--- title: "Getting started with your DayZ server" description: "Pick Chernarus, Livonia, or Sakhal maps, customize loot tables, adjust day-night cycles, and secure backups before players spawn in." url: "https://www.gameserverkings.com/knowledge-base/dayz/getting-started-with-your-server/" category: "DayZ" category_url: "https://www.gameserverkings.com/knowledge-base/dayz/" published: "2026-07-02T03:18:03.686Z" updated: "2026-08-19T16:39:57.821Z" source_format: "markdown" site: "GameServerKings" --- # Getting started with your DayZ server DayZ is the survival horror MMO that defined the genre. Your server runs on the Enfusion engine and supports a mature modding scene through the Steam Workshop and DayZ-SA-Launcher. This guide covers the first thirty minutes: getting the server up, connecting to it, choosing a map, and the two systems — loot and time — that most owners want to change first. ## 1. First Boot 1. Open your [DayZ game server](/games/dayz/) in the panel. 2. Click **Start**. 3. First boot pulls the dedicated server, about 5 GB. Expect 10 to 15 minutes. 4. The console shows `Mission read.` and the server tick begins. > [!IMPORTANT] The first boot is the slow one > Nothing is wrong if the console sits quiet for several minutes — it is downloading. Later starts take well under a minute. ## 2. Connecting In DayZ, open **Servers** > **Community**, then search by name or filter by IP. > [!TIP] If the server is running but not listed > DayZ lists servers by **query port**, not game port. A server that boots cleanly and never appears in the browser almost always has the wrong `steamQueryPort`. See [Configuring your DayZ server](/knowledge-base/dayz/configuration-overview/). ## 3. Choosing a Map The stock mission templates: | Template | Map | |---|---| | `dayzOffline.chernarusplus` | Chernarus — the vanilla map | | `dayzOffline.enoch` | Livonia (DLC) | | `dayzOffline.sakhal` | Sakhal (Frostline DLC) | Set this with `template` inside `class Missions` in `serverDZ.cfg`. The naming is not arbitrary. A mission folder is `.`, where the world is the name defined in the game's `CfgWorlds` — so `dayzOffline.chernarusplus` is the `dayzOffline` mission on the `chernarusplus` world. Custom maps follow the same rule, which is how you can tell at a glance which world a downloaded mission expects. Community maps — Namalsk, Banov, Pripyat, Esseker, DeerIsle — are a mod **plus** a mission folder, and both are required. The procedure is in [How to Install Mods on a DayZ Server: Folders and Keys](/knowledge-base/dayz/how-to-install-mods/). > [!IMPORTANT] Changing map starts a new world > World state is stored per mission in `mpmissions//storage_/`. Switching template means a fresh world — take a Backups snapshot first if the old one matters. ## 4. Loot Tuning Without Mods You can change the loot economy heavily on a vanilla server. It is the highest-impact thing you can do before installing a single mod, and it lives in the mission files rather than `serverDZ.cfg`. Edit `mpmissions/dayzOffline.chernarusplus/db/types.xml`. Each entry controls one item: ```xml title="types.xml" 15 14400 1800 10 -1 -1 100 ``` | Field | What it does | |---|---| | `nominal` | Target count across the map | | `min` | Floor before a respawn is triggered | | `lifetime` | Seconds before it despawns from a non-persistent slot | | `restock` | Seconds before restocking toward nominal | | `quantmin` / `quantmax` | Fill range for items with a quantity, like ammo or liquids. `-1` means default | | `cost` | Relative spawn weighting against other items in the same category | | `category` / `usage` | Which loot pools and building types it appears in | **For a higher-loot server**, raise `nominal` and `min` together. Raising `nominal` alone means the map fills slowly; `min` is what forces the respawn to trigger. > [!NOTE] The flags matter more than they look > `count_in_cargo`, `count_in_hoarder`, `count_in_map` and `count_in_player` decide whether items already held by players count toward `nominal`. With them at `0`, a hundred stashed AKMs do not suppress new spawns — which is usually what a high-loot server wants, and usually not what a survival server wants. Tools such as **Expansion-Types** can automate bulk edits across the whole file. For the full treatment — which fields actually drive respawning, and the flags that silently cancel them out — see [How to Increase Loot on a DayZ Server (types.xml)](/knowledge-base/dayz/how-to-increase-loot/). ## 5. Day and Night ```cfg title="serverDZ.cfg" serverTimeAcceleration = 12; serverNightTimeAcceleration = 6; serverTimePersistent = 1; ``` > [!NOTE] What acceleration 12 works out to > One in-game hour per five real minutes, so players see both day and night inside a single session. Left at `1`, someone who logs in at night only ever sees night. Night gets its own multiplier because unaccelerated DayZ nights are genuinely dark, and most communities want them shorter than the days. ## 6. Popular Mods - **Community Framework (CF)** — required by a large share of the ecosystem, install it first - **Dabs Framework** — required by many server-side scripting mods - **CommunityOnlineTools** — in-game admin GUI - **DayZ Expansion** — comprehensive overhaul: vehicles, helicopters, missions, markets - **Trader** — trader stations - **Banking** — ATM-based economy - **Code Lock** — combination locks on doors - **DayZ-Editor-Loader** — load custom map structures - **MMG Mightys Military Gear** — military gear additions - **Drugs Plus** — roleplay drug system - **Namalsk Survival** — hardcore winter overhaul > [!TIP] A proven roleplay stack > CF + Dabs Framework + COT + Expansion (Core, Vehicles, Markets) + Trader + Code Lock + Banking. Load order matters — frameworks first. ## 7. Backups DayZ keeps world state in `mpmissions//storage_/`, and that folder grows steadily on an active server. Use the **Backups** tab daily, with weekly long-term archives. Take one before any of: changing map, changing `instanceId`, adding or removing a mod, or editing `types.xml` in bulk. Those are the four operations that can lose a world. ## 8. Performance - **Restart every 4 to 6 hours.** DayZ accumulates memory over time; this is normal and not a sign of a problem. - **Use `serverTimeAcceleration`** rather than real-world day length, so the world feels alive within a session. - **Be careful with AI-heavy mods.** The Enfusion engine struggles with high entity counts — this is the most common cause of a server that was fine yesterday and is not today. - **Rotate `instanceId`** if you want to wipe one slot of player data while keeping the others on disk. ## 9. Common Issues **"Wrong session state" on connect.** A version mismatch enforced by `forceSameBuild`. The server is on a different DayZ build than the player — restart it to pick up the current version. **A mod fails to load.** Almost always a missing dependency. Install `@CF` first, then `@DabsFramework`, then everything else. **No loot anywhere.** `types.xml` is malformed, or the mission template does not include vanilla loot. Restore a clean `types.xml` — a single unclosed tag empties the whole economy. **CPU pinned.** Usually an AI mod. Cap zombie counts and the spawn rates of helicopter and boat mods. **The server does not appear in the browser.** Confirm `steamQueryPort` is open and correct. DayZ lists by query port. ## 10. FAQ ### How long does the first start take? Ten to fifteen minutes, because it downloads roughly 5 GB. Subsequent starts are under a minute. ### How do I increase loot on my DayZ server? Edit `types.xml` in `mpmissions//db/`, raising `nominal` and `min` together. There is no loot multiplier in `serverDZ.cfg`. ### Can I change the map without losing my world? No — each mission keeps its own `storage_` folder, so a new template starts fresh. The old world stays on disk, so you can switch back. ### Do players need to own the DLC maps? Livonia and Sakhal are DLC maps. Chernarus is the base game and available to everyone, which is why it remains the default choice for a new community. ### Why is it always night on my server? `serverTimeAcceleration` is at `1`, so in-game time runs at real time. Raise it to 12 and set `serverNightTimeAcceleration` lower so nights pass faster than days. ### How often should I restart? Every 4 to 6 hours. It is a memory characteristic of the engine rather than a fault, and scheduled restarts are covered in [DayZ Admin Commands: BattlEye RCon and Admin Tools](/knowledge-base/dayz/how-to-add-admins-and-commands/). ## 11. What to Read Next - [Configuring your DayZ server](/knowledge-base/dayz/configuration-overview/) — every `serverDZ.cfg` key, with what each one changes - [How to Install Mods on a DayZ Server: Folders and Keys](/knowledge-base/dayz/how-to-install-mods/) — mod folders, keys, load order and custom maps - [DayZ Admin Commands: BattlEye RCon and Admin Tools](/knowledge-base/dayz/how-to-add-admins-and-commands/) — BattlEye RCon, CommunityOnlineTools and VPPAdminTools - [DayZ Server Monetisation: What Bohemia Interactive Actually Allows](/knowledge-base/dayz/server-monetisation/) — what Bohemia's monetisation rules permit before you take a donation --- Made with 💜 by GameServerKings