Complete reference guide for all DayZ server configuration files. Understand the purpose, format, and location of each file to effectively manage your server.
DayZ server administration involves managing multiple configuration files that control different aspects of your server. XML files are the primary format for economy, events, and spawn configurations. JSON files handle modern gameplay mechanics and effect areas. CFG files manage server startup settings and core configuration. Most files are located in mpmissions/yourmission/ with some in the root server directory.
Primary loot economy file. Controls which items spawn, their quantities, spawn locations, restock timers, and distribution tiers. Essential for loot balancing and gameplay customization.
Governs the core mechanics of the dynamic loot economy, including event triggers, loot respawn logic, and global economy parameters. Adjusts how the server manages item cleanup, restocking, and event-based spawns.
Contains global server variables such as cleanup timers, animal and zombie counts, and other world-wide settings. Impacts overall server performance and gameplay balance.
Lists items to be excluded from the economy system. Useful for removing unwanted or modded items from spawning without deleting their type definitions.
Controls dynamic world events such as helicopter crashes, contaminated zones, and supply drops. Defines event types, spawn rates, and locations for creating engaging gameplay moments.
Defines item spawns and loot for specific events like helicopter crashes and toxic zones. Works in conjunction with events.xml for advanced event configuration.
Defines environmental effect zones such as contaminated areas and their properties including location, radius, and active effects. Used for advanced event and modded content.
Configures advanced gameplay mechanics including player health and stamina, disease and injury systems, vehicle damage, and AI behavior. Allows fine-tuning of survival difficulty and player experience.
Configures weather patterns, rain, fog, wind, and lighting for the server environment. Impacts survival difficulty and immersion through dynamic weather systems.
Controls environmental settings, lighting, and world parameters. Used for customizing the look and feel of the game world including ambient effects.
Manages player spawn points, locations, and related settings. Essential for customizing where new and respawning players appear on the map.
Configures random loot generation patterns and presets. Useful for creating varied and dynamic loot experiences with randomized item selections.
Manages item spawn configurations and attachment spawning. Defines what attachments can spawn on weapons and how items are configured when they appear.
Defines spawn limits, categories, usages, and value tiers. Maps the category, usage, and value tags used in types.xml to actual spawn point definitions.
Main server configuration file. Sets server name, passwords, player slots, network ports, logging options, and mission template. Required for server startup.
Batch script for launching your server with proper parameters, mod configurations, and startup options.
Always backup your configuration files before making changes. Use a version control system like Git to track modifications and easily revert if something breaks. Validate XML files for syntax errors before deploying - a single missing bracket can prevent your server from starting. Test configuration changes on a staging server first, and make incremental changes rather than modifying multiple files at once.