Creating a Group

Creating a Group

The Red and Black colors of Dark As Midnight make them easy to identify which group they belong in, even at a glance from afar.

Forsaken Loyalists wear a Lime Green armband, but even without it they can be identified by the rider jackets and biker clothing that is consistent between their members.

The Masquerade wear Grayscaled clothing, ranging from Black to Gray to White. Their appearance is further unified by the Mime Masks they wear, making them identifiable without the need for an armband or faction item.

The Rangers, sporting their signature Green Berets and Purple Polka Dot Bandanas - making them very easily identifiable even at a greater distance.

The Fireflies, wearing their iconic yellow armbands. They are a group of survivors fighting for the safety of others. Their members are outfitted in civilian clothing and are approachable, going hand in hand with their nature.

The Groups and Factions are the heart and soul of the community, held to the highest standards when it comes to Roleplay and Interacting with the rest of the server. This article will describe in detail on how to begin creating your own Group, how achieve Official Group Status, how to maintain it, and how to move forward if you wish to apply for a Faction.

Crafting an Idea for a Group

Before going ahead and creating a group, it is often encouraged to have a fleshed out idea of what that group is going to be. A group idea could come from any form of inspiration, whether it was from a specific interaction you've had whilst on the server, a character or faction you've heard about from history or fiction, or even something as simple as an outfit that projects. However, it is important to note that it is worthwhile for your group's existence to fit the general theme of DayZ, answering positively the question of "Would a group like this realistically exist in an apocalyptic environment?".

Some of the more important aspects to creating a group are things such as: a unique image, a cohesive playstyle, a common goal for the group's members, and vague Rules of Engagement (ROE). Read below for further elaboration on what these aspects are and why they're considered important.

Creating an Image for a Group

Being one of the core elements of every group and faction, the visual imagery plays a very important role into properly establishing a collective within the wider lore of the server and its environment.

In order to have a unique image, it is useful for any group to have at least 2 of the following things that unifies their members and ties them one overall theme:

1. A Main Color: This is often the primary theme that runs throughout the PID's of most members of any given Group or Faction. Though most often it is displayed via an armband, this color could be shown off with various articles of clothing. DUG has an extensive system for dyeing clothing which can be greatly utilized for creating a proper color for one's group.
2. Secondary Color: Though it is more optional than the main color, having a secondary color could further seal the identity of your group and make your members even more recognizable at a glance. (Example: Though Red is Dark as Midnight's main color, their secondary Black often makes their members unmistakable upon their sighting. Someone wearing a little bit of Red on top of clothing with other colors could be anyone, but if they wear Red and Black then the odds of them being a DAMN member are much higher).
3. Uniformity in Clothing: Another good way to show off cohesion between members of a certain group can be the different types of clothing they wear, regardless of their colors. Whether or not this cohesion comes in the form of a "uniform" or simply a type of item that people with the same goals would wear, it can be a very useful factor when it comes to having a unique identity. This type of uniformity could come in the forms of a whole outfit that members share or even just one item that brings them together.

Examples of groups that have unique imagery due to sporting at least 2 of these aspects between their members:

Torchwood - An example of a group that uses both a Main Color and a Secondary Color in order to express their identity. Their primary color is Orange, which they use both in their armbands and various other bits of clothing - such as facemasks, shirts, or gloves - and their secondary color is Black.

Forsaken Loyalists - They have a Main Color (Lime Green), which they use in the forms of armbands in order to identify each other. As they are a gang of bikers, they have further Uniformity in Clothing by wearing the Rider Jackets that match their roleplay.

It is also important to note that whilst having an overall theme when it comes to Group PID's is useful, there should always be room its members to shine on their own individual levels as well. So when creating an image for a Group, try not to limit your members when it comes to their own uniqueness.

Creating a Goal for a Group

The goals for any group are often split into two categories: One for their in-game characters, and one for their OOC intentions. Every group needs a purpose - and lack thereof can be very obvious in interactions.

IC (In-character) Goals: The main directive for the characters that members of your group are playing, and something they strive to achieve every play session on an in-game level. Example: Say you are a group of peacekeepers, with a common goal to defend people from banditry - perhaps in order to achieve your goal you will go out on a patrol and see where you could prevent robberies or holdups.

OOC (Out-of-Character) Goals: These goals are mainly what you - as players - are hoping to achieve with the creation of this group. It could be something along the lines of filling a void of a certain type of roleplay and presenting your niche to the community, or simply striving to provide worthwhile roleplay with your own twists and uniqueness in general.

Rules of Engagement (ROE)

Every group and faction have their own Rules of Engagement when it comes to interacting with other players. These are a staple in how members of your group behave towards certain scenarios that fall within the reach of your roleplay. It is useful to establish the ROE before you begin recruiting for your group, as that will help maintain the standards that you're trying to convey whilst having your new members be on the same page for how they should act.

Example of Rules of Engagement: Let's say your group's Goals is to eradicate banditry or villainy in Chernarus, and you come across a group of them whilst out on a patrol. It would be both within your Goals and ROE to engage them in a manner that would stop their hostile activities. On another note, because you are a group striving to fight "evil", you and your members wouldn't participate in banditry or any random killings or holdups yourselves, as that would directly counter your established Goals. It is important to stay consistent with how your Group behaves in order to properly convey the idea of who you are and what you do.

It is also recommended that in order to preserve uniqueness when creating your own group, you should try and craft your Image, your Goals, and your ROE, based off of what doesn't already exist on the server. Try to find your own niche, rather than following in someone else's footsteps.

Reaching and Maintaining Official Group Status

What is an official Group on DayzUnderground?

The groups of DUG are recognized collectives of players who form a cohesive entity in-character. They play the server together, and endeavor to behave and interact with the fun and enjoyment of others in mind. In recognition of their contribution to the server, groups receive two representatives in the DUG discord group & faction chat, up to five representatives in the community-controlled environment (CCE) system and dedicated channels on the DUG TeamSpeak.

What are the Perks of Being an official Group?

• Groups are offered Public and Private TeamSpeak Channels.
• Group leaders are offered representation in the DUG discord Group and Factions Chat (up to 2 whitelisted members).
• Up to 5 whitelisted members of a group may act as delegates in the Community-Controlled Environment (CCE).
• Groups are eligible to apply for Faction status.

How to Become an official Group:

• Step 1: Have at least the required minimum of 3 Whitelisted Members. You can apply for whitelist at this link.
• Step 2: Make yourselves known publicly by posting a Group Announcement on the DayzUnderground subreddit.
• Step 3: Reach out to a Staff Member and ask for a Roster for your Group. Once you've posted the Reddit Group Announcement and filled the roster with the required information for the members of your Group - notify the Staff Member you've done so.

After 1 month of activity since notifying Staff that you've done the previous steps, whilst also maintaining 3+ whitelisted members on your roster - your Group will be considered Official.

Maintaining official Group status

Groups are to be held to a high standard when it comes to managing their members and interacting with the rest of the community, both in-game and out of it on all of DUG's server platforms. The following bullets are things any official Group must maintain and keep themselves accountable for:

• Groups must keep their roster updated with the latest information. (This means keeping their member's activity status accurate, adding and removing members from their roster in a timely manner, etc...)
• Groups are expected to uphold the Faction Behavior and Etiquette Standards provided by the Staff Team at all times.
• Groups must have their own unique identity that separates them from current groups and factions.

Becoming a Faction

Any group is eligible to become a Faction once they've reached Official Group Status. In order to apply for faction, head over to the Group & Faction Guidelines post on the Subreddit where you can read in detail about the process.