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Have you ever wondered whether rolling across the ground is a more effective zombie survival technique than crawling? Debating using a bayonet as a hand-to-hand implement? Luckily for you, a group of intrepid survivors have put together a YouTube series that aims to shed light on these burning questions.
Going by the name of DayZ Standalone Mythbusters, the series aims to enlighten would-be survivors on some of the more questionable aspects of survival in the Chernarus wasteland. The show takes on a very loose representation of the popular TV show Mythbusters' format whereby they take popular myths perpetrated by the DayZ community and put them to the test in order to confirm or deny them.
For instance, it's a little known fact that the weapons of DayZ are mysteriously linked to the vitals of the players that hold them. Shoot a player's gun and you'll be dealing them a hefty amount of pain. Not only that, but they manage to bust the popular myth that pressing the vault button when falling from a great distance will cause the player to magically survive the deadly fall. No such luck.
The video is short, fast and to the point, so it's far less of a risk watching it than it is attempting to brave the horrors it portrays. Labeled as episode 1, there will no doubt be more episodes on the way as the game continues to shift and change. As time goes on, these videos could become essential to many players' survival if what Dean Hall has to say about the coming difficulty spike is true. If you're looking for a more humorous take on the game's many glitches though, look no further than DayZ Standalone In Real Life.
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Whether gamers embrace the idea of playing an unfinished game or not, it's clear that there's a well-established community of over 1 million strong that still manages to have a ton of fun with the content that's there. As the content continues to roll in, it won't be surprising to see this already-impressive number continue to swell. Until then, though, DayZ will just have to continue on as the premiere "no faith in humanity" simulator.
Have you found survival in Chernarus to be almost impossible due to the player hostility? What tips would you give to players new and old who are having survival troubles?
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DayZ is currently available as an early access alpha on PC with a beta release expected in late 2014/early 2015.
Follow Ryan on Twitter @ThatRyanB.