So I'm heading home and an air drop appears south of me. I head for it and offer a warning. I then decide to hit 2 nearby traders and at the second I am inside when someone approaches.

They enter and I fire, but seeing the name I stop, allowing them to live. Only...they do not leave. I hide behind the trader so they can't shoot me (and thus I won't kill them) but they persist with a shotgun until they shoot me. I fire back killing them and tell them to not shoot at me and leave.

Needless to say they don't leave and come back, shooting more and when they hit me I kill them. I tell them to leave again and decide to leave so they don't keep suiciding by cop, as it were.

Then again complaints are lodged and it is said to be "shitty of me". Th contention was I was there to block the trader and therefore they couldn't buy batteries. The fact I was already there not blocking a trader IN THE SOUTH escaped them or they refused to acknowledge it.

The lesson is  that if you don't want to get killed then don't come south. And if someone lets you live... take the hint and leave.

So true, when I explore the south I do a lot more sneaking and when I see signs of combat I dodge it as I don't wanna get killed. Players are the loudest things in the game, I often figure out where people's stashes are hidden by listening to them dig. Makes it easier to not dig into someone's tunnel system or unclaimed base. Eventually, I'll work up the nerve to join the South. Likely when my wife loses interest again.