How to Set Up a DayZ Dedicated Server

Running a DayZ community server is one of the most rewarding hosting experiences — and one of the most complex. Modern DayZ is defined by modded servers with custom loot economies, trader systems, and unique maps. This guide covers everything from initial deployment to types.xml editing and mod management.

What You'll Need

• DayZ on Steam — Required for testing and connecting.
• A hosting plan — Managed hosting (recommended) starts at $10-12/month. DayZ is resource-intensive; self-hosting requires 8GB+ RAM and a fast CPU.
• A mod list planned — Decide which mods you want before starting. Changing mods later can break player gear and bases.
• Patience — DayZ server configuration has a steeper learning curve than most games.

Step 1: Choose Your Hosting Approach

Managed Hosting (Recommended)

DayZ's complexity makes managed hosting strongly recommended. Providers like Sparked Host, Shockbyte, and Nitrado offer DayZ-specific plans with:

• Automatic mod management — Workshop mod downloading and updating
• Scheduled restarts — Essential for DayZ performance (every 4-6 hours)
• SFTP access — Required for types.xml and mission file editing
• DDoS protection — DayZ servers are frequent targets
• Console and log access — Debug issues without guessing

Self-Hosted

Self-hosting uses the DayZ Server tool from Steam or SteamCMD (app_update 223350). Forward ports 2302-2306 (UDP). You need 8GB+ RAM, an SSD, and a CPU with strong single-thread performance.

Step 2: Set Up on a Managed Host

1. Purchase a plan — 4GB RAM for vanilla, 6-8GB for modded (30+ mods).
2. Select DayZ and choose your initial map (Chernarus or Livonia).
3. Choose a server location close to your community.
4. Access the control panel — Note your server IP, game port, and RCON details.
5. Start the server and verify it appears in the DayZ launcher's server browser.

Step 3: Configure serverDZ.cfg

The main config file controls server identity and behavior:

hostname = "My DayZ Server | Modded | Traders";
password = "";                    // Empty for public, set for private
passwordAdmin = "YourAdminPass";  // RCON password
maxPlayers = 60;
verifySignatures = 2;             // Anti-cheat (keep at 2)
forceSameBuild = 1;               // Require matching game version

// Persistence
disableThirdPerson = 0;           // 1 = first person only
enableCfgGameplayFile = 1;        // Enable gameplay config

Step 4: Install Mods

DayZ modding is what makes community servers unique.

Adding Mods on Managed Hosting

1. Open your host's mod manager or Steam Workshop panel.
2. Search for mods by name or enter Workshop IDs.
3. Add mods to your server's load list.
4. Configure the mod load order — some mods depend on others.
5. Restart the server. Mods download on startup.

Essential Mods

| Mod | Purpose | |---|---| | CF (Community Framework) | Required dependency for most mods | | Trader Mod (Dr. Jones) | NPC traders with buy/sell economy | | Banking | ATM and banking system | | Code Lock | 4-digit combination locks for bases | | BaseBuildingPlus | Extended base building options | | MuchStuffPack | Furniture and decoration items | | VPPAdminTools | In-game admin panel |

Load order matters. CF and other framework mods must load first. Check each mod's description for required dependencies.

Step 5: Customize Loot Tables (types.xml)

The types.xml file controls every item spawn in the game. It's located in mpmissions/dayzOffline.chernarusplus/db/types.xml.

Each item entry looks like this:

<type name="AKM">
    <nominal>10</nominal>     <!-- Target count on map -->
    <lifetime>14400</lifetime> <!-- Seconds before despawn -->
    <restock>0</restock>      <!-- Seconds before respawn -->
    <min>5</min>              <!-- Minimum count on map -->
    <quantmin>-1</quantmin>
    <quantmax>-1</quantmax>
    <cost>100</cost>
    <flags count_in_cargo="0" count_in_hoarder="0" count_in_map="1" count_in_player="0" crafted="0" deloot="0"/>
    <category name="weapons"/>
    <usage name="Military"/>
</type>

Key values to adjust:

• nominal — How many of this item exist on the map at any time
• min — Minimum before restocking triggers
• lifetime — How long the item persists on the ground (seconds)
• usage — Where the item spawns (Military, Police, Farm, etc.)

Step 6: Configure Gameplay Settings

Enable enableCfgGameplayFile = 1 in serverDZ.cfg, then create cfggameplay.json:

{
  "PlayerData": {
    "disablePersonalLight": true,
    "StaminaSystem": {
      "sprintStaminaModifierErc": 1.0,
      "sprintStaminaModifierCro": 1.0
    }
  },
  "WorldData": {
    "environmentMinTemps": [-3, -2, 0, 4, 10, 15, 18, 17, 12, 7, 2, -1],
    "environmentMaxTemps": [3, 5, 10, 16, 22, 28, 30, 29, 24, 16, 8, 3]
  }
}

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Players stuck on "Waiting for host" or loading screen:

• Mod mismatch is the #1 cause. Ensure players have all required mods in the DayZ Launcher.
• Check that forceSameBuild = 1 is set.

Server crashes after adding mods:

• Check server logs for the specific error.
• Verify mod load order and dependencies.
• Remove recently added mods and re-add one at a time.

Items not spawning or too rare:

• Verify types.xml syntax (XML is strict about formatting).
• Check that nominal and min values are reasonable.
• Restart the server after types.xml changes.

Performance degradation over time:

• Schedule 4-6 hour automatic restarts.
• Clean up old bases with the persistence wipe system.
• Reduce the number of high-nominal items to lower entity count.

Next Steps

• Set up RCON with tools like CFTools or BattleMetrics for remote administration.
• Create a Discord with rules, mod lists, and trader prices.
• Configure killfeed using the KillFeed mod so players can see PvP activity.
• Join DayZ server listing sites like DayZSA Launcher, BattleMetrics, and GameTracker.

DayZ server management is complex, but providers like Sparked Host and Shockbyte handle the infrastructure so you can focus on building your community.