Comics: The Kameoka Diaries

Today, maybe I'm being a bit lazy, but there's not too much I can say about this. Lars Martinson is a cartoonist whose autobiographical strips are simply charming. I particularly like his Kameoka Diaries. Here's one. Others can be found at his website and there's even versions that can be downloaded to mobile devices if you're into that.

http://larsmartinson.com/

http://larsmartinson.com/

DayZ - how to stay alive for more than five minutes

This is the last of the DayZ articles (for now). Regular blog posts resume next week. Today we're going to look at tips and strategies for staying alive.

Once you've read this article, there's also:

How to install DayZ (with ArmA 2 Free, Operation Arrowhead or Combined Ops)

DayZ - How to get on a server

How to play

This is displayed on the homepage of the DayZ mod. It's not kidding either. It was running a bit higher until the recent influx of new players. And people like me who've survived for much longer periods through out that average quite a bit. You really are going to die soon. So what can you do to improve your chances? Read on after the jump...

DayZ - How to play

Okay, so you've got the mod installed, you've managed to connect to a server. So just how do you play DayZ?

DayZ is a mod for ArmA 2 which is a complex military simulator with a horrible control system because it's trying to cater to every eventuality. There is a PDF manual in the Operation Arrowhead folder, but that'll only take you so far. Read on to find out a bit more.

DayZ - How to get on a server

DayZ has gone from unknown to massively popular in a very short time and there aren't many servers, so it can be quite tricky to get on one and it's hard to know exactly what to do to ensure success.

Once you've read this article, there's also:

How to install DayZ (with ArmA 2 Free, Operation Arrowhead or Combined Ops)

How to play

How to stay alive for more than five minutes

The developers of DayZ have to approve all new servers and they've been inundated with offers recently, but have still only approved a few. The servers all communicate with a central database which means that your inventory and location remain consistent across servers - switch to another and you'll have the same kit and be in the same place. The lack of servers can mean it takes a long time to find one that you can actually join, so be patient - it is worth it.

It may seem a little odd to have all the game servers need approval but this is in order to prevent abuse. There's already been one server where the admins hacked in weapons that aren't supposed to be in DayZ and there was a case of another where players were being kicked just for killing the admin or any of his friends. So a tight rein is being kept on all servers to make sure they're fair and consistent for all. Servers are required to have SQL installed as, in the future, they will be running their own localised databases.

So how do you get on a server? More after the jump...

How to install DayZ (with ArmA 2 Free, Operation Arrowhead or Combined Ops)

Okay so you want to play DayZ. Good for you. But it's not easy to get set up.

Once you've read this article, there's also:

How to get on a server

How to play

How to stay alive for more than five minutes

The first thing you need is a copy of the base game, but even that's not straightforward. Here are your options:

1. ArmA 2 Combined Operations
2. ArmA 2 + ArmA 2 Operation Arrowhead
3. ArmA 2 Free + ArmA 2 Operation Arrowhead

Confusing, eh?

According to the chaps at Bohemia the next patch for ArmA 2 will contain DayZ so you might prefer to wait for that. At the moment you'll have to go through a slightly tortuous process although I have detailed the easiest most painless methods here. If you've got any problems, leave a comment and I'll try to answer your questions.

Click on to find out how...

Ronnie O'Sullivan and his wife

I've no idea why, but quite a lot of people end up at this blog searching for pictures of snooker player Ronnie O'Sullivan's wife, Jo Langley. So here you go. That's his daughter Lilly too. Not pictured is his son Ronnie Jr.

DayZ - Our story

DayZ is not an easy game. That little image below is from its homepage. Despite being a sandbox game set on a very large map, your average life expectancy is 29 minutes. Some players survive for days, so that 29 minutes is a bit on the generous side when it comes to new players.

Once you've read this article, there's also:

How to install DayZ (with ArmA 2 Free, Operation Arrowhead or Combined Ops)

DayZ - How to get on a server

How to play

How to stay alive for more than five minutes

The first thing to point out is that it's not a standalone game at all - it's a mod. You need to have ArmA 2 Operation Arrowhead and another ArmA 2 game in order to get it. This is why ArmA 2 has suddenly shot to the top of the Steam charts despite being three years old. I'll post an article on how to get it and install it tomorrow.