DayZ is a survival shooter where the motto is: Trust no one. A player named Dr. Wasteland, however, roamed the game world to help other players and became a DayZ legend. In an interview, the person behind Dr. Wasteland spoke about the origins of the character.
What is DayZ? DayZ is a zombie survival game that revolves around surviving in an apocalyptic world.
A virus causes people to turn into zombies, which attack the survivors. But not only the zombies pose a danger to you. Other players may have their eye on you and attack you.
Therefore, you can’t really trust anyone in the game. Resources are scarce, and many players deceive others to steal and eliminate them.
Given this situation, very few would come up with the idea of roaming the game world as an altruist and helping others. But that was precisely the mission of Dr. Wasteland.
In this trailer, you can see what new things are currently in DayZ:
Who is Dr. Wasteland? In the DayZ community, Dr. Wasteland is considered a legend. There have been numerous posts in various forums reporting on Dr. Wasteland’s good deeds.
Rather than fighting against others, he wandered the world of DayZ as a medic, trying to save other players. He treated their wounds, preventing them from losing all their items.
Some players thought the story was made up. However, it turns out that Dr. Wasteland actually exists. In an interview, the person behind Dr. Wasteland explained how the character came to be.
“I wasn’t particularly good at the whole shooting thing”
Who is behind Dr. Wasteland? The person behind Dr. Wasteland is Doug Wattkins. In an interview with pcgamer.com, he explains the background of the DayZ legend (via pcgamer.com).
How did the legend of Dr. Wasteland begin? Wattkins explains that he initially tried his hand as a bandit. However, that didn’t work out because he wasn’t particularly good at shooting. So he traded weapons for medical equipment.
As Dr. Wasteland, he began to help others. He recounts that the first reactions in the DayZ forums were initially skeptical. Many thought it was a trick.
How devious most players in DayZ play can be seen here on YouTube:
Wattkins wanted to gain trust in the community. He asked the players he helped for one thing: that they post their stories in the forums. He wanted to make sure others knew that Dr. Wasteland would indeed help.
What does the DayZ developer say? The DayZ creator Dean Hall also mentioned that his first reaction to Dr. Wasteland was an absolute disbelief in the community. Many wondered what this was all about and that DayZ was just a game.
What does Dr. Wasteland’s “legacy” look like? Dr. Wasteland also inspired some DayZ players to roam the apocalyptic game world as medics.
So-called “white lists” spread in the forums. In these, medics in DayZ are listed whom players could trust.
In doing so, other players follow Dr. Wasteland’s example and continue his deeds.
If you enjoy playing DayZ, you might also be interested in another survival game from the DayZ makers.
What do you think about Dr. Wasteland? Feel free to tell us in the comments.
