Playing DayZ for a week... an overview.

[HWG 0]

I was introduced to DayZ by a personal friend, and the concept sounded fantastic. I want to give you an overview of my personal experiences.

The first time I loaded into DayZ, I was both awed and admittedly confused by the plethora of information that I was bombarded with, as well as the total "lack" of situational awareness that comes with removing a map, compass, and clock. This was great, felt like you woke up somewhere and you had only one objective. Survive.

After a few days of running back and forth between Elektro and Chernogorsk, me and my buddy made a real survival run. Keep in mind, I had spent much of this time running around, getting shot at, doing some shooting of my own, staying alive. It was all well and good, but I wanted to really "experience" DayZ. So cue last night, my friend and I were heading north towards one of the dams. We had made supply runs in Elektro, gotten a few weapons, blood bags, etc. We were surviving, and after getting chased around Chernarus by 14 zombies without any ammo - we had been surviving. So we ate some beans, set up a fire, and logged off for the night. We get on tonight to continue our journey. We had some CLOSE calls, ditched our chemlights when we saw headlights off in the distance and hit the dirt. After the truck had passed, we caught our breath and reassessed our position, and what we needed. Ran into a few straggling zombies, and took care of them. We were heading toward Margolevka, and doing very well.

***

WARNING

MY OPINION IS ABOUT TO CHANGE ON THIS GAME

***

Up until this point, I had been in love with DayZ. Suddenly... CRACK, CRACK, CRACK, CRACK. Shots are fired in the pitch black dark and both me and my friend drop. And all that's said in chat is "lol".

The past 9 hours of gathering, surviving, and playing the game are now for nothing.... and here's where the largest problem with DayZ lies, and why it is ultimately doomed to die off unless this problem is resolved.

People are intentionally being assholes, and it is because you reward them for doing so.

There is no real reason to band up with people in the game, I suddenly realized tonight, you can accomplish far more in the game by being a "Bandit" (See Troll.) and killing other players by sitting in the bushes. You can get all the supplies you need, ammo, and otherwise by just picking off new, semi-new, and semi-equipped players. You will advance quicker, and have less conflict in the long term. Any reason to group is by default, making you weaker. The past 9 hours were wasted, and I felt a total disconnect, and break from the game. I immediately logged out, didn't even say a word - and now I'm loading up another game after I write this. I went from having a blast, to having a bad taste in my mouth - because some guy is getting his kicks shooting people who are trying to survive in this wasteland. This isn't fun, this is hurting the state of the game, and ultimately it will be what kills the community (or heavily divides it, which is death-by-proxy anyways.) Sure, there will be many people who read this, and they may just be the vocal minority who will post in here going "Lol welcome to DayZ." or will start insulting me (and like minded people) like a sailor-fratboy hybrid. But I am more willing to bet, that there will be a large silent majority who feel the SAME way I do. That the sudden disconnect you get from some asshat shooting you from 300 feet away just so he can get his "lols" just flat out sucks. Period.

That's not fun. That's punishingly defeating, and makes you not want to go through it all again - just to be shot by a "Bandit."

Consider what I have to say, because time will tell how this mod fairs in it's current gameplay state.

Don't get me wrong, I love the idea, the atmosphere, but the biggest problem this mod has are the players themselves.

[Coffee (DayZ) 0]

I'm dieing more from bandits than dam zombies, i'm still to stoop to their level.

[Squatthrust 3]

People are intentionally being assholes' date=' and it is because you reward them for doing so.

There is no real reason to band up with people in the game, I suddenly realized tonight, you can accomplish far more in the game by being a "Bandit" (See Troll.) and killing other players by sitting in the bushes. You can get all the supplies you need, ammo, and otherwise by just picking off new, semi-new, and semi-equipped players. You will advance quicker, and have less conflict in the long term. Any reason to group is by default, making you weaker.

Don't get me wrong, I love the idea, the atmosphere, but the biggest problem this mod has [u']are the players themselves.

I'm gonna leave this part here so the "lol get out carebear" people know that you have stumbled upon a legitimate problem.

[Shanefromwalkingdead 4]

The end of DayZ will be because of people like you.

Sandbox titles have died off due to changes the developers made by listening to a VOCAL minoirty. Even if you look at the dayz survey, only about 6 percent of the population has a problem with bandits.

Once you take away player freedom, you destroy the amount of player made content you can generate, which makes the game very stale and bland. It takes away the emotion filled heart pounding aspect that a few sandbox titles are known for. The funnest times ive had in this game was grouping up with survivors I met, doing our own objectives to gather supplies, and having shootouts with bandits who tried to stop that. If that freedom was taken away, I doubt many people would still be playing. Taking away PvP would make this game RIDICULOUSLY easy. The best part about this game is knowing your going to die, take that away and you take away much of the tension and suspense that a zombie survival game should contain.

Theres plenty of other non pvp zombie games out there, Id suggest you check out those.

[HWG 0]

I said nothing about removing PvP. You assume too much.

[qbert 4]

I hate to be the elitist DayZ douchebag here, but the majority are right. If an apocalypse hit us, at least half the survivors on the planet would be total assholes who just kill. We'd have anarchists, reveling in their victory, extremist religious groups, escaped convicts, teams of very bad people. In real life "survivors" would be the minority because the whole "Survival of the fittest" thing comes into play.

Those that live the longest would be the people with ex-military or criminal experience. People who are used to killing. While bandits are a nuisance, they are really what makes this game fun. Every can of beans you loot out of a shack is worth something because at any moment a sniper could pick you off from a mile away.

[Omni (DayZ) 1]

What you have to understand is, this happens. It's a factor that plays into this game and makes it great. You have to be able to decide, is this person going to shoot me in the face and take my beans or can we band up and survive together? You'll end up more immersed with having to make that decision rather than everyone being friendly. Zombies are only challenging in this game if you don't have enough ammo.

There is also plenty of reason to group up. Strength in numbers, you can create plans, flank enemies, have vision where you wouldn't normally, and you get morale, a sense of safety, and make friends. If you get sniped by someone, that's tough shit on your part that you didn't use cover properly, such as running in trees. In a real zombie apocalypse, do you think everyone is going to be friendly? Do you think sociopaths wouldn't shoot you for fun?

Expect to lose your gear as well. This is a sandbox game, what would you do with full gear? Would you help some random survivor who has a macaroni shooter, which gives you no benefit and has a high chance of getting back stabbed/shot in the face? The game is based around a "social experiment". You don't get any help when you start, you either create/join a society that is into being friendly, join someone you know and trust, or you risk being shot in the face trying to hook up with a random stranger.

There are people who just want a death match; that's the fun they get out of this game. Guns work both ways, you can get shot, or you can shoot them. Gear in this game is only a factor. It is only there to help you either survive, or make killing easier. People with a makarov can take on a person with an m16 or can flank a sniper who has an m24/DMR. If you get a bad taste after dying once, you're going to have that taste a lot, especially when you first start. Just shrug it off and have fun. Welcome to DayZ.

[Squatthrust 3]

How do you even know that? Are you going to use examples of disasters (natural or otherwise) because in all of those instances I've never heard of people killing each other for fun. The fact is that we don't know what real people would do is a real zombie apocalypse. To assume it would be one way or another is just foolish.

**edit** This was in response to QbertTK, not Omni

[m1lly 0]

what you'll get used to is being a very very bitter person inside the dayz world. i've played 90 hours since buying arma last monday (i was off work for a week and my gf is away) and i now trust noone.

[HWG 0]

Omni I think you make some great points. However the problem is that you fail to understand the double-edge sword of your argument. You're absolutely right there are going to sociopaths and etc that will kill for fun. Here's the problem... the "social experiment" this is based on didn't give every player a gun from the get go. The problem is you set the game up to reward that kind of behavior. The problem isn't the PvP, I understand it and LIKE IT. I do not like how people have turned a survival game into a deathmatch game. That's not what I signed up for, and that's not what I want to play.

[i wub pugs 16]

I didn't trust anyone today until someone took the time to ask if I was friendly before they shot.

This doesn't happen usually, but it was refreshing.

That said, when we had "bandits", I got shot by scared survivors 10 times more than anyone in a bandit skin.

Eventually bands of people will come together and create safe areas with overwhelming fire power against bandits to create something worth building on.

Rocket wants to see where the community takes this, we're really early on in development so we can't say what even the beta is going to look like.

It could just end up with rival clans vying for control over a grocery store or fire department, which sounds cool to me.

[Nailcannon 1]

How do you even know that? Are you going to use examples of disasters (natural or otherwise) because in all of those instances I've never heard of people killing each other for fun. The fact is that we don't know what real people would do is a real zombie apocalypse. To assume it would be one way or another is just foolish.

**edit** This was in response to QbertTK' date=' not Omni

[/quote']

People help each other after disasters because they know help will come eventually. If they knew nobody was coming to save them they would quickly turn to survival of the fittest. You want an example? Look at Africa. Help rarely comes so they're left fending for themselves. I look at them and i see almost exactly what is happening in dayz. Welcome to the human condition.

[Omni (DayZ) 1]

After you've played this game for more than 100 hours, zombies tend to lose their frightening ability and more of an annoyance. They're still terrifying in certain aspects, no matter how long you've played, such as pitch black or at high risk pvp areas such as the airfields and major cities, but what do you fill that time with when it's not pitch black, and you're away from zombies?

The thing about sandbox games with no crafting side is that there is always pvp. I won't lie, after being inland for a long time, I enjoy going south and camping the area between elektro and cherno. Deciding who gets to live or die from 500 meters away is a kick in a pants for alot of FPS players, even me. Sure I help players out, and even give ideas to new players in game. This IS a survival game, the deathmatch is included. When you're with your friend, are you shooting each other or surviving? Being a "proper" bandit in this game, conveys between both those lines. You're surviving off the death of someone else.

It's the easy road to the top, but like most easy ways to the top, there's long term drop offs. Unless you have friends outside the game playing with you, you're going to be alone. Taking the hard route, you usually end up with a few friends. There is always strength in numbers unless you don't trust each other and play like idiots. Friends can save your life, take your gear and stash it for you if you do die, and it's enjoyable to be with others.

You get rewards either road you take, each has its' ups and downs. You're not forced to shoot someone in the face, you can, and you can shoot not to shoot someone in the face. It's a sandbox game, where players actually control the vast majority of what happens in game.

[mmarionz 6]

Your story to me is what makes this game so awesome.

[bryantjudoman 3]

simole solution make the game ie zombies harder and give less ammo! put more zeds in the forests to weed out wookies.

[Satire (DayZ) 23]

That's not what I signed up for' date=' and that's not what I want to play.

[/quote']

I do not want to be *that guy* but I am going to be. Don't play if you do not like the nature of the game.

It is hard, it is brutal, it is mean. That is the nature of the beast. It is why you love the game, yet it is also why you hate it.

It is this duality that makes Dayz fantastic, it allows the player the freedom of action to greatly change the dynamics. If you want your hand to be held and for rewards to be bestowed upon you for eating your first can of beans... I suggest you go elsewhere.

And no, you're not apart of the 'silent majority', you are apart of the vocal minority.

[HWG 0]

Maybe. We will see. I'm interested to see where dayZ is in terms of community activity three months down the line. If the community is still thriving then I am wrong. However at its current state and after reading more in the forums there is an ever present ominous schism fast approaching. I will keep playing because I do enjoy the game, but I think you need to give more validity to my post and more thought into yours.

[lev 39]

PvP is part of the game. Your reaction to it is the only thing you can control. Like you said, you are part of the problem too. If you are so against "bandit" kills then take measures to counter bandits. People will do w/e they want in this game because that is the power Rocket gave to us players. You choose your own actions, just don't expect other players to agree with you. No point in complaining to the forums about your personal decision.

Try to be open minded and realize that this freedom we've been granted offers more to the game than detracts from it. The fact that there are people willing to kill for fun makes it all the more meaningful to meet someone who isn't interested in that. You can't enjoy the existence of the open world and PvP aspects yet be against the idea that players can and will kill you without explanation.

Also, what is up with players who have virtually no experience in the game yet, coming and making posts expecting to contribute something worthwhile to the discussion? A simple search would have revealed over 50 other threads discussing PvP aspects of the game from players who have had significantly more experience. Maybe the stickied thread at the top might have been worth looking at instead of rehashing a discussion that has been around a week after the mod started.

[S1ippery Jim 139]

Yes, its easier to survive as a Bandit now, especially without the trademark skin. Trusting randoms is too risky and benefit does not outway cost.

[Squatthrust 3]

People help each other after disasters because they know help will come eventually. If they knew nobody was coming to save them they would quickly turn to survival of the fittest. You want an example? Look at Africa. Help rarely comes so they're left fending for themselves. I look at them and i see almost exactly what is happening in dayz. Welcome to the human condition.

The only thing that is truly in human nature is survival. The reason Africa is so bad is that they have an overabundance of weapons and an underabundance of food. Humans will naturally cooperate in reality because it increases their odds of survival in a harsh world. You need proof of this? Go to the supermarket, go to a meeting of your local town government, go to work. If it was the "human condition" to just kill each other for the lulz, we wouldn't have any of that. We have advanced and formed societies through cooperation. This is survival of the fittest as you said, ten of me is a lot better than one of you.

I'd like to add also that I'm not speculating that humans would be cooperate little buzzing bees in an apocalyptic scenario, as I've stated before, any speculation on that end is simply foolish. I'm just showing that it's not in human nature to be mindless killers.

[ItwasLuck 0]

Don't even understand why you wouldn't kill someone in full loot game.

so carebear lol

[SkepticJerry 0]

I say give us a REAL zombie apocalypse and we will be too worried about them and less about the other players. They should be wandering all over the place and in places where you DON'T expect them. Zombies are pretty shit so far....I'm not afraid of them. I spend most of my play time trying to out spot other players.

[mr_sev 0]

simole solution make the game ie zombies harder and give less ammo! put more zeds in the forests to weed out wookies.

At present, in order to obtain the potential reward of supplies, I have to face the risk of zombies and players in cities and villages.

If I want to avoid that risk, I go the the woods. As I was saying to a friend, until there's reward in the forest - there better not be any zombies.

[S1ippery Jim 139]

Anyone who has seen what people do during riots (eg when law and order are powerless to do anything to stop them) knows that the veneer of civilization is very thin indeed.

[dacoroner 0]

Maybe. We will see. I'm interested to see where dayZ is in terms of community activity three months down the line. If the community is still thriving then I am wrong.

I have a feeling that a lot of the people playing right now won't be playing too long. It's too harsh for some, too boring for others.

Forget Day Z for a moment and look at Arma, it's not really a good deathmatch game due to the way the engine works. Close quarters fights are sloppy due to clipping issues with buildings and scenery and most weapons are so accurate that the majority of the firefights are resolved at 200+ meters. Sniping is only fun when you have targets that aren't all other snipers.

That engine in a game with no concern for gear or longevity is fine, add in some incentive to keep alive and combat can get pretty frustrating. Throw in warping zombies and you may want to put your fist through your monitor :)

I think I've been killed twice, maybe three times by another player and I've killed two players. I probably have about 60 hours in the game, maybe 50 if you ignore "waiting for server response" time. Once you get away from the coast you don't run into many players at all except at a few hot spots. If you have a friend or two with you and you don't bunch up you can effectively eliminate all risk from the game by sending one guy in to fetch supplies while the rest of you spread out to cover him and hold his valuable gear. Even with only two players all you need to do is have one of you stay back with a CZ and your buddy can just about make any run into any town without needing any ammo. If you dislike "bandits" just get your rifle, find a nice vantage point and use the new players running on the road as your bait.