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...

I have killed 3 players in the 3 weeks of play i have done and they all shot first .

Had a 3 man element looking over story sunday and we had eyes on a lone guy running back to the s. He was 200 meters or so down the hill from us, just watched him go by and then we headed out N.
I knew at the point i was with the right folks for my playstyle, armed to the teeth and no interest in the PVP madness gripping DAYZ :}

Still only killed one guy in slef defence, he shot first but he only had a mak, i had a lee enfield i just picked up as my winnie had run out of ammo. He had a mate with him who finished me off but i got a few more shots off and just as i was dying i saw a multitude of zeds running in so i hope they got him

I still dont shoot on site and have managed to hook up with people and have some good treks this way.

Mostly i will observe if i see someone and then have a chat and see how it rolls, i still prefer to give people the benefit of the doubt and generally it works.

Trying to be friendly, but I'm getting aggravated by bandits.

Now that I have a ghillie suit, life seems much easier.

Also, when I play solo, I only do it on servers that are in a night cycle.

Ghillie suit + night = super invisible ninja.

Can't wait to find a silenced weapon to complete my Day Z black hole effect

Don't forget NVG's

I've yet to find any myself.

I've killed 3 survivors and 3 bandits. The bandits were no big deal, and my first survivor kill was a guy in Stary that had just ambushed and killed another, but I guess all kills are murders now. The second survivor was probably AFK when I killed him, but I came into the room and he kinda surprised me so I lit him up...... had tears in my eyes as I took his Coyote backpack, M4A1 and other goodies
My last kill was just this morning, and I actually tried to avoid it. I was heading to a deerstand when I heard Makarov shots coming from that direction. Someone else was obviously looting it and clearing the zombies, and since I was geared up with said Backpack, M4 and newly-acquired M-14 AIM with plenty of ammo for both, I decided to give him a wide berth. I retreated a good ways back across a field to a treeline and waited to give him time to clear the area. Unfortunately for him, the direction he chose was straight at me. I've been lit up too many times trying to initiate communications, so I waited to see if he would change direction, then dropped him with the M-14 when he didn't. Took his beans, and left the rest. BTW, the M-14 is super-sweet. I highly recommend picking one up at your local deerstand

They do not seem necessary since 1.7. I would have LOVED them in 1.6.

I would prefer a GPS but, life with a compass is SO much easier.

I used to be completely addicted to this mod - played with my squad buds most of every day (and night).

I recently left the squad due to struggling to keep up with them in combat (health issues) and it was a very different experience playing solo.

So much so that I stopped playing a week ago when I found that I was getting shot almost every session or had in one case some plonker who was trying to kill me attract a gazillion zombies who munched me after I'd dropped him.

This despite me never posing any threat to any other survivor and often just minding my own business.

Seems an accurate reflection on today's Jack society.

And it was veteran only - couldn't believe the trash that was going on in 'regular' servers - which were also worst for getting shot.

Having said that, I have also had a case where I was being mauled by a gaggle of Z's in Elektro and someone started picking them off in a (vain) attempt to help me out.

Aha! Found the SP DayZ mission

I know it is frowned upon by Rock, but this has got me playing again.

Yeah, I found a copy after he had it taken down too. I have not used it yet but, I like having the option.