Every Tuesday, DayZ Diaries recounts Andy's adventures in post-apocalyptic survival sim DayZ, where beans and friends are frequently in short supply.
Maybe I deserved that. Not just karmically, but because I was sprinting around in the open like an idiot, rather than sticking sensibly to the treeline. The biggest mistake you can make in DayZ when you have a gun is feeling invincible and letting your guard down. So I spawn back at the beach once again - this time near Berezino - and start looting. After a careful hour of sneaking from house to house I have a backpack, an axe, and a nice haul of food and drink. I decide to head north to the wrecked cargo ship, then to the town of Svetlojarsk.
I'm on the outskirts of Berezino, near the lumber mill, when I hear the ping of a ricocheting bullet. Someone's shooting at me, but I don't know where from. I take a hit and start bleeding, but I manage to escape into a row of backyards before they can finish me off. Through an alley I see the gunman and his buddy on the main road. They're decked out in military gear and fully armed. "I think I got him." one of them says over voice chat. "Yeah, you did," I respond, knowing I'm safely hidden behind a wall. "But you're a terrible shot. Asshole."
Realising that I'm foolishly mocking a man who's carrying a big gun, I make a run for it. After a few minutes of nervously checking behind me I'm certain they haven't given chase. I can see the cargo ship in the distance perched on the edge of the eastern shore, so I keep pushing on. Then I spot another player on the road directly in front of me carrying a shotgun. I consider running away, but decide that it's probably smarter to let them know I'm not a threat. I approach, expecting a face full of buckshot. Instead, I get a cheery hello.
"Do you need any assistance?" the stranger asks. It's finally happened: I've met the only friendly armed player in DayZ. "No, I'm fine," I say, giving a wave. "Thanks!" We silently part ways and he continues towards Berezino. "Wait!" I call to him. "There are two guys up ahead with guns. They shot at me, but I survived. Be careful." "Oh, thanks. You too." Did I just save his life? It's entirely possible, and now I'm having a crisis of conscience. If I had a Mosin I would have shot him the instant I saw him in the distance. I would have murdered the nicest man in Chernarus in cold blood. I feel like the bad guy in the movie who has a moral awakening and turns good. I swear, from this day forth, I will never shoot on sight again.
Andy is documenting his every death in DayZ on dayzdeathdiary.tumblr.com , and recently devoted the latest entry in his Other Places video series to Chernarus. Here it is, rendered in the slightly plushier Arma 3 engine.
