Been playing for a couple days now, starting to feel a bit aimless, surviving is easy now that I know what to do and what not do do. Perhaps I should look into repairing a vehicle such as a jeep or helicopter? Haven't ventured much into the North either, did anyone of you go there yet?
Got the game on saturday and soloed around for a few hours. Boring and frustrating at the same time... Then went with a friend to loot Cherno at night and absolutely loved the game. The intensity of creeping around in the dark, with zombie sounds around you and avoiding using light sources out of fear of bandits. Oh, and the looting was successful too, as we managed to notice other players first and take cover. I dislike the engine and the controls in it, but still, some of the most atmospheric stuff I've ever played. I'm more into competitive gaming, but still, this game rocks my socks ;) ... I just hope it doesn't get boring too soon, as it is basically just a sandbox. With zombies.
The central server had a bit of a weirdity and we both got teleported to the coast and rolled back half an hour. We were checking a hunting blind near Msta and I found an AK-74s. After I climbed back down the ladder my friend noticed someone watching us a short distance away. We had pre-arranged a protocol for this: Kill anyone that could potentially kill us. My friend panicked and asked if he should shoot. I said yes. We murdered the watcher and ran like hell. We waited a bit and turned around to inspect his corpse. On the approach we got sloppy and separated. I got the hunting blind within sight and hunkered down to wait for my friend. After about 20 seconds I noticed some motion out of the corner of my eye. A bandit had emerged from some concealment and was drawing a bead on me. I aimed at him with my new assault rifle but he was quicker. Shotgun blast to the chest at 25m. I died instantly.
My friend murdered the bandit shortly afterwards as he was looting my corpse. It was late at night and we were a long way from the coast so we decided to call it a night. My friend was playing solo later on, heading back towards the coast, when his character was bugged out and teleported into the ocean. He committed suicide.
TalesinOur own little well of hateJoin Date: 2002-11-08Member: 7710NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators
edited May 2012
It is, when you can successfully join a server and aren't sent to Debug Forest. And aren't being shot by some jerk-hat for fun, when you don't even have a primary weapon yet. And when you aren't marching around in the pitch-black at night (as most peoples' gaming time trends toward).
So far it feels awesome to find a dead Survivor and go through their stuff when it's clear that they were killed by stupidity (surrounded by zeds), or go looking in a logical place for supplies and actually have them BE THERE (like a makeshift red-cross tent containing bandages and bloodpacks, farmers' sheds containing weapons or food).
Again, biggest PITA is not being able to successfully join a game, followed by other people. Considering setting up a passworded server with a no-PK policy as a result, even if it may take some away from the game... I'm tired of fratboys derping around and playing it like whatever their team deathmatch game of choice may happen to be, and BSing around like it was a round of Halo, instead of permadeath for characters that people put time and energy into building. They are the entire reason that a character has an average lifespan of ~4 hours.
There are multiple servers, usually with a 60 player cap each. Everyone uses a centralized character storage master server, so it's more like instanced worlds. Log off at X,Y on the BRA3 server, log in again on Chicago 5 and you'll be your character at X,Y again... just different concurrent players.
<!--quoteo(post=1937861:date=May 21 2012, 08:23 AM:name=Zaggy)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Zaggy @ May 21 2012, 08:23 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1937861"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Been playing for a couple days now, starting to feel a bit aimless, surviving is easy now that I know what to do and what not do do.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> Start killing people you don't even need to kill who aren't a threat to you, and then hide their bodies so they can't get back their loot.
Aww i really wish this wasn't an ARMA II mod or that it worked with the free version as it looks like something all my friends would enjoy doing since we all love stabbing each other in the back. I'd love to see how we would handle this and who would kill who first since we often argue over things.
<!--quoteo(post=1937977:date=May 21 2012, 07:22 PM:name=Talesin)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Talesin @ May 21 2012, 07:22 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1937977"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->It is, when you can successfully join a server and aren't sent to Debug Forest. And aren't being shot by some jerk-hat for fun, when you don't even have a primary weapon yet.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Regarding the PvP kills I used to think like you until I read RPS' articles on their playtime:
Tried again today- still stuck in the debug forest, must be over half a dozen servers in a row I've been put there. Wondering if it's bad luck or if the master server thinks I really am there...
The way I'm hearing about it, the appeal is pretty Eve like: Much of the fun is in some way related to the ability of other players to ruin your ######, and if you were to remove that you would remove most of the attraction of the game.
Finally got into a server: turns out the master server can genuinely place you in the debug forest. Had to suicide.
Respawned close to a large-ish village bisected by the railway, found a colt and winchester with plenty of ammo, got spotted by one zombie, took him out, the noise brought backup, retreated to the hills to pick them off, looked like I was going to make it, GFX card crashes, rejoined but had died.
D:
New server I joined is in night time. Proper night time, like "###### did my monitor just die" night time. Decided my flare is catnip for zombies (though the community tells me only smoke grenades attract them, not flares: I call BS on this) and so logged out for the night.
TalesinOur own little well of hateJoin Date: 2002-11-08Member: 7710NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators
edited May 2012
It appears that Amazon currently has ArmA II Combined Ops (aka: What You Need To Buy To Play This Mod) on sale for $15; 50% off the Steam price. A day after I bought my copy. Fffffffff. Already trying to get some more friends in who were balking at the $30 tag, but can swing $15 easy enough.
(edit: Appears it isn't activatable through Steam, only as a standalone game)
<i>I emerged from the hangar triumphant. Held in my hands was my prize: a working AK-47 with a full magazine and one to spare. The hangar wasn't a place a lone, hungry survivor wanted to stay. Littered on the ground were the corpses of the military, already picked dry by fellow scavengers. The bodies had no value to me but had the only thing the infected crave for: flesh. Eerily quiet, I decided I'd already outstayed my welcome and crept into the nearby forest with the sun setting.
Anxiety briefly set in after getting lost with no points of reference, no map, no compass and precious little food and drink. Luckily I spied a clutch of pylon cables running overhead. I followed them over the crest of a hill and eventually found myself outside a tiny power station. The station had nothing of value but a dirt road led me in the direction of a town. Perhaps not big enough to be called a city but after days of creeping around rural villages the site of apartment blocks and industrial buildings seemed gargantuan in comparison. The shambling silhouettes in the background told me the risk was high but there would surely be bountiful supplies.
Darting from one building to the next I made my way across the outskirts of the town, noting potential paths through the horde and possible ambush spots by bandits. The sturdy AK gave me confidence but the sheer number of the undead told me wits would prevail, not the harsh barking of my rifle.
A large industrial building came into view. Towering over the other structures in the town it would give the best surveillance. I made my way forwards switching between a mad sprint and a cautious crouch to avoid the zombies. I was edging closer to the metal monstrosity ahead: just across the road; 200 metres. I checked my surroundings and then set off on the final stretch.
Wait- what was that? A groan, barely human- distorted by fluid in the throat? Blood? Probably. S***! A 'Zee'! Somehow it had managed to shamble within 20 metres of me. Reflexes and experience took over. I hit the deck, hard. Running would have alerted the undead to the happy meal close by. The large building- my target- disappeared from view as I dove into the long grass. I became disorientated but survival was the only focus now. I crept on my belly over the nearest hill, desperate to put myself out of the undead's line of sight.
Five agonising minutes later and I was alive and- somehow- undetected. By fortune I found myself outside an apartment block. A soft, yellow light told me I had access to the ground floor. The moans of the undead were becoming more frequent. Though I hadn't been discovered the zombies were converging on the building. Bad luck. The surrounding area was too open to chance another escape. I had one option.
As quietly as I could I crept inside the apartment. More welcoming than the warmth and shelter were the treasures I'd promised myself I'd find here: food, water, flares, ammunition for my battered old Makarov pistol. Moving up to the second floor balcony I found an old Winchester rifle. Considering my situation, I decided the accuracy- and sheer volume of ammunition nearby- of the Winchester would be more useful than the AK. Dropping the Kalashnikov I grabbed the bolt-action rifle and shoved the plentiful ammunition in my alice pack.
I turned back to leave and the sight I saw startled me more than my close encounter with the zombie: a fellow survivor, staring at me, no more than 3 paces away. In the blink of an eye I soaked up every bit of information I could: his crouched pose- clearly intent on sneaking away from someone, or perhaps towards someone?- his Uzi PDW aimed at my face, his large alice bag bloated with supplies. In the same instant I had to make a decision: do I stand down and attempt to befriend him? Or would this passive action give him an easy kill and restock his own supplies at the expense of my corpse?
My Winchester was already pointing at him. Without hesitation, before he could react, the trigger was squeezed. The light 'bang' of a 100 year old rifle discharging reverberated around the apartment. Staggering back from the hit, the survivor unleashed a full auto volley from his Uzi. It was a fatal mistake. I was clipped by a few stray bullets but I was still on my feet. The other survivor had already emptied his PDW. He pulled back and- hoping I would do the same- reloaded. I pounced on him and unleashed a second shot at point-blank range. His brain matter littered the wall as his lifeless body slumped in a corner.
After my slow, deliberate movement towards the town, this sudden action seemed to happen at lightning speed. No more than 5 seconds had passed between staring at the fellow survivor and ending his life. But there was no time for recriminations. This was the end of the world. Worried the noise had attracted the undead I moved across the floor to the other balcony and peered out.
Instantly, a flurry of rifle shots pinged around me. This wasn't just another survivor I had tangled with, I'd been unlucky enough to become the target of a group of bandits. I ducked back inside to experience de ja vu: a survivor, crouched, facing the balcony. The dead bandit had reported my position to his team before my second shot silenced him. The difference this time? I had moved across the room to the opposite balcony, and my adrenaline was already in full flow. The Winchester vented another shot, this time kissing the flesh at the back of an exposed neck. The bandit dropped, instantly dead.
Adrenaline had turned to panic now. Two dead but how many more were with them? I hadn't had time to check out the apartment from the outside. Was there another way out? Was I trapped? After training my Winchester at the corridor for what seemed like an eternity I took stock of my situation. Unbeknownst at the time, the sniper hadn't missed all of his shots. I was bleeding. Bad. My breathing was ragged and the colours in the apartment took on a sickly grey tone. I needed urgent first aid. Taking a chance, I lowered my Winchester and opened my alice pack. The last of my emergency supplies: a morphine shot to dull the pain from a bone broken by the sniper's bullet, painkillers to return some clarity, lost to the sea of pain I was in and bandages to stunt the blood loss.
After administering the hasty first aid I realised I was still alive. I took the chance to loot the corpses of the bandits. Distasteful? Perhaps, but they certainly would have done the same to me. The corpses held precious items I would never have scavenged in the town: the Uzi the first bandit carried, replacing my Makarov. A watch- a simple thing but priceless to me as I would know how much daylight I had left. Enough ammunition to allow myself to think about escape. Enough food to keep me on my feet. Most importantly of all a precious bloodbag. I'd need someone else to transfuse it to me but it would restore the copious volume of blood lost in the firefight.
I was beginning to settle when I recieved a message that put me back on edge: "TO THE SURVIVOR IN THE APARTMENTS: KNOW THAT YOU WILL NOT LEAVE ALIVE".
My skill with the Winchester clearly hadn't dissuaded the sniper from avenging his fallen comrades. But was he alone? Was backup coming? I was alive but I was battered, bruised and I knew my luck wouldn't hold if another skirmish broke out. Taking all the supplies I could carry I crept up the ladder to the roof of the apartment. Lying prone I edged towards the edge of the building, cursing my luck. The day's light had gone. Without binoculars, a scope or night vision goggles there was no way I was going to spot the enemy before they got a bead on me.
I pulled back away from the edge of the roof, making a decision that would save me or doom me.</i>
TO BE CONTINUED
(All of the above genuinely happened to me in DayZ, none of it is embellished)
Kouji_SanSr. Hινε UÏкεεÏεг - EUPT DeputyThe NetherlandsJoin Date: 2003-05-13Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
edited May 2012
<!--quoteo(post=1938858:date=May 25 2012, 01:32 PM:name=Temphage)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Temphage @ May 25 2012, 01:32 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1938858"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I think if I was in a zombie apocalypse and was with someone who called them 'Zeds' or 'Zees', I'd kneecap them and leave them to die.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> Well played! Just like "Geeks" from a certain zombie apocalypse series... Kneecap the lot of em!
They need more zombies. Some bug added them everywhere, which was awesome, but the same bug also made them respawn constantly around you which was not so awesome. Now they've gone back and fixed the respawn bug and also reduced the zombies walking around. Lame.
I have yet to ever die to a zombie and I've done some pretty carefree things, like rolling up to house and using a full auto rifle to casually take out 15 zombies.
TalesinOur own little well of hateJoin Date: 2002-11-08Member: 7710NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators
Sadly, the most recent patch (and included removal of Bandit skins) appears to have reduced the game to a free-for-all shoot-first-fest, with the only negative repercussion of shooting someone having been removed. I know four friends (any myself) who have given up on this patch, and are only planning to return once the bandit skins are back, or there is some kind of impetus to keep the CoD-kiddies and fratboys from just blasting anyone they see.
Good job ruining a game that had some real potential there, guys.
<!--quoteo(post=1939938:date=May 30 2012, 01:46 PM:name=Talesin)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Talesin @ May 30 2012, 01:46 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1939938"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Sadly, the most recent patch (and included removal of Bandit skins) appears to have reduced the game to a free-for-all shoot-first-fest, with the only negative repercussion of shooting someone having been removed. I know four friends (any myself) who have given up on this patch, and are only planning to return once the bandit skins are back, or there is some kind of impetus to keep the CoD-kiddies and fratboys from just blasting anyone they see.
Good job ruining a game that had some real potential there, guys.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I think the removal of bandit skins, on the whole, is a change for the better. It makes the decision to trust someone a much bigger deal. In real life people don't walk around with big signs on their head saying "BAD GUY!". I think they should've waited untill local integral voice com was working though. It's as hard to trust a mute unknown as it is to betray someone with a human voice.
Or maybe you should stop playing with scum. For the most part people I've played with haven't been outright murderous. I generally play on the Dallas servers.
TalesinOur own little well of hateJoin Date: 2002-11-08Member: 7710NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators
I would disagree. People are seeing it as a license to shoot others with no consequences. Instead of meeting/talking with anyone, the last three people I've run into (and it was CLEAR that I was just passing by, and was a fresh spawn) started taking potshots as soon as my back was toward them. Not to mention the guy who chased my buddy down just after he'd spawned and was trying to hide out in a barn, again clearly no threat.
Pre-removal? That happened to me once. Post-removal? Every single encounter has turned into a game of 'who can shoot first'. Negative consequences help keep the CoD kiddies in check. Having a sign over your head saying 'murderer, free kill' is a negative consequence. The problem is that a majority of people are playing it to troll, or just to shoot other players like in every other Generic Brown Shooter out there that fratboys like, rather than roleplaying the setting. Removing the bandit skin just gave them a license to play it as a giant FFA deathmatch instead of anything deliberate or requiring consideration.
At least for me the zombies alone are becoming way too easy to work around. The threat of the other players is what keeps the game interesting... We usually play in groups of 2-4 and have at least 1 overwatch whenever we go looting, and rarely stay at the high risk / low reward makarov-cities in the south. If I can, I often let players pass by, but if I think they'll see me or follow me, I'll take them out without any qualms. Currently my 20h+ character has 100 zombie kills and 1 murder to his name. I've been lucky though, I've lost at least 4 "squad mates" to other players so far. This is partially because I've been running with full gear (withoug NVG) so I haven't had the need to loot much -> I've been mostly working as a guide and overwatch for a while.
Yeah I'm with Talesin here. Your actions need to have consequences in order to actually mean something. Currently, death has consequences in that you lose all your stuff, but killing someone carries no consequences at all. AND you also get his stuff. Previously, you had to balance your desire for his gear with the value of your reputation and how much you feared that he would shoot you if you didn't shoot first. By removing concerns of reputation, the balance has shifted more towards "shoot that guy." So unless there was too much cooperation and not enough player conflict in the game, I'd say that was a bad move.
In my opinion the bandit skins solved nothing and didn't help at all. It was far more usual to get attacked by survivors than bandits anyway, so you couldn't trust survivors. Also, when you got attacked by survivor (which was often) and solved the encounter by killing the survivor, you yourself became a bandit. Had this happen to me and after unwillingly becoming the bandit (for self-defence!) I had to start acting more like a bandit. I would get shot at more so I would more often shoot survivors just to protect myself. So, from my point of view, the bandit skin created more PvP than the other way around.
Bandit skins are stupid. That's for the COD kiddies that need to help on how to play the game. Hey does he have a bandit skin...should i walk up to him... OH ###### no he is a bad guy. There is no reward with out risk. And the game didnt change due to taking them out. Just more people are killing to get the loot. If zombies ever came along i know i wont trust any.
<!--quoteo(post=1939962:date=May 30 2012, 07:30 AM:name=Scythe)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Scythe @ May 30 2012, 07:30 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1939962"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->In real life people don't walk around with big signs on their head saying "BAD GUY!".<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
In real life, people don't just murder the ###### out of each other. Regardless of the most cynical view you could possibly have of humanity, the number of people capable of the mental and moral fortitude to take another life in cold blood are in the extreme minority. Yes, even in a survival situation. Humans thrived as a species because we're social animals and work together and I guarantee you in a survival situation people are all the more likely to band together and help each other.
The reason it breaks down in the game is:
1) The game is played by gamers. Gamers are internet tough-guys. They're going to talk big, they're going to think they're big, but that's their internet persona. I've seen this mentioned every time I bring this point up on various forums, and inevitably some idiot responds "Oh well in an apocalypse situation I'd kill whoever threatened my survival". Yeah, sure you would. Even killing people in self-defense mentally ###### most people up. Humanity is largely defined by our ability to feel empathy, to understand other people's feelings. People who lack that are sociopaths (seriously, that's pretty much the definition) and serial killers, and they comprise a mathematically insignificant number of the population.
2) Persuant to #1, the game is a <b>game</b>. I don't know about you, but I've been playing murder simulators for the last 15-some years. In every game, we're taught to kill all the imps, headcrab zombies, nazis, russians, US soldiers we come across. In every multiplayer game, we know the point is to kill and other players are going to kill me, so kill them. So even if you took a non-gamer and put them in this game, there is a HUGE mental disconnect between putting a bullet in someone's virtual brain and doing it for real.
3) The 'incentive' to work together is that you <i>aren't</i> killing each other. That's why the first pure male of homo sapiens didn't immediately spear the first pure female. That's why primates build large groups and families. So given the two degrees of disconnect from the game, it's already built on a seriously flawed premise.
If you took 50 completely random humans and threw them together, they might split into individual groups with their own cliques. But they aren't going to just immediately murder the ###### out of the first naked guy they see, because there is a major instinctual drive to - if not do good - at least assist and seek assistance.
To recap:
- Nobody in this thread and probably nobody in the game actually has the stones to kill someone, especially not just for a can of beans or whatever other petty ###### it is they want. Usually it's just to skip a bunch of gear grinding which is, realistically, what most of this game is. - The game causes and <i>allows</i> such a huge disconnect between reality and expectations (even for a game simulation) that the whole premise is deeply flawed. - The PVP in this game is ###### anyway. The handful of people I killed I did it in maybe a single shot. I think one guy took two because I forgot to account for the rifle's zero and the bullet went high.
When I first started playing this mod, it was because I thought it was going to be an intense survival simulator. And it was for a while. But it became clear that gradually after the initial surge of 'wow cool' hype died down, players realized there wasn't and still isn't ######-all to do in the game. There's no endgame whatsoever. The point of playing is really only because it's there. Zombies aren't a threat once you realize you can prone past all of them. That only leaves two fundamental aspects - gear, and players.
Most of gear is around survival. Food, water, ammo are all infinite. So there goes the survival aspect.
And in the context of players and gear, the only point is to grind for gear (and that's really all it comes down to is a grind, especially considering the huge number of hours you must invest) and the only point of grinding for gear is to have it to either pretend you're super-cool or to kill other players.
If you don't have gear, you have two options. Grind for gear and eventually get killed because someone else wants your gear (allowing them to shortcut the grind (and you *will* eventually get killed)), or kill someone and skip the grind.
So the result is the game is complete anarchy with no survival aspect and very little actual 'zombie' aspect. I really think the only reason it has any sort of lasting appeal at this point is because most people never played ArmAII and they're exploring the huge area. If you're like me and are a veteran of it of sorts, there's nothing to do except grief people.
The "bandit" skins also simulate a "reputation" of sorts. A bandit skin means that you're a guy who gets into fights and kills people a lot, which means other people will be extra wary of you. That it doesn't distinguish between whether you started the fight or not could even be seen as fridge brilliance - we've probably all known "that guy" who gets into a lot of fights even though he swears it's always that other ######'s fault. We mentally roll our eyes at him and think "yeah, sure."
I generally don't kill players, but cripple them instead. It's alot more satisfying to see someone get mauled to death by a walker because they can't run away. I also like to play the good guy card and throw flares all over the roads to help players, and drop food and weps near them too. It also helps to have ns1 skills and reflexes when your dealing with your standard realism-playing bandit.
Comments
Perhaps I should look into repairing a vehicle such as a jeep or helicopter?
Haven't ventured much into the North either, did anyone of you go there yet?
My friend murdered the bandit shortly afterwards as he was looting my corpse. It was late at night and we were a long way from the coast so we decided to call it a night. My friend was playing solo later on, heading back towards the coast, when his character was bugged out and teleported into the ocean. He committed suicide.
--Scythe--
Add me Tyrain@gmx.de if you wanna play a game. :)
So far it feels awesome to find a dead Survivor and go through their stuff when it's clear that they were killed by stupidity (surrounded by zeds), or go looking in a logical place for supplies and actually have them BE THERE (like a makeshift red-cross tent containing bandages and bloodpacks, farmers' sheds containing weapons or food).
Again, biggest PITA is not being able to successfully join a game, followed by other people. Considering setting up a passworded server with a no-PK policy as a result, even if it may take some away from the game... I'm tired of fratboys derping around and playing it like whatever their team deathmatch game of choice may happen to be, and BSing around like it was a round of Halo, instead of permadeath for characters that people put time and energy into building. They are the entire reason that a character has an average lifespan of ~4 hours.
There are multiple servers, usually with a 60 player cap each. Everyone uses a centralized character storage master server, so it's more like instanced worlds. Log off at X,Y on the BRA3 server, log in again on Chicago 5 and you'll be your character at X,Y again... just different concurrent players.
Start killing people you don't even need to kill who aren't a threat to you, and then hide their bodies so they can't get back their loot.
Then quit.
Regarding the PvP kills I used to think like you until I read RPS' articles on their playtime:
<a href="http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/05/10/thank-you-for-the-dayz-part-zero/" target="_blank">1</a>
<a href="http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/05/14/surviving-in-day-z-part-two/" target="_blank">2</a>
<a href="http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/05/19/surviving-in-day-z-part-three-musings/" target="_blank">3</a>
Tried again today- still stuck in the debug forest, must be over half a dozen servers in a row I've been put there. Wondering if it's bad luck or if the master server thinks I really am there...
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/PoNbO.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
Respawned close to a large-ish village bisected by the railway, found a colt and winchester with plenty of ammo, got spotted by one zombie, took him out, the noise brought backup, retreated to the hills to pick them off, looked like I was going to make it, GFX card crashes, rejoined but had died.
D:
New server I joined is in night time. Proper night time, like "###### did my monitor just die" night time. Decided my flare is catnip for zombies (though the community tells me only smoke grenades attract them, not flares: I call BS on this) and so logged out for the night.
(edit: Appears it isn't activatable through Steam, only as a standalone game)
Anxiety briefly set in after getting lost with no points of reference, no map, no compass and precious little food and drink. Luckily I spied a clutch of pylon cables running overhead. I followed them over the crest of a hill and eventually found myself outside a tiny power station. The station had nothing of value but a dirt road led me in the direction of a town. Perhaps not big enough to be called a city but after days of creeping around rural villages the site of apartment blocks and industrial buildings seemed gargantuan in comparison. The shambling silhouettes in the background told me the risk was high but there would surely be bountiful supplies.
Darting from one building to the next I made my way across the outskirts of the town, noting potential paths through the horde and possible ambush spots by bandits. The sturdy AK gave me confidence but the sheer number of the undead told me wits would prevail, not the harsh barking of my rifle.
A large industrial building came into view. Towering over the other structures in the town it would give the best surveillance. I made my way forwards switching between a mad sprint and a cautious crouch to avoid the zombies. I was edging closer to the metal monstrosity ahead: just across the road; 200 metres. I checked my surroundings and then set off on the final stretch.
Wait- what was that? A groan, barely human- distorted by fluid in the throat? Blood? Probably. S***! A 'Zee'! Somehow it had managed to shamble within 20 metres of me. Reflexes and experience took over. I hit the deck, hard. Running would have alerted the undead to the happy meal close by. The large building- my target- disappeared from view as I dove into the long grass. I became disorientated but survival was the only focus now. I crept on my belly over the nearest hill, desperate to put myself out of the undead's line of sight.
Five agonising minutes later and I was alive and- somehow- undetected. By fortune I found myself outside an apartment block. A soft, yellow light told me I had access to the ground floor. The moans of the undead were becoming more frequent. Though I hadn't been discovered the zombies were converging on the building. Bad luck. The surrounding area was too open to chance another escape. I had one option.
As quietly as I could I crept inside the apartment. More welcoming than the warmth and shelter were the treasures I'd promised myself I'd find here: food, water, flares, ammunition for my battered old Makarov pistol. Moving up to the second floor balcony I found an old Winchester rifle. Considering my situation, I decided the accuracy- and sheer volume of ammunition nearby- of the Winchester would be more useful than the AK. Dropping the Kalashnikov I grabbed the bolt-action rifle and shoved the plentiful ammunition in my alice pack.
I turned back to leave and the sight I saw startled me more than my close encounter with the zombie: a fellow survivor, staring at me, no more than 3 paces away. In the blink of an eye I soaked up every bit of information I could: his crouched pose- clearly intent on sneaking away from someone, or perhaps towards someone?- his Uzi PDW aimed at my face, his large alice bag bloated with supplies. In the same instant I had to make a decision: do I stand down and attempt to befriend him? Or would this passive action give him an easy kill and restock his own supplies at the expense of my corpse?
My Winchester was already pointing at him. Without hesitation, before he could react, the trigger was squeezed. The light 'bang' of a 100 year old rifle discharging reverberated around the apartment. Staggering back from the hit, the survivor unleashed a full auto volley from his Uzi. It was a fatal mistake. I was clipped by a few stray bullets but I was still on my feet. The other survivor had already emptied his PDW. He pulled back and- hoping I would do the same- reloaded. I pounced on him and unleashed a second shot at point-blank range. His brain matter littered the wall as his lifeless body slumped in a corner.
After my slow, deliberate movement towards the town, this sudden action seemed to happen at lightning speed. No more than 5 seconds had passed between staring at the fellow survivor and ending his life. But there was no time for recriminations. This was the end of the world. Worried the noise had attracted the undead I moved across the floor to the other balcony and peered out.
Instantly, a flurry of rifle shots pinged around me. This wasn't just another survivor I had tangled with, I'd been unlucky enough to become the target of a group of bandits. I ducked back inside to experience de ja vu: a survivor, crouched, facing the balcony. The dead bandit had reported my position to his team before my second shot silenced him. The difference this time? I had moved across the room to the opposite balcony, and my adrenaline was already in full flow. The Winchester vented another shot, this time kissing the flesh at the back of an exposed neck. The bandit dropped, instantly dead.
Adrenaline had turned to panic now. Two dead but how many more were with them? I hadn't had time to check out the apartment from the outside. Was there another way out? Was I trapped? After training my Winchester at the corridor for what seemed like an eternity I took stock of my situation. Unbeknownst at the time, the sniper hadn't missed all of his shots. I was bleeding. Bad. My breathing was ragged and the colours in the apartment took on a sickly grey tone. I needed urgent first aid. Taking a chance, I lowered my Winchester and opened my alice pack. The last of my emergency supplies: a morphine shot to dull the pain from a bone broken by the sniper's bullet, painkillers to return some clarity, lost to the sea of pain I was in and bandages to stunt the blood loss.
After administering the hasty first aid I realised I was still alive. I took the chance to loot the corpses of the bandits. Distasteful? Perhaps, but they certainly would have done the same to me. The corpses held precious items I would never have scavenged in the town: the Uzi the first bandit carried, replacing my Makarov. A watch- a simple thing but priceless to me as I would know how much daylight I had left. Enough ammunition to allow myself to think about escape. Enough food to keep me on my feet. Most importantly of all a precious bloodbag. I'd need someone else to transfuse it to me but it would restore the copious volume of blood lost in the firefight.
I was beginning to settle when I recieved a message that put me back on edge: "TO THE SURVIVOR IN THE APARTMENTS: KNOW THAT YOU WILL NOT LEAVE ALIVE".
My skill with the Winchester clearly hadn't dissuaded the sniper from avenging his fallen comrades. But was he alone? Was backup coming? I was alive but I was battered, bruised and I knew my luck wouldn't hold if another skirmish broke out. Taking all the supplies I could carry I crept up the ladder to the roof of the apartment. Lying prone I edged towards the edge of the building, cursing my luck. The day's light had gone. Without binoculars, a scope or night vision goggles there was no way I was going to spot the enemy before they got a bead on me.
I pulled back away from the edge of the roof, making a decision that would save me or doom me.</i>
TO BE CONTINUED
(All of the above genuinely happened to me in DayZ, none of it is embellished)
Well played! Just like "Geeks" from a certain zombie apocalypse series... Kneecap the lot of em!
I have yet to ever die to a zombie and I've done some pretty carefree things, like rolling up to house and using a full auto rifle to casually take out 15 zombies.
Good job ruining a game that had some real potential there, guys.
Good job ruining a game that had some real potential there, guys.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I think the removal of bandit skins, on the whole, is a change for the better. It makes the decision to trust someone a much bigger deal. In real life people don't walk around with big signs on their head saying "BAD GUY!". I think they should've waited untill local integral voice com was working though. It's as hard to trust a mute unknown as it is to betray someone with a human voice.
Or maybe you should stop playing with scum. For the most part people I've played with haven't been outright murderous. I generally play on the Dallas servers.
--Scythe--
Pre-removal? That happened to me once. Post-removal? Every single encounter has turned into a game of 'who can shoot first'.
Negative consequences help keep the CoD kiddies in check. Having a sign over your head saying 'murderer, free kill' is a negative consequence. The problem is that a majority of people are playing it to troll, or just to shoot other players like in every other Generic Brown Shooter out there that fratboys like, rather than roleplaying the setting. Removing the bandit skin just gave them a license to play it as a giant FFA deathmatch instead of anything deliberate or requiring consideration.
In real life, people don't just murder the ###### out of each other. Regardless of the most cynical view you could possibly have of humanity, the number of people capable of the mental and moral fortitude to take another life in cold blood are in the extreme minority. Yes, even in a survival situation. Humans thrived as a species because we're social animals and work together and I guarantee you in a survival situation people are all the more likely to band together and help each other.
The reason it breaks down in the game is:
1) The game is played by gamers. Gamers are internet tough-guys. They're going to talk big, they're going to think they're big, but that's their internet persona. I've seen this mentioned every time I bring this point up on various forums, and inevitably some idiot responds "Oh well in an apocalypse situation I'd kill whoever threatened my survival". Yeah, sure you would. Even killing people in self-defense mentally ###### most people up. Humanity is largely defined by our ability to feel empathy, to understand other people's feelings. People who lack that are sociopaths (seriously, that's pretty much the definition) and serial killers, and they comprise a mathematically insignificant number of the population.
2) Persuant to #1, the game is a <b>game</b>. I don't know about you, but I've been playing murder simulators for the last 15-some years. In every game, we're taught to kill all the imps, headcrab zombies, nazis, russians, US soldiers we come across. In every multiplayer game, we know the point is to kill and other players are going to kill me, so kill them. So even if you took a non-gamer and put them in this game, there is a HUGE mental disconnect between putting a bullet in someone's virtual brain and doing it for real.
3) The 'incentive' to work together is that you <i>aren't</i> killing each other. That's why the first pure male of homo sapiens didn't immediately spear the first pure female. That's why primates build large groups and families. So given the two degrees of disconnect from the game, it's already built on a seriously flawed premise.
If you took 50 completely random humans and threw them together, they might split into individual groups with their own cliques. But they aren't going to just immediately murder the ###### out of the first naked guy they see, because there is a major instinctual drive to - if not do good - at least assist and seek assistance.
To recap:
- Nobody in this thread and probably nobody in the game actually has the stones to kill someone, especially not just for a can of beans or whatever other petty ###### it is they want. Usually it's just to skip a bunch of gear grinding which is, realistically, what most of this game is.
- The game causes and <i>allows</i> such a huge disconnect between reality and expectations (even for a game simulation) that the whole premise is deeply flawed.
- The PVP in this game is ###### anyway. The handful of people I killed I did it in maybe a single shot. I think one guy took two because I forgot to account for the rifle's zero and the bullet went high.
When I first started playing this mod, it was because I thought it was going to be an intense survival simulator. And it was for a while. But it became clear that gradually after the initial surge of 'wow cool' hype died down, players realized there wasn't and still isn't ######-all to do in the game. There's no endgame whatsoever. The point of playing is really only because it's there. Zombies aren't a threat once you realize you can prone past all of them. That only leaves two fundamental aspects - gear, and players.
Most of gear is around survival. Food, water, ammo are all infinite. So there goes the survival aspect.
And in the context of players and gear, the only point is to grind for gear (and that's really all it comes down to is a grind, especially considering the huge number of hours you must invest) and the only point of grinding for gear is to have it to either pretend you're super-cool or to kill other players.
If you don't have gear, you have two options. Grind for gear and eventually get killed because someone else wants your gear (allowing them to shortcut the grind (and you *will* eventually get killed)), or kill someone and skip the grind.
So the result is the game is complete anarchy with no survival aspect and very little actual 'zombie' aspect. I really think the only reason it has any sort of lasting appeal at this point is because most people never played ArmAII and they're exploring the huge area. If you're like me and are a veteran of it of sorts, there's nothing to do except grief people.
Unfortunately, smashing spacebar doesn't help you in ArmA.