There are plenty of bad people roaming through Chernarus these days. In fact, being shot on sight is not an uncommon occurrence. Even if they don’t shoot you immediately, they’ll probably steal your supplies, torture and then kill you anyway. That’s just the DayZ life we’ve come to know, a game about human interaction, decision making and consequences. Lucky for all of us, so long as the in-game characters are controlled by a human mind, that mind can be manipulated. Here are a few tips that might help you survive your next tension filled encounter.
The Silent Killer
People have a fear of the unknown, a trait that transfers nicely to DayZ. When you run into other players, they want to hear your voice, or at the very least, see you type. There’s nothing that will get a person killed faster than holding a weapon, leaving the other party completely in the dark as to your intentions. If you know you’ve been spotted, go ahead and communicate with them. It might save your life.
To see an example of what we’re talking about, skip to the 4:45 mark of the video below. Lucky for this guy, he ran into some very patient people.
Connect with People
Once the lines of communication are open, try to be polite and show an interest in the other party. Speak with confidence, yet remain friendly and polite. If you come off as nervous or unsure, they’re more likely to view and treat you like a victim. Try asking where they’re headed, how their journey has been or even see if they need medical supplies and food. The more you connect with other players, the less likely they are to harm you. Who knows, maybe you’ll even find company for your long journey back to Elektro.
Announce Your Intentions
Although it often turns out to be a complete lie, players in DayZ like to announce that they are “friendly” when crossing paths. While we know that saying it doesn’t make it true, not saying it is sure to set off a few alarm bells. This goes back to our first point, a fear of the unknown. If you are destined to meet up with strangers, what’s the harm in stating your intention for peace and friendship? It might lead to a casual greeting between players, and at worst, you can still shoot them if things go badly.
Negotiate the Terms
When two parties meet, it’s often a standoff to see who is going to lower their weapon first. As long as you are safely behind cover, propose that you each put your guns on your back before you meet up to exchange pleasantries. Rarely will you find someone willing to have a face to face chat with you if you’re holding an M4A1. Alternately, if you get the drop on someone, feel free to hold them up, even handcuffing them if possible. Explain that it’s for everyone’s safety, then decide if you want to let them keep all their stuff, or if some of it would look better in your backpack.
Be the Blowfish
Hear us out on this one because it’s a bit of a long shot. If negotiations aren’t going well and it looks like your life will end, attempt some trickery. “Accidentally” hold down the speak button, then have a chat with your “friends” who happen to be nearby. Try saying something like “Yeah, there are three that I can see but so far they’re cool.” If they buy it, this lets your enemies know that you aren’t alone, and it would behoove them to treat you well so they don’t suffer the wrath of your group. Of course, you are likely alone and nobody is coming to save or avenge you, but in a pinch, this a better tactic than silently eating a bullet.
Don’t Punch Strangers with Guns
Full disclosure, we added this one simply because a good friend of ours, ChalkOne, posted a hilarious video of a wild encounter his group had last night. In this case, a complete stranger who didn’t seem to have any type of firearm ran up to one of them and punched the player in the face. What followed is what you’d expect, a manhunt ending with a Rocky Balboa wannabe laying face down in the dirt. Our point is, don’t be like this guy, or people will shoot you.
