Anatomy of a DayZ Robbery Script
Watch the video above or head to Youtube!
Hey friends, it’s Joaby here! One of the things I noticed from my videos is that while some of you totally get how a DayZ Robbery works, there are others who don’t. In my opinion, a bandit in DayZ isn’t the same as a Kill On Sight Bandit, but you need to know what you’re doing if you’re going to rob someone. I had some old footage of a great robbery laying around — and I’ve got the robbery from two perspectives — so I thought I’d break down a successful robbery in DayZ.
Before we kick off — the alternate view is from my friend Junglist’s perspective. It’s literally his first day playing DayZ, he’s never really played before — that’s why it’s filmed in potato vision. He never knew there was an alternative option. Our third person is my mate DrewMoney, he’s an old hand at DayZ and he knows what to do. He lets me take charge primarily to avoid confusing Junglist.
So, let’s jump in. I’ll pause the video occasionally to explain elements or relevant details for you. Immediately you can tell this is a dangerous situation. We’re in Polana, which in this version of DayZ was a middle tier target for scavengers thanks to a supermarket, a piano house and some pubs. It’s not a high traffic area, but it’s not exactly Lopatino either. Junglist and Drew spot a player coming up out of the creek bed, but I’m looking at a completely different player. We’ll call them Bandit 1 and Bandit 2. Bandit 1 is under the impression that he’s the only one we’ve seen, while Bandit 2 remains silent and attempts to get an angle on us. Things get hairy when I start talking to Bandit 1, thinking I’m talking to Bandit 2.
All things being equal, Bandit 2 probably should have copped a bullet in the head by now. The only reason I didn’t shoot him is probably the same reason he didn’t shoot me — walls have weird collision detection issues sometimes, and neither of us wanted to shoot through a gap only to find out it was an invisible wall. Bandit 2 finally realises we know he’s there and he abandons his sneaky attempt to get an angle on us.
When you’re robbing someone, issue them commands. Tell them to do things, and give them up to 10 seconds to comply with your command. At the same time, make them feel safe. You want them to believe that the best course of action is to do what you say, and you can do this with firm commands and ample leeway. I tell Bandit 2 he can move to the wall if he likes because there are about a jillion angles of fire available in Polana, and I want him to feel safe.
When robbing someone, there’s no point taking stuff you can’t use. Ultimately, if they haven’t got an item you need, don’t take it — the robbery isn’t about taking stuff so much as it is about you dictating the terms and pace of your interaction with other people. If you have a full inventory, replace what you took. In a game where the default interaction is murder, a robbery is already technically a positive game experience — you can make it even better if you leave them with something as well.
You control the situation, so dictate the terms of your departure. Tell them to take a different route, explain your immediate plans (nothing beyond two minutes from that moment) and then leave.
If you’re leaving your victim with weapons intact, cover your exit until you can put distance or objects behind you. If the opportunity is available for you to double back and make sure they aren’t following, do so. Otherwise, just leave.
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