How to configure DayZ Expansion Hardline reputation and traders

By Niko Catarino

Updated 5 October 2026

Load Expansion Hardline, CF, Dabs Framework and Expansion Core for the Steam PC server and its clients, then edit HardlineSettings.json in the active mission. Set the ways players earn reputation before deciding which traders and transactions require it.

Use loot guide to change natural spawn targets and Market guide to set prices, currencies and stock. Hardline assigns reputation and item-display rarity; those values neither increase loot populations nor replace an Expansion bank balance.

Install the feature on a separate test world

Prepare the stopped recovery set and isolated world through Expansion installation, including CF migration, signing keys and a matching-client join. The original Hardline item 2828487396 requires CF 1559212036, Dabs Framework 2545327648 and Expansion Core 2291785308 on its visible listing.

Use this client-required argument when your manual installation has the shown folder names:

"-mod=@CF;@Dabs Framework;@DayZ-Expansion-Core;@DayZ-Expansion-Hardline"

Retain the other packages in your load list. For VXPanel, select Workshop IDs and check Installed mods against the required scope. Bundle already supplies Hardline; configure that feature instead of loading the individual module over it.

Choose additional integrations by the task: Market for trader restrictions, Book for player statistics, and AI for faction behavior. Install each feature with its own dependencies and setup. Hardline alone supplies no trader placement, quest NPC or faction membership.

Find the mission settings and retained player records

Read template to locate the selected mission and -profiles to locate the service profiles. The reviewed September release source separates policy from retained player data:

Content	Location
Server reputation, rarity and transaction rules	<active mission>/expansion/settings/HardlineSettings.json
Retained player progression, faction and storage level	<active profiles>/ExpansionMod/Hardline/PlayerData/

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On the isolated installation, generate settings, stop the service and retain the file before editing. The inspected schema is version 11, while the author wiki shows a version-10 example. Keep the generated m_Version and compare its fields before applying a patch. Current rewards belong in EntityReputation; older ReputationOnKillInfected instructions concern a different schema.

Review purchase and sale gates before introducing Hardline to existing traders: both are enabled in the inspected defaults. ShowHardlineHUD hides or shows the indicator. It does not switch off reputation or transaction requirements.

Set a reputation policy players can earn

Record a small test policy, then merge this patch into selected fields of the generated file. Add or alter the shown entries inside EntityReputation and preserve the rest of that map and file. The block is not a complete configuration:

{
  "UseReputation": 1,
  "ShowHardlineHUD": 1,
  "UseFactionReputation": 0,
  "EnableFactionPersistence": 0,
  "MaxReputation": 5000,
  "ReputationLossOnDeath": 50,
  "EntityReputation": {
    "ZombieBase": 5,
    "AnimalBase": 2,
    "PlayerBase": 0
  }
}

The base entries propose five points per covered infected, two per covered animal and no base player-kill reward. Existing soldier, NBC or named-animal entries can be more specific and take precedence. Inspect them before using those amounts as expected encounter results.

The inspected kill handler selects the most specific entity reward; it does not sum every matching base and subclass entry. A group or faction relationship can turn the selected gain into a deduction. Test friendly, hostile and ungrouped encounters separately instead of treating every player/AI kill alike.

ReputationLossOnDeath subtracts a points amount rather than a percentage when the applicable inspected branch calls it. A zero matched entity reward can return before that branch. Test environmental, player and AI deaths separately; PlayerBase: 0 in the sample is not evidence of a fifty-point loss for every death.

The version-11 clamp keeps reputation at or above zero. A positive MaxReputation supplies a cap; zero leaves positive reputation uncapped in that code. Negative rewards can deduct earned points, but the clamp does not retain a negative bandit balance. Compare your release before using older Humanity advice.

Configure item rarity without changing loot

Enable rarity through EnableItemRarity, then choose the inventory display with UseItemRarityOnInventoryIcons. A client can disable its inventory colors too. Neither control changes an economy target or how often an item spawns.

Poor through Exotic have values 1 through 8 in the source. This patch assigns M4A1 the Rare value 4, Common fallback 2, and a 250-point Rare requirement. Merge the ItemRarity entry into the generated map without dropping its other items:

{
  "EnableItemRarity": 1,
  "UseItemRarityOnInventoryIcons": 1,
  "DefaultItemRarity": 2,
  "ItemRarityParentSearch": 0,
  "RareItemRequirement": 250,
  "ItemRarity": {
    "m4a1": 4
  }
}

For the first test, ItemRarityParentSearch: 0 uses exact entries and fallback. Parent search can extend a base-class rarity to derived items, so inspect variants and modded classes before enabling it. The loader converts class names to lowercase; review the effective map after the file is converted.

Separate trader access from item restrictions

Set trader access with its MinRequiredReputation and MaxRequiredReputation. Items still need valid categories, currency, stock and transaction permissions. Keep an accessible starter trader so new players can progress toward your later requirements.

Patch these HardlineSettings switches to require purchase reputation while leaving the rarity-based sell requirement disabled:

{
  "UseItemRarityForMarketPurchase": 1,
  "UseItemRarityForMarketSell": 0
}

Try buying a Rare item below, at and above 250 points with the preceding policy. For selling, verify the trader supports that item and its stock/condition rules allow the sale. Disabling the rarity sell gate neither bypasses the trader reputation range nor makes all items sellable.

The reviewed Market transaction code evaluates these policies separately. Check the compatibility of third-party transaction overrides and complete both a purchase and a sale. Opening the menu proves neither transaction result.

Both the trader reputation range and the item purchase/sale gates require UseReputation: 1 in that code. To allow access based on the trader range alone, keep reputation enabled and set both UseItemRarityForMarketPurchase and UseItemRarityForMarketSell to 0. Changing a trader’s minimum leaves enabled item gates in force.

Test progression and saved-state recovery

Run encounters and transactions as ordinary players. For each attempt, record package versions, entity/item class, the points before and after, and the associated logs:

Check	Required observation
Base/subclass encounter rewards	Measured points agree with the selected entry
Friendly and ungrouped encounters	Gain or deduction follows the intended group/faction policy
Environmental, player and AI deaths	Each tested cause has a recorded loss matching the installed handler
Rare purchase below/at/above 250	Purchase attempts obey the chosen threshold
Selling and trader access range	Each policy allows its permitted cases and rejects its denied cases
HUD and inventory-color controls	Observed displays follow server and client settings
Logout, restart and rejoin	Recorded progression returns for the same identity
Rehearsed stopped-set restore	The recovered world and reputation use one compatible save

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The player-data writer puts reputation, faction and personal-storage data in .bin files. A restored HardlineSettings.json restores policy but leaves those player records unchanged. Include the profiles data, selected mission and saved world in the same backup. Binary records are not JSON; removing the whole profiles directory is not a repair for one policy field.

Stop a failed test rollout and keep its logs before restoring compatible packages, policy, profiles and world. Staff adjustments should use the installed tool’s supported permission and audit procedure. This guide has no source-verified chat command for resetting reputation.

Source and verification scope

This guide used AI-assisted research and drafting. The 3 October 2026 review checked original Workshop requirements, September release-source paths and declarations, and the JSON patches. The 20 April 2026 community tutorial was downloaded, transcribed with local Whisper and checked against selected frames; its server’s reward and rarity values are examples. We did not start a server or compare the current Workshop binary with that source. Encounters, transactions, factions and recovered player records remain untested here.