How can I find other people?

Question

In the DayZ mod for Arma 2, sometimes when I spawn I get lucky and start near a town, where I can usually find zombies, supplies, and other players. This is fun!

However, usually I seem to spawn in the middle of nowhere, and am left to wander aimlessly. Recently, I spawned and followed the coast for over 10 minutes without running into any players, zombies, or buildings. Not fun!

Is there any way to figure out where I am in relation to other players? If not, is there any way to figure out where I am in relation to a town (where I'm likely to find other players)? I tries pressing M for Map, but no map was actually displayed.

In general, what steps can I take in the game to make sure I'm heading towards instead of away from the action?

Asked by Sterno

Answer

Spawning Location

When you first spawn you'll notice some text show up on the right side of the screen. This will contain your general location, so make sure you remember this. Unless you spawn near a landmark, it's the only way you'll have any idea where you spawned.

Map & Compass

There is an in-game map, but it's an item like any other. Until you find one and store it in your inventory it won't be displayed when you press M. However, there is an online version of the map, which also contains the English names of locations. Towns will have a sign containing their name somewhere near their borders, but it will be written in Cyrillic.

There is also an in-game compass, usable with K, but like the map is only usable if you have a compass in your inventory.

The map and the compass are the most important tools at your disposable for figuring out where you are, and what direction you need to walk in order to get where you want to go.

Night time

I haven't tried this method myself, but apparently there is a way to locate the North star at night. If you find yourself wandering around alone at night this should prove useful in helping you get around:

Finding People

The best place to find other players is in towns. Towns contain the most loot, and so are usually a required stop for most players. Your best bet for finding a town after you spawn is to just follow the coast in either direction. It may take some time, but you'll eventually find a town.

Answered by Wipqozn

Check more discussion of this question.

loading..