Configure and edit a DayZ PC server

By Niko Catarino

Updated 8 October 2026

To configure a DayZ PC server, identify the active launch settings and mission, back up the relevant files, stop the game process and edit the setting that controls your task. Save, check the file format, restart and test the behavior in the game.

Different settings belong to different files. Changing loot quantities, a join password or the map requires a different edit. Start with a working vanilla installation so you can compare each change with a known result.

Find the configuration the running instance uses

On a self-managed server, inspect the batch file, service or launch command used to start DayZ. The -config argument selects the main configuration; serverDZ.cfg is a common filename. Check the current RPT’s command line when available rather than assuming the file open in your editor is active.

Record the selected mission and any explicit -mission, -profiles or -storage path. Keep each server instance’s configuration and saved state separate. For a new installation, confirm the mission directory exists before selecting it.

On managed hosting, use the provider’s configuration control for the supplied instance. A panel can generate files from its fields, so a raw-file edit can be replaced by a later panel save. Choose one supported editing method for a setting and confirm which version the process actually uses.

CFTools Architect’s process configuration reference explains that managed ports and mod parameters can override manual edits. Use the controls exposed for your service, then check the actual launch settings after editing a file.

On VXPanel, refresh and sync Config before saving. Its raw JSON editor is the panel’s representation of the settings; it is a different format from a native DayZ .cfg file.

Choose the file for the change

The following paths are relative to the installed server or active mission unless your host or launch arguments redirect them. Preserve the capitalization of actual paths on Linux.

Task	Configuration to check	Complete procedure
Name, join settings, player limit, camera mode or time	The file selected by -config	Basic edit and camera test
Choose the terrain and mission	The active mission selection, including class Missions and any -mission argument	Change the map
Add or remove Workshop packages	Panel mod controls or -mod / -serverMod launch lists, package directories and required keys	Install mods or remove mods
Stamina, shock recovery, respawn choices or HUD	Active mission cfggameplay.json	Gameplay settings
Building checks and supported gameplay options	Mission cfggameplay.json, with enableCfgGameplayFile enabled	Build anywhere
Starter equipment	A gear preset registered in mission cfggameplay.json	Starter gear
Player spawn locations	Mission cfgplayerspawnpoints.xml	Player spawn points
Rain and weather forecasts	Mission cfgweather.xml and its activation attributes	Weather
Welcome text, announcements or shutdown countdowns	Active mission db/messages.xml	Server messages and countdowns.
Moderate players or broadcast through a remote connection	The instance’s BattlEye configuration	Admin commands and RCON.
Change the login or logout window	Mission db/globals.xml, including registered overrides	Change login and logout timers.
Loot quantities and eligible locations	Mission db/types.xml or a types override registered in cfgeconomycore.xml	Increase loot
Infected numbers	The relevant territory/event zone and global settings	Increase infected
Vehicle parts and cargo	Mission cfgspawnabletypes.xml or its registered override	Complete truck spawns
Request more cars or wildlife	Event definitions with the mission’s territories and positions	Vehicle populations or animals.
Remove a gas area	Effect-area JSON, event overrides or the installed mod’s settings	Contaminated areas.
A mod’s own behavior	The author’s configuration, which may be in the selected profiles directory	Follow that installed version’s documentation and test the feature.

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Read the supported gameplay settings before enabling their JSON file. Activation changes which source controls several overlapping options. Keep the installed release’s complete file and edit the intended fields.

Save a baseline and stop the process

Record the intended result, original values, file path, build and mod versions. Back up the working configuration and any files the change depends on. Verify the backup scope before a change that affects saved data.

Tell connected players about the maintenance window and use the server’s supported shutdown control. Wait until the game process has stopped before replacing files. Keep the original beside your local working copy with a filename that identifies the date and task.

Make one setting change or a small dependent change set. A broad replacement makes a failed startup or unexpected world change harder to diagnose.

Edit the main server configuration

A native DayZ .cfg file uses assignments with semicolons and blocks with braces. JSON syntax cannot replace that format. Preserve the shipped configuration, update its existing field and check for duplicate assignments.

For a recognizable test name, edit the current hostname line:

hostname = "My PC Configuration Test";

For first-person-only play on DayZ 1.29, set the existing disable3rdPerson field to 1. From 1.30, Bohemia also documents thirdPersonView = 0; for disabling third-person. Check your installed version and the camera-setting guidance below before choosing a field; the interaction between these two switches hasn’t been verified here. Save, restart and join as an ordinary player. Try switching camera mode on foot and in a vehicle, then confirm the result before advertising a first-person community. Restore the original configuration if the test fails.

Use the relevant fields for other edits:

Setting	Meaning and verification
password	Controls who can join. Test a fresh correct and incorrect password using the private-server procedure.
passwordAdmin	Administration authentication. Keep it separate from player joining.
maxPlayers	Player cap. Increasing it does not add CPU or memory capacity; test the workload.
motd[] and motdInterval	Chat messages and the interval between messages. Bohemia documents the native interval in seconds; confirm how a panel labels or converts it.
Time settings	Use the day/night calculation and clock test instead of treating both multipliers as independent speeds.

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The native motd[] fields and mission messages.xml are separate message mechanisms. Do not copy a value in minutes into motdInterval expecting the same schedule.

For a complete native message example, use the MOTD array and timing instructions.

Keep the instance’s assigned ports, mission and signature/build checks while testing an unrelated setting. Changing a hostname or camera flag does not require deleting world data. Preserve instanceId and any storage override: changing them can select a different saved world.

Keep the server name within Steam’s byte limit

Use a hostname of 63 UTF-8 bytes or fewer to fit Steam’s server-browser name field. Valve defines k_cbMaxGameServerName as 64 bytes including the terminating null byte, leaving 63 bytes for the name. Its SetServerName reference ties that field to the name shown in the browser.

Plain ASCII letters, numbers and spaces each use one byte. Accented letters and emoji can use several, so counting visible characters alone can put a name over that budget. Put the community name first and keep extra tags short.

This is Steam’s documented field limit. The native DayZ configuration parser, VXPanel input and third-party launcher displays have not been checked against that boundary here. After saving and restarting, find the same server by its address and port and inspect its name in the clients your players use. If it is shortened, compare the displayed name with the active hostname value and check whether a panel save rewrote it.

Set the RPT timestamp format

Bohemia lists "Full" and "Short" for timeStampFormat in its DayZ configuration reference. To request the full format, edit the existing assignment in the active .cfg, or add it once if absent:

timeStampFormat = "Full";

Keep it outside class Missions. Save while the process is stopped, restart and inspect new lines in the current RPT file. Keep the original setting for rollback. The DayZ reference doesn’t establish the "none" option found in some older configuration lists.

Check the supplied starting values

Use the configuration supplied with your installed release, or your saved working copy, when restoring settings. The DayZ 1.29 server template retained from 3 October 2026 contains these assignments:

Field	Value in that template
serverTimeAcceleration	12
serverNightTimeAcceleration	1
vonCodecQuality	20

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Bohemia’s reference example uses 1 for base time acceleration, so the example and the retained template are different starting points. Check the actual assignment in your file. With base 12 and night 1, a continuous 24-game-hour cycle calculates to two real hours; see the clock calculation and restart checks. This doesn’t imply equal daylight and night lengths.

These configuration additions used AI-assisted research and drafting on 8 October 2026. The documented timestamp values and retained template were inspected; current-release defaults, RPT output and in-game timing were not tested.

Edit cfggameplay.json

Stamina, shock recovery, respawn choices and HUD rules belong in the active mission’s cfggameplay.json. Start with the complete file for your installed game and mission. Keep its version and unrelated settings; the examples below edit individual objects, not the whole file.

On a self-managed server, enable it in the configuration selected by -config:

enableCfgGameplayFile = 1;

On managed hosting, confirm the supported control and mission path with your provider. VXPanel’s available gameplay-file control hasn’t been established here. A JSON editor in the panel doesn’t by itself confirm that DayZ loads this mission file.

Before enabling it, compare the JSON’s base damage, container damage, lighting and personal-light values with your existing rules. The gameplay loader uses different initialization paths when the file is enabled. Activating a stock file can therefore change more than the field you intended to edit.

Adjust stamina and shock recovery

Edit PlayerData → StaminaData. The Chernarus example supplies these values; compare them with your installed file before making a change:

Field	Example value	What it controls
staminaMax	100	Stamina before the carried-weight penalty. Keep it positive; the reviewed loader rejects zero.
staminaWeightLimitThreshold	6000	Carried weight in grams before the cap starts falling: 6 kg in this example.
staminaKgToStaminaPercentPenalty	1.75	Stamina points removed from the cap per kilogram above the threshold.
staminaMinCap	5	Lower limit for the cap after the weight penalty.
sprintStaminaModifierErc / sprintStaminaModifierCro	1 each	Drain multipliers for upright and crouched sprinting.
sprintSwimmingStaminaModifier / sprintLadderStaminaModifier	1 each	Drain multipliers for fast swimming and ladder climbing.
meleeStaminaModifier / obstacleTraversalStaminaModifier / holdBreathStaminaModifier	1 each	Consumption multipliers for melee, obstacles and holding breath.

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For a first test, change only sprintStaminaModifierErc from 1.0 to 0.5. This halves the upright sprint drain calculation; it doesn’t double movement speed or remove the weight penalty. Keep the same equipment and compare how long the character can sprint before and after the edit.

The stamina calculation subtracts the excess kilograms times the penalty, stopping at staminaMinCap. With the example values and a calculated load of 16 kg, the cap is 100 - (16 - 6) × 1.75 = 82.5. A minimum cap doesn’t guarantee every action remains available; sprinting and other actions have their own thresholds.

Shock recovery uses the adjacent PlayerData → ShockHandlingData object:

• shockRefillSpeedConscious: base shock recovery per second while conscious; the example uses 5.0.
• shockRefillSpeedUnconscious: base recovery while unconscious; the example uses 1.0.
• allowRefillSpeedModifier: permits the unconscious recovery modifier associated with projectile hits. Setting it to false resets that modifier to 1; it doesn’t remove all recovery conditions.

The shock code also checks the cooldown after a hit, pulse, blood level, drowning and broken-leg state. Treat the speeds as base rates, not a promised wake-up time. On a private test instance, compare the same injury and blood state with the original and edited value. Restore the saved file if recovery doesn’t match your rules.

Choose the respawn controls

Both switches live in GeneralData and use JSON true or false:

Field	When set to true
disableRespawnDialog	Skips the custom/random character choice and uses random character respawning. It doesn’t disable respawning after death.
disableRespawnInUnconsciousness	Hides the pause-menu Respawn button while the character is alive and unconscious. The dead-character respawn control is separate.

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These follow the mission’s respawn mode and the PC pause menu. Test unconsciousness and death separately with a disposable test character. Respawning abandons that character; use a private copy of the server rather than a player’s live survivor for this check.

Change the map and hit-direction display

Set UIData.use3DMap to true to use the map held in the character’s hands without the normal 2D overlay. The map action opens the overlay when this setting is false. Test with a usable map in hand. Keep MapData ownership and navigation settings unchanged while testing this display choice; installed map mods may provide their own interface.

For incoming-hit feedback, edit UIData → HitIndicationData. This complete object keeps the example’s timing and scatter, enables the override and chooses an opaque blue arrow:

"HitIndicationData": {
  "hitDirectionOverrideEnabled": true,
  "hitDirectionBehaviour": 1,
  "hitDirectionStyle": 2,
  "hitDirectionIndicatorColorStr": "0xff30b5ff",
  "hitDirectionMaxDuration": 2.0,
  "hitDirectionBreakPointRelative": 0.2,
  "hitDirectionScatter": 10.0,
  "hitIndicationPostProcessEnabled": true
}

Replace only the existing HitIndicationData object inside UIData, retaining the surrounding JSON. The indicator code reads these override values only when hitDirectionOverrideEnabled is true. Behaviour 0 disables the indicator; 1 is static. Styles 0, 1 and 2 select splash, spike and arrow respectively.

Keep the colour as a quoted 0xAARRGGBB string: alpha, red, green, blue. ff alpha is opaque; 00 is transparent. Preserve the duration, fade breakpoint, scatter and post-process fields when changing the colour. With two test players, check incoming hits from different directions, turning the camera and the effect’s disappearance. This display tells the injured player about a hit; the Hitmarker mod below serves a different purpose.

The gameplay examples were checked against the linked Bohemia mission and script sources with AI assistance on 8 October 2026. Installed game behavior, mod interactions and VXPanel controls remain untested. Use the validation, restart and rollback steps below before adopting a change.

Add static objects with an object-spawner file

DayZ can load extra objects from JSON files listed in WorldsData.objectSpawnersArr. Enable the gameplay file as above, then create custom-objects.json in the active mission folder. Start with one object on a private test instance so you can check its position and collision before adding a larger composition.

This example uses the class and first position in Bohemia’s object-spawner converter. Replace the position with coordinates and a height checked on your terrain:

{
  "Objects": [
    {
      "name": "Land_Wall_Gate_FenR",
      "pos": [8406.501953, 107.736824, 12782.338867],
      "ypr": [0.0, 0.0, 0.0],
      "scale": 1.0,
      "enableCEPersistency": false
    }
  ]
}

Objects is an array, so separate multiple object entries with commas. pos holds X, Y, Z, with Y as height. ypr holds yaw, pitch, roll in degrees; scale: 1.0 keeps the original size. Use exact classnames from installed content. Bohemia also supports model paths under its listed plants and rocks directories; an arbitrary .p3d path is not a supported substitute.

Register the filename in the existing WorldsData object:

"objectSpawnersArr": ["custom-objects.json"]

This line replaces an empty array. If the array already lists other files, append the new filename and retain those entries. The loader resolves each path relative to the active mission. Put this property inside WorldsData, not at the root of cfggameplay.json.

Parse both complete JSON files, upload them with the process stopped, then restart. Check the RPT for JSON/file errors and Object spawner failed to spawn, which identifies a failed classname or model. Visit the chosen position and inspect height, orientation, collision, doors and player access. Repeat after a restart and check that your file isn’t also registered by another placement system.

Keep enableCEPersistency at false for this static-object example. The object-spawner reference describes separate persistence behavior for items players can take. Don’t assume removing a spawn entry also removes a saved item or reverses a mod’s changes. The optional customString is data passed to an object’s OnSpawnByObjectSpawner script handler; it has no universal configuration meaning.

To undo the test, restore the previous gameplay registration and object file while stopped, restart and check the location. Investigate any remaining object through the system that saved it; a world wipe is not the rollback step for this example. Add larger compositions gradually and compare server and client performance. These instructions follow the published loader and format; the example’s in-game placement and removal haven’t been tested here.

Change login and logout timers

For the full globals list, persistence switches and economy diagnostics, use the Central Economy configuration reference.

Find TimeLogin and TimeLogout in the selected mission’s db/globals.xml. Both are 15 with integer type="0" in the pinned Chernarus globals. Use seconds for these timers, as defined by Bohemia’s economy reference.

Test a longer logout window by changing the existing TimeLogout from 15 to 30. Retain TimeLogin, TimeHopping and TimePenalty so the comparison has one changed timer. A registered globals override must keep the name, type and value attributes and the original variable type.

Save the original file before stopping the process and uploading validated XML. Join a private test session, measure a normal logout and confirm the recovered character after reconnecting. Include mods that alter disconnect behavior in the record. Test combat logging and forced disconnects as separate cases rather than assuming the timer prevents them.

Restore the saved globals and changed registrations with the process stopped to undo the experiment. Keep both the baseline values and observed result for comparison.

Check JSON or XML before uploading

Use a plain-text editor and preserve the file extension. JSON requires quoted property names and balanced braces; XML requires a single root and matching tags. Parsing catches structural mistakes, but not incorrect DayZ classnames or unsupported settings.

On Windows, these PowerShell checks parse the working copy without modifying it. Replace the paths with the files you edited:

Get-Content -LiteralPath 'C:\DayZEdits\cfggameplay.json' -Raw |
    ConvertFrom-Json -ErrorAction Stop | Out-Null

[xml](Get-Content -LiteralPath 'C:\DayZEdits\types.xml' -Raw) | Out-Null

Fix any parser error before transferring the file. A native .cfg is neither JSON nor XML; check its quotes, semicolons and blocks, then inspect DayZ’s startup output on the test instance.

Well-formed XML with the wrong root still parses. For types.xml, check that the root is types, then verify classnames and economy fields against the installed content. The PowerShell check does not validate DayZ’s schema or confirm that loot will spawn.

For economy overrides, verify the directory and registration in cfgeconomycore.xml as well as the XML. Bohemia’s economy-file modding reference documents how overrides combine with stock data. For mod settings, confirm the expected schema against the installed author’s version.

Restart, inspect and test the actual result

Transfer the checked file to the active location and confirm the save or upload completed. Start the game process using the intended launch method. Read the new startup and RPT logs for parse, mission and missing-file errors.

Join with the required game and mod versions. Test the operation you changed: a new connection for join settings, camera access for first-person play, a fresh character for starter gear, or natural spawns for the economy. A clean startup log is only one part of the check.

If nothing changed, recheck:

1. The launched instance and its current arguments.
2. The active configuration, mission and profile paths.
3. A panel save that may have generated another file.
4. Duplicate fields or a gameplay/mod system controlling the same feature.
5. Whether the feature applies to existing objects, new characters or future spawns.

Preserve the current world during diagnosis. Delete persistence only when the specific planned operation requires it and a verified recovery path exists.

Undo a failed edit

Stop the server through its supported control. Restore the previous configuration files and launch or panel settings that changed, then start and repeat the baseline test. Keep related files as a consistent set; restoring one registered economy file while retaining a changed registration can create another error.

If the operation changed saved data, use the rehearsed restore plan for that state. Removing a setting from a text file cannot undo every effect a mod has already saved.

Completion check: the intended instance loads the edited file, startup succeeds, a player confirms the requested behavior, and the original files can restore the baseline.

Mod-specific configuration

Vehicle3PP: third-person inside vehicles

Check the server’s build and release branch before adding a camera mod. Bohemia’s configuration reference adds native thirdPersonView = 2; for vehicle-only third-person in DayZ 1.30. Its 16 September 2026 release notes introduce this option on PC Experimental, so don’t expect it on a 1.29 server. On a build that supports it, test the native option with drivers, passengers and players on foot before adding a mod solely for vehicle camera access. Its interaction with the older disable3rdPerson switch hasn’t been verified here.

For a vehicle whitelist or driver-only camera rules, Wardog’s Vehicle3PP, item 2122332595 provides the controls below. For the setup described by its author, keep disable3rdPerson = 1; for on-foot play. Follow the mod installation procedure for package, client and signing-key checks; server-only loading won’t supply a player’s camera scripts. Recheck compatibility when changing the game branch.

After the first start, find 3PPVehicleWhitelist.json directly in the active profiles directory. Back it up and stop the server before editing. The author describes these controls:

• DriverOnly restricts third-person access to drivers. The published example uses the string "true"; preserve the generated file’s value type when editing.
• Whitelist contains vehicle classnames. A base classname covers its colour variants. An empty list allows every vehicle; it doesn’t disable the feature.

Use classnames from your installed packages. The author warns that unknown names can crash the server. On servers with native third-person enabled, a restricted list can also block third-person in unlisted vehicles.

Validate the JSON, restart and test as a normal player. Check the driver and passenger seats in an allowed vehicle, then an unlisted vehicle. Exit and confirm first-person returns; re-enter and toggle the camera again. Repeat for each boat or aircraft you intend to support, since their seat behavior can differ.

The latest listed update, 16 October 2024, addresses DayZ 1.26 boats. We haven’t tested the current game build or your vehicle packages. Restore the saved JSON and launch settings if the rehearsal fails. Use the original Workshop item or a Steam collection; Wardog prohibits repacking and reuploading it.

Add Hitmarker feedback

Hitmarker, item 2903723881, gives players visual and audio feedback when they damage an enemy. Sfmplayer and LieutenantMaster are the listed creators. The author describes it as ready to use without additional configuration, so you don’t need to create a settings file for this procedure.

Save the current mod list and add the original package to a test instance using the mod installation steps. Load matching files on the server and joining clients, with the supplied public signing key accepted by the server. Keep signature checks enabled. Use a Steam collection for the mod list; the published terms prohibit repacking and redistribution without permission.

Check the sound and marker with an ordinary player account, then repeat after reconnecting. Include your usual HUD and combat mods in that check. If the feedback is missing or duplicated, restore the previous mod list before trying a different combination.

The latest change note, 26 January 2024, reverted an optimization that had stopped the mod working. We read all six entries for this AI-assisted section on 7 October 2026; current-game compatibility and hit feedback remain untested.

Add SIX-DayZ-Auto-Run and check the controls

SIX-DayZ-Auto-Run, item 1781132597 by SIX and Cleetus, requires CF. Install both on the server and joining clients using the mod procedure. If CF is new to an existing world, read its first-installation wipe requirement before changing that world.

For manual hosting, add the actual @SIX-Auto-Run folder to the normal -mod list, after CF and the other packages as the author requests. Copy the supplied public .bikey signing key to the server’s keys folder; retain the package’s .bisign files beside their PBOs. Keep signature verification enabled. These are the native argument and key types, despite the older Workshop instructions’ spelling errors.

After joining, find New Division Studios Auto Run Mod under the keyboard controls and choose a binding that doesn’t conflict with another mod. Check the binding shown by your installed version, especially on a keyboard without a numeric keypad.

On the test instance, start auto-run and check cancellation with W, A, S and D, which the author added in June 2019. Open and close the inventory while moving. The description records a case where the character glides instead of changing to a walk; observe that behavior before telling players which movement rules to expect. Check the binding again after reconnecting.

The original description and all five change entries were read on 7 October 2026. The last change, 22 October 2021, addresses log spam. Current binary compatibility and movement behavior haven’t been tested here.

Configure SimpleAutorun controls

drag’s SimpleAutorun, item 2264162971, requires CF. Install matching packages on the server and joining clients through the mod procedure. Read CF’s first-installation requirement before adding it to an existing world. Choose one autorun mod for the initial rehearsal so another movement script doesn’t obscure the result.

On a manual host, use the normal -mod list and copy the release’s public .bikey to the server’s keys folder. Leave .bisign signatures beside their PBOs and keep signature checks enabled. The older SimpleAutorun description misspells the startup argument and signing-key extension; use the native forms above.

In the client’s keyboard controls, set bindings for autorun, autosprint and smart movement. Smart uses the current movement mode, with + listed as its default. Check the binding on your keyboard and resolve conflicts before testing each mode.

Test with ordinary stamina and equipment rules. The author says sprint respects stamina and bulky items and changes to a run while inventory is open. Check those transitions, movement cancellation and behavior after stamina recovers, then reconnect and check the bindings again. Restore the earlier mod list if the controls interfere with your other movement mods.

This section used AI-assisted research and drafting on 7 October 2026. We read the original description and all nine change entries, ending 7 November 2020. Those dated fixes don’t establish current-game compatibility; the installed package and player controls haven’t been tested here.

Configure Dayz Navigation’s compass and watch

Nine’s Dayz Navigation, item 1791033033, adds a compass display and a wearable watch. Install the original package on the server and joining clients using the mod procedure. The latest original release note, 20 April 2023, names NineV2.bikey; use the signing key supplied with the release you install.

After the first start, look under the active profiles directory for Nine/Nine_Config.json. The September 2020 change note moved the file into Nine/, although the description still refers to the profiles directory without that subfolder. Back up the generated file and stop the server before editing it.

• g_WatchMonatana controls the watch display. Preserve that exact spelling.
• g_Compass controls the compass display. The author uses 1 to enable either display and 0 to disable it.
• aA, rR, gG and bB are the compass colour’s alpha, red, green and blue fields. Keep the generated value types and change only the colour you intend to use.

Edit your generated file instead of replacing it with the Workshop example: that example is missing a comma after g_Compass. Run the JSON check before uploading. To spawn the watch or added compass as loot, review the package’s types data and register the selected entries through the economy procedure; don’t guess their classnames.

For the player’s compass display, the author says to open the compass in their hands and then put it in their inventory. Dropping it removes the display. Wear the watch to check its time display. Test both controls, dropping and picking up the compass, and reconnecting with an ordinary player account.

If the HUD disappears, compare the game and mod versions before changing unrelated settings. DZR Navigation 1.27 Fix, item 3435064907, is a separate community addon that lists the original mod as required. Its June 2025 update also addresses the added compass. This is a dated troubleshooting lead; we haven’t verified it on the current game. Keep the original and addon separate: permission to repack the addon doesn’t extend to Nine’s package.

This section used AI-assisted research and drafting on 7 October 2026. We read both descriptions, the original’s latest ten changes, all five addon changes and the linked HUD discussion. Current generated settings, packaged economy files and compass/watch behavior remain untested.

Configure CheckIdentity player names

Wardog’s CheckIdentity, item 1813296260, displays survivor names when the server’s configured conditions allow it. Install the original package on the server and joining clients through the mod procedure, retaining the supplied signing key and signature checks. Use a Steam collection to distribute your mod list; the author prohibits repacks and reuploads.

The 9 December 2023 rewrite removed the Check Identity and Demand Identity actions. Names appear automatically under the configured conditions. That release also removed AI names, so these settings won’t supply names for trader NPCs.

After the first start, find CheckIdentity.json in the active profiles directory’s configs folder. The older location was Mod Configs; don’t assume a file there still controls the mod. Back up the generated file, stop the server and compare its fields with the author’s published defaults:

{
  "CanCheckAlive": 1,
  "CanCheckDead": 1,
  "CanCheckRestrained": 1,
  "CanCheckUnconscious": 1,
  "HideCargoNotifier": 1,
  "HideHealthDot": 0
}

Use 1 to enable a field and 0 to disable it. The four CanCheck fields allow names for living, dead, restrained and unconscious players respectively. CanCheckAlive does not control the restrained or unconscious options. If your rules hide names in those situations, change those fields too.

HideCargoNotifier hides the player’s [+] cargo indicator. HideHealthDot hides the health-colour dot, including on dead players. These change what the interface displays; they don’t prevent someone from accessing inventory.

Keep the generated file’s structure if your installed version differs from the example. Run the JSON check, then restart; edits take effect after a restart. With two ordinary player accounts, check each enabled and disabled condition and both display options. Confirm that pulse checks, the thermometer and the blood test kit still show their own context. Include your AI or Expansion packages in the rehearsal, since the rewrite addressed an interaction with AI mods. Restore the saved configuration if the result differs from your rules.

This section used AI-assisted research and drafting on 7 October 2026. We read the original description, its single change entry and ten displayed comments. The generated configuration, current package and multiplayer behavior haven’t been tested here.

Configure CorpseSearching timers

DeAth[mouse]’s CorpseSearching, item 2160147503, makes players search a corpse before its inventory is revealed. It also changes the [+] inventory indicator. Use the original package on the test server and joining clients, following the mod and signing-key procedure. The author restricts Steam reuploads to their own account.

Look for STCConfig.json in ModConfigs/ under the server’s active profiles directory. Back up the existing file and stop the server before editing. If it isn’t there, check the selected profiles path and startup logs before assuming a file elsewhere controls this instance.

The author documents four settings:

• AddTimeForEachItem enables extra search time for each item. It is enabled by default; preserve the value type used in your actual file.
• TimeForEachItem supplies that extra time in seconds, default 2. It applies when the preceding option is enabled.
• DefaultTimeToSearchPlayer sets the base time for a player corpse, default 10 seconds.
• DefaultTimeToSearchZombie sets the base time for an infected corpse, default 3 seconds.

Validate the complete JSON and restart. With an ordinary player account, compare an empty corpse with one holding known items. Test player and infected corpses, interrupted searches, looting and skinning, then reconnect and repeat. Keep any corpse-cleanup or inventory mods in the rehearsal so you can check their interaction. Restore the saved configuration if the behavior differs from your server rules.

The original description and displayed comments were reviewed on 7 October 2026. The last listed update is 3 September 2020. Later users report breakage and a skinning conflict, but those reports have not been reproduced here. Current package compatibility and the configuration’s runtime behavior remain unverified.

Choose the right PartyMe version and settings

PartyMe, item 1582671564, supports groups of up to five players with teammate health and distance markers. Its author, ♪Dj’Ctavia♫, also publishes [BETA] PartyMe, item 2121455395. Choose one version for the server and every joining client. The two versions cannot run together.

Both require CF and use the normal -mod list. Follow the mod installation procedure, including CF’s first-installation requirement if your world doesn’t already use it. With folders named @CF and @PartyMe, the author’s loading order is:

"-mod=@CF;@PartyMe"

Copy the chosen release’s public signing key to the server’s keys/ directory. The normal version’s 14 February 2023 update replaced its key; an older accepted key can prevent clients from joining after an update.

Normal PartyMe has no server settings file. The author confirms this in the configuration discussion. Don’t create the beta’s configuration path expecting it to change the normal version. Its description lists server controls for friendly fire, trackers and health as planned features, so don’t advertise those controls as available.

For the beta, create a PartyMe folder inside the server’s active profiles directory before the first start. It generates PartyMe/config.json there. Back up that file and stop the server before editing its existing Group → Limit setting. The limit includes the group owner; -1 removes the cap. Keep the generated JSON structure, validate the file and restart. This path belongs to server profiles, not a player’s local DayZ folder.

Join the test instance with ordinary player accounts and press P to open the party menu. Check invitations, the configured member limit, leaving a party and marker behavior after reconnecting. The beta’s author records clipped menu buttons below 1920×1080, so include the resolutions your players use. Keep the prior mod list and settings for recovery.

We read both original descriptions, the configuration discussion, the normal version’s latest ten of 28 changes and all four beta changes on 7 October 2026. The beta’s last listed release is June 2020. This section used AI-assisted drafting; current-game compatibility, generated files and multiplayer behavior haven’t been tested here.

Replace SchanaModCompass with Carim’s compass

SchanaModCompass, item 2067834152, is deprecated. Its author directs users to Carim, item 3468061029. Check the installed list before adding it: the old item now requires Carim, so the replacement may already be present. Preserve the current packages and settings, and check other mods that depend on the old item before removing it.

Install matching Carim files on the server and joining clients. Follow the Carim configuration steps to activate the mission’s cfggameplay.json and merge CarimData at its top level. That example enables chat only. For the compass, change the existing CarimCompassData block inside CarimData to:

"CarimCompassData": {
  "enabled": true,
  "requireNavItem": false
}

This is a fragment to merge into the existing object. Preserve other settings and any chosen color value. Carim’s six modules default to enabled; explicitly disable the ones you don’t want, including chat, map and party features. Omitting a module won’t disable it.

With requireNavItem set to false, the display doesn’t require a navigation item. Setting it to true makes the compass code check the player’s navigation state through GetNavigationType() > 0. Test the items and map rules your server uses before promising that a particular physical compass is required.

Validate the complete JSON, restart and join as a normal player. The default toggle is H; check the actual binding for conflicts. Turn the camera and check that the display follows it. If you enabled the item requirement, check the display with and without the intended navigation equipment, then reconnect. Restore the saved settings and compatible packages if the result differs from your rules.

This section used AI-assisted research and drafting on 7 October 2026. We read SchanaModCompass’s description and latest ten of twelve changes, Carim’s description and pinned configuration and compass code at revision 1e2409fa76be030f0d146fffc2f32d34a9c710d1. Current Workshop binaries, migration and in-game behavior remain untested.

Replace SchanaParty with Carim parties

SchanaParty’s original repository identifies SchanaModParty, Workshop item 2075831381, as deprecated and directs users to Carim, item 3468061029. PartyMe above is a separate mod. Keep your current mod list, server configuration and players’ local profile files before trying the replacement on a separate server copy. Check dependencies before removing the old package.

Follow the Carim installation and configuration steps for matching client/server files, signing keys and the mission’s cfggameplay.json. That example enables chat only. To enable parties, change the existing CarimPartyData block inside the top-level CarimData object to:

"CarimPartyData": {
  "enabled": true,
  "maxPartySize": -1,
  "maxPings": 3
}

Merge this fragment into your existing object, keeping any other party settings you use. Carim enables its six modules by default, so explicitly disable unwanted features. For parties alone, disable chat, autorun, compass, map and nametags. Keep the mission’s other gameplay settings and validate the complete JSON locally before uploading it with the server stopped.

The example leaves the party list uncapped and allows three pings. In the reviewed menu code, a nonnegative maxPartySize limits how many entries a player can add through the menu. It doesn’t trim an existing saved list. The reviewed server registration code doesn’t enforce that limit, so don’t rely on this setting alone to enforce a community’s maximum group size.

Restart the test instance and join with two ordinary accounts that aren’t listed in adminIds. Open the party menu with P and add each other. Both players must add the other for their party nametags to appear; listed admins can bypass that requirement. Check the actual key bindings if another mod uses the same controls.

Use T to place a ping, Y to clear pings and K to toggle markers and nametags. Check what both players see, then remove one from the list and check again. Include a third player outside the party to check marker visibility. Reconnect and repeat after a server restart before adopting the setup for your community.

Carim saves the player’s party list in CarimModelPartyRegistrations.json in that client’s active profiles directory. Its client initialization loads this local file; restoring only the server’s world backup won’t restore it. Close the client before backing up or restoring its profile files. Keep the old Schana files: automatic import into Carim hasn’t been established here. If the replacement fails, restore the saved compatible packages, server settings and affected client files.

This section used AI-assisted research and drafting on 7 October 2026. The linked author documentation and Carim party source at revision 1e2409fa76be030f0d146fffc2f32d34a9c710d1 were reviewed. Current Workshop binaries, migration, multiplayer behavior and recovery remain untested.

Set sGunplay’s server constraints

If players can still change an sGunplay option you meant to restrict, check sGunplay_constraints.json in the server profiles directory’s sUDE/config/ folder. Each rule has a constrain switch, which defaults to false. Changing a rule’s target value alone won’t enable it.

This reference follows simonvic’s sGunplay 2.4.0 and sFramework 3.0.0, both released on 13 August 2026. sGunplay requires sFramework. Match both installed packages to these releases before using the examples; current Workshop package identity, keys and installation requirements haven’t been verified here.

The two configuration files have different jobs:

• Server: sGunplay_constraints.json, under sUDE/config/ in server profiles. Enable a restriction, choose its value or bounds, and supply an optional message. These rules are sent to joining players.
• Player: sGunplay.json, under sUDE/config/ in the player’s DayZ saves directory. It stores personal preferences, also exposed through the client’s sGunplay options. Server rules can restrict these choices.

The player configuration uses $saves:; the framework documents this as the client’s Documents/DayZ location. Copying that file into server profiles won’t make it a server rule. The server file uses $profile:, so find the profiles directory selected by your actual launch settings.

Back up the generated server file and stop the server before editing. In its existing showDynamicCrosshair object, this example requests that the dynamic crosshair stay off:

"showDynamicCrosshair": {
  "constrain": true,
  "message": "Dynamic crosshair is disabled here.",
  "value": false
}

Merge this fragment into the complete JSON object, preserving its other fields. It controls the dynamic crosshair; showStaticCrosshair is a separate rule. Change both if your policy excludes both displays, then check the result with a normal player account. Don’t replace either rule object with a bare false.

The constraint definitions use value for switches and dynamicCrosshairType, and min/max for numeric ranges. Keep four entries in the deadzoneLimits arrays, ordered up, right, down, left. Crosshair colour arrays use red, green, blue, alpha. Set constrain to true only for the rules you want enforced; setting it back to false releases that restriction.

Validate the complete file before restarting. If loading fails, the framework loader attempts to save the configuration object back to the same path. Keep your backup outside that path and investigate JSON errors instead of repeatedly restarting with a broken file.

Restart the test instance and reconnect: the source loads server rules during initialization and sends them on player connection. Check both lowered and raised weapons, iron sights and optics, then try changing the restricted option in the menu. Restore the saved server file, restart and reconnect to check rollback. Back up player preferences with the client closed; removing a restriction doesn’t promise to restore a player’s previous choice.

This section used AI-assisted research and drafting on 7 October 2026. The linked release source and configuration lifecycle were reviewed. Installed packages, multiplayer enforcement and rollback remain untested.

Related documentation: configuration reference.

The Vehicle3PP section was researched and drafted with AI assistance on 6 October 2026 using the original description and all eight listed change notes. Its checks are instructions for a rehearsal server; we haven’t matched the installed binary to author source or performed the camera tests.