DayZ Guide

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Local DayZ Server ​

Here we will see how to install and set up a DayZ Standalone server on a Windows computer or server.

Prerequisites ​

  • Windows computer/server
  • Steam account

Installation ​

The first step is downloading the server files. This can easily be done through Steam.

  1. Fire up Steam
  2. Go to your Library
  3. At the top where it says Games change that to include Tools

Steam Library includes Tools

  1. You'll see DayZ Server among the results. Select it
  2. Click Install
  3. You'll notice on your desktop there'll be a shortcut to launch the server

WARNING

Don't launch the DayZ server yet!

Initialization ​

  1. Open up your File Explorer
  2. Move to the Dayz Server directory

INFO

The DayZ Server directory should be something along the lines of:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\DayZServer.

In the remainder of this guide we will assume that this is where your DayZ Server directory is.

INFO

This is what you would see is if you were looking at the file structure on a remote server;

  1. Create a new text file; call it start.bat
  2. Using your favorite text editor, paste this into your start.bat file:
batch
@echo off
:start
::Server files location
set serverLocation="C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\DayZServer"
::Server Port
set serverPort=2302
::Server config
set serverConfig=serverDZ.cfg
::Server profile
set serverProfiles=profiles
::Logical CPU cores to use (Equal or less than available)
set serverCPU=4
:: Go to DayZServer location
cd "%serverLocation%"
::Launch parameters (edit end: -profiles=|-config=|-port=|-cpuCount=|-doLogs|-adminLog|-netLog|-freezeCheck|-filePatching|-BEpath=)
start "DayZ Server" /min "DayZServer_x64.exe" -config=%serverConfig% -port=%serverPort% -profiles=%serverProfiles% -cpuCount=%serverCPU% -dologs -adminlog -netlog -freezecheck
@echo off
:start
::Server files location
set serverLocation="C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\DayZServer"
::Server Port
set serverPort=2302
::Server config
set serverConfig=serverDZ.cfg
::Server profile
set serverProfiles=profiles
::Logical CPU cores to use (Equal or less than available)
set serverCPU=4
:: Go to DayZServer location
cd "%serverLocation%"
::Launch parameters (edit end: -profiles=|-config=|-port=|-cpuCount=|-doLogs|-adminLog|-netLog|-freezeCheck|-filePatching|-BEpath=)
start "DayZ Server" /min "DayZServer_x64.exe" -config=%serverConfig% -port=%serverPort% -profiles=%serverProfiles% -cpuCount=%serverCPU% -dologs -adminlog -netlog -freezecheck

TIP

See the Launch Parameters page for more info on the meaning of each parameter.

Don't worry if you don't have a serverDZ.cfg in your DayZ Server directory; we're going to create one in just a minute.

Configuration ​

The config file serverDZ.cfg sets all of the parameters that the server needs in order to know how to behave.

You can find an example here

WARNING

If you haven't changed any of the settings so far, then make sure that the config file is saved in the same folder as the start.bat file.

Ideally, this should be the following folder:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\DayZServer

Server profile ​

When the server starts up it's going to create a folder (whose name depends on what you set as argument to the -profiles parameter) and within that folder it's going to put your log files.

Also, very importantly, this is where you are eventually going to put the files that will allow you to be recognized as an admin; in other words, that's where your server will look in order to verify your claim to be an admin.

Start It ​

Open a new terminal and run the start.bat script with:

powershell
.\start.bat
.\start.bat

If everything worked correctly you will get a little window with some logs.

Join It ​

  1. Fire up the DayZ launcher
  2. Go to Servers
  3. Go to LAN
  4. Click on Join
  5. Congrats! You are now playing on your own local DayZ server!

Stop It ​

Create a new file called stop.bat; it will look like this:

batch
taskkill /f /im DayZServer_x64.exe
taskkill /f /im DayZServer_x64.exe

Then, just like before, open a new terminal and run the stop.bat script with:

powershell
.\stop.bat
.\stop.bat

Reset / Wipe ​

  1. Go to the missions folder (e.g. C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\DayZServer\mpmissions )
  2. Open the folder of the particular mission you are running (e.g. dayzOffline.chernarusplus)
  3. Open the storage_1 folder
  4. Delete its content

TIP

An easier and quicker solution could be to leave your DayZServer folder vanilla, copy it with a different name (e.g. DayZServerChernarus), then when a reset / wipe is required you can just delete the custom folder and copy your DayZServer1 folder again, assigning it the same name as before (e.g. DayZServerChernarus).

Soft Wipe ​

A "soft wipe" will wipe all the loot, all the buildings (bases), and all the cars; players will only be left with what they have in their inventory.

This can be useful when changes are made to the map: a soft wipe will prevent loot, bases or cars from hanging around in the air where (say) a building used to be in a previous version of the map.

For instance, this proved useful with update 1.23, which brought several changes to the NorthWest Airfield.

  1. Go to the missions folder (e.g. C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\DayZServer\mpmissions)
  2. Open the folder of the particular mission you are running (e.g. dayzOffline.chernarusplus)
  3. Open the db folder
  4. Open the economy.xml file
  5. Find the lines that start with <dynamic> and <vehicles>

INFO

<dynamic> controls the loot and the buildings on your server.

<vehicles> of course controls the vehicles on your server.

  1. Change their load parameter from 1 to 0; this means that the loot (and vehicles) won't be loaded
  2. Restart your server and wait a few minues; none of the loot will spawn in
  3. After a few minutes the server will save its state and none of the loot will be there. Stop the server
  4. Change the load parameters of <dynamic> and <vehicles> back to 1
  5. Restart the server

Return XMLs To Vanilla ​

  1. Go to Bohemia Interactive's DayZ Central Economy GitHub repository
  2. Download the vanilla files (folders) for Chernarus and/or Livonia: dayzOffline.chernarusplus and/or dayzOffline.enoch
  3. Go to the missions folder (e.g. C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\DayZServer\mpmissions )
  4. Replace the missions folder with those you have downloaded from Bohemia Interactive

Mod installation ​

  • Open the DayZ Workshop page.
  • Select the mod you want to install and open its page
  • Click on the Subscribe button
    • This will download the mod on your computer
  • Find the mod folder on your computer
    • it should be placed in a folder like: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\DayZ\!Workshop

WARNING

If you cannot find the !Workshop folder change your view settings to show hidden folders.

  • Copy the folder
    • The folder is going to be named something like: @ + the name of your mod; e.g. @WindstridesClothingPack
  • Go to your DayZ Server folder
    • e.g.: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\DayZServer
  • Paste the mod folder into your DayZ Server folder
  • Open your mod folder
  • Open the Keys folder
  • Copy the key
    • The key will be a .bikey file; e.g. Crazymike_winterchernarus.bikey
  • Go back to your Local DayZ server folder
  • Open the keys folder
  • Paste the key
  • Go back to your Local DayZ server folder and edit your start.bat file
    • in the line that starts with start "DayZ Server", add a -mod=<string> parameter; use a semi-colon separated list of mods as argument

TIP

In case some mods contain a space in their name, use "'s around the whole launch parameter block.

E.g.: "-mod=@Winter Chernarus"

  • Start your server to see your mods in action!

Local DayZ Server or DayZ Community Offline Mode? ​

DayZ Community Offline Mode is brilliant for quickly getting into the game so you can have a look around, spawn things in and generally explore, but if you want to have a genuine DayZ experience you need to run your own server locally.

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