How do you survive for more than a few hours?

[ZePlague 11]

It seems that I'm usually dead within the first hour of playing. At first it was because of zombies but I quickly learned how to completely avoid them. The last dozen or so deaths have been directly from players.

When I spawn, I can get into one of the coastal towns, get the essentials to survive, and get off the coast. But it never fails, someone who has spent a ton of time in the game finds me, mows me down, and laughs in my face about it. Most of the time while I'm in one of the coastal cities trying to find supplies, I get sniped from a mile away as a non-threat with nothing of value on my corpse. It seems people have nothing in the game to do except kill newbies. They realize that when all the newbies rage they won't have anyone easy to pick off anymore right?

So how do you survive long enough to do anything in this game? I understand there is no "end game" and these players who have everything have nothing better to do but I'd really like to explore more of the game and find some of the better items. I even tried to join an empty server but I guess that attracts even bigger d-bags as someone joined on the empty server I was on and somehow slayed me. Does anyone have any advice?

[A Friend 8]

Play with a friend. Make some new friends. Stick together, move methodically and tactically. Be safe.

[flexho 78]

It sounds like you sit right in the middle of the street in Cherno or Electro, since you get sniped miles away.

[s.taylor.75@gmail.com 23]

Gear up on lower pop servers. Don't try to be sneaky in towns, just run. While running remember to serpentine for snipers!

[hoorah (DayZ) 36]

I'd recommend you stick to the coastal cities and learn how to find a lee enfield (or better, if you're lucky) quickly. Then, move around the city *carefully* looking for loot, but more importantly, not getting shot.

Don't worry about getting fully geared up at first. Learn how to move unnoticed, how to get the drop on other players, and how to cut off lines of sight from elevated positions. This will also teach you the layout of the towns.

When you die - learn from it. Did you get killed by someone in mutual combat? Or do other players keep spotting you before you spot them (not including snipers).

This is going to get you up to speed quickly. You don't want to spend 3 hours running through the forest getting loot only to die to a player because you weren't careful enough.

[Hayez 18]

Be sneaky.

[jstarkreborn 29]

Learn more about the game, really. I think we all used to only survive for a small amount of time. But once you learn more about it, you can survive for days and days. When I first spawn I usually sprint straight through cherno or electro. Get everything I need(A gun,map,hunting knife, morphine, ect) and get the hell out of there. The more time you spend in places where good loot spawns, the more likely you're going to get shot at. Also, if you're running snipers might have a harder time getting a clear shot at you.

[dallas 5195]

When I spawn, I only have 1 bandage and 1 flashlight to lose, so I play a little more reckless.

Since you've already learned to handle zombies, I'll skip that part.

When you loot Cherno and Elektro, you have to keep on the move. If you stop to loot, present as little a target as possible and learn to pick up items fast. Don't stay in a building for more than 30-60 seconds. Don't sit or stand in the open and when you move follow walls and change direction at every corner. If you meet someone armed, run for it, if someone shoots at you run for the nearest cover and then run for the next cover. Players can't shoot and run at the same time. So as long as you keep moving and keep placing solid object between you and the shooter, you can create some distance. Keep moving untill you lose the shooter and any zombies you've pciked up.

If you get some basic loot and survive the first ten minutes, start heading into the country, get some distance to the coast and the major cities and see different parts of Chernarus. Travel in the woods and along tree lines, never travel on roads and watch out for open fields.

[shazbot04 34]

You need to play with a group like people above me have stated . Also idk where u play but until you get better at surviving id stick to servers with 20 or less people

[Boomstick (DayZ) 41]

Current character has been alive for 7 days.

Encountered players, hoards of zeds, broken bones, late light camps and several airfield runs.

I've been killed by...(roughly)

Players: 4 times

Zeds: 10 times

Killed via door breaking legs: Around 400 times.

Honestly, if you are getting sniped within every hour you are not playing too well, if you are looting coast DO NOT JUST STAND THERE, loot and move, loot and move. Stay out of the streets whenever possible.

Imagine there is always a sniper aiming at you, because there probably is and its more than likely me aiming at you :)

[chrispowdrill@yahoo.co.uk 10]

Get your stuff and head north, but stay away from nwairfied unless your in a group

[mattldempsey 8]

The servers I play on are usually 5-35 players online. I avoid completely full servers. This may help me.

I am currently in Day 4, 414 Zombie Kills, 1 Murder.

In this particular save, I started in Kamenka and just started making my way north going through all the towns and deer stands on the way to the NWAF. Got a decent kit, AK Kobra etc and started to go where ever. Use a m4a1 CCO SD / m107 atm

[ZedsDeadBaby 2287]

I'd recommend you stick to the coastal cities

This guy is trolling you.

Or he's a ridiculous goober.

Coastal cities are fine if your goal is "get a gun as soon as possible" but that doesn't really ensure your survival. Being on the coast at all, let alone in or near a city is pretty much the best way to die as quickly as possible.

If survival is truly your goal, the coastal cities are the absolute last and final place you would ever want to find yourself. They are death traps both from scared new players doing exactly the same thing, or bored veterans sniping said players.

Get off the coast. Ignore the cities. There is nothing there you cannot find more safely elsewhere.

Start in farm buildings. Long, low ranch and cattle buildings or barns. You will find hatchets, food, water, and at least one of the starting weapons - Winchester, Lee Enfield or Double Barrel shotgun plus plenty of ammo.

Next step up to small towns with grocery stores. You will want a map, compass, matches and hunting knife (assuming you already have a hatchet). Grocery stores are a great place for this as well as larger backpacks.

Now that you have basic gear and inventory space, head to Berezino hospital. It is the safest hospital on the map. Stock up on morphine, blood bags, bandages and an epi-pen or two.

Otherwise, make friends and keep them. Friends are the most important step toward long term survival.

[Disgraced 1123]

Imagine there is always a sniper aiming at you, because there probably is and its more than likely me aiming at you :)

This here.

Its silly but valuable.

Especially on full servers and in common areas. It's just a given.

Think about it. Less populated areas, less populated servers, fewer sniper types per capita

You will still occasionally experience the occasional WTF sniper kill in the middle of nowhere with 8 people on the server, though.

Enjoy the tension.

[decoman 45]

Like in real life, movement will easily get you spotted because you stand out in an otherwise static terrain. So taking your time in evaluating your situation and taking into account your surroundings is benefitial, in spotting others, while not being detected.

Whoever get to spot someone else first, has the inititative for setting up an attack unbeknownst to any unsupsecting player.

Once any movement or noise is made, the privilege in attacking with less risk of being detected is gone. Like in Battlefield 3, repositioning is probably a good idea. I surmise that thoughts about repositioning should be worked out in your mind beforehand, else it might be too late once being in a dangerous situation where gunfire is exchanged.

If on a hill, one can ideally move backwards and move away from a target with the benefit of cover and without the other knowing where you are going.

It seems to me that the only two good places for attacking others, are on the very top hills and in dense forests.

Spotting players with infrared scopes or low light condition scopes seem really dangerous and I wonder what real soldiers can do to prevent them easily being detected in such a manner. I think I once heard that uniforms can be coated with stuff to some degree prevent night time devices in detecting them. Who needs soldiers in the field, when artillery shells can be lobbed at all kinds of people spotted with night time devices from afar. :|

Edited August 7, 2012 by Treehugger

[miragexl 33]

It's simple.

Run to cherno/elektro grab a basic weapon search for food/water then get out and hit the lower populated towns.

After that you spend your time hunting down people's camps

[Taow 6]

learn how to find a lee enfield (or better, if you're lucky)

LOL @ l2lucky

[ZePlague 11]

Thanks guys I'll try to be stealthier

[Skurkanas 27]

This here.

Its silly but valuable.

Especially on full servers and in common areas. It's just a given.

Think about it. Less populated areas, less populated servers, fewer sniper types per capita

You will still occasionally experience the occasional WTF sniper kill in the middle of nowhere with 8 people on the server, though.

Enjoy the tension.

Sums up DayZ ;)

My advice would be to be reckless. At the start of the game, you have no means to see people with Scopes, NightVision, Heat Sight, Binos and whatnot before they see you.

So you might as well go in like a madman.

Zig zag your way into the Balota Airfield, Cherno or Elektro, grab all the necessary supplies and a decent gun, then get the hell outta there.

Carefully close in on better loot spots, (NW Airfield, Stary Sobor) never approach them head on but follow the cover of nearby woods (and check for other players doing the same)

[hoorah (DayZ) 36]

This guy is trolling you.

Or he's a ridiculous goober.

Coastal cities are fine if your goal is "get a gun as soon as possible" but that doesn't really ensure your survival. Being on the coast at all, let alone in or near a city is pretty much the best way to die as quickly as possible.

In the short term, yes, you will die quickly. But he will gain the experience needed to keep him alive so much faster.

How many players spend days in the forests, barns, and cities to the north only to be nailed by the first player they come across because they didn't realize how exposed they were looting the supermarket? Then they get on here and rage up a storm about how they had full gear and some a-hole just killed them out of nowhere and 'this is why the game sucks.....'

Sure, zombies are easy to ditch and don't really pose a threat, except now he's going to learn that aggro'ing zombies will give away his location to other players.

This way, he is going to learn that he can't run and shoot at the same time, why the high ground is so valuable, what the good vantage points are in the city, and how to spot other players before they spot him.

[ButtHat 96]

Learn where the sniper spots are. Obtain some sort of weapon. Kill snipers...profit.

[darklight12345 4]

You've gotten used zombies, so i'll skip that.

1. Learn sniper positions. Near every major city there is at least one or two major sniper positions. Learning where they are, and how to avoid being shot once you recognize a threat on one of them, is the most important lesson you can learn.

2. Avoid top of buildings. With the exceptions of the Vybor school, Cherno Triple Yellow (and that other one next to it), and a few other isolated spots, any building top is just asking for a sniper to kill you.

3. Never stay in one spot for long. If someone, anyone, is aware of your location, they can easily find a way to get you in a killzone. So when looting, do it quickly, never stay in one spot for long without a friendly watching your back.

4. Find a group or at least a partner. Having one person to watch your back, share ammo with, blood bag you, and other various things adds days to your life expectancy.

5. Avoid open fields. While it may seem quicker running across 400-500 meters of field rather then skirting it and going the full 1KM, it's not worth it. I can't tell you how many people i've seen in the corner of my eye on an opposite field running without a care in the world, just asking for a bullet in their head.

6. Never act stupid. What i mean by this, never just run up to a city or location without assessing it.Zombies? did you spawn them? If you have binocs look into the treelines of possible shooter locations. Then, and only them, move into the city.

7. Avoid getting close to cities if you dont need or want to go there. For example, trying to get to Starry Sobor? Dont get close to novy sobor or Kabanino. Either city can easily be seen by a sniper on a decent visibility server, resulting in them knowing your location and being on the lookout for you.

[wordplayuk@gmail.com 101]

Great posts from everyone.

Let me also add tho, that being in a group far from guarantees longevity. If you know how to play, you can survive indefinitely solo and will usually fall to glitches. In groups you are encouraged to be in situations that have a much higher probability of death as well as being a bigger, slower, less intuitive target. The benefits often out way the negatives but if we are to talk about pure length of survival as opposed quality of it.. Solo is an option just a lonely one.

Edited August 7, 2012 by Criminal

[ZePlague 11]

Ok another silly question. Didn't want to start a new thread.

How do you know who killed you so you can hope to get revenge in the future?

And what's the point of multiple profiles if you can't have multiple characters? Just so you can change your name and avoid the revenge after killing someone for no reason?

I was hoping to play on a character by myself on breaks at work and have a separate one to play with my friend who just got the game too but I don't want to split up from his location when we log out together.

[Mannoroht 0]

Playing with friends is a good way to survive longer and better :)