Playstyle definitions or What's a Bandit?

[☣BioHaze☣ 7337]

Hi folks!

 

I often see the terms we use to describe the different playstyles as meaning different things to different people.

 

I personally feel it's important to agree upon the language we use to ensure we are understood when discussing different DayZ playstyles/practices.

 

Below you will find my PERSONAL definition of the terms, the way I think they should be used.

 

I would welcome your ideas or changes regarding these terms.

 

Fresh spawn (Bambi) - unarmed, mostly harmless regardless of play style.

 

Survivor (Carebear) - Loots for gear, hordes gear (when persistent of course), repels zombies, bandits, murderers, and KoS'rs, only when necessary, and would avoid conflict unless cornered (may play in a group or alone/Lone Wolf style).

 

Mountain man - Subsists on sparse prefab gear preferring to craft and hunt for supplies/food. Often hiding far from civilization they avoid all encounters with other players (mostly alone/Lone Wolf style).

 

Medic - Loots and are usually pacifists whose primary goal is to heal players of any affinity on purely moral principal (may play in a group or alone/Lone Wolf style).

 

Hero - Loots and assists bambis/survivors/medics, usually hunts for bandits/murderers (may play in a group or alone/Lone Wolf style).

 

Bandit - Loots for starter gear and then takes on the role of a thief who attempts to rob it's victims of their loot using mostly non-lethal means and will only use lethal force when they meet resistance or other bandits (may play in a group or alone/Lone Wolf style).

 

Murderer/Assassin - May loot or kill for loot. A killer that can take many forms (sniper, close combat assassin, medium range assault specialist) and often carefully chooses their victims based on "grief profiling" (see also, internet tears), a challenge they may represent based on their gear, or purely for the thrill of killing another armed and aggressive player (may play in a group or alone/Lone Wolf style).

 

KoS'r - Prefers to loot as little as possible. As a Bambi they will seek the first weapon they can get their hands on and try to kill any and all players they encounter until they have enough gear to consider a raid on a military location. Once in full military gear this player will often turn into a Bambi sniper or merely just continue engaging every player they come across in a firefight until they start the process again (may play in a group or alone/Lone Wolf style)..

Edited October 1, 2014 by BioHaze

[Schweinsteiger 107]

Nice list Skippy.

 

I loot up (Loot Goblin) then play chaotic neutral. I might shoot you in the face one Monday and pal around with you on Tuesday. I've been murdered so many times I figure you give what you get. I was in Cherno last night and two douche bags (one with an AK and the other with SKS, near the fire house) tried to kill me. Luckily they were total noobs and couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. I wheeled it out of there like I was Jesse Owens on fire!

[hotcakes 348]

human bean - a person that isn't stereotyped

[escobert 112]

I'm a carebear :rolleyes:

[Conrad_The_Comrade 577]

I don't really like the idea of having everyone know a specific term for things in this situation. We should make up our own terms, and our own meanings for them, and if confusion happens, well, that's something to deal with in game. Just like (Going to make a TWD™ reference) if you've watched The Walking Dead™, some groups call the infected walkers, biters, zombies, etc. Not everyone should be calling the same thing the same name, depending on what we personally think they mean. To me, a bandit just means someone who's out to do me harm, it's broad, and covers basically all hostile manners, which is what I personally want it to mean.

[jukaga 271]

Mountain man - Subsists on sparse prefab gear preferring to craft and hunt for supplies/food. Often hiding far from civilization they avoid all encounters with other players (mostly alone/Lone Wolf style).

 

 

Does anyone actually play this way? I can't imagine a more dull experience. Hunt-eat-wait to get hungry-hunt-eat-wait to get hungry and so on and so forth. If you don't interact with other players in any fashion DayZ would be the most dull running sim ever made.

[☣BioHaze☣ 7337]

human bean - a person that isn't stereotyped

 

 

While I appreciate the sentiment, the names for game play styles should not be seen as stereotypes but merely terminology.

 

All definitions are flexible to degree, and some people switch between play styles on a whim.

[Evil Minion 943]

Fresh spawn (Bambi) - unarmed, mostly harmless regardless of play style.

Not so harmless as they have nothing to lose. Trying to knock out geared players to steal their gear is common as all you will get when you fail is a mere 30 second waiting time and a teleport elsewhere.

Survivor (Carebear) - Loots for gear, hordes gear (when persistent of course), repels zombies, bandits, murderers, and KoS'rs, only when necessary, and would avoid conflict unless cornered (may play in a group or alone/Lone Wolf style).

I would call this playstyle "Grazer" - because the ecological role is pretty similar to grazing animals. Gear is usually gained by looting and they often (but not always) tolerate other survivors. Might react aggressive when he feels unsafe not unlike a Rhino or Buffalo. Also the main prey for players who kill for loot.

There is also a similar but more social version who seeks out (friendly) contact with other players. In general less aggressive than the type described above but might end up in a "safety-by-numbers scenario" - generally much more tolerant towards other "Grazers" and does not tend to hoard loot. Basically halfway between the "Grazer", "Medic" and "Hero" playstyles.

Bandit - Loots for starter gear and then takes on the role of a thief who attempts to rob it's victims of their loot using mostly non-lethal means and will only use lethal force when they meet resistance or other bandits (may play in a group or alone/Lone Wolf style).

Typical kleptoparasitism, knocking out others, holding them down etc. Sadly the playstle is hurt by lack of player recognition (if you can build up a reputation not to kill/take everything people are more willing to play along) and cheap death (players often choose to fight and die over sacrificing some gear).

Murderer/Assassin

KoS'r

I would actually spilt those into three. "KoS'r" doesn't fit in my opinion because many of the other playstyles (aside from the medic and the "Social Grazer" I described above) are also prone to KoS for various reasons. The main difference here is that the following playstyles are predatory meaning they actively hunt down other players and get most of their loot from kills (at least the first two).

Hunter - This one does also loot but prefers taking from others. Mostly motivated by the thrill of the hunt this player type stalks and kills geared players for their stuff. Lower geared players and freshspawns are usually not on the menu as long as they leave him alone - they are simply not worth the effort and there is no challenge in killing them.

Murderer - This one is not into looting. What he needs is gear to kill other players - preferably taken from corpses. This one enjoys killing more than the reward or a challenge. Sniping bambis is just fine and killing geared players is even sweeter - not for the loot because thats only interesting if it allows for more killing - but for the cries.

Two-faced - This one starts out as a Grazer but once geared will go on an all-out killing spree just using his weapons on everything that moves. In my opinion symptomatic of the current weaknesses in game dynamics (easy gearing up, server hopping, lack of cooperative goals, low environmental challenge). Differs from the former two that he is actually not a predator at heart but might enjoy PvP.