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The heart of every DayZ server is serverDZ.cfg — it controls the server name, player limits, time flow, security settings, and which map loads. This guide walks through the settings that matter with an annotated example, shows how to switch between Chernarus and Livonia, and introduces the mission economy files that control loot.

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Editing serverDZ.cfg

Open serverDZ.cfg in the server’s root directory using the Game Panel’s File Manager or SFTP. Save your changes, then restart the server from the Game Panel — the config is only read at startup.

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Annotated Example

hostname = "My DayZ Server | Boosted Loot | Discord.gg/example";  // Name shown in the server browser
password = "";                    // Join password; empty = public server
passwordAdmin = "ChangeMeNow";    // Admin password for #login (see Admin Tools)
maxPlayers = 60;                  // Player slot limit

// --- Security ---
verifySignatures = 2;             // Verify mod signatures against keys/ folder. Keep at 2 (required value)
forceSameBuild = 1;               // Kick clients whose game build differs from the server

// --- Gameplay ---
disable3rdPerson = 0;             // 1 = hardcore first-person-only server
disableCrosshair = 0;             // 1 = no crosshair
enableWhitelist = 0;              // 1 = only whitelisted players may join

// --- Time ---
serverTime = "SystemTime";        // "SystemTime" = mirror host clock, or a fixed start like "2015/4/8/17/23" (Y/M/D/H/M)
serverTimeAcceleration = 4;       // Day runs 4x faster than real time
serverNightTimeAcceleration = 8;  // Nights run an ADDITIONAL 8x on top (4 x 8 = 32x total at night)
serverTimePersistent = 0;         // 1 = time continues while the server is empty/offline

// --- Messages ---
motd[] = { "Welcome to the server!", "Rules: no combat logging.", "Join our Discord!" };
motdInterval = 60;                // Seconds between MOTD lines

// --- Mission (which map loads) ---
class Missions
{
    class DayZ
    {
        template = "dayzOffline.chernarusplus";  // Chernarus
    };
};
Two settings deserve extra care: keep verifySignatures = 2 (it’s the anti-tamper check that keeps modified clients out — see Installing Mods for how keys work), and always set a strong passwordAdmin.

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Key Settings Reference

SettingNotes
hostnameBrowser name. Many owners include loot style and Discord invite.
password / passwordAdminJoin password (optional) and admin login password — see Admin Tools.
maxPlayersMatch this to your plan’s resources; more players = more CPU and persistence load.
verifySignatures2 is the required value in current DayZ versions.
forceSameBuild1 prevents confusing joins from mismatched game builds.
disable3rdPerson1 creates a first-person-only (1PP) server — a popular hardcore niche.
serverTime"SystemTime" or a fixed date/time string "YYYY/MM/DD/HH/MM". Season affects daylight hours and temperature.
serverTimeAccelerationGeneral time multiplier. serverNightTimeAcceleration multiplies nights further — most community servers shorten nights so evenings aren’t pitch black.
enableWhitelist1 restricts joins to the whitelist file — see Admin Tools.
motd[]Array of messages broadcast in-game, rotating every motdInterval seconds.

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Choosing the Map: Chernarus or Livonia

The template line inside class Missions selects the mission — and with it, the map: 
class Missions
{
    class DayZ
    {
        template = "dayzOffline.chernarusplus";
    };
};
The mission folder with the matching name must exist in mpmissions/. Community terrains (Namalsk, Deer Isle, and others) ship their own mission templates as part of their mods — see Installing Mods.
Switching maps means switching missions — characters and persistence are stored per mission, so players effectively start fresh on the new map.

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The Loot Economy: Mission Files

Loot isn’t configured in serverDZ.cfg — it lives in XML files inside your mission folder, e.g. mpmissions/dayzOffline.chernarusplus/db/:
FileControls
db/types.xmlThe master loot table — per item: nominal (target amount in the world), min, lifetime (seconds before despawn), restock, spawn locations, and flags
db/events.xmlDynamic events — helicopter crashes, police cars, infected hordes, vehicle spawn counts
cfgspawnabletypes.xmlWhat spawns on items — attachments on weapons, cargo in clothing and vehicles
A tiny types.xml example — making the Mosin more common and longer-lived: 
<type name="Mosin9130">
    <nominal>20</nominal>
    <lifetime>28800</lifetime>
    <restock>1800</restock>
    <min>10</min>
</type>
Economy files are unforgiving: one malformed XML tag can break loot spawning server-wide. Take a backup before editing, change a few values at a time, and validate your XML before restarting.

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Applying Changes

  1. Save your edits in the File Manager.
  2. Restart the server from the panel — serverDZ.cfg and mission files load at startup.
  3. Economy changes apply gradually: existing loot follows old lifetimes until it despawns or is restocked.

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