Survivors

Note: this page covers the Standalone version of DayZ; for information on the Mod, see Mod:Survivors.

Survivors are people who are naturally immune to the infection that devastated most of the world, and now have to learn to survive against the elements, Zombies, and other survivors while meeting their basic human needs.

Every player begins as a minimally-equipped Survivor in the nation of Chernarus after the infection has struck its populace and the defense forces have collapsed. Survivors are free to make a backstory for their character and choose their own playstyle.

Getting Started

As a Survivor, you will find yourself waking up at one of many set spawn locations with only rudimentary gear. Every survivor starts with full health (5000), mild hunger (yellow), and neutral hydration. It is therefore essential to loot supplies and weapons to meet basic needs like hunger, thirst, and warmth right away, as well as be able to defend yourself against hostiles -- infected and human alike.

Starting equipment for "fresh spawns" consists of:

1 x Flashlight
1 x Alkaline Battery (9V)

Other Survivors

You will find all sorts of survivors in the wastes of Chernarus. How each person chooses to survive will be different. Some will avoid you unless provoked, others maybe be friendly and offer you help, and some may be hostile and fire at you on sight.

Whether or not one should trust survivors can be a tricky question; it is often difficult to tell ahead of time whether or not a survivor is in need of your last can of beans. It is hard to tell if the survivor is trying to survive like you, trying to kill someone because they are a bandit, or if they are willing to help you. Be very cautious around unknown survivors even if you plan on killing them or helping them.

If you decide to approach another survivor, voice/direct-chat is useful to prodding out their intentions and determining if they are a friend or foe. The proper way to indicate you are friendly is to say/type "friendly" to let the other player know that you are there do not intend to kill him. When holding a weapon, it is polite to lower it (default: Spacebar) when looking at a friendly survivor. But don't expect everyone to respect "friendly", and it is advisable to still be cautious around "friendly" players.

You can also do the "friendly dance" (alternating Q and E), give another player a friendly wave (default: F1), or raise both hands to signal you're just giving up (default: F2).

Types of Survivors

Unlike the Mod, DayZ Standalone does not have set types of players in any meaningful way. There isn't really any black or white in how you choose to play the game, and your choices have only their direct consequences and nothing else. The game does not track your actions in the form of karma, and does not seek to categorize who you are as a character in any way.

Given that the game is so open-ended in this regard, it is up to players to demonstrate who they are through their choice of clothing, their actions, customization to weapons, etc. That said, players tend to be either malicious or benign in their contact with other players, sometimes flipping back and forth as the situation demands.

"Bandits"

Players who make it a goal to kill or steal from other survivors are classified as bandits based on the old term from the Mod. They are probably the most likely type of player you will encounter. They are usually well-geared, carrying military-grade weapons and equipment. They also tend to travel in groups. It can be difficult to tell whether a player has malicious intent or not, but bandits have only evil deeds in mind. Their motives vary: some believe in kill or be killed (otherwise known as "Kill on Sight" or "KoS"), others are opportunists and will take any chance they can to get their hands on your gear, and still others become bored in their travels and find amusement in violently toying with other players using the superior gear that they have collected.

Many of these players will kill you outright; others may just hold you up, they might take only what they need or everything you have, but they will let you live. Some may feign friendliness in order to get you to let your guard down. Working in groups, one may greet you and try to talk to you while another attacks you from behind. Some may kill you just for fun even if it's apparent you have nothing of value to them.

"Heroes"

There are players who take it upon themselves to help other survivors in any way possible, and they are sometimes referred to as heroes based on the term from the Mod. These people offer supplies, render medical assistance, free captives, and assist against bandits and zombies. They won't usually attack you unless you either surprise them or make them uncomfortable, but be warned: players will always defend themselves. Some bandits in disadvantaged situations may also attempt to act as a temporary hero by shouting out words such as, "Friendly!" until they see an occasion to kill you and grab all of your gear.

The term hero is not used much in reference to the Standalone, unlike the term bandit, because it does not apply as universally. Players who behave in a positive manner are generally just referred to as "friendlies". This is more of a temporary, situational term however as things can go wrong at any time.

Tips

Grouped players (both survivors, heroes, and bandits) often raid Berezino and Elektrozavodsk (Elektro) - Two big cities along the coast. Another big target for survivors is Novodmitrovsk (Novo), one of the biggest cities in the north. Heading to these cities unprepared can be risky, though they are often scavenged by freshly re-spawned players before heading south.

Looting high value military targets can be very dangerous. Bandits will often take up positions to snipe anyone looking to loot. Extra precautions should be taken when around:

Airfields/Airstrips
Military tents
Towns with supermarkets, hospitals and churches
Fire Stations (especially the top floors, or on the roof)
Crashsites
Powerplants (See Elektrozavodsk)

Watch out for survivors carrying scoped or military-grade weapons; these players are rarely out there to kill just zombies. However this is not true for all players.

Most survivors head south after gathering immediate supplies or immediately upon re-spawning. Grouping in Chernarus can be difficult, so it is advisable to avoid any size of groups of survivors you don't know.