd like to say this game is awesome and would recommend to friends (with the disclaimer that it's alpha, has chances of running into weird bugs). And I also hope to get to know all of you better as I am planning to frequent this forum to chat often about the game. So far all of the people that I have referred seems satisfied, although they would truly love that damn texture glitch to disappear (and I agree with them)! Keep up the good work and hope to enjoy your game for a bit longer before school starts~

[Streaforce 7]

Those two didnt even had the need directly to follow you as you mentioned you left the truck at one spot for a while so i think they just followed the truck through binoculars as long as possible and walked then in the direction they believe your group would now be. As soon as one of them spotted the truck (hide those things were you want they are still annoying obvious) they camped arround the truck and just waited for you (people in this game can wait a really long time check it on youtube and you will see people waiting the whole day).

Edited August 2, 2012 by Streaforce

[Bobcomss 189]

They most likely had NVG (night vision goggles) or thermal scopes? and saw you drive off, saw you DC so went to investigate that area.

They could of been hackers and teleported but doubt that cause they would of shot you right away.

Welcome to DayZ though ;)

AJ

[Streaforce 7]

They most likely had NVG (night vision goggles) or thermal scopes?

They dont even need those just turn brightness and gamma all the way up in addition to a good monitor/tv/whatever you can see even in the darkest arma night everything as it would be day (ok might be that everything is black and white and you shouldnt open your inventory anymore but who cares :) ).

Edited August 2, 2012 by Streaforce

[Bobcomss 189]

They dont even need those just turn brightness and gamma all the way up in addition to a good monitor/tv/whatever you can see even in the darkest arma night everything as it would be day (ok might be that everything is black and white and you shouldnt open your inventory anymore but who cares :) ).

Yeah that's true, high gamma and brightness is a godsend when it comes to night servers :D

[Karunashi 1]

Thanks for the responses guys. I suppose all of these are possibilities. It's really hard to narrow it down myself, since it just happened minutes after I logged in. What I know is, we traveled from the coast lines of Balato all the way to Myshkino, almost as far as we could before one of us had to leave (which is why we all left on the first place). I'm sure we were almost pretty far from the coast, and that's why I felt the sense of security. I suppose you're never truly safe in DayZ XD.

I noticed it was a female character model shooting me, and they noticed where I was very quickly, which is why I was speculating a possibility of a hack. I didn't out-right call it a hack attempt in the start of my post since I assumed, calling out "hack!" without having solid evidence is simply a claim. Like for example, the first situation I gave in Berezino, when we encountered the group of three, we killed two. I shot at the other guy in the chest, and up to his head (with ak-74), full burst before I died. Which was why I also told me friends I thought the guy was hacking, maybe godmode (if it exists).

This recent event, I couldn't react in time since it was so dark. In the end though, I don't think my friends and I'll mind too much about the impending doom (if they do camp for them as well) and the lost gear. I actually find joy (Not a masochist) in starting over and meeting with friends at the moment. More suspense trying to survive with the crappiest gear in the game than running around in a truck with silenced rifles/shotguns/pistols/stockpile of food/water/medicine.

Anyways thanks for the response (again), and keep it coming. Still would like to hear others formulate a possible theory, as anything is possible and those theories can help heighten my knowledge of the game as well.

[M O N S T E R 599]

Greetings and salutations my good sir - hope you continue to enjoy your varied experiences in the mod that is Day Z.

Expect the unexpected is about as good advice as I can give at this point - you've already got yourself a group of friends and whatnot, you seem pretty well off in any case.

Have fun~

-MONSTER

[Bobcomss 189]

All I can say is one...you have the right attitude to this game...maybe one day we will meet :)

And your right not to get attached, I have purposely got myself killed in the past because I was so bored I just started lighting up zombies untill I had nothing but a hatchet, 300+ kills later I was giggling like a kid as that last dozen zombies are my face :D

Keep it up dude!

AJ