Just wondering, how many simhqer's play as bandits or just try and survive?
Been getting the feeling that surviving is more popular amongst us.
Anyone's thoughts.

Since the removal of bandit skins I went from pacifist to kill on sight, at least in contested areas (airfields, Stary Sobor, Berezino) after several bad experiences.

I usually run with a group and while we do not actively hunt other players we usually shoot first when running into other players, especially at close ranges and at the aforementioned locations.

Survivor here but after so many deaths from being an ask questions first kind of guy I have now decided to shoot anyone that points a gun anywhere near my direction.

The only time that I "murdered" another survivor was when he started shooting at me first. If I run into other survivors that haven't killed me on sight, I simply salute and hope for the best. However, I understand that somebody with a load of really good equipment may not want to risk losing it. More often than not, other survivors will simply shoot you now. I understand the devloper's decision to remove the bandit skins since in reality you can't determine if a person is good or bad from their appearance. If you play with a group I think other surviors/bandits will probably avoid you and your odds for survival increase.

Interesting question as I have just literally murderd someone for the first time. I did hesitate but in the end I ended up shooting first and asking questions later. I'd ratehr not play like that but like many, I have just had too many negative experiences.

In this particular case I was in one end of a barn, he had gone into the other, and wasnt looking my way. ( To quote from Aliens..."Check those corners!!!" ).

My first instinct was to duck down and hope he would pass me by. However when I looked again I could see he had a rifle ( I only had the makarov ) so I knew that if he decided to engage me then he would certainly have the drop. I also must confess, the thought "He's got a rifle, hmmmmm" did flash through my mind.

But in the end I went for survival and wasn't willing to "trust his better nature" This game certainly makes me think in a more moral way then any other I've ever played. I just wish the movement was more fluid. Its so jerky that you really cant pick up the subtle differneces between their actions turning from an off aim to on aim stance.

If that was better then maybe I would be happier having my gun lowered off aim and then watching them very closely, still its always worth remebering an often said phrase during my firearms training, "A reaction will never beat an action!"... especiually in a computer game

Friendly survivor all the way but, this game doesn't really support that play style so I try to be a hermit.

Like you said, if you decide to react rather than act, you are already behind the curve. I have tried to avoid people when I play alone. Depending on how much I'm carrying, I may decide to shoot if I can't avoid them. There is simply too much time invested in a character to have a survivor that spawned 15 minutes ago take you out with his Makarov. After all, it is a game about survival during a zombie apocalypse.

Agreed and of course the other factor that does always "up the ante" in this game as oppoosed to real life is the fact that you know everyone you meet will be armed. In a real life senario theres a good chance that a lot of people you may coime across wouldnt be armed to the teeth.

This of course would depend on what part of the world your from, but I dont think even the US would have the whole surviving population armed. I think that survvers who knew where firearms were located ( Gun shops, Police Station, etc ) would have made a b-line to them very early on. Which would make survivors even more weary of others.

And of course its not just access to said firearm but also the carriage of ammo, the weight of lugging around huge amounts of ammo would get old real fast, therefore you would probably see people stockcading themsleves amd only venturing out to forage.

If/when I run into humans I turn the other way and avoid it, like most others here I played for a few weeks as a pure friendly survivor but have been backstabbed enough times that now, if I have good loot and the person persists and doesn't take my warnings to leave me alone I treat them as likely hostile.

I typically try to avoid other folks, but I have noticed that the quality of the gear I have has a direct effect upon how trigger happy I become...